Friday, June 11, 2010

Writing Assignment Due Tuesday.

This MUST be handed in on Tuesday. No late submissions accepted.

Claim it, Quote it, Explain it.

• Choose ONE of the following questions.
• 250-300 words (1 page, typed, double spaced)
• You must use direct and indirect evidence from the text.
• Due Tuesday

Compare and contrast the characters of Laertes and Hamlet.
Describe the different aspects of Gertrude’s character.
Assess Claudius’ commitment to maintaining his power.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

TEST ON FRIDAY!! Act 2 & 3 Quiz Review

Review all of your question and quotes sheets for these two Acts.

Questions are posted on a Page at the bottom right of this blog.

Make sure that you have a good understanding of:

1. The situation surrounding Ophelia and Hamlet's relationship.
2. The reasons for Hamlet's supposed madness.
3. The significance of the appearance of the ghost in Act 3.
4. Hamlet's hesistancy to kill Claudius.
5. The significance of the play and Hamlet's intentions.
6. Rosencrantz and Guildensterns reasons for helping Claudius.
7. Polonius' involvement in discovering the cause of Hamlet's madness.

Format: (25 marks)

6 Multiple Choice Questions (6 marks)
4 Key Quotes Questions (12 marks)
5 Short Answer Questions (7 marks)

TEST ON FRIDAY!! Act 4 & 5 Quiz Review

Review the answers to all of your question sheets.
You should have the following:

Act 4 Questions
Act 4 Key Quotes (from Scene 5-7, worksheet)
Act 5 Questions

There is a Page with all of the Act/Scene questions (bottom right of this blog).

Make sure you have a good understanding of:

1. Rosencrantz & Guildenstern: what is their role and what happens to them.
2. The circumstances surrounding Ophelia's madness, death and burial.
3. Hamlet's soliloquy in Act 4, Scene Four beginning, "How all occassions do inform against me."
4. Laertes and Claudius' plot to kill Hamlet.
5. What happens to Laertes, Gertrude, Claudius, Hamlet, Horatio and Fortinbras in Act 5, Scene Two.
6. Claudius' speech in Act 4, Scene Five beginning "Oh, this is the poison of deep grief..."

Format: 36 marks

14 Multiple Choice Questions (14 marks)
4 Key Quotes: Identify, Explain & Significance (12 marks total)
3 Short Answer Questions (10 marks)

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Exam Terms


Please go to the Final Exam Links page (bottom right of this blog) and review the terms on the first page of the Terms and Devices list.

Indicate on your list, which terms and devices you are unsure of and we will discuss them in class. You should be familiar with a majority of the terms on your list.

Monday, June 7, 2010

NO QUIZ ON TUESDAY

There will be no quiz on Tuesday. It will be moved to Friday, June 11 and will include Act 5 as well.

Since EVERYONE regularly reads this blog, the entire class should be informed of this prior to tomorrow's lesson. Just in case this doesn't happen, please pass this news on to your fellow classmates via some form of social networking.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Tuesday, June 1

This will be our only class together this week as you will be participating in your graduation events. I hope you have a wonderful time celebrating your graduation from MEI.

Tuesday:

Quick review of Act 3

Act 4

Introduce Group Project:
  • Modern Re-telling: select one Act to cover
  • Photo comic book
HOMEWORK: Read to the end of Act 5 (the end of the play) for Tuesday.
There will be a test on the material on Thursday, June 10

We only have 5 classes until the end of the year, so we must move quickly through the material and begin reviewing for the final exam.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Weekend Homework: Read to then END of Act 3

Please make sure you have a good understanding of the plot and characters to the end of Act 3.

You may want to use No Fear Shakespeare to help in your understanding of the play. Click on the link below to take to you to where we left off. Hamlet is speaking with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who have been sent to figure out why he is acting strange. Hamlet has just called Denmark 'a prison'.

No Fear Shakespeare: Act 2

Use other resources to help you understand the play. Check out what your classmates have posted for Assignment #2: Internet Resources.

Have a great weekend.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Act 1 Quiz Review Information

Hamlet Act 1 Quiz: Friday, May 28

1. Have a good understanding of the content of:

King Claudius’ first speech.
Hamlet’s first soliloquy.
The Ghost’s conversation with Hamlet.

2. Know the plot.

3. Know the characters.

4. Format of the Quiz:

Multiple choice (12 marks)
Character questions (3 characters x 2 marks = 6 marks)
Quotes (3 quotes x 3marks = 9 marks)

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

This week in English 12D (May25-28)

Tuesday:
Act 1, Scene 2-4

Thursday:
Act 1, Scene 5
Quiz Review

Friday:
Act 1 Quiz
Silent Reading

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Student Internet Survey Results (Gr.11/12 classes combined)

Just thought you might like to know…

60% of students surveyed in Gr. 11 & 12 like using the internet to submit their assignments. However, 85% of students would also like the option of submitting a hardcopy (mostly in case something goes wrong with their internet—fair enough).

84% of students like having access to their class’s coursework and assignment information on the internet.

29% had some sort of difficulty with submitting on the Blog site.
47% had no difficulty submitting.
23% have not done the assignment yet (I’m curious to see what the rest of you experience when submitting. Please let me know how it goes).

76% of you like to try new things.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Assignment #2: Resource Search

We live in a time where information is quite literally at our finger tips. Internet search engines allow us to access an unbelievable amount of resources. There is a problem though--finding quality resources!

This assignment requires you to do some hunting on the internet. You are to find TWO excellent Hamlet resources that will help you increase your understanding of the play. These resources will be posted on the blog and will create a large Hamlet Online Resource for the entire class to access.

Requirements:

•A reputable source (do not use school projects created by other students please)
•The title and URL of the website resource you have selected.
•A brief description (3 sentences) of the content found on the website/resource.
•Resource #1: Audio/Video content. This resource must contain an audio/video resource
•Resource #2: Textual. This resource must contain mostly textual information.
•Post your information in the comment box.
•Do NOT DUPLICATE another students work. First come, first serve.
Marking:

1. Source-- 5 marks
2. Title and URL-- 5 marks
3. Description--5 marks

Due: Friday, May 21

Assignment #1: Anticipation Guide Comment

Select one of the following statements from the Anticipation Guide for Hamlet.

Take a position regarding the statement. Do you agree? Disagree? Strongly disagree? There is no right answer for these statements BUT you must defend your position with a strong argument. You may use examples from life and literature to support your reasoning.

Your response should be one solid paragraph with a topic sentence and supporting evidence.

When you post your comments, you must also include three pieces of information:

a. Your first name and last initial.
b. Your class and block.
c. Write out the statement you are responding to as your title.

Anticipation Guide Statements

1. Families generally have a member’s best interests in mind.

2. Having a clear goal, and the ambition to achieve it, is honourable. 

3. Power eventually corrupts the people who have it.
4. Revenge is the only way to gain true justice.
5. A person’s immoral choices can come back to haunt him/her
6. One must take a stand against injustice, even if the personal cost is great.
7. A person has to confront death in order to understand life’s meaning.
8. Moral courage is more difficult to accomplish than physical courage.
9. Evil often spirals out of control.

Welcome!

Welcome to the last few weeks of your high school career. This blog is intended to help you increase your understanding of Hamlet. You will be required to submit comments as part of your course assignments.

You will have to create a profile to use this site. You do not need to create your own blog, just a profile.

Click on "Sign In"
Enter your Google Account email address and password.

If you don't have a Google Account click on "Create Google Account."
You must use an existing email and password here (I used my hotmail account without any difficulties. Yahoo and Gmail should also work without issue).