English II
20 to 24 October
20 October
• Read pages 106-110
• Answer questions 1-6 on page 110
• Answer questions 1-9 on page 111
• Read pages 116 to 124
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Take notes on page 117 – analogy and metaphor
Answer questions 1-6 on page 121
Answer questions 1-5 on page 124
Answer questions 1-10 on page 125
21 October
• Warm Up: Parts of Speech Review
• Essential Question: What common themes does Indian Literature have with
other world literature?
• Today’s Agenda:
• Indian Literature Introduction
• Read “from the Rig Veda” – The Creation Hymn
• Tomorrow’s Agenda:
• Wisdom Literature
• Vocabulary Unit 4
• Reminders:
• Please turn in the Arabian Literature Paper today
21 October Warm Up
• Adjectives –
• A word used to describe a noun or pronoun or to give a noun or pronoun a
more specific meaning.
• Pronouns can be used as adjectives if they modify a noun
• Types of Pronouns used as Adjectives:
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Possessive Adjectives – my, your, his, her, its, our, their
Demonstrative Adjectives – this, that, these, those
Interrogative Adjectives – which, what, whose
Indefinite Adjectives – another, each, either, neither, both, few, many, several, all, any,
more, most, other, some
Identify the adjectives in each sentence
1.
The meat-packing industry is very large in Brazil.
2.
The river flows from the Canadian Rockies to the Pacific.
3.
Jim gave Rita his whole-hearted support.
4.
It took three years to build the underground tunnel.
5.
Dad served Hawaiian pineapple for desert.
6.
Kim took a headlong dive into the murky lake.
7.
We ordered French dressing on our side salads.
8.
The attendant served dinner on the cross-country flight.
9.
This juice comes from Algerian oranges.
10.
Sara saw a Shakespearean play last Friday.
11.
Several people are planning to visit Washington, D.C. for the Apple-Blossom festival.
12.
This wool sweater costs twenty dollars.
13.
The alligator crawled from the depths of the murky water.
14.
The marathon runner limped slowly across the finish line.
15.
The big game was played on a raw, blustery Fall day.
Indian Literature
Historical Background
• The modern nation of India has existed since 1947
• Throughout most of history the name India has been used to describe
the entire subcontinent that is also called South Asia.
• The map of India’s political history is a checkerboard of continually
changing boundaries between kingdoms that wage war, absorb one
another, and then split into new divisions
• One of India’s greatest kings was Asoka who reigned in the third
century BC.
• King Asoka embraced the compassionate teachings of Buddhism
Indian Literature
• Two great empires:
• Begun by Candragupta Maurya and continued by his son and grandson Asoka
• In the 16th century Islamic rulers who were descendants of Genghis Khan established a great
empire in North India.
• The subcontinent was never united under any single political administration until
the British made India into a colony
• The rule of the British Empire in India lasted from the early 1800’s to 1947
• Religion
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Hinduism is the dominant religion of India
Buddhism has been reestablished and has spread throughout Asia
Jainism
Sikhism
Christianity
Islam
Indian Literature
• The word Hindu comes from sindhu which is a word in the ancient Indian
language Sanskrit that means river.
• The Hindu religion recognizes many gods, but central to its belief is a final reality
known as brahman which is believed ot be present in every living being as its
essential identity.
• Hindu society was rigidly divided into groups or castes each of which had its own
special duties.
• These castes were:
• Learned people and priests (Brahmans)
• Warriors, farmers, merchants, and serfs
• Menials who were called “untouchables” because of their low social status
• There is no Indian word for religion which is explained by the fact that Indians do
not divide life into secular and religious spheres and instead religious concerns
pervade all aspects of thought in Hindu India.
Indian Literature
• Cultural and Scientific Contributions
• The numeral system we use today is derived from the Arabic numeral system
that was introduced in India by Arab traders who brought them from India to
Europe
• Metalworking – the Iron Pillar of Delhi is a solid metal column that is more
than 23 feet tall and weighs more than 6 tons was built in honor of Kumara
Gupta I’s father
• Medicine – Ancient Indian physicians set broken bones, knew the importance
of keeping wounds clean, and developed plastic surgery long before it was
practiced in Europe.
• Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture – their work reveals the daily life, dress,
and pastimes of ancient India. Among the most lasting contributions are the
frescoes in the caves near the village of Ajanta in Western India
Indian Literature
• Sacredness of Language
• There is no clear separation between religion and literature
• An example of this is the practice of repeating the word “om” during Hindu prayers – this is a
religious act that means saying “yes” to the universe
• Sanskrit was considered to be the perfect language.
• Hymns and Epics
• The earliest surviving record of Indian religious thought and the basis of Hinduism is the collection
of hymns known as the Rig Veda.
• These hymns pay homage to the gods of nature and set a tone of devotion and piety that carries
down to the present day.
• These writings described the details of sacrifices to the god and had a profound effect on the way
that Hindus thought.
• India’s longest Epic Poem is the Mahabharata which means “Great Epic of the Bharata Dynasty
• Another epic poem is the Ramayana which means “Romance of Rama” in which the hero, Rama, is
one of the forms of the Hindu god Vishnu and details the battle between Rama and the evil
demon Ravana
Indian Literature
• Epics and Storytelling
• Both the Mahabharata and the Ramayana are popular in India and Southeast Asia and are
celebrated in elaborate pageants, dance performances, and puppet shoes.
• The Importance of Memory
• Storytellers memorized sacred texts and spent years learning how to recite them properly
devoid of understanding the meaning of the poem
• Ancient Indians believed more in the power of human memory than in the written word –
this belief allowed these hymns to last
• The Evolution of Sanskrit Language
• There was no novel or short story in ancient Indian language – only poetry and drama
• These texts attempted to convey a central meaning about life
• The purpose of these works was to use vivid language to enable people to fulfill their unique
obligations in life.
• The greatest Indian poet was Kalidasa whose works set the standard for Indian poetry and
drama
Indian Literature
• The Continuing Influence of Indian Literature
• Despite the fact that many Indian works are over 3500 years old, their
influence continues to be felt in modern times.
• These works inspired American Authors Henry David Thoreau and Ralph
Waldo Emerson as well as influencing Mohandas K Gandhi’s pioneering nonviolent protest.
The Rig Veda - Background
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The earliest surviving record of Indian religious thought
Compiled around 1400 BC
It is a collection of 1028 hymns
The authorship of these works is unknown
Religion
• The poets of the Rig Veda were awed by the forces of nature
• They portray natural phenomena such as the sun, the moon, rain, night, and wind
storms as godlike beings
• The authors praise these beings for their power and beauty and for the benefits they
bring to mankind
• Key Literary Concepts
• Personification – a description of something non-human as if it were human.
Name
Date
English II
Veda
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The Rig Veda – Creation Hymn
According to the speaker why wouldn’t the gods know how the universe was created?
In what ways does portraying night as a goddess make it more familiar and reassuring?
To which of the hymns did you relate more, “Creation Hymn” or Night? Explain.
How is the world described in the first two lines of “Creation Hymn”
Why does the hymn say what was not rather than what was?
Identify two specific questions the poet wants answered in “Creation Hymn”.
Why can’t the gods answer these questions?
What does the god’s inability to answer suggest about the questions themselves?
In “Night” what does the speaker ask the goddess Night to do?
How might this request help the speaker and audience of this hymn feel safer in the
darkness?
11. How successful are these hymns at expressing their central ideas? Explain.
22 October
• Warm Up: Parts of Speech Review - Adjectives
• Essential Question: What is Wisdom Literature?
• Today’s Agenda:
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Identify types of Wisdom Literature
The Mystery of Brahman
Indian Epic Poems
Vocabulary Unit 4
• Tomorrow’s Agenda:
• Indian Epic Poems
Warm Up - Adjectives
• Write a sentence using as many different adjectives as you can to describe the color,
shape, location, and condition of each of the following nouns:
1. A key
2. A house
3. A body of water
4. A person
5. A dessert
6. A book
7. A car
8. An animal
9. A fire
10. A plant
Wisdom Literature
• Types of Wisdom Literature
• Myth – an anonymous tale that explains the actions of gods or the causes of
natural phenomena
• Fable – a brief story that teaches a moral or practical lesson about life and
usually features animal characters
• Parable – a brief story that teaches a moral or religious lesson and usually
features human characters
• Proverb, maxim, or aphorism – a wise saying that offers practical wisdom
about life. Such sayings are often included within larger works
• Sacred text – the foundation of a religion
• Spiritual or philosophical text – teaches moral conduct or explores questions
about the meaning of life and may be the foundation of a system of spiritual
beliefs
Wisdom Literature
• Features of Wisdom Literature
• Often uses an aphoristic style – a brief, memorable and often witty saying that
expresses a truth about life
• Figurative language – language that is not meant to be understood literally
and instead expresses an imaginative connection
• Symbolism – a symbol is an object, a person, an animal, a place, or an image
that represents both itself and something larger in meaning – usually an
abstract idea.
• Allegory – a literary work with two levels of meaning. Every element has both
a literal and a symbolic meaning with specific characters standing for abstract
qualities.
• Didactic purpose – it is meant to teach a moral or ethical lesson about life
Activity
• Read pages 188-189
• Then we will divide into groups of four
• Within your group, consider the following:
• What are the different ways modern people seek meaning in their lives
• The following questions should guide your discussion:
• What, if anything, can people in the twenty-first century learn from ancient philosophical
texts such as the Upanishads? Explain
• Do philosophical questions about the meaning of life and the nature of reality have any
application to your own life? Why or why not?
• After you have discussed your ideas with your group, you will choose a
spokesperson to share your ideas with the class.
Indian Epic Poetry
• About the Mahabharata
• The world’s longest epic
• Compiled some time between 200 BC and AD 200
• The myths and tales of the Mahabharata are woven into the fabric of its main story:
the account of a fight over the rights to a kingdom.
• An Indian Epic is a long narrative – often a poem – about the deeds and
adventures of an Indian hero.
• It tells the story that bears great religious significance and can include
elements of myth, legend, and history
• Epic hero – the central figure of an epic possessing the following qualities:
• Courage
• Loyalty
• Great physical strength
Name
Date
English II
Mahabharata
Mahabharata
1. From what is the king trying to divert the hawk’s attention?
2. What does the king’s statement reveal about ancient Indian beliefs
concerning animals.
3. In what ways do the hawk’s words reinforce Sibi’s heroic status?
4. What does the hawk say will happen if Sibi does not give him the dove?
5. What personal quality does Sibi demonstrate by claiming not to know
God’s plan?
6. In explaining why he must stay alive, what belief does Sibi reveal
regarding a ruler’s responsibilities?
7. What does the hawk agree to take in place of the dove?
Name
Date
English II
Mahabharata –
Critical Reading
Mahabharata
1.
Do you think that Sibi was foolish to keep his promise to the dove regardless of the consequences? Why or why not.
2.
Explain the duties of Sibi and the hawk.
3.
How do their duties conflict?
4.
How does Sibi first attempt to resolve his conflict with the hawk?
5.
What does this strategy reveal about his attitude toward the painful sacrifice he later undertakes?
6.
What arrangement finally satisfies the hawk’s demand for food?
7.
Why do you think the king agrees to this plan?
8.
What happens after Sibi steps onto the scale?
9.
What is the meaning of this event?
10.
What values do Sibi’s actions demonstrate?
11.
What do these values suggest about the purpose of this story?
12.
How does the importance that ancient Indians placed on keeping one’s word compare with attitudes toward honesty and duty
in the modern world? Explain.
23 October
• Warm Up: Parts of Speech Review - Adverbs
• Essential Question: How do Indian Epic Poems reflect the structure
and beliefs of Indian culture?
• Today’s Agenda:
• Indian Epic Poems
• Tomorrow’s Agenda:
• Indian Epic Poems
• Notebook Quiz 8
Adverbs
• Adverbs – a word used to modify a verb, an adjective, or another
adverb
• Adverbs answer the following questions when modifying verbs:
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Where – the statue fell there
When – Beth left yesterday
In what manner – The mayor walks slowly
To what extent – Sam has almost completed his report
• Adverbs answer the following question when modifying adjectives:
• To what extent – she was usually tired
• Adverbs answer the following question when modifying adverbs:
• To what extent – the band plays really well
Warm Up – Adverbs
Identify the adverbs in each of the following sentences
1.
My father was extremely angry.
2.
Sandy had really wanted to go to the store.
3.
He said he would leave early tomorrow.
4.
Would you believe that your suitcases are there?
5.
She will probably try to reach the governor.
6.
Which player skates more beautifully?
7.
Grandmother is exceedingly well.
8.
I can hardly solve this problem.
9.
Alice is unusually quiet today.
10.
The accident victim recovered rather rapidly.
11.
Stan proudly displayed his award.
12.
Our representative arrived in Chicago early.
13.
She has totally disagreed with us.
14.
I think he is very sorry.
15.
Which of the secretaries types more rapidly?
Name
Date
English II
Gita
Bhagavad-Gita
1. What ancient Indian values does Arjuna express in the beginning of the
epic poem?
2. According to Sri Krishna how should one accept both pleasure and pain?
3. In what way does the stanza that begins “Know this Atman” reflect
ancient Indian beliefs about the spirit?
4. What do Krishna’s words regarding Arjuna’s duty reveal about the
importance of honor in ancient India?
5. According to Sri Krishna, how will others view Arjuna if he does not fight?
6. What ancient Indian ideas about materials does the stanza that begins
“Thinking about sense-objects” reveal?
7. What Indian values does the stanza that begins “The uncontrolled mind”
convey?
Name
Date
English II
Gita
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Bhagavad-Gita
Do you agree with Sri Krishna’s advice to Arjuna? Why or why not
When Arjuna is distraught at the beginning of the selection whom does he ask for advice?
What is the cause of his confusion?
What does Krishna explain to Arjuna about the Atman?
Why might that knowledge comfort Arjuna?
What action does Krishna advise Arjuna to take? Does Arjuna have a choice? Why or why not.
In what manner does Krishna advise Arjuna to fight? What will Arjuna ultimately gain from acting this
way?
8. What do Krishna’s statements about the Atman suggest about the relationship between knowledge and
action? Is one element in this relationship more important than the other? Explain.
9. What three Hindu beliefs does the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna promote? How do these
concepts relate to each other?
10. What advice might Krishna give to people in modern society who believe that wealth is the measure of
success?
24 October
• Warm Up: Parts of Speech Review - Adverbs
• Essential Question: How do Indian Epic Poems reflect the structure
and beliefs of Indian culture?
• Today’s Agenda:
• Indian Epic Poems
• Notebook Quiz 8
• Writing Prompt 10
• Monday’s Agenda:
• Indian Fables
Warm Up – Adverbs
Identify the adverbs and the words they modify in each sentence.
1.
The flood waters spread very rapidly.
2.
The train arrived unusually late.
3.
The horse ran surprisingly fast.
4.
The dog moved somewhat closer to the squirrel.
5.
The turtle moved more quickly than we had expected.
6.
Arnold just barely finished in time.
7.
Clare speaks more clearly than her brother.
8.
The cookies are almost completely gone.
9.
The jury reached its verdict unexpectedly soon.
10.
Please move the couch further forward.
11.
Stan takes himself too seriously.
12.
The speaker pronounced every word very clearly.
13.
Joe speaks extremely quickly.
14.
The car was moving frighteningly fast.
15.
The driver applied the brakes quite suddenly.
Name
Date
English II
NBQ8
Notebook Quiz 8
1. What are the characteristics of an epic hero?
2. What is a myth?
3. What is an aphorism?
4. What is a parable?
5. When was the nation of India created?
6. What is the predominant religion of India?
7. What is the earliest surviving record of Indian religious thought called?
8. What is personification?
9. Who is the greatest Indian poet?
10. What American writers were influenced by Bhudism?
Name
Date
English II
WP10
Writing Prompt #10
• Please write a one page response to the following prompt:
• Apologizing is hard to do. Sometimes you can’t bring yourself to do it, or
sometimes your attempt to apologize just infuriates the other person even
more. Write about an apology you wish you had made or an apology that
went awry when you tried to make it.
• Use sufficient detail to convey your intent
• Focus on using adjectives and adverbs to enhance your writing
Name
Date
English II
Ramayana
Ramayana
1. For whom do Hanuman and the monkeys fight in the battle?
2. How do the gods help Rama as he is about to face Ravana?
3. What heroic trait does Rama demonstrate with the strategy he employs
(pg 210)?
4. Why does Ravana order his charioteer to fly the chariot up in the skies?
5. Explain how Rama’s and Ravana’s use of asthras reinforces their roles in
this epic.
6. How does Rama fend off Ravana’s deadliest weapon, the trident?
7. What heroic qualities does Rama display through his actions when
Ravana is faint?
8. Which weapon finally brings the battle to an end?
Name
Date
English II
Ramayana
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Ramayana
What did you most admire about Rama?
What did you admire most about Ravana?
What does Ravana resolve as he prepares to go into battle?
What does this resolution reveal about his character?
What does Indra send to Rama before Rama goes into battle?
Why do you think the gods want to help Rama win?
How does Rama’s approach to the battle differ from Ravana’s?
What do their actions reveal about their characters?
What message is revealed by Rama’s defeat of Ravana?
What does this message suggest about the ancient Indian attitude toward justice?
What effect might the message of this story have had on ancient Indian society?
How does Rama compare with modern super heroes such as Superman?
Who would you say is the more heroic figure – Rama or Superman? Explain your answer.