Friday, December 4, 2015-AP English 12
 Announcements:
o Terms quiz over scansion terms.
o Turn in journals.
 Learning Targets:
o I can analyze “Rite of Passage” by Sharon Olds as evidenced by
answering questions and examining the three main phases rites of
passage fall into: separation, transition, and incorporation.
 “Rite of Passage” by Sharon Olds (pp. 915)
o Answer the following questions individually, and then compare your
responses with a partner.
 In what sense is this birthday party a “Rite of Passage?”
 How does the speaker transform these six and seven-year-old
boys into men? What is the point of doing so?
 Comment on the appropriateness of the image of the cake in
lines 14-15.
 Why does the son claim that “We could easily kill a two-yearold (line 22) come as a shock at that point in the poem?
 Rite of Passage in the Literal Sense
o Looking back at “Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, was Mrs. Mallard
(Louise) herself going through a rite of passage? Why or why not?
Then, compare the similarities between (if any) between “Rite of
Passage” and “Story of an Hour.” Explain your reasoning with textual
evidence and detail.
 What are rites of passage?
o Our first steps, first words, or first days of school: these and many
other events represent major milestones in our early lives. Moments
like these can be considered rites of passage: ordinary or ceremonial
events marking the transition from one stage of life to the next.
o A rite of passage, which marks a time when a person reaches a new
and significant change in his/her life, is something that nearly all
societies recognize and often hold ceremonies for. These ceremonies
are held to observe a person's entry into a new stage of life and can
be anything from a high school graduation ceremony or a birthday
party, to a funeral. Most rites help people to understand their new
roles in society.
o Most rites of passage fall into three main phases: separation,
transition, and incorporation.
o In the separation phase, the participant is taken away from his/her
familiar environment and former role and enters a very different and
sometimes foreign routine that they are forced to adjust to and
become familiar with. A rite that would fall into this category would
be birth. Death can also be a separation rite, depending on a person's
belief about what happens after someone dies. Funerals and the
many different funeral customs mark the separation that takes place
when a death occurs. Funerals can help those left behind make the
necessary changes needed to adjust to losing loved ones.
o The transition phase is the time that the participant learns the
appropriate behavior for the new stage they are entering. This phase
can include the time when a person becomes engaged to be married.
The phase may also include the time that children enter adolescence
and leave their childhood behind.
o The last phase, incorporation, takes place when the participant is
formally admitted into the new role. Marriage is a good example of a
rite that would take place in the incorporation phase. After people
are married, they have taken on a very new and different role, having
prepared for it in earlier transition and separation rites.
o There are many rites of passage in our lives. Some are considered to
be more significant than others, but almost every day we live can
bring about transitions. However, there are five times in one's life
that are often considered to be the most significant times of change.
These are: Birth, Leaving childhood and becoming an adolescent,
Leaving home, Weddings, and Death/Funerals.
o Annotate the poem together as a class.
 Heart of Darkness Section 1
o More questions for clarification
o Study questions (handout)
o Some important quotations (on board)
o Reading time
HW: (1) Section 2 of Heart of Darkness by Monday
Friday, December 4, 2015—English 10 Honors
 Vocab Quiz 5 (Lists 5,4,3,2 + a little grammar)
 Learning Targets:
o I can examine the narrative elements of a graphic novel as
evidenced by completing the list of characteristics of a graphic novel
and discussing the “Key Ideas and Details” sections in depth.
o I can relate aspects of cultural perspective to literature as evidenced
by discussing my understanding of the plot and how it is expressed
in this graphic novel excerpt.
 Elements of a Graphic Novel-Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (pp. 112-118)
o All narrative share key narrative elements: setting, character, point of
view, sequence of events, and theme. Looking at your notes, how do
you think a graphic novel tells a story through those elements?
o Make notes about the characteristics of graphic novels using the
graphic organizer.
 Complete the graphic organizer (pp. 111) with details of the
key narrative details of the story. Generate a list of the
characteristics of a graphic novel that the author uses to create
the narrative.
o Scan Persepolis and summarize the sequence of events in the “My
Notes” sections. Discuss your understanding of the plot and how it is
expressed in this graphic novel excerpt with a partner.
 Plot: is what happens in the narrative. Every story, from books,
plays and films to newspaper articles and television programs,
is based around plot. Without a plot, the characters would
have nothing to do. It is what engages us as spectators and
keeps us interested; however, plot is not just a series of
random events. What turns a story into a plot is how the
events unfold in a casual manner.
 Sub-plot: is a secondary plot or storyline that coexists with the
main story. Subplots are often a part of novels, short stories,
plays, movies, and television shows.
 The plot involves the Iranian Revolution against the Shah and
the sub-plot is concerned with the narrator’s understanding
of the complexities of the revolution and its effect on her
family and the people of Iran.
o Note the conventions of dialogue and narration displays in graphic
novels.
o Choose a sentence of frames you find meaningful and analyze the
illustrations in terms of the characterization revealed, images
presented, and dialogue. Identify the key narrative elements.
o Complete the list of characteristics of a graphic novel and discuss the
“Key Ideas and Details” sections in depth.
o How would the story be different if it were in prose, without the
visual element? (After Reading Section 3)
 Writing a Narrative—Embedded Assessment (p. 136)
o Let’s look at the prompt.
HW: Think of a topic for your next EA!