Life of Pi Unit
ELA 20-1
Task A: Reading Comprehension (TWO tasks):
- Pass Reading Quiz
+
TWO of the following:
 Reading Comprehension Worksheet
 Read “Secret Life of Walter Mitty”
& compare with Life of Pi
 Active participation in Life of Pi
Circle Discussion
 Read article on Life of Pi and write
Personal Response
Task B: Symbolic & Thematic Interpretation (TWO tasks):
- Animal symbolism assignment
- Dialectics Reading & Worksheet
- Power of Story assignment
- Semiotics Reading & Worksheet
- Symbolic Interpretation assignment (Algae Island, Blindness, Food & Religion)
Task C: Analysis (TWO tasks):
ONE of the following
- Thematic Analysis Paragraph
- Author Choice Analysis Paragraph
- Symbolic Analysis Paragraph
Task D: Representation (ONE task):
- Personal Zoo project
- Creative Writing in Textual Context
- Art Gallery project
- Photo Essay
- Essay
+
Task A: Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Name:
Section 1
Character and Setting Identification
Match the character or setting in Column A with its description in Column B. (15 marks)
Column A
Column B
A. The man who said “I have a story that will make you believe in God.”
_____1. Orange Juice
B. Pi’s parents
_____2. Indira Ghandi
C. Pi’s favorite teacher in secondary school
_____3. Tsimtsum
D. He is named after a swimming pool
_____4. Mamaji (Francis Adirubasamy)
E. The Catholic priest Pi visits
_____5. Scarborough, Ontario
F. The hyena
_____6. Picine Molitor Patel
G. A worker from the Japanese Ministry of Transport
_____7. Mr. Satish Kumar
H. Pi’s brother
_____8. Mr. Tomoshiro Okamoto
I. The Japanese cargo ship that sank
_____9. Santosh and Gita Patel
J. Where Pi lives with his family in the present.
_____10. Richard Parker
K. The leader of India as the novel opens.
_____11. Father Martin
L. Where Pi received hospital treatment after his days at sea.
_____12. Pondicherry, India
M. The orangutan
_____13. Ravi Patel
N. Pi’s wife
_____14. Tomatlan, Mexico
O. Where the Patel family had their zoo.
_____15. Meena Patel
P. The tiger
Q. The zebra
R. Where the writer finds the elderly man who tells him the story of Pi.
Section II
Multiple Choice
Read each statement carefully and select the most appropriate response. (1 mark each = 20 marks)
1.
This novel is told primarily in ________________________ point of view from the perspective
of ______________________.
a)
b)
c)
d)
2.
The nickname young Pi receives in his school years, that even some teachers mistakenly adopt
is
a)
b)
c)
d)
3.
English
Biology
Mathematics
Religion
Pi and his brother are taught a harsh lesson at a young age by their father. What does the
father force the boys to witness?
a)
b)
c)
d)
5.
Swimming Pool
Lemon Pie
Pissing Patel
Pi Patel
Pi’s favorite teacher, Mr. Kumar, taught which subject?
a)
b)
c)
d)
4.
first person, Pi Patel
third person, Yann Martel
first person. Yann Martel
third person, Pi Patel
the slaughterhouse van take away their favorite zoo animal
a rotting, dead animal corpse in a cage
the slaughter of goat by a purposefully starved tiger
the death of a weakened tiger by a vicious hyena
In his youth, Pi seeks understanding in these three religions. They are
a)
b)
c)
d)
Christianity, Hinduism, Muslim
Catholicism, Buddhism, Atheism
Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism
Catholicism, Islamism, Agnosticism
6.
As an adult, Pi and his wife have _____ children.
a)
b)
c)
d)
7.
Pi’s zoology thesis from the University of Toronto focused on the study of the
a)
b)
c)
d)
8.
a piece of zebra
one of the biscuits
a rat
a fish
Pi comes up with seven different plans on how to deal with the ever dangerous Richard Parker.
Which plan did he decide to enact?
a)
b)
c)
d)
11.
an orangutan, a hyena, a zebra
a monkey, a lion, a warthog
baby elephant, hyena, antelope
three-toed sloth, cougar, camel
Pi’s first meal on the lifeboat consists of pale biscuits and water. What did he manage to feed
the hungry Richard Parker?
a)
b)
c)
d)
10.
thyroid glands of the three-toed sloth
lymph glands of the Bengal tiger
habitats in equatorial Brazilian jungles
saliva glands of the meerkat
The three animals, besides Richard Parker, who end up on the life raft with Pi are
a)
b)
c)
d)
9.
1
2
3
no
attack him with available weaponry
keep him alive
wage a war of attrition (wait until he died)
push him off the lifeboat
How does Pi go about establishing “his” territory on the life raft?
a)
b)
c)
d)
roping off the top of the lifeboat and the tarpaulin
spreading his own urine around the tarpaulin
laying his clothes on the tarpaulin
creating a shelter with the tarpaulin
12.
As Pi is about to try his hand at fishing for the first time, he is struck violently across the face by
a)
b)
c)
d)
13.
Why is Pi so anxious and disgusted with the prospect of killing any animals?
a)
b)
c)
d)
14.
sight
smell
taste
hearing
Pi encounters another lone survivor, on a lifeboat like his, who is blind. What does this person
attempt to do to Pi?
a)
b)
c)
d)
17.
biscuits and water
flying fish
shrimp and green algae
turtle
Which of the following senses did Pi lose while on the boat?
a)
b)
c)
d)
16.
he is a humanitarian
he is a vegetarian
he is an anti-violence advocate
he is an animal rights advocate
While on the boat, Pi’s favorite meal was
a)
b)
c)
d)
15.
Richard Parker
a bird
a flying fish
a swarm of cockroaches
sink his raft and lifeboat
coax Richard Parker overboard
eat him
steal all his supplied
Name the small animals Pi finds on the algae island.
a)
b)
c)
d)
meerkats
squirrels
gophers
opossums
18.
All of the fish, found in the fresh water ponds on the algae island were
a)
b)
c)
d)
19.
After Pi and Richard Parker gain their strength back while on the algae island, what does Pi
teach the tiger to do?
a)
b)
c)
d)
20.
sharks
jumping out of the water
deformed
dead
roll over
jump through a hoop
speak
walk on hind legs
One of the trees on the island appeared to be growing fruit, similar to small oranges. When Pi
breaks open one of the fruits, what does he find?
a)
b)
c)
d)
a human molar
small black seeds
slimy green ooze
shiny fish scales
Section III
Short Answer (out of 30)
1. Why didn’t Pi drown with his family on the ship? (2)
2. Explain the frame narrative for the novel (2)
3. What does Pi say about wild animals in cities? Provide 2 examples. (3)
4. Who do you think the Frenchman is? Why? (2)
5. What strange behavior does Pi demonstrate in the hospital in Mexico? (1)
6. What does the Japanese report on the shipwreck imply? (2)
7. Why was the algae island so menacing? (2)
8. How old was Pi when the story takes place? How long was he at sea? (2)
9. Why does Pi practice 3 different religions? (2)
10. What are Pi’s 3 religions? What do they have in common? How are they different? (12)
Task A:
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
by James Thurber
"We're going through!" The Commander's voice was like thin ice breaking. He wore his full-dress
uniform, with the heavily braided white cap pulled down rakishly over one cold gray eye. "We can't make it, sir.
It's spoiling for a hurricane, if you ask me." "I'm not asking you, Lieutenant Berg," said the Commander.
"Throw on the power lights! Rev her up to 8,500! We're going through!" The pounding of the cylinders
increased: ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa. The Commander stared at the ice forming on the pilot
window. He walked over and twisted a row of complicated dials. "Switch on No. 8 auxiliary!" he shouted.
"Switch on No. 8 auxiliary!" repeated Lieutenant Berg. "Full strength in No. 3 turret!" shouted the Commander.
"Full strength in No. 3 turret!" The crew, bending to their various tasks in the huge, hurtling eight-engined
Navy hydroplane, looked at each other and grinned. "The old man will get us through" they said to one another.
"The Old Man ain't afraid of Hell!" . . .
"Not so fast! You're driving too fast!" said Mrs. Mitty. "What are you driving so fast for?"
“Hmm?" said Walter Mitty. He looked at his wife, in the seat beside him, with shocked astonishment.
She seemed grossly unfamiliar, like a strange woman who had yelled at him in a crowd. "You were up to fiftyfive," she said. "You know I don't like to go more than forty. You were up to fifty-five." Walter Mitty drove on
toward Waterbury in silence, the roaring of the SN202 through the worst storm in twenty years of Navy flying
fading in the remote, intimate airways of his mind.
"You're tensed up again," said Mrs. Mitty. "It's one of your days. I wish you'd let Dr. Renshaw look you
over."
Walter Mitty stopped the car in front of the building where his wife went to have her hair done.
"Remember to get those overshoes while I'm having my hair done," she said. "I don't need overshoes," said
Mitty. She put her mirror back into her bag. "We've been all through that," she said, getting out of the car.
"You're not a young man any longer." He raced the engine a little. "Why don't you wear your gloves? Have you
lost your gloves?" Walter Mitty reached in a pocket and brought out the gloves. He put them on, but after she
had turned and gone into the building and he had driven on to a red light, he took them off again. "Pick it up,
brother!" snapped a cop as the light changed, and Mitty hastily pulled on his gloves and lurched ahead. He drove
around the streets aimlessly for a time, and then he drove past the hospital on his way to the parking lot.
. . . "It's the millionaire banker, Wellington McMillan," said the pretty nurse. "Yes?" said Walter Mitty,
removing his gloves slowly. "Who has the case?" "Dr. Renshaw and Dr. Benbow, but there are two specialists
here, Dr. Remington from New York and Mr. Pritchard-Mitford from London. He flew over." A door opened
down a long, cool corridor and Dr. Renshaw came out. He looked distraught and haggard. "Hello, Mitty," he
said. "We're having the devil's own time with McMillan, the millionaire banker and close personal friend of
Roosevelt. Obstreosis of the ductal tract. Tertiary. Wish you'd take a look at him." "Glad to," said Mitty.
In the operating room there were whispered introductions: "Dr. Remington, Dr. Mitty. Mr. PritchardMitford, Dr. Mitty." "I've read your book on streptothricosis," said Pritchard-Mitford, shaking hands. "A
brilliant performance, sir." "Thank you," said Walter Mitty. "Didn't know you were in the States, Mitty,"
grumbled Remington. "Coals to Newcastle, bringing Mitford and me up here for a tertiary." "You are very
kind," said Mitty. A huge, complicated machine, connected to the operating table, with many tubes and wires,
began at this moment to go pocketa-pocketa-pocketa. "The new anesthetizer is giving way!" shouted an intern.
"There is no one in the East who knows how to fix it!" "Quiet, man!" said Mitty, in a low, cool voice. He sprang
to the machine, which was going pocketa-pocketa-queep-pocketa-queep. He began fingering delicately a row of
glistening dials. "Give me a fountain pen!" he snapped. Someone handed him a fountain pen. He pulled a faulty
piston out of the machine and inserted the pen in its place. "That will hold for ten minutes," he said. "Get on
with the operation." A nurse hurried over and whispered to Renshaw, and Mitty saw the man turn pale.
"Coreopsis has set in," said Renshaw nervously. "If you would take over, Mitty?" Mitty looked at him and at the
craven figure of Benbow, who drank, and at the grave, uncertain faces of the two great specialists. "If you wish,"
he said. They slipped a white gown on him; he adjusted a mask and drew on thin gloves; nurses handed him
shining . . .
"Back it up, Mac! Look out for that Buick!" Walter Mitty jammed on the brakes. "Wrong lane, Mac,"
said the parking-lot attendant, looking at Mitty closely. "Gee. Yeh," muttered Mitty. He began cautiously to
back out of the lane marked "Exit Only." "Leave her sit there," said the attendant. "I'll put her away." Mitty got
out of the car. "Hey, better leave the key." "Oh," said Mitty, handing the man the ignition key. The attendant
vaulted into the car, backed it up with insolent skill, and put it where it belonged.
They're so damn cocky, thought Walter Mitty, walking along Main Street; they think they know
everything. Once he had tried to take his chains off, outside New Milford, and he had got them wound around
the axles. A man had had to come out in a wrecking car and unwind them, a young, grinning garageman. Since
then Mrs. Mitty always made him drive to the garage to have the chains taken off. The next time, he thought,
I'll wear my right arm in a sling; they won't grin at me then. I'll have my right arm in a sling and they'll see I
couldn't possibly take the chains off myself. He kicked at the slush on the sidewalk. "Overshoes," he said to
himself, and he began looking for a shoe store.
When he came out into the street again, with the overshoes in a box under his arm, Walter Mitty began
to wonder what the other thing was his wife had told him to get. She had told him, twice, before they set out
from their house for Waterbury. In a way he hated these weekly trips to town-he was always getting something
wrong. Kleenex, he thought, Squibb's, razor blades? No. Toothpaste, toothbrush, bicarbonate, cardorundum,
initiative and referendum? He gave it up. But she would remember it. "Where's the what's-its-name," she would
ask. "Don't tell me you forgot the what's-its-name." A newsboy went by shouting something about the
Waterbury trial.
. . . "Perhaps this will refresh your memory." The District Attorney suddenly thrust a heavy automatic
at the quiet figure on the witness stand. "Have you ever seen this before?" Walter Mitty took the gun and
examined it expertly. "This is my Webley-Vickers 50.80," he said calmly. An excited buzz ran around the
courtroom. The Judge rapped for order. "You are a crack shot with any sort of firearms, I believe?" said the
District Attorney, insinuatingly. "Objection!" shouted Mitty's attorney. "We have shown that the defendant
could not have fired the shot. We have shown that he wore his right arm in a sling on the night of the
fourteenth of July." Walter Mitty raised his hand briefly and the bickering attorneys were stilled. "With any
known make of gun," he said evenly, "I could have killed Gregory Fitzhurst at three hundred feet with my left
hand." Pandemonium broke loose in the courtroom. A woman's scream rose above the bedlam and suddenly a
lovely, dark-haired girl was in Walter Mitty's arms. The District Attorney struck at her savagely. Without
rising from his chair, Mitty let the man have it on the point of the chin. "You miserable cur!" . . .
"Puppy biscuit," said Walter Mitty. He stopped walking and the buildings of Waterbury rose up out of
the misty courtroom and surrounded him again. A woman who was passing laughed. "He said 'Puppy biscuit',"
she said to her companion. "That man said 'Puppy biscuit' to himself." Walter Mitty hurried on. He went into an
A&P, not the first one he came to but a smaller one farther up the street. "I want some biscuit for small, young
dogs," he said to the clerk. "Any special brand, sir?" The greatest pistol shot in the world thought a moment. "It
says 'Puppies Bark for It' on the box," said Walter Mitty.
His wife would be through at the hairdresser's in fifteen minutes, Mitty saw in looking at his watch,
unless they had trouble drying it; sometimes they had trouble drying it. She didn't like to get to the hotel first;
she would want him to be there waiting for her as usual. He found a big leather chair in the lobby, facing a
window, and he put the overshoes and the puppy biscuit on the floor beside it. He picked up an old copy of
Liberty and sank down into the chair. "Can Germany Conquer the World Through the Air?" Walter Mitty
looked at the pictures of bombing planes and of ruined streets.
. . . "The cannonading has got the wind up in young Raleigh, sir," said the sergeant. Captain Mitty
looked up at him through tousled hair. "Get him to bed," he said wearily. "With the others. I'll fly alone." "But
you can't, sir," said the sergeant anxiously. "It takes two men to handle that bomber and the Archies are
pounding hell out of the air. Von Richtman's circus is between here and Saulier." "Somebody's got to get that
ammunition dump," said Mitty. "I'm going over. Spot of brandy?" He poured a drink for the sergeant and one
for himself. War thundered and whined around the dugout and battered at the door. There was a rending of
wood and splinters flew through the room. "A bit of a near thing," said Captain Mitty carelessly. "The box
barrage is closing in," said the sergeant. "We only live once, Sergeant," said Mitty with his faint, fleeting smile.
"Or do we?" He poured another brandy and tossed it off. "I never see a man could hold his brandy like you, sir,"
said the sergeant. "Begging your pardon, sir." Captain Mitty stood up and strapped on his huge Webley-Vickers
automatic. "It's forty kilometers through hell, sir," said the sergeant. Mitty finished one last brandy. "After all,"
he said softly, "what isn't?" The pounding of the cannon increased; there was the rat-tat-tatting of machine
guns, and from somewhere came the menacing pocketa-pocketa-pocketa of the new flame-throwers. Walter
Mitty walked to the door of the dugout humming "AuprËs de Ma Blonde." He turned and waved to the
sergeant. "Cheerio!" he said. . .
Something struck his shoulder. "I've been looking all over this hotel for you," said Mrs. Mitty. "Why do
you have to hide in this old chair? How did you expect me to find you?" "Things close in," said Walter Mitty
vaguely. "What?" Mrs. Mitty said. "Did you get the what's-its-name? The puppy biscuit? What's in that box?"
"Overshoes," said Mitty. "Couldn't you have put them on in the store?" "I was thinking," said Walter Mitty.
"Does it ever occur to you that I am sometimes thinking?" She looked at him. "I'm going to take your
temperature when I get you home," she said.
They went out through the revolving doors that made a faintly derisive whistling sound when you
pushed them. It was two blocks to the parking lot. At the drugstore on the corner she said, "Wait here for me. I
forgot something. I won't be a minute." She was more than a minute. Walter Mitty lighted a cigarette. It began
to rain, rain with sleet in it. He stood up against the wall of the drugstore, smoking . . .
He put his shoulders back and his heels together. "To hell with the handkerchief," said Walter Mitty
scornfully. He took one last drag on his cigarette and snapped it away. Then, with that faint, fleeting smile
playing about his lips, he faced the firing squad; erect and motionless, proud and disdainful, Walter Mitty the
Undefeated, inscrutable to the last.
Task A: Life of Pi article
Active Artist
Presentation by Yann Martel
Westin, Edmonton
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Here is some of what Yann Martel told us about Life of Pi:
What’s important is what Pi looked at, not what he looked like (the reader is Pi)
Faith is an attempt to understand what is beyond human comprehension; to glimpse at a small portion of a
larger picture.
Pi must learn to live with, and eventually comes to love, his fears.
Art is not an answer, it’s a beginning point.
Our life is a construction of narrative; a mixture of fact and fiction. It is the interpretation of that narrative that
gives it meaning.
Art is the key to explaining life and its alternatives; it isn’t inherently moral, it merely presents life as the artist
perceived it. It allows us to experience more life than we would normally have access to.
“I was weary of being reasonable; I wanted to see what else there was to life than being reasonable.”
It’s easy to be skeptical; people use it as a defense mechanism against participating in or examining their lives.
Because art is, at its core, a comment on life, it should be something that everyone can discuss, because
everyone loves to talk about life.
Images from the illustrated Life of Pi:
Task B: Animal Symbolism Assignment
“My majors were religious studies and zoology…Sometimes I got my majors
mixed up” (pp 3,5)
“I would like to say in my own defense that though I may have
anthropomorphized the animals till they spoke fluent English…the fancy was
always conscious” (p 14)
“A plague upon fundamentalists and literalists!” they “lack imagination and miss
the better story” (pp 54, 70)
“‘We believe what we see.’… ‘What do you do when you’re in the dark?’” (p326)
The List
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
Three-toed sloth (p3)
Fish etc.
o Shark
o Dorado
o Flying fish
o Whales
Hyena
Zebra
Orang-utan
Tiger
Meerkat
Birds
o Albatross
Assignment:
Research the physical characteristics, “personality” traits, natural habitats, and symbolic references for each of
the animals on The List. Complete the Animal Symbolism Worksheet based on the information you found.
Remember that you will have to cite your sources, so write down where you find your information!
Task B: Animal Symbolism Worksheet
Name:
Animal:
Reference from novel:
Physical characteristics:
Common Characteristics/Traits/Habits:
Natural Habitat:
Common Symbolism:
What do you think Martel used this animal to represent? Explain.
Animal:
Reference from novel:
Physical characteristics:
Common Characteristics/Traits/Habits:
Natural Habitat:
Common Symbolism:
What do you think Martel used this animal to represent? Explain.
Animal:
Reference from novel:
Physical characteristics:
Common Characteristics/Traits/Habits:
Natural Habitat:
Common Symbolism:
What do you think Martel used this animal to represent? Explain.
Animal:
Reference from novel:
Physical characteristics:
Common Characteristics/Traits/Habits:
Natural Habitat:
Common Symbolism:
What do you think Martel used this animal to represent? Explain.
Animal:
Reference from novel:
Physical characteristics:
Common Characteristics/Traits/Habits:
Natural Habitat:
Common Symbolism:
What do you think Martel used this animal to represent? Explain.
Animal:
Reference from novel:
Physical characteristics:
Common Characteristics/Traits/Habits:
Natural Habitat:
Common Symbolism:
What do you think Martel used this animal to represent? Explain.
Animal:
Reference from novel:
Physical characteristics:
Common Characteristics/Traits/Habits:
Natural Habitat:
Common Symbolism:
What do you think Martel used this animal to represent? Explain.
Animal:
Reference from novel:
Physical characteristics:
Common Characteristics/Traits/Habits:
Natural Habitat:
Common Symbolism:
What do you think Martel used this animal to represent? Explain.
Animal:
Reference from novel:
Physical characteristics:
Common Characteristics/Traits/Habits:
Natural Habitat:
Common Symbolism:
What do you think Martel used this animal to represent? Explain.
Animal:
Reference from novel:
Physical characteristics:
Common Characteristics/Traits/Habits:
Natural Habitat:
Common Symbolism:
What do you think Martel used this animal to represent? Explain.
Animal:
Reference from novel:
Physical characteristics:
Common Characteristics/Traits/Habits:
Natural Habitat:
Common Symbolism:
What do you think Martel used this animal to represent? Explain.
Animal:
Reference from novel:
Physical characteristics:
Common Characteristics/Traits/Habits:
Natural Habitat:
Common Symbolism:
What do you think Martel used this animal to represent? Explain.
Animal:
Reference from novel:
Physical characteristics:
Common Characteristics/Traits/Habits:
Natural Habitat:
Common Symbolism:
What do you think Martel used this animal to represent? Explain.
10 marks per animal x 13 animals = ____/130
(weighted at .25)
Task B: Dialectics Readings
Thesis -- Antithesis -- Synthesis
By Jim Meskauskas , November 6, 2001
"What is rational is real and what is real is rational."
--Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
The early 19th century German philosopher, Georg W.F. Hegel is best known for his system of inquiry into the nature of
reality. This system is called the dialectic. Now, reading Hegel will confirm some of your worst nightmares about delving
into philosophical writing. His work likely made his own contemporaries' eyes glaze over.
Simply put, the dialectical method involves the notion that the form of historical movement (process or progress), is the
result of conflicting opposites. This area of Hegel's thought has been broken down in terms of the categories of thesis,
antithesis, and synthesis. Hegel's philosophy of history embraces the concept that a conflict of opposites is a struggle
between actual and potential worlds.
A thesis can be seen as a single idea. The idea contains a form of incompleteness that gives rise to the antithesis, a
conflicting idea. A third point of view, a synthesis, arises from this conflict. It overcomes the conflict by reconciling the
truths contained in the thesis and antithesis at a higher level. The synthesis is a new thesis. It generates a new
antithesis, and the process continues until truth is arrived at.
http://www.clickz.com/917191
Hegel and his dialectic
A Philosophy of History
In presenting this page we wish to thank David Burrell for consent to use material from his "A Historian Looks
at Hegel Philosophically: A Critical Examination of Hegelian Dialectic, Determinism, and Contingency" ( Term
paper, College of the Holy Cross, April 1991 ).
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel introduced a system for understanding the history of philosophy and the world
itself, often called a "dialectic": a progression in which each successive movement emerges as a solution to the
contradictions inherent in the preceding movement. To specifically apply this model of Hegel's view of world
history, it represents the manner in which the Spirit - for Hegel a total reality that is an inherent unity of a
mental or spiritual nature - develops gradually into its purest form, ultimately attaining unto its own essential
freedom. To Hegel, "world history is thus the unfolding of Spirit in time, as nature is the unfolding of the Idea in
space."
To quote Hegel himself in his Introduction to the Philosophy of History:-
“Spirit does not toss itself about in the external play of chance occurrences; on the contrary, it is that which
determines history absolutely, and it stands firm against the chance occurrences which it dominates and exploits
for its own purpose."
Although Hegel's dialectic often appears broken up for convenience into three moments called thesis, antithesis,
and synthesis, these terms were not original to or much used by Hegel himself. This classification was in fact
developed earlier by Fichte in his loosely analogous account of the relation between the individual subject and
the world.
Without the active opposition of an antithesis working through the dialectic, Hegel asserts, existence is simply
an empty task. "Periods of happiness are empty pages in history, for they are the periods of harmony, times
when the antithesis is missing." What is left to life is simply habit, "activity without opposition." This then raises
a crucial question: how can it be possible to have an end to history? If history ends in the ultimate realization of
the Spirit, then all opposition apparently has been negated. Not only has the past already been completed, but
the future is foreclosed to any further developments. What is left to life when the final synthesis has been
achieved and nothing stands in opposition of the immediate present?
Schools of thought influenced by Hegel tend see history as progressive, but also as a possibly painfully arrived at
outcome of a dialectic in which factors working in opposite directions are over time reconciled. History was best
seen as directed by a zeitgeist, or Spirit of the Age, and traces of the zeitgest could be seen by looking backward.
Hegel has a rather notable disciple in Karl Marx who adapted Hegels Dialectic away from being related to the
unfolding of Spirit and towards Marx's own Materialist Conception of History where the economic factors of
human society and the associated social relations would critically determine the unfolding of human history and
could only, for Marx, (Engels, Lenin, Trotsky and their millions of sometime ideological followers) result in the
establishment of Socialism.
http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/philosophy/history/hegel_philosophy_history.html
Dialectic
Prof. Eric Steinhart (C) 1998
Dialectical Motion
Hegel stresses the paradoxical nature of consciousness; he knows that the mind wants to know the whole
truth, but that it cannot think without drawing a distinction. Unfortunately, every distinction has two
terms, every argument has a counter-argument, and consciousness can only focus on one of these at a
time. So it fixes first on the one, then under pressure fixes second on the other, until it finally comes to
rest on the distinction itself. Hegel refers to this process of alternation and rest as dialectic. Dialectical
motion has three stages: THESIS, ANTITHESIS, and SYNTHESIS.
Dialectic of Personhood
THESIS: Start here: "I am born; I am a child."
ANTITHESIS: Negation of the thesis. "I have grown; I am an adult; so, I am NOT the child I used to
be."
SYNTHESIS: Negation of the opposition between thesis and antithesis. "I am NEITHER child NOR
adult, but a whole person."
Dialectic of the Drinking Glass
THESIS: Looking at a glass with some water in it, consciousness would not see anything at all if it did
not distinguish between what is water and what is not water. If we suppose that consciousness begins as
an optimist, then its thesis is an argument that the glass is half-full.
ANTITHESIS: Faced with the objection that this is not the whole truth, consciousness becomes a
pessimist who argues for the antithesis that the glass is half-empty. The antithesis is the opposite of the
thesis.
SYNTHESIS: Faced with the objection that this is not the whole truth either, and having already taken
both sides, consciousness realizes that the whole truth is a synthesis: the volume that is empty equals the
volume that is full.
Dialectical motion can be far more complicated than this simple example reveals. But the mind
generally moves from one side of an opposition to another, finally discovering a deeper unity from
which the two sides are derived. This motion is dialectic.
Dialectic of Existence
THESIS: Being
ANTITHESIS: Nothingness.
SYNTHESIS: Becoming.
http://www.wpunj.edu/cohss/philosophy/courses/hegel/DIALECTX.HTM
Task B: Dialectics Worksheet
Name:
Who was best known for “his system of inquiry into the nature of reality?” Where was he from? When did he
live?(3)
What did he apply Dialectics to?(1)
Explain Dialectics in your own words.(2)
Name, define and provide an example (NOT in the reading) for each category of Dialectical motion: (9)
1. _
2. _
3. _
Draw a diagram of how these 3 categories work in relation to each other: (6)
What does the quote “Without the active opposition of an antithesis working through the dialectic, Hegel
asserts, existence is simply an empty task” mean to you? (4)
Explain the “paradox of consciousness” in your own words. Provide an example.(4)
/31
Task B: Power of Story Assignment
Why do we tell stories? What makes a story effective? How can stories be powerful? What role do they play in
the “real world”? Why is storytelling important to human existence?
Read the Prologue to “Goodbye Lemon” then write a personal response explaining how you see storytelling
playing a powerful role in human reality.
Personal Response* structure:
- Intro paragraph
- Paragraph on “Goodbye Lemon”
- Paragraph on “Life of Pi”
- Paragraph on personal experience (could be something that happened to you,
someone close to you, a book you read, a movie or TV show you saw, or
something realistic you make up)
- Conclusion paragraph
*a Personal Response differs from an essay in that it is solely based on your opinions, reactions, feelings and
ideas – there doesn’t have to be any critical analysis.
Goodbye Lemon
Adam Davies
Prologue: Theories of Dexter
His eyes were brown. His mouth was round. His fingers and toes were small and trinketlike.
His skin was nearly transparent; you could see delicate blue veins at his temples and in his
wrists and this inspired either an impulse to cruelty or the wild urge to protect him. His hair
was curly. Our mother cut it herself, and she kept it long. With its ringlets, and her irregular
technique with scissors, he looked like a sad little prince. He always seemed profoundly
melancholy and reluctant at the same time, as if he knew there were something urgently
required of him that he simply could not provide, and that because of his deficiency the people
around him would suffer.
Dexter liked to draw stars on his wrists in permanent makers. He had strong feelings
about uncapped tubes of toothpaste and made regular nighttime rounds to assure they were
intact. If he was nervous he would chew on the topmost button of his shirt, which made it look
like he had a drooling problem. When I was in another part of the house and he wanted to play
with me, he would always call out, “Where is the Jack Attack?” and I’d come running.
His favorite show was Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom but whenever the predation
segment came on-the scene of the cheetah tripping up the baby gazelle before cutting
dramatically to commercial - he would run crying from the room. He would wait just on the
other side of the door, his head in his hands, his eyes clenched shut, and beg us to tell him
when that part was over so that he could come back in. Press would always tell him it was
safe before it really was and every time when Dex would return to see the cheetah dragging
the beautiful, broken, velvety gazelle up a tree by its neck he would flee the room wailing. It
happened this way every Sunday night. Without fail Dex believed that Press was telling the
truth, and every time when Press fooled him he seemed astonished and crestfallen. Press
won’t say it now, but he thought Dex was a sucker. I think Dex just wanted to trust his big
brother.
He wanted to believe that his family wouldn’t let him down.
He was terrified of birds and moths. He loathed the sound of zippers and would do a
madcap, leprechauny jig of disgust when Pressman would zip his coat up and down over and
over just to torture him. He loved books, though, and could tell you everything you ever
wanted to know about mushrooms and pneumatics and reptiles. “Herpetology,” he would say
proudly, out of nowhere, as if he had just discovered a cure for cancer. “Herpetology is the
branch of zoology dealing with reptiles and amphibians. Herpetology. Herpetologist. Herp-eto-logic-al.” Cooking thrilled him; he would stand, petrified with wonder, as the packet of
powdered cheese turned white pasta coils into yellow macaroni as my mother mixed them
together in a pan. And he valued his personal space. In the backseat of our old pea-green
Volvo he would always separate himself from me or Press by lowering the armrest. He loved
us but he was afraid of us, too. He required a protective membrane around him to function in
the world, and Pressman and I, his own brothers, weren’t always allowed in.
Only six years old and already he was beginning to distrust his family.
It was as if he had intuited that one day soon he would be sucked under the waves of
Lake George and no one would be there to pull him back up.
But I could be wrong.
Maybe his eyes were hazel, like mine. And his mouth was lopsided and smirk-prone.
His fingers and toes were not trinketlike at all but long and flexible, brachiatory, made for
climbing hazardous branches and throwing curveballs. His skin was tanned and pulled taut
over compact muscles. He could rollerskate like the wind. His hair was straight but jagged
because even though our mother made him sit on the stool and endure her haircuts, he would,
five minutes later, administer his own finishing touches with dull safety scissors. This gave
him the appearance of a frantic muppet, but he didn’t care; he wanted control over his own
world and shrugged off the punishment he always incurred. He was braver than any of us,
even Pressman.
He wasn’t a timid, empathetic, bookwormy brother. He was a proud, unbeaten brother.
He was incisive, kinetic, pioneering, action-heroic.
But he was also kind. He smiled funny for photographs. His eyebrows would arch
wildly, his eyes bulging as if he were in shock, and his face would be split by a maniacal,
open-mouthed smile. The number of visible teeth was an infallible index of happiness, the
thought, so he tried to give you all thirty-two at once. It looked like he was trying too hard,
though, like he wanted to reassure you that it meant a lot to him that you were taking his
picture. He wanted you to see how grateful he was so that you would feel good about it. I can
still see him clearly in my imagination, that brittle smile creasing his face, eyes popping
clownishly out of their sockets, willing you to be happy.
He didn’t have time for books but he loved sports radio and prided himself on knowing
all the baseball players that the other kids didn’t know. Rolling naturally from his mouth came
names like Honus Wagner, Tris Speaker, James “Cool Papa” Bell, and if someone tried to
argue that George Brett was better, Dex would smite them with an unimaginable barrage of
stats and figures. And then, as his vanquished adversary stood there stunned and mute at the
verbal thrashing he had received, Dex would wrap his arm around him chummily and say, “Ah,
maybe you’re right. George Brett is pretty awesome.”
If he had lived I think he would have been a do-gooder talk show host or a lobbyist for
lost causes or a guidance counselor for at-risk youth. Something that required a lot of fasttalking, but also conviction and love.
But this could be wrong, too.
Maybe his eyes were blue, like my mother’s. And you never saw his fingers because he
kept his hands in his pockets all the time. And his skin was nondescript. And his hair was
Nordic blond like Pressman’s, or black like our father’s, or inexplicably coded for baldness like
mine. And he didn’t watch TV, period, or ever listen to the radio and had no opinion on sports
or snakes or photographs or predation or mac-and-cheese or zippers. He didn’t chew
buttons. He was not the invigilator of uncapped toothpaste. He never invited me to play by
calling out to me, “Where is the Jack Attack?” and I never came running.
Maybe he wasn’t great at sports but wasn’t terrible either. Maybe he liked normal kid
things and was afraid of all the normal kid-scary stuff. Maybe he thought Pressman was aces
but didn’t like me because-even though I was only one year younger-I was still too little to be
much fun. Maybe he tried but failed to love our mother, just like Press and I did. Maybe he
was afraid of our father, too, and deep down inside his heart somewhere he knew that one day
he would drift out too far into Lake George when our father was supposed to be watching him
- not drinking - and that no one would be there to save him.
Maybe he felt it coming.
Maybe he was shocked. He couldn’t believe it was happening, even at the last moment,
when he felt his beloved orange flip-flops sucked off his feet. That last sensation might have
felt heavy, like being pressed under a mattress. It might have been epiphanic, like finally
getting a joke you never understood. Maybe it felt like being airborne. Or like forgiveness.
Sometimes I think he wanted it to happen. Maybe he felt alone and unloved and wanted
someone to notice him in the most dramatic way: a rescue. How luxurious it would be, he
could have thought, to have your father’s powerful hands snatch you from deadly water, pull
you up and return you to the shore where your family is waiting for you. Then they would
recognize how valuable you are.
You wouldn’t be ignored after that.
Every day you would be loved that way you deserve.
But I don’t know. I don’t know any of it. I can’t remember what my brother Dexter
looked like. I can’t remember his odor. I can’t remember what he loved or what he hated. I
can’t remember how it happened that day in August at Lake George. I was barely five years
old, too young to have a clear memory of it, and no one would ever tell me about it. I wasn’t
there when he waded into the water. I wasn’t there when his head went under. I wasn’t there
when our father struggled back to shore without Dex in his hands and with scotch on his
breath.
I don’t know any of this, and it breaks my heart.
What else can I do but try to write him back to life?
Task B: Semiotics Reading
What The Hell is Semiotics?
And Other Useful Questions
ELA 20-1
Semi-What?
We seem as a species to be driven by a desire to make meanings and semiotics endeavors to do just that. We
make meanings through our creation and interpretation of 'signs' and semiotics is the study of those signs.
'What do you mean by a sign?' people usually ask next. The kinds of signs that are likely to spring immediately
to mind are those which we routinely refer to as 'signs' in everyday life (road signs, pub signs and star signs);
signs can also be drawings, paintings and photographs, words, sounds and 'body language'.
One of the broadest definitions for semiotics is that of Italian scholar Umberto Eco, who states that it “is
concerned with everything that can be taken as a sign.” Meaning anything which 'stands for' something else.
Semiotics is often employed in the analysis of texts, so it would follow that an exploration of the signs of the text
would require an understanding of the rules governing that text. However, it should perhaps be noted that a
'text' can exist in any medium and may be verbal, non-verbal, or both, despite the logocentric1 bias of this
distinction.
Above all, semiotics is a peculiar point of view: a perspective which consists in asking ourselves how things
become carriers of meaning.
Very
^
A Brief History of Semiotics
Ferdinand de Saussure, a Swiss linguist2, anticipated “a science which studies the role of signs as part of social
life… We shall call it semiology (from the Greek semeîon, 'sign'). It would investigate the nature of signs and the
laws governing them.”
Concurrently, American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce, founded an area of study dedicated to inquiry into
human communications, which he called semiotics.
The concept of semiosis (meaning the production of meaning) is a term borrowed from Peirce
which has been expanded by Eco to mean a process by which a culture produces signs and/or
attributes meanings to signs. For Eco, the production of meaning is a social activity; the
“culturization” of a sign provides its meaning. For example, a specific meaning has been
attached to Ed Hardy clothes; through cultural signification, Facebook groups like ‘Thanks to Ed
Hardy I Can Recognize Idiots from a Distance’ have helped to produce meaning for that signifier.
1
logocentric – from the Greek logos meaning word, this is a tendency to focus (or centralize) the concept of text to those
containing printed words
2
linguist – from the Latin lingua meaning language or tongue, this is a person who studies the formal structures and rules
governing language
How Are We Going to Be Using Semiotics?
1. Understanding How Meaning is Established
Within the Saussurean tradition, the task of the semiotician is to
look beyond the specific texts or practices to the systems of
functional distinctions operating within them. The primary goal is
to establish the underlying conventions, identifying significant
differences and oppositions in an attempt to model the system of
categories, relations, connotations, distinctions and rules of
combination employed.
Semioticians argue that signs are related to their signifieds by
social conventions which we learn. In order to understand the meaning of signs, we must learn the conventions
that have given them meaning. We become so used to such conventions in our use of various media that they
seem 'natural', and it can be difficult for us to realize that meaning we recognize isn’t inherent in these signs.
When we take these relationships for granted, we treat the signified as unmediated or 'transparent', as when
we interpret television or photography as 'a window on the world'. Semiotics demonstrates that the
'transparency' of the 'medium' is illusory: we must recognize the system at work that establishes meaning.
2. Looking at How Semiotics Can Be Applied In Various Contexts
Semiotics can be applied to anything which can be seen as signifying something - in other words, to everything
which has meaning within a culture.
In English Language Arts, semiotics provides us with a potentially unifying conceptual framework and a set of
methods and terms for use across the full range of signifying practices, which include writing, speech,
photography, film, television and radio. It is an approach that can be used to interpret the variety of texts we
will deal with in this course.
3. Using Semiotics to Gain Insight into Texts
In the context of semiotics, 'decoding' involves not simply basic recognition and comprehension of what a text
'says' but also the interpretation and evaluation of its meaning with reference to relevant codes. It’s our
‘reading’ of a text.
Semiotics is invaluable if we wish to look beyond the obvious content of texts; it is well adapted to exploring
connotative meanings; searching for what is 'hidden' beneath the 'obvious' can lead to fruitful insights. Looking
behind or beneath the surface of the observed in order to discover the underlying organization of phenomena not just looking at what a text says but why its context lead to its creation and how its parts work to develop its
meaning.
Some Words to Impress People With
langue refers to the system of rules and conventions which is independent of, and pre-exists, individual users
(language)
parole refers to that language’s use in particular instances (speech)
signifier: the form which the sign takes
signified: the concept it represents
Signifier
the word ‘open’
Signified
ability to conduct business OR
mechanical action of doors
sign is the whole that results from the association of the
signifier with the signified; a single unit of meaning
Sign
“You may enter this store to make purchases”
“This button holds open the elevator door”
* while the signifier and the signified work together to create meaning, their relationship is abstract
For example:
A certain combination of the letters E R D will form the sequence R-E-D; RED
denotes a particular color, but neither the individual letters nor the specific
combination of them has anything to do with redness.
For example:
an ‘open’ button
in an elevator
elevator buttons
display the actions
that control the car:
bell for assistance,
numbers for floors
buttons display their actions; the
invention of navigational buttons
for websites is easily understood
because of the patterns set up for
the use of buttons
C.S. Pierce distinguished 3 types of signs:
icon – is given meaning based on similarity of appearance (ex: a map= the location it shows)
index – is given meaning based on cause and effect (ex: smoke = fire)
symbol – is given meaning based on convention; connection to meaning is arbitrary
(ex: b = voiced bilabial, red = stop)
Internet Sources
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/semiotic.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_de_Saussure
http://www.nndb.com/people/396/000026318/
http://www.olinda.com/VC/lectures/Semiotics/semioticshistory.htm
Task B : Semiotics Worksheet
Name :
Explain Semiotics in your own words. (3)
What sorts of things constitute Signs in Semiotics? (2)
What is Umberto Eco’s definition of a sign?(1)
Provide an example of a Sign(not from the reading) and explain how it works. (2)
Define logocentric in your own words (1)
Name 3 linguists (3)
Explain in your own words how Eco sees culture playing a role in Semiotics. (4)
Provide & explain an example of “cultural semiotics” not outlined in the reading. (6)
What is the relationship between a Sign and a Signified?(2)
Explain how Semotics contributes to the why and how of reading. (2)
Explain how the RED example proves an arbitrary relationship between Signifier and Signified. (4)
Explain how one of the following examples would be examples of Semiotics. (6)
Wedding Ceremony
Scoring a Goal in Hockey
Thumbs Up
Task B: Symbolic Interpretation Assignment
Step 1:
Make a list of the most significant quotes regarding the following symbols; remember to include page numbers
for each.
- Algae Island
- Blindness
- Food
- Religion
Step 2:
Based on the context for the quotes you’ve collected, determine what you think would be the most reasonable
interpretation of each symbol.
Step 3:
Research what others see as reasonable interpretations of these symbols. Write down 1-3 of your favorite
interpretations. Provide support for why you think each interpretation is strong/reasonable or how you would
refute it.
Step 4:
Create an 8x11 poster for each symbol. Include the “title” (name + meaning of symbol), a visual representation
of the symbol, the most significant quotes from the novel in relation to the symbol. On the back of each, write
point form notes explaining your choice of meaning for that symbol (including any cited references you used to
make your decision).
Please hand in ALL STEPS with your final project.
Task C: Critical Analysis Paragraph
Choose ONE of the following from Life of Pi:
- a theme
- an author choice
- a symbol
Write a detailed (specific proof, clear and detailed explanations supporting your interpretation) analysis,
outlining your interpretation (idea), citing specific support from the novel (proof), and explaining how the proof
you’ve chosen supports your interpretation (explain). You may choose to use more than one Proof; please
remember that each Proof needs an Explain.
Task C: Essay
Choose ONE of the following essay topics for your essay on Life of Pi:
Discuss the idea(s) developed by Yann Martel in Life of Pi about the significance of idealism and truth
in an individual’s life.
Discuss the idea(s) developed by Yann Martel in Life of Pi about faith in the intangible.
Discuss the idea(s) developed by Yann Martel in Life of Pi about the darker aspects of human nature.
Task D: Personal Zoo
Yann Martel’s novel Life of Pi compels us to look closely at the nature of animals and calls into question the
differences we assume distance us as humans from the savagery and instinct-driven nature of the animal world.
In this project you will create a visual representation of your personal zoo
that houses yourself and the people in your life who are important to you.
Step 1: Compendium of Knowledge
It is important to be familiar with the characteristics of the animals you’d like to use. Think about which animals
you’d like to use, then make some research notes on them to see whether or not they will work (use the Animal
Symbolism notes from Task B as a guide).
Step 2: Creating Exhibits
Your zoo must contain at least 6 exhibits:
- one exhibit each for the FIVE people (or things) you consider the most important in your life
- one exhibit (the last) for yourself
Each exhibit MUST include:
□ a visual representation of the animal you’ve created
□ consideration for visual elements (color, layout, positioning, grouping, juxtaposition, size and shape)
□ a common characteristic that connects all visuals together as a unified whole (so it reads like a zoo as
opposed to a collection of pictures of animals)
□ use of line and focal point that directs the viewer’s eye where to start, in which direction to move and
compels them to continue to the next exhibit
□ an explanation (that does not interfere with the visual presentation of your zoo) outlining
□ visual choices made
□ layout choices made
□ symbols used
□ name for animal
□ support for choice of animal
Remember to choose an effective and purposeful visual layout for your zoo that includes your exhibits,
explanation(s) and a name for your zoo.
Task D: Creative Writing in a Textual Context
In this type of assignment, you are responding to a topic and a textual context through creative writing. What this means is
you are using thematically relevant descriptive phrases from a text (a textual context) in your creative writing on an
assigned topic.
An Example by Miss Donnelly:
Central Idea: We imprison ourselves when ignore reality in order to protect ourselves from unpleasant truths.
Textual Context: “And of Clay Are We Created” by Isabel Allende
Start with your planning: Determine how each text thematically approaches your central idea.
Ignoring Reality because of Unpleasant Truths
in And Of Clay
Ignoring Reality because of Unpleasant Truths
my idea for a story
Rolfe Carle ignores his past in order to be
emotionally detached from his world – keeps
everything at a distance so the power of emotions
never touches him, he traps himself in his television
reporter persona – a man without a past, but is
finally freed to find himself when he comes face to
face with the truths of his past
Nun struggles with the reality of freedom in her life
– her imaginary lover is not “real” but neither is her
confinement in the life she’s chosen – she chooses
to ignore the reality of her own freedom She feels
trapped in the life she has chosen, but is too scared
to seek the freedom of a new choice, a new life
Next, look for specific examples from the textual context that support your central idea – specific quotes are
what we’re looking for here. Then brainstorm ways to integrate those descriptions/that imagery into your
creative writing
Rolfe uses his camera to protect himself “I believe
the lens of the camera had a strange effect on him; it
was as if it transported him to a different time form
which he could watch events without actually
participating in them. When I came to know him
better, I came to realize that this fictive distance
seemed to protect him from his own emotions”
Rolfe refuses to acknowledge his reality just like he
used to hide from his abusive father “for eternal
hours he had crouched with his eyes closed, not to
see the darkness, with his hands over his ears, to shut
out the beating of his heart, trembling, huddled like a
cornered animal” “He understood then that all his
exploits as a reporter… were merely an attempt to
keep his most ancient fears at bay, a stratagem for
taking refuge behind a lens to test whether reality
was more tolerable from that perspective”
When Rolfe abandons the cameras, he is able to
begin accepting truths/reality that he had ignored
before “He had completely forgotten the camera; he
could not look at the girl through the lens any longer”
“But he had come face to face with the moment of
The Nun’s imaginary lover “transports her to a
different” life – one where she is free to give and
receive romantic love -- this fictive life is “safe”
for her because she can experience what she’s
missing “without actually participating in them”
and thereby breaking her vows. Having the dream
(fictive love) “protects her from” actually facing
her fears of freedom
Daydreams happen furtively “crouched, with eyes
closed” ignoring (not seeing) the reality around
her the “darkness” of her sadness/unhappiness/
loneliness. The fear of her “transgression” would
cause “the beating of her heart, trembling,
huddled like a cornered animal” when she realizes
that she is trapped in her loneliness. Her
daydreams are “an attempt to keep her most
ancient fears at bay” that she has made the wrong
decision for her life – Life, however “is more
tolerable from that perspective” of what she
knows, than starting over
Her daydreams would cause her to “completely
forget” her reality – but then she could not
truth; he could not continue to escape his past… he
was buried in the clayey mud; his terror was not the
distant emotion of an almost forgotten childhood, it
was the claw sunk in his throat” “Your cameras lie
forgotten in a closet”
Mudslide imagery // Rolfe facing his past “That night,
imperceptibly, the unyielding floodgates that had
contained RC past for so many years began to open,
and the torrent of all that had lain hidden in the
deepest and most secret layers of memory poured
out” “he found himself trapped in a pit without
escape, buried in life, his head barely above ground”
“Sorrow flooded through him, intact and precise, as if
it had lain always in his mind, waiting” “during the
night his defenses had crumbled and he had given in
to grief”
Finding freedom through acceptance (Azucena is
freed through death, Rolfe through acceptance of
past) “I felt how in that instant both were saved from
despair, how they were freed from the clay, how they
rose above the vultures and helicopters, how
together they flew above the vast swamp of
corruption and laments. How, finally, they were able
to accept death” “She sank slowly, a flower in the
mud”
imagine him any longer because he pain of not
having what she truly wanted was too painful –
she came “face to face with the moment of truth”
that she was unhappy in her life “her terror was
not the distant emotion of an almost forgotten”
past – the lover she never had “it was the claw
sunk in her throat” that she was truly unhappy
and unable to fix it Her imaginary lover was
abandoned to protect her from more unhappiness
All of a sudden he was back in her life, then all
that unhappiness she had when she was younger
came flooding back, “the torrent of all that had
lain hidden in the deepest and most secret layers
of memory poured out” She is trapped in a pit of
unhappiness and feels as if there is no possibility
for escape
She gives in to the unhappiness she knows instead
of facing the fear of the unknown – it feels like
relief, but it’s really trapping herself
You should try to aim for 5-8 quotes/images that you can directly transplant into your writing. The more direct the
integration, the more effective (direct quotes are fine and you don’t have to put “ “ around them for this type of
assignment). When you write your piece, integrate the imagery from your textual context into the flow of your narrative.
Miss D’s Example:
Lately he had been forgetting that he was only a dream, and had been coming to her when he was not expected. At first it
happened so she might believe that it was just her eyes playing games with her mind, like seeing him dash out of a room as
she entered it, but on and on it became harder to accept him as just a vision. He ran his fingers through her hair, and
brushed the tears from her face; just like she had imagined him doing a thousand times over. But his time it was different.
The warmth. It was the warmth she felt when he touched her that was different form all her dreams. That was what
convinced her that he was not a dream, that he was really real. The warmth. One can’t imagine warmth like his.
She had created him just after she had been joined in holy matrimony to the Lord Our God, and had devoted her
life to His service and love. At first he had been someone to talk with, and soon share her fears with. She had, at the time,
feared that she had made the wrong decisions for her life, but denied any such miscalculation adamantly. She fought
within herself over this, and could only speak with him of it, for fear that her sisters would have frowned upon her
weakness. The words of comfort that he offered were hers, and she had known it; yet she had found solace in them all the
same.
After a few years, he had become her companion; accompanying her on outings, and one (oh, shame!) to her
lonely bed, as she had wept into his arms. In her twentieth year of sisterhood she had realized her dependency on her
fantasy companion, and had cut their visits to only when she needed him most. And that is the way it has remained.
But now, he has returned to her. And with his return came the memories she had stored away with her
unmentioned sins. She remembered a real young man that she had encountered years ago, who had looked into her eyes
like she had make her companion do, and at the sight of this young man she had sensed something inside of her awaken
that frightened her. She had longer for that young man 0 at the time she had thought it lust, and had ran to the church and
done a day of Hail Mary’s to cleanse her should of the sin. But now, years later, with this sudden return of her companion,
she was able to see that what she had longed for was not to break her vows, but to have a real, living soul hold her in his
arms and be strong for her as she sobbed away her pain. This realization stuns her, for she has not acknowledged the
burden of pain that had hunched her back and wrinkled her skin. Now the urge to pull the metal ring from her hand and
run free into his awaiting arms returned. Her soul ached to be held, understood… (blush) loved…
For a moment her heart holds its breath as she teeters on the edge of decision. As she stands, and lets the wind of
all the might be brush through her hair and stroke her face, she notices her youth – fluttering away – in the distance. With
a quiet sigh of contented defeat, she falls back again into the loving hands of the Lord. She is too old to love. Too old to
start again
Choices for Topics for Your Story (use these to come up with a Theme):
Loss of innocence
Ideas for this in Life of Pi
 Golden Age of zoo life lost at sea
 forced to accept a harsh reality
Darker parts of us are never really gone
Ideas for this in Life of Pi
 Richard Parker disappears into the jungle
 turning the city upside down, animals would fall out
 If Richard Parker represents Pi’s savage survival, what would this mean?
 Could have had a very different ending if the tiger had eaten him.
Ends justify the means
Ideas for this in Life of Pi
 horrific ordeal given meaning with happy ending
 happiness is sweeter in the face of tragedy
 “without darkness there can be no light”
Getting your feet wet
Ideas for this in Life of Pi
 idea of swimming/water as participation in life
 Pi jumps in whole heartedly while his family hesitates on the beach
 Pi survives, his family perishes (literally or symbolically?)
Task D: Art Gallery
Output:
You will be creating a visual representation of the thematic significance of Life of Pi
Process:
-
Make notes for yourself about the relevant topics embodied in Martel’s novel.
-
Use those topics to create a coherent, insightful theme for Life of Pi.
o Example:
 Topics for Pleasantville
 Freedom, Expression, Finding Yourself, Restrictions, Homogeny…
 Themes from Pleasantville based on those topics
 The pursuit of freedom can be dangerous
 When we restrict ourselves to the homogeny around us, we are unable to
truly find ourselves
 The freedom of expression creates opportunity
-
Once you have a theme you’re happy with, make note of support of that theme in the novel (try to
find 5-8 strong quotations from the novel in relation to this theme).
-
Brainstorm imagery associated with the key words from your theme as well as imagery used in the
pieces of support you’ve chosen from the novel.
o Example:
 Theme: The pursuit of freedom can be dangerous.
 Support from film:
 Bill’s painting (freedom of expression) destroyed by the angry mob
(dangerous);
 Betty and Bill’s relationship (freedom to choose);
 Brainstorming:
“no”
sign
sky
birds
freedom
clouds
Broken
chains
Open
hands
Do not
enter
weapons
Sharp
teeth
angry
fists
yelling
mob
fire
dangerous
-
Choose the most powerful images and plan how you could combine them in a visual representation.
o Consider things like
 Medium (are you going to draw, paint, sculpt, build, computer generate etc. and
WHY that medium)
 Size – how can this correlate with your message?
 Focal point & subsidiary contrasts
 Color
 Layout – what are you going to put where and why? Also consider relative size of
your images to each other
-
Create your visual representation.
-
Write brief notes (point form is fine) explaining your representation and how you see it developing
your chosen theme – how it enhances the reading of the text etc.
Assessment:
Assessment for all representation projects is BASED ON INSIGHT NOT ARTISTIC TALENT. You can
demonstrate insight in the following ways:
- Creating a thoughtful, thought-provoking visual representation with a clear, insightful
message about the text
- Engaging in thoughtful, productive and observant conversations about other
representations and the text
- Providing a thorough, thoughtful and thought-provoking analysis of your visual
representation that has a clear, insightful message about the text
Task D: Photo Essay
Create and present a thematic photo essay
that centres around a theme from Life of Pi.
Your photo essay must include
 at least 12 visuals comprised of photographs, ads, pieces of art etc and at least 2 created/taken by
you that effectively apply techniques of composition we’ve learned in class (focal point, subsidiary
contrasts, color etc.). All of which should follow the Types of Photos outlined in the Photo Essay
handout.
 headlines, captions etc. are acceptable, and may enhance the “reading” of your essay, but are not
required
 a written component to accompany the presentation of your visuals – the format may be creative
(narrative, poetry) or expository (speech, article). You will recite this written component aloud during
the presentation of your essay.
Photo essays may be presented physically (ie: photos printed and compiled like an art show) or digitally (ie:
photos are on the computer and presented via projector). NOTE: This is NOT in any way a slide show or photo
album presentation. Your project must maintain the look and techniques of a Photo Essay at all times.
You will need to create and practice both components (visual and auditory) in conjunction with one another so
your key images/phrases correlate with one another and so that the timing of both veins of media in your
presentation are aligned. Your presentation should not exceed 5 minutes.
The Photo Essay: Information
ELA 20-1
A photo essay is a set or series of photographs that are intended to tell a story or evoke a series of emotions in
the viewer. All photo essays are collections of photographs, but not all collections of photographs are photo
essays.
We all know that photographs and illustrations can support text, but in photo-essays that relationship is often
reversed; the photographs lead the text. In photo-essays, you'll likely notice the photographs first.
 The photos are chosen with the same care and precision with which the writer chooses the words.
 The photos are high quality and are featured prominently in the page layout.
 Each photograph contains a wealth of information and may generate an equivalent wealth of questions
and wonderings before the reader even approaches the text.
 Rather than merely providing a caption to the photographs, writers of photo-essays are often
responding in depth to what the photographs make them feel or wonder.
Creating a photo essay is a combination of art and journalism. As with a written essay, the elements of a photo
essay should be structured in a way that easily conveys a story to the viewer.
Each individual photo contributes to the overall story, theme, and emotions of the essay. The photos you choose
must not only be compositionally and artistically strong, but also informative and educational. Finding photos
that have both qualities can be very challenging, but the result can be very powerful.
Photo essays are a form of art, and like any artistic creation, breaking the rules can sometimes create the most
powerful result. Don’t be afraid to try something different.
Types of Photo Essays
There are two types of photo essays: the narrative and the thematic. The narrative essay tells a story through a
sequence of events or actions. They may follow an individual or activity over a period of time and present this
story in chronological order. A thematic photo essay focuses on a central theme (e.g. homelessness, the
environment, etc.) and presents photos relevant to that theme.
Elements of Photo Essay
Regardless of what type of photo essay you choose to present, the following elements should be considered
during its creation:
The story- The visual part of your essay should be able to stand alone, without a written article, and make logical
sense to the viewer.
A range of photos: A variety of photos (angles, genres, sources etc.) should be included. See the types of photos
section discussed below.
The order of the photos: It is important that the order of your photos effectively tell a story, in an interesting
and logical sequence.
Information and emotion: Your photos should include both informational and emotional photos. Those essays
that effectively evoke emotion while providing information tend to convey their messages the best.
Captions: In a photo essay, captions are your best opportunity to describe what is happening in words and
ensure that the viewer understands. Include informational content in these captions if necessary.
Types of Photos
By including a variety of types of photos in your essay, you will ensure that it is both interesting and informative.
The following types of photos, presented together, can create a successful photo essay. Not only is it important
to choose powerful photos, but also to present them in an effective order. While the order of some photos (e.g.
the lead photo, and the clincher) is set, the order of most types of photos in your essay is your preference.
The Lead Photo: Similar to the first two sentences of a piece of writing, your lead photo should effectively draw
in your audience. This is usually the most difficult photo to choose and should follow the theme of your essay. It
could be an emotional portrait or an action shot, but ultimately it should provoke the curiosity of the viewer.
The Scene: Your second photo should set the stage and describe the scene of your story.
The Portraits: Your photo essay should include at least one portrait. Capturing an emotional expression or telling
action shot can effectively humanize your story. These photos often evoke strong emotions and empathy in the
viewer (whether it is a positive and enthusiastic emotion, or a sympathetic and concerned emotion.)
The Detail Photos: Detail photos focus in on one element, be it a building, a face, or a relevant object. These
photos are your best opportunity to capture specific objects. The captions of these photos should be informative
and educational.
The Close-up Photos: Similarly, close-up photos provide an opportunity to focus in on specific objects. These
photos are tightly cropped, simple shots that present a specific element of your story. Again, this is an excellent
opportunity to present information in the caption.
The Signature Photo: The signature photo summarizes the situation and captures the key elements of your story
in a telling moment.
The Clincher Photo: The final photo, the clincher, should evoke the emotion you want the viewer to walk away
with, be it a feeling of hope, inspiration, or sadness. Decide on this mood before you select this photo.
Information from http://www.esiponline.org/classroom/foundations/writing/photoessays.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photo_essay
http://www.collectivelens.com/article.php?id=4
Examples of Photo Essays as well as the Photo Essay planning pages are posted on Miss Donnelly’s wiki:
www.donnellywikiofgreatness.wikispaces.com
Appendix A: Marking Rubrics and Deadlines
Task A (due by Nov 30)
- Reading Quiz (marked out of 10)
- Reading Comprehension Worksheet (as indicated on worksheet; out of 65, weighted at .25)
- “Secret Life of Walter Mitty” (rubric attached below; out of 16)
- Circle Discussion (notes will be marked out of 10)
- Personal Response (rubric attached below; out of 16)
Task B (due by Dec 5, Dec 10)
- Animal Symbolism Assignment (marked out of 130, weighted at .25)
- Dialectics Reading & Worksheet (marked out of 31)
- Power of Story Assignment (rubric attached below; out of 24)
- Semiotics Reading & Worksheet (marked out of 36)
- Symbolic Interpretation Assignment (rubric attached below; marked out of 25)
Task C
-
Critical Analysis Paragraph due Dec 11 (rubric attached below; marked out of 16)
Essay due Dec 14 (rubric attached below; marked out of 24)
Task D (due by Dec 21)
- Personal Zoo (rubric attached; marked out of 30)
- Creative Writing in Textual Context (rubric attached below; marked out of 28)
- Art Gallery (rubric attached; marked out of 35)
- Photo Essay (rubric attached, marked out of 55; weighted at .6)
Secret Life of Walter Mitty/Life of Pi Comparison
ELA 20-1
Name:
Proficient
Satisfactory
Limited
Thought &
Understanding
(x 1)
All thesis statements are
thoughtful & considered,
competent comprehension
of both texts. Literary
interpretations revealing
and sensible
All thesis statements
relevant & straightforward,
Most thesis statements
largely absent or
irrelevant, &/ do not
develop topic. Little
comprehension of either
text demonstrated
Supporting
Evidence
(x 1.5)
Support from both texts is
specific and well chosen
to reinforce ideas in
persuasive way. Sound
connection to thesis
statements capably
maintained
Form &
Structure (x.5)
Matters of
Choice
(x 0.5)
Paragraphs structured for
effect
Support from one or both
texts is general, adequate,
and appropriately chosen
reinforce ideas
acceptably, but may
occasionally lack
persuasiveness.
Reasonable connection to
theses suitably maintained
Paragraph structure
Some thesis statements
superficial or
oversimplified, weak
comprehension of one or
both of the texts. Literary
interpretations incomplete
&/ literal
Support for one or both
texts is inadequate,
inaccurate, largely a
restatement of what was
read &/ inappropriately
chosen to reinforce ideas,
lacks persuasiveness.
Weak connection to thesis
statements maintained
Ineffective paragraph
structure
Diction is specific.
Syntactic structures
generally effective.
Stylistic choices contribute
to considered composition
with capable voice
Diction is adequate.
Syntactic structures
straightforward, complex
structures awkward.
Stylistic choices contribute
to conventional
composition with
appropriate voice
Diction is imprecise &/
inappropriate. Syntactic
structures frequently
awkward or ambiguous.
Inadequate language
choices contribute to
vague composition with
undiscerning voice
Matters of
Correctness
(x 0.5)
Competence in control of
correct sentence
constructions, usage,
grammar and mechanics.
Minor errors in complex
structures understandable
Control of basics of
correct sentence
constructions, usage,
grammar and mechanics.
Occasional lapses and
minor errors, however
communication remains
clear
Faltering control of correct
sentence constructions,
usage, grammar and
mechanics. Range of
errors blurs clarity of
communication
Diction inaccurate
&/overgeneralized.
Syntactic structures are
uncontrolled or
unintelligible. Lack of
language choices
contributes to confused
composition with
ineffective voice
Lack of control of correct
sentence constructions,
usage, grammar and
mechanics. Jarring errors
impair communication
generalized comprehension
of both texts. Literary
interpretations general but
plausible
Poor
Support from one or both
texts is irrelevant,
overgeneralized, lacks
validity and/or is absent.
Little or no connection to
thesis statements evident
Not in paragraph structure
Personal Response
Criteria
Ideas &
Impressions
- exploration of
topic
- ideas and
reflection
- support
Proficient
Satisfactory
Limited
Poor
Exploration is
purposeful. Ideas/
Perceptions are
thoughtful and
considered. Support
is specific and
strengthens ideas &
impressions
Exploration is
generalized. Ideas/
Perceptions are
straightforward and
relevant. Support is
adequate and clarifies
ideas & impressions
Exploration is vague.
Ideas/Perceptions are
superficial &/
ambiguous. Support is
imprecise and/or
ineffectively related to
ideas & impressions
Exploration is
minimal. Ideas/
Perceptions are
underdeveloped &/
irrelevant. Support is
lacking &/ unrelated
to ideas &
impressions
Voice created is
Voice created is
apparent. Stylistic
choices are adequate
and creation of tone is
conventional. Unifying
effect is appropriately
developed
Voice created is
indistinct. Stylistic
choices are imprecise
and creation of tone is
inconsistent. Unifying
effect is inadequately
developed
Voice created is
obscure. Stylistic
choices impede
communication and
creation of tone is
ineffective. Unifying
effect is absent
Presentation distinct. Stylistic
- voice
- stylistic choices
(quality of
language and
creation of tone)
- development of
unifying effect
INS
Name:
choices are specific
and creation of tone is
competent. Unifying
effect is capably
developed
- student has responded using form other than prose
- student has written so little that it is not possible to assess Ideas & Impressions
- there is no evidence that the topic presented in the assignment has been addressed
- there is no connection between the text(s) provided in the assignment and the student’s
response
Power of Story
ELA 20-1: Life of Pi
Criteria
Ideas &
Impressions
- exploration of
topic
- ideas and
reflection
- support
Presentation
- voice
- stylistic choices
(quality of
language and
creation of tone)
- development of
unifying effect
Form &
Structure
- coherent,
focussed and
shaped
arrangement and
discussion
unifying effect
developed &
maintained
INS
Name:
Proficient
Satisfactory
Limited
Poor
Exploration is
purposeful. Ideas/
Perceptions are
thoughtful and
considered. Support is
specific and strengthens
ideas & impressions
Exploration is
generalized. Ideas/
Perceptions are
straightforward and
relevant. Support is
adequate and clarifies
ideas & impressions
Exploration is vague.
Ideas/Perceptions are
superficial &/ ambiguous.
Support is imprecise
and/or ineffectively related
to ideas & impressions
Exploration is minimal.
Ideas/ Perceptions are
underdeveloped &/
irrelevant. Support is
lacking &/ unrelated to
ideas & impressions
Voice created is distinct.
Stylistic choices are
specific and creation of
tone is competent.
Unifying effect is capably
developed
Voice created is
apparent. Stylistic
choices are adequate
and creation of tone is
conventional. Unifying
effect is appropriately
developed
Voice created is indistinct.
Stylistic choices are
imprecise and creation of
tone is inconsistent.
Unifying effect is
inadequately developed
Voice created is
obscure. Stylistic
choices impede
communication and
creation of tone is
ineffective. Unifying
effect is absent
Purposeful arrangement
of ideas & details
contributes to controlled
discussion which is
developed capably.
Unifying effect
coherently sustained and
presented
Straightforward
arrangement of ideas &
details provides direction
for appropriate
discussion. Unifying
effect presented and
maintained generally,
however, coherence may
falter
A discernible but
ineffectual arrangement of
ideas and details provides
some direction for
underdeveloped
discussion. Unifying
effect inconsistently
maintained
Haphazard arrangement
of ideas and details
provides little or no
direction for discussion;
development is lacking
or obscure. Unifying
effect is absent
- student has responded using form other than prose
- student has written so little that it is not possible to assess Ideas & Impressions
- there is no evidence that the topic presented in the assignment has been addressed
- there is no connection between the text(s) provided in the assignment and the student’s
response
Symbolic Interpretation Assignment
ELA 20-1: Life of Pi
Criteria
Support
x2
Visual
Organization
x1
Written Support –
Ideas
x1.5
Creative Choices
x.5
INS
Awesome
Name:
Got It!
Not Quite
Support from novel is specific.
Information from research is
well chosen to reinforce
interpretation in persuasive
way. Interpretations are well
founded.
Support from novel is general.
Information from research is
adequate, and appropriately
chosen reinforce ideas
acceptably, but may
occasionally lack
persuasiveness.
Interpretations are reasonable.
Support from novel is
inadequate. Information from
research is inaccurate, largely
a restatement of what was read
&/ inappropriately chosen to
reinforce ideas, lacks
persuasiveness.
Interpretations are weak.
Visual presentation creates
an interesting and eyecatching image through
precise organization of
visual elements (such as
juxtaposition and balance)
Visual presentation creates
a clear, unified image
through basic organization
of visual elements (such as
placement and focal point)
Visual presentation creates
a somewhat disorganized
image through ineffective
organization of visual
elements (such as
placement and focal point)
Written support effectively Written support clearly
Written support outlines
examines interpretations
relays interpretations in a
interpretations in a general
in an insightful way;
detailed way; clearly
way; vaguely demonstrates
adeptly demonstrates the
demonstrates the
the student’s knowledge of
student’s interpretation of student’s understanding of the existence of the
the role/ significance as
the depth of as well as the
general ideas associated
well as the effects of
purpose of basic visual
with the symbol as well as
complex visual
conventions
the existence of general
conventions
visual conventions
Many varied and complex
Many basic choices made
Some basic choices made
choices made in the
in the creation of the visual in the creation of the visual
creation of the visual
contribute to the
hint at the symbolism of
develop the symbolism of
symbolism of the visual in a the visual in a vague way;
the visual in a creative and clear and effective way;
use of medium shows a
insightful way; use of
use of medium shows
minimal level of
medium shows a high level consideration and effort
consideration and effort
effort and consideration
were put into its creation
were put into its creation
was put into its creation
 Support not reasonable interpretation of Life of Pi and/or are not presented in a way
that accurately represents their role/purpose in the novel
 Visual is so disorganized that it is difficult to decipher its meaning/purpose
 Use of visual conventions is absent and/or incorrectly applied
 Written support does not sufficiently explain the choices made in the visual and/or
does not demonstrate the student’s interpretation of the symbol(s) indicated
 Errors permeate the written support to the point that the ideas presented are
difficult to understand
 Symbolic choices are unoriginal, absent, unclear and/or inappropriate and not
clarified/supported through written explanation.
Critical Analysis Paragarph
ELA 20-1
Proficient
Thought &
Understanding
(x 1.5)
Supporting
Evidence
(x 1)
Understanding of literary
technique thoughtful &
considered, competent
comprehension of text and
technique. Literary
interpretations revealing
and sensible
Support from texts is
specific and well chosen
to reinforce ideas in
persuasive way. Sound
connection to purpose of
author choice capably
maintained
Name:
Satisfactory
Understanding of literary
technique relevant &
straightforward,
generalized comprehension
of text and technique.
Literary interpretations
general but plausible
Support from texts is
general, adequate, and
appropriately chosen
reinforce ideas
acceptably, but may
occasionally lack
persuasiveness.
Reasonable connection to
author choice suitably
maintained
Paragraph structure
Limited
Poor
Understanding of literary
technique superficial or
oversimplified, weak
comprehension text and/or
technique. Literary
interpretations incomplete
&/ literal
Support for texts is
inadequate, inaccurate,
largely a restatement of
what was read &/
inappropriately chosen to
reinforce ideas, lacks
persuasiveness. Weak
connection to author
choice maintained
Understanding of literary
technique largely absent
or irrelevant, &/ do not
develop topic. Little
comprehension of text or
technique
Ineffective paragraph
structure
Not in paragraph structure
Diction inaccurate
&/overgeneralized.
Syntactic structures are
uncontrolled or
unintelligible. Lack of
language choices
contributes to confused
composition with
ineffective voice
Lack of control of correct
sentence constructions,
usage, grammar and
mechanics. Jarring errors
impair communication
Form &
Structure (x.5)
Matters of
Choice
(x 0.5)
Paragraph structured for
effect
Diction is specific.
Syntactic structures
generally effective.
Stylistic choices contribute
to considered composition
with capable voice
Diction is adequate.
Syntactic structures
straightforward, complex
structures awkward.
Stylistic choices contribute
to conventional
composition with
appropriate voice
Diction is imprecise &/
inappropriate. Syntactic
structures frequently
awkward or ambiguous.
Inadequate language
choices contribute to
vague composition with
undiscerning voice
Matters of
Correctness
(x 0.5)
Competence in control of
correct sentence
constructions, usage,
grammar and mechanics.
Minor errors in complex
structures understandable
Control of basics of
correct sentence
constructions, usage,
grammar and mechanics.
Occasional lapses and
minor errors, however
communication remains
clear
Faltering control of correct
sentence constructions,
usage, grammar and
mechanics. Range of
errors blurs clarity of
communication
Support from texts is
irrelevant,
overgeneralized, lacks
validity and/or is absent.
Little or no connection to
author choice evident
Life of Pi Essay
Name:
Essay Prompt:
Criteria
Proficient
Thought &
Understanding
(x1.5)
Ideas thoughtful &
considered, competent
comprehension of text
and topic. Literary
interpretations revealing
and sensible
Ideas relevant and
straightforward,
generalized
comprehension of text
and topic. Literary
interpretations general
but plausible
Ideas superficial or
oversimplified, weak
comprehension of text
and topic. Literary
interpretations
incomplete &/ literal
Ideas largely absent or
irrelevant, &/ do not
develop topic. Little
comprehension of text
demonstrated
Supporting
Evidence (x1.5)
Support specific and
well chosen to reinforce
ideas in persuasive way.
Sound connection to
ideas capably
maintained
Support general,
adequate, and
appropriately chosen
reinforce ideas
acceptably, but may
occasionally lack
persuasiveness.
Reasonable connection
to ideas suitably
maintained
Support inadequate,
inaccurate, largely a
restatement of what
was read &/
inappropriately chosen
to reinforce ideas, lacks
persuasiveness. Weak
connection to ideas
maintained
Support is irrelevant,
overgeneralized, lacks
validity and/or is absent.
Little or no connection to
ideas evident
Purposeful arrangement
of ideas & details
contributes to controlled
discussion which is
developed capably.
Unifying effect
coherently sustained
and presented
Straightforward
arrangement of ideas &
details provides direction
for appropriate
discussion. Unifying
effect presented and
maintained generally,
however, coherence may
falter
A discernible but
ineffectual arrangement
of ideas and details
provides some
direction for
underdeveloped
discussion. Unifying
effect inconsistently
maintained
Haphazard arrangement
of ideas and details
provides little or no
direction for discussion;
development is lacking
or obscure. Unifying
effect is absent
Diction is specific.
Syntactic structures
generally effective.
Stylistic choices
contribute to considered
composition with
capable voice
Diction is adequate.
Syntactic structures
straightforward, complex
structures awkward.
Stylistic choices
contribute to
conventional composition
with appropriate voice
Diction is imprecise &/
inappropriate.
Syntactic structures
frequently awkward or
ambiguous.
Inadequate language
choices contribute to
vague composition with
undiscerning voice
Diction inaccurate
&/overgeneralized.
Syntactic structures are
uncontrolled or
unintelligible. Lack of
language choices
contributes to confused
composition with
ineffective voice
Competence in control
of correct sentence
constructions, usage,
grammar and
mechanics. Minor errors
in complex structures
understandable
Control of basics of
correct sentence
constructions, usage,
grammar and
mechanics. Occasional
lapses and minor errors,
however communication
remains clear
Faltering control of
correct sentence
constructions, usage,
grammar and
mechanics. Range of
errors blurs clarity of
communication
Lack of control of correct
sentence constructions,
usage, grammar and
mechanics. Jarring
errors impair
communication
Form &
Structure
(x1)
Matters of
Choice
(x1)
Matters of
Correctness
(x1)
INS
Satisfactory
Limited
Poor
- student has written so little that it is not possible to assess Thought and Understanding and/or
Supporting Evidence
- no reference has been made to literature studied
- only literary reference present is to the text(s) provided in the Personal Response to Texts
Assign
no evidence of an attempt to fulfill the task presented in the assignment
Personal Zoo
ELA 20-1
Zoo:
Name:
Criteria
Excellent
Proficient
Satisfactory
Limited
Visual Symbolism
of Exhibits
(x2)
All choices are creative
and symbolically
relevant to the zoo’s
overall purpose and
are explored in a way
that is both complex
and detailed
Most choices strongly
connect to each
exhibit’s characteristics
in thoughtful ways
through effective
consideration for detail
Most choices are clear,
though somewhat
literal representations
of the exhibits’
characteristics through
considered, but
general choices
Most choices are
simplistic, literal
and/or absent and may
not always reflect the
exhibits’ characteristics
in a complete or
accurate way
Explanation
(x2)
Written explanations
consistently show
thoughtful insight into
all complex aspects of
the exhibits as a
unified whole
Written explanations
mostly show a strong
analysis of various
aspects of each
individual exhibit
Written explanations
usually show a basic
consideration for the
general role of most of
the exhibits
Written explanations
show a somewhat
limited or incomplete
understanding of the
relevance of some
exhibits
Layout of all exhibits
effectively catches and
guides the viewer’s
eye, attempting to
maintain interest and
unity throughout
through effective use
of visual conventions
Layout of most exhibits
catches and guides the
viewer’s eye in a basic
way; interest and unity
may falter occasionally,
though visual
conventions are used
appropriately
Layout of some exhibits
fail to catch and/or
guide the viewer’s eye;
interest and/or unity
are not maintained
due to inconsistent/
inappropriate use of
visual conventions
Written work is
effective with
thoughtful and precise
word choices; unity and
coherence are
effectively maintained
through purposeful use
of specific stylistic
techniques
Written work is clear
through specific word
choice; attempts at
unity and coherence
are made through
appropriate use of
basic stylistic
techniques
Written work is unclear
and/or ineffective
through general and/or
inappropriate word
choice; unity and/or
coherence are lacking
through incorrect use
and/or absence of
stylistic techniques
Organization
(x1)
Voice
(x1)
Insufficient
Layout of entire zoo
creatively catches and
guides the viewer’s
eye, maintaining
interest and unity
throughout through
effective
experimentation with
visual conventions
Written work is
consistently engaging
with strong and
effective word choices;
artistic unity and
coherence are
creatively maintained
through effective
experimentation with
complex stylistic
techniques





No work submitted
Work submitted does not meet the assignment guidelines
Student has produced so little that it is not possible to assess ideas or impressions
No evidence that the student has addressed the assigned topics
Student has made no connections to the appropriate texts/themes
Personal Response
Criteria
Ideas &
Impressions
(x2)
Proficient
Satisfactory
Limited
Poor
Theme is purposeful.
Ideas/ Perceptions
are thoughtful and
considered. Textual
supports are
creatively integrated
and strengthen ideas
& impressions
Theme is generalized.
Ideas/ Perceptions are
straightforward and
relevant. Textual
supports are adequate
and clarify ideas &
impressions
Theme is vague.
Ideas/Perceptions are
superficial &/
ambiguous. Textual
supports are imprecise
and/or ineffectively
related to ideas &
impressions
Theme is minimal.
Ideas/ Perceptions
are underdeveloped
&/ irrelevant. Textual
supports are lacking
&/ unrelated to ideas
& impressions
Story is engaging.
Story is creative.
Details are effective.
Unifying effect is
appropriately
developed
Story is
straightforward.
Details are
unbalanced. Unifying
effect is inadequately
developed
Story is obscure.
Detail is lacking.
Unifying effect is
absent
Diction is specific.
Syntactic structures
generally effective.
Stylistic choices
contribute to considered
composition with capable
voice
Diction is adequate.
Syntactic structures
straightforward, complex
structures awkward.
Stylistic choices
contribute to conventional
composition with
appropriate voice
Diction is imprecise &/
inappropriate. Syntactic
structures frequently
awkward or ambiguous.
Inadequate language
choices contribute to
vague composition with
undiscerning voice
Diction inaccurate
&/overgeneralized.
Syntactic structures are
uncontrolled or
unintelligible. Lack of
language choices
contributes to confused
composition with
ineffective voice
Competence in control of
correct sentence
constructions, usage,
grammar and
mechanics. Minor errors
in complex structures
understandable
Control of basics of
correct sentence
constructions, usage,
grammar and mechanics.
Occasional lapses and
minor errors, however
communication remains
clear
Faltering control of correct
sentence constructions,
usage, grammar and
mechanics. Range of
errors blurs clarity of
communication
Lack of control of correct
sentence constructions,
usage, grammar and
mechanics. Jarring
errors impair
communication
Presentation Details are believable
(x2)
Matters of
Choice
(x1.5)
Matters of
Correctness
(x1.5)
INS
Name:
and well balanced.
Unifying effect is
capably developed
- student has responded using form other than prose
- student has written so little that it is not possible to assess Ideas & Impressions
- there is no evidence that the topic presented in the assignment has been addressed
- there is no connection between the text(s) provided in the assignment and the student’s
response
Art Gallery
ELA 20-1: Life of Pi
Criteria
Creation of
Visuals
x3
 communication
 construction
 symbolism
Writing
Conventions
x1
 structures
 thematic connection
Language Use
x2
 figures of speech
 imagery
 symbolism
Gallery
x1
 participation
 insight
Insufficient
Comments:
Name:
Wow!
Got It
Almost Got It
 visual has general connection
to the theme
 visual has vague connection to
the theme
 use of specific visual details
(such as unique camera angles/
perspectives, line or juxtaposition)
create an insightful symbolic
message
 use of general visual elements
(such as color, focal point and
balance) create a simplistic
symbolic message
 attempts to use general visual
elements (such as color, focal
point and balance) create an
ineffective symbolic message
 experiments with many
complex structures of creative
writing in a variety of situations
(such as spacing, grammar, and
word order) to develop the
imagery and/or theme of the
piece
 uses the basic structures of
creative writing (such as
description/imagery) to
purposefully parallel the imagery
and/or theme of the piece
 tries to apply the basic
structures of creative writing
(such as description/imagery), but
does so in a way that is
inconsistent with the imagery
and/or theme of the piece
 visual has clear connection to
the theme
 multiple, varied figures of
speech effectively used
throughout writing to insightfully
develop theme and/or mood
 consistent use of creative and
precise details enhance the
imagery of the piece
 symbols established are
creative and effective in
developing the theme of the piece
 contributes varied and
insightful comments on many of
the exhibits
 basic figures of speech (simile
and/or metaphor) are used in the
piece to establish the theme
 inclusion of some detail create
imagery in the piece
 symbols used are appropriate
to the theme of the piece
 contributes one or two
interpretive comments on a few
of the exhibits
 figures of speech are
sometimes ineffective and/or do
not relate to the theme
 attempts at detail are still
vague and/or ineffective in
creating in image in the reader’s
mind
 symbols are ineffective and/or
inconsistent and/or do not relate
to the theme
 makes no contributions to the
discussion of the exhibits




Does not include all of the visual/written components required of the project
Written work & visual were not created or presented in conjunction with one another
Project is not focused on one central theme
Project does not have a symbolic and/or thematic connection to Life of Pi

Creative choices are so haphazard that the theme of project is difficult to decipher
Photo Essay
ELA 20-1: Life of Pi
Name:
Criteria
Excellent
Proficient
Satisfactory
Limited
Photograph
Composition
Layout of elements is
adept – complex
symbolic techniques
such as juxtaposition,
framing or negative
space are used
insightfully to
enhance the quality
of the composition
Layout of elements is
thoughtful – symbolic
techniques such as
point of view, color, or
proxemics are used
effectively to improve
the quality of the
composition and/or
complex techniques are
correctly attempted,
but ineffective in
enhancing quality of the
composition
Layout of elements is
straightforward – basic
techniques such as focal
point, focus, or lighting
are used correctly to
ensure the quality of
the composition,
and/or symbolic
techniques are correctly
attempted, but
ineffective in enhancing
quality of composition
Layout of elements is
negligent – some basic
techniques are used
ineffectively and
negatively impact the
quality of the
composition, and/or
symbolic or complex
techniques are used
incorrectly, impairing
the quality of the
composition
Layout of elements is
faulty – most basic
techniques are used
incorrectly,
composition is not
created.
Photographs
demonstrate a high
degree of originality
and sophistication; a
coherent central idea
is insightfully stated
through effective
symbolic use of
visual elements and
cues
Photographs
demonstrate some
clear examples of
originality and
thoughtfulness; an
effective central idea is
creatively stated
through purposeful
symbolic use of visual
elements and cues
Photographs show a
straightforward
understanding of the
topic; a clear central
idea is clear and basic
through correct
symbolic use of visual
elements and cues
Photographs show a
vague understanding
of the topic; a faltering
central idea is unclear
and/or ineffective
through inattentive
and/or literal use of
visual elements and/or
cues.
Photographs show a
confused or inaccurate
understanding of the
topic; an ineffective
central idea is absent
or incorrect through
ineffective or failure to
use visual elements
and/or cues.
A judicious
arrangement of ideas
and visuals
contributes to a
fluent photo essay
A purposeful
arrangement of ideas
and visuals creates a
controlled photo essay
A straightforward
arrangement of ideas
and visuals provides
direction for the photo
essay
A discernable but
ineffectual
arrangement of ideas
and visuals provides
some direction for an
underdeveloped photo
essay
A haphazard
arrangement of ideas
and visuals provides no
direction for the
photo essay
Adept manipulation
of conventions
insightfully enhances
presentation
Effective use of
conventions shows
thoughtful preparation
of presentation
Correct use of
conventions clarifies
presentation
Vague use of
conventions confuses,
inhibits presentation
Ineffective/incorrect
use of conventions
detracts from
presentation
Diction is precise,
syntax is effective
and sometimes
polished, stylistic
choices create skillful
composition with
convincing voice
Diction is specific,
syntax is generally
effective, stylistic
choices create a
considered composition
with a capable voice
Diction is adequate,
syntax is
straightforward,
attempts at complex
structures awkward,
stylistic choices create
conventional
composition with
appropriate voice
Diction is imprecise or
inappropriate, syntax
frequently awkward or
ambiguous,
inadequate stylistic
choices create vague
composition with an
undiscerning voice
Diction is overgeneralized or
inaccurate, syntax
uncontrolled or
unintelligible, lack of
stylistic choices create
confused composition
with ineffective voice
x3
Concept
x2
Organization
x1
Conventions
x 3 (photo essay,
written, presentation)
Language Use
x2
INS
-
No assignment submitted
Work submitted does not sufficiently meet assignment guidelines
Poor