Sophomore English [EX]
Alan C. Sanders
E355
NOTE: The daily agenda as posted and discussed
in class is the final agenda.
Monday, April 9
• In Class
• DGP & V Week 6
• Writing Day
• Upcoming
• Tuesday: Turn in Merchant Essay and Read
Scene II & Ode II, pp. 27 -47.
Thursday, April 5
• In Class
• Merchant Essay Questions?
• Let’s talk about Oedipus. If we get to Ode I, I’ll be
surprised. We have some Oedipal arrogance (hubris) to
talk about first.
• Upcoming
• Monday: Writing Day! Bring all your stuff on paper to
work on.
• Tuesday: Read Scene II & Ode II, pp. 27 -47
• In Class
• Finish Introduction to Greek Theater and the Oedipus Cycle
• Wednesday: Devoted to Talking about Merchant Essays. If you didn’t
get a copy of the prompt before break, let me know.
• Upcoming
• Wednesday: Devoted to Talking about Merchant Essays. If you didn’t
get a copy of the prompt before break, let me know.
• Thursday: Read Prologue, Párados, and Scene I (3-25)
Tuesday, April 3
• In Class
• Housekeeping
• Introduction to Greek Theater and the Oedipus Cycle
• Upcoming
• Wednesday: Devoted to Talking about Merchant Essays.
If you didn’t get a copy of the prompt before break, let me
know.
• Thursday: Read Prologue, Párados, and Scene I (3-25)
Monday, April 2
• In Class
• Welcome back! I hope everyone is rejuvenated and
prepared for the push to the end.
• Make-up Some Stuff
• Return and Go Over Some Stuff
• Upcoming
• We’ll begin Oedipus tomorrow.
• The due date for this essay on The Merchant of Venice is
Tuesday, April 10.
Thursday, March 22
• In Class
• Do we need to discuss anything before the last quiz on Merchant?
• Previously mentioned quiz on Act V
• Essay Prompt for Merchant
• Upcoming
• Spring Break: Enjoy it. If you enjoy getting ahead by working on
things, you have an essay prompt. If you need not to think about
BHS, English, Shylocks, or assignments for a few days, the due date
for this essay will fall on Tuesday, April 10. We’ll be deep into
Oedipus Rex at that time.
Wednesday, March 21
• In Class
• Antonio and Letters
• Gratiano and Strange Endings
• What does Shakespeare intend for us to conclude about the nature of love?
• Upcoming
• Wednesday: Finish our Act V Discussion
• Thursday: Change of Last Quiz Strategy: Only Act V, but a short answer or
two that call for some interpretation and evaluation. The question above is a
good question of evaluation. What does Gratiano mean is a good question of
interpretation. So is does Lorenzo love Jessica.
• Break: Take one. I’m planning to give you a writing prompt about Merchant
before break, but not planning for you to do anything fancy with it until after
Break.
Tuesday, March 20
• In Class
• Why, do you suppose, Shakespeare ends the play with
some of the most despicable people marrying each other?
What’s Antonio’s role?
• Portia and Strange Mornings
• Gratiano and Strange Endings
• Upcoming
• Thursday: Last Merchant Quiz—Acts IV-V
Monday, March 19
• In Class
• Thanks for helping things go smoothly for Mr. Johnson on
Thursday and Friday. I hope you enjoyed “The Irish
Bricklayer.”
• The Rings—IV.i.419-ii.1-23
• Upcoming
• We’ll begin a good discussion of Act V tomorrow. It’s short, romantic,
and confusing. Why, do you suppose, Shakespeare ends the play with
some of the most despicable people marrying each other? What’s
Antonio’s role?
Wednesday, March 14
• In Class
• DGP & V Wednesday and Thursday
• The Trial: “The quality of mercy is not strained.”
• So, why doesn’t Becca show Joshua some mercy?
• Upcoming
• Thursday: Watch the Al Pacino version of The Trial and
Act IV Quiz. We won’t have time really to discuss what
happens at the end of Act IV—what causes Bassanio to
give Portia’s ring away.
• Friday: DGP & V Week 5 Quiz
Tuesday, March 13
• In Class
• DGP & V
• The Merchant of Venice: The Trial
• Upcoming
• Wednesday: Finish the Trial
• Thursday: View the Al Pacino version, but it won’t be as
good as the Joshua Altshuler version. Perhaps a quiz on
Act IV.
• Friday: DGP and V Week 5 Quiz
Monday, March 12
• In Class
• Old copy on bottom/New copy on top
• DGP & V Week 5: This is the last one of these for 3rd
Quarter!
• The Merchant of Venice Act III Quiz
• Begin Act IV
• Upcoming
• Tuesday: The Trial Scene
Friday, March 9
• In Class
• DGP & V Week 4 Quiz
• DGP & V Week 5 Preview
• The Merchant of Venice
• Plot Stuff, Rumors about Jessica and Lorenzo
• Upcoming
• Monday: Act III Quiz
Today
• Now
• Stuff
• Later
• More stuff
Wednesday, March 7
• In Class
• Return Some Stuff
• DGP & V
• Bassanio’s Choice Scene ii
• Upcoming
• Thursday: Prepare for a discussion of scenes i & iii-v. I
have a how-do-you-like-me-now kind of question in my
mind about Antonio and Shylock.
Tuesday, March 6
AKA Italian Love Song Tuesday &
Pom-Pon Celebration Day
• In Class
• DGP & V
• Quiz on Act II
• Begin Discussion of Act III
• Upcoming
• Wednesday: I think we’ll watch Bassanio’s selection of
the casket and talk, but as far as planning goes, I haven’t.
Please read up. You’re always keeping up when you’re
reading Merchant.
Monday, March 5
• In Class
• Return and Go over Grading Rubric for Essays
• Revision Possibilities
• DGP & V Week 4
• ¿Hay preguntas?
• Act II Quiz
• Upcoming
• Tuesday: Read Act III
Friday, March 2
• In Class
• DGP & V Week 3 Quiz
• DGP & V Week 4 Preview
• The Merchant of Venice
• Scenes vii & ix
• Upcoming
• Monday: Act II Quiz. Read Act III. It includes Bassanio’s
choice of caskets. A hoot!
Thursday, March 1
• In Class
• DGP & V
• The Merchant of Venice (II.v)
• Fathers and Their Daughters—Shylock & Jessica
• Upcoming
• Friday: DGP & V Week 3 Quiz & Scenes vii and ix
• Monday: Act II Quiz
Leap Day!
• In Class
• DGP & V
• Lancelet and Gobbo (II.ii)
• Upcoming
• Read Up!
Tuesday, February 28
• In Class
• DGP & V
• Quiz on Act I
• Upcoming
• Wednesday: Begin reading Act II if you haven’t already. There are
nine scenes in this act, but most of them are short. Portia has to
dispense with her suitors, especially the Prince of Morocco.
Shakespeare has to introduce new characters—Jessica, Lorenzo,
Gobbo—and another layer of plot development that includes the
lowest members of society.
Monday, February 27
• In Class
• DGP & V Week 3—Backtrack to Exclamatory Sentence
and was mistaken
• The Ancient Grudge—I.iii.41-52 & 116-139
• At what point—if at any—does Shylock get serious? Is this a
game?
• Upcoming
• Tuesday: Act I Quiz—10 Multi-Choice Questions
Friday, February 24
• In Class
• DGP & V Notes for Week 3
• Finish Portia and Nerissa—I.ii.66+
• The Ancient Grudge—I.iii
• At what point—if at any—does Shylock get serious? Is this a game?
• Upcoming
• Don’t forget to pick up a copy of The RoundUp!
• Monday: Finish reading Act I. We’ll also start DGP and V Week 3
• Tuesday: Act I Quiz—10 Multi-Choice Questions
Thursday, February 22
• In Class
• Act I (The Guys’ Scene): “In sooth I know not why I am
so sad.”
• Act I, Scene ii (The Girls’ Scene): “By my troth, Nerissa,
my little body is aweary of this great world.”
• Upcoming
• Monday: Finish reading Act I. We’ll also start DGP and V
Week 3
• Tuesday: Act I Quiz
Wednesday, February 22
• In Class
• It’s a Van Morrison Wednesday!
• Hand out copies of The Merchant of Venice
• Begin Act I (The Guys’ Scene): “In sooth I know not why
I am so sad.”
• Upcoming
• Thursday: Read Act I, Scene ii (The Girls’ Scene): “By
my troth, Nerissa, my little body is aweary of this great
world.”
Tuesday, February 21
• In Class
• Make-up Work from Job and DGP & V 2
• Collect Job Papers: Staple Final Draft Checklist to the
Back
• I have to call an audible to change the play at the line.
Instead of Oedipus Rex, we’re going to read The
Merchant of Venice next. Ha, change the play—call it
Shylock Next.
• Upcoming
• Wednesday: We’ll do a little round-robin reading of Act I.
Thursday, February 16
• In Class
• DGP & V Week 2 Quiz
• Questions about Book of Job Papers
• Guidelines and Final Draft Checklist
• Upcoming
• Tuesday: Job Papers Due; We’ll begin a new unit on
Tuesday, too. Oedipus Rex! If you think Job suffers, wait
until you see what happens to Oedipus.
Wednesday, February 15
• In Class
• DGP & V
• Questions about Book of Job Papers
• Guidelines and Final Draft Checklist
• Upcoming
• Thursday: DGP & V Week 2 Quiz; Continue
with Guidelines and FDC
Tuesday, February 14
• In Class
• DGP & V Day 3
• “The Imperfect Paradise”
• Does Job live in the world of justified, true beliefs,
Gettier problems, or something else?
• Upcoming
• Wednesday:
Monday, February 13
• In Class
• Discussion of “The Imperfect Paradise” by Linda Pastan
• Does Job live in the world of justified, true beliefs, Gettier
problems, or something else?
• Upcoming
• DGP & V Week 2 Day 3 TU, Day 4 WED, and Quiz TH.
Friday, February 10
• In Class
• DGP & V
• Quiz on The Book of Job
• Hand out and go over Job essay assignment
• Upcoming
• Monday: Prepare for Discussion of “The Imperfect
Paradise.”
• Tuesday, February 21: Job Essay Due
Thursday, February 9
• In Class
• DGP & V
• Postpone Job Quiz until Friday due to Computer User
Error
• Hey, at least it gives us time to talk about whether or not
the Epilogue is a good ending.
• Upcoming
• Friday: Quiz
• TBA: Paper
Wednesday, February 8
• In Class
• DGP & V
• Job, suffering, silence, and the epilogue
• Upcoming
• DGP & V Week 2 will run from Wednesday (2/8) to
Thursday (2/16). Day 1 WED, Day 2 TH, Day 3 TU, Day
4 WED, and Quiz TH.
• Thursday: Quiz on The Book of Job—15 MultipleChoice Question
Tuesday, February 7
• In Class
• DGP & V
• Begin Discussion of “The Summation,” “The Voice from
the Whirlwind,” and “The Legend”
• Upcoming
• DGP & V Week 2 will run from Wednesday (2/8) to
Thursday (2/16). Day 1 WED, Day 2 TH, Day 3 TU, Day
4 WED, and Quiz TH.
• Thursday: Quiz on The Book of Job—15 MultipleChoice Question
Monday, February 6
• In Class
• Round III and Zophar
• (pp. 57 & 65)
• Do you have the sense that God is going to let someone have it?
Who? Why?
• Upcoming
• Tuesday: Begin Discussion of “The Summation,” “The Voice from
the Whirlwind,” and “The Legend”
• DGP & V Week 2 will run from Wednesday (2/8) to Thursday (2/16).
Day 1 WED, Day 2 TH, Day 3 TU, Day 4 WED, and Quiz TH.
Friday, February 3
• In Class
• DGP & V Week 1 Quiz
• The Book of Job: Begin Discussion of “Round II”
• Upcoming
• Monday: Read “Round III.” I’m not sure how long we’ll
want/need to spend talking about Zophar. He either makes
the most complicated or the most disorganized argument,
so be prepared for whatever happens and be ready to
begin talking about “The Summation,” “The Voice from
the Whirlwind,” and “The Legend” by Tuesday.
Friday, February 3
1+1=
1
or 3, but not 2
Thursday, February 2
• In Class
• DGP & V
• The Book of Job
• Big Question: Are we resolved that “perfect integrity” is the unity of
opposing values like honesty and dishonesty? I’d say that we have
disagreement on this.
• What about THIS Big Question, then: Is perfection in TBOJ the
unity of failure and success? Loss and gain? Suffering and—uh—
not suffering?
• Upcoming
• Friday: DGP & V Week 1 Quiz; Begin Discussion of “Round II”
Wednesday, February 1
• In Class
• DGP & V
• The Book of Job
• Big Question: Are we resolved collectively that “perfect integrity”
in TBOJ is the unity of opposing values like honesty and
dishonesty?
• Upcoming
• Thursday: Finish Discussion of “The Curse” and Round I
• Friday: DGP & V Week 1 Quiz
Tuesday, January 31
• In Class
• Hand out copies of DGP & V and The Book of Job
• What is “perfect integrity?” What is the nature of a god
who allows someone of perfect integrity to be tested?
• Upcoming
• Wednesday: Read “The Curse” and “Round I” (11-37).
Don’t forget to read the Introduction (vii-xxx).
Monday, January 30
• In Class
• Daily Grammar Practice and Vocabulary
• The Book of Job
• Upcoming
• Tuesday: Read The Book of Job, Introduction and
“The Legend.”
January 27, 2012
• In Class
• Daily Grammar Practice and Vocabulary
• oh what have I done to be blessed with such friends
• Finish Our Discussion of The Whirlwind's Questions
• The Legend
• Upcoming
• Monday: I’ve had to change plays at the line this morning
because my materials aren’t ready. No homework for the
weekend. Enjoy it.
Thursday, January 26
• In Class
• You’re always welcome to come in early and listen to music, but we
LISTEN to MY music. Sometimes, I take requests, but not often. You
have to like Chicago Blues, Jazz, and Southern Classic Rock—and a
dose of classical. By the way, cellos are better than violins. Sorry.
IMPORTANT: 6:45 to 7:20 is my early morning PANIC TIME, so be
patient and quiet. Thank you.
• Your Questions?
• What are the answers to the Unnamable question: “Am I wrong because
you’re right?”
• Upcoming
• Friday: We’ll start some Daily Grammar Practice and Vocabulary—aka
DGP & V. Then, we’ll start reading The Book of Job.
Wednesday, January 25
• In Class
• Begin Shared Inquiry Seminar
• Read Passage Aloud
• Your Questions of Fact?
• What are the answers to the Unnamable question: “Am I wrong
because you’re right?”
• Upcoming
• Thursday: Finish Shared Inquiry Seminar
• Friday: We’ll start some Daily Grammar Practice and
Vocabulary—aka DGP & V. Then, we’ll start reading The Book
of Job.
Tuesday, January 24
• In Class
•
•
•
•
Please find a seat.
Welcome and Introductions
Guidelines
Syllabus
• Upcoming
• Wednesday: Read the Shared Inquiry Seminar handout
and prepare for a discussion on Wednesday-Thursday.
• Friday: We’ll begin reading The Book of Job.