Week at a glance Oct 27 - 30, 2009

Curriculum focus: identifies, interprets, and analyzes the use of symbols (1.3.K4i), compares and contrasts character traits (1.4.K7a), compares and contrasts themes across multiple stories ( 1.4.K7b), identifies and describes the protagonist (2.1.K1a), identifies and describes the antagonist (2.1.K1b), analyzes the contextual aspects of setting (historical, social, and cultural) and their impact and influence on characters and events in the story (11.2.1.K2), recognizes ways that literature from different cultures presents similar themes differently across genres (11.2.2.K1), and compares and contrasts works of literature that deal with similar topics and problems (2.2.K2).

This week students are headed to the library to do research over the Mythology Research Project. The assignment and rubric for the research essay is available to download under the Course Materials section of this website. Students randomly drew topics and formed groups on Thurs, 10/22. By the end of this week, groups should have a PowerPoint presentation assembled and ready to present the week of 11/2.

• Mon: Meet in the library to begin work on the Mythology Research Project
• Tues: Continue research for the Mythology Research Project
• Wed: Begin designing the PowerPoint for the Mythology Research Project
• Thurs: Finish gathering and synthesizing data for the Mythology Research Project
• Fri: Groups should be finishing the PowerPoint for the Mythology Research Project. Group members should also spend this day rehearsing their presentation. An electronic copy of the group presentation needs to be with Mr. Ritchie by no later than 7:30am Monday, 11/2.
  

Week at a glance Oct 19 - 23, 2009

Curriculum focus: identifies, interprets, and analyzes the use of symbols (1.3.K4i), compares and contrasts character traits (1.4.K7a), compares and contrasts themes across multiple stories ( 1.4.K7b), identifies and describes the protagonist (2.1.K1a), identifies and describes the antagonist (2.1.K1b), analyzes the contextual aspects of setting (historical, social, and cultural) and their impact and influence on characters and events in the story (11.2.1.K2), recognizes ways that literature from different cultures presents similar themes differently across genres (11.2.2.K1), and compares and contrasts works of literature that deal with similar topics and problems (2.2.K2).

This week we'll finish our brief unit on mythology from China and Japan. We'll wrap up our discussion over Chinese mythology with a review of last week's story from the movie Hero and an overview of the Chinese god Monkey. We'll then read and discuss two tales from Japan. We'll end the week with a short quiz and an introduction to the Creation Story Research Project coming up next week.

• Mon: Chinese mythology - finish discussion of Hero. "Monkey" - discussion and notes in class.
  
• Tues: Japanese mythology -"The Creation of the Universe and Japan" and "Amaterasu," pgs 369 - 376. Discussion and notes in class.
  
• Wed: Pass back and discuss Mesopotamian Myths quiz. Review for a short quiz. Short quiz over Chinese and Japanese mythology.
• Thurs: Introduction to the Creation Story Research Project - What is it? What are the expectations? How are we going to do it? Discussion and notes in class.
  
• Fri: No school

Week at a glance Oct 12 - 16, 2009

Curriculum focus: identifies, interprets, and analyzes the use of symbols (1.3.K4i), compares and contrasts character traits (1.4.K7a), compares and contrasts themes across multiple stories ( 1.4.K7b), identifies and describes the protagonist (2.1.K1a), identifies and describes the antagonist (2.1.K1b), analyzes the contextual aspects of setting (historical, social, and cultural) and their impact and influence on characters and events in the story (11.2.1.K2), recognizes ways that literature from different cultures presents similar themes differently across genres (11.2.2.K1), and compares and contrasts works of literature that deal with similar topics and problems (2.2.K2).

This week we turn to a two week unit on mythology from China and Japan. We'll start with Chinese mythology. As usual with any region's mythology, we'll start with the creation story of the region and discover its major gods and heroes. China also has a unique and rich storytelling style as many of its stories are circular in structure, adding more details as they go along. China also has a rich magical tradition with heroic warriors in a story genre called wuxia. We will analyze the Chinese storytelling style and the wuxia tradition by watching and discussing the Oscar-nominated and award-winning movie Hero (2002)

• Mon: Chinese mythology - "The Creation of the Universe," "Yi the Archer and the Ten Suns," and "The Quest for the Sun," pgs 360 - 369 - read and discuss in class.
  
• Tues: Chinese mythology - the Chinese storytelling style and the wuxia tradition: begin watching and discussing Hero.
  
• Wed: Chinese mythology - the Chinese storytelling style and the wuxia tradition: continue watching and discussing Hero.
  
• Thurs: Chinese mythology - the Chinese storytelling style and the wuxia tradition: finish watching and discussing Hero. Hero study guide due by the end of the hour.
  
• Fri: End of the 1st quarter - No school
  

Week at a glance Oct 5 - 9, 2009

Curriculum focus: identifies, interprets, and analyzes the use of symbols (1.3.K4i), compares and contrasts character traits (1.4.K7a), compares and contrasts themes across multiple stories ( 1.4.K7b), identifies and describes the protagonist (2.1.K1a), identifies and describes the antagonist (2.1.K1b), analyzes the contextual aspects of setting (historical, social, and cultural) and their impact and influence on characters and events in the story (11.2.1.K2), recognizes ways that literature from different cultures presents similar themes differently across genres (11.2.2.K1), and compares and contrasts works of literature that deal with similar topics and problems (2.2.K2).

This week we turn to Ancient Egypt for a study of their mythology. We'll spend Monday getting to know the Ancient Egyptians and their pantheon. We'll then read one of the most famous Egyptian myths as we explore the romantic tale of Isis and Osiris. We'll explore other Egyptian myths on Wednesday. On Thursday we'll do a wrap up and review and discuss the most important things we can learn about mythology from a study of the ancient Middle Eastern regions. We'll wrap up the week with a quiz over Middle Eastern Mythology.

• Mon: Middle Eastern Mythology - Part II: Ancient Egypt, notes in class
  
• Tues: Middle Eastern Mythology - read and discuss "Osiris, Isis, and Horus," pages 162 - 168. Assignment due by the end of the hour.
  
• Wed: Middle Eastern Mythology - Other Myths of Ancient Egypt, discuss notes in class and complete assignment by the end of the hour.
  
• Thurs: Middle Eastern Mythology - Wrap up and review.
  
• Fri: Middle Eastern Mythology - quiz.