Week at a glance March 8 -12, 2010

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).

China 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 clips from the Oscar-nominated and award-winning movie Hero (2002). We'll wrap up the week with a celebration of the end of the 3rd quarter: passing back papers and current grades and previewing what we'll do for the 4th quarter.

• Mon: Chinese Mythology - the Chinese storytelling tradition and the wuxia hero. Notes and discussion in class.
  
• Tues: Chinese Mythology - the wuxia hero. Watch and discuss clips from the movie Hero.
  
• Wed: Chinese Mythology - the wuxia hero. Watch and discuss clips from the movie Hero. Study guide due by the end of the hour.
  
• Thurs: Celebrate the end of the 3rd quarter. Pass back papers and current grades. Preview the 4th quarter.
  
• Fri: SPRING BREAK begins. Have fun and be safe!