The Children's Hour

We continue forward with our tone mapping, an exercise to help visualize the tone shifts, large or small, with "The Children's Hour" by Longfellow, which you can find online.

In first and third hour, you are in process of the last part of the tone map, the analytical paragraph focused on one pattern in the map and how this connects to the overall text. If you were absent, you should create a tone map for "The Children's Hour," which  may be completed on notebook paper and compose the analytical paragraph for next class.

In fourth hour, you are also in the process of the tone map and the transition into the analysis of it in a paragraph form. If absent, you should complete the tone map portion for "The Children's Hour."

In seventh hour, we read "The Children's Hour" to have a sense of the poem. Due to the assembly and the loss of some students, we will probably be in the process of identifying each stanza's tone. So, if absent, you should prep those tone words for each stanza.

Mapping

Normally, I take pictures of my current classes' tone maps, but my phone is full of an 8-month-old cherub that I selfishly have decided not to delete and replace with tone mappage (not a word, but I want it to be one). Ergo, you have an above example (fifth hour of last year) of what a tone map should be and how it can be utilized for analysis.

A tone map starts with the text, the identification of tone shifts throughout the text, the selection of a tone adjective to describe the tone of each section, the the determination of a range, or two words that encompass all of the tones, the plotting of tones in relation to the range tone words, the connecting of dots, and, finally, the delineation of the patterns inherent in the tone map. As always, jingoism is a popular one for "Chicago," the poem that we completed together as a class.

In first and third hour, we also started our next round of tone mapping by reading "The Children's Hour" by Longfellow and breaking up into partners to identify each stanza's tone. If absent, you should prepare the same tone adjectives for each stanza so that you  may join a group next class.

In four hour, we finished our class tone map and will await our next passage on Monday.

In seventh hour, we looked at our "big kid" tone list, highlighting some of our favorite words for future tone needs. We then moved onto the "Chicago" class tone map.

Team Tones

1,3,4: We continued our tone work with the umbrella tone list and groups crafting conversations in which your classmates had to identify the shifts in positive, negative, humor, sorrow, and neutral language. To wrap up class, we looked at the "big kid" tone list and some of the more fascinating adjectives to describe tone like my personal favorite, jingoistic. 

7: We started our tone work with identifying various tones shifts and then moved into the same content as the previous hours. 

Toning Up

Our diction work - in class - is over, which means it's time for your assessment prompt: Analyze how John Keats' diction reflects his mentality and purpose in his letters to Fanny Brawne. Handwritten or typed, with page numbers for citations, this is due by 3 p.m. on Monday (remember if absent all day, you will need to share or photo and send to me by the given time as evidence of your completion of the assignment).

To wrap up class, we began our look at tone by breaking down major shifts of bilious, scintillating, surprised, apathetic, and lachrymose.

It's Benjamin Banneker Week!

In exciting news, it is Benjamin Banneker week, which celebrates the revered writer, scientist, and all-around savant. I must say that one of the highlights of teaching AP Lang for all of these years is my introduction to Banneker, his historical significance, his brilliance as a savant, and his letter-writing abilities to our old buddy Tommy J.

 Here is a little more information from a fun website of daily, weekly, and monthly celebrations: https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/benjamin-banneker-week/. 

And, to make this a little more relevant and applicable, you will notice that there are 2 activities for celebrating Banneker's role in our lives. 

The first is to make a clock face (non-working) using mathematics to represent the numbers 1-12 (so don't literally write 1, 2, and so forth but construct formulas or mathematical expressions to represent each number). Here is a picture I found online (which may be blocked since it originally came from facebook) of such a clock, which looks to be made out of cardboard: https://www.facebook.com/events/1601106116857922. 

The second is to compose a poem that actually features mathematical puzzles for the reader to solve. Here are some examples: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/resources/mathematical-puzzles-benjamin-banneker. As you can see the word problems are divided up into verse form, which means you can play with rhyme and diction and poetic elements to express math. 

So to make this interesting and decorate my room, you have the challenge of constructing a 3 dimensional clock (so not on typing paper but with a more solid material - creative materials add to the presentation) and/or a mathematical poem on decorated construction paper/cardboard/posterboard for extra credit. The poem can have combined mathematical puzzles to boost the level of difficulty and content. All the math must be accurate - and, yes, I am a polymath (at least that is what Joe Cassidy calls me) and have right and left brain talents. The clock will be worth a maximum of 35 points, and the mathematical poem will be worth a maximum of 20 points. Points will be awarded for originality, mathematical connection, presentation, and effort, which means those utilizing the most clever materials, math, and presentation will amass the most points. 

You can do one of each by the way. The due date for this extra credit, which must be in person, is Monday, November 11 so you have one week on this extra credit opportunity. This must be turned in via hard copy (obviously) by 2:40 p.m. on that day. If you have any questions, e-mail me for clarifications. Otherwise, I am looking forward to the final products! Especially since I had about 8 clocks two years ago and two clocks last year and no poems! Photo below - you can tell which had a little more effort than others. 

Keats Letters - In Diction Depth

After all the background of Keats last week, in poetry and in biography, you now have the opportunity to analyze his diction and purposes as his letters progress from the beginning of his romance to the separation from Fanny to his eventual last words to her. In all classes, you have a group and a letter to break down into the many types of diction and purposes.

And, because it is part of a teacher's life to repeat everything a plethora of times, November 6 is the due date for the first round of the Lucy logs, with the deadline window for full credit between November 6-8, depending on the needs of extended time, extensions, and, hopefully not but probably the case for some, procrastination issues.

1: We have 3 letters presented and will finish the remainder of next class.

3: We started off with the vocab quiz and then worked with the letters. If absent, prep notes for letter 24, and you will be joining that group next class. We have presented three letters thus far.

4: We have 4 letters presented and will finish next time around. Purplue! If absent, prep notes for letter 24.

7: We are in preparation mode with the letters of Keats, dividing our class into two and each group having two of the letters to analyze for diction and purpose. Will, you are in the group with letters 4 & 37, so prep those and be ready for Wednesday.

A Keats Day

Every hour was Keats-related today, so I was in my happy place, sharing all the details of his juxtaposed life of happiness, nature, and love with tragedy, illness, and suffering. Hence, his poetry is a mixture of the aforementioned themes, motifs, and purposes. At this point, all classes have read through "Ode on a Grecian Urn" and its call to understand balance, heard a basic biography of his life, and received a copy of the letters that we will be analyzing on Monday - with the assignment to close read the first one in preparation.