After completing an examination of Shakespeare's life, I addressed the Elizabethan theatre, and English history focusing on Henry VIII, and the death of an heirless Queen Elizebeth. Queen Elizabeth decreed that her Scottish cousin ,James I, should succeed her, and I elaborated on the play," Macbeth" serving to legitimize the reign of James I by dramatizing the king's ancestors' rightful claim to the Crown. I then provided definitions of the words "paradox" and "soliloquy". I discussed how a soliloquy allows the audience to peer into the consciousness of the characters and how Shakespeare was the first dramatist to use the technique to create three dimensional characters whom the Elizabethan audience recognized and with whom we still empathize .Matthew raised a number of questions about royal succession which we then addressed .
Bella continued with the outline, draft, and writing of the compare and contrast essay. She outlined her ideas and discussed the details she would use to elaborate and support her ideas. When there wasn't enough support, she changed the details to be used. When completed, she then reviewed SAT vocabulary with an online program. She finished by taking an application quiz.
Jaydn read two chapters of A Thousand Splendid Suns. We discussed the use of verbal, dramatic, and situational irony in the chapters and its effect on the character's motivation and conflictions, and how it drives the plot. Jaydn then wrote how she would have handled the situations the protagonist found herself in during this ongoing war in Afghistan.
Cabo read chapters 24 and 25 of A Thousand Splendid Suns. He then discussed the use of irony in the chapters and found text where the author uses irony. He then discussed the effect of the irony on the plot. I then introduced 10 new SAT vocabulary words to Cabo and we used them in a variety of sentences.
Bella continued with her compare and contrast essay today online. She took the thesis for the third paragraph and outlined the supporting details for the paragraph and listed examples that she could use to expand the examples cited. She wrote the extended paragraph and reread and edited it for grammar, specific diction, and vivid verbs and adjectives. She also researched for a quote that would aptly open the paragraph that would transition to her thesis.
Jaydn wrote a short essay on the effect of culture on gender in society. She wrote a clear thesis and supported her thesis with examples from the novel and examples from American society. She then compared and contrasted these effects on the development of the characters in the novel and teenagers in American society. Upon completion, we discussed the essay and its content.
Cabo read chapters 24 and 25 of A Thousand Splendid Suns. We discussed the numerous ways the war in Afghanistan has differing effects on the genders. Cabo listed and discussed the effects and how they are shaping the characters' development as the novel progresses. I then introduced the next set of SAT vocabulary words to Cabo. We discussed the varying meanings of the words and applied them in context.
After reviewing the status of Matthew's essay work, I provided an introduction to the play ,Macbeth, by discussing what we know of Shakespeare's life and the London theater in the early 1600s. In addition , to outlining the traditional biographical information such as Shakespeare's early schooling and marriage to Ann Hathaway, I provided interesting lesser known facts, such as Shakespeare's father's loss of reputation in Stratford, the death of Shakespeare's son, Hamnet, who later became the namesake of the famous play, "Hamlet" as Hamlet and Hamnet were spelled interchangeably at the time. Shakespeare's one known dramatic role was ,in fact, as the ghost of Hamlet's father . Shakespeare returned to Stratford a rich man as he was a dramatist, actor, and owner of the Globe Theatre. I discussed his daughter ,Sussana, and the interesting fact that his will only left his wife"his second best bed". I elaborated on the significance of this bequest. Last, we addressed the differences between a modern play with realistic sets and defined scenes, and the Elizabethan stage.HW- complete essay rewrite .
Bella began a compare and contrast essay today. She wrote the outline and first paragraph of an essay that compares and contrasts herself with her brother. After completing the outline, she found a quote to start the essay that catches the reader's interest and she transitioned to a very clear and precise thesis statement.
Before reading today, we discussed the government of Afghanistan during the time of 1988 in order to understand the setting of the novel. We discussed the theme of death and its effect on the characters and setting. Jaydn then wrote a short essay on the development of the character of Laila and the effect of the theme death has on her character development.
