Frequently Asked Questions
re. 1st day
QUESTION: Are there any supplies I'll need for your class this year that I should have on the first day?
ANSWER: You should bring standard stuff: black pens (not blue), binder paper, a three-ring binder for this class, a #2 pencil, and of course, the assignments that are due that first day. More importantly, bring an open mind, a positive energy, and a willingness to learn! You should also have your copy of the book: Siddhartha by Herman Hesse.
re. buying a book or not
QUESTION: Should I buy a copy of the book?
ANSWER: It is always better to but your own copy of a book so that you can physically interact with the text. But if you need to borrow - you may do so on Tuesday during tutorial. Please remember that the reading schedule is subject to change, but we will be starting with Siddhartha.
re. Medea
QUESTION: There are other plays in my copy of Medea - do I have to read them?
ANSWER: You only have to read the introduction to MEDEA and the play itself. You do not need to read the other plays in that edition. However, they are good reads if you're interested.
QUESTION: Who is the author of Medea?
ANSWER: Euripides is the author. Morwood is only the translator / adapter.
However, it might be clearer and easier to discuss things through the characters.
For example: "Medea states that she...." or "Jason feels that..."
QUESTION: In the dialectical
journals for Medea, how should I write a quote if it is dialogue between
to different characters in the story? Should I include the characters' names
before each of their lines like it is in the book?
ANSWER: Here’s what Joseph
Gibaldi states in the Fourth Edition of the MLA Handbook: “Set the
quotation off from your text.
Begin each part of the dialogue with the appropriate character’s
name indented one inch from the left margin and written in all capital letters:
HAMLET. Follow the name with a
period, and start the quotation.
Indent all subsequent lines in that character’s speech an
additional quarter of an inch.
When the dialogue shifts to another character, start a new line indented
one inch from the left margin.
Maintain this pattern throughout the entire quotation.” (76)
re. poster
QUESTION: How can I make my exposition poster become "interactive"?
ANSWER: As the directions state: "Can it break the two-dimensional barrier?"
Create something that has a bit of 3-D to it - or a poster that has moving parts or changes in some way. Use your imagination!
QUESTION: Where should I put all the information about the book I am reading on my exposition poster?
ANSWER: Somewhere on the poster, place this information - the text can be part of your original art
re. choices
QUESTION: How do I know what choice to make?
ANSWER: If you're asking me to make a choice for you - I can't do that. You have to defend the choices YOU make. However, I will tell you that I could easily defend your 2nd & 4th selections - but that's me and I know what I would write. You must follow your own path.
re. scripts
QUESTION: Should the script for the oral report be written so that it indicates what I'll say word-for-word?
ANSWER: Your script should be an accurate representation of what you do & say so that I can remember what you did days later. Word - for - word? No.
QUESTION: I am unsure what is meant by "narrative format."
ANSWER: A narrative and an outline are opposites. A narrative is like a monologue or speech in which the writer tells a story or writes their thoughts.
re. The Human Comedy
QUESTION: What do I have to do after I have read The Human Comedy?
ANSWER: You do not have to do any assignments on this novel. There will, however, be a test on the first day of school. The test will also include questions on Medea and other works you should have read during Freshman year (see assignment #8 in the summer packet for more information about what those works are).
Writing Rules
re: spacing
QUESTION: Do we need to double space?
ANSWER: Any document that is typed or word-processed should be double spaced.
re: dictionaries
QUESTION: Do we need to cite the dictionary we used?
ANSWER: Yes, please do cite your sources
re: internal punctuation
QUESTION: How do I punctuate within a quite?
ANSWER: The MLA Handbook states: "...you should reproduce internal punctuation exactly as in the original... If a quotation ends with a question mark or an exclamation mark... the original punctuation is retained and no comma is required." (81)
Example:
"Is Boswell your dog?" asks the old man in Dog Stories.
re: heading
QUESTION: How do I note my heading?
ANSWER: Note the class in your heading as follows:
English II WWH
when you find out what period you have the class, you can add that:
For example, if you have the class during period 5, you would write: English II WWH5
re: Tense
QUESTION: Why do I need to write in present tense?
ANSWER: You should always discuss literature in the present tense because as you read, you imagine what is happening in your mind as if it were happening now.
re: Underlining
QUESTION: Are websites underlined?
ANSWER: The citation of the title of an electronic text should be underlined.
(paraphrased from the MLA handbook - Gold - page 167)
If the essay is part of a larger work (an anthology or collection of essays) the essay should be listed in quotation marks and the title of the larger work should also be included and underlined.
(paraphrased from the MLA handbook - Gold - page 117)
re. Oral Report
Posters should not be wider than 16".
a diagram of what the two actors will be doing for the Inciting Incident Tableau = a drawing of the pose you are asking them to hold that shows the critical moment in the Inciting Incident - you may add anything that helps clarify what they are doing - remember - this diagram is to help me remember hours later what you did in your report
On the transparencies, use the quotes you have selected as a visual aid. This allows you to share your examples with the class.
In your script, you should write out what you are going to say about each example.
Your script for the oral report is a narrative of what you plan to say in your oral report.
QUESTION: How long should the oral presentation be?
ANSWER: Oral reports should be long enough to be complete and yet short enough to hold our interest
You will not need to practice with others for the oral report. You will simply choose students-on-the-spot, "crown" them with your character tags, show them your drawing of how to freeze, and position them in your tableaus.
Decide what the climax is and then defend your choice.
The climax of a story, novel, or play is the greatest point of interest or suspense.
This intense moment normally comes at the end of a series of events, ideas, or statements.
Usually, the protagonist has an "awakening" at this moment, but not always.
you will not present your oral reports until AFTER the first day of our class. I will assign presentation dates on that first day.
QUESTION: What can additional visual aides include?
ANSWER: The window is open - let your imagination soar!
QUESTION: In my climax tableau, how will I show a person holding on to a shrub at the edge of a high cliff in a classroom?
ANSWER: The window is open - let your imagination soar!
re: Art Work
QUESTION: Can I use images I have downloaded off the Internet?
ANSWER: No. All art work needs to be original - I do not grade art work on talent but I do grade art work on effort. Creating art means taking risks. For some, even drawing a stick figure means taking a risk. There is no risk in cutting out someone else's art and making it your own or downloading an image and pasting it on your poster.
re. the Essay
QUESTION: How do I return to my attention grabber in the concluding paragraph of my essay?
ANSWER: What ever you use as an attention grabber in the beginning should be taken further or completed in the conclusion.