Day 66!

Wednesday! Early out! Exclamation points!!!

Today, as promised, will be a work day for you Reading Workshop Book Projects. If you have yet to finish reading your book, today should be used for speed reading! You can find the book project options posted on the "Useful Documents" page of the Reading Workshop Blog.

If you were absent yesterday, you will be taking your test over Oedipus Rex today! Whoop whoop!

Day 64!

As promised, today will be a review day for our test over Oedipus Rex tomorrow!

You will have the entire period to complete the study guide for the test. You may work with as many people as you wish to complete this.  You can use any resources you see fit to complete the study guide. You may reference my introduction Greek Tragedies KeyNote as well as your classmates' pre-reading presentations to help you as well. Any question from this study guide or the discussion questions we did in class (see your Guided Reading Worsheets) is fair game for the test.

Classmates' Presentations:
Ancient Greece
Greek Tragedy
Greek Theatre

Also remember that your book projects are due next Monday! I will give you as much time as possible this week to work on these, but don't count on getting it all done in class!

Day 63!

Happy Friday!

Today we will begin by discussing the questions you filled out about the Exodus of Oedipus Rex at the end of class yesterday.

THEN we get to have some fun! Sometimes, believe it or not, I run out of creativity (I know, crazy to think about). So, I am enlisting your help to figure out how you want to be assessed over this play and over Greek Tragedies in general. So, together, we will hopefully come up with a really awesome way for you to show that you know your stuff.

On this assessment, you should demonstrate that you have knowledge of:

• Ancient Greece
• Greek Theater
• Greek Tragedies
• Sophocles & his Theban Plays
• Oedipus Rex
• plot, characters, themes, tragic flaw, catharsis, dramatic irony, verbal irony, etc. 

I think we can come up with something great!

If we have any extra time at the end of class, you may work on your book projects! 

Day 61!

We will continue on with yesterday's plan since we did not get to complete it as intended!

Remember, your Reading Workshop Questions were due yesterday, so if you have not already turned yours in, please do so ASAP!

After we have finished reading and discussing Scene 4- Ode 4, we will do a brief journal exercise.

Respond to the following prompt, and then submit your answer using the form below.

Oedipus Journal: 

Imagine that you are any character up to this point in the play. Create a journal entry from that character’s point of view. In your journal, discuss your reaction to the play so far. How do you feel about the things that have been happening? How do you feel about the way Oedipus has treated those who have delivered information to him (Creon, Tieresias, Messenger from Corinth, Shepherd, Jocasta)?How do you feel about Oedipus in general? What do you think about Oedipus’ birth? Do you believe the oracles? How do you think this will end? Keep in mind that you are writing from the perspective of a person in ancient Greece: the language should match. 

*If you choose to write from Oedipus’ view, detail how you’re feeling about everything that is going on. How do you feel about all of the information you’ve been given thus far? Who do you trust and why? What is your plan for the future?

Characters to Consider: 

• Jocasta
• Oedipus
• Creon
• Corinthian Messenger
• Tieresias
• Choragos
• Other Thebans
• Shepherd

Day 60!

Happy 1/3 of the school year! Congratulations on surviving this much of English IV!

I'd like to start today by thanking all of you for your helpful feedback on yesterday's teacher report card. I saw a couple of comments more than once, and I will work to include more base jumping in the future.

Today we will continue reading Oedipus Rex.  We will start class by discussing the questions from yesterday, and then we will move forward with Scene 4- Ode 4! I can't wait!! It's about to get crazy!

Oedipus Rex-: Scene 4-Ode 4 Questions

1. Sophocles creates both ambiguity and irony by having Oedipus say he does not “know the man” who enters, at the start of Scene 4, because on some level Oedipus does recognize the Shepherd. On what two prior occasions has Oedipus seen this man?
2. At especially tense points in the drama, Sophocles uses what the Greeks called stichomythia, or rapid-fire dialogue, in which the characters speak only one line each. Why does he use such dialogue in this scene?
3. Oedipus threatens to torture the old Shepherd. What does this reveal about his character?
4. What is the dilemma the Shepherd expresses in line 1094?
5. What seems to be the Chorus’ main idea in lines 1128-1131?
6. Here Oedipus’ fortunes are completely reversed. What does the Chorus say is to blame? Do you agree?

Day 59!

Happy Monday!


Today we will start with a little grading session--for me. This will be your opportunity to "grade" me as a teacher. On the form below, please provide honest feedback so that I can work to make myself the best teacher I can be!

After that, we will continue with Oedipus Rex! Yay for fun times! 

Don't forget, your Reading Workshop question is due tomorrow!!