Romance Genre Study Questions And Links

Romance genre due 4/25/12.  It will be an essay test.

Click the book titles to upload free e-books.

9GT Romance 2009-2010

Romance:

1. Wild Irish Girl by Sidney Owenson, Lady Morgan I. (18th. c. Ireland)

2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen E. (18th c. England)

3. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte E. (ditto)

4. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen E. (ditto)

1. Wild Irish Girl by Sidney Owenson, Lady Morgan I. (18th. c. Ireland)  (read the book online at http://www.sydneyowenson.com/TheWildIrishGirl.html )

http://www.irishhistorylinks.net/Irish_History_Timeline.html (read Ulster, Cromwell, and 18th Cent. timelines)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/state/nations/medieval_ireland_01.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Owenson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalism (Intro., principles, ethnic, romantic, cultural)

1. Why does the novel end with a letter from Horatio's father rather than one from him?

2. The little we know about Horatio's London life before the story begins centres around his disgust with women: see e.g. pp.30-3, 67,82-4, 119, 165-7. What is the significance of this opposition between

Glorvina and metropolitan women of his former life? See especially the dream of the Gorgon at pp.61-2: what is going on here?  What makes him change his mind?  Is he sexist?  Does he become more modern in his thoughts or is it just hormones?

3. Is this a romance or is it more of a political novel (let my people go/viva Ireland)?  Which is the “real” story?

4. Why does the author have G. almost marry the dad at the end?  What’s the point of that?

5. Is Glorvina a good role model for girls at the time?

2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen E. (18th c. England)

http://www.austen.com/costumes/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regency_England

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/pridprej.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalism (Intro., principles, ethnic, romantic, cultural)

http://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/social-customs-and-the-regency-world/

1. How does this novel portray social class?  Why is it important for the girls to marry the “right” kind of men?  Why is it okay for an upper class man to marry a wealthy middle-class woman but not for a middle-class woman to marry a working class man?  Is this a type of prejudice?  Are there other types of prejudice in the story?

2.  According to Austen, what qualities should the idealwoman have?  The ideal man?

3. How is this story nationalist?  How is it pro-England?  What other parts of the world are looked down on in this book?

3. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte E. (ditto)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Bronte

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regency_England

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuthering_Heights

1. is the reader supposed to like any of the characters?  If so, which ones?  Why do Catherine E. and Heathcliff have to be so easy to hate in order for the plot to work?  Do you think their marriage would’ve been a happy one if they had married?

2. What is this books saying about race and class?  Heathcliff is probably a gypsy child, and certainly is not of the same socio-economic status as the Earnshaws and Lintons.  Is Bronte supporting the idea that he is nasty because of what he is by nature, or is she showing that how he is treated makes him nasty and evil?

3.  What is Bronte saying about the role of women?  How is a woman supposed to act?  Are any of these characters supposed to be good role models for young female readers?

4. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen E. (ditto)

http://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/social-customs-and-the-regency-world/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regency_England

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/pridprej.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody (Intro)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northanger_Abbey

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_novel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mysteries_of_Udolpho

1. How is this book a parody?  What does it make fun of?

2. What is frustrating about Catherine?  How is she trapped by social manners and views of women at the time?  (Think of how modern girls would respond in her situations.)  What parts of the book have direct parallels in current times?

3. Does Austen want you to like Catherine or not?  How can you tell?

5. kind doesn’t?  Will Mary’s work or not?

Project Choices For Historical Fiction

1. Write an Elizabethan or Petrarchan sonnet based on the views/opinions of a MINOR character in the book. Have her/him

narrate the poem and comment on part or all of what has happened.

2. Design a brochure for a themed hotel room based on this book. Describe and draw/map out the room, give a price. Be

sure to use color. See http://www.anniversaryinn.com/ for some examples of themed hotel rooms.

Information On Concurrent Enrollment, Advanced Placement, And International Baccalaureate Programs

It will soon be time for 9th graders to register for high school.  Several important decisions are ahead of you right now.  Besides choosing which high school to attend and which classes to take, you must also decide among various special programs offered by the different schools.
As promised, here are some basics about three main types of programs offered at different schools.

Cyprus offers several concurrent enrollment classes through the Salt Lake Community College.  Basically, this means that you can take one course for both high school and community college credit at the same time, working toward your high school diploma AND your associate's degree simultaneously.  Also, concurrent enrollment classes should be more challenging than regular high school classes (although I am not sure if they are more challenging than honors or AP classes).
Here are some advantages to CE classes as listed at the SLCC website.

Why Take Concurrent Enrollment?

• Students get a head start on college courses.
• Duplication of classes is reduced, shortening the time necessary to earn a college degree.
• Students can develop study habits and critical thinking skills essential to college success.
• Courses facilitate transition from high school to college.
• Parents and students save money.New challenges are added to the senior year.
• Undecided students can determine if college is right for them.

As always, there are some disadvantages, too.  The greatest disadvantage is that the credit is only for the community college and MAY NOT be transferrable to other community colleges or to some universities.  (I have had several former students bewail the lack of transfer credits to me.)  Also, as cool as it is to earn an associate's degree, one must remember that it is not the same as a bachelor's degree.
Really, it depends on what you want.  Planning on being an electrician?  This may be exactly what you need.  (Check with your counselor.)  Going into international business?  This might not be the best for you.  (Again, check with your counselor.)

Advanced Placement courses are offered in most local high schools, although not every course is offered in every school.  AP classes are basically what would be covered in one semester of a university undergrad course ( i.e. a student working on her/his BA or BS degree) stretched over a full year of high school.  Taking the AP course does not automatically give the student university credit; the student must take a test at the end of the year and receive a score.  Most local universities accept scores of 3, 4, and 5 for university credit.  Some community colleges or other small colleges will accept a 2.  Large, famous, prestigious universities often will not accept below a 5 for credit.  Some universities in the UK will even accept these test scores for credit!  (Not all of Oxford, though.)
Advantages of taking AP classes are myriad.  The student is challenged with university level work, has the chance to earn credit that is widely accepted and transferrable, with the credit counting toward a BA or a BS, not just a 2-year degree.  Many subjects are offered, and a student may choose one or several.  (One of my former students carried 7 AP classes her senior year at Cyprus.)  It is even possible to work out a curriculum of self-study and take a test not offered at one's own school, although this way does not give high school credit to the student.  (My nephew worked out his own studying for AP Asian history two years ago and earned a 5 on the exam, although he had to take the test at a high school other than his own.)  It is possible with AP credits to take up to 3 semesters off of one's university years by doing the courses in high school.
Naturally, there are some disadvantages as well.  One is cost.  EACH test costs around $90 now.  (I don't know the exact cost, but I know these aren't cheap.)  However, this is still MUCH cheaper than paying for university credit hours.  Another disadvantage for high level learners is that there is no screening process to get into an AP class.  Anyone can take them, and that can mean that a serious student may be surrounded by not-so-serious ones.
Here are some websites where you can learn more about AP classes: wikipedia, Good Schools' Guide International, and, of course, the AP website itself.

The International Baccalaureate program is a third option.  It is currently offered at Skyline High School in Granite District and at Highland and West in Salt Lake District.
The IB program was created a few decades ago to "provide an internationally acceptable university admissions qualification suitable for the growing mobile population of young people whose parents were part of the world of diplomacy, international and multi-national organizations." (click here for citation)  In other words, diplomats' kids traveling from country to country needed (and still need) some kind of transfer credits as they went from school to school.  It wasn't long, however, before someone realized that kids who stayed in one country for all their schooling could benefit from this program as well.  The idea of IB is that it is rigorous, accepted in many universities world-wide (not just in the US), and that it is international.  So, if a student takes AP courses for English credits, s/he's likely to study almost entirely British and American literature.  The IB student may study authors from the US and the UK, but also from Columbia or Korea or South Africa or Germany.  (I have neighbors who are in the IB program at West and two former students in the Skyline IB program.  I've seen their reading lists, which are EXTENSIVE and international in scope.)
The advantages of IB are numerous: rigor in the curriculum, classmates who are serious about their studies, world-wide acceptance of the curricula, and preparation for work in a global society.
The disadvantages are that there are no schools near Magna that have this program and there has been a fair amount of rumor and bad press against IB program after Utah Sen. Margaret Dayton from Orem in 2008 equated the global nature of IB with being somehow unpatriotic and called it "anti-American." (Here's your citation.)
Your best bet is, of course, to decide for yourself.  If you are planning to live, work, or study outside the US, you should probably have a serious look at IB (although, there were no IB programs in Utah when I was in high school, but that didn't stop me from doing my MSc degree outside the US).  Here are some sites where you can learn more: wikipedia and  the IB website.


Also, keep in mind that, depending on your high school, it is possible to mix and match courses from 2 or even 3 of these programs as you choose classes to help you on your educational and career paths.

There you go, folks.  I hope this helps you (as it took me over an hour to compile and type all this for you!).

Project For The Drama Unit -- Due January 25, 2012

Here are your options for the drama project, which is due on Jan. 25.



Drama (see book list for titles)
1. Design a theme park based on the play.  Draw a map and include descriptions of all rides and attractions (including food courts, gardens, etc.).  Don’t forget location and prices.  See http://www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter/ to get some ideas if you need any.  (Or take a trip to Disneyland...)
2. Compose an original song based on the play and perform it either in advisory or on a DVD to hand in.  The song may or may not have lyrics.  Include a written explanation of the themes in your piece and all symbolism.  For an example, find recordings of Mendolssohn’s “Wedding March From A Midsummer Night’s Dream”  (try http://cantorion.org/music/641/A_Midsummer_Night%27s_Dream_Wedding_March) .
3. Use a digital camera to photograph your family/friends/neighbors/unsuspecting victims posed in scenes from the play (don’t foget costumes and settings!).  Then create a power point (with a soundtrack and descriptions or captions) to show during advisory.  You must include at least 10 photos, including the beginning and the ending of the play. For photo ideas, have a look at: http://www.bard.org/news/photos.html

Narrative Poetry Assignment-- Due December 1, 2011

We're going to try something different: pastiche.  A pastiche is a type of writing wherein the author imitates the style of another, but not with the intent to make fun of it, as in a parody.  Writing pastiche is a really good way for a young, inexperienced writer to try out new styles.  It is not plagiarism if the writer acknowledges her/his sources and that s/he is attempting pastiche.

That being said, your assignment, due December 1 INSTEAD OF AN ESSAY (don't cry too hard over that lost chance to write another of my fun and exciting essays tests) is to write 100+ lines of poetry in the style of the poet you have chosen to read.  This means that if you are reading Practical Cats, you will create 2 or 3 traditional verse, light-hearted poems about some other animal (small and dainty poodles, perhaps) -- or see me if you can think of something better than animals -- that can be personified the way the cats are in Eliot's poems.  If you choose Munchausen, you will create 2 or 3 tall-tale episodes in free verse featuring either Munchausen having adventures somewhere besides Europe (put him in the deserts of Utah?  Let him fight Maoris in New Zealand?) or else a different adventurer of your own creation.  If you read "Ossian," you will create fragmented free verse in the style of MacPherson to show a battle scene from a different culture (perhaps using Native Americans?  Or a clash in ancient Israel?  Maybe some victims of Ghengis Khan?).  If you choose either "Minstrel" or "Mariner," you will need to write one long narrative poem in traditional verse (keeping as close as possible to the meter and rhyme schemes of the originals) that includes supernatural elements and either a battle (for the former) or a journey (for the latter).

All poems should include strong imagery and plenty of simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification, alliteration, assonance, consonance, etc.  In 100 lines, you can certainly work in some of everything.  I don't expect you to be perfect, but you are all capable of creating your own unique poetry while leaning heavily upon the original poets for style, tone, theme, meter, and rhyme schemes.

PS. If you are wondering why I italicized some names and used quotes on others, it's because some of them are books and the others are individual poems.

Mystery Genre Reading Assignment

Your next book test will be an essay.  The study topics are the same as those for The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (click here), and you should KEEP ALL YOUR NOTES ON THE MEMOIRS, as you will need them for the next test.
Due to a scarcity of books, I've had to add to the list.  Here are your options:

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  (Shafer has 4 copies, it's easy to find in libraries and bookstores, and it's available free online.  Just click the title to be taken to the gutenberg.org site where you can download it in various formats.  This is by far the easiest and most popular book.  Yes, it's another Sherlock Holmes story, but this time it's a full-length novel.)

The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie by Alan Bradley.  (Shafer has four copies, the kids in the kindle club have e-copies.  This is a popular book only a few years old and is definitely around in libraries and bookstores.  It is too new to be found online for free.  You can, of course, buy an e-copy of it.  This book features an 11-year-old genius as the protagonist and has some very funny parts, but it is not really a YA novel.)

Holmes on the Range by Steve Hockensmith.  This book may be used ONLY if I have a note from your parents.  It does contain swearing and several adult themes.  I would've been fine reading it in 9th grade, but some of you (and some of your parents) may be too sensitive for this book.  (This is a very popular book that was published a few years ago.  It is about 2 cowboy brothers who decide they want to be detectives like Sherlock Holmes -- who is a real person in this series of books.  The book has some humor in it as well.  It should be relatively easy to find in a library or a bookstore, and, of course, buying an e-copy is always an option, but the book is too new to be available for free online.)

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.  (This is a very popular novel and the Salt Lake City libraries have several copies available.  Unfortunately for you, the author only died in 1976, so the book is still 30 years away from being public domain and free.)

Murder At The Vicarage by Agatha Christie.  (Ditto above commentary.)

Now you have 5 choices.  Pick ONE of them and read it, using post-it notes or taking handwritten notes to find examples of the common elements of 20th Century detective fiction.  Your test essay will involve comparing and contrasting the stories in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes to the full-length novel you choose from the above list.
If you are at a loss as to which book to choose, I will tell you that Baskervilles is the most common and the one that most people will expect you to have read by the time you're in college.  It's also the easiest to find.  If in doubt, go with Baskervilles.

Now, if you followed directions and are reading this post on the evening of 10/26/11, as directed to do in class, you are in luck.  At the moment, your grades are final for first term, except for the grades of BG, IR, and JW, who  know what needs to happen before their grades are final.  If you are happy with your grade at this point, you can stop reading this post now.  I have already added in extra credit for no tardies and for missing not a single assignment (including planner checks) all term, but some of you still are just a few points away from a higher grade.  If, then, you are still reading this on the evening of 10/26/11, and you want a few extra points, then e-mail me your best and most convincing paragraph ever about why you should get 10 more points.  You need not be truthful.  Creatively fictional reasons will be considered amusing.  However, you MUST write a good paragraph with a topic sentence, 3+ reasons, and a concluding sentence.  And I must receive it no later than 11:59 PM on 10/26/11.  Yes, this is to reward those who follow directions and read this post tonight instead of putting it off.

Extra Credit Project For Holmes Stories

Create a book trailer for one of the stories in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.  Be sure to make it clear which one.  Remember that the purpose of a book trailer is to hook someone's interest so that they will want to read the story.
The book trailer should be 20-30 seconds long, and may be posted on youtube (e-mail me the link), burned on a disc, or put on a flashdrive.
You may have your friends or family members help you with the acting or with still photos to be used in the trailer, but only one person gets credit for the trailer.  If you and your friends work together, then you must each help each other for trailers on different stories.
Here are some links to help you get ideas.
Bad Girls Don't Die
13 Little Blue Envelopes
Black Pearls

Worth up to 30 extra credit points if done well.
Due by October 17.