King Lear Exam Preparation

The exam for King Lear will be three parts. The format for these parts is short essay/answer questions. You will need to know and understand the major plot developments of the play including: characters names, their relationships with one another, and how these characters have changed throughout the play. You will also need to understand larger

The first two parts of the exam will cover theme. You will need to be prepared to analyze a theme throughout the play and give examples that span the course of the play from beginning to end. In addition, you will need to give numerous specific lines in support of a given theme and explain how they connect to that theme.

Here are some themes that you might consider when preparing for the exam:

• Love and Devotion
• Destiny/Fate versus "Making your own luck"
• Weather/Storms
• Loyalty and Betrayal
• Family conflict
• Sight versus Blindness 

The third part of the exam will evaluate your ability to apply the ideas conveyed in King Lear to a modern text. You will need to consider plot, character, and theme in your analysis and explain how King Lear (a classic text) has impacted the way plot, character, or theme are developed in a television show or film.

King Lear Acts 4 and 5

Your goal over the next two days is to read, evaluate, and present one scene from King Lear from Act 4 Scene 1 to Act 5 Scene 2. You will be assigned a group, and your group will be responsible for reading the scene you are assigned together, discussing the important happenings, key lines, and critical understanding of themes in this scene. You will be presenting the scenes to the class in a way decided as a group. You may present this as a short skit, presentation, or other creative endeavor, but each person in the group must have a part in the presentation. 

Wednesday: reading and preparation time

Thursday: presentation time

Friday: King Lear Act 5 Scene 3 in class. 

King Lear, Song Lyrics, and the Weather Theme

In Act 2 Scene 4 and Act 3 Scene 1, we see a shift in the weather in the play. Shakespeare and other greats often use the weather to help show changing tone, emotions, and even plot developments in their stories. Since weather is one of the themes of the play (we see it foreshadowed by the fool in Act 2 Scene 4), let's explore the theme a little bit more. Follow the steps below:

1. Read Act 3 Scene 1 on your own or with a partner. Read the left and right-hand side to get the most meaning out of the scene. The storm is a prominent theme in this scene.

2. Look back at the scenes mentioned above, then find a song that you think represents this theme in King Lear. Write a paragraph about how the song fits with the scenes in King Lear.

3. Pull out 1 part from the scenes above that address weather. Explain how this contributes to driving the play forward.

King Lear Wheel of Fate Assignment

At the end of Act 2, Scene 2, Kent references the wheel of fortune. Complete the following to learn more about the wheel:

1) Do a quick search on Google for Shakespeare's wheel. Write down a description (in your own words) of the wheel and what it represents. Include specifics.

2) Draw a depiction of the wheel as you envision it.

3) Find 4 quotations between Act 1, Scene 1 and Act 2, scene 2 that refer to destiny, fortune, and/or fate.

Include this on a separate piece of paper. Turn this in to Mr. Hertz.

Lear Act 1 Scene 3 and Staging

After viewing the first few scenes of the play, how do you think staging plays a role in developing the plot of the play? What does it show in the characters? Give at least 3 examples of how staging impacts the play with support from the play. Submit this to Mr. Hertz by sharing a Google doc with your response.

Lear Act 1 Scene 1 and 2 Journal Entries

Destiny Versus “Make Your Own Luck”

In act 1 scene 2, we get a taste of the themes of fortune in King Lear. Complete parts one before the play and part two after.

1) How do you perceive fortune? Are you a “make your own luck” type of person, or do you believe in destiny? Back up your response with a detailed example from your life.

2) How does either Gloucester or Edmond fit in with your schema after reading? Think about which is a “make your own luck” person and which is a destiny believer. Use direct examples from the play to support your response. 

And if you missed it, here's the scene 1 journal entry:

Answer the question: what is love worth to these characters? Look at characters’ love in Act 1 Scene 1, and describe the character who you agree with the most and why you agree with that character.

Daily Routines of Creative People

http://www.fastcocreate.com/3028428/infographic-see-the-daily-routines-of-the-worlds-most-famous-creative-people

Annotated Bibliography Presentation

If you need to refresh your memory about annotated bibliographies, the PowerPoint presentation is here.

Potential Web Component Links

Here are some potential places to post your research to the web.

Remember: if you choose to use a public site, do not include any personal information.

my website example: sites.google.com/site/hertzcapstoneproject

www.blogger.com

sites.google.com

www.webs.com

www.weebly.com

Link to Database Information Document

Link to databases resources:

https://docs.google.com/a/ecasd.k12.wi.us/document/d/1ckekR4CMUjfYYKkDH9iIos0684WFNCbXIJgDl_UdmBU/edit?usp=sharing

Link to annotated bibliography source template:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HexpRrBeNFGt2Lh9ue6ieiv-RxtxacSYuadMEbPEmS8/edit?usp=sharing

Articles Assignment (and other items)

This next week, we will be looking for articles to support the research we have already gained in our capstone projects. Take a look at the link in the "Links to Assignments" bar on the right to get an overview of the assignment and of the week as well. In addition to this, the Mid-Research Review and documentary assignments have been uploaded there as well. Get a head start so you don't have homework over spring break!

Television Show Assignment (Due Friday, February 28th)

The assignment that accompanies finding a television show associated with your topic can be found under the "Links to Assignments" menu in the righthand column of the blog.

Comparing and Contrasting Articles

Oftentimes, as in the case of many of your nonfiction books, a broader perspective on a topic can give you a greater understanding of all parties involved. All of the topics you have chosen are complex in nature and require you to compare and contrast not only different perspectives on an issue but will also sometimes challenge your perspective from section to section in many of these sources. It is important to understand how these sources connect to and interact with one another.

Follow the steps below to see how this process looks in the real world:

1) Refresh your memory of the infographic we looked at on Thursday:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/12/environmental-impact-hamburger_n_4063807.html?utm_hp_ref=food&ir=Food

2) Now, choose one of the links below to read and compare and contrast with the infographic:

http://www.capitalpress.com/article/20140211/ARTICLE/140219975

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2014/02/17/opinion-a-farmers-challenge-to-chipotle/

3) Answer the following questions in 3-6 sentences each:

A. How does the article give you a broader perspective on the topic in the infographic?

B. What information in the article confirms information given in the infographic? What information in the article contradicts information given in the infographic?

C. After reading the article, has your personal opinion been affected at all? If so, how has this challenged your beliefs? If not, how has it reinforced your personal beliefs?

Bias: Huffington Post Food Infographic

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/12/environmental-impact-hamburger_n_4063807.html?utm_hp_ref=food&ir=Food

1.    Where did you feel a challenge to your own beliefs, attitudes, or status in the infograpic? List 2-3 places you felt particularly strongly that this happened.

2.    What perspective do you have that creates these challenges?

Do you think this infographic has any bias? Why or why not?

Capstone Links 1

Topic Proposal

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ADcSUHdwxZazKDv5VHe6B1083cBSbHQUNxzZkeLRo90/edit?usp=sharing

Capstone Cover Sheet

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bGXJ4WL2U1eBp1bC2IswWDersaA2aXAIR0lnzGRC3QU/edit?usp=sharing

Capstone Activities

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KvIPTD8kmUEuf4apgujCRXbjbGEqMLFCJYmwihVyzhM/edit?usp=sharing

Wordle Topic Brainstorm

Word cloud generators can help brainstorm ideas by free association. Practice this skill by creating a word cloud. 

http://worditout.com/

http://www.edudemic.com/9-word-cloud-generators-that-arent-wordle/

Links to Topic Brainstorming document

5th hour: https://docs.google.com/a/ecasd.k12.wi.us/document/d/1Z-39KVMHcGP8JJCOraoLACiDrCM5dD7POq9hHlqXo8c/edit?usp=sharing

Link to "Experts and Arguments" Assignment (Google Docs)

Please copy the following document into your own Google document. Title the document Experts and Arguments. Share with Mr. Hertz when assignment is completed. Due 1/31/2014

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_lmE3zvCkkGBPdSC_7gkbHE1VBI8zcYN710cvyGZmCA/edit?usp=sharing

The Moral/Philosophical Approach, House, and "The Lottery"

Yesterday, we viewed House in class. Now, it is your turn to respond to the episode through the Moral/Philosophical Lens. Consider our discussion on Tuesday about positive and negative role models on television. Respond to the following in about 3 solid paragraphs. Use the following questions to come up with a statement and back it up with examples in those paragraphs. 

Which character do you sympathize with the most based on values/morals/beliefs, and which character do you sympathize with the least based on values/morals/beliefs?

How do the characters act, and what sort of model do they provide to a reader? (positive or negative)

How do the morals of the story differ from your own morals?

What is the lesson being taught in the episode/series? Do you agree or disagree with this message?

You might also consider the following in your response:

To what extent does a work mirror the morals and values of a culture (or society at large)?

What consequences do characters face for right or wrong choices?

How do the morals of the story differ from yours?

You may also complete the assignment using the following alternative post: 

When Shirley Jackson first published “The Lottery”, she was bombarded with bad reviews and angry letters and phone calls. However, Jackson maintained that her story was relevant to society, its morals and its values. From a moral and philosophical standpoint, why do you believe Jackson wrote this story? What lessons was she trying to teach? Also, how do the characters of Tessie Hutchinson, Old Man Warner and the townspeople reflect the members or groups of our society? (Keep in mind that one character in the story may reflect an entire group of society).