A Doll's House Assignment

The reading of A Doll's House is due on Wednesday, April 25.  An objective quiz will be given on this date.  The Socratic Seminar will be on Thursday, April 26.  Please have your typed Socratic Seminar Questions (Assignment # 1) with you on that date.  No late questions will be accepted.  The Diction Assignment (Assignment # 2) will be collected on Thursday, April 26.  Late assignments will be penalized by a letter grade each day it is late.  I will only accept the assignment up to two days late. Once we have completed Hedda Gabler, you will be responding to an essay prompt comparing Hedda Gabler and A Doll's House.  This will be an in-class writing. 

Assignment # 1: Socratic Seminar (20 Points)

Create five typed questions which will allow for a good group discussion.  These questions should be open-ended questions.  I want the discussion to allow you and your classmates to use your critical thinking skills and provide textual support when responding to the question. 

Bad Question: 

In Act I, what is the lie that Nora keeps from her family?

Good Question:

In Act I, the reader finds out that Nora has a secret from her family; Torvald believes that secrets or lies corrupt the family.  Who is correct?  Is it ok to lie, if it is for a good reason?  Or is the truth the only way?  Use evidence from the play to support your response. 

Assignment # 2:  Diction Assignment (25 Points)

Create a two column chart.  List the names of the characters (Torvald Helmer, Nora, Mrs. Linde, Dr. Rank, and Nils Krogstad) and your chosen line(s) of dialogue for each in the left column and use the right column to analyze the choice of words used in each line of dialogue. Please review the handout given in class for an example of how this is to be done. 

APRIL/MAY 2012

The class will spend Monday, April 16 in the library to complete the Mythology project and to be able to print it out with the color printer.  You will need to print out a copy for each of your group members in preparation for the sharing of the myths on Wednesday, April 18.

On Tuesday, April 17, the 9 Honors class will receive the background information necessary to understand and appreciate Henrik Ibsen's plays A Doll House and Hedda Gabler.  As you read A Doll House independently at home, we will be reading Hedda Gabler as a class. There will be assignments to go with along with A Doll House.  The assignments and the due dates will be given to you in class during the week of April 16.  You will also be given an objective test to go along with A Doll House and an in-class comparison writing for A Doll House and Hedda Gabler.

Just a reminder:  The fourth marking period seems go by very quickly.  Therefore, every assignment needs to be completed and done on time. 

As we move into May, you will be required to complete a comparison/contrast thesis paper for the unit we are currently completing - Family Relationships and the Role Family Members in Different Cultures.  This will be a major grade for the marking period.

Creation Myths Group Project

We will be working on the project below over the next couple of days.  Please use your class time wisely.  I expect you to get as much done as possible before we go on break.  The due date will be announced in class.

World Mythology:  An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics (25 Points)

You are going to be the teacher of one of the creation myths listed below.  You will be responsible for presenting a chosen myth to a small group of students.  The group members have not read your myth.  Therefore, you are the expert on your chosen myth.  Provide them with the significant characters, details, etc. that are important to the understanding of your creation myth.  Be creative!

The Creation, Death, and Rebirth of the Universe (India) Pages 291-295

The Creation of the Universe and Human Beings (China) Pages 324-329

The Creation Cycle (New Zealand – Polynesia/Maori) Pages 351-359

The Creation, Death, and Rebirth of the Universe (Northern Europe) Pages 459-466

The Creation of the Universe and Ife (Nigeria—Yoruba) Pages 509-514

The Origin of Life and Fire (Zaire-Boshongo/Bakuba) Pages 515-517

The Creation (Guatemala—Maya) Pages 595-599

1.  Create a Brochure/Newsletter for your presentation.  The brochure/newsletter should contain the following:

• The newsletter title or the opening page of your brochure should have the title of the myth and your name, date, and period

• Provide information to the students pertaining to the Historical Background and Appeal and Value sections before presenting your myth

• Provide a map showing the location from where the myth originated

• Provide a list of the main characters in your myth (if possible)

• Provide the important events/details of your myth – What do we learn?

• Provide the Questions for Response, Discussion, and Analysis from the end of the myth and a response for each.  You only have to pick three questions to answer.

The brochure/newsletter should be visually appealing and informative.

2.  Create a comic strip recapping the major events of your myth and provide the important characters, too.  This can be a part of your brochure/newsletter – you may have to draw it by hand after you finish the rest of the brochure.  If you don’t like this idea – you may create a 6 panel comic strip on a separate piece of paper.