Task for Tuesday (7/06/2011)

• Reading p. 99-135 

• Imagine you are Miles. You are writing a letter to your parents after the Thanksgiving break at the end of November. Tell your parents that you are looking forward to coming home over Christmas. Write down Miles letter and put it online on your blog.  

• Mind Map Feelings: 
• Make a mind map or a list of the feelings the characters have in different situations. Add new feeling to your mind map as you read on.Use different colours for positive and negative feelings. For each word, include the noun/verb/adjective as  appropriate.

Bewertung mündlicher Sprachproduktion

Lieber Englischkurs,

Anfang Juli ist es soweit: Ihr werdet eure mündlichen Prüfungen zum Roman

"Looking for Alaska" ablegen.

Damit ihr euch bereits jetzt besser darauf einstellen könnt, was in der Prüfung von euch erwartet wird, sind hier die Bereiche, die wir beurteilen werden.

1. Aussprache und Intontation

2. Einsatz sprachlicher Mittel und Sprachrichtigkeit (Grammatik und Lexik, d.h. Wortgebrauch)

3. Strategie und Interaktion (wie gestaltet ihr eure Monologe und Dialoge, sind diese strukturiert, wie geht ihr miteinander im gemeinsamen Prüfungsteil um?)

4. Aufgabenerfüllung und Inhalt

Über die genauen Kriterien im Detail sprechen wir im Unterricht.

Preparing a talk

Task for Tuesday (31/05/2011)

• Reading p. 84-99 
• Look at the list of key words from the next reading unit and put them in the correct order.  

Being thankful * buried wine * excellent cook * fake ID * falling asleep * porn movies * messing things up

• Use the words to prepare a short talk of the reading unit (p. 84-99). Your talk should be at least 2 minutes long.

Characteristics and Effect of the three main narrative perspectives

	First-person	Third-person limited	Third-person omniscient
Character-istics	z.B. ¯      Narrator identical with one character in the story  (in most cases protagonist) ¯      Knows feeling and thoughts of this character	z.B. ¯      Story told from outside ¯      Narrator knows only about the feelings and opinions of one particular character a but narrator is not identical with this character	z.B. ¯      Story told from outside and inside ¯      Narrator knows feelings and thoughts of different characters

Effect

z.B. ¯      Reader has got access to this characters’ feelings and thoughts ¯      emotionally strongly involved and likely to identify with the narrator a identification figure (L-Ergänzung) ¯      reader is constantly informed about the protagonist’s thoughts and feelings

z.B. ¯      limited, possibly biased/unreliable information about events and other characters ¯      not enough information a may create suspense and encourage interpretation

z.B. ¯      reader gets comprehensive characterisations and interpretations

Revision Narrative perspective

The effect a story has on the reader or listener is strongly influenced by the point of view, or perspective, from which it is told. Basically there are three types of narrator that an author can employ to tell a story, but the types can be mixed and the point of view can change in the course or the story. Make sure you don't confuse the author, the narrator and the characters when you talk about a text.

Point of view

1. Third-person omniscient narrator

This type of narrator tells the story from the outside but knows about the characters' thoughts and feelings as well as the background of the story.

Sometimes this type of narrator even comments on the characters' behaviour, the story or the writing itself.

2. Third-person limited narrator

This type of narrator seems to tell the story from the outside, but knows only about the feelings and opinions of a particular character in a story. The narrator is not identical with this character, however.

3. First-person narrator

This type of narrator brings you close to the feelings and opinions of a particular character in the story because the narrator is identical with this character. You get to know only what this character knows. Ths first-person narrator is often, but not necessarily, identical with the protagonist. 

[Source: Green Line Oberstufe NRW, p. 242]

Task for Tuesday (24/05/11)

Dear students,

as promised here comes the homework and reading assignment for Tuesday (24/05/11)!

1. Please re-read chapter "fifty-eight days before" (p. 78-83) and write a SHORT summary (4 sentences) about the chapter. 

2. Below you will find the extract we are going to deal with on Tuesday. Please re-read the extract carefully and look up unknown words. 

“Pudge,“ she said, faux-condescending, “the sound is an integral part of the artistic  experience of this video game. Muting Decapitation would be like reading only every other word of Jane Eyre. The Colonel woke up about half an hour ago. He seemed a little annoyed, so I told him to go sleep in my room.”

“Maybe I’ll join him,” I said groggily.

Rather than answering my question, she remarked, “So I heard Takumi told you. Yeah, I ratted out Marya, and I’m sorry, and I’ll never do it again. In other news, are you staying here for Thanksgiving? Because I am.”

I rolled back toward the wall and pulled the comforter over my head. I didn’t know whether to trust Alaska, and I’d certainly had enough of her unpredictability – cold one day, sweet the next; irresistibly flirty one moment, resistibly obnoxious the next. I preferred the Colonel: At least when he was cranky, he had a reason.                                      Looking for Alaska P. 78-79

How to keep a Reading Journal

This might give you some inspiration on how to keep a Reading Journal:

As you read the novel, stop from time to time and think back over what you have read. Here are some ways to make use of your journal

• Jot down your thoughts and feelings as you read. Try to capture all your reactions.
• Copy out words, phrases or lines that you like and try to explain why you like them.
• Is there anything that puzzles you? Make a list of questions that you have about the text and that you might want to research, discuss with your friends or ask me.
• Sometimes we are very moved by a literary text because it reminds us of a personal experience. If you like, describe that personal association.
• Do you find yourself really liking or really loathing any of the characters? What is it about them that makes you react so strongly? Make notes that you can add to as you read the text.
• Does our reading remind you of anything else you have read, heard or seen on TV or at the cinema? Jot down what it is and where the similarities lie.
• Now and again try to predict what will happen next in the novel. Use what you already know of the author and the characters to help you do this. Later record how close you were and whether you are surprised at the outcome. 
• Sometimes words make pictures in your heads. Make a sketch of such a picture, and add words which create the picture.
• Can you picture the locations and settings? Draw maps, plans or diagrams.
• Is there is a chapter or scene that really strikes you, try to answer these questions:
• What interests you about this chapter/scene?
• Why does it strike you?
• Say what you like (and perhaps dislike) about it. 

• Perhaps a title or a line or a feeling gives you an idea for a short story or a scene in a play or a poem of your own. Write your own text

Sequence Plan Part II

Tuesday (17/05/11)

Topic: Thinking about Alaska

Homework for Thursday (19/05/11): Reading p. 63-83

a)Make a list of topics dealt with in the novel up until now. Which of the topics interest you most?

b)In your webblog, start a new entry for the topic ”friends“ and note down what the characters say about friendship and/or what their actions reveal, e.g. whether friendship is important to them and if so, what is important to them in a friend?

Thursday (19/05/11)
Topic: Character constellation Map: Before

Homework for Tuesday (24/05/11):

Sequence Plan

And here comes the first part of our sequence plan for the next weeks:

If you are asked to read chapters of the book, you should always mark the most important passages and look up unknown words and collect them in a vocabulary mind map or list. You will get more information on the reading and vocabulary work in class!

Tuesday (03/05/11)

Topic: Marks 
 
Homework  for Thursday 05/05/11): Reading pp. 7 - 33 

Read and mark the passages where something is said about a labyrinth.

Who is talking about the labyrinth?

Which questions are asked in their conversation?

Thursday (05/05/11) 

Topic: Reading session 

Homework for Tuesday (10/05/11): Reading pp. 33 - 48

Prepare a telephone conversation: 
Imagine you are Miles. After a few days at Culver Creek you talk to your parents on the phone. Tell them about your first experiences you have made. Decide whether you want to tell them about the prank played on you.

Take notes on an index card on the aspects you want to mention during the telephone conversation. Don’t write complete sentences. Be prepared to act out the telephone conversation.

Tuesday (10/05/11)

Topics:

• "Alaska's Labyrinth
• Self-assessment "Speaking"

Homework for Thursday (12/05/11): Reading pp. 33 - 48

a) Name qualities you appreciate in a teacher and explain why. Are there teachers you would consider as role models? Give reasons and take notes!

b) Create a mind map of terms that you associate with friendship and of characteristics that you consider important in a friend.

 

Thursday (12/05/11)

Topics: 

• Miles calls home - Practising Monologues 
• Working with Words"
• "What makes a good teacher? - Dr. Hyde, a good teacher?!"

Homework for Tuesday (17/05/11): Reading pp. 48 - 63

Prepare notes for a comment on the question: Would you like to have a teacher like Dr. Hyde, why or why not?

Welcome!

Dear students!


As promised, here comes the instruction to our weblog-project! On this weblog, you will find all the information you need for our class. I will upload the sequence plan so that you can have a look on what's coming next and what your homework is - so no excuses when you've missed a class for not having your homework! 


I already told you that we will be doing a more modern and interactive form of a reading journal while dealing with "Looking for Alaska". I hope you enjoy reading the book and keeping a weblog on your reading experiences will give you valuable and interesting insights in your reading process. 


And here comes your first task: With your partner, go to blogger.com and design your own blog. Don't worry, it's not difficult - I'm not a computer expert, this is my first blog experience as well and nevertheless I managed to do it! If you don't have a computer at home, you can go to the Selbstlernzentrum at our school where you have access to the internet.


The procedure will be as following: First, you decide on who starts writing. The person who starts writes a comment about his or her reading experience (you will get the assignment in class and you can also find it on my weblog). For Tuesday, 10th this will be p. 33-48. It's up to you what you want to focus on in your comment. You can comment on one specific aspect of the chapters, something that thrilled you, any questions you have, whether you liked the chapters (and why), whatever comes to your mind! Be creative! Then, it's your partner's turn - he or she has to read the comment and write back - kind of "comment on the comment". The next time, it's the other way round - partner B starts and partner A comments on partner B's comment.


If you have got any questions or problems with the assignment, don't hesitate to ask (in class or via blog :). Please feel also free to bring any ideas you might have to class!




And here comes the first part of our sequence plan for the next weeks:

If you are asked to read chapters of the book, you should always mark the most important passages and look up unknown words and collect them in a vocabulary mind map or list. You will get more information on the reading and vocabulary work in class!

3rd May, 2011

Homework: reading pp. 7 - 33 

Read and mark the passages where something is said about a labyrinth.

Who is talking about the labyrinth?

Which questions are asked in their conversation?

5th May, 2011

"Alaska's Labyrinth"

Self-assessment "Speaking"

Practising Monologues

Homework: reading pp. 33 - 48

Preparing a telephone conversation:

Imagine you are Miles. After a few days at Culver Creek you talk to your parents on the phone. Tell them about your first experiences you have made. Decide whether you want to tell them about the prank played on you.

Take notes on an index card on the aspects you want to mention during the telephone conversation. Don’t write complete sentences. Be prepared to act out the telephone conversation.

10th May, 2011

Role Plays

Homework: reading pp. 33 - 48

a) Name qualities you appreciate in a teacher and explain why. Are there teachers you would consider as role models? Give reasons and take notes!

b) Create a mind map of terms that you associate with friendship and of characteristics that you consider important in a friend.

 

12th May, 2011

"Working with Words"

"What makes a good teacher? - Dr. Hyde, a good teacher?!"

Homework: reading pp. 48 - 63

Prepare notes for a comment on the question: Would you like to have a teacher like Dr. Hyde, why or why not?