Monday/Tuesday: End of the Play, Start Writing Workshop

First, some housekeeping things that need to be in your planner:

• Journals due November 10 (9 entries for full credit)
• Book talks are due December 1, this means you should be done with a book by November 15- so that you can prepare for the book talk and be done by December 1.
• Book talk dates assigned November 14/15

Next, we spent a few minutes discussing the last section of the play:

• What happens to the major characters?
• How does the Chorus view the actions at the end of the play?
• What do we think of Oedipus at the end?
• How is CATHARSIS created and reinforced by the author in the last section of the play?

After this discussion, table groups generated ideas about the lessons that Oedipus (the DYNAMIC CHARACTER in the play) learns.  Here are the general topics areas and some of the ideas that were generated: B Block in Blue. 

• Power
  • You shouldn’t put your power above the gods
  • listen to others’ ideas
  • power can come from the least expected place
  • Having power doesn’t mean that you have control over everything
  • A person should be reluctant about receiving power
  • Power can blind a person- they develop hubris and are reckless in decision making
  • Great power comes with great responsibility
• Fate/Choice
  • don’t try to run away form fate
  • don’t try too hard
  • choices made in ignorance can cause a downfall
  • One can’t escape her fate
  • Fate is determined by the gods
  • One should have the right to know the truth about himself
  • Trying to escape fate can lead to one’s downfall
  • Making rash decisions without reconsideration can lead to bad consequences
• Family
  • Family could be built by blood and bonds
  • find out about someone before you marry them
  • don’t excessively suspect your family member
  • The future of your children is unpredictable
  • Don’t let the curse take away the love of family
  • No one can choose her parents
  • Having empathy is one way to reconnect with family
• Governing
  • Don’t let your emotions get in the way of rational judgements
• Knowledge
  • Knowing your past would determine your future
  • knowledge can be dangerious
  • knowledge doesn’t always lead you  to happiness
  • knowledge can bring one to power or destroy one.
  • We shouldn’t criticize a situation based on emotions, but on evidence
  • Knowledge can be a very powerful weapon
  • The amount of knowledge that you have is proportional to the percentage of success you have
  • Knowledge sometimes can be something that one should not desire

HW: Choose three lessons that you are interested in investigating and generate ideas, examples, and non-examples from the text. 

Wednesday: PSAT- No Classes

Thursday/Friday: Writing Workshop

We started with a short overview of the NaNoWriMo project.  Please return your commitments and register for the classroom space before November 1 if you wish to participate.

Then, table groups listened to each other explain the three options that were investigated for the Oedipus paper.  Table groups gave advice about which choice would be best for each table member based on the ideas presented and other ideas that the table groups were able to add.

Each person then chose a topic for the paper and we started working on writing thesis statements.

Here is a model we wrote on the board: “Sophocles, through his use of _________, _____________, and __________, in the play “Oedipus the King”, argues the theme of _____________ to show _____________________.

The first three blanks are LITERARY DEVICES used by the author.  The fourth blank is a word or a few words on the topic of the theme.  The fifth blank is the idea you are focusing on that explores the topic you have identified.

You then had time to write three or four attempts at a thesis statement based on your selected topic.

Again- here is the rubric for this project: Oedipus Rex Paper Grade Sheet

HW: Please finish your thesis statement and write two body paragraphs for next class. 

HW: NoRedInk.com and reading journal entries– don’t forget these!