Ridgeland English II Blog: April 2014

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

1. Find at least 5 credible sources discussing the CAUSES, EVENTS, and EFFECTS of the genocide.

TIPS:

· For historical genocides, check out our library’s encyclopedias. Find the article alphabetically (i.e. “Holocaust” would be in Volume H).

· Check out our library’s nonfiction books section (use the computers beside the library desk to search).

· When searching the internet, search specific things like “Causes of the Holocaust” or “Effects of Holodomor”

· If you use a website, make sure it is credible (trustworthy when it comes to the facts). It should be:

o Written by an author with specific education/qualifications in that subject OR

o Published by a well-known, trustworthy organization (look next to the copyright date for the name).

o Websites ending in .edu, .gov, or .org are usually credible

o Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you use Wikipedia.

2. As you find your sources, create MLA format citations for them using Easybib.com.

TIPS for website citations:

· Check each box (even the ones filled in) for correct information.

· Article Title: What is the title of the exact text you are reading (above the paragraphing)

· Author: Look under article title or at the bottom of the article. If you cannot find an author’s name, leave blank.

· Website Title: What is the title at the top of the website?

· Publisher/Sponsor: Look for the organization name next to the copyright date.

· Electronically Published: Look for the date under the title. If you can’t find it there, use the most recent copyright year.

3. Use the “Works Cited in MLA Format” guide sheet to help you put the citations into a properly formatted Works Cited.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Genocide Research Paper Topics

Use the links provided to explore your options for research. You must choose ONE topic to research by tomorrow.

Cherokee Indian Removal, 1830-1839

Trail of Tears and Indian Removal Act http://www.pbs.org/kcet/andrewjackson/themes/indian_removal.html
More information about the Trail of Tears http://www.pbs.org/indiancountry/history/trail.html
Student-made Prezi (you may not use this as an official source in your paper) http://prezi.com/62oj945hsqv2/copy-of-native-american-genocide/

Armenian Genocide, 1915-18

Summary http://worldwithoutgenocide.org/genocides-and-conflicts/armenian-genocide
Photographs http://www.armenian-genocide.org/photointro.html
Kim Kardashian Armenian Genocide PSA (the Kardashians are of Armenian descent!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOlIcCHEP1o

Stalin’s Forced Famine on Ukrainians (Holodomor), 1932-33

Brief history http://www.holodomorct.org/history.html
Helpful video (scroll down) http://www.holodomor.org.uk/

Holocaust, 1933-1945

Summary (detail follows in article) http://www.history.com/topics/the-holocaust
Summary with links to photographs, maps, and historical video footage http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005143

Nan King Massacre, 1937-38

Summary http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/nanking.htm
Video Summary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9m49LZY6_M

Cambodian Genocide, Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot, 1975-79

Summary http://worldwithoutgenocide.org/genocides-and-conflicts/cambodian-genocide
Video of Genocide Memorial Museum and Killing Fields http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-SI8RF6wDE
Frontline Video (good source for research) http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/cambodia/thestory.html

Bosnian Genocide, 1992-95

Summary http://www.ushmm.org/confront-genocide/cases/bosnia-herzegovina
Video Gallery http://www.ushmm.org/confront-genocide/cases/bosnia-herzegovina/bosnia-video-gallery
Photographs (click on first photograph on left to open slideshow) http://www.ushmm.org/confront-genocide/cases/bosnia-herzegovina/srebrenica-legacy-of-genocide

Rwandan Genocide, 1994

Summary http://www.ushmm.org/confront-genocide/cases/rwanda
Rwanda Video Gallery http://www.ushmm.org/confront-genocide/cases/rwanda/rwanda-video-gallery

Darfur, Sudan, 2003-present

Summary http://www.ushmm.org/confront-genocide/cases/sudan
Sudan Video Gallery http://www.ushmm.org/confront-genocide/cases/sudan/sudan-video-gallery

Syrian Civil War, 2011-present

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: Confront Genocide http://www.ushmm.org/confront-genocide/cases/syria
Photos of the Syrian Conflict (click on first photo on left to begin slideshow) http://www.ushmm.org/confront-genocide/cases/syria/syria-photo-gallery

Monday, April 14, 2014

Othello Student Projects

Projects are due Thursday, April 17.

1. Memorizing Lines:

You must choose 2 sets of lines to memorize from Othello in the original Shakespearean English. Click HERE to go to the linked lines (they are organized by related themes). To receive full credit, you must recite the lines and then explain in detail how they relate to a key theme in the text.

2. Character and Act Webbing (do both):

1. Create a study sheet organizing all of the characters in Othello by relationship to the other characters. Be sure to include small characterizations or facts about each character (just enough to know who the character is), as well as what his/her relationship is to the other characters he or she is linked to. An example based on Oedipus Rex can be found HERE.
2. Also, choose ONE act of Othello and create another study sheet showcasing and organizing the scenes, important characters, important events, key terms, things to notice, etc. The web items should be in sequential order (by scene and event). Your goal is to organize an entire act into a web format to make it easier to study the play.

3. Act It Out!

Here's your chance to show off those acting skills! Use iMovie or another program to create a movie of one scene in Othello. This can be done using drawings, slowmation, with real people, filmed, etc. The lines must stay the same, but the setting, costuming, etc. can be whatever you want it to be. This can be done by yourself or with other people (they do not have to be classmates). If you choose to work with a classmate (or a few), you will all earn full credit as long the amount of work accurately showcases the amount of people working on the movie. All scenes must be approved by me beforehand, and YOU MUST USE YOUR OWN TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE THE MOVIE (unfortunately, I don’t have a camera for you).

4. Blog or Social Media:

Create a blog or some other social media (facebook, Twitter) that showcases the journey of one character throughout the play. Be appropriate. Be sure to include characterizations of the character you are exploring/analyzing, as well as what they see or perceive from or about other characters, their surroundings, etc. Also include trials, events, motivations, and possibly even background information. The blog must include a basic character profile with profile picture as well as a minimum of 5 in-depth entries (think diary entries) examining the character’s evolution over the course of the play. Short entries (like status updates) will require more total entries to receive full credit. Be creative…retweets, uploaded photos, current moods, and “listening to” would all be great!

5. Create a Movie Poster:

Create a movie poster that you feel best represents Othello. On a separate sheet of paper, include who you would choose to star in your movie (roughly 7-9 characters); where you would film your movie; scenes and or lines you would cut; what themes, motifs, problems, etc. you choose to highlight and how; etc. Finally, write a synopsis of your movie (such as one you would find on the back of a DVD). It should be roughly two to three paragraphs. Your movie poster should be poster board-sized.

6. Create a Theme Collage:

Create a poster board-sized collage of words, lines, and images to represent one key theme in Othello. On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph clearly explaining the theme you chose. For example, what is the play saying about jealousy exactly? Can you give a present-day example of an instance where this proves true? Are there any parts of this theme with which you disagree? Following the paragraph, explain at least 3 specific instances in the play where your theme emerged. You may do this in list format.

7. Film Comparison:

Choose a film adaptation of Othello. After watching the movie, write a correctly organized 5 paragraph essay exploring 3 important similarities/differences between the film and the text (think setting, theme, plot events, characterization). Are there differences and similarities between the two? What did the film do that the text did not, or vice versa? In the conclusion, discuss whether or not the film enhanced your reading and or understanding of the text? You should take notes on the film as you watch it. These will be turned in with your essay and can be handwritten as long as it is legible.

Monday, April 7, 2014

Othello Mini-Research Assignment

Assignment

Split up the sources and take notes. Feel free to search outside the suggested websites, but remember to use only credible sources.
Create a Prezi or Powerpoint outlining the facts you have gathered. The presentation should be visually appealing and logically organized. You must answer ALL REQUIRED QUESTIONS as well as adding what you found interesting to present a minimum of 10 facts. Historically appropriate images (with relevant explanation) may count towards your facts quota. Extra points will awarded for each specific connection made to the play Othello.
Use EasyBib.com to create an MLA format Works Cited lists of sources for your information. Please list these citations in alphabetical order on the last slide of your presentation.
On Monday, April 14, give your presentation to the rest of your classmates.

Topic 1: Shakespeare

· Basic biographical details (birth, death, etc.)
· Personal life
· Professional life
· Important events and influences in his life
· Any topics of controversy surrounding his life

Shakespeare Suggested Sources:

http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/uploads/files/2013/10/william_shakespeare.pdf

http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp04051/william-shakespeare

http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2011/10/did-shakespeare-really-write-his-plays-a-few-theories-examined/

Topic 2: Theater and Plays in Shakespeare’s Time

· What types of theaters existed in Shakespeare’s time?
· What was special about the Globe Theater?
· Describe the experience of seeing a play performed in the Globe.
· Describe the costumes and makeup of the actors in Shakespeare’s day.
· Why did playwrights during Shakespeare’s time often set their plays in foreign or imaginary countries?

Theater/Plays Suggested Sources:

http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/education/discovery-space/papers-and-research?p=1&f%5Bsearch%5D=&f%5Btype_id%5D=453&f%5Bproduction_id%5D=

Topic 3: Elizabethan England

· What was going on in Britain during the time just before, during and just after Shakespeare lived?
· Who were the rulers?
· What was the political atmosphere?
· What were the people concerned about?
· How did the people live?

Elizabethan England Suggested Sources

http://britannia.com/history/time3.html

http://elizabethan.org/compendium/

Topic 4: The MOOR

· Who were the Moors?
· How were the Moors regarded in Shakespeare’s day? Why?
· Debate continues today about Shakespeare’s motivation in using a Moor as a tragic hero...briefly explain both sides of the debate.

Topic 5: THE TURKS (Ottoman Empire)

· Who were the Ottomans (the Turks)?
· What was the relationship between Venice and the Turks?
· In the beginning, how was this relationships beneficial for Venice?
· Describe the war for and invasion of Cyprus in 1570.
· Is Shakespeare true to this history in Othello? Why/why not?

Turks Suggested Websites:

http://www.ducksters.com/history/renaissance/ottoman_empire.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN-II_jBzzo

http://www.phillyshakespeare.org/uploads/War%20Between%20Turks%20and%20Venice.pdf

Topic 6: VENICE

· Give a brief history of Venice (from the founding through the Renaissance at least).
· What was life like in Venice during the European Renaissance?
· What was the structure of Venice’s government?
· How did Venice defend itself?

Venice Suggested Websites:

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/394 (look under the “Long Description” subtitle)

http://www.sparknotes.com/history/european/renaissance1/section5.rhtml

http://www.venicethefuture.com/schede/uk/324?aliusid=324

http://www.historytoday.com/joseph-black/saving-lagoon-renaissance-venice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN-II_jBzzo

Topic 7: WOMEN in Shakespeare’s England

· What was the role of women?
· What rights did women have/not have?
· What was the role of a daughter?
· What was expected of a bride?

Women Suggested Websites

http://www.elizabethi.org/us/women/

http://elizabethan.org/compendium/10.html

http://elizabethan.org/compendium/9.html

http://corsetsandcutlasses.wordpress.com/2013/02/13/love-in-elizabethan-times-its-not-for-sissies/

Topic 8: RELATIONSHIPS in Shakespeare’s England

· What was the role of love in marriage during Shakespeare’s time?
· What was the purpose of marriage?
· What rules for getting married existed at the time of the play?
· Why would a woman want to be married instead of staying single at that time?

Relationships Suggested Websites