Tag Archives: othello

11/21/13

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So today we start out Othello essay over guilt and responsibility.

You will need to have a thesis and organize your paper by paragraphs. Remember, a paragraph is a UNIT of THOUGHT, not 4-5 sentences.

So, here is a sample essay for a student:

  • Introduction
  • Why is Iago guilty/responsible?
  • Why is Othello guilty/responsible?
  • Why is Roderigo guilty/responsible?
  • Why is Emilia guilty/responsible?
  • Why is Cassio guilty/responsible?
  • Conclusion

This would be a 7 paragraph essay. It doesn’t mean its going to be 7 pages long – some paragraphs will be longer/shorter than other.

Instructions are in BB and give a lot of information. Go to BB:Othello:Guilt and Responsibility. The instructions, drop box, and the MLA template are all located in the drop box.

Use the MLA template for writing your essay – just replace the file with YOUR information,.

Also, your first paragraph needs to have an INTRODUCTION and a THESIS. The thesis is the last sentence of your first paragraph.

thesisFor your intro, you need BOTH the yellow and the blue! Here are some ways to write an intro and here is a way to write a thesis.

Then, write your content paragraphs and your conclusion. We will have a little time tomorrow to work on the paper, but NOT THE ENTIRE TIME.

11/15/13

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Friday! Friday! Friday!

Today, we read Act 3 in Othello and worked on the haikus. This was a really long Act, and first block didn’t get finished with it (not because of any off-task behavior, it was just because of VV and the start up time of the laptops – maybe we need to petition Mrs. E to make 1st block a little longer – or make VV a little shorter…).

In any case, some of the things that we talked about were jealousy, proof, direct evidence, circumstantial evidence, and cuckoldry. Students also got the chance to watch me act out Iago’s “dream sequence” with a giant fish pillow. If you missed Friday, you missed The Riley Show in full glory. Sorry. No pictures were allowed.

On Monday, my grades are due for the progress reports that will come out on Tuesday. A few things that I want to clear up –

  • If you want something to be graded for the Progress Report, it needs to be turned in by Friday.
  • If you are trying to earn an exemption, keep track of your tardies – if you are tardy to VV, you are technically tardy to 1st Block.
  • We only have one week before Thanksgiving. Try to get all zeros taken care of before we go on break.
  • You will not be able to take your laptops home during Thanksgiving. As of right now, BB should be up and running during the week, so you can still turn things in, but don’t expect to be able to use your KISD laptop.
  • Do not be absent on December 2nd – that’s the Monday after Thanksgiving. My students aren’t really affected by it, but that’s the week of EOC testing. If you know someone who is testing, please encourage them to rest well and be present that week. Monday is the English 1 writing test.

See you Monday! Have a great (and restful) weekend!

11/14/13

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Today was a pretty simple day: we read Act 2 and worked on the haikus. We talked about lying by omission, misogyny, and enemas. Please make sure that if you miss a day of class that you actually go back and read the play, not just the summaries. If you are stuck taking the final (good attendance, an 80 average in my class, and good behavior), you will need to know the story. Plus, we are going to write a paper and work on characterization next week – if you just read a summary, it will be much harder to complete these tasks.

11/13/13

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We are starting to read Othello today (Act 1), but before we started reading, we did the Italian Stereotypes based on Jersey Shore.

word storm

The reason we did this (copy this on the back of your Italian stereotype word storm:

Shakespeare chose Italy as the setting for the play Othello because the English had these same stereotypes of Italians. There is no way a GOOD, ENGLISH girl would disobey her father and run off to marry and old, black man.

Afterwards, we read the entirety of Act 1. Some great readers today were Shelden, Madison, Justin ,and Fernanda! If you read along with us, I’ll give you extra credit – up to five points a day. That’s a TOTAL of 25 extra points you can earn. This would be GREAT for people who have turned in a major grade late or people who are gunning for an A (who wants to be a First Mate?)!

Then, we talked about the Othello Haikus that will be due NEXT FRIDAY AFTER THE ENTIRE PLAY IS READ.

othello haiku

There is no way that we can get all 15 stinkin’ haikus done today when we have only read three scenes! If you still need more help with haikus, check this link out!

To make things easier for you, there is a link in BB that gives a summary of broken down by act and scene. Pretty easy!

3/22/2013

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Welp. We finished Othello Act 5 today. Some people weren’t very happy with the ending, but that’s the way the story ends! I love to hate Iago – he’s a great villain.

If you want to read about possible ways that the torture MAY have happened, there is a link in LMS (it’s the hand icon).

Finish those haikus and drop them off – I’ll print them and we can use them on the final exam if you need them.

Early congratulations to Zully, Nikki, and Jordan (and Lorena and Aaron!)

3/21/2012

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Today we (you guessed it!) read Act IV. We talked a lot about sticks and stones may break your bones and how words are powerful.

You guys are getting to the point where you are starting to hate the “actors” who are playing Iago – this is the best part of my job. I love it when people interrupt the play and yell out “Damn Iago!” 🙂

We had time to work on haikus today – this should be a great opportunity for you to earn an easy 150 points. Last year, I think the lowest grade that I gave last time was 130, which is still a pretty good grade.

I’m starting to call parents/guardians if your grade is not where it needs to be. We are running out of days for you stay after school, and I get worried when you say that you’re going to work on stuff at home, because it rarely happens.

If you have missed a lot this week (Rolley and Alexis) you’ll need to get caught up on your reading of the play. Make sure that you work on the haikus as well!

Extra credit can be taken up until the final exam. You can still work on this!

3/20/2013

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Today, we read Othello Act 3. Things are heating up, so make sure if you missed today (Colin), read this on your own. Major plot points are introduced. And besides, you missed me flapping my arms around acting like a bird and kissing/making out with the LARGE fish pillow.

We also took a quiz after the reading today to prove a point – that you can’t tell about someone’s personality based solely on his/her appearance. It’s kind of a creepy quiz.

3/19/2013

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Ok. Today we read ct 2. All of the scenes. We had plenty of time to work on our haikus – even 3rd Block, who lost time because of the Leadership/Klenk bus debacle.

Today, we read 2.1, 2.2., 2.3 – 2.2 is *really* short. It’s just the announcement of the party.

If you need help, remember – use the link in LMS to help you with the summaries. Also, Becca is the HAIKU MASTER! Seriously, if you need help, check her out. Just don’t steal her haikus.

We only have a few days left before final exams. I am once again starting to get more and more worried about your grades. I even gave you a make up day the Friday before Spring Break, and there are still an inordinate amount of zeros in this grade book. Sad Riley.

3/18/2012

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We are in the final countdown to final exams next week. Block 1 Final will be next Tuesday, the 25th. 2nd and 3rd finals will be on Wednesday, the 26th.

This week, we will be reading Othello and writing a haiku for each scene/act that we read. This will be a total of 15 haikus by Friday. There is a template in LMS that you can use.

Today, we read Act 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3.

We also started the haikus today. There is a link for a summary broken down for each scene that will be a huge help when are you working on your haikus.

If you were absent (ALEXIS!), read this scene on your own. 🙂

What is a Scribe post?

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This is the first Scribe post for Captain Riley’s class. Students who want extra credit will soon take over the position of Scribe!

So, this is a test post!

When students do a test post, give a summary of what we did in class that day (you can use the Agenda for help), main ideas that we talked about, any inside jokes, pictures, and any other details you can add to make the post meaningful.

If you want to sign up to be a Scribe for Extra Credit, then make a post here and I’ll get you signed up!