Students will be able to…› defend their stance on an issue/topic› compose writing that effectively communicates their

thoughts and ideas› categorize and classify characters in literature› determine through characterization and other text

evidence the social commentary being expressed in literature

Writing: 1.0 Writing Strategies Students write coherent and focused texts that convey a well-defined perspective and tightly reasoned argument. The writing demonstrates students' awareness of the audience and purpose and progression through the stages of the writing process. Organization and Focus 1.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the elements of discourse (e.g., purpose, speaker, audience, form) when completing narrative, expository, persuasive, or descriptive writing assignments. 1.3 Structure ideas and arguments in a sustained, persuasive, and sophisticated way and support them with precise and relevant examples.

Reading: 2.4 Make warranted and reasonable assertions about the author's arguments by using elements of the text to defend and clarify interpretations. 2.5 Analyze an author's implicit and explicit philosophical assumptions and beliefs about a subject. 3.7 Analyze recognized works of world literature from a variety of authors. Literary Criticism 3.8 Analyze the clarity and consistency of political assumptions in a selection of literary works or essays on a topic (e.g., suffrage, women's role in organized labor). (Political approach) 3.9 Analyze the philosophical arguments presented in literary works to determine whether the authors' positions have contributed to the quality of each work and the credibility of the characters. (Philosophical approach)

What can you remember…› Important ideas?› Examples?› Text references?

Now that you’ve had some time to think about it, what do you think?

Based on class discussions, the seminar, quickwrites, group work, and your own thoughts and opinions you will move on to the final assignment…› The essay

You are invited to be a guest columnist in a newspaper to add to the articles from the “Lazy American Students?” packet. Taking into consideration all six articles and the discussion had during the Socratic seminar, you are going to create the seventh article. Make sure to answer the following question:› “Are American students lazy, is the school

system broken, or is it something else?” This is an article so word count should be

450-500. Make sure to back up your ideas and

opinions with facts and statistics, which means you need to cite your sources.› Minimum 3 sources for this paper.

Who will be your audience? What will be your focus?

› Create an outline or web/cluster map. Move towards a working thesis. Have a draft ready for the first class of

next week.

most famous and critically acclaimed work of Geoffrey Chaucer, a late-fourteenth-century English poet.

written in Middle English› bears a close visual resemblance to the English written and spoken today. › In contrast, Old English (the language of Beowulf, for example) can be read only

in modern translation or by students of Old English. Nobody knows exactly in what order Chaucer intended to present the

tales, or even if he had a specific order in mind for all of them. Eighty-two early manuscripts of the tales survive, and many of them

vary considerably in the order in which they present the tales. However, certain sets of tales do seem to belong together in a

particular order. › the General Prologue is obviously the beginning, then the narrator explicitly

says that the Knight tells the first tale, and that the Miller interrupts and tells the second tale.

› The introductions, prologues, and epilogues to various tales sometimes include the pilgrims’ comments on the tale just finished, and an indication of who tells the next tale.

› These sections between the tales are called links, and they are the best evidence for grouping the tales together into ten fragments.

Thomas à Becket: a saint who was revered during medieval times; he was killed by agents of the king

Giovanni Boccaccio: Italian writer who created a collection of short stories, The Decameron, said to have influenced Chaucer.

Geoffrey Chaucer: the greatest writer of medieval England, author of The Canterbury Tales; also a diplomat and seasoned traveler. Inspiration for Paul Bettany’s character in A Knight’s Tale.

Canterbury Cathedral: location of Beckett’s tomb and a destination for pilgrimages

The Crusades: wars conducted by Christian Europe against Islam

Aesop’s Fables: short animal stories with moral themes

Summoner: person who served notice that people had to present themselves to church courts for investigation

Prioress: head nun in a convent Medieval Guilds: precursors to modern-day labor

unions, based on labor skills The Black Plague: disease that ravaged Europe

during the medieval period

In the Canterbury Tales the characters are going on a pilgrimage…› Ideas?› What to we know?› Definition:

a journey to a place associated with someone or something well known or respected

usually associated with a religious figure or location, but doesn’t have to be.

What is it?› characterize: verb, describe the distinctive

nature or features of› Two types:

direct indirect

Why is it important?› Creates characters we, as readers/consumers of

literature and media, can relate to and thus become engaged with.

› Through characters that have been developed, a writer can more effectively convey the theme, moral, commentary, etc. they wish the reader to perceive.

What is it?› a spoken or written act of rebellion toward an

individual or group; commentary on social issues or society

› it’s basically speaking out about what is going on in the world you are living in

› can be done in different ways satire outright comedy

› done to try and promote some type of change Why is it important?

See pages 92-93 in your textbook.› Chaucer’s Guided Tour of Medieval Life and

Literature› Read through the information

What are your expectations and predictions for The Canterbury Tales?

› Character Map of Chaucer’s Storytellers How does this compare with our society? Work with a partner to find a contemporary

role to match up with those of Chaucer’s time

Using characterization as a means to present social commentary› You will make the following chart to keep

track of the characters in the prologue

Character Descriptive Details

Chaucer’s Attitude

Name Direct:Indirect:

+ or -, specific feelings

At the Tabard Inn, a tavern in Southwark, near London, the narrator joins a company of twenty-nine pilgrims. The pilgrims, like the narrator, are traveling to the shrine of the martyr Saint Thomas Becket in Canterbury. The narrator gives a descriptive account of twenty-seven of these pilgrims, including a Knight, Squire, Yeoman, Prioress, Monk, Friar, Merchant, Clerk, Man of Law, Franklin, Haberdasher, Carpenter, Weaver, Dyer, Tapestry-Weaver, Cook, Shipman, Physician, Wife, Parson, Plowman, Miller, Manciple, Reeve, Summoner, Pardoner, and Host. (He does not describe the Second Nun or the Nun’s Priest, although both characters appear later in the book.) The Host, whose name, we find out in the Prologue to the Cook’s Tale, is Harry Bailey, suggests that the group ride together and entertain one another with stories. He decides that each pilgrim will tell two stories on the way to Canterbury and two on the way back. Whomever he judges to be the best storyteller will receive a meal at Bailey’s tavern, courtesy of the other pilgrims. The pilgrims draw lots and determine that the Knight will tell the first tale.

We are going to do peer editing so be prepared! This will be the last time we spend in class on the Lazy Students unit.

You will start reading the prologue so make sure to bring your chart and textbook!

Bring textbook next class! Work on your rough draft and bring to

next class. Final draft due through turnitin.com by

midnight of Friday next week. (Technically this is Saturday, but get in in before that on Friday.)