Lit analysis, annotation, options to Windows to the World

[elegantlion]

I'm already planning ahead for next year. :001_smile: One option is using Windows to the World from IEW, however I'm looking at more cost effective options as we may still have budgetary issues.

 

I searched a few threads last night that gave some helpful sites. I'm also looking at using something like the Annotated Alice as an example of annotation. Norton has a series of annotated books, including fairy tales and Sherlock Holmes to name a few.

I'd like to buy one of these books, but I'm not sure which. Would it be better to learn annotation from shorter stories? I'd like to use shorter stories, or a story, like Alice, that we already have read and discussed. I do so love Alice, but I already own three copies of the book. Do I dare need another? :bigear:

 

My questions are two-fold. If you don't use a program to teach annotation and how to write a literary analysis, what do you use?

 

If you own the Annotated Alice, is it worth the investment?

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I'm already planning ahead for next year. :001_smile: One option is using Windows to the World from IEW, however I'm looking at more cost effective options as we may still have budgetary issues.

 

I searched a few threads last night that gave some helpful sites. I'm also looking at using something like the Annotated Alice as an example of annotation. Norton has a series of annotated books, including fairy tales and Sherlock Holmes to name a few.

I'd like to buy one of these books, but I'm not sure which. Would it be better to learn annotation from shorter stories? I'd like to use shorter stories, or a story, like Alice, that we already have read and discussed. I do so love Alice, but I already own three copies of the book. Do I dare need another? :bigear:

 

My questions are two-fold. If you don't use a program to teach annotation and how to write a literary analysis, what do you use?

 

If you own the Annotated Alice, is it worth the investment?

 

I can't get the page views of Annotated Alice big enough to really read the content of those notes. But I have to ask if this is really a high school level skill at all. They look like the sort of notes that would be written by someone who was a scholar of the author or the period. But from what I can read of them, they represent a much deeper analysis of the work than I would expect from a high schooler or even from many undergrads.

 

Beside the issue of expecting deeper analysis than they are prepared to give, I don't know that annotation is much of a skill. Better in my mind to teach them to "simply" write a good critical paper.

 

I picked up a couple Stobaugh lit guides last week and have been going through them to see if I can make them work for me. They seem to have a lot of weaknesses, but on the other hand they also represent a pretty good reading list (the work in the Brit Lit book looks very familiar to what I used in both high school and college Brit Lit courses) and seem to link specific works with major themes. It may win out as a tool just for being a bird in the hand.

 

One suggestion that SWB made at conference this summer was to have high schoolers go through the Essential Literary Terms Norton Guide over the course of a couple years, working on 1-2 terms per week.

 

One of my projects this weekend was to start putting together a binder of terms and concepts that I want to make sure my kids understand. Here are some of what has gone in so far.

 

Writing a literary Analysis Paper

 

Using Elements of Literature

 

Literary Terms [NB: I'd say that maybe a third are worth really knowing, a third are worth having heard of and a third are too specialized for me to care much.)

 

I think if I can graduate my kids with an ability to write about topics like protagonist/antagonist, setting, conflict, allusions to other works (such as Arthurian legend, mythology, Biblical imagery, and Shakespeare), and elements of literary style (alliteration, metaphor, simile, point of view, etc) then I've done pretty well. If they can't identify themes of Trancendentalism or how Freud influenced literature, I think I'll get over it.

 

(Disclosure: My undergrad degree is in English Lit and I don't always have a lot of respect for the field. There are many trivial papers written on trivial works just for the sake of trying to say something that hasn't already been said before.)

[amys]

Have you looked at Literary Lessons from Lord of the Rings?

www.homescholar.org

[swimmermom3]

Sent you a pm, but will respond later today. We are doing school because of commitments tomorrow and attitude is hitting the walls.:tongue_smilie:

[elegantlion]

 

Beside the issue of expecting deeper analysis than they are prepared to give, I don't know that annotation is much of a skill. Better in my mind to teach them to "simply" write a good critical paper.

 

I picked up a couple Stobaugh lit guides last week and have been going through them to see if I can make them work for me. They seem to have a lot of weaknesses, but on the other hand they also represent a pretty good reading list (the work in the Brit Lit book looks very familiar to what I used in both high school and college Brit Lit courses) and seem to link specific works with major themes. It may win out as a tool just for being a bird in the hand.

 

One suggestion that SWB made at conference this summer was to have high schoolers go through the Essential Literary Terms Norton Guide over the course of a couple years, working on 1-2 terms per week.

 

One of my projects this weekend was to start putting together a binder of terms and concepts that I want to make sure my kids understand. Here are some of what has gone in so far.

 

Writing a literary Analysis Paper

 

Using Elements of Literature

 

Literary Terms [NB: I'd say that maybe a third are worth really knowing, a third are worth having heard of and a third are too specialized for me to care much.)

 

I think if I can graduate my kids with an ability to write about topics like protagonist/antagonist, setting, conflict, allusions to other works (such as Arthurian legend, mythology, Biblical imagery, and Shakespeare), and elements of literary style (alliteration, metaphor, simile, point of view, etc) then I've done pretty well. If they can't identify themes of Trancendentalism or how Freud influenced literature, I think I'll get over it.

 

(Disclosure: My undergrad degree is in English Lit and I don't always have a lot of respect for the field. There are many trivial papers written on trivial works just for the sake of trying to say something that hasn't already been said before.)

 

Thanks! This is very helpful. I would like some source that shows him the higher level (making I'm just looking for an excuse to buy the book...like I need one....:lol:) of annotation as he is the kind of kid who prefers to go from whole to parts. It's easier for him to simplify than to make sense of many parts, if that makes sense.

 

Those are great links, thank you. I own the Stobaugh British Lit book, thanks for the reminder to go back through it. I'll add that to my preview pile for the week.

 

Have you looked at Literary Lessons from Lord of the Rings?

www.homescholar.org

 

We are using that this year, but it doesn't teach annotation. Although it has writing assignments, I want some more specific teaching in lit analysis writing.

 

Sent you a pm, but will respond later today. We are doing school because of commitments tomorrow and attitude is hitting the walls.:tongue_smilie:

 

Off to read....sorry about the attitudes. :glare:

[Julie in MN]

My questions are two-fold. If you don't use a program to teach annotation and how to write a literary analysis, what do you use?

 

If you own the Annotated Alice, is it worth the investment?

 

I'm not clear here. Are you talking about teaching how to *use* an annotated text? Or teaching her how to annotate her own text as she reads?

 

Because I don't think the Annotated Alice or similar books are going to teach anything that your dd would be doing on her own. Annotated texts typically give background information about, say, the value of a money unit or how the idea follows from another of the author's texts. (And I should mention that some annotations will even go into phallicsymbols and such, blech! But I still have my Annotated Alice on my shelf, so it must not have been one of those.) I mean, not really notations about literary devices or personal responses, like I would picture a student doing.

 

I would get an annotated text from the library. There will be more than one for some books, so even those can be compared. Make sure it will do what you want it to do.

 

If in fact you just want to teach your dd to mark up her text, then I might try The Well Educated Mind, or the series "Daybook of Critical Reading & Writing" from Great Source.

 

Or, you might just search online. A quick search found these:

http://academic.cuesta.edu/acasupp/as/609.htm

http://www.studygs.net/marking.htm

Edited September 12, 2011 by Julie in MN
WEM not WTM

[elegantlion]

I'm not clear here. Are you talking about teaching how to *use* an annotated text? Or teaching her how to annotate her own text as she reads?

 

Because I don't think the Annotated Alice or similar books are going to teach anything that your dd would be doing on her own. Annotated texts typically give background information about, say, the value of a money unit or how the idea follows from another of the author's texts. (And I should mention that some annotations will even go into phallicsymbols and such, blech! But I still have my Annotated Alice on my shelf, so it must not have been one of those.) I mean, not really notations about literary devices or personal responses, like I would picture a student doing.

 

I would get an annotated text from the library. There will be more than one for some books, so even those can be compared. Make sure it will do what you want it to do.

 

If in fact you just want to teach your dd to mark up her text, then I might try The Well Trained Mind, or the series "Daybook of Critical Reading & Writing" from Great Source.

 

Or, you might just search online. A quick search found these:

http://academic.cuesta.edu/acasupp/as/609.htm

http://www.studygs.net/marking.htm

 

Thanks for those links, Julie. I'll check the library to see what they have. I wanted to show him a truly annotated text as a good example. Even if its more detail than he will ever do, he's one of those kids that needs to see the big picture first. I wouldn't use it for teaching, more for example.

[choirfarm]

Frankly, I would find annotated alice completely intimidating as a high school student and I wouldn't find it helpful. Windows uses short stories: A Dangerous Game, Contents of a Dead Man's Pockets, the Necklace, the Lottery. ( Some of these may be my own.) Just get a cheap copy of good short stories and then do it together.

 

One of the best ways is for you to do it together. Read a Dangerous game aloud and pause and talk about what he might write or what you write. Then you could do a longer work. We are currently reading Great Expectations. I've never read that, so I am annotating and reading right along with them. Friday we sat and went chapter by chapter discussing what we annotated as well as important themes, symbols etc.

 

Which brings me to another point. They need to know plot development, setting, theme, etc. Which gives me another idea: If you can find a cheap used copy of Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense that would do it. It has stories as well as the things to look for and thought provoking questions to talk about or write about.

 

I can't remember where I found this, but this is what I plan to use as the final evaluation when students have finished my literary analysis class. They should be able to do this with any book that they read. I am going to have them just do it on paper in paragraphs. For plot I will have them do a diagram with rising action, climax, etc.

 

Literature Cards

 

 

for Independent Reading Novel

 

 

 

 

 

MATERIALS: 5x7 lined index cards and novel

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS: Print or write clearly. Leave plenty of white spaces so that the information you record is easy to read. Label each category (see below) and highlight. You will end up with 11+ total cards. You must have a response in each category. Keep the categories in the order listed in these instructions and put a rubber band around them or ring through them. Remember that all citations from novels or plays need to be in quotation marks with the page number listed after the quote is closed. Also, you may not use dot, dot, dot (ellipses) for your quotes. Use black ink only. You may use the back of your card. Do not copy from study guides or aids for these cards-if, and when, I catch you, your resulting grade will be a zero (on a TEST, which counts 70% of your final average!—NOT WORTH IT)! These cards must represent your ideas and your words. This is NOT a group project!

CATEGORIES:

Title: Explain the meaning of the title. A title based on a character’s name such as MACBETH or ETHAN FROMME indicates a work is a study of character. For a title based on a theme, lesson, or moral of a story, such as TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, you will need to explain the lesson taught by Atticus Finch to his children as well as the main idea of the novel. WRITE IN COMPLETE SENTENCES! (5 pts.)

Author and background: Give the author’s name, the date he/she was born and died, if applicable. Next, give specific information about the author- like why he/she wrote the novel, was his/her childhood filled with poverty and loss, did he/she have a personal experience that prompted him/her to write the novel, what are the author’s favorite topics, time period when he/she lived, what country is the author from, etc. APPROXIMATELY 5-10 SENTENCES IS ADEQUATE FOR THIS PORTION. (5 pts.)

Setting: Tell where the story takes place. Choose a quote that represents the general nature of the setting. Some stories will contain more than one major setting. If so, cite the place and give a quote for EACH setting. Some suggestions include the names of places, descriptions of places, anything unique about the setting. WRITE IN COMPLETE SENTENCES! (5 pts.)

Characters: List each character that played a MAJOR role in the story and cite a quote that physically describes the character AS WELL AS portrays their characterization (the type of person the character actually is). Pay attention to the physical descriptions. Also, analyze and consider characters names and what their names represent about their character. You will need 2 quotes per character. (10 pts.)

Plot Summary: Give a short, but thorough, summary of the story. This will probably need about 5-7 sentences in a well-structured paragraph. (5 pts.)

Conflict: In complete sentences, identify the main conflicts that assail the main characters. You will probably find more than one, and several could be interrelated. Find and identify at least THREE major conflicts and discuss what the conflict and who it involves. Include the outcome of the conflict. (5 pts.)

Figures of Speech: Identify, illustrate with a quote, and explain THREE figures of speech. These include: symbolism, simile, synecdoche, metonymy, personification, hyperbole, litotes, oxymoron, paradox, irony, apostrophe, metaphor, and imagery.

(15 pts.)

Theme: Identify at two themes for the work. Themes MUST be stated in complete sentences. For example, in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, the theme is not just bigotry. The theme could be stated: “Bigotry results in an isolated community like Maycomb, and involves not only a loss to individuals like Atticus and Tom, but the entire community.†(10 pts.)

Relevance: Explain IN COMPLETE SENTENCES how this work is related in some aspect to current events or your personal life. Is this work related in any way to another piece of literature? If so, how? Extra credit will be given if this last relationship is included and explained fully. (10 pts.)

Distinguishing Characteristics: Note any concepts, ideas, speech patterns, or unique characteristics that associated with this author and his/her work. An example would be in WUTHERING HEIGHTS. This novel is a gothic-romantic novel, which was originally published under a man’s name because no publisher during the time period would accept a woman’s manuscript. It was also considered unsuitable for young unmarried women to read because of the unbridled passion exhibited by its main characters. These characteristics need to be written in COMPLETE SENTENCES. (10 pts.)

Allusions: List any allusions found in the writing. Cite a quote that includes the allusion and then give an explanation of what the allusion is all about. Look at notes or your textbook for further explanation and examples of what allusion is. EX: Carl Lewis injured his Achilles’ tendon. (10 pts.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Due Date:_______________________________________________________________

 

Counts as a TEST grade!

[elegantlion]

Frankly, I would find annotated alice completely intimidating as a high school student and I wouldn't find it helpful. Windows uses short stories: A Dangerous Game, Contents of a Dead Man's Pockets, the Necklace, the Lottery. ( Some of these may be my own.) Just get a cheap copy of good short stories and then do it together.

 

One of the best ways is for you to do it together. Read a Dangerous game aloud and pause and talk about what he might write or what you write. Then you could do a longer work. We are currently reading Great Expectations. I've never read that, so I am annotating and reading right along with them. Friday we sat and went chapter by chapter discussing what we annotated as well as important themes, symbols etc.

 

 

Thank you, that's the conclusion that I'm coming to as well, just do it myself. I do own a few of those short stories, and we will go through this together. I'm still on my first cup of coffee, but thank for your detailed reply.

 

Thank you to everyone. I have a clearer picture of where I want to go with this now.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I like this check list. Nice goal for an analysis class. In fact, I'm going to borrow it for a coop class I'm doing.

 

I also found a couple copies of Perrine's on Paperback Swap. Thanks for the tip.

[Halftime Hope]

I think there are two concerns here.

 

Annotation is but one small part of Windows to the World. The best way to teach annotation is to do it alongside a student. I actually showed the kids in my lit class three novels that Susan in TX's daughters had annotated. Dh and I both annotate books as well, his with many sticky tabs :), but I thought pulling the "parent" card would not communicate as clearly as something from peers.

 

http://www.maebrussell.com/Articles%20and%20Notes/How%20To%20Mark%20A%20Book.html is another nice resource

 

The other question is about what is in the rest of WotW. That I can't help with, as we're just in our initial few chapters.

 

I'll post about allusions later on. :lol:

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Ah I think I better understand what you mean by annotation. I was thinking of a heavily glossed text where meaning, allusions and "right answer" references are added. It sounds like the skill being taught to high schoolers is more of an active reading conversation with the text where the emphasis is on reactions to the writing rather than finding every jot and tittle of hidden meaning.