Imagine that you are Queen Elizabeth I and you are the running mate of either Senator McCain, Senator Obama or Ralph Nader. You are either speaking at a rally or fundraising event or participating in a vice presidential debate, and you are expressing your views on:
energy
the economy
health care
gay marriage
abortion
gun control
education
the separation of Church and State
foreign policy
and/or other issues that you deem appropriate
What is your political platform?
What is your message?
Be sure to somehow expose (either directly or via subtext) in your speech or debate-transcript the following: how you arrived at this setting (time-travel, reincarnation or...); how you got into this position (relationships, prior experience, etc...); who your audience is; who your allies are; what your goals are; etc...
The word expectancy is 500-1,000 words, though this is merely a loose suggestion as brilliance comes in many sizes.
Why are we doing such a task? Often having a specific and unique purpose to the reading guides and makes more fun the reading, so rather than simply read about Queen Elizabeth I we are using her biographical info for a timely task.
We are combining the fields of history, politics, literature, creative writing, rhetoric and innovation, which I dare say is the cornerstone to everything.
Also, we are paying homage to the fact that under Queen Elizabeth I, drama flourished.
You will earn up to 50 points, which is one third the number of points on the recent project and one half the number of points on the recent exam.
ALSO due Monday, October 13, 2008:
Read through Act II of Hamlet.
PLAY INFO FOR SATURDAY, OCT 11:
For those of you coming to this great one-woman show, let's meet outside the theater at 7:45 PM.
Click here for showtime and directions.
Due Tuesday, October 14, 2008:
Revise, edit and type your Queen Elizabeth I speech. Make sure that it is properly formatted and that it includes citations. (Cite the Wiki article and any other texts you used in your research.)
Use citationmachine.net tor easybib.com to help.
Text-message a loved one in Elizabethan English. Pay close attention to diction, tone and meter. Write down your message(s) and their response(s) and bring them to class on Wednesday.
Due Thursday, October 16, 2008:
Craft answers for the two or three questions you brought home. Be thorough in your research and cite your sources. You don't have to type anything, but please write legibly and make it clear where you got your information.
Due Monday, October 20, 2008:
Augment your previously completed research as necessary and finish reading Hamlet. Eun Sun, put the ''To Be or Not to Be'' soliloquy to music, and Suren and Aram, work together to present to the class an explanation of how the throne was handed down and/or inherited before, during and after the Elizabethan Age.
UPCOMING EVENTS -
Tuesday, a timed write regarding Hamlet.
Wednesday, an exam (or similar) on Hamlet.
Thursday and Friday, statements of purpose for college applications.
Due Wednesday, October 22, 2008:
Finish reading Hamlet and whatever ancillary materials may prepare you for a summative Hamlet exam. Also, visit the "To Be or Not to Be" page.
Due Friday, October 24, 2008:
Bring to class your college essay stuff. We will devote the class period to college essays. You will be provided with some teacher and administrator samples and some other materials as well.
Due Monday, October 27, 2008:
Polish and type (in MLA format) your essay comparing and contrasting Shakespeare's Hamlet soliloquy "To be or not to be..." and Emily Dickenson's poem "This is My Letter to the World."
Submit your essay to turnitin.com by 8AM Monday, and bring to class both the hard copy and the rough draft that you started in class on Tuesday.
If/where necessary, use this list of literary terms and this list of tone words to help you understand, analyze, evaluate and explain the material. Also, perhaps, read about Existentialism.
As usual, you will be graded using the official AP College Board 9-point rubric.
Also bring your college essay. Here's a tool to help.
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