http://www.mrtonk.com/index.phpMr. Tonk's AP English Lit students (or anyone else cursed enough to subscribe to this podcast) can download audio versions of somewhat entertaining, hopefully informative, and sometimes disturbing classroom discussions and lectures in AP English Lit. Follow Mr. Tonk's adventures in his frantic and feeble attempts to get his students to pass the Advanced Placement English Literature exam - whether they like it or not. Handouts and PowerPoint presentations with audio are also frequently posted.entonkn@vail.k12.az.usCopyright 2006 Noah Tonk2008-12-16T09:48:43-07:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 09:51:31 -0700Noah TonkNoah Tonktonkn@vail.k12.az.ustonk cienega english literature college writing readingMr. Tonk's AP English Lit students (or anyone else cursed enough to subscribe to this podcast) can download audio versions of somewhat entertaining, hopefully informative, and sometimes disturbing classroom discussions and lectures in AP English Lit. Follow Mr. Tonk's adventures in his frantic and feeble attempts to get his students to pass the Advanced Placement English Literature exam - whether they like it or not. Handouts and PowerPoint presentations are also frequently posted.tonkn@vail.k12.az.usJust for Fun2008-12-16T09:48:43-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-203http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-203
Podcast

A Tribute to Mr. Tonk. Freakin’ hilarious.]]>Jessica R, Gabriel R, Alanis Mtonk cienega romero rivera english literature ironyIrony & Goodbye to Mr. TonkIrony & Goodbye to Mr. Tonk: A Student Tributetonkn@vail.k12.az.usAP English Lit Class Logs2008-12-09T18:58:33-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-202http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-202
Podcast]]>Noah Tonktonk cienega english literature readingIronyIrony, hyperbole, understatementtonkn@vail.k12.az.usResources2008-10-22T11:21:58-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-196http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-1963rd Period: MyLitSpace template.]]>tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAP English Lit Class Logs2008-10-15T19:35:46-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-195http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-195Listen to the lead attorneys for the defense and prosecution haggle over jurors.

Podcast]]>Noah Tonktonk cienega english literature readingJury selectionListen to the lead attorneys for the defense and prosecution haggle over jurors.tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAP English Lit Class Logs2008-10-14T19:27:39-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-194http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-194
Podcast]]>Noah Tonktonk cienega english writing grammarFour Sentence TypesSimple, compound, complex, and compound-complex.tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAnnouncements2008-10-09T10:02:39-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-193http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-193Prosecution & Defense teams:

You are to develop a set of ten questions, collaboratively, that you can use to screen potential jurors for the Frankenstein trial.  Your goal is to design questions that will reveal values, preconceived notions, and prejudices that would either favor your preferred verdict against Frankenstein or would eliminate that person as a juror in your mind.  Ask yourself what kind of person would convict/acquit Victor Frankenstein.  

Post your questions on the appropriate wiki page on http://chsstaff.vail.k12.az.us/groups/chs_tonk/search/?tag=trial .  And yes - the other team is going to be able to see your questions and adjust their own questions accordingly.  I believe that it works similarly in the real legal system. 

These questions are due by Sunday evening at midnight.  I will photocopy them and deliver them to 3rd hour on Monday.  You will have their responses on Tuesday & Wednesday next week and you can develop your list of "preferred" jurors and your list of people you definitely DON'T want on the jury.  On Wednesday, I will ask volunteers from 1st and 2nd to come to class during 3rd hour for formal jury selection.  Defense and prosecution will each have two vetoes over each other's choices.  3rd hour students NOT selected for jury duty will play characters.]]>tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAP English Lit Class Logs2008-10-08T11:32:45-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-192http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-192
Podcast]]>Noah Tonktonk cienega literature reading englishIntroduction to FrankensteinIntroductory discussion of Frankenstein's major themes and events.tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAP English Lit Class Logs2008-10-08T11:30:24-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-191http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-191
Podcast]]>Noah Tonktonk cienega english writing grammarSV, ClausesSubject, verb, predicate, independent clause, subordinate clause.tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAP English Lit Class Logs2008-10-07T10:27:42-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-190http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-190
Podcast

Group novels for 2nd Quarter are:

Atwood, Margaret. Oryx & Crake. New York: Anchor, 2004.
Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New York: Vintage, 2004.
Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead, 2003.
Andre Dubus, House of Sand and Fog. New York: Vintage, 2000.]]>Noah Tonktonk cienega english literature readingLiterature Terms Week 10Motif, synecdoche, metonymy, conceit, ambiguity.tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAP English Lit Class Logs2008-09-19T16:00:36-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-189http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-189
Click here to listen to and watch this presentation.]]>Noah Tonktonk cienega english writingSEP Research Paper Outline; FrankensteinDiscussion of the construction of the SEP research outline & the novel for 2nd quarter, Frankenstein.tonkn@vail.k12.az.usResources2008-09-17T17:30:58-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-186http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-186Click here to view the list of possible prompts for your independent novel essay. Choose a prompt that fits your novel particularly well. Use a clock or a timer and write for exactly 40 minutes and stop. Be sure to write by hand. Due on Friday, September 19.]]>tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAP English Lit Class Logs2008-09-10T06:58:52-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-185http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-185Download this week’s literary terms presentation.]]>Noah Tonkenglish cienega tonk literature readingMetaphor, Simile, ApostropheMetaphor, Simile, Apostrophetonkn@vail.k12.az.usAP English Lit Class Logs2008-08-11T11:10:54-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-183http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-183
Podcast]]>Noah Tonktonk cienega literature reading writingLit Terms Week 4: CharacterizationCharacterization, protagonist, antagonist, foil, anti-herotonkn@vail.k12.az.usAP English Lit Class Logs2008-07-29T09:48:01-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-182http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-182
Podcast]]>Noah Tonktonk cienega english literature reading writingLiterature Terms Week 2Plot, anagnorisis, the Adventures of the Student Robot Who Causes Cancer, summary of Oedipus Rex tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAP English Lit Class Logs2008-08-05T09:45:49-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-181http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-181
Podcast]]>Noah Tonktonk cienega english literature reading writingLiterature Terms Week 3Didactic, allegory, parable, proverbtonkn@vail.k12.az.usResources2008-07-30T08:56:00-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-180http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-180Includes an acceptable response and an unacceptable one and dissects each to explain why.

http://faculty.weber.edu/dkrantz/Sample%20journal.html]]>tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAP English Lit Class Logs2008-07-22T14:13:59-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-178http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-178Podcast

Homework:
Determine the theme of Life of Pi and return to class with 3-5 pieces of specific evidence that you could use to support your thematic thesis, including page numbers.

IF YOU HAVE NOT YET FINISHED LIFE OF PI, YOU NEED TO DO SO ASAP!!!]]>Noah Tonktonk cienega literature reading writingTheme, Thesis, Syllogism, Allusion, Voice7/21-22: Theme, Thesis, Syllogism, Allusion, Voicetonkn@vail.k12.az.usAP English Lit Class Logs2008-07-18T22:52:34-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-168http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-168Podcast]]>Noah Tonktonk cienega english literature reading writingWelcome to AP English LiteratureWelcome to AP English Literaturetonkn@vail.k12.az.usAnnouncementsResources2008-05-27T21:23:52-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-10http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-10this article on reading, writing, and reading closely online in Atlantic Monthly. ]]>tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAnnouncements2008-06-02T16:09:18-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-167http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-167Hello.

I could use your help contacting some students who have either completed none of the preparation work for next year's AP English Literature course (contract, Turnitin, Scavenger Hunt - or the Evil Trifecta, as one student called it). While I can't disclose their full names because that would violate their privacy, I CAN give you a list of first names. If you know anyone with this first name, you should give that person a kick in the - I mean, call that person and ask if they knew about the AP summer work for Mr. Tonk's class.

:-)

Incidentally, I have people who are on Turnitin, but not on Google; people who have signed contracts but done nothing else; people who have completed Scavenger Hunts but have not signed up on Turnitin.

The names below are those students who have completed nothing OR have only given me a contract:

SIGNED THE SHEET ON THE AP SUMMER WORK DAY:
Nathan
Rachael
Jordan
Ashley (not C)
Colton
Russell
Christian
Victoria
Samantha
Sandra
Nicole
Alexandria
Rachelle (could be Kachelle)
Raj
Jack
Isaiah
Chelsea
Amanda
Jeff

NO SIGNATURE ON THE SUMMER WORK SHEET:
Guy
Gregory
Daniella
Teresa
Kentaro
Katie
Alexandra
Aaron
Kristina
Alissa
Charity
Andrew
Steven
Sarah
Brianna
Christopher
Rhegan

Please contact these people and let them know they are already falling behind and that I will NOT penalize them if they contact me and complete this initial work soon. I do not want to make 36 phone calls!

Thank you for your help.
]]>tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAnnouncements2008-07-13T21:42:22-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-169http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-169This post is a copy of an email I sent to a student.

Yes, although I had it assigned for tomorrow morning because that way I could have it graded when school starts.  I think there is a legal issue, personally, when marking items as late when they were turned in on the first day of school.  Since I wanted you to be able to find information on MrTonk.com and receive group emails throughout the summer (the Scavenger Hunt), it was important that you do that by the end of May.  It makes sense to have the Turnitin discussion board assignment due before the analysis, since hearing what others have to say is an important part of shaping your own understanding.  It also makes sense to have your initial post to that discussion board due prior to your responses, since people need posts to be there if they are to respond to them.  Finally, to be fair, you DID have nearly two months to read two books and find some stuff on the internet, mostly on one website.

You are not alone in your procrastination, and that, in addition to my belief that students should not lose their chance to succeed in anAP course due to the lack of timely completion of work assigned over your vacation, prods me to share the information regarding full credit given until the 18th for everything.  And if you look carefully in my documents, you will find that this is not contradictory to anything I have written.  Believe me, if students drop my course because of the summer assignment, I will have less grading to do.  Despite this, my pride in education demands that I do everything in my power to keep as many students in the AP course as possible, while maintaining my belief in student accountability.  

Indeed, after the 18th, it is acceptable for a maximum of 50 percent, unless the student chooses to respond thoughtfully to all three essay prompts included as options in the analysis, due Monday the 21st.

Frankly, doing a ton of work between now and Friday seems like punishment enough, don't you think?

Since I took the time to type this on my phone while my kids are in the bathtub, I trust that you will return the favor and just do the work, please.  I  am copying this to everyone on the mailing list and blind-copying it to you, since they should have this information as well.
]]>tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAnnouncements2008-07-13T16:13:12-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-170http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-170The misnamed Life of Pi Analysis is due tomorrow morning. This is the largest part of the AP Summer Work, and is due on Turnitin.com. Please remember that it is required to have all four parts, and that the document may be divided into 4 separate sections, since it isn’t exactly the kind of thing that will flow easily in a single essay. See below for details - and please, if you are running late with this assignment and are considering dropping my course, remember that the contract indicates that you may turn it in late, if necessary - just not for full credit. I may, however, offer a full credit option for additional work.
Write a detailed, typed literary analysis of Life of Pi. This analysis must include the following components:

A summary of the novel that is approximately 250 words long and does not give away the end of the novel. This summary must begin or end with a statement of theme. Please remember that thematic statements must be expressed in independent clauses: "The theme of Macbeth is that appearances are deceptive," NOT "The theme of Macbeth has to do with deception." See the difference? One is clear and the other is vague. What might the author be telling us about the nature of youth, choice, family, nation, war, violence, storytelling, truth, or other topics that are raised in the novel?
How to Read Literature Like a Professor Journal. Keep a log of items you see in Life of Pi that correspond to concepts in at least ten of the chapters in HTRLLAP. We will be using this text a great deal next year, and I think you’ll find it quite useful. You don’t have to do anything else, but you will be expected to be able to explain the relevance of each quote to the concepts in the corresponding chapter when you return to school.
Important quotations from the novel. I expect a minimum of 15 quotes that contain rich imagery, sound great when read aloud, or contain moments crucial to the plot or development of the theme. Each quotation should include a brief statement regarding why it was chosen.
A thoughtful response to one of the three following released AP College Board Exam prompts, using frequent and varied references to Life of Pi as support:

1. One definition of madness is “mental delusion or eccentric behavior arising from it.” But Emily Dickinson wrote that “Much madness is divinest Sense – To a discerning eye –“. Novelists and playwrights have often seen madness with a “discerning Eye.” Select a novel or play in which a character’s apparent madness or irrational behavior plays an important role. Then write a short, well-organized essay in which you explain what this delusion or eccentric behavior consists of and how it might be judged reasonable. Explain the significance of the “madness” to the work as a whole.

1. The British novelist Fay Weldon offers this observation about happy endings: “The writers, I do believe, who get the best and most lasting response from readers are the writers who offer a happy ending through moral development. By a happy ending, I do not mean mere fortunate events~~a marriage or a last-minute rescue from death~~but some kind of spiritual assessment or moral reconciliation, even with the self, even at death." In a short, well-written essay, identify the “spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation” evident in the ending and explain its significance in the work as a whole.

1. In questioning the value of literary realism, Flannery O’Connor has written, “I am interested in making a good case for distortion because I’m coming to believe that is the only way to make people see.” Write a short essay in which you make a good case for distortion in the novel.

]]>tonkn@vail.k12.az.usNone2008-06-27T08:40:40-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-171http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-171Listen to Yann Martel discuss his novel Life of Pi on NPR. Leave a comment below, if you like.]]>tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAnnouncements2008-06-24T09:18:58-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-172http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-172The updated reading list for AP English Literature & Composition has been posted as an update to the syllabus. For the full list, you may read the syllabus; I am providing an abbreviated list below. The syllabus still needs to be revised somewhat, mainly in the classroom procedures section.

Each quarter, students will study a novel as a class. This novel needs to be read and annotated prior to the beginning of the quarter. For example, during 1st Quarter, we will be studying Life of Pi, which you are reading over the summer. The class novel study titles are:

Yann Martel, Life of Pi: Q1
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein: Q2
William Shakespeare, Hamlet: Q3
Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart: Q4

Each quarter, students will meet periodically in groups to study a novel in a small group, student-directed setting with teacher guidance. This title comes from a list of four possible choices, each of which are linked thematically to the primary text for the quarter from the list above. The theme for 1st Quarter is “the relationship between truth and faith,” and so the group novels for 1st Quarter will all relate somehow to that theme. The list of novels for each quarter is listed below, from which you must read one novel per quarter:

1st Quarter: The Relationship Between Truth & Faith
Siddhartha, Herman Hesse
Ceremony, Leslie Silko
Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut
The Road, Cormac McCarthy

2nd Quarter: The Power of Redemption
Oryx & Crake, Margaret Atwood
Beloved, Toni Morrison
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
House of Sand and Fog, Andre Dubus

3rd Quarter: Humanity’s Quest for Identity (may be revised)
Oedipus Rex, Sophocles
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey
Macbeth, William Shakespeare
Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad

4th Quarter: Hubris - Arrogance & Pride
The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain
Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison
Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger

Finally, you are expected to read one novel per quarter on your own from the following list (this list may be added to throughout the year). The only expectation is that you will be required to annotate it and will have the opportunity to use it for an essay:

Willa Cather, My Antonia
Amy Tan, The Bonesetter’s Daughter
Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale
George Orwell, 1984
Edward Albee, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
John Fowles, The French Lieutenant’s Woman
Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
Dante Aligheri, The Inferno
Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre
Richard Wright, Native Son
Joseph Heller, Catch-22
Michael Cunningham, The Hours
Jack Kerouac, On the Road; The Dharma Bums
Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible
Norman McLean, A River Runs Through It
Aeschylus, Oresteia
Pearl S. Buck, The Good Earth
Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Louise Erdrich, Love Medicine
Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot
Rudolfo Anaya, Bless Me, Ultima
Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns
Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees
Tim O’Brien, The Things They Carried
Edson, Margaret. Wit.
Kate Chopin, The Awakening

]]>tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAnnouncements2008-05-29T11:49:30-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-173http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-173Interesting article posted by the New York Times regarding the Viggo Mortensen film version of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road (virtually certain to be included on next year’s reading list, by the way). Click here to read the article.]]>tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAnnouncements2008-05-29T07:57:27-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-174http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-174Click here to find out.]]>tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAnnouncements2008-05-22T14:14:52-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit_files/may-2008#unique-entry-id-175http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit_files/may-2008#unique-entry-id-175Students who have NOT yet handed in contracts for next year's AP English Literature class may still do so. I will be teaching summer school from May 27 to June 10, and I would be happy to take your contract during this time. :-)]]>tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAnnouncements2008-05-19T14:47:50-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit_files/may-2008#unique-entry-id-176http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit_files/may-2008#unique-entry-id-176Updated 5/19

You will find the summer work listed in the AP English Lit submenu on the left. To download the summer assignments, please visit the File Cabinet page or click on the links below. There are three handouts you need:

1. Summer Assignment
2. Contract (due by the end of the 07-08 school year).
3. Scavenger Hunt (due by June 1)

Please note that the Online Commentary portion of the summer assignment needs to be completed in the Discussion section of Turnitin.com. Log in to the class at Turnitin, then click on "Discussion." You should see the appropriate assignment listed. Click on it, then post your observations. Thank you!

I have been asked about the requirements for the literary terms definitions. You may write the "dictionary" definition if you understand exactly what it means; however, if you have some trouble with the dictionary definition, you should put it in your own words. In other words, I don't really care which definition you use, as long as it is a definition that helps you to remember the meaning and usage of the term. Hope that helps.]]>tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAnnouncements2008-05-09T22:12:39-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit_files/may-2008#unique-entry-id-177http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit_files/may-2008#unique-entry-id-177Transparent sticky notes.]]>tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAnnouncements2008-09-08T12:42:38-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-184http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-184Download it here.]]>tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAP English Lit Class Logs2008-09-17T22:06:38-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-187http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-187Many people have suggested that Western culture is “losing faith in faith.” Others scoff at this notion, saying instead that our understanding of faith has merely evolved. Is faith in something greater than ourselves an anachronism of a past ridden with human superstitions, or is it a universal human quality that fulfills a genuine need? Explain your response in a well-organized essay in which you compare and contrast attitudes toward faith as presented by Life of Pi and one of the following novels: The Road, Slaughterhouse Five, Siddhartha, or Ceremony.]]>tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAP English Lit Class Logs2008-11-18T07:15:21-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-199http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-199
Podcast]]>Noah Tonktonk cienega english writingCommon Problems in SEP Research PapersUse this PowerPoint to find and eliminate common problems in your papers. tonkn@vail.k12.az.usAP English Lit Class Logs2008-11-20T17:48:28-07:00http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-200http://www.mrtonk.com/aplit.php#unique-entry-id-200
Podcast]]>Noah Tonktonk cienega english writingCommon Problems, Part 2The second in a series about the most common problems in student writing for the SEP research paper.