Re: Departmental exam(another sample essay)

“War can have a severe impact on any country.” Based on The Silver Sword:

a) Describe the impact the war on Warsaw

    and Germany. (7 marks)

b) Explain its impact on one of the

    protagonists in the novel. ( 9 marks)

c) Explain how the character overcomes the 

   challenges presented by the war. (9 marks)

Content: 25 marks

Expression: 10 marks

Total: 35 marks

The Silver Sword, written by Ian Serraillier, shows the devastating impact that war can have on a country. In the story, Warsaw is a good example of this because the nazi invasion left the city in ruins. Public buildings, homes and other infrastructure were destroyed. In addition, families were separated leaving children orphaned and homeless, food was scarce and the atmosphere was bleak. When the children arrived in Berlin, they realised, the destruction was similar. It was also in ruins and full of refugees.
         The war did not only affect Warsaw and Berlin, but the protagonists as well. Ruth is one of the protagonists who was greatly impacted by the war. She had many responsibilities because the nazis had taken her parents and later Edek. This has made her more mature, responsible, assertive and wise. She had to take care of Bronia, her students, Jan and later Edek. In order to acquire paper, pencils, food and blankets, she demanded to see the lieutenant and even forced past Ivan to do so. Also, she was a disciplinarian who punished Jan for attacking and stealing from Ivan. finally, she shielded Bronia from the harsh realities of war by keeping her occupied with drawing, stories and play.
             Although Ruth faced many challenges as a result of the war, she was able to overcome them with the support of family and friends, and her determination to find her parents. After her parents were taken away, Edek provided shelter, furniture and their other needs. Jan also protected them and found food for them when Edek was captured. She received important information about her father and brother from Jan and Ivan. When she felt hopeless, the sight of the silver sword encouraged her. Although war can be devastating for countries and people, the challenges can be overcome with support from family and friends, hope and determination.

HERE ARE THE CRITERIA FOR YOUR ESSAYS:

1. Content:

1.      Is there any important information missing from paragraph one/part A of the question? If yes, what is missing?

2.      Is there any important information missing from paragraph two/part B of the question? If yes, what is missing?

3.      Is there any important information missing from paragraph three/part C of the question? If yes, what is missing?

2. Expression:

1.      Do the paragraphs follow the order of the question?

2.      Are there at least 5 sentences in each paragraph?

3.      How many spelling errors are there?

4.      Can you understand the sentences easily?

5.      Do all the subjects and verbs agree?

The Three Paragraph Essay:

Your essay must have at least three paragraphs, each of which should have between five and eight sentences.

1. The Introduction

a)      Identify the novel.

b)      Make a link between the novel and the question being asked.

c)      Thesis statement (What your essay will be about.

d)     Respond to part A of the question with at least three supporting points.

2. The Second Paragraph

      a)  Topic Sentence 

      b)  Respond to Part B of the question with at least three supporting points.

3. The Conclusion/ The Third Paragraph

     a) Topic Sentence

     b)  Respond to Part C of the question with at least three supporting points.

                 c)  Restatement of Thesis

Re: Departmental exam(sample essay)

Check to ensure that the following sample essay has all the following elements of the Three Paragraph Essay.

Your essay must have at least three paragraphs, each of which should have between five and eight sentences.

1.     The Introduction

a)     Identify the novel.

b)    Make a link between the novel and the question being asked.

c)     Thesis statement (What your essay will be about.

d)    Respond to part A of the question with at least three supporting points.

2.     The Second Paragraph

      a)  Topic Sentence 

      b)  Respond to Part B of the question with at least three supporting points.

3.     The Conclusion/ The Third Paragraph

     a) Topic Sentence

     b)  Respond to Part C of the question with at least three supporting points.

               c)  Restatement of Thesis

“In times of difficulty, we are frequently forced to rely on the help of strangers, who sometimes become family.” Based on The Silver Sword:

a)     Describe the difficult situation that the Balicki children face. (6 marks)

b)    Identify and explain how three characters (except Jan) have helped the children. (9 marks)

     c)     Explain Jan the role Jan plays in the novel and how he becomes a part of the family. (10 marks)   

In times of hardship, we are frequently forced to rely on the help of strangers, who sometimes become family. In many ways, The Silver Sword, by Ian Serraillier, relates to this statement as the Balicki family face separation, homelessness and starvation. In the novel, the Balicki children, Bronia, Ruth and Edek, are forced to fend for themselves with the loss of their father, Joseph Balicki, and mother, Margrit Balicki. They had to steal from the Nazis, with the help of Jan to survive. They had to live in a bomb shell and were forced to live underground, because their home was destroyed by the Nazis. Now the Balicki children must now instill effort to find their parents in Switzerland.

During the Balicki children’s endeavour, they met up with many kind people. The most outstanding were the two Wolff (husband and wife)and the Russian lieutenant, Ivan. The first helper that the young Balickis met was Ivan. They met him in Warsaw after the Russians had taken over. He provided food, shoes and other things to keep them occupied. Ruth, Bronia and Edek met the Wolffs when sleeping in Mr. Wollff’s barn. He and his wife provided food, clothes, work and shelter, and even helped them to escape the Burgomaster. Another person who helped the Balickis tremendously is the soup kitchen chef who helped the Balickis when a large fight had occurred, by helping to return everything to order and replenish Jan’s soup.

The person who helped the children the most was Jan. he was a young orphan. He played an important role in the story. He helped them in many ways; he assisted them in finding their parents, he stole food for them and helped them to find shelter. Jan was also the one who guided them through the storm.  He became a part of the family because of how close he was to the children, and because of his helpfulness. Even though Jan was jealous of Edek, edek accepted him into the family as he took good care of his sisters. Jan has proven that strangers can become our family too.

*this is a combination of several students' essays*

Re: Departmental exam

Summary of Content (My father, Sun-sun Johnson)

1. The novel is written from a first-person narrative perspective. The narrator is Rami, Sun-Sun Johnson’s son.
2. It is set in a rural farming community.
3. The story outlines Sun-Sun’s demise as he loses his wife, two of his children, his farm and much of his wealth. Sun-Sun is criticized as being careless with money (gambling and spending), too generous and naïve. However, some causes of his demise were out of his control, for example, the accident with the tractor, crop failure and dishonest workers. Jake takes advantage of this to takeover Robin Hill. However, once Sun-Sun leaves Robin Hill to River Bottom, he slowly rebuilds his wealth and regains the respect of the communities and his wife. The sacrifice of his life to save Jake is a significant show of kindness that is characteristic of him.

 

Characterization

Types of characters:

1. Main/major characters are vital to the development and resolution of the conflict. In other words, the plot and resolution of conflict revolves around these characters.
2. Minor characters serve to complement the major characters and help move the plot events forward.
3. The protagonist is the central person in a story, and is often referred to as the story's main character. He or she (or they) is faced with a conflict that must be resolved. The protagonist may not always be admirable, but s/he must command involvement on the part of the reader, or better yet, empathy.
4. The antagonist is the character(s) (or situation) that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend. In other words, the antagonist is an obstacle that the protagonist must overcome.
5. A foil is any character (usually the antagonist or an important supporting character) whose personal qualities contrast with another character (usually the protagonist). By providing this contrast, we get to know more about the other character.

Identify an example of each of the following types of characters. Use characters from both My father, Sun-Sun Johnson and The Silver Sword.

literary devices

ALLITERATION is the reetition of initial sounds in neighboring words.
EXAMPLE: sweet smell of success, a dime a dozen, bigger and better...

IRONY is an implied discrepancy between what is said and what is meant.
There are three kinds of irony

1. verbal irony is when an author says one thing and means something else.
2. dramatic irony is when an audience perceives something that a character in the literature does not know.
3. irony of situationis a discrepancy between the expected result and actual result.

METAPHOR is a comparison of two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'.

EXAMPLE: He is a pig. Thou art sunshine.

ONOMATOPOEIA is a word that imitates the sound it represents.

EXAMPLE: splash, wow, gush, bang

PERSONIFICATION is giving human qualities to animals or objects

EXAMPLE: a smiling moon, a jovial sun

PUNS is a figure of speech which consists of a deliberate confusion of similar words or phrases for rhetorical effect. For example, homonyms.

SIMILE is the comparison of two unlike things using 'like' or 'as'.

EXAMPLE: He eats like a pig. Vines like golden prisons.

Characters

TYPES OF CHARACTERS

• Major or central - the plot and resolution of conflict revolves around these characters.


• Minor characters - serve to complement the major characters and help move the plot events forward.


• Dynamic - A dynamic character is a person who changes over time, usually as a result of resolving a central conflict or facing a major crisis.


• Static - A static character is someone who does not change over time; his or her personality does not transform or evolve.


• Round - A rounded character is anyone who has a complex personality; he or she is often portrayed as a conflicted and contradictory person.


• Flat - A flat character is the opposite of a round character. This literary personality is notable for one kind of personality trait or characteristic.


• Protagonist - The protagonist is the central person in a story, and is often referred to as the story's main character. He or she (or they) is faced with a conflict that must be resolved. The protagonist may not always be admirable (e.g. an anti-hero); nevertheless s/he must command involvement on the part of the reader, or better yet, empathy.


• Antagonist - The antagonist is the character(s) (or situation) that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend. In other words, the antagonist is an obstacle that the protagonist must overcome.


• Anti-Hero -A major character, usually the protagonist, who lacks conventional nobility of mind, and who struggles for values not deemed universally admirable.


• Foil - A foil is any character (usually the antagonist or an important supporting character) whose personal qualities contrast with another character (usually the protagonist). By providing this contrast, we get to know more about the other character.

Ten Ways in which a Character Can Be Revealed

• What s/he says


• By how s/he says it.


• By psychological description


• By physical description.


• By probing what s/he thinks.


• By what s/he does.


• By what others say about him or her.


• By his or her environment.


• By her reaction to others.


• By his reaction to himself

End of Year Exam

Well boys, the term is almost over and the End of Year Examinations are two weeks away. Here are the topics you will need to review.

For Literature:

• poetry comprehension
• definition of terms (drama/elements of literature/characters)
• essay questions on all three novels (war/ love and family relationships/ growth and maturity)

The paper will require that you answer all questions in the poetry section and define all the terms asked. The final section will ask that students answer two essay questions, but each question must be from a different novel.

For Language:

• Multiple Choice(comprehension/ sentence completion/ spelling/ punctuation/ synonyms)
• Comprehension (prose/drama/ poetry)
• Story Writing

There may be two papers, multiple choice and long answer. The long paper may only require students to answer comprehension questions and write a short story.

I will be able to tell you more closer to the exam date.

I hope you have all started studying.

Departmental Test

LITERATURE
Students should be able to:

• answer questions based on a poem
• identify and explain the effectiveness of literary devices
• answer short answer questions based on Chapter 1 of My Father, Sun-Sun Johnson.
• answer questions based on the history of novella and the author.
• identify and state narrative technique

LANGUAGE

Students should be able to:

• identify the various elements of a short story
• answer questions based on a comprehension passage
• identify correct or incorrect spelling
• identify and state mood
• identify setting
• give/ identify synonyms for selected words
• identify narrative technique

welcome back to new term. we are now into our final term of the year, Itrust you have decided that you will accept nothing less than the best.

SENTENCE SCRAMBLE

1. a) a wilder, heartier interest b) if she had built c) the boy could not d) a fire e) have shown f) under him
2. a) and his eyes b) the fellow's face c) showed the fear d) was haggard e) that was upon him
3. a) the blanketed corpse b) two or three minutes later c) the murdered man d) were under no inspection e) the lidless coffin f) but the moon's g) and the open grave
4. a) and b) colossal sigh c) his heart broke d) a long lingering e) followed
5. a) a necktie b) of ribbon c) he even wore d) a bright bit
6. a) all the time b) the beauty queen c) smiling d) finally gave e) at everybody f) lockjaw

VOCABULARY

VOCABULARY
audacious, diligent, prolific, bona fide, incognito, delirious, subtle, deduce, diffident

1. His use of a fake beard and moustache was a pathetic attempt to be ____________.
2. Winning the lottery made him ___________(ly) happy.
3. He is a rather _________ liar; he tells so many lies, you can never tell which of his stories is true.
4. His joke was very __________; it took me a while to get it.
5. There was only a ________ difference between the two $100 bills...
6. ...so the bank clerk had to examine them very carefully to tell which was the ______ one.
7. He practiced the skate trick _________(ly) until he got it right.
8. Tom is a very bold, __________ boy, who is scared of very little.
9. "Now, now, don't be ___________; speak up!"
10. obvious : subtle :: bogus : ___________

QUESTIONS BASED ON CHAPTERS 14-17 (TOM SAWYER)

1. What was the "boom" the "pirates" kept hearing and why did it make them feel happy ?
2. What did Tom do before he left camp? What do you think he wrote?
3. What do the villagers think happened to the boys?
4. "Well the things is ours anyway, ain't they ?" Who's talking? What's going on ? Name two of the things.
5. What was one piece of good news that the boys had after the huge storm?
6. "I've lost my knife. I reckon I better go and find it." Who's talking? What' going on? Why is this funny?
7. Two of the savages almost wished they had remained pirates." Why? what's going on?
8. Reread the last line of chapter 17. Explain.

GRADED ASSIGNMENTS

LITERATURE

1. questions on Chapters 1-4
2. spelling test
3. questions on Chapoters 14-17
4. Tom Sawyer vocabulary
5. illustration of scene from Tom Sawyer
6. Essay question based on chapters 18-21 (to be given)

LANGUAGE

1. Students will write a cause and effect paragraph on one of the following topics:
   Regular exercise
   Poor eating habits
   Pollution
   Traffic congestion
2. The Comprehensive English Course: Book 1 on pages 7-9 and 41-43
3. crossword puzzle
4. English for Life 1 pages 130-132
5. Comprehensive English Course page 122

Characters(protagonist, antagonist,etc )

□ The central character in a work of literature is called a protagonist. The protagonist usually initiates the main action of the story and often overcomes a flaw, such as weakness or ignorance, to achieve a new understanding by the work’s end.
□ A protagonist who acts with great honor or courage may be called a hero.
□ An antihero is a protagonist lacking these qualities. Instead of being dignified, brave, idealistic, or purposeful, the antihero may be cowardly, self-interested, or weak.
□ The protagonist’s journey is enriched with encounters with characters who hold differing beliefs. One such character type, a foil, has traits that contrast with the protagonist’s and highlight important features of the main character’s personality. The most important foil, the antagonist, opposes the protagonist, barring or complicating his or her success.
□ While Tom serves as the protagonist, a number of vibrant characters provide foils. Aunt Polly provides an adult foil, Huck provides a foil that makes Tom appreciate his own world, and Becky challenges Tom to be a man.
□ Twain builds up a feeling of anxiety by focusing on details and using very simple syntax at the start of the chapter, describing the ticking of the clock, the creaking stairs, Aunt Polly's muffled snore, and various other noises of the night.
□ The stillness is described both before and after the murder; only when Injun Joe, Muff, and Dr. Robinson are present is the silence disrupted. In effect, this description reflects how the murder will break the "stillness" of Tom's world, shattering the illusion of small-town life. The "stillness" is symbolic of the security and unadulterated lifestyle that is about to be shaken completely by the events of that night.
□ Twain uses the howling of the stray dog to foreshadow Muff's misfortune.
□ we also see that Tom truly cares for Aunt Polly. Despite the trouble he may get himself into, Tom never means to hurt the old woman. "This was worse than a thousand whippings," thinks Tom as Aunt Polly cries over him. When he cries and pleads for his forgiveness, the reader is given no doubt of Tom's sincerity.

Writing an essay

When writing an essay, follow these eight basic steps:
· Select a topic: Be sure the topic is narrow enough to make it manageable within the space of an essay
· Write a thesis sentence: Be sure the thesis statement(or sentence) expresses a controlling idea that is neither toobroad nor too specific to be developed effectively
· Select a method of development: Check through all the methods before you finally settle on the one which will best serve your thesis:
definition
example
compare and contrast
cause and effect
classification
process analysis
· Organize the essay:Begin by listing the major divisions which the body paragraphs in your essay will discuss; then fill in the primary supports that each body paragraph of the essay will contain
· Write topic sentences for the body paragraphs of the essay: For each body paragraph, furnish a topic sentence that directly relates to the thesis sentence
· Write the body paragraphs of the essay: Each body paragraph should develop the primary support covered in that paragraph's topic sentence
· Furnish a paragraph of introduction: An introductory paragraph should state the thesis of the essay, introduce the divisions in the body paragraphs of the essay, gain the interest of the readerWrite a paragraph of conclusion: A concluding paragraph should restate the thesis and divisions of the essay bring the essay to an appropriate and effective close without digressing into new issues.

expository writing

The essay format:
Introduction:
Introductory Paragraph
The introductory paragraph tells what the essay is about. It should begin with an interesting sentence to make the reader interested in the essay. The introductory paragraph should also include the thesis statement, a kind of mini-outline for the paper: it tells the reader what the essay is about. A good essay always has a thesis statement. The last sentence of this paragraph must also contain a transitional "hook" which moves the reader to the first paragraph of the body of the paper.
Body:
Body — First paragraph:
The first paragraph of the body should contain the strongest argument, most significant example, cleverest illustration, or an obvious beginning point. The first sentence of this paragraph should include the "reverse hook" which ties in with the transitional hook at the end of the introductory paragraph. The topic for this paragraph should be in the first sentence. This topic should relate to the thesis statement in the introductory paragraph. The last sentence in this paragraph should include a transitional hook to tie into the second paragraph of the body.
Body — Second paragraph:
The second paragraph of the body should contain the second strongest argument, second most significant example, second cleverest illustration, or an obvious follow up the first paragraph in the body. The first sentence of this paragraph should include the reverse hook which ties in with the transitional hook at the end of the first paragraph of the body. The topic for this paragraph should be in the first sentence. This topic should relate to the thesis statement in the introductory paragraph. The last sentence in this paragraph should include a transitional hook to tie into the third paragraph of the body.
Body — Third paragraph:
The third paragraph of the body should contain the weakest argument, weakest example, weakest illustration, or an obvious follow up to the second paragraph in the body. The first sentence of this paragraph should include the reverse hook which ties in with the transitional hook at the end of the second paragraph. The topic for this paragraph should be in the first sentence. This topic should relate to the thesis statement in the introductory paragraph. The last sentence in this paragraph should include a transitional concluding hook that signals the reader that this is the final major point being made in this paper. This hook also leads into the last, or concluding, paragraph.
Conclusion:
Concluding paragraph:
This paragraph should include:
a) An allusion to the pattern used in the introductory paragraph,
b) A restatement of the thesis statement, using some of the original language or language that "echoes" the original language. (The restatement, however, must not be a duplicate thesis statement.)
c) A summary of the three main points from the body of the paper. A final statement that gives the reader signals that the discussion has come to an end.

fragmented and run-on senences

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/GRAMMAR/quizzes/runons_quiz.htm

Thanks Mrs. Thompson

First Visit

Whenever you are visiting especially for the first time, please make a comment on the titles you have read. I am trying to keep a record of how many people are reading the blog and the most read posts.

Thank you.

Chapter 4

In this chapter, Mary tries to help Tom memorize Bible verses. But Tom was unable to.

Mr. Walters had set up a ticket system:

2 verses = 1 blue ticket
10 blue tickets = 1 red ticket
10 red tickets = 1 yellow ticket
10 yellow tickets = 1 Bible
.: 2000 verses = 1 Bible

That morning, Tom traded :
1. a piece of lickrish and fish hook for a yellow ticket
2. a couple of white alleys for 3 red tickets

To impress the visitors, Judge Thatcher and his family, Mr. Walters was desperate for a candidate who qualified to receive a Bible.

The only person that qualified was Tom. He had:
9 yellow tickets
9 red tickets
10 blue tickets.

Mr. Walters knew that it was impossible for Tom to have honestly earned these tickets, but he was desperate to impress the Judge.

Judge Thatcher was indeed impressed and gave a speech of the value of such learning. To close, he asked Tom one simple question,

Who were the first two appointed disciples?

Tom was unable to answer this simple question correctly. His response was:

David and Goliath.

This made it clear to everyone that Tom:

dishonestly got the tickets,
was too lazy to try to learn verses
was a trickster who tricked the boys into qualifying for a Bible
liked to impress
doesn' like to work for rewards
likes attention.

Tom Sawyer Chapter1-4

Minor characters are those characters whose physical presence is not that prominent, but they can play significant roles as it relates to developing the main character, exposing themes and pushing forward the plot.
Written around 1870, the novel initially began as a series of letters from Twain to an old friend (Letters to Will Bowen) about their boyhood pranks, schooldays, and childhood mischief.
The novel describes the youthful adventures of the young protagonist, who embodies the ideal of American youth during the frontier era that preceded Industrialization.
At the start of the novel, the reader is immediately introduced to the core characters. The character portraits that are unfolded in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer are extensive and intricate, a quality that makes this piece a distinct work of Mark Twain. In the first chapter, Aunt Polly is introduced as a religious, pious, and stubborn mannered lady; Tom's first impression leaves the reader thinking he is mischievous, lazy, and irresponsible. But as the story unfolds, Twain develops both Aunt Polly and Tom into multi-dimensional characters whose emotions and actions are somewhat unpredictable. The reader, then, must discern between the superficial and the meaningful portrayals of each character.
· In chapter two, this narrative plays an especially important role in portraying Tom Sawyer's true intellect and understanding of the world around him
Tom not only loves to fight and play in the dirt, but also has a profound knowledge of human nature that is astounding for his young age. Using his "smarts," he is able to fool his peers as well as outsmart Aunt Polly and other authority figures. Tom may behave like a little boy, but he is able to think greater than perhaps any adult.
In the previous chapters we have seen Tom as carefree, but there is a darker side to Tom's character. He is willing to trade his worldly possessions for the glory of receiving a Sunday school Bible, and he loves to show off. But when he feels unloved, he falls into a kind of depression where he questions his own existence by imagining his funeral.
Mary is portrayed by Twain as a "saintly" figure in the novel. First, we see that Mary is perhaps one of the only authority figures Tom trusts. He allows her to help him with his verses, wash him, and dress him. Second, we see that Mary also trusts Tom. Twain's first blow to the Church comes when Tom is able to underhandedly trade for enough tickets to earn a Dore Bible, showing how even the Church could not make the distinction between hard work and bought favors.

website for Tom Sawyer

There are a number of students who till do not own a copy of Tom Sawyer, they asked for a website they could log on to to read the text, online. Here it is:

http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/mtwain/bl-mtwain-tom-8.htm