This presentation was actually designed last semester by Anna G. All of the art is her original work! I'm fortunate to have her in my class again this semester.
AnnaGEarnest
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Casey's Collage
Casey's Collage - Explanation
Casey's explanation of his collage appears below.
Assignment instructions:
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Create a collage that depicts a scene or scenes from the play, HAMLET. Use pictures and words cut out from magazines or other sources to create your collage. Write an explanation that describes the scene and explains its importance to the play.
Collage Explanation Middle – in the middle of the collage, I chose to place Hamlet crying on his father’s ghost. I chose this because it was the key part in the story and what motivated Hamlet to avenge his late father.
Explanation of left side – in the left side of the college I integrated a depiction of Hamlet, Laertes, and Ophelia. In the picture Ophelia is grabbing Hamlet’s face, as if she is ignoring him, and staring at her brother Laertes. This is a representation of the advice Laertes gives Ophelia about Hamlet’s false love. On the top left Hamlet is shown holding the skull in which belonged to a dead jester. I decided to put that above the bottom depiction because Hamlet finds this skull right before Ophelia’s funeral and confronts his uncle and Laertes.
Explanation of right side- on the right side of the picture I chose to place Hamlet’s corpse being carried by soldiers. I place this picture in this collage because even though Hamlet gave into revenge and his hate, he somehow was a hero for righting/killing his now late uncle’s wrongs. Above this collage I place a heavenly dove to symbolize irony in this hellish tragedy
Assignment instructions:
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Create a collage that depicts a scene or scenes from the play, HAMLET. Use pictures and words cut out from magazines or other sources to create your collage. Write an explanation that describes the scene and explains its importance to the play.
Collage Explanation Middle – in the middle of the collage, I chose to place Hamlet crying on his father’s ghost. I chose this because it was the key part in the story and what motivated Hamlet to avenge his late father.
Explanation of left side – in the left side of the college I integrated a depiction of Hamlet, Laertes, and Ophelia. In the picture Ophelia is grabbing Hamlet’s face, as if she is ignoring him, and staring at her brother Laertes. This is a representation of the advice Laertes gives Ophelia about Hamlet’s false love. On the top left Hamlet is shown holding the skull in which belonged to a dead jester. I decided to put that above the bottom depiction because Hamlet finds this skull right before Ophelia’s funeral and confronts his uncle and Laertes.
Explanation of right side- on the right side of the picture I chose to place Hamlet’s corpse being carried by soldiers. I place this picture in this collage because even though Hamlet gave into revenge and his hate, he somehow was a hero for righting/killing his now late uncle’s wrongs. Above this collage I place a heavenly dove to symbolize irony in this hellish tragedy
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Anna G. Olivier v. Shakespeare
Anna G.'s Evaluation of Laurence Olivier's portrayal of Hamlet follows. Be sure to view her graphic organizer in the next post.
There were quite a few differences between Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet and Shakespeare’s original play. Some of them were major changes; others were a little more difficult to notice.
The directions for this assignment were right in saying “to appreciate the genius of his stagecraft, it is vital that you have the opportunity to experience Shakespeare firsthand.” Watching the film helped me understand what I read, and reading the play helped me understand what I watched. The two went perfectly hand in hand. When I read the text I could picture how actors would portray the scenes, but actually seeing it play out heightened the intensity and gravity of Shakespeare’s words.
It’s almost impossible to choose a favorite between Olivier’s portrayal of Hamlet and Shakespeare’s original play. However, if pressed to make a choice I would pick Shakespeare’s version because usually, in cases like this, the original is the better. Olivier was perfect for the part of Hamlet. In fact, I’m not sure I could picture anyone else in the part. However, the film script did not stick closely enough to the original for my liking. Scene 3 was placed in the middle of Scene 2 and the conflict with Fortinbras of Norway was completely left out. On the one hand, these changes added the extra dramatic effects that are usually wanted by movie audiences and made the film move more rapidly and flow more smoothly. On the other hand, Shakespeare’s play was completely swapped around, losing some of his dramatic effects that were written in. This is really the only reason I have for picking Shakespeare’s Hamlet over Olivier’s, because the two go so well together. To me, it’s almost like Shakespeare wrote the part of Hamlet with Laurence Olivier in mind, though they lived centuries apart.
There were quite a few differences between Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet and Shakespeare’s original play. Some of them were major changes; others were a little more difficult to notice.
The directions for this assignment were right in saying “to appreciate the genius of his stagecraft, it is vital that you have the opportunity to experience Shakespeare firsthand.” Watching the film helped me understand what I read, and reading the play helped me understand what I watched. The two went perfectly hand in hand. When I read the text I could picture how actors would portray the scenes, but actually seeing it play out heightened the intensity and gravity of Shakespeare’s words.
It’s almost impossible to choose a favorite between Olivier’s portrayal of Hamlet and Shakespeare’s original play. However, if pressed to make a choice I would pick Shakespeare’s version because usually, in cases like this, the original is the better. Olivier was perfect for the part of Hamlet. In fact, I’m not sure I could picture anyone else in the part. However, the film script did not stick closely enough to the original for my liking. Scene 3 was placed in the middle of Scene 2 and the conflict with Fortinbras of Norway was completely left out. On the one hand, these changes added the extra dramatic effects that are usually wanted by movie audiences and made the film move more rapidly and flow more smoothly. On the other hand, Shakespeare’s play was completely swapped around, losing some of his dramatic effects that were written in. This is really the only reason I have for picking Shakespeare’s Hamlet over Olivier’s, because the two go so well together. To me, it’s almost like Shakespeare wrote the part of Hamlet with Laurence Olivier in mind, though they lived centuries apart.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
"Moon and the Ocean" by Kyle B.

This is Kyle's poem for our poetry project. His comments about the poem are also included below.
Moon And The Ocean
The sky is dark, the moon is full,the ocean is calm
The sky is dark, the moon is full,the ocean is calm
she dances across him, he relaxes and accepts her
this is neither an erotic dance nor a seductive one
this is the dancing of nature upon itself
the moons glistening on the calm waters
the waves crashing against the cold sand
the two continue this little dance until the dawn
where the sun takes over and she has her chance with the ocean
leaving the moon longing till the dusk
where they are reunited and joined by many more.
This is personal observation of nature in its beauty' it has special meaning to me because I lived near the water for so long, seeing couples pass by on the beaches. How they walked hand and hand only to long for someone else to do the same with. Then it dawned on me that the moon and water were a graceful couple. The story is told in 3rd person omniscient. You can tell as the speaker knows everything but isn't part of the story. Personification can be seen in this poem such as the water and moon having human traits. It's meant to be a spoken word poem.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
"A Beautiful Black Woman" by Shakala N.

A beautiful black woman is who I claim to be, never to be ashamed,
Hair may be different but guess what,
A beautiful black woman is what I am walking with my head up high
Got some people who try to bring you down but never can they do
Got some people who try to bring you down but never can they do
Because I’m beautiful and black
Not just here and not just there but all around.
Never can you be me, neither can you hurt me
But what you can do is join me
You can like me or dislike me it really wouldn’t matter
You can like me or dislike me it really wouldn’t matter
Why?
Because I'm a beautiful black woman
If you dislike me it's because you don’t know me
If you dislike me it's because you don’t know me
Because if you knew me then you wouldn’t have nothing to say
Unless it's four words like
A BEAUTIFUL BLACK WOMAN.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Bailee's Poem

Bailee's poem is a great depiction of her job! Can't you smell the coffee and hear the hustle and bustle of a busy restaurant?
Orders Up….
I run my feet off Thursday through Sunday,
carrying treys and making drinks.
Most leave happy, some leave sad,
Most leave full and some even overstuffed,
Then again some leave tips and some not enough
Wow, orders up
Remember the straws, oh my straws…
While they are getting the food, time to total the ticket
As I make my rounds and realize how many are needy…
Ask for dessert… add the coffee
Ya’ll have a nice night… come again…
I run my feet off Thursday through Sunday,
carrying treys and making drinks.
Most leave happy, some leave sad,
Most leave full and some even overstuffed,
Then again some leave tips and some not enough
Wow, orders up
Remember the straws, oh my straws…
While they are getting the food, time to total the ticket
As I make my rounds and realize how many are needy…
Ask for dessert… add the coffee
Ya’ll have a nice night… come again…
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Deontae's Response to the Shepherd
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Shawna's Poetry Project
To view Shawna's poetry project, click the arrow keys at the top of the slide show.
Poetry Project
Poetry Project
Publish at Scribd or explore others:
Thursday, December 11, 2008
College admission essay
One part of the Senior Project in English IV requires students to write a sample college admission essay. The essay topics come from various universities around the country; Justin P. wrote an imaginative essay in reponse to this prompt adapted from the University of Chicago:
Create a metaphor for yourself using something you would find in your kitchen or your garage. List as many similarities or relationships between yourself and this object as you can think of, then elaborate on this comparison in an essay. Why is this object a good representation of you?
Justin's response:
If I had to compare myself to an object in my kitchen or basement, I would compare myself to a banana. Some, or most people, will think this is odd, but I think I have this figured out. The typical person would most likely choose something with obvious meaning such as a sharp knife, vicious blender, or powerful sledge hammer. As you can see, I’m not the typical person. Justin is a banana.
The main reason I would compare myself to a banana is because you can’t really judge a banana by its cover. In order to receive nutrients you must remove the outer layer and consume the fruit. In a way, I can relate to this. I believe that a person cannot get to know me until my outer shell is removed. Although I may not have the most nutritious core, it is their decision to accept me for who I am. It is better for someone to like me for who I am, other than how good I look on the outside.
Normally, bananas are usually long and pretty slender, as am I. Even though I’m not yellow and I’m not one big curve, I am tall and skinny. Also, bananas have a pretty tough outer layer and a soft inside. I can’t say I’m a tough man, but I’m no wiener. I am a banana. As soft as I may be on the outside, my inside is always softer.
However many bananas you’ve seen, I’m pretty sure you’ve never seen a matching pair. And for those who have, disregard this paragraph. Like a banana, I am one of a kind. There may be some people that look like me or act like me, but they aren’t me. So, for those who are writing about this same topic, “Justin The Banana” is already taken.
I hope I have made myself clear on why I think I’m a banana. The similarities between a person and boring fruit may be hard to find, but they are there. You just have to use your head and be a little creative. Here are a few thoughts to sum all this up. If you see me somewhere, get to know me before you make your assessment. If you’ve never eaten a banana, try it before you knock it. If you don’t like me, gather your thoughts, and let’s work something out. If you don’t like bananas then grab some sugar and vanilla wafers and let’s make banana pudding!
Create a metaphor for yourself using something you would find in your kitchen or your garage. List as many similarities or relationships between yourself and this object as you can think of, then elaborate on this comparison in an essay. Why is this object a good representation of you?
Justin's response:
If I had to compare myself to an object in my kitchen or basement, I would compare myself to a banana. Some, or most people, will think this is odd, but I think I have this figured out. The typical person would most likely choose something with obvious meaning such as a sharp knife, vicious blender, or powerful sledge hammer. As you can see, I’m not the typical person. Justin is a banana.
The main reason I would compare myself to a banana is because you can’t really judge a banana by its cover. In order to receive nutrients you must remove the outer layer and consume the fruit. In a way, I can relate to this. I believe that a person cannot get to know me until my outer shell is removed. Although I may not have the most nutritious core, it is their decision to accept me for who I am. It is better for someone to like me for who I am, other than how good I look on the outside.
Normally, bananas are usually long and pretty slender, as am I. Even though I’m not yellow and I’m not one big curve, I am tall and skinny. Also, bananas have a pretty tough outer layer and a soft inside. I can’t say I’m a tough man, but I’m no wiener. I am a banana. As soft as I may be on the outside, my inside is always softer.
However many bananas you’ve seen, I’m pretty sure you’ve never seen a matching pair. And for those who have, disregard this paragraph. Like a banana, I am one of a kind. There may be some people that look like me or act like me, but they aren’t me. So, for those who are writing about this same topic, “Justin The Banana” is already taken.
I hope I have made myself clear on why I think I’m a banana. The similarities between a person and boring fruit may be hard to find, but they are there. You just have to use your head and be a little creative. Here are a few thoughts to sum all this up. If you see me somewhere, get to know me before you make your assessment. If you’ve never eaten a banana, try it before you knock it. If you don’t like me, gather your thoughts, and let’s work something out. If you don’t like bananas then grab some sugar and vanilla wafers and let’s make banana pudding!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Student Work
The purpose of this blog is to post exemplary student work. This video was created by Melody O. at the Mississippi Virtual Public School English IV class as part of the module on Hamlet. Be sure to turn your speakers on!
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