'tis the witching hour of night' - Hamlet

Have not posted for a long time as I have been busy giving teacher training workshops on various HSC topics. The next one prior to the long awaited holidays will be 'Hamlet' and I thought I would drop a few ideas for all fellow teachers who love teaching it. It is one of those magical texts that proves accessible to a broad audience base with most students able to take something from it that makes it memorable for them. At times however, in the rush of getting through the course in the little time available, teachers can take too much of a compartmentalised approach. 


The following view put forward by James Hirsch highlights the dangers,  'The point of teaching the play is not to give students the final word about the play but to get them hooked on it so they will keep returning to it and exploring new features of it for the rest of their lives.'
Surely it is the very enigmatic complexity of the text that has given it such longevity. No one interpretation can hope to define it. Many dramatic qualities, dramatic devices and specific genre elements can be found but as many teachers would attest, students often fall into the trap of listing or superficially referencing such components without really engaging with the text in any depth. 


While I am in quote mode, I think Helen Vendler voices one of the key reasons for it having gained such iconic status. She argues, 'Only "Hamlet," of Shakespeare’s greatest plays, is ruled by a single lyric consciousness. The Macbeths are two; Hal and Falstaff are two; Antony and Cleopatra are two; Desdemona, Othello and Iago are a triad; and "Lear" is full of doubles and triads. Hamlet has no sibling, wife or lieutenant jointly pursuing revenge with him: his reflective loneliness and his lyric status elicit his soliloquies. Hamlet is always at the centre: all the other figures in the play are there to provoke, to repudiate, to interrupt his brilliant cascades of language.' Surely it must be an appreciation for the language of the play that needs to be developed in our classes, but I would argue that trudging through the text, line by line is not the best way to do this. 
Any google search for ways to teach 'Hamlet' will no doubt pull up some excellent alternatives to a student reading of the text aloud in class. 


To get them in: try playing a section with them only listening to it, or showing a short video clip of a scene with the sound off and having the students try to get an idea of what is going on. When in the critical study mode, show clips from a variety of performance and interpretive styles and draw on both film and stage productions where possible. I would not show a full version of any one production but copies can be made available for students to borrow from the library or find on You Tube to view in their own time to supplement class study.Any one performance reflects a particular interpretive vision whereas we want students to form an informed personalised response of the many ways Shakespeare draws his audience in into the world of Elsinore. It retains contemporary impact due to its psychological depth and while it has many of the genre conventions of tragedy and revenge tragedy, it represents far more than any simple list of stylistic features. 


To finish before I bore you, if students can gain some real appreciation for the language of the play than the critical study of text unit has been successfully taught. Shakespearean soliloquies are not ‘voice-overs’ nor private, secret musings but rather one-sided conversations between protagonist and audience. They give the audience access to information, emotions, perceptions in ways not otherwise possible. They are particularly important in the play however for soliloquies become Hamlet’s natural medium as he becomes increasingly introverted, and forced to retreat into himself. Whether he is perceived as feigning madness or actually slipping into that state, his soliloquies provide insight into his increasingly disturbed and alienated view of the world. Dramatic contrast is evident between his public statements, which are often short, jarring or ambiguous, and the anguished outpouring of his soliloquies. If as teachers we can somehow communicate how powerful the play's language is, then we have something to be proud of or as stated in the play itself, 'Thou art proved most royal'.            


Adieu


workshop details - www.tta.edu.au

Tips for responding to Film

This is the first blog post for a week as I have been doing teacher and student workshops in regional NSW. Film has become such a key part of junior and senior curriculum, it is important that we get the most out of the unit time we can spend on it. Here are a few tried and tested approaches. The genre clip site posted at the moment is a lot of fun to use in getting students to discuss and explore filmic genre conventions. 


Film Viewing Tips and Strategies

• Before watching a film to be studied, show a film techniques clip or ppt to revise cinematography basics such as camera angles and shots
• Discuss popular film genres such as the ones found in video stores and brainstorm the main conventions of each
• Watch a trailer for the film to begin discussion about initial impressions and expectations
• Watch the chosen film as a whole without any attempt to stop and analyse-mimic the theatre experience (you could give out a series of questions for students to familiarise themselves with prior to post viewing discussion)
• Identify any evident genres and their conventions within the film
• Isolate a key scene and view/discuss with a specific focus on filmic and narrative elements.
• Isolate a camera technique or feature such as lighting or sound and discuss how it helps shape our perceptions of what is happening.  
• Examine mise en scene elements in a key scene, looking at what is actually included such as props, framing. Discuss their relevance.
• Focus on the three layers of sound individually, diagetic and non-diagetic or features like voice-over or recurring audio motifs or musical themes such as the Amish anthem found in ‘Witness’ and discuss how that shapes interpretation.  
• Turn the sound down and watch as well as turn the vision off and focus on the sound and see how that impacts on audience reception.
• Capture important film stills and mix up their order on a worksheet and have students annotate as many filmic elements as they can to show how they communicate information and then try to put them back into shooting sequence. 
• Annotate important film stills in order to highlight key points of interest and use in a ppt presentation. Alternatively, have the students focus on different aspects of the film and present their own ppt presentations. 
• Short films such as 'Tropfest' are excellent for this sort of thing prior to studying a full length film.

The following clip offers an amusing look at film genre conventions. Works really well in class.

http://vimeo.com/26090987

Short Story Elements

In studying short stories, some basic elements need to be evaluated. They include the following: 

·   plot

·   theme

·   character

·   setting

·   point of view

·   style

Each element contributes to the overall effect of the story. As you read and/or write a short story you should keep the following questions in mind:

·  What is the writer’s purpose? (inform, arouse, persuade)

·  What is the writer’s tone? (Sarcasm, humour, didactic)

·  How does the story begin? (setting, background information, characters-who, what, where, when, why or how) How much detail is supplied? Most stories begin with an expositional snapshot which is later fleshed out.

·  How does the story develop? (structure- linear or non-chronological, use of flashbacks)  

·  How does the story end? With a twist or surprise, a build up to an inevitable climax or are you left hanging?

·  Who tells the story? POV and narrative voice?

·  What is the language and style like? Level of language-formal, colloquial or slang? Use of dialogue?

·  What are the characters like? Number and level of development? Narrative function and level of reader identification and empathy?

·  How important is the setting in conveying the ideas and mood of the story?

You choice of text to study obviously depends on the age and strength of the student cohort but there are so many short story sites online that it is easy to find suitable texts. Some of the sites I have found most useful are given below. The ABC short story competition generates some excellent stories, suitable for older secondary students. The address given below gives access to audio as well as transcripts of the earlier competition winners. A particularly good story to use with junior secondary is the funny tale, 'The Snake and the Cowgirl' which works well as a listening task. The Harrowing tales site is brilliant to use for a lesson where the students can access the site themselves. I have found that they enjoy reading about real situations. I used it to introduce a Novel study unit for 'Hatchet' but it also works well just as a short story unit introduction where you are looking at what makes such stories interesting.

If you want more ideas about elements and style , check out Rules for Short Stories at answer.com

http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/survival/wilderness/survival.htm

http://www.abc.net.au/shortstories/2006.htm

The Snake and the Cowgirl By Daele Marie Healy, Murrurundi, New South Wales

I've been in the country six months when I see my first real snake, by which I mean the first snake that isn't really a garden hose, a snakeskin, a stick, a blue tongue lizard or a windscreen wiper, all of which have caused me to scream 'snake' at least twice.

I'm in the backyard dustbowl, picking up sticks, having thoroughly checked they're not snakes. Dirty and hot, I head inside for a shallow, cool bath.

In winter, I didn't wash much because it was so cold it was a big deal to take my clothes off. In summer, I'm respecting the restrictions in a town months away from shipping water in - not watering my lawn, rarely bathing and my quarterly bill is $10.61.

I don't towel off, letting the hot air evaporate the water off my skin to cool down. Naked, I walk out of the bathroom and straight into what I now know is the unmistakable s-shaped slither of a six-foot snake.

I've heard snakes are deaf but this serpent sure speeds up when I scream. In three steps I'm on the kitchen sink and wishing I had got around to kitchen curtains or was wearing more than a thong - only one thong because I couldn't find the other flip-flop in the bathroom. There's not even a tea towel in reach. Very few kitchen implements double as clothing. All the good stuff, like the saucepans and the colander, are on the other side of the room, near the oven. Damn my ergonomically organised kitchen. My choices are pink rubber gloves, a wine glass and cutlery. Even Jeannie Little would be struggling.

The snake slithers at the doorway. A viper moves nothing like a windscreen wiper. I won't make that mistake thrice.

It isn't going anywhere. I stupidly closed the back door before taking my clothes off. What was I thinking?

The snake seems unselfconscious of its naked state.

I need help. The mobile phone is in reach but who am I going to call? This is a special job, with specific selection criteria:
1. Snake-catching skills
2. My willingness to have them see me naked on a kitchen sink.
Sadly, the only successful candidate is seven hours' drive away. I'll crack before then. So I call the most important mental health professional in my life - the hotel publican.

'What colour is it?' he asks.

'Black, dark. It's enormous, pythonesque, and not in a Monty way, while still being a full-monty situation...'

'Well, that's good. It's a black snake. Brown snakes are small and skinny and a sandy colour. That would be bad.'

'So black snakes aren't poisonous?' I ask hopefully.

'Oh yeah, they're poisonous, but it won't kill you. It's good if you have black snakes because they keep brown snakes away.'

That's the sort of quality counselling I get from the publican: on the upside, it's not a brown snake. He also suggests sending over Jill, a local cowgirl, an attractive, tanned, blonde who takes trail rides, teaches horse riding and barmaids at the pub. The publican saw her ride past the front door.

Five minutes later I hear her yell through the sunroom window: 'G'day. Got a snake, have you?'

'Oh Jill, thank God. I'm in the kitchen. It's there, at the door... Could you get me a towel?'

She can't see me but she spies the snake, curled up calmly.

'Oh yeah, big bugger but it's a black. No, we won't need a towel for him.'

Then she yells behind her, 'Hey girls, come here. Have a look at this.'

Apparently Jill was in the middle of pony club. I hear the gasps of three local six-year-old girls.

'So, that's a black snake,' Jill instructs them. 'You're not meant to kill them. He's just escaping the heat.'

She must have climbed through the window because she appears at the kitchen door behind the snake. At the sight of me, still starkers on the sink, she starts, and laughs long and hard. When she's recovered, she calmly picks up the snake by its tail. Its head just off the ground, it turns around to look at her placidly. It really is six feet long.

I hear the girls 'ooooh' in admiration.

Jill takes the snake outside. I appear at the kitchen door, clutching in front of me the woven oval kitchen mat, and still wearing my one thong. Three six year olds look at me with contempt. I am everything they never want to be. I feel I have made a real contribution to their development.

'Short Stories' represent a wonderful unit for all age groups

Creative Writing - Sites and tips

There are many websites related to developing creative writing skills but many of them are general rather than suitable for senior students. Below are a few ideas and sites that may prove helpful for those students who are self-reliant enough to do the extra work that will enhance their creativity. 

Writers’ Tennis

You’ll need two people for this one. One of you writes a few paragraphs of a story. It can be about anything. You then pass it on to your writing partner (email is perfect for this) who then writes the next paragraph and so on and so on. If you both try to keep the two parts of the story consistent you can achieve interesting results.

Pictures & Words

Take a painting and look at it for a while then write a story about it. You can write about the actual painting or take the theme of the painting as the theme of your story. You can do the same with poems or with book and movie titles.

Writing exercises from Wake Up Writing

The Wake Up Writing website (www.wakeupwriting.com) has frequently updated writing exercises. Check out the latest ones below, and keep checking back here as this list will update itself.

The mark of a good short story is economy. Action develops quickly, the crisis is created with the greatest precision, and then, quite sharply, the story ends.

Variety in sentence beginnings. There are a several ways to do this eg by using:

Participles: “Jumping with joy I ran home to tell mum my good news.”

Adverbs: “Silently the cat crept toward the bird”

Adjectives: “Brilliant sunlight shone through the window”

Nouns: “Thunder claps filled the air”

Adverbial Phrases: “Along the street walked the girl as if she had not a care in the world.”

Conversations/Dialogue: these may be used as an opener. This may be done through a series of short or one-word sentences or as one long complex sentence.

Show, Don’t Tell: Students have heard the rule “show, don’t tell” but this principle is often difficult for some writers to master.

Personal Voice: It may be described as writing which is honest and convincing. The author is able to ‘put the reader there’. The writer invests something of him/her self in the writing. The writing makes an impact on the reader. It reaches out and touches the reader. A connection is made.

'Witness' Peter Weir

There are many resources for this film but students studying HSC Module B must keep in mind that they need to demonstrate close knowledge and understanding of its distinctive cinematic features. Extended responses are too often just superficial recounts of key events and scenes with mention of a list of techniques. As a film study, it needs to be properly analysed. An evaluation of Weir's auteur style is helpful because it reinforces how film is a collaborative process but often filtered through a director's overall vision in the way it is shot and edited. Nearly all the key scenes are available as movie clips via YouTube but students need to do more than summarise what happens. Also some of the more conceptual scenes such as the clip given below are better than the ones most often mentioned by students such as the barn raising scene.  What is discussed must show appreciation for what Weir is really trying to explore within the film. Film reviews offer some insightful information but it is too simplistic to meet exam requirements. 
To do well, sound analysis is required as well as explicit thesis development. 
Some basic commentary sites include:

The Internet Movie Database
Crazy Dave's Peter Weir Cave
http://www.peterweircave.com/main.html

http://www.irishfilm.ie/downloads/ifi_witness_tn.pdf

The TTA workshop for 'Witness' is running on June 15th. Bookings for it as well as other Term 2 topics such as 'Hamlet' and the poetry of 'Wilfred Owen' can be booked online at  www.tta.edu.au

'Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry' Resources Update

It seems a lot of people are working on this wonderful novel at the moment. I have used it a number of times with different year 10 and 11 classes and found that it worked well as a critical study of text and as the prescribed text for a conceptual study. While there are some wonderful resources available, as with 'Goodnight Mr. Tom', they often seem to be pitched at Primary School age students.
I use Animoto a great deal as it is a way to give an overview snapshot of a topic. For this text, I wanted to familiarize students with the contextual situation before beginning close study of the text itself. The text had been handed out for pre-reading and journal responses and this Animoto clip along with other resources such as a prezi presentation made by another teacher. 


http://animoto.com/play/ydBWUBGRmKO10eu4D90zuA

I also used a ppt for covering 'The Great Depression' as another important aspect that students needed to understand to really come to grips with the text.
 'Issu' was another important resource for designing  the response booklet that had analysis questions on the text. 
The poem/song 'Strange Fruit' also works well as a related text but obviously it needs to be kept for older students who can better deal with the confronting issues that are addressed within the book and related texts.

Below are the online website guidelines for the first part of this study unit

For this Area of Study unit, your interpretive response to this text will largely be based on 'online learning' tasks. You will be asked to work your way through a number of resourced steps that will be provided on this site. Each stage will require submission of varied tasks to show your evaluative understanding of 'Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry' as a Journey text that explores another time and place. You will be evaluating how the text reflects inner journeys where individuals struggle to cope with the social issues and attitudes of an important period in time.

The aim of this unit is to develop analytical writing as well as time-management and self-directed learning skills.

Stage One: Evaluating historical, social and economic context
This stage will involve examining a number of resources that offer details about the novel's context. Such information will be needed to support your extended response about the novel. An online copy of the novel has also been provided so that you can highlight any quotes that you think might be useful to keep as textual reference for use later.

Animoto Clip

Write two paragraphs that detail your first impressions of the era in response to this animoto clip. You need to support what influenced your ideas by making close reference to what has been presented.

Useful Websites

http://thebestnotes.com/booknotes/Roll_Of_Thunder/Roll_Of_Thunder_Hear_My_Cry01.html

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/civil-rights/

http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/thunder/

http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001567.shtml

Watch unitedstreaming.com video called: Civil Rights: The Long Road to Recovery. 


Hope you find the animoto resource useful.Barbara

Film Study Guide Sites and Web 2 tools

“A film is a world which organizes itself in terms of a story.” ~ Jean Mitry

Even if you are fully prepared for teaching a particular film, it is a good idea to check what is available on some of the many study guide sites that can be found. Some of the best guides that can be found are available from filmeducation. The following two show the range and quality that can be found. 

Quite a few study guide sites can be found such as the following:

http://www.filmeducation.org/metropolis/

http://www.filmeducation.org/thekingsspeech/

Other sites include:

www.nzfi lm.co.nz

Excellent guides on films such as 'Once were Warriors' and 'Whale Rider' can be found along with some of the less known but equally good texts to do in the classroom such as "The World's Oldest Indian".

Other sites for using ITC and improving student film literacy skills include:

http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com/      (lots of Web 2 ideas and tools)

http://www.westga.edu/~mmcfar/Film-Media%20Literacy.htm