Here's the prompt for the essay you'll write in class on Monday

Imagine that you are William Golding. From his point of view write a letter to the students of Gloucester High School explaining how the character(s) you have been assigned (Ralph, Piggy, Jack, Simon, Roger, Sam and Eric, the littluns) and the motif you have been assigned (the island itself, shell, glasses, fire, rocks, pigs, or the boys’ appearance) contribute to the meaning of the novel. You will write one letter explaining the significance of both the character and the motif.

Support your explanation of the character’s and the motif’s significance by citing at least three specific places where you, as Golding the author, use the character to contribute to the novel’s meaning and three specific places where you, as Golding, use the motif to contribute to the novel’s meaning. Make sure you explain how the parts -- the particular uses of the character & motif -- contribute to the meaning of the novel as a whole.

When thinking about Golding's point of view and Golding’s purpose in constructing the novel, consider some things Golding has written about the novel.

“I believe that man suffers from an appalling ignorance of his own nature.”

“The theme (of Lord of the Flies) is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature. The moral is that the shape of society must depend on the ethical mature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable.”

FOR THOSE OF YOU LOOKING TO EARN AN ADVANCED SCORE…

Also perhaps consider William Golding's life. The following is an excerpt from the Nobel Prize website. (Golding won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1983.)

"Taught at Bishop Wordsworth's School, Salisbury. Joined the Royal Navy in 1940 and spent six years afloat, except for seven months in New York and six months helping Lord Cherwell at the Naval Research Establishment. He saw action against battleships (at the sinking of the Bismarck), submarines and aircraft. Finished as Lieutenant in command of a rocket ship. He was present off the French coast for the D-Day invasion, and later at the island of Walcheren. After the war he returned to teaching [until 1962], and began to write again. Lord of the Flies, his first novel, was published in 1954."

And for more of Golding's views you'll find his Nobel Lecture at nobelprize.org.

Notes for Reviewing Lord of the Flies

Looking more closely at Lord of the Flies

the first half

Characters are in italics; motifs and symbols are in bold; connections to the world off the island are underlined

Chapter One: “Sound of the Shell”

Discussion of context off the island & scar on the island

7 Discovery of conch. Ralph’s role. Piggy’s role

15-17 Introduction of other characters including Jack, Simon, Roger, littluns…

18-22 Exploration of island: rock as “monster” & “bomb”; Jack not killing the pig 31; how characters react to “candle buds” (the island itself) 30; Ralph: “this is our island” 29

Chapter Two: “Fire on the Mountain” (island’s appearance)

33 Conch = order, voice for voiceless (?)

35 Introduction of the beast concept by the littlun with the birthmark

40 Fire: Piggy’s glasses, first failure, second “success”: squirrel to panther (beast) 44; boy w/ birthmark missing 46

Chapter Three: “Huts on the Beach” (island’s appearance)

48-50 Jack “dog-like” “like a shadow under darkness of the tree and crouched” “compulsion to track down and kill that was swallowing him up” / “not hunting, but—being hunted” (at meeting) > beast talk (52-53)

Simon considers beast “as if…the beastie…was real” (52); fruit to littluns 56; off by himself: “candle-like buds” and “scent spilled into the air and took possession of the island” (vs. this is our island)

Chapter Four: “Painted Faces and Long Hair”

60-62 Roger throws rocks around Henry (littlun) but doesn’t his because of “the taboo of the old life” (62) “protection of parents and school and policmen and the law” (62) in Roger’s head: “Roger’s arm was conditioned by a civilization that knew nothing of him and was in ruins.” (62)

63-64 Painted Faces/ “Mask” (the boys’ appearance) : Jack w/ Roger: “Like in the war”: “the mask was a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness.” “The mask compelled them.” (64)

64 Piggy’s appearance “the only boy on the island whose hair never seemed to grow.” Long hair.

66+ Fire out; Pig caught. Ralph’s priority ignored; Jack’s priority indulged.

“link between him [Ralph] and Jack had been snapped…fastened elsewhere” (73) Where? (Jack & Roger???)

71 Jack attacks Piggy: breaks one lens of glasses

74 Simon provides pig for Piggy

74-75 Dance (circle) vs. Meeting (shell & triangle) 74-5

Chapter Five: “Beast from Water”

Ralph’s meeting (with conch) to re-estabilish logic/order devolves into beast talk (Percival, littlun: beast from sea):

Simon: “…maybe it’s [the beast is] only us” 89

Ralph: What are we? Humans? Or animals? 92 (contrast with what Simon says)

Jack: Bollocks to the rules! (i.e. shell) We’re strong—we hunt! 92

Chapter Six: “Beast from Air”

“a sign came down from the world of grown-ups” 96

Sam & Eric see the “beast” (i.e. the dead parachuter) 98

Explore the unexplored part of the island (Castle Rock???): Simon “incredulity” re: beast: “However Simon thought of the beast, there rose before his inward sight the picture of a human at once heroic and sick” (103) Simon doesn’t believe in “beast” (105)

Boys (including Roger) roll rocks instead of tending to fire, says Ralph 107-08

Jack: seek beast instead of tending to fire (others do not answer “mutinously”) 108

Looking more closely at Lord of the Flies

the second half

Chapter Seven: “Shadows and Tall Trees” (island’s appearance)

111 Simon to Ralph: you’ll be saved; Ralph to Simon: you’re “batty”

113-115 Ralph attacks pig / Ralph participates in play hunt & dance

123 Ralph, Jack, Roger (ch 1 exploration Ralph, Jack, Simon) see beast / dead parachuter: “ruin of a face” (cf “civilization…in ruins” ch 4)

Chapter Eight: “Gift for the Darkness” (island’s appearance / beast)

127 Jack splits (cf. 73 and 108)

131 weather (island’s appearance) “in sympathy with great changes…”

135 sow rape leads to sacrifice (perverse new civilization w/ its own quasi-rituals quite different from the shell-ordered meetings)

140 Jack & mask; Ralph & fire; Piggy & shell (Samneric peer at edge of the forest)

137-8 & 143-4 Simon talks w/ pig’s head (which is the “lord of the flies” & another form of beast); Simon falls into the blackness of its mouth.

Note “sea” “air” “tall trees” “shadows” “darkness” What’s the common thread in the chapter titles 5-8?

Chapter Nine: “A View to a Death”

146 Simon learns truth about “beast” / dead parachuter

150-153

Ralph & Piggy join Jack’s band for protection from weather / island and to eat pig;

the boys play dance in circle around Roger-as-pig (contrast w/ conch meetings); Roger leaves center which “yawned emptily” (mouth!!! Of a beast???) & boys chant (mouth!!!);

Simon / “the beast” appears from the forest; circle becomes horseshoe which Simon / beast enters; “mouth of new circle crunched & screamed” then “tearing of teeth and claws”

Storm (island’s appearance)

Parachuter / beast blown away

Simon’s body taken by sea

Chapter Ten: The Shell and the Glasses

157 Ralph & Piggy talk about beast / Simon: face what they did? Or forget it?

163 Sam & Eric’s role?

168 glasses not shell

Chapter 11: “Castle Rock” (Castle hmm… what kind of government?)

172 paint (boys’ appearance)

173 Sam & Eric’s role?

181 Piggy & shell; Roger & rock; Ralph v. Jack

Chapter 12: “Cry of the Hunters” (Is that a pun on “cry”?)

185 Ralph & the pig’s skull (cf Simon & pig’s head 143-4)

190 Sam & Eric’s role? Give pig to Ralph to eat. “stick sharpened at both ends” (cf pig’s skull)

192-3 Sam & Eric’s role? Twins split; one reveals Ralph to Jack & Roger; attack Ralph with destructive rock

200-2 Jack, Roger, etc. hunt Ralph; island on fire; naval officer arrives, wonders why the boys’ haven’t done better (Does the office have “an appalling ignorance of [man's] own nature”?); Ralph ("end of innocence"; end of "ignorance"?) cries (see chapter title? hunters also "cry"; that's what "ululation" means) for the death & savagery

Lord of the Flies #11, 12, 13 (Chapters 10, 11, 12)

Chapter 10:

1. How is the conversation at the beginning of the chapter between Piggy and Ralph significant?

2. Explain what happens with the objects that are mentioned in the chapter title. How might what happens be thematically or symbolically significant?

Chapter 11:

3. What dramatic and violent event occurs in the chapter? Who is involved and how? How are two important motifs involved? How might the event symbolically represent changes on the island? (In other words what happens and what might it represent?)

Chapter 12:

4. Think about the chapter title. Who are the hunters? Who is the hunted? (What side are Sam and Eric on now?)

5. Think about the very end. What happens in the end and how might it be thematically and symbolically significant?

Lord of the Flies #10: O'Maley Experiment Turning Point (& #14 O'Maley Ending)

Use at least eight of the Lord of the Flies Vocabulary Words (part 2) to help you write a third-person narrative about a turning point in the O'Maley experiment that involves the character you have been assigned. This is assignment #10.
Option: You can write an ending for the O'Maley experiment as part of your "turning point" narrative or you can write am ending in class on Wednesday. This is assignment #14.

Lord of the Flies #7, #8, & #9

Lord of the Flies Assignments #7, #8, and #9

Chapter 7 “Shadows and Tall Trees”:
1. OPEN RESPONSE Explore the complexity of Ralph’s character development in this chapter. Consider his memories of life off of the island, his conversation with Simon, his participation in the “game” in this chapter, his participation in the search. What conflict is taking place within Ralph?
2. SHORT ANSWER What do Jack, Ralph, and Roger discover at the end of the chapter? How might it be symbolically significant that now it is Roger not Simon who explores with Jack and Ralph?

Chapter 8 “Gift for the Darkness”:
3. SHORT ANSWER What major turning point occurs in this chapter? For what reason? (Jack and Ralph)
4. SHORT ANSWER What literally is the “Gift for the Darkness”? How might the gift be significant?
5. OPEN RESPONSE Explore Simon’s role in this chapter. Where does he go? What does he experience? What does he learn? How might this be important?

Chapter 9 “A View to a Death”:
6. SHORT ANSWER What does Simon learn near the beginning of the chapter? How is this significant?
7. SHORT ANSWER What pivotal choice do Ralph and Piggy make? How is the choice important?
8. OPEN RESPONSE What is the significance of the title “A View to a Death”? In other words what happens at the end of the chapter? How is it significant? (When thinking about significance consider what the event has to do with Golding’s observation that “man suffers from an appalling ignorance of his own nature.” How does the event reveal “ignorance” of what Golding thinks is mankind’s “nature”?)

Lord of the Flies #6 (and note card format)

O'Maley Experiment: after several weeks...

We've now been trapped inside O'Maley for several weeks. Describe what it is happening from the perspective of the character you have been assigned. (You may incorporate other characters from Lord of the Flies. You may also incorporate people you know. Your character might even see your middle school self their too.) Use at least eight Lord of the Flies vocabulary words in your writing. (Use all twelve properly for an advanced score.)

Words, parts of speech, and definitions below. See Mr. Cook for full vocabulary list (including related words, antonyms, and etymologies).

Abominable	Adj.	detestable; loathsome unpleasant or disagreeable
Accord	Noun Verb	Agreement, harmony, settlement, compromise To bring into harmony, to bestow upon
Blatant	Adj.	1. Unpleasantly loud and noisy 2. Totally or offensively conspicuous or obvious
Clamber	Verb	To climb with difficulty, especially on all fours; scramble.
Clamor	Noun Verb	1. A loud outcry; a hubbub. 2. A vehement expression of discontent or protest 1. to cry out long and loudly 2. to demand, to complain
Contrite	Adj.	Feeling regretful and sorrowful
Corpulent	Adj.	Excessively fat.
Covert	Adj. Noun	1. Secretive 2. Covered A covering or cover (often a shelter)
Demoniac	Adj.	influenced by a demon resembling a devil; fiendish
Derisive	Adj.	Mocking, jeering
Discursive	Adj.	1. Covering a wide field of subjects; rambling.
Drone	Verb Noun	1. To make a low humming sound 2. To speak monotonously 1. Male bee 2. Idle person 3. Person who does tedious work

Study Card Format for Lord of the Flies

Front Back

Word	Synonym Antonym Definition Example Visual

Lord of the Flies #4 and #5

Lord of the Flies #4
“Painted Faces and Long Hair” (pages 68-75)

Answer two of the following questions below. Circle the two questions you will answer and answer them in the space below.

What (exactly) has happened to Piggy’s glasses?
What does Simon do at the end of chapter 4 to show his generosity?
What have Jack and Roger (and some others) done successfully by the end of chapter 4?
What does Ralph call for at the end of chapter 4?
What role does the pig play at the end of chapter 4?

*******

Lord of the Flies #5
“Beast from Water” and “Beast from Air”

Prompt: Explore the significance of “beasts” in these two chapters.

Proficient responses will include an understanding of how the chapter titles relate to the events in the chapters. Proficient responses will also explore what William Golding might be using the chapter titles and events to suggest about mankind’s “appalling ignorance of his own nature.” Advanced responses will include sophisticated insights supported by precise supporting evidence.

Lord of the Flies #3

Character & Motif through the first four chapters

Open Response 1: Choose the most important quotation about your character in the first four chapters of the book. Use the quotation to write about the significance of your character through the first four chapters of the book.

Open Response 2: Choose the most important quotation about your motif in the first four chapters of the book. Use the quotation to write about the significance of your motif through the first four chapters of the book.

Due Wednesday, November 24.

Preparing for *mOnstah!* Talk Show

mOnstah! Preparation

Bring your quotations and responses to each prompt on Monday November 29. mOnstah! talk shows will be held each Monday between now and the holiday break (11/29, 12/6, 12/13, 12/20).

1. Write a paragraph in which you define and characterize your monster. Who is the monster? How do you know? What makes the character monstrous? Is her/his/its physical appearance monstrous? Are the monster’s morals monstrous? Are the monster’s actions monstrous? Explain. Include a quotation from the book that helps characterize the monster.

2. Write a paragraph in which you explain the cause of the monsters monstrousness. Is the monster’s monstrousness a reaction against someone or something? Is it learned from her/his/its environment? Is it innate? Explain. Include a quotation from the book that supports your exploration of the cause(s) of monstrousness.
3. How does the monster feel about his/her/its monstrousness? Proud? Regretful? Mixed feelings?

Lord of the Flies #2

Chapter 2: Fire on the Mountain

“You got your small fire alright.”

What is Piggy talking about here? How is the event Piggy is talking about significant in terms of William Golding’s opinion that “man suffers from an appalling ignorance of his own nature”? (Hint: The best answers will consider the littlun with the mulberry-colored mark on his face.)

Lord of the Flies #1

Lord of the Flies RAFT 1

1. Imagine your character is present during the O’Maley Experiment. Explain how he might act and what might happen with him during the first several hours.

Role: Your character

Audience: Your peers and me

Format: Story told from the point of view of your character.

Topic: How would the character act during the first few hours of the O’Maley experiment?

2. Imagine your character is asked to talk about the role of your motif in the first several hours on the island (the first chapter). What would he say about the motif (or if your motif doesn’t appear have your character talk about the motif that is in the chapter’s title).

Role: Your character

Audience: Your peers and me

Format: Story told from the point of view of your character

Topic: What would your character say about the motif (or if your motif doesn’t appear use the shell/conch)?

Preparing for RAFT #1 of Term Two: mOnstah!

Pull at least three substantial quotations out of your independent reading book:

1. Write down (or type up) at least one quotation that will help your peers understand how the character is a monster.

2. Write down (or type up) at least one quotation that will help your peers understand what made the character monstrous. What influences made him/her/it the way he/she/it is?

3. Write down (or type up) at least one quotation that will help your peers understand the monsters attitude toward its/hers/his own monstrousness. Does the monster have regrets? Is the monster unrepentant? Does the monster reject the label entirely?

Independent Reading Assignment #6

(Here's an example from Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the next book we're reading together. The example above has everything you'll need -- title, image, quotation, statement -- except for the author.)

#6 (Due Friday November 5, 2010)

Role: advertising executive

Audience: other high school students

Format: an 8.5” x 11” magazine advertisement

Topic: You will create a magazine advertisement for your monster book. Include the following in the ad: title of the book; author of the book; art depicting a main topic, theme, or conflict; statement of a main topic, theme, or conflict; a quotation from the book.

The novel * Frankenstein* by Mary Shelley vs. The film *Mary Shelley's Frankenstein* by Kenneth Branagh

On Wednesday and Thursday you took notes on meaningful differences between the film and the novel. For anything you missed click here for color-coded character list and a link to a list of some differences.

(Note: In the color-coding blue refers to characters associated with the far north, yellow refers to characters associated with Geneva, red refers to characters associated with Ingolstadt, green refers to characters associated with the forest, pink refers to characters associated with Ireland.)

(Note 2: The Wikipedia list of differences is accurate but does not emphasize the ways the differences are meaningful; conversely, remember that we are emphasizing the ways the differences are thematically meaningful.)

Independent Reading Assignment #5

Open Response Question

Who is more monstrous: the monster in your book or the monster in the film Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?

Take a position then defend your position using evidence from your book and the film to persuade the reader that you are right. Your response should demonstrate a personal understanding of "monsters" and "monstrousness," as well as an understanding of how those concepts relate to the book and film you've been studying. Write clearly, accurately, and persuasively.

Due Thursday, October 28

Frankenstein Vocabulary & Independent Reading Assignment #4

Click here for Frankenstein vocabulary words and the assignment.

Independent Reading Assignment #4
Due Thursday, October 20.

1. What book are you reading? How long is it? How many pages have you read?
2. How is the reading going?
3. Choose a quotation from what you read on Monday (or if you were absent, from what you read at home). Write a response to the quotation that links the quotation to the book as a whole. I expect a thoughtful, specific, meaningful response.

Independent Reading Assignment #3

Role: What is the writer's role? (Some ideas: character, reporter, observer, filmmaker, object.)

Audience: Who do you imagine will be reading the writing? (Ideas: another character, newspaper reader, police listening to an eyewitness account, a film producer, your classmates.)

Format: How will you present the writing? What will it look like? (Will it look like a newspaper article, a play, a letter, a diary entry, a film proposal, an advertisement, a comic strip?)

Topic: What is the subject of the writing? YOUR MONSTER BOOK SO FAR.

***
Directions:
Write down the role, audience, format, and topic. Then write the RAFT. (10+ sentences is a good guideline for an acceptable RAFT.) Turn it in on Tuesday (10/13) or Wednesday (10/14).

Independent Reading Assignment #2

#2 (October 4, 2010)
Imagine that we want to convince other juniors at GHS to read these books. This week you’re going to write a very short play based on the most interesting part of your book so far. The goal of this play is to interest readers in your book in less than two minutes.

Roles: Your choice of two characters from your book.

Audience: the class of 2012 – in the auditorium.

Format: Dramatic dialogue (like a short play with each character talking at least five times). Add stage directions to create a setting and to make any actions clear. Imagine we’re going to present a piece of each of “monster” book to interest other juniors in reading them. (Don’t worry we’re not going to do this though we might read a few aloud.)

Topic: a tense, dramatic event in your book. Choose a scene that might be interesting to your peers. (The characters can experience the event or can talk about the event.)
*******
Example (using a scene from Beowulf)

Beowulf Puts Unferth in His Place

Beowulf (Talking loudly and confidently.): Unferth,
murderer of brothers, save your drunken prattle for lesser men. In my contest with Brecca I fought sea beasts rolling along the whale-road for hours – while you were stumbling drunk ashamed of killing your own flesh and blood. For shame.

Unferth (Looking down into his mead while Geats laugh at
him and Danes stare at him ashamed.): Well. I mean. But. Ah…


[Here each character has spoken once. In your each will speak five times.]

Independent Reading Assignment #1

#1 (September 29, 2010)

Role: a character from the book

Audience: your Junior English classmates

Format: informal letter

Dear C-block English,

…

Sincerely,

[the character’s name]

Topic: Have the character introduce her- or himself to the class. Include specific detail. Consider personality traits, physical traits, attitude toward others, attitude toward events, others’ attitude toward her or him, etc. (“Open response” length.)

Reflection on the unit’s big ideas

Open response due on Monday.

1. For you what are the ideal characteristics of a hero? Who has these characteristics? Explain.
2. Tell a story in which you depict heroism. As you tell the story reflect on what the story suggests about heroism.
3. For you what real world people or things are monstrous. Explain what characteristics make them monstrous.
4. Tell a story in which you depict a real world monster. As you tell the story reflect on what the story suggests about monsters.

Beowulf Vocabulary Homework due Tuesday, September 21

Click here for the vocabulary homework due on Tuesday.

Beowulf Vocabulary

Click here to get to the Beowulf vocabulary work.

Five Ways of Looking (creative writing, one draft end of unit paper)

Creative writing: Ways of Looking

(Perspective & Perception)

Think of something, someplace, or someone that you will write about from five different perspectives. What did you pick?

Five Ways of Looking at ___________________________________________

Now that you have decided upon something, someplace, or someone to perceive (look at/understand/have an opinion about), what five different perspectives (points of view) upon that thing, place, or person will be interesting and revealing?

Five ways

Pick five roles (as we did with the two ways of looking at the water crisis: restaurant owner, landscaper, person with a well, etc.) and/or five situations (as Margaret Atwood does in bread: kitchen, famine, prison, etc.). In case you are wondering: yes, you can combine roles and situations.

1. _____________________________

2. _____________________________

3. _____________________________

4. _____________________________

5. _____________________________

Now choose a narrative point of view. If you want to focus on helping the reader enter the roles and/or situations use second person (you, your). If you want to focus on entering the roles and/or situations yourself use first person (I, me, my). Third person (she, he, they, etc.) is not as useful for this assignment.

Now you’re ready to write. Write at least ten sentences from each point of view. Perceptions, understandings, and opinions of the thing, place, or person should be different from each of the five points of view. These perceptions, understandings, and opinions should also be vivid and revealing.

Have fun!

Summer Reading

Click here to get to the new blog for C-block.
There you will find everything you need to complete the summer reading assignment.

Research Paper Reminders

Research Paper Reminders 2010 CP1

1. You’re now working on your thesis-driven research paper, which is due Tuesday, June 1. Make sure I take a look at your thesis and your plan before starting to write a draft. If you want me to take a look at a draft prepare one by class time on Friday. Remember:

1. Use MLA format to write the paper. This includes the heading, the in-text citations, and the works cited page (hanging indentation, alphabetical order). Consult your Compass, the library handout, and/or citationmachine.net for help.

2. Use a twelve-point font (avoid any sans-serif font). Double Space everything. The paper itself must be at least 1000 words in length (at least three pages).

3. The paper will be evaluated according to the research paper rubric.

4. To support and develop your thesis, you must use (and cite) at least three sources in the body of the paper.

2. You’re also adding three more sources to your annotated bibliography. On Tuesday, June 1 you will also hand in a revised annotated bibliography with seven citations and annotations. Remember:
1. Include a topic title.
2. Use MLA format for the heading and citations.
3. Citations (with annotations) must be in alphabetical order.
4. The purpose of the annotations is to summarize and evaluate what the source has to say about the topic. (These annotations could help future readers, including your teacher, with the readers’ own research.)

Writing a question and a thesis statement...

Cape Ann Art & Culture Research Paper: How to Write a Thesis

Think about what you have learned about the topic. What aspect of the topic do you think you could interpret or analyze or compare or evaluate?

Then turn that aspect of the topic into a question.

Your clear, supportable, debatable, insightful, meaningful (perhaps even original) answer to the question will be your thesis.

What’s due and when?

Bring your question and thesis to class tomorrow, Friday, May 21 and post your question and thesis in the comment box on the blog by class time on Monday, May 24.

On Friday we will "workshop" the questions and thesis statements. Then we will work on writing the paper itself (1000+ words with at least three sources cited in the text and a works cited page--you've already found the sources!). A complete first draft of the paper will be due in class on Friday, May 28 and the final draft of the paper with developed and supported thesis, in-text citations from at least three sources, a Works Cited page with at least three sources, and an annotated bibliography of “Works Consulted” will be due Tuesday, June 1.

Some ideas for getting started.

· Begin with a depiction of Gloucester from the readings. Apply it to your topic. Agree, disagree and/or revise that depiction of Gloucester using your research as support. You might take a quotation.

· Begin with an artist’s or poet’s take/use of your topic. Explain and analyze this take on the topic. Or, evaluate and judge this take.

· Begin with the changes that have taken place with your topic over time. Explain and analyze these changes. Evaluate and judge these changes. Predict future changes. Propose and defend preservation. Advocate for a certain kind of change.

· Begin with a comparison. The comparison could be within your topic. (Compare the meaning of two parts of Fiesta.) The comparison could be with your topic in Gloucester and the same topic elsewhere. (Compare St. Peter celebrations in Gloucester with those in Sicily.) The comparison could be between your topic and something new. (Compare Fitz Henry Lane’s paintings to Winslow Homer’s. Compare the poetry of Gloucester’s first Poet Laureate, Vincent Ferrini, to the current Poet Laureate, John Ronan.)

· Explain, analyze, evaluate, judge…the meaning of some aspect of the topic, the reason for some aspect of the topic, the cause of some aspect of the topic, etc.

Some examples of questions

· For example, if your topic is St. Peter's Fiesta you might explain why certain saints are venerated during St. Peter's Fiesta. (In the form of a question: why are St. Peter and Mary venerated during Fiesta?)

· Or, if your topic is Stage Fort Park you might compare its past uses to its present uses. Or, if your topic is fishing you might compare schooner fishing to trawler fishing in Gloucester. (How did the change from sails to engines change affect Gloucester industrially and culturally?)

· Or, if your topic is painters of Gloucester you might analyze Fitz Henry Lane's use of light and precise detail in his paintings. (What is significant about Lane's use light and detail in his paintings?)

· Or, if your topic is Charles Olson you might interpret the meaning of one or more of his poems that interest you. (What is the meaning and significance of "Letter Six" of the Maximus Poems?)

Some examples of questions and answers

· Why are St. Peter and Mary venerated during Fiesta?

· The veneration of the statues of St. Peter and Mary symbolize the importance of fishing and family to Sicilian-Americans and other Catholics in Gloucester.

· How did the change from sails to engines change fishing?

· The change from sails to engines led to a change in fishing practices that end up endangering the fishing stocks for future generations.

· What is significant about Lane's use light and detail in his paintings?

· Fitz Henry Lane uses light to convey luminous, transcendent beauty and, conversely uses to precise details to evoke the material reality of man's relationship with nature.

· What is the meaning and significance of "Letter Six" of the Maximus Poems?

In "Letter Six" Charles Olson asserts the necessity of attention and care from all citizens of a place if that place is to thrive.