Embedded Files
"Grace Marks, with her understandable suspicion of the stories others tell about her, abandons simple models of narration. Instead of one true story, she offers an image of a Tree of Paradise quilt with her own addition: a border of snakes. "Without a snake or two," she observes, "the main part of the story would be missing." Narrative not as recovered truth but as an embroidered patchwork of memory, desire, temptation and loss: Grace's quilt is a compelling metaphor for the art of fiction."
"Grace Marks, with her understandable suspicion of the stories others tell about her, abandons simple models of narration. Instead of one true story, she offers an image of a Tree of Paradise quilt with her own addition: a border of snakes. "Without a snake or two," she observes, "the main part of the story would be missing." Narrative not as recovered truth but as an embroidered patchwork of memory, desire, temptation and loss: Grace's quilt is a compelling metaphor for the art of fiction."
-Maureen McLane, Chicago Tribune
Reading Schedule: Each assignment is for a span of one week. You should read & make notes on the sections assigned during the week, and be prepared for work on those sections in the following week.
Monday, Jan. 25: Parts I-V (Lecture 1) (Lecture 2)
Monday, Feb. 1: Parts VI-VII
Monday, Feb. 8: Parts VIII-X
Monday, Feb. 15: Parts XI-XV
Feb 22-March 5: FRQ3 Essay, Quilt Block Project, True Crime podcast study, Bonus Assignment (Netflix Series)
Annotated Works Cited Assignment
Annotated Works Cited Assignment
Linked below are background articles on the actual historical murder case of Grace Marks and Margaret Atwood's process in writing about her. Read and create a SketchNote in your journal. Then complete the Annotated Works Cited Google Classroom assignment HERE.
Chicago Tribune
Indie Wire
CBC/Radio Canada
For each section you will choose a short passage to close read and will add a slide to the deck. You should check before adding, and not purposely repeat a quote already used. The book is rich and dense with quotes perfect for analysis. Look for sections that:
illuminate the motifs and symbols
reveal the complexity of a character
heavily feature thematic topics
include interesting vocabulary
allude to Biblical, Historical, Literary figures
You should type out the full quote (5 pts), include a relevant and appropriate image (5 pts), include the page # in parentheses, and then type your 4 observations (10 pts each). Be sure to type your NAME on the slide. Each slide will be due on the SUNDAY of the reading week. For example, Parts I-V should be read this week (1/25-1/29) and the quote slide is due on Sunday 2/3. Click here to open the Slide Deck
When we finish, we will have a deck of close to 150 quotes with analysis & commentary that we can ALL use to prepare for the FRQ3 Essay Prompt.
Click the first book page for my video reading and analysis!
After watching and making notes on the video linked above, read and copy out Margaret Atwood's poem "Siren Song" into your journal. Read pgs 21-27 of Alias Grace. Is Grace a 'siren'? In what ways? What passages/quotes can we look to for connections between Grace & these mythical beings? How are the attitudes of Atwood's contemporary siren & Grace compatible with each other? How are the attitudes of outsiders, like Odysseus or the Governor's wife and her "ladies" or the public at large, or Dr. Jordan, etc, different from how they see themselves? My lecture on the poem and passages is linked HERE.
After watching and making notes on the video linked above, read and copy out Margaret Atwood's poem "Siren Song" into your journal. Read pgs 21-27 of Alias Grace. Is Grace a 'siren'? In what ways? What passages/quotes can we look to for connections between Grace & these mythical beings? How are the attitudes of Atwood's contemporary siren & Grace compatible with each other? How are the attitudes of outsiders, like Odysseus or the Governor's wife and her "ladies" or the public at large, or Dr. Jordan, etc, different from how they see themselves? My lecture on the poem and passages is linked HERE.
Monday, 2/1
Monday, 2/1
Poetry Mini Lesson- "One need not be a Chamber- to be Haunted-"
Poetry Mini Lesson- "One need not be a Chamber- to be Haunted-"
Read the poem, read the short analysis and make notes in your journal. What specific words and phrases from the poem connect to Grace Marks?
Write a formal paragraph connecting a moment in the novel with a line or stanza from the poem.
One need not be a Chamber.pdfWednesday, 2/3
Wednesday, 2/3
Creative Analysis Lesson: Prose to Poetry
Creative Analysis Lesson: Prose to Poetry
Today you will be using a creative writing activity to reframe passages that are rich with imagery, metaphor, and simile in order to show a deeper understanding of the text . You will view Lecture 2 and then complete the Prose to Poetry Activity DURING OUR SCHEDULED CLASSTIME.
Wed, 2/10: Evidence Project
Wed, 2/10: Evidence Project
Evidence Quilt Blocks will be started in class today. We will choose and measure out the design of our blocks, and choose a common thread to explore. We will then begin collecting evidence and/or designing the solid blocks. The final block will be a mixture of text and images. At the end of the unit, we should be able to put together an Alias Grace Evidence Quilt from all of the blocks.
I've provided a sheet of possible block patterns, you may use the blocks in the novel, or search the internet for other possible patterns. You may also design an original block pattern or alter an existing block.
Your block can be character based, motif based, theme based or a mixture of these, but it needs to show that it holds together on a common thread. Be purposeful of your choices; these blocks will be the starting point for our Alias Grace essays at the end of the unit.
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