WORLD WAR 1 Christmas Truce

FINAL LIST FOR MOCK IOC ROOM 19

Well done to Gaurika, Samica and Shiv today! Good job!

Here is a list of English and TOK classes up to our last day on Friday.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 17TH 2013.

1. VEDANT 10am TO 1040am
2. SANAYA 1055am 1135
3. 1150 am ENGLISH CLASS GRADE 12
4. SANJANA 12.40 to 1.20pm
5. 3PM GRADE 12 TOK PRESENTATIONS
6. SNEHILL  350pm

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 18TH 2013.


1150AM ENGLISH CLASS GRADE 12

THURSDAY 19TH DECEMBER 1240PM GRADE 12 ENGLISH

FRIDAY NO ENGLISH CLASS BUT GRADE 12 TOK 1150am

Wilfred Owen in Voices in Wartime (+playlist)

America: different perspectives and different narratives in history and literature and 'self-image'

"Gatsby believed in the Green Light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter - tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther... And one fine morning - So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

 ************

Is there more than one kind of colonialism? 

Is history simply another form of fiction? Is it just a story we tell ourselves to make sense of the past in a way that makes us feel good about ourselves and our ancestors?
Why do the two famous cities of Los Angelus and San Francisco have Spanish names? Does Texas have a special history and what was its relationship with Mexico in the past?
Are our stories, our dominant narratives 'self-serving'? Is there a hidden history of women, people of colour and other minorities which is not represented in the dominant narrative of histories which make up history?
Is this where TOK meet Literature and History?

The word colonisation has a negative ring in the modern era. In the aftermath of World War 2, Britain, Holland and France withdrew from many colonies. Sometimes peacefully and sometimes not.The intellectuals of the time Sartre and Chomsky and others all applauded.
We all understand that European countries invaded and colonised other countries and peoples during the Age of Empires.
But is there another kind of colonisation? The imposition of a power structure by one group on another. Not based on merit or fair competition but based on colour, religion or denial of equal rights. Think South African White Power and Apartheid before Mandela.

But America was always a beacon of freedom, right? Was America born in liberty in 1776 or was it in fact just another type of colonial power?
Imagine an alternative narrative - white immigrants many originally British or Irish, others from European countries (now calling themselves Americans) rebelling against the British King so they could be free OR so they could oppress the Native American Tribes and the black people they kept as slaves? Which version of history is more popular in America? Which version is true? Which version is more pleasant?
The American Dream includes the dominant narrative of the white pilgrims and settlers breaking the bonds of British rule in American in 1776. Then the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave became the NEW WORLD. In "The Great Gatsby" this idea of  America as a new beginning, a new paradise, a new Garden of Eden where each man can reach out for his own 'green light', his own dream is very strong. But what about the original NATIVE AMERICANS? What about the black people kidnapped as slaves and brought to America? What about the Native American tribes who were already living on the lands of American for thousands of years before the White Man first arrived there to 'discover' America?
                  



Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee was first published in 1970 to generally strong reviews. Published at a time of increasing American Indian activism, the bestseller has never gone out of print and has been translated into 17 languages
 Wounded Knee was the location of the last major confrontation between the U.S. Army and American Indians more correctly called THE FIRST AMERICANS or NATIVE AMERICANS.

                                                                              

                                         

Has there been progress? Yes!   

WILFRED OWEN The Dead Beat

MR.C.'s TOK Blog- -Theory of Knowledge: First World War - enthusiasm, mobilisation, technology, trenches.

MR.C.'s TOK Blog- BD Somani International School -Mumbai -Theory of Knowledge: First World War - enthusiasm, mobilisation, technology, trenches.

GRADE 12 MOCK IOC LIST OF STUDENTS SCHEDULE

MR C MOCK IOC NOV 2013 - ORDER OF SPEAKERS

DAY 1Monday 25^th of November

Student 1 10:50 – 11:40 Varun B  1055 prep/ 1115 recording/1135 finished

Student 2 after school  Kayanush 

MONDAY DEC 9^TH  BLOCK 2 SANAYA

NEW MONDAY 16TH

Student 3.  1240 Vedant/complete by 130pm

THURSDAY DECEMBER 5^TH

USHMA  - 11AM /Rhea 210 /Gaurika  3PM/340 / AKSHAY 4PM  / 
440 SNEHIL AFER SCHOOL TBC

THURSDAY 12^TH

11AM SAMICA / NIRIKSHA 210/AYESHA 3PM/  355pm -VIR

 Friday December 6^th 3pm -350 Sanjana Shah/ TBC Shiv Kaul  

 

Academic honesty -Turnitin Students - How to Create an account.

OPTIONAL ESSAY BOOK REVIEW SUNDAY DECEMBER 1ST

1. This essay is optional additional work.
2. The word count for this first essay is 900-1200 words.
3. I recommend that the first essay be a general book review.
4. This can be similar to "The Guardian" or "New York Times" book reviews. See online.
5. You do not need approval for the title, just call it book review and upload to turn it in.
6. If you are doing a more focused literary essay please email asap to check the title.
7. All students are expected to make a brief comment on one book on the ONLINE Book Club page or the IOP Book Page by Sunday December 1st.
8. Journals for English Class will commence this week - with 100 words per week reflection.
9. IOPS begin in class on Tuesday.

IOP ORDER OF SPEAKERS IOP HL2 Tuesday November 26th

Day 1 Tuesday 26th .. Kamya and Faisal pair Metamorphosis/Anadita God of Small Things - Chacko

Day 2  Wednesday 27th  Simran/...  .Adviva and Anaya - TBC

Day 3 Thursday Madhav and Arnav ... Amaya and Naomi  - confirm we can manage 4 speakers

Day 4  Monday .... Akanksha and Akshiti & Hussain

Day 5 Tuesday /Ruchir? Dhwani and Zahra

Day 6 Wednesday  Dhruv and Agasteya & Krish

IOP ORDER OF SPEAKERS IOP HL1 Tuesday November 26th

ORDER OF SPEAKERS IOP HL1

Day 1      TUESDAY
1) Mira Tiwari

2 and 3) Zara Arsiwala and Yuvraj Ruia

4) Simran Ankolkar

Day 2 WEDNESDAY

5 and 6) Radhika Shah and Tanisha Avarsekar

7) Tanya Hathiramani

8) Ayesha Vaswani

Day 3  FRIDAY

9) Anya Parakh

10/11) Jahaan Oberoi and Manasvi Shah

12) Devanshi Kejriwal

Day 4 MONDAY

13/14) Mahima Dhoot and Sanjana Asnani

15) Tanvi Nayar

16) Kushal Shah

Wilfred Owen in Voices in Wartime

"Death and the Maiden" - Historical Background -CIA, Chile & Allende -

CHILE: Who was General Pinochet? Who was President Allende? Who was General Schneider and why was he murdered?
WHAT WAS THE GLOBAL POLITICAL REALITY FROM 1945 TO THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNIION COMMUNIST BLOCK (late 1980s) -Why do we need to understand the COLD WAR in order to understand why the USA supported dictators like Pinochet in South America, Soeharto in Indonesia and many oppressive regimes in the Middle East?

THE GUARDIAN UK NEWSPAPER--- ONLINE BOOK CLUB READING GROUP

Lots to debate … Albert Camus during a visit to London in 1952. Photograph: Kurt Hutton/Getty Images               

Sympathy for The Outsider – Reading group :Much has been made of Mersault's indifference, but there's plenty of evidence for other readings of his character

CLICK HERE           http://www.theguardian.com/books/series/reading-group

The bomb that killed 4 little girls - KKK bomb Alabama - film version

 

Sins of the Father is a 2002 American docudrama directed by Robert Dornhelm. The teleplay by John Pielmeier is based on a Texas Monthly article by Pamela Colloff chronicling the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama in which four young African American girls were killed while attending Sunday-school. The victims were Adie Mae Collins, 14 yrs old; Denise McNair, 11 yrs old; Carole Robertson, 14 yrs old; and Cynthia Welsley, 14 yrs old. It was believed that there were 5 girls together in the church basement on that fateful day, but only one survived... young Sarah Collins, Adie Mae's younger sister. The bombing was racially motivated and carried out by members of the Ku Klux Klan. - Wikipedia

Mr. C.'s IB English Blog - BD Somani Int School - Mumbai: Sample commentary : Churning day by Seamus Heaney.wmv

Mr. C.'s IB English Blog - BD Somani Int School - Mumbai: Sample commentary : Churning day by Seamus Heaney.wmv

 

MACBETH Not a school trip but see this play if you can on Sunday NCPA

Dear Students - I am just sharing information about a screening of Macbeth on Sunday November 10th at the NCPA.  Please go with family or friends if you have time and can get tickets . Sorry I just heard of this recently, you may want to check how long the performance lasts. Also Hamlet fans, there is a performance of that coming soon. I hope King Lear will be here soon.

Macbeth
Theatre Screening

Kenneth Branagh has long been lauded as one of the great Shakespearean interpreters. His skills as a writer, director and actor have garnered international acclaim across the disciplines of stage, film and television, and he is the only man to be nominated in five different categories for an Academy Award. He last performed Shakespeare when he played Richard III at the Sheffield Crucible in 2002. Recent stage performances as Edmund at the National Theatre and Ivanov for the Donmar played to great acclaim. In 2011 he completed a sell-out run of the hit comedy The Painkiller at the Lyric Theatre in his home city of Belfast.

Performance dates

• Nov

  Sun 10

  03:00 PM

  07:00 PM

Death And The Maiden - trailer

The trailer is good to get a sense of place and of course these are great actors and Polanski is a great director. However, resist the temptation to watch the full film until you have studied the play as there are major differences in the text.
Disclaimer: Please note this is an IB text for older teenagers and parental guidance is advised for younger teenagers who may be reading this blog. There is some rough and vulgar language in the play and simulated violence in the film version. The story deals with the abuse of human rights during the Pinochet military dictatorship in Chile in the 1970s. This is part of a pre-university course for older teens and critical thinkers. Just as with "The God of Small Things" it contains adult themes.

GRADE X1 HL STUDENTS ---- IOP Roadmap and Tips

Hi everyone

Here is the information as promised 

1.  From Monday 11th November to Friday 15th our focus in class will be World Literature. There are no IOPs this week!
2. Students have this week to complete IOP preparation outside class time.
3. From Monday 18th to Friday 22nd - students will make a short public declaration in class of the title and aims of the presentation as per school attendance list. There will be no powerpoint etc just  a simple statement of introduction. About 2 minutes long.

• From Monday 25th - we will hold the formal IOPs in class time and occasionally in study hall blocks if possible. There will be a lottery in class and students will then speak in order of that published list. 
•  This reduces pressure on students and meets our deadlines for Q2.
• Any questions or feedback - make a comment here or email me 
• Students who have already completed their scripts can volunteer to go first ahead of the lottery if they wish.
•  



A reminder of how talented our IB students are in public performance! Be strong and confident and creative and come and see me if you are nervous about public speaking. Well done to Tanisha and everyone involved in this play for our special assembly on MUN.

Best website for tips and resources - Mr Hoyes!

http://mrhoyesibwebsite.com/  

IB ENGLISH PAPER 1 RUBRIC ASSESSMENT CRITIERIA LITERARY ANALYSIS

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b0YlV-6oEOm3-J8Gs7Gv2Wr4lz_iLGaxp1r--4ry8jg/edit?usp=sharing

Why is Literary Theory important in the 'new' IB Literature Course? Let's ask the IB!

Sometimes students and parents ask me about the importance of Literary Theory in the new IB English Literature course. Readers of this blog will notice that "Theory" is included in many posts here. Why?
Here is a direct quote from the teacher-support materials produced by the IB itself to help teachers construct their programmes from the approved booklists. This does not preclude a strong personal response from students, on the contrary it helps students join the academic discourse by being familiar with the major movements in literature, just as visual arts students or students of cinema would be aware of trends and movements in those areas of knowledge.

Source : http://ibpublishing.ibo.org/live-exist/rest/app/flat-tsm.xql?doc=d_1_a1lan_tsm_1105_1a_e

"Literary criticism and theory

To develop confidence in analysing and discussing literature from an independent viewpoint, students need to be familiar with the genre of literary criticism, which includes book reviews, lectures, articles and books. These can be found in printed form or on the internet.
Learning about different critical perspectives is essential, and may be in the form of a “mini-course” in critical theory, or take the form of studying works through a particular critical bias (for example, post-colonialism, formalism, structuralism, new historicism, feminism, Marxism). It is also interesting for students to know that:

• the act of examining literature is itself an object of study
• there is no single right answer when analysing and discussing literature
• fashions come and go in the area of literary criticism."

One of the best online websites for literature - read on.....

Welcome to The Literature Network!

We offer searchable online literature for the student, educator, or enthusiast. To find the work you're looking for start by looking through the author index. We currently have over 3000 full books and over 4000 short stories and poems by over 250 authors. Our quotations database has over 8500 quotes.
Have a question about literature? Why not ask it in our Literature Forums. Thousands of members are waiting to talk to you!
It's a good site to 'dip in' and browse if you want to get a sense of a writer's work or style.

http://www.online-literature.com/

Here is Chekov's famous short story "The Lady With the Dog"
 

http://www.online-literature.com/wilde/1297/

MR.C.'s TOK Blog BD Somani Mumbai -Theory of Knowledge: BBC World Service Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet: Why is it so loved?

MR.C.'s TOK Blog BD Somani Mumbai -Theory of Knowledge: BBC World Service Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet: Why is it so loved?

"Life of Pi" author Yann Martel's list of books for PM Stephen Harper of Canada

http://virl.bibliocommons.com/list/show/68338643_vickiz/68452506_yann_martels_suggested_reading_list_for_stephen_harper_%281%29

Author Yann Martel famously sent a book to the Canadian Prime Minister every fortnight.
Click above and see a list of the books he sent to the PM of his country.

World Literature Review on Amazon

Hi everyone - while looking for a good anthology of World Literature on Flipkart, I found the book below here. I wanted to order it for the library for reference not for class use.
So I went to Amazon to get more information and found this review from a clearly reluctant literature student. This is why I love teaching students in India who love books. I must admit while somewhat humorous, would you want to be her teacher? See comment below, I want to believe it was just a joke :)



  
                                                             

http://www.amazon.com/World-Literature-Edition-Student-softcover/dp/0078603528

Glencoe World Literature: An Anthology of Great Short Stories, Poetry, and Drama

Great format, February 17, 2013

5.0 out of 5 stars Great format February 17, 2013

By Sabrina

If you absolutely have to sit through a literature class, this book at least makes you less motivated to rip your eye out of its socket.

IB ENGLISH LITERATURE EXAM 2014 and 2015 HL Assessment

BD SOMANI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ANNUAL DAY.

 

Language A: literature guide Assessment outline—HL Assessment

Assessment component  Weighting

 External assessment  70% = 2 Exams and Written Task (World Lit)

Paper 1: Literary commentary (2 hours) 20%

The paper consists of two passages: one prose and one poetry.

Students choose one and write a literary commentary. (20 marks)

Paper 2: Essay (2 hours) 25%

The paper consists of three questions for each literary genre.

In response to one question students write an essay based on at least two works studied in part 3. (25 marks)

World Literature Essay aka Written assignment 25%

Students submit a reflective statement and literary essay on one work studied in part 1. (25 marks)

The reflective statement must be 300–400 words in length. The essay must be 1,200–1,500 words in length.

Internal assessment  30%

This component is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB at the end of the course.

IOC Individual oral commentary and discussion (20 minutes) 15%

Formal oral commentary on poetry studied in part 2 with subsequent questions

(10 minutes) followed by a discussion based on one of the other part 2 works

(10 minutes). (30 marks)

IOP Individual oral presentation (10–15 minutes) 15%

The presentation is based on works studied in part 4. It is internally assessed and

externally moderated through the part 2 internal assessment task. (30 marks)

Martin Luther King : "I have a Dream" - Analysis | Accelerated Study Notes

CLICK ON THIS LINK FOR SPEECH ANALYSIS

Martin Luther King : "I have a Dream" - Analysis | Accelerated Study Notes

Wilfred Owen: The Sentry (English) [wiki] BRYANT MCGILL

Wilfred Owen: The Sentry (English) [wiki]

At Diwalli - Remembering my IB English CLASS 2011-2013 - I taught all 66 students English HL and SL - I also taught 19 of them in TOK class - a total of 85 IB Assessments.

A small section of this year's IB graduates - they personified the warmth, intelligence and drive of young Indians at BD Somani International School Cuffe Parade Mumbai. We prove that students can enjoy learning and achieve great results.

Here is link to last year's prom http://mrctok.blogspot.in/p/bd-somani-prom-more-photos.html

It was an hounour and pleasure to teach all 66 students, the entire year group in English and a further 19 in TOK. They combined charm and wit with industry and performance. This group contributed greatly to the life of the school. As Student Council Mentor I helped them set up our first Student Council. As Theory of Knowledge Coordinator, I found 8 excellent student speakers for our Theory of Knowledge Forum on "Being Indian and Internationally-Minded in an IB School". They proved that we are all life-long learners as I learned so much from them. This post carries with it respect, affection and remembrance of many happy days and many blessings for their future.
 Fortunately, this new academic year has provided me with 2 fantastic groups in Grade X1 IB HL and a group inherited in Grade X11 HL. Teaching is fun when you enjoy it as much as I do!

I dedicate this rendition of Tagore's "Unending Love" to all our students, teachers and families and friends at home and abroad during the Festival of Lights - Divalli.

What about the IB Results in English and ToK in 2013?
Some statistics:

• In my Higher Level Group 1 English Literature A there were 38 students.
• 15 students scored a Grade 7 or 6. 
• The IB global average in English is 2% for Grade 7 and 14% for Grade 6.
• The IB average is therefore 16% 
• 40% of my BD HL students scored a 6 or 7 in May 2013. Well done students!
• 
  
• Out of total of 66 students in my English Higher and Standard classes - exactly 22 out of 66 achieved a 6 or 7. That is exactly 33% of  my entire group. That is well above the global average.
• Theory of Knowledge  - the IB average for combined Grade A and B is about 40%
• BD SOMANI TOK STUDENTS - exactly 50% of our students scored GRADE A or B - 33 students from a total of 66 in the whole group.
• BD SOMANI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL - What is the bottom line?
• As a result of our outstanding academic reputation, BD SOMANI students are gaining admission to some of the best universities in the world, including (in the UK) Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, Imperial College, UCL and Warwick and (in the US) Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Princeton, Brown, Duke, U-Penn, Cornell, Wellesley, Northwestern, Michigan and NYU.
•  Visit our school website here:
• http://www.bdsint.com/ib/index.htm 
• 
  
• Posted by
• Mr Callahan
• IB ENGLISH LITERATURE TEACHER AND THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE COORDINATOR