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This in-class excercise, designed for 3-4 students to be completed in one class period -- closely examines chapters 2 & 3 of All Quiet on the Western Front. Among other ideas, it looks at the effects of power, the men's ideas on how wars should be fought, and the ambivalence of revenge. This final characterization of revenge as "black pudding" can actually serve a class well as the single point of discussion for an entire period - of course in a group work like this, it is simply one part of a bigger equation.
This Illuminated Text by Debra Chin and Elizabeth Mucha pushes the limits of what can be done using Power Point. With a constant backdrop of the poplars (that play such an important part in the imagery of the novel), sad violin music plays as Paul's journey
This illuminated text takes you through the emotions and thoughts that Paul Baumer experiences during WWI. While the text tells Paul's story the changes of scenes along with their complex backgrounds and music help us picture and feel what the text is describing. [If Illuminated Texts could be given a collective standing ovation, this one would certainly deserve it. In fact, after it was shown, some of my students told me we should stop doing them as nothing could ever compare. 
A complex (but rewarding I believe) assignment that begins with the students closely examining the text to find comparisons between the men and specific animals. Then the students examine how the animals are treated versus the men. Their is also a discussion of the point of schoolwork in the soldier's (students) lives and its worth. There are so many beautiful images (sand, stars, men) that are repeated and leave a mark on the reader.
There are many things that are remarkable about this Illuminated Text. For one, it was done by a lone student (she wanted to work that way). For another, its singular focus: At one point Paul Baumer goes back to his home and tries to get the things that he had in his childhood (such as the books along the wall) bring him somehow magically back to the world that he used to know. This presentation examines that wished for transformation.
In this presentation I've taken the excerpt where Paul describes the beautiful scenery around the front. I went from there to juxtapose the butterflies in the novel with him. My goal was to portray Paul as the butterfly, and show that he too was "trapped inside the glass" like the butterflies he had once collected. [I am not embarassed to admit that this Illuminated Text moved me to tears by the end of it - and it wasn't for overwraught sentiment, but rather a deep understanding and empathy for Paul Baumer that this presentation does such a wonderful job of bringing out. The butterfly on the mirror - that goes behind glass - that becomes the reflection of Paul. The ideas, and the expression of those ideas are profound and masterful. JRS]
This group work looks at the first part of Chapter 7 (a very long chapter). First, it examines the men and their belief that they can't compete with the men back at home-- and then to an even more serious notion that while Paul Baumer dreams of miracles he wakes up to a "loaf of bread." As with most of the group works in this series -- the idea of the worlds: home and front are constantly compared and contrasted.
Lately I have been encouraging students to pull text from across the breadth of a book -- rather than just from one page or particular spot. It gives the students a chance to tie ideas or themes found in the book together while keeping focused on the text. This presentation does just that -- and it does it masterfully. The student pulled text throughout the book that showed the men's love and antipathy towards the earth. It kills them and it saves them. He (the creator of this Illuminated Text) also uses a wonderful metaphor not found in the book
This illuminated text, created by Natalie Jeung and Lori Mai, tries simply to depict the story of war. The words illustrate the chaos that goes on the field during battles. We see what the war has done to the young men who enter it and how it impacted their lives.
Fresh Ink - Most Recent Content
The six most recent lessons or stories.
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7 weeks 6 days ago
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8 weeks 49 min ago
The most recent comments
- Byron's "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" a Cooperative Journey
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- Teaching Hamlet
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- The Earth
- Should English Teachers spend time talking about what an author meant?
- Should English Teachers spend time talking about what an author meant?
- Should students be routinely quizzed to determine if they have read the assigned text?
- Should students be routinely quizzed to determine if they have read the assigned text?
- Once & Future King: Links with Macbeth
The 10 Most Recent Audio Files to be posted
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Tue, 2013-04-09 00:49
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Mon, 2013-04-08 00:57
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Thu, 2013-04-04 23:15
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Mon, 2013-04-01 11:43
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Most Recent Illuminated Text
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