I hope everyone had a restful break! I certainly did!
We started class with 10-15 minutes of independent reading/catch up time. Then we moved to our Writer's Notebooks where we responded to an article titled "College students confront subtler forms of bias: slights and snubs." Many students felt that the best way to deal with situations addressed in the article is to tell the person who made the offensive comment that what they've said isn't okay.
We began a STAAR practice reading test. We will finish this in class tomorrow.
**Third period didn't meet today because of the evacuation. We'll get caught up tomorrow.
Monday, November 30, 2015
Sunday, November 29, 2015
November 20, 2015
We started with 15 minutes of time for students to read independently and write in their Writer's Notebooks. Students could write about whatever they chose; if they needed a topic, I suggested making a list of things to be thankful for.
We picked up where we left off with the Susan B. Anthony speech, answering questions in groups.
We examined more speeches for examples of logos, ethos, and pathos, using Ashton Kutcher, Elle Woods, and William Wallace as models. We also looked at how advertisers can use visual effects (like lighting and camera angles) to persuade us. Notes and links to the speeches and ads are available on the "Argument and Persuasion Blend" slides on Classroom.
Homework for the break: Read!
Enjoy your Thanksgiving break!
We picked up where we left off with the Susan B. Anthony speech, answering questions in groups.
We examined more speeches for examples of logos, ethos, and pathos, using Ashton Kutcher, Elle Woods, and William Wallace as models. We also looked at how advertisers can use visual effects (like lighting and camera angles) to persuade us. Notes and links to the speeches and ads are available on the "Argument and Persuasion Blend" slides on Classroom.
Homework for the break: Read!
Enjoy your Thanksgiving break!
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Thursday, November 19, 2015
November 19, 2015
We started class with 15 minutes of independent reading time. I asked students to pay close attention as they read because they would be doing something with their reading for their Writer's Notebook entry. When time was up, students wrote the title of their book and the chapters/pages they read during the 15 minutes. Then, using their Notes app on their iPads or phones, students retold their chapter using only emojis. This was a little harder than I thought it would be! Oxford Classics tweeted some good examples.
We revisited the Quindlen speech through the essential questions: Is Quindlen's speech effective? How does she influence others to agree with her opinions and ideas? Is Quindlen's argument sound? We also looked at the conclusion of her speech and determined that it is a call to action. In our notes, we added information about call to action and logical fallacies. These notes have been added to the end of the "Argument and Persuasion" slides available on Classroom.
We read Susan B. Anthony's speech, "On Women's Right To Vote" and started working on some analysis questions. We will pick up here tomorrow!
We revisited the Quindlen speech through the essential questions: Is Quindlen's speech effective? How does she influence others to agree with her opinions and ideas? Is Quindlen's argument sound? We also looked at the conclusion of her speech and determined that it is a call to action. In our notes, we added information about call to action and logical fallacies. These notes have been added to the end of the "Argument and Persuasion" slides available on Classroom.
We read Susan B. Anthony's speech, "On Women's Right To Vote" and started working on some analysis questions. We will pick up here tomorrow!
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Wednesday, November 18, 2015
November 18, 2015
We started with 20 minutes of independent reading time. While reading, we kept an eye out for new words or words used in interesting ways. My word was moron, which means a stupid person. in The Catcher in the Rye, Holden says, "All morons hate it when you call them a moron" (Salinger 44). I already knew what the word meant, but I couldn't figure out why he kept using it! For whatever reason, it's the character's favorite insult.
Students had about 10-15 minutes to discuss the Anna Quindlen Commencement Speech in their groups, then we examined the speech as a class, sharing examples of parallelism, repetition, analogy, and allusion. We analyzed the different rhetorical devices in the speech, discovering how parallel structures and repetition of words can lead to a better understanding of a speech's message.
Before you leave for the break, turn in your Retellings notebook!
Students had about 10-15 minutes to discuss the Anna Quindlen Commencement Speech in their groups, then we examined the speech as a class, sharing examples of parallelism, repetition, analogy, and allusion. We analyzed the different rhetorical devices in the speech, discovering how parallel structures and repetition of words can lead to a better understanding of a speech's message.
Before you leave for the break, turn in your Retellings notebook!
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Tuesday, November 17, 2015
November 17, 2015
We started the day with a visit to the library for our 15 minutes of independent reading time. After that, students responded to this question in their Writer's Notebooks: If the technology existed to upload your brain and live indefinitely, would you have any ethical concerns about doing it?
We revisited the ads that we found yesterday that employed different persuasive techniques. Groups replied to two of the ads on Classroom and explained how that ad used the selected technique.
We finished up the argument and persuasion notes (page 632) and put our understanding into practice. I displayed several print ads, and students evaluated them for the use of logos, ethos, and pathos.
I distributed copies of Anna Quindlen's commencement speech, and students will examine the speech for parallelism, repetition, analogy, and allusion. We'll also look for logos, ethos, and pathos and dissect the structure of the speech. This where we'll begin tomorrow!
We revisited the ads that we found yesterday that employed different persuasive techniques. Groups replied to two of the ads on Classroom and explained how that ad used the selected technique.
We finished up the argument and persuasion notes (page 632) and put our understanding into practice. I displayed several print ads, and students evaluated them for the use of logos, ethos, and pathos.
I distributed copies of Anna Quindlen's commencement speech, and students will examine the speech for parallelism, repetition, analogy, and allusion. We'll also look for logos, ethos, and pathos and dissect the structure of the speech. This where we'll begin tomorrow!
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| Today's Board |
Monday, November 16, 2015
November 16, 2015
We began class with 15 minutes of independent reading time. I passed A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court on to a student who wanted to read Mark Twain and switched to The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.
For our Writer's Notebook entry, we read and annotated "How To Get Students To Stop Using Their Cellphones in Class" and wrote a 1/2 page response to the article.
We finished/reviewed our Persuasive Techniques notes (p 634) from Friday and searched for and shared commercials that employ the techniques we discussed. We continued taking notes on persuasion from page 636. Then we went back to the beginning of the unit to take notes over argument, starting on page 632. (Absent students can access the online textbook using the instructions on Classroom under "About." Check your notes with mine or another student's when you return!)
Don't forget your "Messages" essay is due tomorrow!
For our Writer's Notebook entry, we read and annotated "How To Get Students To Stop Using Their Cellphones in Class" and wrote a 1/2 page response to the article.
We finished/reviewed our Persuasive Techniques notes (p 634) from Friday and searched for and shared commercials that employ the techniques we discussed. We continued taking notes on persuasion from page 636. Then we went back to the beginning of the unit to take notes over argument, starting on page 632. (Absent students can access the online textbook using the instructions on Classroom under "About." Check your notes with mine or another student's when you return!)
Don't forget your "Messages" essay is due tomorrow!
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| Today's Board |
Friday, November 13, 2015
November 13, 2015
We started class with 15 minutes to write in our Writer's Notebooks and read independently. Fridays are free write days; today's suggested topic was Friday the 13th and other superstitions.
We returned to the Bright Room to wrap up our retellings discovery activity. I gave students about 10 minutes to wrap up any loose ends in their presentations, and then they shared with the class.
Back in the classroom, we started our Argument and Persuasion unit. In groups, students discussed different kinds of persuasive messages they encounter on a daily basis, from billboards to ads on social media (textbook p 630). We took notes over some of the most common persuasive techniques that advertisers use and came up with examples for each (textbook p 634). We then evaluated a segment of a speech for those techniques (textbook p 635).
Homework for the weekend: Spend a total of 60 minutes reading! Don't forget your "Messages" essay is due Tuesday. Please don't use 1st or 2nd person in your essay. If you begin a sentence with "I think," just remove it and the sentence should still work.
We returned to the Bright Room to wrap up our retellings discovery activity. I gave students about 10 minutes to wrap up any loose ends in their presentations, and then they shared with the class.
Back in the classroom, we started our Argument and Persuasion unit. In groups, students discussed different kinds of persuasive messages they encounter on a daily basis, from billboards to ads on social media (textbook p 630). We took notes over some of the most common persuasive techniques that advertisers use and came up with examples for each (textbook p 634). We then evaluated a segment of a speech for those techniques (textbook p 635).
Homework for the weekend: Spend a total of 60 minutes reading! Don't forget your "Messages" essay is due Tuesday. Please don't use 1st or 2nd person in your essay. If you begin a sentence with "I think," just remove it and the sentence should still work.
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Thursday, November 12, 2015
November 12, 2015
We started class with 15 minutes of independent reading. Students kept an eye out for new and interesting words as they read then added the word to their Writer's Notebook. My word was "bosh," which means absurd or foolish talk; nonsense. It comes from Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court: "He spoke of me all the time, in the blandest way, as 'this prodigious giant,' and 'this horrible sky-towering monster,' and 'this tusked and taloned man-devouring ogre;' and everybody took in all this bosh in the naivest way, never smiled or seemed to notice that there was any discrepancy between these watered statistics and me" (20).
We've spent the past 2 1/2 weeks studying one set of stories that share a common thread. Today, I challenged students to find their own set of retellings. We visited the Bright Room where students worked with a partner to find a short story, a poem, and a song or artwork that all tell the same story. They then shared their findings with the class (not all groups presented today, so we'll return to the lab to finish up tomorrow). Students discovered retellings of Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, and many more!
We've spent the past 2 1/2 weeks studying one set of stories that share a common thread. Today, I challenged students to find their own set of retellings. We visited the Bright Room where students worked with a partner to find a short story, a poem, and a song or artwork that all tell the same story. They then shared their findings with the class (not all groups presented today, so we'll return to the lab to finish up tomorrow). Students discovered retellings of Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, and many more!
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| Students collaborate in the Bright Room. |
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| These young men are finding retellings of Pygmalion. |
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
November 11, 2015
Students completed a one-pager for their Writer's Notebook entry and a notebook check form before turning in their notebooks.
Students discussed their interpretations of Jackson's "The Daemon Lover" and shared the most probable situations. We added this information to the class interpretations chart on Classroom.
To conclude the retellings unit, students will write a two-part paper. They started by talking in their groups about the messages in each text, how they are conveyed, and the similarities and differences of the messages across texts. Then I distributed the assignment sheet. We will have a little time in class on Thursday, Friday, and Monday to work on the assignment, and students will turn it in on Classroom on Tuesday, 11/17.
(No board photo today--I erased it too quickly! Sorry.)
Students discussed their interpretations of Jackson's "The Daemon Lover" and shared the most probable situations. We added this information to the class interpretations chart on Classroom.
To conclude the retellings unit, students will write a two-part paper. They started by talking in their groups about the messages in each text, how they are conveyed, and the similarities and differences of the messages across texts. Then I distributed the assignment sheet. We will have a little time in class on Thursday, Friday, and Monday to work on the assignment, and students will turn it in on Classroom on Tuesday, 11/17.
(No board photo today--I erased it too quickly! Sorry.)
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
November 10, 2015
We started class with 15 minutes of independent reading time. For the Writer's Notebook entry today, students chose one of the following quotes to respond to. Responses should be at least a page long.
"A stumble may prevent a fall." - English Proverb
"It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness." - Chinese ProverbStudents participated in a fishbowl discussion about perceptions in Shirley Jackson's "The Daemon Lover." We focused on the following questions:
- What is the narrator like? How does she view herself?
- What do others think of her? How do they treat her? Why?
- How are the narrator and Kathleen/Mrs. Drover similar? How are they different?
- How did your understandings of the narrator change from your first reading of the text? What accounts for that change?
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Monday, November 9, 2015
November 9, 2015
Unfortunately, I couldn't be at school today. Students are still working through the Retellings unit, though! Here are the plans I left with the substitute. Be ready to discuss when I return on Tuesday! And since I don't have a picture of my board for the day, I'm sharing a picture of my dogs. :)
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| Baxter and Boomer |
Friday, November 6, 2015
November 6, 2015
Students had 20 minutes at the beginning of class to read independently and write in their Writer's Notebooks. Today's entry was a free entry--students could draw or write whatever they chose. I provided a quote if they needed a starting point: "We must become the change we want to see." - Ghandi
We continued our discussion of Shirley Jackson's retelling of "The Daemon Lover" (see yesterday's post for a link to the story). Students worked in groups to answer questions and analyze the narrator's view of herself and others' views of the narrator. This Notes for 11/6 document has all of the questions we worked on today (your resource if you were absent or if you want to review).
We continued our discussion of Shirley Jackson's retelling of "The Daemon Lover" (see yesterday's post for a link to the story). Students worked in groups to answer questions and analyze the narrator's view of herself and others' views of the narrator. This Notes for 11/6 document has all of the questions we worked on today (your resource if you were absent or if you want to review).
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| Today's Board |
Thursday, November 5, 2015
November 5, 2015
Students are encouraged to keep an eye out for new/interesting words as they read their independent reading books. Today, they shared a word for their Writer's Notebook entry. My word was palimpsest which means "a parchment or the like from which writing has been partially or completely erased to make room for another text." It comes from A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain: "I scanned a leaf particularly and saw that it was a palimpsest" (Twain 6).
We read the last story in the Retellings unit, "The Daemon Lover" by Shirley Jackson (full text here and audio here). As they read, students tracked the major events and characters in the story. This is a pretty long story, so we only had time to read and recap the events today. We'll go more in depth with it tomorrow.
We read the last story in the Retellings unit, "The Daemon Lover" by Shirley Jackson (full text here and audio here). As they read, students tracked the major events and characters in the story. This is a pretty long story, so we only had time to read and recap the events today. We'll go more in depth with it tomorrow.
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| Today's Board (We actually did Session 6 today, not Session 7. Got a little ahead of myself.) |
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
November 4, 2015
Ms. Scott from the counseling office visited us today and guided us through the Career Cruising site. Students completed quizzes to help them realize their strengths and interests and explored colleges and careers that they're interested in. They chose 3 colleges and shared information about cost, requirements, and location.
We usually do vocabulary in our Writer's Notebooks on Wednesdays, but today I asked students to reflect on the Career Cruising activity. Many students are still unsure of what they want to be when they grow up, and looking at the requirements and cost of college may have been unsettling for them. As sophomores, this is the perfect time to start thinking about those things and to discover the path necessary to reach those goals!
We usually do vocabulary in our Writer's Notebooks on Wednesdays, but today I asked students to reflect on the Career Cruising activity. Many students are still unsure of what they want to be when they grow up, and looking at the requirements and cost of college may have been unsettling for them. As sophomores, this is the perfect time to start thinking about those things and to discover the path necessary to reach those goals!
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| Today's Board |
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
November 3, 2015
We started the period with 25 minutes to read independently and write in our Writer's Notebooks. Today's notebook entry was inspired by last Tuesday's list of awesome things. I asked students to choose one item from their list and expand on it in the style of the entries on the 1000 Awesome Things blog.
We used Kahoot! to review a STAAR revising passage. Students did really well on this activity!
We returned to "The Demon Lover" retellings. Students read several variations of the ballad and then looked at the original ballad through a different lens. Here are the questions that were posed today:
Remember to bring your charged iPad tomorrow for Career Cruising!
We used Kahoot! to review a STAAR revising passage. Students did really well on this activity!
We returned to "The Demon Lover" retellings. Students read several variations of the ballad and then looked at the original ballad through a different lens. Here are the questions that were posed today:
Consider the variations of the ballad that you read.
- What's the same across all the ballads? What's different?
- How do the differences alter your ideas about the characters or events?
- What, if anything, do the differences tell you about the time, place, or culture?
One of the titles of the original ballad was "A Warning to Married Women." Please reread "The Daemon Lover" ballad to come up with a response to this question: "What is the warning to married women?" Be sure to support your interpretation with evidence from across the text.
Reflect
- Consider the variations that you read that are the most different from the Scottish ballad we've read and discussed. Do these ballads suggest a different warning to married women? If so, what's the warning and how is it conveyed?
- How did reading Bowen's text and studying multiple versions of the Scottish ballad influence your thinking about the warning to married women?
- What can you say about how texts make meaning from other texts?
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Monday, November 2, 2015
November 2, 2015
The drive to work this morning reminded me of Carl Sandburg's poem "Fog."
We started class with 15 minutes of independent reading time. I'm still working through Brave New World. Science fiction always fascinates me because I wonder how the author knew where we were headed.
We read "Too Much Sitting Is Killing You" for our Writer's Notebook entry. Students responded to the article with more ways people can increase their activity levels. It was good to see many students challenge what the article was saying--they felt the author left some information out. Here are some videos on the topic.
We continued our journey through retellings, looking at the original source for "The Demon Lover." Students read the ballad, concentrating on what is actually happening in the story and who the characters are. In groups, they discussed how the ballad altered or enhanced their understanding of Bowen's "The Demon Lover," the story we worked with last week, and they recalled familiar retellings like the stories of Romeo and Juliet and Beauty and the Beast. We finished the period by studying other versions of "The Daemon Lover" ballad (243F is the version most like the one in our book), including Bob Dylan's "The House Carpenter."
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| Today's Board |
We read "Too Much Sitting Is Killing You" for our Writer's Notebook entry. Students responded to the article with more ways people can increase their activity levels. It was good to see many students challenge what the article was saying--they felt the author left some information out. Here are some videos on the topic.
We continued our journey through retellings, looking at the original source for "The Demon Lover." Students read the ballad, concentrating on what is actually happening in the story and who the characters are. In groups, they discussed how the ballad altered or enhanced their understanding of Bowen's "The Demon Lover," the story we worked with last week, and they recalled familiar retellings like the stories of Romeo and Juliet and Beauty and the Beast. We finished the period by studying other versions of "The Daemon Lover" ballad (243F is the version most like the one in our book), including Bob Dylan's "The House Carpenter."
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