Sunday, June 5, 2011

Plans for June 6 to June 10

Monday or Tuesday (A/B)

  • Quiz: Quack! Volume 10.2
  • Return books: Students will be reminded to return any outstanding books and to return their textbooks by next class. 
  • Temple Grandin: Students will begin watching the film, taking notes on similarities that they recognize between Curious Incident and the film. 
  • Closing Quick Write: With ten minutes remaining, students will respond intheir notebooks to the following question:
    • How has reading Curious Incident changed your perspective?  What do you understand better about Temple in the film after reading about Christopher in the novel? 

Wednesday or Thursday (A/B)

  • Temple Grandin: Students will finish watching the film, taking notes on similarities that they recognize between Curious Incident and the film. 
  • Review Comments on Final Essay for Curious Incident: Students will receive their essays back and will have some time to review the comments and ask any questions. 
  • Writing Portfolios: Students will receive their writing portfolios back and review their papers from the year.  They will be asked to look at how their writing has improved and what areas they still need to work on in their writing.
  • Final Exam: Students will receive a review guide for the final exam.  We will review it briefly as a class and continue working on it the next day (A/B Day). 
  • Closing Activity: Students will receive a course summary sheet.  They will have time to reflect on the year, their growth, the challenges they have faced, what they liked, and what they disliked throughout the course. 
    • Grades will be posted at this time.

Friday (AB Day)

  • Review: We will briefly review the bulleted list of works, literary movements, and concepts that students will need to focus on while they study for the final exam.
  • Professor Know-It-All: Students will have 20 minutes to break up into groups of three or four and develop at least 3 questions for each of the categories listed on the review sheet.
o   Students will be asked to try and think of higher-order questions in addition to standard recall questions. 
o   Question “starters” will be on the board to guide them while they work. 
  • Professor Know-It-All Challenge: Each group will then randomly draw one of the categories from a hat and they will become the “Professors” for that literary period or movement. 
o   The group that asks and answers the most questions accurately will receive 5 points extra credit on their participation grade. 
o   Students will be encouraged to take notes during this exercise in order to help them begin preparing for the exam.
  • Homework: Study for the final exam and see me or email me if you have any questions or concerns!
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Monday, May 30, 2011

Plans for May 31 to June 3

Tuesday or Wednesday (A/B)

  • Reading Check Quiz: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, p. 166-end
  • View: Quack! Volume 10.2 (second viewing)
  • Final Essay for Curious Incident: Students will continue working on their final essays for Curious Incident.  They must have at least 2 paragraphs complete by the end of the block. 
    • Due: Thursday or Friday (6/3 or 6/4)
  • Writing Conferences (first half): While students work, I will meet with each student to review one of their paragraphs to pinpoint areas in need of improvement. 
  • Homework: Quack quiz next class.  Be sure to study your words.  Also, continue working on your essay.  Due next class!

Thursday or Friday (A/B)

  • Quack! Quiz: Volume 10.2
  • Final Essay for Curious Incident: Students will have the remainder of the block to finish and print their Curious Incident essays. 
  • Writing Conferences (second half): While students work, I will meet with the rest of the students to review one of their paragraphs to pinpoint areas in need of improvement. 
  • Closing Activity: All students must print or email me their papers by the end of the block!
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Sunday, May 22, 2011

Plans for May 23 to May 27

Monday (B)

  • Reading Check Quiz: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, p. 115-140
  • With a partner: Respond to the following question in your notebook.  Be prepared to share with the class: One of the paragraphs on the back of the book cover states that Christopher Boone "has no understanding of human emotions." If you disagree with this statement, how might you revise it to make it reflect more accurately Christopher’s grasp of human emotion? Cite at least two examples of situations where Christopher not only is feeling human emotions, but also clearly is aware that he is doing so?
o   From: Illinois Wesleyan University.
  • Circle and Discuss: Student responses to quick write assignment.
  • Watch and Discuss: SPUR: What is therapeutic riding?
  • Real-life Connections: Students will have the opportunity to get more information about SPUR and volunteer opportunities. 
  • If time permits: We will continue reading the novel as a class, pausing for discussion and questions. 
  • Closing Activity: Quack! Volume 10.1 (second viewing)
  • Homework: Read pages 140-165, stop at section “211.”  Be prepared for a reading check quiz next class!   

Tuesday or Wednesday (A/B)

  • Quiz: Quack! 10.1
  • Reading Check Quiz: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, p. 140-165
  • With a partner: The word “mystery” is defined as anything that is kept secret or remains unexplained or unknown or any affair, thing, or person that presents features or qualities so obscure as to arouse curiosity or speculation.  Besides the basic plot of Wellington’s murder, what are the “mysteries” in the novel?  Try to think of at least two different examples and explain. 
  • Discuss: Mystery in Curious Incident
  • Listen and Discuss: Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess”
o   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Irb-P1nDAE
  • With Small Groups: Closely analyze each line to see if you can uncover the mystery hidden in the poem.  The speaker, the Duke of Ferrara, is talking to an emissary, who is there to negotiate the Duke’s new marriage.  What exactly is the Duke saying about his late wife as he shows the emissary the painting?  Be sure to cite specific lines to support your claims.
o   http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/rb/duchess/duchess.html
  • Discussion and Close Reading: We will discuss student responses to the poem, focusing on a few key passages for close-reading practice.
  • If time permits: We will continue reading Curious Incident as a class, pausing for discussion and questions. 
  • Homework: Read pages 166-198, stop at section “229” in Curious Incident.  Be prepared for a reading check quiz next class! 

Thursday or Friday (A/B)

  • Reading Check Quiz: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, p. 166-198
  • View: Quack! Volume 10.2 (first viewing)
  • Final Essay for Curious Incident: Students will receive the final essay topic for Curious Incident and will have the remainder of the block to begin planning and drafting the essay.  Due: Thursday or Friday (6/3 or 6/4)
  • Homework: Read to the end of the novel in Curious Incident.  Be prepared for a reading check quiz next class!  Continue working on your essay over the weekend and be sure to bring back all materials for next class’s writing workshop.
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Sunday, May 15, 2011

Plans for May 16 to May 20

Monday or Tuesday (A/B)

  • Quack Quiz: Volume 9.2
  • Reading Check Quiz: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, p. 53-83
  • Type II Quick Write
  • Discuss: Seeing through Christopher’s eyes. 
  • If time permits: We will continue reading the novel as a class, pausing for discussion and questions. 
  • Homework: Read pages 83-115, stop at section “163.”  Be prepared for a reading check quiz next class! 

Wednesday or Thursday (A/B)

  • Do Now: Take five minutes to review last night’s reading assignment before taking the reading check quiz.
  • Reading Check Quiz: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, p. 83-115
  • Type I Quick Write
  • Circle and Discuss: Student responses to quick write assignment.
  • PowerPoint: What is Theory of Mind? 
  • Watch and Discuss: Asperger’s Syndrome Documentary
  • If time permits: We will continue reading the novel as a class, pausing for discussion and questions. 
  • Closing Activity: Quack! Volume 10.1 (first viewing)
  • Homework: Read pages 115-140, stop at section “181.”  Be prepared for a reading check quiz next class! 

Friday or Monday (A/B)

  • Reading Check Quiz: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, p. 115-140
  • Partner Activity
  • Circle and Discuss: Student responses to quick write assignment.
  • Watch and Discuss: SPUR: What is therapeutic riding and how does it relate to Christopher’s experience in the novel?
  • Real-life Connections: Students will have the opportunity to get more information about SPUR and volunteer opportunities. 
  • If time permits: We will continue reading the novel as a class, pausing for discussion and questions. 
  • Closing Activity: Quack! Volume 10.1 (second viewing)
  • Homework: Read pages 140-165, stop at section “211.”  Be prepared for a reading check quiz next class! 
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Sunday, May 8, 2011

Plans for May 9 to May 13

Monday (B)

  • Test: Modern Poetry -- Analyze a poem that you have not seen before for elements of Modernism and compare it to at least one of the poems we have read thus far.  You may use your book, but not your notes.
    • While students take the test, I will scan out copies of Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime to each student.
  • Introduction to Curious Incident: We will begin our introduction to the next novel by reading the back cover and the author information page in the front of the book. 
  • Read and Discuss: Mark Haddon’s Blog Post on Autism and Aspergers.  Because Mark Haddon had very little knowledge of autism or aspergers when he wrote the novel (and he didn't intend it to be a novel about autism, but rather one about "difference"), we will be discussing some factual information about autism while reading the novel. 
  • Begin Reading and Discuss: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime
  • Homework: Read pages 1-28.  Stop at section “59.”  Be prepared for a reading check quiz next class!

Tuesday and Wednesday (A/B)

  • Reading Check Quiz: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, p. 1-28
  • Full-Class Discussion: Reactions to the novel thus far.
  • Watch: Temple Grandin at TEDTalks
  • Small Groups: React – Based on what you have learned in Temple Grandin’s TEDTalks presentation, select one passage from the novel and explain how her presentation relates to Christopher’s experience in the novel. 
  • Discuss: Small Group Work
  • Continue Reading: As a class, we will continue reading Curious Incident.
  • Closing Activity: With 10 minutes remaining, students will take out a sheet of paper and be prepared to take down the next set of Quack! words (More Quack! Volume 9.2)
  • Homework: Read pages 28-53, stop at section “97.”  Be prepared for a reading check quiz next class. 

Thursday and Friday (A/B)

  • Reading Check Quiz: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, p. 28-53
  • Type I Quick Write: Share your favorite passage from the book thus far and describe its significance. Which scenes are comical in this novel, and why are they funny? Do these same situations also stimulate other feelings (i.e. sadness, empathy)?  Be prepared to discuss.
    • From: Illinois Wesleyan University.
  • With Partners: Students will be assigned one of two prompts and be prepared to share with the class.
  • Circle Up: Full-class discussion of partner activity.
  • Continue Reading: As a class, we will continue reading Curious Incident.
  • Closing Activity: More Quack! Volume 9.2, second viewing
  • Homework: Read pages 53-83, stop at section “131.”  Be prepared for a reading check quiz next class.  Also, be sure to study your Quack! words for the quiz next class!
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Sunday, May 1, 2011

Plans for May 2 to May 6

Monday or Tuesday (A/B)

  • Do Now: Take out your Quack! Words and be prepared to review.
  • PowerPoint Presentation: Students will then view a PowerPoint presentation with passages from Eliot’s essay “The Tradition and the Individual Talent.”  We will discuss this perspective on the past and get students’ opinions on its validity and application to their lives.
  • Modern Day Connection: “The Beginning is the End is the Beginning” by The Smashing Pumpkins
o   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y40COsFSvUo
  • Read and Discuss: Critical Commentary on “The Hollow Men” (p. 1044-1046)
  • Listen and Discuss: “The Hollow Men”
o   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwcP3NOCeiE&feature=related (Spoken Verse Reading)
  • Small Groups: Students will form five groups.  Each group will be assigned a part of “The Hollow Men” for close-reading analysis.  They will TP-CASTT their section of the poem and be prepared to share their analyses with the class (15 minutes).
  • Discuss: Small group work presentations.
  • Individual Assignment: Students will receive the “Identity Collage” project guidelines.  They will have the remainder of the block to work on the assignment. 
  • Closing Activity: With five minutes remaining, we will discuss the students’ progress on their collages thus far. 
  • Homework: Quack 9.1 Quiz next class!

Wednesday or Thursday (A/B)

  • Quiz: Quack! Volume 9 Part 1
  • Review: Students will review their notes on Modernism (focus on late Modernism). 
  • Listen and Discuss: “In Memory of W.B. Yeats” by W.H. Auden (p. 1056)
o   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQgXx98IvGw&feature=related
  • Partners: With a partner, answer the literary analysis, reading check, and reading strategy questions in the margins next to the poem.  Be prepared to share your responses with the class.
  • Note-Taking: Poetic Voice and Villanelle (p. 1231)
  • Listen and Discuss: “Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night” by Dylan Thomas
o   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i12PSzFu5E&feature=youtu.be (Dylan Thomas Reading – poetictouchannel)
o   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1fTlIsUGks&feature=related (Anthony Hopkins reading)
o   Literary Analysis Question (p. 1233)
  • Identity Collage Projects: Due at the end of the block!
  • Closing Activity: With five minutes remaining, students will have the opportunity to share their identity collages with the rest of the class.
  • Homework: Study for the Modern Poetry test!  Be sure to study your notes on modernism.  You will have to analyze a poem that you have not seen before for elements of Modernism and compare it to at least one of the poems we have read thus far.  Bring your textbook to class!  You will need it for the test!

Friday or Monday (A/B)

  • Test: Modern Poetry -- Analyze a poem that you have not seen before for elements of Modernism and compare it to at least one of the poems we have read thus far.  You may use your book, but not your notes.
  • Introduction to Curious Incident: We will begin our introduction to the next novel by reading the back cover and the author information page in the front of the book. 
  • Read and Discuss: Mark Haddon’s Blog Post on Autism and Aspergers.  Because Mark Haddon had very little knowledge of autism or aspergers when he wrote the novel (and he didn't intend it to be a novel about autism, but rather one about "difference"), we will be discussing some factual information about autism while reading the novel. 
  • Watch: Temple Grandin at TEDTalks
  • Begin Reading and Discuss: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime
  • Closing Activity: Take out a sheet of paper and be prepared to take down the next set of Quack! words (More Quack! Volume 9.2)
  • Homework: Read pages 1-28.  Stop at section “59.”  Be prepared for a reading check quiz next class!
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Monday, April 25, 2011

Plans for April 26 to April 29

Tuesday or Wednesday (A/B)

  • Do Now: Open your textbooks to 1007 and take out your notebooks and a pencil.  Read the quote on page 1007 from Doris Lessing and respond to the following in your notebook:
o   Explain the quote in your own words.  What do the quote and the title of this unit suggest about attitudes during this time period? 
  • Read and Discuss: We will read and discuss the quote and student responses to the quote as a class. 
  • With Partners: Students will partner up and read “Historical Background” on pages 1012 and 1013.  They will be required to have at least 8 bullet points of important information in their notebooks (15 minutes). 
  • Formal Note-taking: After discussing what students read in the “Historical Background,” students will take formal notes on literary modernism and the modern period. 
  • PowerPoint Presentation and Discuss: We will then discuss concurrent movements in the visual arts, ballet, and music. 
o   Visual Arts Focus: Cubism, Futurism, Dadaism, Surrealism
o   Music: non-melodic forms
o   Ballet: Comparison of Swan Lake (1895) to The Rite of Spring (1913) and the resulting riot
  • Small Groups: Students will break into groups of no more than four.  Each group will receive a copy of a painting or sculpture from the modern period.  They will have 15 minutes to discuss the painting as a group and be prepared to answer the following questions in front of the class:
  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/32357038@N08/3594045416/in/photostream/
o   What story is the painting telling?
o   How do the composition, line quality, and color contribute to the painting’s meaning?
o   What does the title of the painting contribute to its meaning?
o   How does this painting reflect Modernism?
  • Painting Presentations: Students will present their analyses in front of the class.
  • Read: Introduction to W.B. Yeats (p. 1022)
  • Listen and Discuss: “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by W.B. Yeats
o   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL8vEW-JTZE&feature=related
  • Closing Type II Quick Write: Yeats writes this poem about escaping from civilization and living a Thoreau-like lifestyle at Lake Innisfree.  Based on what you have learned about the modern period, why do you think he is expressing these sentiments in this poem?  What is he responding to in his society?

Thursday or Friday (A/B)

  • Do Now: Take out your notebooks and be prepared to take down the next set of Quack! words.
  • Listen and Discuss: “The Second Coming” W.B. Yeats (p. 1029)
o   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEunVObSnVM (SpokenVerse reading)
o   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdptneKPJ9s (Cyril Cusak reading)
  • Full Class: As a class, we will critically analyze W.B. Yeats’s “The Second Coming,” with particular attention to Yeats’s belief in the cyclical nature of history.  We will also discuss the sense of hopelessness and loss many felt after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. 
  • Read: Introduction to T.S. Eliot (p. 1038)
  • Type I Quick Write: Students will respond to the following quote in their notebooks (5 minutes):
o   “It is better, in a paradoxical way to do evil, than to do nothing: at least we exist …. The worst that can be said of most of our malefactors [wrongdoers], from statesmen to thieves, is that they are not man enough to be damned” – T.S. Eliot
  • Discuss: We will discuss student responses to Eliot’s quote.
  • Read and Discuss: Critical Commentary on “The Hollow Men” (p. 1044-1046)
  • PowerPoint Presentation: Students will then view a PowerPoint presentation with passages from Eliot’s essay “The Tradition and the Individual Talent.”  We will discuss this perspective on the past and get students’ opinions on its validity and application to their lives.
  • Listen and Discuss: “The Hollow Men”
o   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwcP3NOCeiE&feature=related (Spoken Verse Reading)
  • Small Groups: Students will form five groups.  Each group will be assigned a part of “The Hollow Men” for close-reading analysis.  They will TP-CASTT their section of the poem and be prepared to share their analyses with the class (15 minutes).
  • Closing Activity: Small group work presentations.
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