Today was Writer's Workshop and you all worked diligently to turn in your latest pieces by the end of class. Good Work!
HOMEWORK OVER BREAK: REMEMBER TO READ 30 MINTUES A DAY!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Monday, December 14
Today, we began class by reading through "Dulce et Decorum Est," by Wilfred Owen. You can find a copy at the link below:
Dulce et Decorum Est
We clarified unfamiliar words (there were many) and figured out what was being described in the poem. To aid in this, we looked at a historically faithful video clip from "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" -- see the link below:
Gas Raid
We then read the poem through again, with the aid of another video clip -- this one designed (according to many experts among you) to look like the video game "Call of Duty". See the link below:
Dulce et Decorum Est Animation
Finally, we asked you to answer two questions about the poem:
1) Who is the narrator in the poem? What kind of person is he or she? What kind of experience does he or she have? How do you know?
2) Who is the narrator's intended audience? How do you know?
In both cases, we asked you to provide evidence from the poem to support your opinions.
At the end of class, we pointed out (to the surprise of many of you) that the poem is actually a rhyming poem. On that note, we asked you to write a GOOD rhyming poem for Wednesday, of at least 12 lines. We will talk more about what "good" might mean in class tomorrow.
Dulce et Decorum Est
We clarified unfamiliar words (there were many) and figured out what was being described in the poem. To aid in this, we looked at a historically faithful video clip from "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" -- see the link below:
Gas Raid
We then read the poem through again, with the aid of another video clip -- this one designed (according to many experts among you) to look like the video game "Call of Duty". See the link below:
Dulce et Decorum Est Animation
Finally, we asked you to answer two questions about the poem:
1) Who is the narrator in the poem? What kind of person is he or she? What kind of experience does he or she have? How do you know?
2) Who is the narrator's intended audience? How do you know?
In both cases, we asked you to provide evidence from the poem to support your opinions.
At the end of class, we pointed out (to the surprise of many of you) that the poem is actually a rhyming poem. On that note, we asked you to write a GOOD rhyming poem for Wednesday, of at least 12 lines. We will talk more about what "good" might mean in class tomorrow.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Wednesday, December 9
We continued our exploration and study of poetry today by delving into the use, function, and effectiveness of rhyme in poetry. We brainstormed the function of rhyme as a class and discussed some reasons why we, as readers, tend to like rhyme. We then read "Poison Tree" by William Blake and "Tableau at Twilight" by Ogden Nash and discussed the use of rhyme within these poems. You all participated in a very lively debate about what makes a "good" rhyme, as well as the complexities of "perfect" rhyme, "slant" rhyme, and "internal" rhyme.
Homework: Continue to read 30 minutes a night.
Homework: Continue to read 30 minutes a night.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Tuesday, December 8
Today, we began class by asking you a question we had asked you last week:
"What makes a group of words a poem?"
We gave you another sheet -- of course -- that asked you to list some criteria (at least three) that define a poem. You worked on this for a bit and we discussed your criteria.
Then, we asked you to consider whether Subtotals, the piece of writing that we had looked at the week before, is a poem. To do this, we asked you to match up each of your criteria to some aspect of Subtotals, and to fill in a sheet accordingly (if there were two poem criteria that fit Subtotals, you'd fill them in on the "is a poem" table, and if there was one poem criterion that did NOT fit Subtotals, you'd fill it in on the "is not a poem" table). We also pushed you to provide a direct quote from the writing to support your criteria. Here's a copy of the sheet:
Is Subtotals A Poem?
You worked on this for most of the period. When you finished filling out the sheet, you wrote a content sandwich paragraph that defended a specific claim: either "Subtotals is a poem," "Subtotals is not a poem," or some variation thereof ("Subtotals is mostly a poem," "Subtotals is mostly not a poem," etc.).
The 8A group also had an introduction to a Talib Kweli poem, which we'll be studying in more depth next week.
No homework, save for the usual 30 minutes of reading per night.
"What makes a group of words a poem?"
We gave you another sheet -- of course -- that asked you to list some criteria (at least three) that define a poem. You worked on this for a bit and we discussed your criteria.
Then, we asked you to consider whether Subtotals, the piece of writing that we had looked at the week before, is a poem. To do this, we asked you to match up each of your criteria to some aspect of Subtotals, and to fill in a sheet accordingly (if there were two poem criteria that fit Subtotals, you'd fill them in on the "is a poem" table, and if there was one poem criterion that did NOT fit Subtotals, you'd fill it in on the "is not a poem" table). We also pushed you to provide a direct quote from the writing to support your criteria. Here's a copy of the sheet:
Is Subtotals A Poem?
You worked on this for most of the period. When you finished filling out the sheet, you wrote a content sandwich paragraph that defended a specific claim: either "Subtotals is a poem," "Subtotals is not a poem," or some variation thereof ("Subtotals is mostly a poem," "Subtotals is mostly not a poem," etc.).
The 8A group also had an introduction to a Talib Kweli poem, which we'll be studying in more depth next week.
No homework, save for the usual 30 minutes of reading per night.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Monday, December 7
Today, we began class by collecting your "Song 1979/Fear" paragraphs. You all had them ready to turn in, which was commendable, although some of you had not printed them out. We talked about this as a necessity for next time.
Next, we continued to push you to define relative terms with concrete criteria, and to think about the ways that your criteria (and your definition) can be used to advance your argument. In your small groups, you worked on finishing your "good poem" definition sheets that you had begun last Wednesday.
Once you finished that, we asked for volunteers to debate the following claims:
Song 1979 is a better poem than Fear.
Fear is a better poem than Song 1979.
Initial attempts were somewhat halting, but the volunteers were brave and the sparks began to fly as the period came to an end.
No homework was assigned, beyond the usual expectation of reading at least 30 minutes per night.
Next, we continued to push you to define relative terms with concrete criteria, and to think about the ways that your criteria (and your definition) can be used to advance your argument. In your small groups, you worked on finishing your "good poem" definition sheets that you had begun last Wednesday.
Once you finished that, we asked for volunteers to debate the following claims:
Song 1979 is a better poem than Fear.
Fear is a better poem than Song 1979.
Initial attempts were somewhat halting, but the volunteers were brave and the sparks began to fly as the period came to an end.
No homework was assigned, beyond the usual expectation of reading at least 30 minutes per night.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Thursday, December 3
Today was Writer's Workshop and the writers wrote furiously for a slightly shorter period (60 minutes instead of 90 due to the fabulous Gender Spectrum workshop this morning). Next week we will have all of the 8th graders open goodreads accounts at goodreads.com. If you have an account already, please friend tbsmsbooks@gmail.com and look at our over 300 book recommendations! You will never be lost for a book again!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Wednesday, December 2
Today, you began class by handing in your "content sandwich" paragraphs based on the two poems you read for homework -- "Fear" and "Song 1979."
Next, you answered the question "What is poetry?" on a sticky note, and posted your answer on the board. Sashko was in charge of aesthetics, and did a fine job, as the picture below indicates:
We then had a fairly brief (but lively) discussion about criteria that would define the relative term "good poem." Your opinions were notable and included words like "evocative," which were all the more impressive at 9:15 AM. For an idea of the criteria that arose, see the picture below:
Having thus primed our brains about poetry and criteria for "good poems," we then asked you to divide into four groups, based on the claim that you chose as the subject of your homework paragraph. The groups were:
Song 1979 is a good poem.
Song 1979 is not a good poem.
Fear is a good poem
Fear is not a good poem.
Within those groups, we asked you to fill out a sheet (find a copy here) that would help you support one of the claims below:
Fear is a better poem than Song 1979.
Song 1979 is a better poem than Fear.
To fill out the sheet, you and your partners first established your own criteria for "good poem." You then gave evidence for ways that each poem did (or did not) meet those criteria. You were working on this up to the end of the period.
For homework, you will need to finish your "Subtotals" piece, which is due on Friday morning.
Next, you answered the question "What is poetry?" on a sticky note, and posted your answer on the board. Sashko was in charge of aesthetics, and did a fine job, as the picture below indicates:
We then had a fairly brief (but lively) discussion about criteria that would define the relative term "good poem." Your opinions were notable and included words like "evocative," which were all the more impressive at 9:15 AM. For an idea of the criteria that arose, see the picture below:
Having thus primed our brains about poetry and criteria for "good poems," we then asked you to divide into four groups, based on the claim that you chose as the subject of your homework paragraph. The groups were:
Song 1979 is a good poem.
Song 1979 is not a good poem.
Fear is a good poem
Fear is not a good poem.
Within those groups, we asked you to fill out a sheet (find a copy here) that would help you support one of the claims below:
Fear is a better poem than Song 1979.
Song 1979 is a better poem than Fear.
To fill out the sheet, you and your partners first established your own criteria for "good poem." You then gave evidence for ways that each poem did (or did not) meet those criteria. You were working on this up to the end of the period.
For homework, you will need to finish your "Subtotals" piece, which is due on Friday morning.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Monday, December 1
Today, we began by reminding you that your poetry paragraphs (see yesterday's post) are due tomorrow, at the beginning of class.
Next, we handed out copies of a piece of writing entitled "Subtotals." We read it together in class. Find another copy of it at the link below:
Subtotals
We then discussed the various ways that the author of the piece uses numbers to give the reader an impression of himself -- and the impressions, deliberate or otherwise, that we formed while reading the piece. You ended up identifying five different categories of numbers.
We then assigned you to write your own "Subtotals" piece, which will be due on Friday morning. The pre-writing sheet for this assignment, as well as the assignment itself, can be found at the links below:
Subtotals Pre-Writing
Subtotals Assignment
You spent the rest of the period working on this assignment as we began meeting with you about your Animal Farm projects.
Homework is to finish your poetry paragraphs (due tomorrow), and to work on your Subtotals assignment for Friday.
Next, we handed out copies of a piece of writing entitled "Subtotals." We read it together in class. Find another copy of it at the link below:
Subtotals
We then discussed the various ways that the author of the piece uses numbers to give the reader an impression of himself -- and the impressions, deliberate or otherwise, that we formed while reading the piece. You ended up identifying five different categories of numbers.
We then assigned you to write your own "Subtotals" piece, which will be due on Friday morning. The pre-writing sheet for this assignment, as well as the assignment itself, can be found at the links below:
Subtotals Pre-Writing
Subtotals Assignment
You spent the rest of the period working on this assignment as we began meeting with you about your Animal Farm projects.
Homework is to finish your poetry paragraphs (due tomorrow), and to work on your Subtotals assignment for Friday.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Monday, November 30
Today, we started class by reviewing the general state of your Animal Farm PR Projects, which you turned in, in various states of completion, last Wednesday. We confirmed who had turned in what, who still needed to turn in work, and how that work would be completed.
We also discussed what a real "finished product" looks like -- proofread, spell-checked, and free of penciled-in corrections or additions -- and the distinction between "finishing" a project by nominally completing all the components with a last-minute burst. This was a three-week project, and you had ample class time to work on it, but we noticed a definite uptick in your general energy level and productivity as the deadline approached, and the fact that some groups accomplished nearly every part of their project in the last 24 hours (an observation that those groups collectively confirmed) gave us pause.
We'll be working on revising these ads and improving both their appearance and their execution over the next three weeks. This process will start with individual conferences tomorrow.
Next, we reviewed the elements of a good "content sandwich" paragraph, which we had last discussed on Wednesday, November 18. We distributed the color-coded handout that we posted last time: find it at the link below if you don't have your copy:
Content Sandwich Model
Finally, Thomas and Kelsey participated in an exercise to illustrate some ways that logos-based rhetorical elements arise naturally in the course of a one-on-one discussion, and we began to identify particular questions that will give rise to the various elements of the "content sandwich" structure. Tomorrow and Wednesday, we'll finish those questions.
Your homework (due Wednesday) is to read two poems, and write a content sandwich paragraph that supports ONE of FOUR possible claims about the poems. Please find a copy of the assignment at the link below:
Two Poems, One Paragraph
We also discussed what a real "finished product" looks like -- proofread, spell-checked, and free of penciled-in corrections or additions -- and the distinction between "finishing" a project by nominally completing all the components with a last-minute burst. This was a three-week project, and you had ample class time to work on it, but we noticed a definite uptick in your general energy level and productivity as the deadline approached, and the fact that some groups accomplished nearly every part of their project in the last 24 hours (an observation that those groups collectively confirmed) gave us pause.
We'll be working on revising these ads and improving both their appearance and their execution over the next three weeks. This process will start with individual conferences tomorrow.
Next, we reviewed the elements of a good "content sandwich" paragraph, which we had last discussed on Wednesday, November 18. We distributed the color-coded handout that we posted last time: find it at the link below if you don't have your copy:
Content Sandwich Model
Finally, Thomas and Kelsey participated in an exercise to illustrate some ways that logos-based rhetorical elements arise naturally in the course of a one-on-one discussion, and we began to identify particular questions that will give rise to the various elements of the "content sandwich" structure. Tomorrow and Wednesday, we'll finish those questions.
Your homework (due Wednesday) is to read two poems, and write a content sandwich paragraph that supports ONE of FOUR possible claims about the poems. Please find a copy of the assignment at the link below:
Two Poems, One Paragraph
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Wednesday, November 18
Today was the great unveiling of your Animal Farm projects! You all had the chance to present one of your Animal Farm ads to the class and everyone's work was clever, creative and enjoyable. For those of you who have not turned in all of your ads, you know that you need to talk to Mitch or Liz.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tuesday, November 17
Today, you spent the entire time working on your Animal Farm projects. For some of you, tomorrow's deadline weighed heavier and heavier as the period went on; for others, things were more relaxed.
We distributed a checklist at the beginning of the period for you to submit tomorrow with your projects. Click on the link below to find a copy:
Animal Farm Project Checklist
Your only assigned homework is to finish the project!
We distributed a checklist at the beginning of the period for you to submit tomorrow with your projects. Click on the link below to find a copy:
Animal Farm Project Checklist
Your only assigned homework is to finish the project!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Monday, November 16
Today, you began class by showing off your weekend homework -- to write a logos-based paragraph (or two) proving that a particular character in the Adam and Eve story (Adam, Eve, God, or the serpent) was most responsible for Adam and Eve's expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Some of you didn't have your paragraphs; you were told, politely but firmly, that in the future not having an assignment on the day it is due will generally mean that you'll need to stay after school to complete it.
Next, we laid out an extremely important concept for the year (and for many years to come) -- the basic model for an expository paragraph. Known as the "content sandwich," this six-ingredient paragraph contains every element crucial to good logos. Some of your artists' renditions are below:
We then went on to look at a sample content sandwich paragraph, identifying each of the elements as it appeared. To see it (in color-coded form!), click on the link below:
Content Sandwich Model
Your homework -- as it has been for the past two weeks -- is to put the finishing touches on your Animal Farm advertising project, which is due on Wednesday morning.
Next, we laid out an extremely important concept for the year (and for many years to come) -- the basic model for an expository paragraph. Known as the "content sandwich," this six-ingredient paragraph contains every element crucial to good logos. Some of your artists' renditions are below:
We then went on to look at a sample content sandwich paragraph, identifying each of the elements as it appeared. To see it (in color-coded form!), click on the link below:
Content Sandwich Model
Your homework -- as it has been for the past two weeks -- is to put the finishing touches on your Animal Farm advertising project, which is due on Wednesday morning.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Thursday, November 12
We began Writer's Workshop today by looking at four different possible leads to the same story; typical, reaction, action, and dialogue. You shared your opinions on the various leads and discussed what makes a strong lead to a story. We then read and discussed the poem, "The Wall." Then, you were all off and writing!
Write On!
Write On!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Wednesday, November 11
You continued your evidence/claim work with the Genesis story by working in like-minded groups (others who chose the same "culprit" that you did, either God, Adam, Eve, or the Serpent) to find four pieces of evidence to support your claim. In your groups you then explained why these four pieces of evidence support your claim that your "culprit" was the one responsible for getting Adam and Even exiled from the Garden of Eden.
Individually, you chose the two most effective pieces of evidence and explained why they were the most effective.
HOMEWORK DUE MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16: Write a logos-based paragraph that uses at least two of these pieces of evidence to "prosecute" your character and prove that he, she, it, or IT is the most responsible for Adam and Eve's expulsion from Eden.
Individually, you chose the two most effective pieces of evidence and explained why they were the most effective.
HOMEWORK DUE MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16: Write a logos-based paragraph that uses at least two of these pieces of evidence to "prosecute" your character and prove that he, she, it, or IT is the most responsible for Adam and Eve's expulsion from Eden.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Tuesday, November 10
Today marked your second (of three) in-class work periods for your ongoing Animal Farm projects, which are due on WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18...a scant eight days away. Since this is a five-part project that many of you have had on "low priority" for the past week, there was a palpable feeling of pressure in the air as the period drew to an end today, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
We encourage you to plan out the next eight days wisely and put some work into your project consistently -- all of your ads are due at the beginning of class next Wednesday.
Don't forget tonight's homework -- to come to class tomorrow with two pieces of evidence, written out on a separate piece of paper, that support your claim about which character (Adam, Eve, the Serpent, or God) bears most responsibility for Adam and Eve being expelled from Eden.
We encourage you to plan out the next eight days wisely and put some work into your project consistently -- all of your ads are due at the beginning of class next Wednesday.
Don't forget tonight's homework -- to come to class tomorrow with two pieces of evidence, written out on a separate piece of paper, that support your claim about which character (Adam, Eve, the Serpent, or God) bears most responsibility for Adam and Eve being expelled from Eden.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Monday, November 9
Today, we began class by resetting the story of Adam and Eve, which we had begun to read on Wednesday. Mitch emphasized that, although this is a creation story that has very real meaning for many people and religions, we are considering it as a work of literature. To see the version of the story we are reading, click on the link below:
Adam and Eve
You read through the remainder of the story, and discussed many of the elements that you encountered. Some people were surprised to learn that there is no "apple" featured in the story: instead, reference was made to the "fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil." Additionally, you noted that the "serpent" in the story did not have any explicit associations with the devil or Satan -- which differed from the accounts that many of you had heard.
Once we were done reading the story, we spent a few minutes clarifying the various punishments that God gave the serpent, Adam, and Eve. Then, we asked you to write down (in bullet-point form) two or three ways that each of the four characters were responsible for Adam and Eve's explusion from Eden. You used a half-sheet to do this: get a copy from the link below:
Character Responsibility
You then paired with other people in the class and added/subtracted/refined your bullet points, based on your conversations. We then listed several areas of responsibility for each character on the board, as in the pictures below:
Finally, we asked you to choose ONE character whom you think is most responsible for Adam and Eve's expulsion from Eden. You did so, although some of you were torn between two characters: a majority of you identified God as the primary culprit.
This led to your homework for the next two nights (due Wednesday): to find at least TWO pieces of textual evidence (i.e. direct quotations) from the Adam and Eve story that will support your opinion about the character who bears the greatest responsibility. This evidence MUST be written down on a separate sheet of paper: you should also feel free to use ellipses and brackets if doing so will make your evidence more effective.
Adam and Eve
You read through the remainder of the story, and discussed many of the elements that you encountered. Some people were surprised to learn that there is no "apple" featured in the story: instead, reference was made to the "fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil." Additionally, you noted that the "serpent" in the story did not have any explicit associations with the devil or Satan -- which differed from the accounts that many of you had heard.
Once we were done reading the story, we spent a few minutes clarifying the various punishments that God gave the serpent, Adam, and Eve. Then, we asked you to write down (in bullet-point form) two or three ways that each of the four characters were responsible for Adam and Eve's explusion from Eden. You used a half-sheet to do this: get a copy from the link below:
Character Responsibility
You then paired with other people in the class and added/subtracted/refined your bullet points, based on your conversations. We then listed several areas of responsibility for each character on the board, as in the pictures below:
Finally, we asked you to choose ONE character whom you think is most responsible for Adam and Eve's expulsion from Eden. You did so, although some of you were torn between two characters: a majority of you identified God as the primary culprit.
This led to your homework for the next two nights (due Wednesday): to find at least TWO pieces of textual evidence (i.e. direct quotations) from the Adam and Eve story that will support your opinion about the character who bears the greatest responsibility. This evidence MUST be written down on a separate sheet of paper: you should also feel free to use ellipses and brackets if doing so will make your evidence more effective.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Thursday, November 5 -- X-PERIOD ESSAY
The goal of this activity is to practice and improve your skills in planning your essay and writing strong thesis statements and introductory paragraphs, building on what we've been doing in class. You're going to do three 10-minute chunks of essay writing; in each case, you'll go through the three steps of a) planning your entire essay, b) articulating a thesis statement, and c) writing the introductory paragraph. Start by creating a simulated testing environment; find a space that has no distractions (music, people, pets, etc) and at which you can sit upright at a desk/table. Alert your parents that you're doing timed essay writing homework and need about 30 minutes of uninterrupted quiet.
Remember that you should take between 5-8 minutes of the 10 minutes to do the planning for your essay. It's important that you plan out the entire essay, so that you can structure your intro paragraph appropriately. If your essay is well-planned, you'll be able to write your intro paragraph in 2-3 minutes easily.
Be intentional about which form of introductory essay that you choose to use - "001" or "122". "001" is great when you want to grab the reader's attention and build up to your thesis. "122" is best when you want to immediately present your thesis and prepare the reader for the contents of the body paragraphs (which are related to the two "2" sentences).
[Notice how that last paragraph is an awesome example of "122"?]
Please don't complete any of these essays. You don't need to write out the body paragraphs or conclusion (unless you want to, for your own benefit of extended practice). The assignment is to do three 10 minute chunks, not one 30 minute chunk, and the two are not interchangeable. The process of each of the 10 minute chunks will be selecting a topic, prepping your essay, and writing the intro - but since each is on a different topic, each will have different content from the others.
Feel free to email Zaq if you have questions. zroberts@theberkeleyschool.org
Due: Thursday, 11/12.
Remember that you should take between 5-8 minutes of the 10 minutes to do the planning for your essay. It's important that you plan out the entire essay, so that you can structure your intro paragraph appropriately. If your essay is well-planned, you'll be able to write your intro paragraph in 2-3 minutes easily.
Be intentional about which form of introductory essay that you choose to use - "001" or "122". "001" is great when you want to grab the reader's attention and build up to your thesis. "122" is best when you want to immediately present your thesis and prepare the reader for the contents of the body paragraphs (which are related to the two "2" sentences).
[Notice how that last paragraph is an awesome example of "122"?]
Please don't complete any of these essays. You don't need to write out the body paragraphs or conclusion (unless you want to, for your own benefit of extended practice). The assignment is to do three 10 minute chunks, not one 30 minute chunk, and the two are not interchangeable. The process of each of the 10 minute chunks will be selecting a topic, prepping your essay, and writing the intro - but since each is on a different topic, each will have different content from the others.
Feel free to email Zaq if you have questions. zroberts@theberkeleyschool.org
Due: Thursday, 11/12.
Thursday, November 5
Today was Writer's Workshop and you all stunned me with your quiet and thorough dedication to editing/fixing the mechanics errors that I had found in your final pieces. When these pieces are polished, you will return to working on your second piece for Writer's Workshop.
Write On!
Write On!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Wednesday, November 4
Today, you began class by quickly reviewing the "quotation tools" that we discussed on Monday -- ellipses and brackets. You then returned to the quotation notes sheet you'd filled out on Monday and used either, or both, of these tools to alter a piece of evidence supporting the claim "Skittles are better than M&M's." Your alterations were effective and made the evidence much more streamlined, although we also discussed the drawbacks of altering a piece of evidence too much -- chiefly, that the presence of multiple ellipses and brackets makes the audience suspect that important information is being left out, which undermines your argument.
Subsequently, you altered a second piece of evidence, but this time in ways that violated the standards we'd discussed on Monday -- just to see what it felt like. Your revised evidence was uniformly twisted and warped from its original state.
Finally, we gave you copies of the "Adam and Eve" story, and began reading it, in preparation for an evidence-finding exercise next Monday.
For homework, continue working on your Animal Farm projects, which are due on November 18.
Subsequently, you altered a second piece of evidence, but this time in ways that violated the standards we'd discussed on Monday -- just to see what it felt like. Your revised evidence was uniformly twisted and warped from its original state.
Finally, we gave you copies of the "Adam and Eve" story, and began reading it, in preparation for an evidence-finding exercise next Monday.
For homework, continue working on your Animal Farm projects, which are due on November 18.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Monday, November 2
Today, we looked at some ways to manipulate textual evidence "legally" -- and some of the ethical ramifications of doing so.
To begin with, you filled out a sheet illustrating the various techniques for altering evidence -- specifically, ellipses (...) and [brackets]. The sheet also set forth the purpose of quotation marks with textual evidence (to assure the reader that the words within the quotations are "verbatim" -- exactly (word-for-word) what the speaker/writer said/wrote). See a copy here:
Quotations, Ellipses, and Brackets
In the process filling out this sheet, we also touched on three ethical issues: altering quotations to "clean up" a speaker's use of the English language, using quotations when no actual recording of the original speech exists (making the quote non-verifiable), and inventing quotations. We read two specific articles that dealt with these issues:
Ethics of "Cleaning Up" Quotes
Sony's Fake Critic
We finished class by emphasizing the two most important rules of quotation tailoring: (1) Always let your readers know when you’ve altered a quotation in any way; (2) Always make sure that the way(s) you’ve altered a quote don’t change the author’s original, intended meaning.
No homework was assigned, save the ongoing Animal Farm project; your first in-class workday for this takes place tomorrow.
To begin with, you filled out a sheet illustrating the various techniques for altering evidence -- specifically, ellipses (...) and [brackets]. The sheet also set forth the purpose of quotation marks with textual evidence (to assure the reader that the words within the quotations are "verbatim" -- exactly (word-for-word) what the speaker/writer said/wrote). See a copy here:
Quotations, Ellipses, and Brackets
In the process filling out this sheet, we also touched on three ethical issues: altering quotations to "clean up" a speaker's use of the English language, using quotations when no actual recording of the original speech exists (making the quote non-verifiable), and inventing quotations. We read two specific articles that dealt with these issues:
Ethics of "Cleaning Up" Quotes
Sony's Fake Critic
We finished class by emphasizing the two most important rules of quotation tailoring: (1) Always let your readers know when you’ve altered a quotation in any way; (2) Always make sure that the way(s) you’ve altered a quote don’t change the author’s original, intended meaning.
No homework was assigned, save the ongoing Animal Farm project; your first in-class workday for this takes place tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Wednesday, October 28
Today, we defined the rest of the evidence-related terms that were included on the "Evidence Handout" (see the post from Monday, October 26 if you don't have a copy). We talked about many of them and gave examples -- everything from movies to personal experiences to historical events were referenced in the process. As usual, the discussion was animated, occasionally irrelevant, and generally entertaining.
We next asked you to look back at the pieces of evidence you had evaluated/ranked on October 13 (see the "Evidence Evaluation" link on that day), and discuss them again -- this time, however, using the various terms that we had just defined. This proved to be easier and more accurate than it was the first time through.
Finally, we reminded you that, although your project is not due until November 18, making plans and starting over the weekend would not be a bad idea. In-class time will be given on this coming Tuesday (Nov. 3) and the following two Tuesdays as well.
We next asked you to look back at the pieces of evidence you had evaluated/ranked on October 13 (see the "Evidence Evaluation" link on that day), and discuss them again -- this time, however, using the various terms that we had just defined. This proved to be easier and more accurate than it was the first time through.
Finally, we reminded you that, although your project is not due until November 18, making plans and starting over the weekend would not be a bad idea. In-class time will be given on this coming Tuesday (Nov. 3) and the following two Tuesdays as well.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tuesday, October 27
Today, in order to assess your progress, we began class by asking you to think about a claim, develop three criteria to define the relative term, and write a short logos-based paragraph supporting one of the criteria. The claim was "____________ is a good high school." To see a copy of the assignment, click on the link below:
Logos Paragraph IV
Next, we looked at an effective example of ethos in an advertisement:
Ethos Ad
We then introduced the first major project of this term: based on the situation just after the rebellion, we're asking you to "become" a public-relations firm that has been charged with countering the bad publicity that has been spreading throughout the land after the rebellion on Animal Farm. To accomplish this, you (or you and your partner) will come up with five specific advertisements that should each accomplish at least one of the following goals: making Mr. Jones seem like an unreliable source, and making humans feel positively (or at least neutrally) towards Animal Farm. To see a copy of the project requirements and specifications, click on the link below:
Animal Farm Public Relations Project
We then developed some criteria that would define an effective advertisement, and then applied them (and refined them) by looking at examples of past student works from this project. We discussed how well each example met the effectiveness criteria, and paid specific attention to the distinction between "funny" and "effective" -- noting that both can be true of an ad, but that "funny to be funny" will be entertaining but not ultimately effective.
Finally, you spent some time identifying various strengths and challenges (or abilities, motivations, and/or awarenesses) in one or two works from the semester thus far, in preparation for conferences this week.
Aside from your regular reading requirements, and whatever project-centered homework you need to begin, there was no homework assigned tonight.
Logos Paragraph IV
Next, we looked at an effective example of ethos in an advertisement:
Ethos Ad
We then introduced the first major project of this term: based on the situation just after the rebellion, we're asking you to "become" a public-relations firm that has been charged with countering the bad publicity that has been spreading throughout the land after the rebellion on Animal Farm. To accomplish this, you (or you and your partner) will come up with five specific advertisements that should each accomplish at least one of the following goals: making Mr. Jones seem like an unreliable source, and making humans feel positively (or at least neutrally) towards Animal Farm. To see a copy of the project requirements and specifications, click on the link below:
Animal Farm Public Relations Project
We then developed some criteria that would define an effective advertisement, and then applied them (and refined them) by looking at examples of past student works from this project. We discussed how well each example met the effectiveness criteria, and paid specific attention to the distinction between "funny" and "effective" -- noting that both can be true of an ad, but that "funny to be funny" will be entertaining but not ultimately effective.
Finally, you spent some time identifying various strengths and challenges (or abilities, motivations, and/or awarenesses) in one or two works from the semester thus far, in preparation for conferences this week.
Aside from your regular reading requirements, and whatever project-centered homework you need to begin, there was no homework assigned tonight.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday, October 26
Today, we began class by handing back "logos" paragraphs -- some from your first attempt at using logos, and some from your most recent effort -- two paragraphs that claimed Napoleon was either an effective or an ineffective leader, established three criteria for either term, and went on to prove two of them.
Once that exciting activity was complete, we discussed a key principle of good logos: stating your claim as a fact, rather than an opinion. We used various spinning and flaming words to reinforce the concept, as demonstrated below:
We emphasized that stating your claim as a thought, a feeling, or an opinion automatically undermines its "logos value." Additionally, we noted that words like "obviously" and "clearly" are equally undermining: if an observation is truly obvious or clear, then it doesn't need to be stated.
We then looked at an earthworm, and a claim about its internal organs, as an illustration of the importance of evidence. This was a chance to lay the groundwork for a more thorough discussion of evidence, which we proceeded to begin. Using a handout (see the link below) about evidence and evidentiary terms, we started defining terms -- starting with "context" and "proximity." More will follow on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Evidence Handout
At the end of class, we talked briefly about selecting strength and challenge works for conferences.
No homework was assigned tonight, except for the usual 30 minutes per 5 nights of reading.
Once that exciting activity was complete, we discussed a key principle of good logos: stating your claim as a fact, rather than an opinion. We used various spinning and flaming words to reinforce the concept, as demonstrated below:
We emphasized that stating your claim as a thought, a feeling, or an opinion automatically undermines its "logos value." Additionally, we noted that words like "obviously" and "clearly" are equally undermining: if an observation is truly obvious or clear, then it doesn't need to be stated.
We then looked at an earthworm, and a claim about its internal organs, as an illustration of the importance of evidence. This was a chance to lay the groundwork for a more thorough discussion of evidence, which we proceeded to begin. Using a handout (see the link below) about evidence and evidentiary terms, we started defining terms -- starting with "context" and "proximity." More will follow on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Evidence Handout
At the end of class, we talked briefly about selecting strength and challenge works for conferences.
No homework was assigned tonight, except for the usual 30 minutes per 5 nights of reading.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Thursday, October 22
Today was an important day in Writers' Workshop -- the deadline for submission of your first piece. The goal, set back in September, was for you to have finished three drafts of your piece, and we asked you to submit all three drafts, plus three peer-conference sheets and a final editing checklist, by the end of today's class period.
Most of you met this goal successfully. Those of you intent on writing longer pieces turned in your first few chapters, and others of you finished up poems that were remarkable for their diversity of subjects. By the end of the period, everyone had turned in a final draft packet, and, although not every packet met the three-draft, three-peer-conference standard, all represented two months' worth of good effort and good writing.
If you didn't turn in your Logos/Ethos/Pathos reflection paragraph today, please do so tomorrow, or Monday at the latest.
Most of you met this goal successfully. Those of you intent on writing longer pieces turned in your first few chapters, and others of you finished up poems that were remarkable for their diversity of subjects. By the end of the period, everyone had turned in a final draft packet, and, although not every packet met the three-draft, three-peer-conference standard, all represented two months' worth of good effort and good writing.
If you didn't turn in your Logos/Ethos/Pathos reflection paragraph today, please do so tomorrow, or Monday at the latest.
Wednesday, October 21
You all came to class having finished Animal Farm today. So, we split you into groups of three and had you discuss what your group thought "the moral of the story" is for Animal Farm. After your group agreed on a moral, your group wrote a paragraph supporting your claim with logos and evidence from the text. A representative from each group read the group's paragraph out loud for the class and we briefly discussed the different morals chosen. You all used excellent examples from the text.
Homework for tonight is to finish the Reflective Questions and write one of the Reflection Paragraphs -- either for logos, for ethos, or for pathos.
Homework for tonight is to finish the Reflective Questions and write one of the Reflection Paragraphs -- either for logos, for ethos, or for pathos.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
October 20, 2009
Today, many of you spent the first part of class finishing your logos paragraphs from yesterday. Some of you added information (particularly evidence from the reading); others changed wording; others decided that their efforts from yesterday were sufficient.
When you had finished, we next asked you to fill out a reflection sheet, similar to the ones that you're filling out in other classes. We also gave you an assignment that combines both reflection and the course content with which we've been working. Both are included in the document below:
Reflection, Parts I and II
You spent most of the period working on these.
Your homework for tomorrow is to read chapter 10 of Animal Farm. Your homework for Thursday is to finish ONE of the reflective paragraphs (either logos, pathos, or ethos -- your choice) and bring it to Writers' Workshop.
When you had finished, we next asked you to fill out a reflection sheet, similar to the ones that you're filling out in other classes. We also gave you an assignment that combines both reflection and the course content with which we've been working. Both are included in the document below:
Reflection, Parts I and II
You spent most of the period working on these.
Your homework for tomorrow is to read chapter 10 of Animal Farm. Your homework for Thursday is to finish ONE of the reflective paragraphs (either logos, pathos, or ethos -- your choice) and bring it to Writers' Workshop.
Monday, October 19, 2009
October 19, 2009
Today, chapters 8 & 9 of Animal Farm were due. to work with your understanding of the book, and to allow you to practice your ever-improving ability to employ logos effectively, we asked you to choose a claim related to the reading, to come up with three criteria to define the relative term(s) in the claim, and to write two logos-based paragraphs, one for each criterion. You worked with focus and absorption on this for most of the period. For a look at the assignment, click on the link below:
AF 8 & 9 Logos Paragraphs
The only homework going forward is Chapter 10 of Animal Farm -- the final chapter! -- which is due on Wednesday, October 21.
AF 8 & 9 Logos Paragraphs
The only homework going forward is Chapter 10 of Animal Farm -- the final chapter! -- which is due on Wednesday, October 21.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Thursday, October 15
Class started by collecting everyone's Reading Log Stickies on the wall and making sure that everyone wrote down, "Bring In Stickies" in their planners for next Thursday, 10/22.
We began Writer's Workshop with a minilesson on "showing, not telling." The students worked together to brainstorm better, more vivid ways to say, "It was very hot." The sentences that the students came up with were wonderful and featured scorching suns, melting into the cracks in sidewalk cement, and sweat dripping down foreheads. And then the writers were off and writing for another productive workshop.
Animal Farm Chapters 8 and 9 are due on Monday, October 19.
We began Writer's Workshop with a minilesson on "showing, not telling." The students worked together to brainstorm better, more vivid ways to say, "It was very hot." The sentences that the students came up with were wonderful and featured scorching suns, melting into the cracks in sidewalk cement, and sweat dripping down foreheads. And then the writers were off and writing for another productive workshop.
Animal Farm Chapters 8 and 9 are due on Monday, October 19.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Wednesday, October 14
Today, we began by emphasizing the advantage that defining relative terms gives a speaker or writer when he or she is trying to be understood, or to win an argument. We returned to the idea of "home field advantage," and several of you gave examples of ways that defining terms can pay off: by "steering" your audience towards particular areas of strength (and away from areas of comparative weakness), by making your thinking clear to others, and so forth.
We then looked at three different set of criteria to define the relative term in the claim "Berkeley is a better city than San Francisco." The handout (complete with criteria) is below:
Berkeley vs. SF
You agreed that Criteria Set #1 was not effective because it was too vague, and could apply to almost any city-to-city comparison; you also agreed that Criteria Set #3 was too specific, and only applied to this specific claim, which would make your argument less convincing. We established that Criteria Set #2 was the most effective because it matched people's experience of reality, applied to both cities, but was slightly advantageous for Berkeley. We also agreed that Criteria Set #3 would actually be good evidence to prove this claim, and that's an important point: overly specific criteria are often better used as evidence.
Next, we discussed the evidence rankings from yesterday. Although there was a great deal of debate, a narrow majority of you thought that Evidence "E" was the most effective, and a large majority thought that Evidence "F" was the least effective. We then choose the piece of evidence about which there was the greatest difference of opinion - Evidence "H" - and you then began discussing its relative strengths and weaknesses.
No homework was assigned tonight, save for the next Animal Farm assignment, which is due Monday.
We then looked at three different set of criteria to define the relative term in the claim "Berkeley is a better city than San Francisco." The handout (complete with criteria) is below:
Berkeley vs. SF
You agreed that Criteria Set #1 was not effective because it was too vague, and could apply to almost any city-to-city comparison; you also agreed that Criteria Set #3 was too specific, and only applied to this specific claim, which would make your argument less convincing. We established that Criteria Set #2 was the most effective because it matched people's experience of reality, applied to both cities, but was slightly advantageous for Berkeley. We also agreed that Criteria Set #3 would actually be good evidence to prove this claim, and that's an important point: overly specific criteria are often better used as evidence.
Next, we discussed the evidence rankings from yesterday. Although there was a great deal of debate, a narrow majority of you thought that Evidence "E" was the most effective, and a large majority thought that Evidence "F" was the least effective. We then choose the piece of evidence about which there was the greatest difference of opinion - Evidence "H" - and you then began discussing its relative strengths and weaknesses.
No homework was assigned tonight, save for the next Animal Farm assignment, which is due Monday.
Tuesday, October 13
Today, we began by re-setting the discussion we had last week about defining terms in a logos-based argument. Specifically, we talked about three key logos-related concepts:
Claim -- a statement that a speaker or writer is trying to prove, or make understood, to an audience.
Relative Terms -- words or phrases that get their meaning from the context in which they are used, and from the subjective judgment of the people who are using them. "Good," "cool," "fun,"
"important," and "interesting" are all terms that came up in our discussion.
Criteria -- specific categories, qualities, reasons, or variables that thinkers, speakers, and writers use to define relative terms and make judgments/form opinions.
The "A" group then looked at two real-world situations in which relative terms, and their definition by criteria, played an extremely important role: a UN debate over a terrorism resolution following the 9/11 attacks, and a 2007 article about the legal definition of "torture" as it applied to U.S. treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. Links to both articles are below:
UN Terrorism Debate
Torture Definition Article
The "B" group attempted to define the relative terms in the claims below with effective criteria. We agreed that the third was challenging, for a number of reasons.
Bagels are better than pretzels.
Rain is beneficial.
Paula Abdul is non-human.
Then, both classes looked at nine pieces of evidence that were all meant to prove a particular claim ("Cigarette smoking in public places should be illegal in the United States"). Here is the link to the handout:
Evidence Evaluation
In small groups, you discussed the strengths and weaknesses of each piece of evidence, and eventually ranked the evidence in order of effectiveness; you also began to discuss the criteria that allowed you to distinguish one piece of evidence from another.
There was no homework assigned, except for the next Animal Farm reading, which is due on Monday, October 19.
Claim -- a statement that a speaker or writer is trying to prove, or make understood, to an audience.
Relative Terms -- words or phrases that get their meaning from the context in which they are used, and from the subjective judgment of the people who are using them. "Good," "cool," "fun,"
"important," and "interesting" are all terms that came up in our discussion.
Criteria -- specific categories, qualities, reasons, or variables that thinkers, speakers, and writers use to define relative terms and make judgments/form opinions.
The "A" group then looked at two real-world situations in which relative terms, and their definition by criteria, played an extremely important role: a UN debate over a terrorism resolution following the 9/11 attacks, and a 2007 article about the legal definition of "torture" as it applied to U.S. treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. Links to both articles are below:
UN Terrorism Debate
Torture Definition Article
The "B" group attempted to define the relative terms in the claims below with effective criteria. We agreed that the third was challenging, for a number of reasons.
Bagels are better than pretzels.
Rain is beneficial.
Paula Abdul is non-human.
Then, both classes looked at nine pieces of evidence that were all meant to prove a particular claim ("Cigarette smoking in public places should be illegal in the United States"). Here is the link to the handout:
Evidence Evaluation
In small groups, you discussed the strengths and weaknesses of each piece of evidence, and eventually ranked the evidence in order of effectiveness; you also began to discuss the criteria that allowed you to distinguish one piece of evidence from another.
There was no homework assigned, except for the next Animal Farm reading, which is due on Monday, October 19.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Thursday, October 8
Today in Writer's Workshop, the students worked diligently and creatively toward the October 23rd deadline. All students are well on track and have produced wonderful and insightful drafts and peer conferences.
The only homework assignment is to read Chapters 6 and 7 in Animal Farm by next Tuesday, Oct. 13 (our next English class).
The only homework assignment is to read Chapters 6 and 7 in Animal Farm by next Tuesday, Oct. 13 (our next English class).
Wednesday, October 7
Today, we began class by emphasizing that, although pathos and ethos can certainly be valuable rhetorical approaches, they are typically not as reliable -- or as durable -- as logos. We discussed many reasons for this: that both are dependent on the speaker's/writer's "presence" (in one way or another), that both rely on creating certain emotional effects that, over time, can fade away, and so forth.
We then focused on the advantages and disadvantages of using logos, which, you decided, had the greatest potential reward but also the greatest potential risk for the user. Your thoughts are represented in the picture below:
In order to use logos effectively, you first need to be able to understand how to create a "home field advantage" for your point of view -- to create conditions for your argument that will at least give your ideas a neutral playing field, and, at best, will give you a slight advantage. You can do this by defining your terms.
To explore what this means, we started by looking at a list of phrases: good restaurant, good music, good book, good song, good video/computer game, good class. You chose a phrase about which you feel qualified to have an opinion, and quickly brainstormed a list of qualities that a good _______ would have.
Next, you worked with other people who had the same phrase, and compared/discussed/refined your lists of qualities. Finally, we asked you to choose the most IMPORTANT quality in your list -- the one that would be most significant in determining your opinion of a _________.
We then introduced the concept of a relative term -- a word, or phrase, that takes its meaning from the context in which it's used, or the perception/judgment of the user, or the audience. We illustrated by looking at terms like "tall," "short," "left," "right," and so forth.
At this point, we chose one relative term -- "good restaurant" -- and began to look at qualities that would inform our judgment about it. We came up with a few before the end of class, and we introduced the term criteria to describe the list of qualities that you had been generating.
Both these concepts -- criteria and relative terms will come up frequently in the next few weeks.
Homework assigned: read chapters 6 & 7 of Animal Farm by Tuesday, and continue with your five nights/30 minutes worth of reading assignment.
We then focused on the advantages and disadvantages of using logos, which, you decided, had the greatest potential reward but also the greatest potential risk for the user. Your thoughts are represented in the picture below:
In order to use logos effectively, you first need to be able to understand how to create a "home field advantage" for your point of view -- to create conditions for your argument that will at least give your ideas a neutral playing field, and, at best, will give you a slight advantage. You can do this by defining your terms.
To explore what this means, we started by looking at a list of phrases: good restaurant, good music, good book, good song, good video/computer game, good class. You chose a phrase about which you feel qualified to have an opinion, and quickly brainstormed a list of qualities that a good _______ would have.
Next, you worked with other people who had the same phrase, and compared/discussed/refined your lists of qualities. Finally, we asked you to choose the most IMPORTANT quality in your list -- the one that would be most significant in determining your opinion of a _________.
We then introduced the concept of a relative term -- a word, or phrase, that takes its meaning from the context in which it's used, or the perception/judgment of the user, or the audience. We illustrated by looking at terms like "tall," "short," "left," "right," and so forth.
At this point, we chose one relative term -- "good restaurant" -- and began to look at qualities that would inform our judgment about it. We came up with a few before the end of class, and we introduced the term criteria to describe the list of qualities that you had been generating.
Both these concepts -- criteria and relative terms will come up frequently in the next few weeks.
Homework assigned: read chapters 6 & 7 of Animal Farm by Tuesday, and continue with your five nights/30 minutes worth of reading assignment.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Tuesday, October 6
Today, the 8A and 8B groups went about class in two different ways.
Both groups received an information sheet, and permission slip, for next Friday's tour of Saint Mary's College High School. Any students who wish to go on the trip need to turn this in by Tuesday, October 13. For an extra copy, please click on the link below:
SMCHS Permission Slip and Information
The 8B group began by writing a short paragraph that explained why one student paragraph (out of five possibilities) used logos most effectively. When finished, you were given an assignment -- to design three advertisements for a particular Animal Farm political candidate (either Snowball, Squealer, or Napoleon). Each ad needs to emphasize a different sort of rhetorical approach (i.e. one for pathos, one for ethos, and one for logos) but elements of all three can be included in each ad as well. You could choose to work by yourself or with a partner. You chose various approaches to advertising for your candidates, and, once some technical issues were ironed out, dove in enthusiastically.
The 8A group began by looking at, and discussing, a number of different television ads for political candidates -- specifically, at ads using fear (a form of pathos) and ads using a candidate's biography (a form of ethos). The link to these ads (and their website, which is excellent!), is below:
Political Advertisements
Afterwards, you were asked to design two ads -- one using pathos, and one using ethos -- to support your Animal Farm candidate. You could choose to work individually, with one partner, or with two partners (in which case, you would need to design a third ad, using logos). Your drawings of pigs and slogans began to take shape as the period drew to a close.
No homework is due tomorrow, but please don't forget to finish chapters 6 & 7 by Tuesday.
Both groups received an information sheet, and permission slip, for next Friday's tour of Saint Mary's College High School. Any students who wish to go on the trip need to turn this in by Tuesday, October 13. For an extra copy, please click on the link below:
SMCHS Permission Slip and Information
The 8B group began by writing a short paragraph that explained why one student paragraph (out of five possibilities) used logos most effectively. When finished, you were given an assignment -- to design three advertisements for a particular Animal Farm political candidate (either Snowball, Squealer, or Napoleon). Each ad needs to emphasize a different sort of rhetorical approach (i.e. one for pathos, one for ethos, and one for logos) but elements of all three can be included in each ad as well. You could choose to work by yourself or with a partner. You chose various approaches to advertising for your candidates, and, once some technical issues were ironed out, dove in enthusiastically.
The 8A group began by looking at, and discussing, a number of different television ads for political candidates -- specifically, at ads using fear (a form of pathos) and ads using a candidate's biography (a form of ethos). The link to these ads (and their website, which is excellent!), is below:
Political Advertisements
Afterwards, you were asked to design two ads -- one using pathos, and one using ethos -- to support your Animal Farm candidate. You could choose to work individually, with one partner, or with two partners (in which case, you would need to design a third ad, using logos). Your drawings of pigs and slogans began to take shape as the period drew to a close.
No homework is due tomorrow, but please don't forget to finish chapters 6 & 7 by Tuesday.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Monday, October 5
Today, Chapters 4 & 5 of Animal Farm were due. Accordingly, we began class by asking each of you to answer four questions about the book. Although you could answer all of them with information covered in the first four chapters, you could certainly incorporate material from later in the book as well. To see the questions, click on the link below:
Animal Farm 4 & 5
When you finished, we distributed a handout with five of the "logos" paragraphs that you wrote last week, on Tuesday. We chose five that focused on the "locks on lockers" issue. You read each paragraph and made brief note of its strengths and weaknesses.
Next, we had a ten-minute discussion about the potential advantages, and disadvantages, of using pathos, logos, and ethos when trying to convince an audience. You raised some great points, some of which are represented in the picture below:
Finally, we asked you to rank the five student paragraphs in order, from most effective to least effective. Once you were done, you departed.
No homework was assigned tonight, but chapters 6 & 7 are due next Tuesday.
Animal Farm 4 & 5
When you finished, we distributed a handout with five of the "logos" paragraphs that you wrote last week, on Tuesday. We chose five that focused on the "locks on lockers" issue. You read each paragraph and made brief note of its strengths and weaknesses.
Next, we had a ten-minute discussion about the potential advantages, and disadvantages, of using pathos, logos, and ethos when trying to convince an audience. You raised some great points, some of which are represented in the picture below:
Finally, we asked you to rank the five student paragraphs in order, from most effective to least effective. Once you were done, you departed.
No homework was assigned tonight, but chapters 6 & 7 are due next Tuesday.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Wednesday, September 30
Today, Chapter 3 of Animal Farm was due.
In honor of that -- and in honor of your ever-deepening understanding of pathos, logos, and ethos -- we asked you to answer three questions:
1) Which form of rhetoric (pathos, logos, ethos) do you think the pigs use most often? Explain your thinking and give at least one example from anywhere in your reading to support your opinion.
2) Looking at Squealer's speech on page 52, find one example of each form of rhetoric and write down a quotation that demonstrates it.
3) Beginning with this sentence -- "In his speech on p. 52, Squealer's (pathos, ethos, or logos) is most convincing to the animals" -- write a paragraph that explains your choice and gives at least one piece of textual evidence to support your opinion.
You worked diligently on all these tasks for most of the period. When you were done, we asked you to look at Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham Jail again, and we discussed one particular passage that employed ethos. You pointed out three ways that King used this rhetorical approach: positively (by invoking Biblical examples, the better to sway his audience of ministers), negatively (by invoking Adolf Hitler), and personally (by using himself as an example). We also discussed the reasons that all of King's examples were focused on people who disobeyed laws for moral reasons, or who enacted laws that violated standards of morality. This area -- the friction point between a law and morality -- is one that will come up frequently next week.
Chapters 4 and 5 of Animal Farm are due next Monday -- don't forget!
In honor of that -- and in honor of your ever-deepening understanding of pathos, logos, and ethos -- we asked you to answer three questions:
1) Which form of rhetoric (pathos, logos, ethos) do you think the pigs use most often? Explain your thinking and give at least one example from anywhere in your reading to support your opinion.
2) Looking at Squealer's speech on page 52, find one example of each form of rhetoric and write down a quotation that demonstrates it.
3) Beginning with this sentence -- "In his speech on p. 52, Squealer's (pathos, ethos, or logos) is most convincing to the animals" -- write a paragraph that explains your choice and gives at least one piece of textual evidence to support your opinion.
You worked diligently on all these tasks for most of the period. When you were done, we asked you to look at Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham Jail again, and we discussed one particular passage that employed ethos. You pointed out three ways that King used this rhetorical approach: positively (by invoking Biblical examples, the better to sway his audience of ministers), negatively (by invoking Adolf Hitler), and personally (by using himself as an example). We also discussed the reasons that all of King's examples were focused on people who disobeyed laws for moral reasons, or who enacted laws that violated standards of morality. This area -- the friction point between a law and morality -- is one that will come up frequently next week.
Chapters 4 and 5 of Animal Farm are due next Monday -- don't forget!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Tuesday, September 29
Today we finished our discussion on the examples of Pathos, Ethos, and Logos in Old Major's speech. We then delved deeper into logos and how to structure a debate focusing on logical reasoning. The students then chose one of four claims:
Students at TBS should not wear uniforms.
Students at TBS should be allowed to listen to iPods at certain times during school.
Students at TBS should have locks on their lockers.
8th graders at TBS should be able to go off campus for lunch.
After choosing the claim they wanted to support, each student brainstormed four logos arguments to support their claim and then turned the brainstorming into full paragraphs. We will use these paragraphs to begin strengthening our expository writing skills.
The students were reminded that they need to have read Chapter 3 of Animal Farm by tomorrow.
Students at TBS should not wear uniforms.
Students at TBS should be allowed to listen to iPods at certain times during school.
Students at TBS should have locks on their lockers.
8th graders at TBS should be able to go off campus for lunch.
After choosing the claim they wanted to support, each student brainstormed four logos arguments to support their claim and then turned the brainstorming into full paragraphs. We will use these paragraphs to begin strengthening our expository writing skills.
The students were reminded that they need to have read Chapter 3 of Animal Farm by tomorrow.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, September 28
Today, we began by reminding everyone that Chapter 3 of Animal Farm is due on Wednesday. We also underscored the importance of bringing books to class, since we are working closely with the text and with strategies for active reading.
Next, we quickly reviewed the concepts of Pathos, Ethos, and Logos. You thought about your usual "style," and decided which one of these rhetorical approaches is a particular strength for you. Taking advantage of the amphitheatre, Pathos people sat on the top row, Logos people sat on the second row, and Ethos people sat on the bottom row.
You then watched a video clip (shown below) and looked for evidence of your particular rhetorical approach in the interactions between the characters, their appearances, and anything else.
Omar and Brother Mouzone
We discussed what we'd seen and found ample evidence of all three rhetorical approaches in the scene.
Next, we divided you into groups, and asked you to look through Old Major's speech (in Chapter 1) for specific examples of Pathos, Ethos, and Logos. We asked you to write down quotations (with page numbers) to show each rhetorical approach. A copy of the sheet is below:
Old Major's Rhetoric
You worked diligently and thoughtfully (really!) on this for the remainder of the period. It was interesting to see the same quotation being used as Logos (in one group) and Ethos (in another group) -- as we discussed at the end of the class, that is certainly a possibility.
Next, we quickly reviewed the concepts of Pathos, Ethos, and Logos. You thought about your usual "style," and decided which one of these rhetorical approaches is a particular strength for you. Taking advantage of the amphitheatre, Pathos people sat on the top row, Logos people sat on the second row, and Ethos people sat on the bottom row.
You then watched a video clip (shown below) and looked for evidence of your particular rhetorical approach in the interactions between the characters, their appearances, and anything else.
Omar and Brother Mouzone
We discussed what we'd seen and found ample evidence of all three rhetorical approaches in the scene.
Next, we divided you into groups, and asked you to look through Old Major's speech (in Chapter 1) for specific examples of Pathos, Ethos, and Logos. We asked you to write down quotations (with page numbers) to show each rhetorical approach. A copy of the sheet is below:
Old Major's Rhetoric
You worked diligently and thoughtfully (really!) on this for the remainder of the period. It was interesting to see the same quotation being used as Logos (in one group) and Ethos (in another group) -- as we discussed at the end of the class, that is certainly a possibility.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Thursday, September 24, Writer's Workshop
We began with a group activity identifying the "What If's" of some of the summer reading novels. The students also drew group, "picture predictions" about what they think might happen after the novels end. I then introduced the elements of fiction and effective ways of mapping a short story. We will continue to explore these techniques in next week's Writer's Workshop. The majority of the time was dedicated to focused writing as all the students worked towards finishing their first or second drafts.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Wednesday, September 23
Today, chapters 1 and 2 of Animal Farm were due.
We began by clarifying some points about the reading, beginning with the names and species of the various characters. Distinctions among porkers and boars, mares and stallions, and other animals were illustrated.
Next, we asked you to write down three assumptions that you made about this book before you began reading it. We shared some of these and talked about reasons why the assumptions were made.
Then, we asked you to make three predictions about what will happen in the book, based on your reading (people who had read further than the second chapter could base their prediction on further information). You then explained why you made one of those predictions; we asked you to make specific reference to some evidence or examples from the reading. You then enthusiastically shared your predictions.
At the end of class, we collected your paragraphs and reminded you of your next homework assignment: Chapter 3 of Animal Farm, which is due on Wednesday, September 30.
We began by clarifying some points about the reading, beginning with the names and species of the various characters. Distinctions among porkers and boars, mares and stallions, and other animals were illustrated.
Next, we asked you to write down three assumptions that you made about this book before you began reading it. We shared some of these and talked about reasons why the assumptions were made.
Then, we asked you to make three predictions about what will happen in the book, based on your reading (people who had read further than the second chapter could base their prediction on further information). You then explained why you made one of those predictions; we asked you to make specific reference to some evidence or examples from the reading. You then enthusiastically shared your predictions.
At the end of class, we collected your paragraphs and reminded you of your next homework assignment: Chapter 3 of Animal Farm, which is due on Wednesday, September 30.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Tuesday, September 22
Today in class, we worked on "cementing" the ideas of pathos, ethos, and logos. We discussed logos and ethos in further detail and sharpened our understanding by analyzing some more video clips:
Pepsi Challenge
Prius Commercial
Honda Commercial
All The King's Men
We consistently returned to the idea that most effective speakers and writers use a MIXTURE of these three rhetoric types -- and that using them is often dependent on the situation and the audience.
Next, you considered a hypothetical situation -- that you had been caught using a cell phone at school and would be losing it for a month. We asked you to write a paragraph in which you tried to convince the teacher not to confiscate the phone, and we asked you to use pathos, ethos, or logos (or all three) in your writing. You then shared your examples, which were pathos-heavy and definitely entertaining.
Then, we looked at a selection from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail. You read it and underlined/highlighted any words or phrases that you thought were good examples of pathos; then, we discussed how you could sense the presence of pathos in them. The handout (which we'll be using later!) is here:
MLK Handout
Finally, you watched a short clip from a TV series, and we asked you to consider whether it featured more pathos, more ethos, or more logos...we also left you hanging until next class, as it didn't resolve in a satisfying way.
Homework tonight is to finish Chapters 1 & 2 of Animal Farm -- due tomorrow!
Pepsi Challenge
Prius Commercial
Honda Commercial
All The King's Men
We consistently returned to the idea that most effective speakers and writers use a MIXTURE of these three rhetoric types -- and that using them is often dependent on the situation and the audience.
Next, you considered a hypothetical situation -- that you had been caught using a cell phone at school and would be losing it for a month. We asked you to write a paragraph in which you tried to convince the teacher not to confiscate the phone, and we asked you to use pathos, ethos, or logos (or all three) in your writing. You then shared your examples, which were pathos-heavy and definitely entertaining.
Then, we looked at a selection from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail. You read it and underlined/highlighted any words or phrases that you thought were good examples of pathos; then, we discussed how you could sense the presence of pathos in them. The handout (which we'll be using later!) is here:
MLK Handout
Finally, you watched a short clip from a TV series, and we asked you to consider whether it featured more pathos, more ethos, or more logos...we also left you hanging until next class, as it didn't resolve in a satisfying way.
Homework tonight is to finish Chapters 1 & 2 of Animal Farm -- due tomorrow!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Monday, September 21
Today, we began by collecting tech permission slips and by reminding everyone that students who haven't turned in slips won't be able to use computers at school. For an extra copy, please visit the main middle-school blog at www.tbsms.blogspot.com.
Next, we revisited last Wednesday's discussion of rhetoric and Artistotle's three types of rhetoric (pathos, ethos, and logos). We reset the idea of pathos (appealing to an audience's emotions and/or feelings to get your point of view across), and solidified our understanding by watching this Al Pacino clip from "City Hall" and filling out individual Y-charts for the look, sound, and feel of pathos.
Pathos In Action
Afterwards, we made a group Y-chart that hit on many tell-tale signs of a speaker who's using pathos as a rhetorical device. We also discussed situations in which pathos is effective and where we've seen it used before.
We moved on to define logos and ethos. Tomorrow, we'll be exploring those ideas in much greater detail.
No homework was assigned tonight, although Animal Farm reading is due on Wednesday -- see the syllabus (from last Wednesday) for more information.
Next, we revisited last Wednesday's discussion of rhetoric and Artistotle's three types of rhetoric (pathos, ethos, and logos). We reset the idea of pathos (appealing to an audience's emotions and/or feelings to get your point of view across), and solidified our understanding by watching this Al Pacino clip from "City Hall" and filling out individual Y-charts for the look, sound, and feel of pathos.
Pathos In Action
Afterwards, we made a group Y-chart that hit on many tell-tale signs of a speaker who's using pathos as a rhetorical device. We also discussed situations in which pathos is effective and where we've seen it used before.
We moved on to define logos and ethos. Tomorrow, we'll be exploring those ideas in much greater detail.
No homework was assigned tonight, although Animal Farm reading is due on Wednesday -- see the syllabus (from last Wednesday) for more information.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Wednesday, September 16
Today, we began by distributing copies of Animal Farm to students, who wrote their names in them -- this is because we are going to be working on using active reading strategies and annotation as strategies for improving reading comprehension. Then, we distributed Animal Farm reading schedules -- dates that selected reading assignments will be due. All students should have a copy in their binders. If extra copies are needed, please click on the link below:
Animal Farm Reading Schedule
Then, we began to discuss the concept of rhetoric -- which we defined as "the set of skills, abilities, theories, and tools that speakers and writers use to make their thinking, and their opinions, clear and understandable to others (and to win arguments)." To facilitate this discussion, we filled in this sheet:
Rhetoric Notes Sheet
We then defined a rhetorical question and generated some commonly heard examples ("Are you kidding me?" "Do you think that was a smart thing to do?" "What were you thinking?").
Next, we discussed Aristotle's idea of three basic categories of rhetoric: Pathos, Ethos, and Logos. We defined pathos.
Finally, we watched a scene from A Few Good Men to get an idea of what pathos might look like. On Monday, we'll see if there are any other types of rhetoric going on in the scene. Here is the link:
A Few Good Men
Homework assigned: Chapters 1 & 2 in Animal Farm, due Wednesday, September 23.
Animal Farm Reading Schedule
Then, we began to discuss the concept of rhetoric -- which we defined as "the set of skills, abilities, theories, and tools that speakers and writers use to make their thinking, and their opinions, clear and understandable to others (and to win arguments)." To facilitate this discussion, we filled in this sheet:
Rhetoric Notes Sheet
We then defined a rhetorical question and generated some commonly heard examples ("Are you kidding me?" "Do you think that was a smart thing to do?" "What were you thinking?").
Next, we discussed Aristotle's idea of three basic categories of rhetoric: Pathos, Ethos, and Logos. We defined pathos.
Finally, we watched a scene from A Few Good Men to get an idea of what pathos might look like. On Monday, we'll see if there are any other types of rhetoric going on in the scene. Here is the link:
A Few Good Men
Homework assigned: Chapters 1 & 2 in Animal Farm, due Wednesday, September 23.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Tuesday, September 15
Today, we began by introducing the TBS tech usage agreement -- a document that we handed out and discussed in detail during class. You should be getting it signed and returned to school no later than Monday, September 1st. If you have misplaced your handout, go to the main middle-school blog site (here) and follow the link to a copy.
Next, we continued attempting to isolate some of the characteristics of effective speaking. We watched Steven Levitt (the author of Freakonomics) talk at the TED conference, explaining why his research indicates that, contrary to popular mythology, being a gang member is "one of the worst jobs in the world." Lively conversations ensued, as some of his statistics (only 2% of death row inmates die in a year, as opposed to 7% of gang members) raised eyebrows. We ended class by making a list of elements that were -- and were not -- effective.
No homework was assigned tonight.
Next, we continued attempting to isolate some of the characteristics of effective speaking. We watched Steven Levitt (the author of Freakonomics) talk at the TED conference, explaining why his research indicates that, contrary to popular mythology, being a gang member is "one of the worst jobs in the world." Lively conversations ensued, as some of his statistics (only 2% of death row inmates die in a year, as opposed to 7% of gang members) raised eyebrows. We ended class by making a list of elements that were -- and were not -- effective.
No homework was assigned tonight.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Monday, September 14
Today, we continued to think about, and discuss, the qualities that make writing and speaking more or less convincing.
As a way to establish common knowledge for discussion, we read statements from candidates in the 2003 California gubenatorial election -- an election that took place when voters became so dissatisfied with the then-current governor (Gray Davis) that they collected enough signatures to force a recall. For historical background on that election, follow this link:
2003 California election information
We looked at five statements from candidates. As we read, we circled or underlined parts that we thought were, or were not, convincing. Several discussion activities followed, and we ended up with an evenly split decision about "most effective," with a 9-9 deadlock between Cruz Bustamente and Peter Ueberroth. In contrast, 14 members of the class felt that Dianne Beal Templin's statement was least effective, while 4 members opted for David Ronald Sams' opus.
The statements themselves can be found by following this link:
Governor Candidate Statements
No homework was assigned tonight.
As a way to establish common knowledge for discussion, we read statements from candidates in the 2003 California gubenatorial election -- an election that took place when voters became so dissatisfied with the then-current governor (Gray Davis) that they collected enough signatures to force a recall. For historical background on that election, follow this link:
2003 California election information
We looked at five statements from candidates. As we read, we circled or underlined parts that we thought were, or were not, convincing. Several discussion activities followed, and we ended up with an evenly split decision about "most effective," with a 9-9 deadlock between Cruz Bustamente and Peter Ueberroth. In contrast, 14 members of the class felt that Dianne Beal Templin's statement was least effective, while 4 members opted for David Ronald Sams' opus.
The statements themselves can be found by following this link:
Governor Candidate Statements
No homework was assigned tonight.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Thursday, September 10
Today was a Writer's Workshop day, which meant that (for the first time) you were able to use the school laptops. Liz walked you through the process of setting up a Google account (for those of you who did not have one) and of creating a Google Doc -- a "magical" online document that you'll be able to access, via the Internet, from anywhere.
Once you created this document, you began working on your first piece for Writer's Workshop.
Liz also described the structure of the workshop periods and outlined some of her expectations for the process you'll take in finishing your first piece. She established a deadline of October 26 for that piece, with much of the work to be accomplished during your Writer's Workshop periods, which will take place on Tuesday and Friday mornings.
There was no homework assigned tonight, although you should feel free to work on your first WW pieces if you'd like to do so.
Once you created this document, you began working on your first piece for Writer's Workshop.
Liz also described the structure of the workshop periods and outlined some of her expectations for the process you'll take in finishing your first piece. She established a deadline of October 26 for that piece, with much of the work to be accomplished during your Writer's Workshop periods, which will take place on Tuesday and Friday mornings.
There was no homework assigned tonight, although you should feel free to work on your first WW pieces if you'd like to do so.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Wednesday, September 9
Today, we began discussing the qualities that make people seem more -- or less -- convincing. To understand this better, we watched two contrasting videos and completed look-feel-see charts for both:
South Carolina
and
Debate
We talked about body language, speech, hand gestures, and content...we also agreed that people typically speak more or less effectively if they actually know what they are talking about! This was earth-shattering news to everyone.
We then made lists of subjects about which we have strong opinions. To say these were "varied" would be putting it mildly -- everything from computers to ice cream flavors to hyphy music was mentioned.
No homework was assigned tonight.
South Carolina
and
Debate
We talked about body language, speech, hand gestures, and content...we also agreed that people typically speak more or less effectively if they actually know what they are talking about! This was earth-shattering news to everyone.
We then made lists of subjects about which we have strong opinions. To say these were "varied" would be putting it mildly -- everything from computers to ice cream flavors to hyphy music was mentioned.
No homework was assigned tonight.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Tuesday, September 8
Today, you had a double dose of eighth-grade English: Writer's Workshop with Liz and "regular" English with Mitch.
With Liz, you discussed Writer's Workshop, looked at a Billy Collins poem, and explored what your own "heart poem" would look like. You also began putting together your Writer's Workshop binder.
With Mitch, you examined some ways that words can influence your thinking and your perception of the world around you. Among other things, you looked at some optical illusions, captioned pictures, and questioned whether or not splleing raelly mttaers.
There was no homework given today.
With Liz, you discussed Writer's Workshop, looked at a Billy Collins poem, and explored what your own "heart poem" would look like. You also began putting together your Writer's Workshop binder.
With Mitch, you examined some ways that words can influence your thinking and your perception of the world around you. Among other things, you looked at some optical illusions, captioned pictures, and questioned whether or not splleing raelly mttaers.
There was no homework given today.
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