We began Writer's Workshop with a mini-lesson and discussion about what makes a good book review. Starting next Thursday, students will turn in a book review about a book that they are reading (or read recently) every other Thursday.
HOMEWORK: Monday, 2/1- 3 paragraph answer to Philosophy question (see Wednesday's blog for details)
Tuesday, 2/2- pick 3 poems from poetryoutloud.org (see Monday's blog for details)
Thursday, 2/4- Book Review, at least 2 paragraphs in length
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Wednesday, January 27
We kicked off our weekly (every Wednesday) Philosophy unit with a riveting discussion on the nature of love. We learned about Plato's and Montaigne's views on love and explored their positions through philosophical dialogue.
HOMEWORK FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1st: Choose one of the Discussion Questions (either 2, 3, 4, or 5- not #1) and write THREE full paragraphs answering the question.
2. Construct a real-life example of having to choose between two people (e.g., an old friend versus a new romantic interest). Is the choice rational or irrational in your view? How would you defend yourself if someone thought differently from you?
3. Do you agree with Plato that the Form of Beauty is reflected in all beautiful things? Why or why not?
4. Which is more important to you: being rational or being free? Explain why.
5. Do you think it is possible for a friendship love to change into a romantic love? Do you think the reverse is possible? Do you think it is possible to have both with the same person at the same time?
HOMEWORK FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1st: Choose one of the Discussion Questions (either 2, 3, 4, or 5- not #1) and write THREE full paragraphs answering the question.
2. Construct a real-life example of having to choose between two people (e.g., an old friend versus a new romantic interest). Is the choice rational or irrational in your view? How would you defend yourself if someone thought differently from you?
3. Do you agree with Plato that the Form of Beauty is reflected in all beautiful things? Why or why not?
4. Which is more important to you: being rational or being free? Explain why.
5. Do you think it is possible for a friendship love to change into a romantic love? Do you think the reverse is possible? Do you think it is possible to have both with the same person at the same time?
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Tuesday, January 26
Today, we began class by assessing your understanding of last night's reading homework -- "The Ethics of Living Jim Crow," by Richard Wright. You answered three questions: one asked you to sketch a scene from the essay, one asked you to choose the most difficult experience (and explain why you chose as you did), and one asked you to specify the "Jim Crow" rules that the narrator uncovered in the course of his experiences.
Those of you who did not do the reading answered the questions while referring to a hard copy of the essay.
When you finished, we asked you to begin looking on the "Poetry Out Loud" website for potential recitation choices (last week, we began discussing the upcoming middle-school poetry recitation project). Your homework for next Tuesday is to choose three potential poems for memorization. Three guidelines govern your choices:
Poetry Out Loud
Finally, the 8A group watched two short videos that provided more background about the time and place in which our next novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, takes place. The 8B group will watch these next Tuesday. Links to the videos are below:
The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow
TKM and the Great Depression
Those of you who did not do the reading answered the questions while referring to a hard copy of the essay.
When you finished, we asked you to begin looking on the "Poetry Out Loud" website for potential recitation choices (last week, we began discussing the upcoming middle-school poetry recitation project). Your homework for next Tuesday is to choose three potential poems for memorization. Three guidelines govern your choices:
- The poem must be more than 12 lines long.
- The poem must be from the "Poetry Out Loud" website.
- The poem must be new to you -- not one that you recited last year.
Poetry Out Loud
Finally, the 8A group watched two short videos that provided more background about the time and place in which our next novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, takes place. The 8B group will watch these next Tuesday. Links to the videos are below:
The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow
TKM and the Great Depression
Monday, January 25, 2010
Monday, January 25
Today, we began class by collecting your "Poetry Out Loud" logos paragraphs. Some of you didn't have them, and they are due as soon as possible. Please see last Tuesday's blog post for copies of the assignment and a description.
Next, in preparation for reading our next novel (To Kill A Mockingbird), we began a "3-2-1-Bridge" thinking routine about the American South from the period 1900 - 1940. We asked you to write down 3 words you associate with the American South during that time period, 2 questions that you have about it, and 1 metaphor, analogy, or simile that you could construct about it. You worked on this for about five minutes, and then we shared some of the items you wrote down. We'll return to these tomorrow to see how your thinking has changed.
We then talked briefly about some important dates and events that figure into the American South -- the Emancipation Proclamation, post-Civil-War Southern society and economic structure, and the rise/emergence of Jim Crow laws.
To illustrate the latter, we began reading Richard Wright's autobiographical essay "The Ethics of Living Jim Crow." Find a copy at the link below:
The Ethics of Living Jim Crow
We read through the first section, and focused discussion on the narrator's mother -- why she reacted so strongly and so (to our way of thinking) bizarrely to the narrator's experience. We then read halfway through the next section.
For homework, we asked you to finish reading the essay -- due tomorrow.
Next, in preparation for reading our next novel (To Kill A Mockingbird), we began a "3-2-1-Bridge" thinking routine about the American South from the period 1900 - 1940. We asked you to write down 3 words you associate with the American South during that time period, 2 questions that you have about it, and 1 metaphor, analogy, or simile that you could construct about it. You worked on this for about five minutes, and then we shared some of the items you wrote down. We'll return to these tomorrow to see how your thinking has changed.
We then talked briefly about some important dates and events that figure into the American South -- the Emancipation Proclamation, post-Civil-War Southern society and economic structure, and the rise/emergence of Jim Crow laws.
To illustrate the latter, we began reading Richard Wright's autobiographical essay "The Ethics of Living Jim Crow." Find a copy at the link below:
The Ethics of Living Jim Crow
We read through the first section, and focused discussion on the narrator's mother -- why she reacted so strongly and so (to our way of thinking) bizarrely to the narrator's experience. We then read halfway through the next section.
For homework, we asked you to finish reading the essay -- due tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Tuesday, January 19
After almost a month out of English class, we returned to the (very warm) amphitheater today to continue working on rhetoric, the English language, and literature.
The author Mitali Perkins is visiting us tomorrow, and in preparation, we discussed some of the work she did last year with TBS middle-school students around linguicism. Then, you received a copy of a short story that Perkins recently wrote -- "Fire Escape." To get another copy, visit the link below:
Fire Escape
In the blank space at the end of the story, we asked you to write three "I see..." statements (facts about the story) and three "I think..." statements (ideas you have about the story or the author). We also gave you a Post-It note and asked you to write down three "I wonder..." statements about the story or the author. If you didn't turn in your Post-It note today, we expect you to have it tomorrow for Mitali's visit.
We then went on to watch some video clips of contestants from the National Poetry Recitation Competition. We asked you to make some notes on each contestant's recitation, and to use those notes to fill out a pre-writing sheet for two "content sandwich" expository paragraphs. The sheet can be found at the link below:
Effective Poetry Recitation Sheet
You'll need to finish the paragraphs described on this sheet by next Monday, January 25.
The author Mitali Perkins is visiting us tomorrow, and in preparation, we discussed some of the work she did last year with TBS middle-school students around linguicism. Then, you received a copy of a short story that Perkins recently wrote -- "Fire Escape." To get another copy, visit the link below:
Fire Escape
In the blank space at the end of the story, we asked you to write three "I see..." statements (facts about the story) and three "I think..." statements (ideas you have about the story or the author). We also gave you a Post-It note and asked you to write down three "I wonder..." statements about the story or the author. If you didn't turn in your Post-It note today, we expect you to have it tomorrow for Mitali's visit.
We then went on to watch some video clips of contestants from the National Poetry Recitation Competition. We asked you to make some notes on each contestant's recitation, and to use those notes to fill out a pre-writing sheet for two "content sandwich" expository paragraphs. The sheet can be found at the link below:
Effective Poetry Recitation Sheet
You'll need to finish the paragraphs described on this sheet by next Monday, January 25.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Monday, January 4 - Monday, January 18
"Where's the English blog update?"
This week and next week, all TBS middle-school students are engaged in interdisciplinary intersession classes -- either Cooking, Pinnacles, or Film. So there's no English class to update.
We'll return on Tuesday, January 19!
This week and next week, all TBS middle-school students are engaged in interdisciplinary intersession classes -- either Cooking, Pinnacles, or Film. So there's no English class to update.
We'll return on Tuesday, January 19!
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