Humanities: Improvising Of Mice & Men & Socratic Seminar

We spent today in the Forum, because we did some improv acting, a little dramatic reading and then some deep questioning.  

We started with a quick refresher of the book by means of a quick game of symphony.  We thought of words that described Lennie & George as well as words that stood out to us in the text.

Then Mr. Ryder read aloud up through the next chapter break around page 36 or so.  We countered the rest of the bunk house for the first time, as well as the boss' son, Curley, and Curley's wife.  We are about a third of the way through the novel.  

To check for understanding of the scenes, we recreated tableaus, frozen images, from the story so far.  Groups had to guess which moments from the book the other groups were recreating.  

We ended with a socratic seminar that started verbally and then moved to a digital back channel on Today's Meet.  You can access the back channel here.

Homework

Blog:

3+ Posts

Req'd: Post 3 images/symbols that represent the 1st quarter for you; after posting the images, write a single paragraph of explanation

Due: Friday, Nov. 1st

Everything Else:

Grades Close Today: Friday, Nov. 1st

AP Lit 2B/3B: Analytical Process, Star Wars & LEGO

Here are pictures that document our thinking from Thursday's class.

Star Wars Puzzle Group Process

This led to our work around our own analytical processes which we illustrated by crafting LEGO constructs.

If you want to see more LEGO constructs, visit the AP Lit page to the right and check our the blogs there.  Some brilliant thinking to behold.

Homework

Blog:

3+ Posts

Req'd: Post 3 images/symbols that represent the 1st quarter for you; after posting the images, write a single paragraph of explanation

Due: Friday, Nov. 1st

Complete: Award winning/finalist book projects.

Due: Wednesday, November 6th

Read & Annotate: NBA Finalist Excerpts

Due: Monday, November 5th

AP Lit 3G: Uncovering Process, Star Wars Puzzles & Legos

We'll start by solving some Star Wars puzzles, because that's good strong academic thinking.

Actually . . . it is.

We will examine our process of problem solving and use it to fuel a comparison conversation around our own processing habits and needs.  This will lead into our work with our own analytical processes.

We'll use LEGO bricks  to help us along with that work.  (Interesting article about how to refer to LEGO here -- language and words are neat!)  We will use the LEGO bricks to create models of the first three stages in our personal poetry analytical process.  The results in Periods 2B/3B were neat.  I'm looking forward to seeing what we come up with.

Then we'll discuss the two excerpts from Kushner & Pynchon and what we noticed in those two works of fiction.  It will allow us to start looking at differences between our analytical processes around poetry and fiction.  

This weekend: book projects.  Boom.

Homework

Blog:

3+ Posts

Req'd: Post 3 images/symbols that represent the 1st quarter for you; after posting the images, write a single paragraph of explanation

Due: Friday, Nov. 1st

Complete: Award winning/finalist book projects.

Due: Tuesday, November 5th

PACE: Finishing the Unpacking

Friday, we started by writing the final paragraph for our I Am Hero project reflections: outcome.  Folks should be certain to share their I Am Hero project reflection paragraphs (product, process, outcome) in their PACE 2013 IN folders.

I Am Hero Product, Process, Outcome

Product: Describe in detail what you made OR what you've tried to make (if it isn't done yet)

Process: How you go about making it?  What troubles did you encounter? How did you overcome them OR why do they continue to persist?

Outcome: How does it look? How satisfied are you with the end result? What would you do the same? Differently? And what big understandings can you take with you from creating this product?

From there, we jumped into our Ohana teams and review our weekly work plans.  

Based on the outcomes of those discussions, I think we may need to add an exit ticket or Ohana report something that let's us capture the work done.  Wondering what PACE folks think . . .

Then it was on to unpacking the standards.  We finished paraphrasing the reading and writing standards and then started on to writing some outcome-based statements.  

If I am able to meet this standard, then I can . . . 

Over the weekend, I will HMW our "Music Is Poetry Is Music Unit" and then PACE folks can provide feedback, make changes, etc.

Homework

Blog:

3+ Posts

Req'd: Post 3 images/symbols that represent the 1st quarter for you; after posting the images, write a single paragraph of explanation

Complete/Revise: 

I Am Hero Projects & Revisions

I Am Hero Graphic Organizers & Revisions

I Am Hero Product, Process, Outcome

PACE has until MONDAY to get this stuff in to me