Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Eng 9: To Solve a Mockingbird Single Point Rubric

To Kill a Mockingbird: To Solve a Mockingbird Design Challenge  Single Point Rubric
Evidence to Demonstrate the Standards:
  1. Empathy Map
  2. 8-Box Brainstorm (w 3-Panel Storyboard)
  3. Invention (Picture Documentation)
  4. Character POV Story (1-Page from Character’s POV, Using Your Invention)
All evidence must be placed in your Eng 9 IN folder on Google Drive
Criteria
Evidence of Exceeding the Standard (clever, insightful, unique, powerful, creative, meaningful, professional)
What Meeting the Standard Looks Like
Evidence of Needs for Improvement (gaps, missing pieces or evidence, incomplete thoughts)
Story Understanding (MEDIA)

Between your story, empathy map, and invention, you demonstrate you have a solid understanding of the story of To Kill a Mockingbird.  I like how the details in your story include details from TKAM.   

Understanding of Point of View (READING)

You successfully take on the point of view from a character in the movie and demonstrate how that character’s perspective provides information and insight that differs from the information provided by the film’s actual narrator, Scout.

Empathy
(HABITS of MIND)

It is clear that you have thought about the kinds of things that this character might do, say, or see based on how they act in other scenes of the movie, recognizing that he or she thinks and feels differently than other characters might.

Timeliness
(HABITS of MIND)

The final product is turned in within 24 hours of the agreed upon due date.

This has been shared in your Google Drive and there's a link to it right here as well.

SHOW YOUR WORK.
Complete.  To Solve a Mockingbird 
Due Today. 5.17.16

Revise.  TKAM Deleted Scene.
Due. ASAP.

Roots 13.  Quiz Next Wednesday!



Thursday, May 12, 2016

Eng 9: To Solve a Mockingbird: Experiment & Produce Phases

We'll start with a brief reading session and then . . .

And then . . . we invent and create.

There's an adjustment to the expectation for your invention:  you do not have to use Little Bits.  They are a tool.  They are a great tool.  My excitement about using them shouldn't limit your imagination or problem solving skills.

You MUST create a tangible invention.  It must be something you can hold and use -- or at least easily imagine is functional.  The Little Bits are there to make some of your ideas ACTUALLY happen -- and there are other inventions available too.

8 BOX/STORYBOARD/EMPATHY MAP.
In order to be released to build and hack and make and create, you must put the following in your Eng 9 IN folder on Google Drive:
* Full 8 Box and video documenting that you did it in 4 minutes (if you did it at home)
* Three panel storyboard of your invention in action
* Empathy Map of the character for whom you are designing a solution

Today is also the last day to build and create in class.  At 9 a.m. we will showcase what we've created, get some feedback in either Rose, Bud, Thorn or Four Corners Feedback,  as we get ready for new work next Tuesday and Thursday.

ONE PAGE STORY.
Once you've designed/built your invention, you must write a one-page story from the point of view of your character USING your invention to solve the problem.  Your story needs to demonstrate that you understand the character you have chosen and can empathize with him or her.  It must also prove you understand the story of To Kill a Mockingbird, as well as some of the big ideas -- themes -- in the film.



Anything you don't finish in class becomes homework.  Work hard.  Make awesome thing as I know you will.






Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Pop Culture: Making Movie Magic Happen (Sorta)

Pop Culture: Making Movie Magic Happen (Sorta.)

Making the Movie Magic Happen. (Sorta.)

Stage 1. After watching a couple of clips under Mr. Ryder’s tutelage, try your hand at storyboarding, directing and cinematography.

  1. In groups of one, two or three, choose a film from the  AFI Top 100 - 10th Anniversary list that you have seen or at least sorta kinda “know.” (This list is due for an update in 2017.  I’m curious to see what happens  . . .)
  2. Find a clip of a well-known scene from that film online.  They are out there.
  3. Using either people or LEGO minifigs and either digital photography or sketching, recreate that scene shot-by-shot, angle-by-angle
  4. As you are producing that recreation, think about the placement of the camera, the framing, the movement.  Do your best to create as honest a reproduction as possible.  The point?  To see if you can see filmmaking from a creator’s point of view and become more aware of how the filmmaker’s convince their audiences to see and think about the subject matter in a particular way.

Which takes us to Stage 2.
After recreating that scene to develop a sense of how it all “works” in a finished product, use your skills to tell the following story.
Screen Shot 2014-11-10 at 11.24.47 AM.png

Choose and recreate the camera angles to the best of your abilities from the following sources:

Great tool because it shows you examples from actual films

Fantastic explanation of camera angles

Several great examples of storyboarding at work

Stage 3. #ShowYourWork by Creating a Google Presentation, Prezi, or other slideshow to show how your team did.   
Due at the midpoint of next class for sharing and feedback. Place the link or slideshow in your IN folder. Be sure to include all group members.

SHOW YOUR WORK.
BLOG. Content Post #4.
Due. Next Class. May 12.2016

CREATING MOVIE MAGIC.
Due. Next Class. May 12.2016

Monday, May 9, 2016

Eng 9: To Solve a Mockingbird Day One

How might we invent solutions to the problems characters in To Kill a Mockingbird face using Little Bits and our maker cart materials?

DISCOVER.
Today we started by breaking into three groups and circulating around the room in a modified Chalk Talk.  Everyone had a marker and added to the chart paper asking what sorts of problems the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird are facing.   We considered Tom Robinson, Atticus, Jem, Scout and Boo.




Then we chose design teams.  People can work by themselves, with a partner or with two partners for this design challenge.  

EMPATHY.
Once teams were chosen, we selected the characters for whom we want to invent problem solving solutions.

We used a new tool called the Innovator's Compass to help us wrangle with our challenge.  It was created by a rad designer and educator, Ela Ben-Ur, and you can hear her explain it in this video.


We used it on the makerboard to create an example for Scout, since no one in class chose to design for her.

Here's the results of that work.






After completing Innovator's Compass' for each of our characters in our design teams, we ran the design sprint 8 Box protocol.  That's where you try to come up with 8 ideas in just four minutes.

I didn't take many pictures at this point because I was trying to help folks out.  But here's some rough video I captured.

Tonight's homework follows and it should help you set up for some great experimenting and producing on Wednesday and Friday.  

SHOW YOUR THINKING.

8 Box.  Put 4 minutes on the clock.   
Come up with 8 ideas for invention possibilities that could solve your character's problem.  
Time yourself and take a video using your laptop camera or any other device.  Submit your video to me on Google Drive in your Eng 9 IN folder.
Take a picture of your 8 Box.  Submit that to your folder as well.
Due. Wednesday 5.11.16

Empathy Map.
Use the Empathy Map template to map out what your character is saying and doing and how that relates to what they are thinking and feeling.  We've done this all year going back to Of Mice & Men.  Same idea.  New character.  New challenge.
Submit your map to your IN Folder.
Due. Wednesday 5.11.16

Innovator's Compass.
Please take pics of your compass and put them in your IN folder.
Due. Wednesday 5.11.16




Friday, May 6, 2016

Pop Culture: Film Trailers & the Art of Making You Want More

Film Trailers

We'll start with this one.  Because I said so.




Resource 1.  9 Short Storytelling Tips.
Fantastic storytelling tips that can be applied well beyond film trailer designing.

Resource 2. The Golden Trailer Awards.
The Awards for Best Film Trailers.   (There are lots. Lots and lots.)

Resource 3.  Trailer Fatigue.
History and Current State of Affairs of Film Trailers.

You'll divide up into teams of 1, 2 or 3 to tackle this work today.  Pick your crew and get to work.

We'll start with the 9 Short Storytelling Tips.  In the space of 10 minutes, do the math for I will be cruising at breakneck keep-it-tight speed, I will give you both a sketchnote and a brief explanation of each tip.

Then!  In your teams, you will get to work looking for examples of those 9 short storytelling tips in either the Golden Trailer Awards nominees and winners OR Trailer Addict.com or a movie trailer source of  your liking.  Avoid the general YouTube search.  It can be cumbersome.  There's better curated sources out there.

Also, I'll be circulating, locking in your passion/interest/personal branded blog topic for the rest of the year.

SHOW YOUR WORK.

Blog.  Blog Post #3 for Your Branded Blog.
Post a Link to Your Post on the Blog Tracker.
Due. Monday. 5.9.16

Film Trailers.
Find examples of each of the first 9 storytelling tips as they appear in various movie trailers.  Collect your finds and explain your thinking on a Google doc.
Due.  Monday. 5.9.16


So Far This Quarter.

Poster Design.
Design a Poster for Advertising Your Blog or Your Video Game Design.
Due.  Friday. 5.6.16
Submit your poster in your Pop Culture IN folder on Google Drive.

Game Something that Matters.
Submit Your Slide Decks & Other Materials in the Pop Culture IN folder on Google Drive.
Due.  Monday. 5.2.16