AP Lit: Hours of Oreos & Introduction to Synthesis Thinking

30 Circles.

We started with designer Bob McKim's 30 Circles exercise.  Two minutes.  Transform thirty circles as many ways as you can.  We'll be revisiting this exercise a number of times over the next several weeks.

Oreo Challenge.

From there we explored our maker carts in the classroom (Discovery Phase) and used our empathy maps from our readings of the The Hours thus far, to tackle the following design challenge: How might we represent the three protagonists of The Hours via an Oreo cookie in 15 minutes?

These are photos from the process.

You'll be posting discussions of your designs and the intentions behind them as your first creative blog post of the year. 

We discussed the intentions of each design, shared and collaborated, we "yes and-ed" the heck outta each other, and ultimately decided we had three fantastic prototypes.

Synthesis Thinking.

We ended class with a brief introduction to synthesis thinking vs analytical thinking.  The sketchnotes on this post are designed to help you distinguish the two.

Three key points to the sketchnote:

1) Synthesis constructs a truth.  Analysis dismantles a truth.

2) Synthesis aligns to art.   Analysis aligns to science.

3) You need to analysis to develop a synthesis.  You need synthesis to give you reason for analysis.

For Wednesday, write just the introduction and thesis statement of your first synthesis essay.
Creative Constraints for Synthesis Essay 1.

1. Must draw on evidence from at least one of your summer readings.

2. Must draw on evidence from at least one of the texts we have explored together so far this year: "I Don't Miss It,"  The Hours, and How to Read Lit.

Out of Class Work.

Read.  The Hours. 140 - 172

Due. Wednesday. 9.21.2016

Looking Ahead: 173-195 for Friday.  Finish the book for next Tuesday.

Read.  How to Read Lit Like a Professor Chapter 1.

Find. a POWER QUOTE.  One line from the text that you think captures the essence of the chapter.

Due. Friday.  9.23.2016.

Write.

Synthesis Essay 1. JUST introduction & thesis statement.

Due. Wednesday. 9.21.2016.

Workshopping Draft.

Blog.

Start.  A Blog on Blogger for AP Lit.

(You may repurpose an old blog on Blogger for this purpose, too. I'd love to see your past work.)

Critical Creativity Post. Discuss your Oreo challenge.  Explain your intentions.

Analytical Post.   Discuss how the power quote you uncovered in How to Read Lit Chapter 1 relates to your summer reading texts.

Due.  Friday.  9.23.2016.