English 9: Who Am I (at the Moment) and Who Do I Want to Become Begins . . .

Last week we started our year long theme, though I didn't say anything about it being our year long theme because . . . uh . . . I'm not sure why.   But I didn't . . .

Who Am I (at the Moment) and Who Do I Want to Become is all about exploring our identities, our personalities, our values, our abilities, as they are right now, determining who we want to become in the future, and asking the most important question: how might we get ourselves from here to there?

Last week we looked at our multiple intelligences and our mindsets.

We used this survey from LiteracyWorks to help determine our multiple intelligences and took screen shots of our results.  Here's an example:

Later in the week we examined to extent to which we have growth and fixed mindsets.  We started by looking at objects in the room that represent how we feel about our intelligence.  We each chose one, took a picture of it that highlighted how it represents our feelings, and then put it back.

We watched this video that helps explain the difference between the two.

Two of the three classes did some work with scenarios, looking at how someone with a growth mindset would respond to a situation vs how someone with a fixed mindset would respond.

Then we used this inventory from Mindset Works to determine where our mindsets fall on the spectrum between fixed and growth.  

We took screenshots of the results again.   This time, however, we also found a sentence from the results that we believe describes us very well -- the inventory nailed it -- and a sentence that we were not so sure accurately describes who we are -- ehhhh..not sure sure about that one- -- and put those sentences in a Google doc.

To bring it all around full circle, we then wrote about how the object we found at the beginning represents our mindset -- whether fixed, growth, or somewhere in the middle.   We put that on a Google doc and then some folks started to copy and paste that information to their blogs.

Here's a sketchnote of how we went about doing this work. 

If you were able to get all of this work done in class last Thursday and Friday, you did not have homework.  Otherwise, you needed to finish completing the survey, finding the sentences that describe and do not describe your mindset, and then explain how that object represents your mindset.

It should be on a Google doc and placed in your English 9 IN folder.

Also in your English 9 IN folder should be your super power/kryptonite writing.

Now . . .  Monday and Tuesday . . .

Tuesday may look a little different but here's what happened on Monday . . .

We explored the basics of sketchnotes!

Then we worked with poetry Jenga and created a few poems in the moment.

Then we started reading "So What Are You, Anyway?" by Lawrence Hill, a story about a young woman on a plane dealing with some less than kind fellow travelers.  I explained how the Notice/Wish/Wonder graphic organizer works.

Then we broke into 4 Stations, each of which are described on the sketchnoted signs below with instructions.  Anything that was not completed in class became homework due at the next class.

Here's a link to the 8 Box of Who Am I (at the Moment)

Links to Roots 2 are over in the toolbar to the right under "Roots & Quizlet"

Pop Culture: Music Roots Review & Country Vs. Hip-Hop

Music Roots.

Last week we used our time together to explore the roots of music. I  sketchnoted on the board while folks researched and we dug into musical etymology or the history of where contemporary music comes from.

Here are some of our sketchnotes from that experience.

Essentially we established that the rhythms and beats of contemporary western music originated mostly in the music of African and indigenous Latin and South American peoples, with melodies and instrumentation largely influenced by northern and eastern Europeans.

Out of Class Work from Last Week.

The homework for the weekend was to investigate the roots of a contemporary musical artist or band you enjoy and trace those roots back three generations -- not just three decades or three influences -- but three generations of sounds/styles/artists.  For example, we were able to trace Taylor Swift back to Tim McGraw (half-a-one) to Dolly Parton (two) to Hank Williams Sr (three) to Robert Johnson (four).   Create a playlist of those roots, embed that playlist on your blog and write or record an explanation of your findings.  Include links to any research you did -- Wikipedia articles, websites, conversations you had with fans, etc.

Pop Culture Lineage Project Shares.

We'll start our classes this week with a project share or two.  The one's I've seen so far are fantastic.

Country Vs. Hip Hop.

This week we'll take a look at two genres that seem -- at first glance -- to have more dissimilar than common. We'll look under the hoods of both and see if the branches of hip-hop and country are too far from their roots to be united again.

The graphic organizer for this work is in the Pop Culture 2016 Out folder in Google Drive and linked here as well.

Country vs. Hip-Hop


When you complete the graphic organizer, it should go in your Pop Culture IN folder on Google Drive so I can check out your rad thinking.

Out of Class Work.

To Be Announced.

It very much depends on how things go on Monday.  I have an idea and need to keep thinking.

Expect that there will be a blog post due by Friday and it will require creating something.