AP Lit: Hamlet Acts II & III: Discovery/Experiment Phases of HMW Stage "To Be or Not to Be"

We're doing a bunch of close readings, we're exploring how Shakespeare constructs this narrative, we're discussing how Shakespeare serves as a drama rather than a dogma, we're heading toward building empathy for these characters, and we are taking each class period as it comes so we can focus on the scenes, the moments that speak most to us in the moment.

Phew.  I'm tried just writing all of that.

Here are the blog prompts of last week and this week with regards to Hamlet.   The new blog tracker is up.

ACT I.
Blog: Analytical and Design.  Potent Quotable.  Choose a line from the act I you believe captures the essential TONE of the play so far.  The attitude Shakespeare as author, creator, intent driven artist is bringing to the words of the play.  Playful? Pedantic? Satiric? Doleful?

Then take that one line and illustrate with either an original photograph of your own or an image from Unsplash.com.  Use fonts and your design skills to create a visual.  Post it along with a written or recorded explanation of your intentions behind your design.  Posting your intentions is necessary to meeting the standards for media and reading.

Blog:  Critical Creativity.  Color Palette.  Use ColourLovers.com to create a three to five color color palette for Hamlet Act I. Give each color a unique name that reveals your understanding of the characters thus far.  Explain your intentions to meet the reading standard.
Due Jan 27, 2017

ACT II.

Blog post:  Casting Call.  Very few people did this one last time.  Important to do so this time around because this sort of thinking will help you with your design challenge.  Cast Prince Hamlet, Ophelia, Claudius, Gertrude, Ghost Hamlet, Polonius, Laertes and Horatio.  Creative constraint:  must be a cast that could actually exist.  In other words, you may use actors from the past, but all of the cast must be from that era.  Include a line of dialogue you can imagine the actor speaking in that role and a brief rationale for each chocie.

Blog Post: Close reading Hamlet.  Select a speech or soliloquy from Acts I or II -- any speech except for this, too, too, sullied flesh.  Unpack the speech in terms of poetic and literary devices used, allusions and references, and finally how those elements seem to contribute to a key idea in Hamlet.

Due Feb 6, 2017

ACT III.

Staging Hamlet.  Rose/Bud/Thorn.  Take a look at these three versions of Act I, Scene i.  Rose/Bud/Thorn each interpretation and record your thoughts on FlipGrid.  Then embed your FlipGrid on your blog.  (Help each other to figure out how to do this.  You can do it!)

Scoring Hamlet. (Act III.)   Create an original score for any scene in Act III using either live instrumentation, Garage Band, SoundTrap  Wolfram Tones, Beat Lab, or another online/digital music generator/creator.  Explain your intentions.

Due Friday, Feb 10th, 2017.

Pop Culture: Film Trailers & Rated R Debate Prep & Blogging

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.

DEBATE: RATED-R FILMS
From there will be time for debate prep in your teams: "It should be illegal for children under 17 to see R-rated movies."  (Note that we dropped "in the theater")

OUT OF CLASS WORK

Debate Prep:  Wednesday/Thursday we will have our second debate of the quarter.  You will have twenty minutes next class to prep and then it will be game on.

BEST EVIDENCE on Your Blog.

Visit the Blog Tracker in the Pop Culture OUT folder.

Look at the Tabs along the Bottom of the Sheet.

You will find a place to submit your BEST EVIDENCE of Meeting the Writing, Reading, Presentation/Media & Language/MUGS Standards.

This means picking from your blog posts, revising them to be the best they can be, and submitting them.  You can DEFINITELY submit the same blog post as evidence of more than one standard.  

For example, your slideshow depicting your thoughts on music education could be evidence your presentation/media, reading (if you did meaningful research), and Language/MUGS standards all at once.  You just have to put the link under all three standards.    

Pop Culture: Catching Up & Breathing & Blog Tracking

On Friday, we took time to catch up and breathe and do a little mental reset for our next design challenge which is coming your way next week.

Here is what should be in your Google Drive Pop Culture IN folder:

POP CULTURE LINEAGE PROJECT
Photos/videos of your model/visuals/design
Written or Recorded Explanations

MUSIC ROOTS
Trace an artist back 3 generations
Playlist with examples of the music of each influence
Explanations and visuals

COUNTRY V HIP-HOP
Graphic Organizer and Synthesis Paragraphs

LEGO MY POP CULTURE
Any pictures and explanations of what you created

OREO DESIGN CHALLENGE: ADVERTISE the POP CULTURE YOU LOVE
Any pictures and explanations

DESIGN A BAND  DESIGN CHALLENGE
Album cover
Biography of designed band
Reactions  (See the Design a Band Challenge from last class for a complete description of what should be there)

Here's what should be ON YOUR BLOG.

1. LEGO my POP CULTURE pics and explanation
2. OREO CHALLENGE pics and explanation
3. MUSIC ROOTS playlist, visuals,  and explanations
4. DESIGN A BAND Post One (the band)
5. DESIGN a BAND Post Two (answering the critical thinking questions)

Here's a link the to POP CULTURE FALL 2016 BLOG TRACKER.  You have editing access.  No need to make a copy.

Here's a video to help you post your links to your individual posts on the blog tracker.  The relevant info goes up to minute 13 -- this is from last spring's class.

We ended the day on Friday with looking briefly at why people LISTEN to music and why people MAKE music.   We did some work on post-it notes with this.  More next week . . . 

All Classes: New Codes in PowerSchool: NES and IES

Hi folks,

I've made a little video to help explain two new codes in our PowerSchool gradebook that you will only encounter in my classes: IES (Insufficient Evidence Submitted) and NES (No Evidence Submitted by Choice).  Please share this with your folks as it can be a little confusing when you look at PowerSchool and don't know what's up.

In a nutshell, NES means you chose not to submit any evidence for that standard for that assessment -- typically the weekly blog posts.

IES means you have not submitted enough evidence for that standard for me to report out a numerical grade yet.   If we get within three weeks of the end of the quarter and I do not have enough evidence, I will have to change this to NM (Not yet Meets) a.k.a. 50 and it will have a major impact on your grade.

If you see a Missing in the grade book, that's something YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT UP.  Missings become NM when they are not completed.  It's what separates a Missing from NES.

UPDATE: 1.4.15.  Was just informed that the audio on the video doesn't work.  I'll try to make a new version this week.  

AP Lit: Dubliners & Frankliners, Where We've Been, Where We're Going

Phew.

A very cool week and a very nutty week all at the same time.  Lots and lots of goings on of all different sorts.

We explored Dubliners via Literary 3x3s and crafting thesis statements.  We are doing much more deliberate work around thesis statements next week alongside our work with our Frankliners project that begins in earnest next week as well.  We will be balancing the analytical and the creative, the prose and the verse.

We've also given blogging an overhaul with revised expectations, a new rubric, and I think a much better all around experience for you folks.  To be clear: these changes are not because I'm disappointed in the work you've done on your blogs.  Quite to the contrary, I LOVE reading your work.  There have been several outstanding, highest of quality posts this fall already.  And there are more to come.

No, this change is to put emphasis on that quality and less on quantity.


Now, this week was paved with other good intentions of mine.  Let's try to rectify this now that we are at Friday.   Though I said in class, I never posted here, so now here it is:

This week Indie Book Projects are due.  (Thursday and Friday.)  As they come in, I'd love for people to share them.  It won't be a graded presentation, but a way to honor the thinking and creating and to also help us collectively experience the texts you are choosing.  

Also this week was a How to Read Lit Like a Prof Week.  We're a little behind in that regards, so we'll be doing two in a row here.  This week and next will both be How to Read Lit Like a Prof Weeks.   This week?  "Geography Matters." 

Next week?  "So Does Season."

For next class, and this is just stupid degrees of important, read Joyce's "The Dead", the last story in Dubliners.  We will see how well that one story functions as the end result of the others we have read, to see if the circuit holds true, to see if folk tales continue, to see if that one word (ssshhhh still a secret until end of the day on Friday)

Humanities: Test Driving the New Blog

Friday in Humanities . . .

We'll open with DreamTime.

Fill an index card with titles of movies that have never been made that you would love to see.

Fill the other side of the index card with titles of movies that have never been made that you NEVER want to see.

That'll warm up our brains to dive further into blogging today.  Your goal is to get a blog post up and choose which standards you'd like assessed.  Remember, you must also self assess before I will assess your work.

Here's the new blogging rubric.

Here's your creative blog post challenge for the week: Casting Call.

Soledad Pictures has announced a new version of Of Mice and Men to come out in the damn hot summer of 2017.  They are still casting.  Who should be in it?  Amplify your thinking by including clips to prove your casting choices are up to the task.  Amplify your demonstration of the reading by including a line of dialogue from the book that captures the character. Consider how images and links can help demonstrate your thinking.

In addition to your class blog, you may want to start your own passion-driven blog.  This may be entries from your current blog.  I recommend starting a new one, however, so you may try to build an audience.

SHOW YOUR LEARNING.

Blogging.

Due. Friday. 11.6.2015.

Study. Roots Quiz 1-4.

Due.  Thursday.  11.12.2015

Optional.  Roots-Based Word Product.

Due. Thursday. 11.12.2015

Humanities 2BG: Completing the Cardboard Challenge and This Week's Creative Blog Post

We're going to complete the Cardboard Challenge this week with an exhibition of our work and a reflective piece of writing.

We also have Roots Quiz 2 on Thursday  Several folks seemed to have trouble submitting Roots Quiz 1, so those folks will need to take a retake of that one as well.

But first, Wednesday, we will put up our Cardboard Challenges.

Thursday you have a day to start your one-page reflection essay on the Cardboard Challenge.  It is due on Friday.

You have three options to choose from for your essay.

Option A. Product/Process/Outcome.  

• Describe what you made using specific, meaningful details.
• Describe how you made it by sharing specific step by step directions in what it took to make it.
• Describe how you feel about the final results by discussing what you like about your final product and what you might do differently next time or on a different iteration.

Option B.  Yourself/Others/Creativity.

• Discuss what you learned about yourself from completing the cardboard challenge, including things you didn't realize about your abilities and talents, struggles and strengths.  
• Discuss what you learned about others as a result of completing the cardboard challenge, including the experience of interviewing others and their needs or perhaps what it is like to work with a partner.
• Discuss what you've learned about the creative process and what it is like to make something for others and to make it using only a particular set of resources.

Option C.  Three Things You've Learned About Creativity

• Discuss three things you've learned about creativity from completing the cardboard challenge.

For this essay, I want you to keep it within a one-page limit, 11 or 12 point font, single spaced.  (Don't play around with the fonts to make it seem like you wrote more than you did.  That's not the point.  Also: super annoying.)  The point is to use specific details to get your ideas across to your reader in a short amount of space.  

Here's what I'll be assessing (grading):

Your Details (writing) How well did you use specifics to show exactly what you mean?

Your Organization (writing) How well did you use paragraphs to organize your thoughts and ideas?

Your Voice (writing) How well does your personality come through in your writing?

Your MUGS (MUGS - mechanics, usage, grammar, spelling) 

Your Timeliness (Due Friday, Oct 16 )

SHOW YOUR LEARNING.

Blog.  3+ Posts.

Critical Creativity Challenge Post. Kick Start Your Creativity.

Take a look at these examples of creative Kickstarters

an improved hammock design that features a guy in a bear suit,

a machine that converts food waste into energy

 little hands that make you look like you caught a huge fish

 a mustache that makes reading easier.

Now it is your turn.  Invent a product you would pitch on Kickstarter.  What does it do?  What problem does it solve?  How much money will you be hoping to raise?  How will you spend it?  What will your stretch goals be?  Enhance your blog post by including drawings or photos, a logo, maybe even a pitch video.

Study.  Roots Quiz 2.  (Includes lists 1-2)

Optional Demonstration of  Understanding.  Roots Product 2.

Write.  Cardboard Challenge One-Page Reflection.
Due. Friday, Oct. 16.  

Eng 9. Playlist for Other Rubric and How to Post Your Links on Blog Tracker.

Hi folks,

I thought this rubric was shared with you on a previous post and it was not.  I'm apologizing for that now.  It is the same criteria as what we put up on the whiteboard in the room -- it is just more descriptive and provides more feedback.

Reminder, part of the project was to create a piece of "cover art" for your partner's playlist.

Turning in Your Blogs.

Here's a brief video to help you turn in your blog posts properly on the blog tracker.  I take you step by step.  By Friday, you should have nine posts up, including your Playlist for Others, ideas/designs/process for your Cardboard Challenge, and a 5 Card Flickr that tells the story of solving a problem.  (These have all been described in earlier posts.)

What else could you blog about?  Here are some ideas:

• Oreo Challenge. Manilla Folder Challenge.  Lego Challenge.
• Any and all of the graphic organizers so far with an explanation explaining what it is and your thinking.
• Any draft or planning or sketchnoting or doodling so far with an explanation of your thinking.
• Your Thirty Circles.
• Poetry.  Creative Writing. Reflections. Things You are Seeing that Make You Think. 
• Comments and Critiques and Dialogues
• Videos That You Want to Talk About.
• Music That You Want to Talk About.
• Memes That Make You Think and Laugh And Think.
• Articles That Make You Think.
• Post-Its and sorts with explanations.  
• Anything at all that shows your thinking.  Any of the work you do for class that shows your thinking.  

Here are a couple of links to sample blog posts you could use as guides.  These show you the sort of thinking and explanations that should be included.  These are not perfect posts -- these are good examples to help you see what meets the standard for thinking and content.

Sample 1. Sharing Work from Class.

Sample 2. Creativity Related to Class.

Also, here's a video showing some of our problem sorting thinking from class today.  Really cool work today everyone.

Show Your Learning.

Blog: 3+ Posts 

Creative Blog Post. #ShowYourWork on Your Global Cardboard Challenge design.

Sketches. Doodles. Maps.  Lists. Ideas.  Mini Makes. (Manila folder challenges) 

Due. Friday. 10.2.15 

Study. Roots Quiz #1  FRIDAY. (We should have taken this last week.)

Use the Quizlet to Help You Study.

Know the Root & What It Means.

Other Evidence of Learning:  In addition to the taking the quiz, you may want to create a roots product that demonstrates your understanding of the roots and what they mean.  Some of us struggle with quizzes as a way of proving we know something, but if we get a chance to use our knowledge, we knock it out of the park.  Consider writing a story, a set of instructions, making a video, recording a podcast, building something on Minecraft or in LEGO, recording a song, drawing a comic strip, or some other way of showing me that you know those roots and what they mean in a way that shows you truly understand. 

Due.  Friday. 10.2.15 

AP Lit: Guidance Visits & True Grit

Hi folks,

Guidance will be visiting on Monday and Tuesday, so I'm keeping our plans flexible.  Whatever time we are afforded will be focused on True Grit.  The nature of the work will depend entirely on the amount of time we have.  I hope we are able to make something things to help us with True Grit.  I sure do enjoy making things and seeing how making things helps others to understand.

Here are some absolutes.

Synthesis Essay 1.  Due Wednesday.  Submit by sharing your Google doc with me.  Huzzah.
How to Read Lit.  Chapter & prompt week.  See below.
Creative Blog Challenge. Color Palette.  See below.
Vocab.  Quiz NEXT week.  See below.

Blogging.  3+ Posts.  

Due. Friday. 10.2.15 

Creative Challenge.  Create a color palette for True Grit on Colourlovers.com.  Post a link/embed screenshot.  Name each color and provide an overall title for your palette.  Be intentional.  Then explain your intentions with a brief rationale for each color.  

Need an example?  

Read.  How to Read Lit Like a Professor.  "Every Trip Is a Quest . . . "

Answer the Following Question in a Blog Post: Based on your understanding of Foster's POV, what do you believe he would say about True Grit? To what extent would you agree with him?

Due. Friday. 10.2.15

Design & Submit.  Synthesis Essay 1.

Due. Wednesday. 9.30.15

Study. Roots Quiz #1  Monday/Tuesday next week. (We should have taken this last week.)

Use the Quizlet to Help You Study.

Know the Root & What It Means.

Other Evidence of Learning:  In addition to the taking the quiz, you may want to create a roots product that demonstrates your understanding of the roots and what they mean.  Some of us struggle with quizzes as a way of proving we know something, but if we get a chance to use our knowledge, we knock it out of the park.  Consider writing a story, a set of instructions, making a video, recording a podcast, building something on Minecraft or in LEGO, recording a song, drawing a comic strip, or some other way of showing me that you know those roots and what they mean in a way that shows you truly understand. 

Due.  Monday/Tuesday. 10.5-6.15 

Eng 9: Cardboard Challenge: Day One

A couple of weeks ago, you were introduced to Caine's Arcade and the Global Cardboard Challenge while I was away.

This week, we start meeting this Global Cardboard Challenge, our second design challenge on the heels of our Playlist for Others challenge.

Design Challenge: Global Cardboard Challenge

Design Challenge: How might we use cardboard to solve problems, create joy, and share passions?

Today we start our Discovery Phase by watching another video: Adventures of a Cardboard Box.

But first!  Box Doodles.  We've done Thirty Circles.  Now, we'll take three minutes and see what we can do with just a box.  Or as many boxes as you can muster.   (10 min.)

Keep those.  You'll need them as we watch . . .


The Adventures of a Cardboard Box from Studiocanoe on Vimeo.

Think-Pair-Share. (30 min.)

Think. You'll have time to sketch more ideas from the video & see which ideas of yours show up in the video. (5 min.)

Pair. Then you will get together with a partner to share your notes and answer this question: What do you think the filmmakers want us to take away from "Adventures?" What's the message being delivered? The theme? (5 min.)

Share.  On index cards, doodle one of your box ideas.  On another (the bigger one) write the message you believe is being delivered. (5 min.)

Map & Sort.  We'll work in two groups.  One to sort the box ideas, one to sort the messages.  See what trends are emerging. (10 min.)

10 Minute Mini-Make. (Discover & Experiment.) (10 min.) 

I won't be giving you a box.  I'll be giving you a manilla folder, tape, 4 paper clips, and whatever is in your design kits to create something that either solves a problem, brings joy, or shares a passion.  These might become prototypes for your cardboard challenge.

This would fall under both of the Discover & Experiment phases of our design process.  (Next class, we'll be practicing some Empathy, experimenting some more, and getting into our design teams.)

Blogging.

We're going to add a new routine -- something I've never tried before.  Every class will end at 9.  You will have until the end of class to blog your takeaways from the class, to post evidence of your understanding, to read what others are saying.  I'll be-bop around the room to answer questions, help with technical problems, etc.

Show Your Learning.

Blog: 3+ Posts 

Creative Blog Post. #ShowYourWork on Your Global Cardboard Challenge design.

Sketches. Doodles. Maps.  Lists. Ideas.  Mini Makes. 

Due. Friday. 10.2.15 

Study. Roots Quiz #1  FRIDAY. (We should have taken this last week.)

Use the Quizlet to Help You Study.

Know the Root & What It Means.

Other Evidence of Learning:  In addition to the taking the quiz, you may want to create a roots product that demonstrates your understanding of the roots and what they mean.  Some of us struggle with quizzes as a way of proving we know something, but if we get a chance to use our knowledge, we knock it out of the park.  Consider writing a story, a set of instructions, making a video, recording a podcast, building something on Minecraft or in LEGO, recording a song, drawing a comic strip, or some other way of showing me that you know those roots and what they mean in a way that shows you truly understand. 

Due.  Friday. 10.2.15 

AP Lit 3G/4B Update: True Grit, Literary 3x3 & Synthesis Essay and More

Hi folks,

You six are doing a fantastic job of keeping up with my crazy.  The conversations have been strong, the thinking has been even stronger, and I am feeling good about the drafts I am going to receive next week.

Reminder that blog posts are due on Fridays.  Last week you had a Five Card Flickr in the voice of Mattie Ross challenge, this week a Soundtracking True Grit challenge.  (Next week: Color!  The week after?  Sketchnotes!)  The rest of the posts?  Anything related to class and thinking and creativity and drafts and annotations and thoughts and connecting and what not.

Starting NEXT week, I will be holding you to the expectation you connect to another students blog post.  There will be enough content from the weeks prior that you should be able to do this with little trouble.

Next week, True Grit should be completed (Monday for 3G, Tuesday for 4B) and synthesis essay first submission drafts completed as well. (DUE WEDNESDAY!)   We'll dive into the book on Monday & Tuesday and use SCOUT to do some close readings.  We'll also look at a bunch of other writings.  Excerpts. Poetry. Etc.

Here are the two Literary 3x3 Throwdowns from the two classes.  Though you'd like to see what the other is thinking.

Show Your Learning.

Blog. 3+ Posts

Creative Challenge.  Soundtrack True Grit (3+ Songs.)

Due. Friday. 9.25.15

Finish. Reading True Grit.

Due. Monday & Tuesday.  9.28-29.1.15

Annotate.

Design. 1st Submission Draft of Synthesis Essay 1.

Due. Wednesday.  9.30.15

What if we don't have class?  Yay for Google Docs!

Humanities 2BG: Multigenre Projects Continued; Blogging Continued

On Thursday we followed up the discussion & instructions of Wednesday with time to work in small groups exploring genres/styles/storytelling and blogging.

Here is the rubric for the Who Am I (At  the Moment)? Multigenre Project.




Here are pictures of our notes.

Our due date for this multigenre project is Monday, Sept 28.  If you turn it in on Friday, you will have the weekend to better recharge.  However, turn in your best quality work.  We'd much rather receive quality work on time than rushed work early.

Remember, too, that you have blog posts due this week.  At least one of the blog posts needs to be about your multigenre -- either a draft of a genre, a plan for your design, or the whole blessed thing.

To turn in your blog posts, go to our Humanities Blog Tracker.  BE SURE YOU PUT WEEK ONE POSTS IN WEEK ONE, WEEK TWO POSTS IN WEEK TWO!  Otherwise, you may not get credited as providing evidence of your Habits of Mind for each week.

Here's the blogging rubric again to help remind you of expectations.

Show Your Learning.

Blog. 3+ Posts.

Required Creative Challenge. Multigenre Project #ShowYourWork.  

Include any part or all of your MG.

Due. Friday. 9.25.15.
Post. Humanities Blog Tracker.

What else could I blog?  Oreo Challenge. Manilla Folder Challenge.  Lego Challenge.

Any and all of the graphic organizers so far.

Any and all of the LNG work so far.

Any draft or planning or sketchnoting or doodling so far.

Your personal flag.

Your Thirty Circles.

Poetry.  Creative Writing. Reflections. Things You are Seeing that Make You Think. 

Comments and Critiques and Dialogues

Videos That You Want to Talk About.

Music That You Want to Talk About.

Memes That Make You Think and Laugh And Think.

Articles That Make You Think.

Design.  Who Am I (At This Moment) Multigenre Project

Due. Monday. 9.30.15.

Next Week. Global Cardboard Challenge Begins.

Eng 9: Different Type of Learning & Blooging

Hi folks,

Today you will have time to work on your blog posts and other evidence of learning for the week, making sure you get them all done and looking awesome.  You will also watch part of a documentary.  (Check your email.)

Here are the questions I'd like you to answer after watching the first 30 minutes of this documentary.  (You may choose to hook up someone's laptop to the projector and sound at the front of the room or you may choose to watch it on your own.  I'm good with either one so long as you are watching, thinking and responding in a meaningful way.)

1.  What did you notice happening in the video?

2.  What would you find exciting about doing this sort of learning?

3.  What would you find scary about doing this sort of learning?

4.  To what extent would this sort of learning work for you as a student?

You can send your answers to me and/or you may want to use them as another blog post!

Show the Learning.

Blog. 3+ Posts.

Creative Blog Prompt.  5 Card Flickr & Problem Story.

Create a 5 Card Flickr that tells the story of a problem being solved.

Post your images and write out the story on your blog.

Due. Friday. Sept. 18.

Complete.  Notice/Wish/Wonder Organizer on Caine's Arcade & Caine's Arcade 2

Due. Friday. Sept 18.

Create.  Lists.  Three Lists on Problems/Passions/Joy.

Post on Your Blog

Due.  Friday. Sept. 18.

Study.  Roots Quiz 1.

Due. Thursday, Sept 24.

Pop Culture: Design-a-Band

Blogging Rubric 2015.


We start today with this "How Might We . . . ?"

How might we create an intentional band out of random elements?  

This will be run similar to a DEEPdt  flash lab.

DISCOVER.

Make a list of bands and artists that you believe have really great names. Even if you don't love the music or consider them a favorite, you hear the name and think, "that's a great name."  Throw in good names of movies, good names of books, TV series, while you are at it.  

Put three of your favorite names -- music or not -- and put each on a sticky note and up the marker board.

I notice.  I wish.  I wonder.  We'll look at those band names up on the board and discuss using only those stems to start our thinking.

EMPATHY.

3x3 Interviews.  Three questions.  Three subjects.

1. What sorts of fonts appeal to you?  Handwriting? Block? Serif? San Serif?

by mostash.

2. What colors appeal to you?

by Dehahs.

3. Do you prefer realistic or abstract images?

Realistic To Abstract from kyoung

Collect your responses and include them on your blog post when you discuss the album art you create.  Use what you know appeals to others visually to inform your choices.

EXPERIMENT.

Create-A-Band Process 

I'd Give Credit to the Creator of this Process  But It's From a While Back & I Can't Recall the Link! #arghface.

1. Go to the Random Article link on the Wikipedia front page. (You can find it in the top left navigation menu.) The title of the random article is your new band/artist's name.

2. Go to the Random Quote link on the Quotations Page front page. (You can find it in the left side navigation menu.) You will get a list of random quotes. Pull either a full or partial quote from that page. That is the album title for your band's latest release. (You might also find some song titles this way as well.)

3. Go to Flickr and click on the 'Interesting Uploads from the Last 7 Days' link. (You can find it by scrolling down and looking beside the 'Take the Tour' link.)

4. Pull that information together and then use an app like Pages, Google Draw or Google Docs, a photo editor like iPhoto or Gimp, or any other application that lets you manipulate words and images, and create your album cover.  Export your finished work as a .JPG and post it or  PDF and screenshot it and post it on your blog.

PRODUCE.

5.  On your blog, create a context for your band.  Who are the members?  How did they form and when?  What genre(s) do they play?  What was the gig that led to them making this album?  Where do they play? In other words, what is the story behind the band?  

Here's the big huge giant challenge of this creative endeavor: take those random elements from above and make them all seem intentional.  How might you create sense out of what might be nonsense by applying the filter of music to it?  What does this say about the power of music?

6. In a separate blog post, choose an artist or band you enjoy.  Select an album by that performer. Explore the relationship between the artist's name, the album's name, and the cover art for that album.  To what extent do they align?  Where do you see a clear relationship between the visuals and the music?  Where do you see it not working out?  What about the band's logo or the font used on the album cover?

One to two descriptive paragraphs with visuals to illustrate.

Extra helpful?  Embed some Vimeo links or Spotify links or other ways of proving your point through the music.

You might get some inspiration for your album covers here

10 Iconic Album Covers (Yahoo) Here

99 Well Designed Album Covers (Inspiredology) Here

21 Great Albums with Not So Great Art (AV Club) Here

Lego'd Album Covers Here

Show Your Learning.

Blog. 3+ Posts.

Creative Blog Post. Create a 5 Card Flickr where each image you choose becomes either a) an alternative album cover for an album that already exists or b) a new album by an artist/band that already exists.  Explain your thinking in a few sentences for each new cover.

Due. Friday, Sept 18. 

Other Posts?  

5.  On your blog, create a context for your band.  Who are the members?  How did they form and when?  What genre(s) do they play?  What was the gig that led to them making this album?  Where do they play? In other words, what is the story behind the band?  

Here's the big huge giant challenge of this creative endeavor: take those random elements from above and make them all seem intentional.  How might you create sense out of what might be nonsense by applying the filter of music to it?  What does this say about the power of music?

6. In a separate blog post, choose an artist or band you enjoy.  Select an album by that performer. Explore the relationship between the artist's name, the album's name, and the cover art for that album.  To what extent do they align?  Where do you see a clear relationship between the visuals and the music?  Where do you see it not working out?  What about the band's logo or the font used on the album cover?

One to two descriptive paragraphs with visuals to illustrate.

Extra helpful?  Embed some Vimeo links or Spotify links or other ways of proving your point through the music.

Curate. 1 item.

Pin on Your Pop Culture Pinboard & Use #Flight307pc.

Due.  Friday, Sept 18.

Humanities 2BG: Oreo Challenge & Blogs

Today, you we set up our blogs on Blogger.

Blogging.

Blogging Rubric 2015.
You will be keeping a blog throughout the year on Blogger using your school Gmail account. I've embedded and linked the rubric for blogging here.

What content should you include?  Each week you can expect a creative challenge related to our current focus.  The other two-plus entries may come from day to day work you are doing for class, from creative expression, from general reflections.  Show your thinking.  Provide evidence of your knowing.  That's the goal.

After the first week, you should be looking to connect to at least one other thinker in the Humanities ranks, linking to an idea that inspires you to respond. There are several intentions to the blog:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the readings, viewings, and listenings from class.
• Connect and reflect upon one another's ideas.
• Reach beyond the walls of our classroom to share our thinking and benefit from other perspectives.
• Create a record of learning, illustrating your growth over the space of your year.

Design Challenge: HMW Oreo?

You had twenty to minutes to work with a partner, two partners, or solo, use any space on campus, any materials in the room, as you tackled the following design challenge: How might we advertise Humanities with an Oreo?

Post your results on your blog and I will post links and share out the greatness.  

Show the Learning.
Blog. 3+ Posts.
Creative Blog Post: Create a 5 Card Flickr Story Related to One of Articles/Videos from the Selection Mr. Brackett posted on Google Classroom.
Due. Friday, 9.18.15
Study.  Roots List #1
Quiz. Thursday, 9.24.15

AP Lit 3G: True Grit, Blogging & Synthesis Thinking Introduced

True Grit.

Today, we discussed Mattie Ross and how Portis develops her voice in the opening chapters of True Grit.  We identified key lines and discussed them at length.  As a result, we got a little bit behind on our in-class work with Literary 3x3s.  (I will likely leave instructions on what to do while I'm gone as I think you can a) handle it and b) can easily share with me record of your experimenting on Wednesday.) 

Blogging.

Blogging Rubric 2015.
You will be keeping a blog throughout the year on Blogger using your school Gmail account. I've embedded and linked the rubric for blogging here.

What content should you include?  Each week you can expect a creative challenge related to our current focus.  The other two-plus entries may come from day to day work you are doing for class, from creative expression, from general reflections.  After the first week, you should be looking to connect to at least one other thinker in the AP Lit ranks, linking to an idea that inspires you to respond. There are several intentions to the blog:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the readings, viewings, and listenings from class
• Connect and reflect upon one another's ideas
• Reach beyond the walls of our classroom to share our thinking and benefit from other perspectives
• Create a record of learning, illustrating your growth over the space of your senior year

Synthesis Essay.

Writing a synthesis is unlike writing an analytical essay.  Rather than trying to break apart a piece of literature and explain how it works, you instead are trying to connect the dots between multiple works to use as evidence of your thinking -- proving that the big idea assertion you make in your thesis, your greater understanding/observation/truth about the world is held up and evident beyond your opinion.


When working on  your synthesis essays, keep these structural and contextual ideas in mind.

Also Mr. Ryder's feedback shorthand...

Synthesis Essay Rubric 2015 

Show the Learning.

Read & Annotate.  True Grit to Page 113

Due. Tues. 9.22.15

Blog. 3+ Posts.

Creative Blog Post of the Week. Create a 5 Card Flickr in the Voice of Mattie Ross. How might you employ the same techniques as Portis to develop her voice in your work?

Due. Friday. 9.18.15
Design.  Working Draft.  Synthesis Essay #1
Due for Workshopping.  Tuesday, 9.22.15

If you have time . . . 
Turn your Literary 3x3s into Index Card Decks. 

Pop Culture: Taking Care of Business.

Today we took care of the business side of things.

Guidelines & Expectations.

We looked at the Guidelines & Expectations for the class.

Blogger.

Then we set up our blogs on Blogger.

Pinterest.

And finally we got started on Pinterest.  We'll be using the #flight307pc hashtag when we curate content on Pinterest for the class.
Follow Flight307's board Flight307 Pop Culture on Pinterest.

Essential Questions.

Finally, I shared the four essential questions for this course.

• To what extent does pop culture influence society?
• To what extent does pop culture influence you?
• To what extent do you influence pop culture?
• To what extent does society influence pop culture?

Show the Learning.

Find an article, listening, or viewing that speaks to one of the four essential questions for this class.
Check out Flight307's Pop Culture Board on Pinterest for inspriation.