AP Lit 4B: Literary 3x3 Throwdown: True Grit & Synthesis Essay Workshop

Literary 3x3 Throwdown: True Grit

On Monday we started with a Literary 3x3 Throwdown over Portis' True Grit.  We used our 3x3 decks from our readings thus far and then uncovered the first 113 pages of True Grit by laying out one card at a time until meaning revealed itself.

Here's that it looked like.

Synthesis Essay Workshop

From there we workshopped our synthesis drafts.  They are excellent exploratory drafts and another working draft is expected in class on Wednesday.

We also discussed blogging and this week's creative challenge: soundtracking True Grit.

Show the Learning.

Read & Annotate.  Complete True Grit 

Due. Tues. 9.29.15

Blog. 3+ Posts.

Creative Blog Post of the Week. Soundtrack True Grit.  How might we use music media to design a soundtrack of three or more songs for True Grit?  Include a rationale for each song include and embed the playlist on your blog as well.

Due. Friday. 9.25.15

Design.  Working Draft.  Synthesis Essay #1

Next Draft Due for Workshopping.  Wednesday, 9.23.15

Brit Lit: Discovery Phase: Design Challenge

Today . . .

1.  Find an article/video/podcast/website related to your design challenge:  mudding signage or thermostat car starter

2.  Use EasyBib.com to create a proper MLA formatted citation for  your article/video/podcast/website.

3.  Complete one of the four literacy strategies to show that you understand the text.

Notice/Wish/Wonder.

Text Connections.

Sketchnotes.

Soundtracking.

4.  Put your work in your Brit Lit IN folder.

AP Lit 4G: Literary 3x3s, Project Shares & Guidelines & Expectations

We opened Monday with a look at literary 3x3s. (Thanks to Ms. Keeler!)

Princess sequestered away
Powers run amok
Sister love delivers

We identified the above as Frozen.  And interestingly enough?  Also as Star Wars!  What?! I know.

Then we wrote just a single line:

Orphan inhabits closet

And immediately the crowds erupted with, "HARRY POTTER!" (Ok.  It was two people.  But it was emphatic.)

From here we tackled Tracy K. Smith's poem "I Don't Miss It" and turned it into a 3x3.

Dwelling within memories

Past hinders reality

Trouble moving forward

I put these on index cards and we did a little remixing.  (Which I failed to capture  -- argh -- so I've added a fake-y from a friend who made her own.) 

From that remix, however, we identified these words/concepts as having particular value & import:

Dwelling
Memories
Past
Reality

And based on our readings of Smith's poem, I think we did a fine job of distilling it down to four concepts that resonate through the entire poem.

From there we shared some of our summer projects and provided one another feedback.  

We will deliver more of this feedback on Wednesday, share more, and start looking at how we provide feedback, the qualities of our feedback, how we might improve our feedback.


We discussed the guidelines and expectations of this course as well.

HOMEWORK

Read & Annotate: Intro to How to Read Lit Like a Professor 
Due: Wednesday, Sept 10

Compose: Literary 3x3 of One of Your Summer Books
Due: Wednesday, Sept 10

Complete & Sign: Guidelines & Expectations Awareness & Info Sheet
Due: ASAP.

Gather: Design Kits
Due: ASAP (Talk with Mr. Ryder if it's a challenge; he can help.)

Sign Up: REMIND
Due: ASAP (Yes, it's an opt-in AND I'm really going to push and encourage; info is in your school Gmail)

PACE: Work Plans, Pre Writing

On Friday, we established our fourth quarter work log.  If you check the Due Dates spreadsheet in the Google Drive, you will find a sheet for Quarter 4.

And what you will see includes a suggested teacher PACE timetable for the rest of the quarter.  Included are stages and assessments of the book work as well as the essay work.

For the rest of class, folks could opt into two activities or work independently.

In the reading activity, we read an excerpt from House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisernos.  

We practiced using the GIST literacy strategy to document our understanding.

You can find the GIST form in your Google Drive PACE OUT folder.

We also did some work with our essay writing and used a "Why" chart exercise.  We established our essential questions and then started asking the question "Why?" to explore possibilities for our arguments.

HOMEWORK

Blog: 3+ Posts (Q4 Wk 2.)

Req'd Post: Make a five song playlist for conflict resolution and post it on your blog with explanations for each one.  You might choose songs that feature each type of conflict or you might choose a song you'd suggest one listen to in order to resolve a conflict.  Explain your thinking for each.

Person vs Self

Person vs Nature

Person vs Person

Person vs Society

Person vs Technology

Vocab:  Quack Unit 2 Part 1

Quiz: Thursday, May 8

MUGS: TBA.

Quiz: TBA.

Read:  2 Novels from Selections

Complete: 3 Graphic Organizers Per Selection

Due: June 1

Complete 1st Book by May 15

Write: 2 Essays over Self Selected Essential Questions

Due: June 8 

Complete 1st Working Draft of 1st by May 15