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.

Eng 9 2B & 4B: Suit Up, 30 Circles & Oreo Challenges

Suit Up.

We started today with Suit Up, an opportunity to learn about one another's super powers (strengths) and kryptonite (weaknesses).  We completed charts about the people sitting in our table groups.

30 Circles.

We then tried out designer Bob McKim's 30 Circles exercise.  Two minutes.  Transform thirty circles as many ways as you can.   Here are some of the results.

Oreo Challenge.

We synthesized the thinking from Suit Up and 30 Circles into our Oreo Challenge: How might we represent our superpowers or kryptonite with an Oreo cookie?   Twenty minutes later we had a whole slew of answers.

Guidelines & Expectations.

We ended class with a review of our Guidelines & Expectations posted here below.

There's a signature page that accompanied these as well.  Please get it filled out and returned to me  by next Monday.

I will not be here next class.  There will be a sub who will have your work for you.   If my plans line up like they should, and you take advantage of the time in class, you should not have any out of class work this week or this weekend.  

And next week?  Oh . . . next week . . . 

Out of Class Work.

Guidelines & Expectations sheet completed.

Returned.

Monday. 9.19.16.

Pop Culture 1B: Pop 3's, Thirty Circles & Oreo Challenges

Pop 3's.

We started today with Pop 3's:  List three films, artists/bands, apps, shows and games that you love.  We then circulated around the room and tried to find others who love what we love.  We found a bunch of interesting common denominators in the room including Monopoly, Panic! at the Disco Taylor Swift, Dr. Who, Fast and the Furious,  Now You See Me, Deadpool, Star Wars and others.

30 Circles.

We then tried out designer Bob McKim's 30 Circles exercise.  Two minutes.  Transform thirty circles as many ways as you can.   Here are some of the results.

Oreo Challenge.

We synthesized the thinking from Pop 3's and 30 Circles into our Oreo Challenge: How might we advertise the pop culture we love with an Oreo cookie?   Twenty minutes later we had a whole slew of answers.

Next class you will embark on your first more involved design challenge: How might we build models of our pop culture lineage?  You will have two days in class to complete this.  

When I return from BIF Summit 2016, an innovation conference I'm headed to where I'm hoping to make some connections that will result in more rad things happening in our class this semester, we will discuss the guidelines and expectations of the class and take a look at your lineage projects.   (More on the lineage project will be coming your way on Wednesday.) 

We will also be starting our blogs on Blogger this week.  A great deal to do, not a ton of time to do it, and there will be greatness abounding!  Solid day, everyone!