AP Lit: Heart of Darkness and.....Dr. Seuss???

Yup! You read it correctly. Today, much like we did with Frankenstein, we discussed the overall tone of Heart of Darkness (not an easy feat I might add). After that we took on an interesting challenge. Write a short story, scene, description, etc in the rhyming style of Dr Seuss, but with the tone on Heart of Darkness. 

On a side note, we're going to start a collaborative project with another class in Hawaii next week. Get pumped!

Blog: 3+ Posts
Req'd Post:  Take one line from a 3x3 either you or a classmate wrote and turn it into a poem. **The poem does not have to be about Heart of Darkness**
Due: Friday, Apr 4

Reading:  Have all of True Grit read for class next week. You'll need it for our activity with Hawaii!
Due: Mon. Apr. 7 (3G) / Tue. Apr. 8 (2B/3B)

Over the weekend you should also create your visual 3x3 poem and write a poem to go with it. As always, if there are any questions make sure to send an email!

Just a reminder. This week's blog posts will go on 4th quarter. If you have blogs that you've posted late please email either Mr. Ryder or Miss Haskell to make sure they're graded before the quarter closes this friday!

AP Lit: Heart of Darkness 3x3s

This morning we took another close look at Heart of Darkness. We just did it a little differently today. Instead of sitting there analyzing passages, we got out the note cards and made ourselves some literary 3x3s. Then for homework we all took one line from either our 3x3 or a classmate's and turned it into a poem to put on our blog. 

While the reading for Heart of Darkness is done, we're still spending one more class with the text and attempting to combine it with the stories of Dr. Seuss!

Blog: 3+ Posts
Req'd Post:  Take one line from a 3x3 either you or a classmate wrote and turn it into a poem. **The poem does not have to be about Heart of Darkness**
Due: Friday, Apr 4

Just a reminder. This week's blog posts will go on 4th quarter. If you have blogs that you've posted late please email either Mr. Ryder or Miss Haskell to make sure they're graded before the quarter closes this friday!

AP Lit 2B/3B/3G: Setting as a Character Part II

AP Lit 2B/3B/3G: Setting as a Character Part II

Déjà vu! Today we worked hard again on our artistic interpretations of the setting from Heart of Darkness. They're finally coming together and we're really beginning to understand how the setting can not only be a character, but can be more important than some of the other characters in the story.

With the passage on the board we worked towards identifying the important diction by circling and discussing specific words we thought were unique or showed up very often. This time though, we focused heavily on section 2 of Heart of Darkness.

Finally we did a little bit of test prep to round out the day. With work like this we'll be ready to move on before you know it! 

AP Lit 2B/3B/3G: Setting as a Character

Can setting ever be more than setting? Absolutely! 

Today we took a close look at a couple passages from Conrad's Heart of Darkness. We made a few of connections to Frankenstien and "She Walks in Beauty," but spent most of our time looking at the diction in the passages. 

After that we really had to put our thinking caps on. We each chose a specific setting from the book and worked toward turning that setting into a character. 

If that setting magically transformed into a person what would they look like? Would it be a boy or girl? How tall would they be? What would they wear? On one side of a piece of paper we started drawing our characters and on the other side we began writing a short character sketch. What traits do our characters have? What would it be like if we were to have a conversation with them?

It took a minute, but we're finally opening our minds and learning to see setting as a character!

Blog: 3+ PostsReq'd Post: How might we make the last quarter of AP Lit the most exceptional, amazing powerful and important and mind blowing learning experience you could possibly have AND make the school say, "Wow.  AND they learned the stuff they were supposed to learn?"Due: Friday, Mar 28Reading: Read the next 30 pages of Heart of DarknessDue: Thursday, Mar 27  (2B, 3B) and Friday, Mar 28 (3G)

Humanities: 8th Grade Vids & Get 'Er Done Work

Today we divided into two work sessions.

One group will be focusing on producing the eighth grade orientation video(s) while the other group will be focusing on completing their process essays, DEJS, blogs, vocab and other work.

The video group completed a series of empathy activities from Stanford's d.school  today.


We started with the share and capture method, with one person in each of two groups sharing their insights on the data we've collected from our user base.  The rest of the members highlighted the big ideas and takeways from the speaker.

When used those insights to create a composite user, a profile of the typical eighth grader who will be watching and experiencing the videos we create. Also a refresher on the DEEP design thinking process.

These two experiences led to a brainstorming and ideating over how we might create 1 to 3 videos less than or equal to three minutes in length each that address the incoming ninth grader's needs.

We determined that we will make two three minute videos, one serving as a navigation guide to Mt. Blue, and the other a list of 7 tips for incoming ninth graders.  We determined team leaders for each group and will spend the next three days scripting, storyboarding, determining content, style, and preparing to actual film next week.

Tomorrow we also start To Kill a Mockingbird and complete Roots 11.

HOMEWORK

Blog: 3+ Posts
Req'd Post: How might we make the last quarter of Humanities the most exceptional, amazing powerful and important and mind blowing learning experience you could possibly have AND make the school say, "Wow.  AND they learned the stuff they were supposed to learn?"
Due: Friday, Mar 28

Vocab: Roots 11
Study: Quiz & Product
Due: Tuesday, Mar 25

Write: 5 Paragraph Process Essay
Discuss: Your process, product, and outcome of anything you have made during the third quarter, whether for school or for work or for fun.
Due: Friday, Mar 28

Produce: 8th Grade Transition Film (optional)
Due: April 4th

PACE: Pitches & Trailers Decided

Today we had our pitch revisions and chose to move forward with Pitches into Products.

After folks delivered Macbeth-inspired pitches, we decided that several were worthy of development into trailers.

We will be making trailers of Lindzee's, Mitch's and Kristen's.  We divided into production teams. More about this teams to be posted on Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday, you will receive a production schedule that must be maintained.  These trailers will go live to the public on April 11.  

HOMEWORK
Blog: 3+ Posts
Req'd Post: Req'd Post: How might we make the last quarter of PACE the most exceptional, amazing powerful and important and mind blowing learning experience you could possibly have AND make the school say, "Wow.  AND they learned the stuff they were supposed to learn?"

QUACK Vocab
Unit 1 Part 2 
Quiz: Friday

Unit 1 Parts 1 & 2
Quiz: Thur, April 3

Macbeth:
3 Graphic Organizers: Past Teacher PACE
Show Bible: Past Teacher PACE

AP Lit 2B/3B/3G: Tone, Diction, Frankenstein, and Art!

AP Lit 2B/3B/3G: Tone, Diction, Frankenstein, and Art!

Today we started by revisiting one of our Frankenstein passages. 

With the passage on the board we worked towards identifying the tone by circling and discussing the diction we thought contributed to tone. Together we decided on some very fitting tone words and created a thesis as if we were going to write an essay on tone and diction in the passage. 

After that we decided it was much easier to work towards identifying tone in a passage on our own, and that's just what we did! 

But we didn't stop there. We took it to the next level and drew a picture to block out everything but the words we thought contributed to tone. We then wrote individual theses based on our passages and constructed essays around them. 

Though we're still exploring, we're getting a lot closer to really understanding the importance of understanding theme!

Just check out some of these awesome examples:

Blog: 3+ Posts
Req'd Post:  What are you passionate about?  Write as much, draw as much, audio record as much, video as much as you can and post your passions.  The subjects, the ideas, the interests that get you fired up -- that make you want to know as much as you can as fast as you can.
Due: Friday, Mar 21

Reading: Read up until the bottom of page 91 in Heart of Darkness
Due: Thursday, Mar 20 (2B, 3B) and Monday, Mar 24 (3G)