AP Lit 4G: Synthesis Thinking Introduced

Today we start  looking at synthesis thinking and what that means in AP Lit this year.

We will use a comparison matrix to look at three samples: two former student papers and the first chapter of Foster's How to Read Lit Like a Professor.  

We will see what this reveals to us about the nature of synthesis thinking.


And then we will talk  briefly about Frankenstein, our first novel of the year.

HOMEWORK
Due: Annotations on How to Read Lit Chap 1
Turn In?: Yes.

Read & Annotate: Frankenstein (introduction and the letters)
Due: Thursday, 9/18

Pre-Write & Compose: Intro & thesis statement for 1st Synthesis
Due: Thursday, 9/18 for workshopping

Gather: Design Kits (Optional yet Encouraged)
Due: ASAP (See Mr. Ryder if a struggle)

Pop Culture: The Landscape

Today we used GoSoapbox to give us a sense of the pop culture interests, passions, and curiosities in our class.

We also learned something about what we have for interests and passions deep enough to share.

Full Disclosure Moment: I really wish I had planned today's lesson to be more physically active and engaging.  The goal was to learn more about one another, to build empathy, and instead it was very silo-ed -- each person doing his or her own thing with interaction happening only with elbow partners.  I found myself frustrated but it was really my own doing.  We are going to move forward on Wednesday with our music unit, but I will be adding activities over the next week or so to help us better get connected in the room and achieve today's goals.

HOMEWORK

None.  It arrives.  Wednesday.

Get your musical brain action ready.

And get ready to start blogging.

AP Lit 3B: Intro to Synthesis Thinking

Today we started looking at synthesis thinking and what that means in AP Lit this year.

We used a comparison matrix to look at three samples: two former student papers and the first chapter of Foster's How to Read Lit Like a Professor.  

The intention was to reveal, through comparison, the qualities of a synthesis essay.  And I think we were largely successful in so doing -- dealing with bigger ideas and truths that can be proven through evidence, pulling in ideas from disparate sources and experiences, and moving from analysis of taking apart into synthesis of putting ideas together.

And voice.  Personality.  A balance of the colloquial and conversational with the learned academic.  These are the qualities of a synthesis essay.

And then we talked briefly about Frankenstein, our first novel of the year.

HOMEWORK
Due: Annotations on How to Read Lit Chap 1
Turn In?: Yes.
Due: Annotations and 3x3 of "Miss Rosie"
Turn In?: No. Hold on.

Read & Annotate: Frankenstein (introduction and the letters)
Due: Wednesday, 9/17

Pre-Write & Compose: Intro & thesis statement for 1st Synthesis
Due: Wednesday, 9/17 for workshopping

Gather: Design Kits (Optional yet Encouraged)
Due: ASAP (See Mr. Ryder if a struggle)

Humanities: Resumes & What's Next

Humanities: Our Resumes 10 Years From Now

Today Mr. Ryder was out for class, so it was all up to the Mr. Brackett.

Some folks had completed their assignment, while others . . . ehhh . . . not so much . . . 

Mr. Brackett discussed the importance of homework, the value of a high school diploma and the exponential value of a college degree in earning power.

It was pretty cool.  Mr Ryder missed it.

Tuesday we start in on Dan Pink's Whole New Mind.

HOMEWORK

Gather:  Design Kits
Due: ASAP; if a challenge for you, talk to Mr. Ryder privately -- he can probably help) 

Sign Up: For REMIND
Due: ASAP.  This will be easier when laptops roll but still . . .  please make an effort if you want this service to help you out.  Please encourage your folks to do so as well.

Complete: Your Resume: 10 Years from Now (If Not Finished)
Get Inspired:  By checking out the Flight 307 Resume Pinboard on Pinterest
Follow Flight307's board Resumes for Humanities on Pinterest.

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)

Brit Lit CPI: Wanted

Brit Lit CPI: Wanted

Pre-Lunch

Empathy Sort

We'll take a look at your goal cards.  See what common threads we share in the room.  See what we want to add, want to change.  We'll follow a process to do this.

We will also go into some detail, clarifying questions and answers about those goals and talk about what an English class needs to be able to offer in order to help you meet those goals.

Post-Lunch

Craigslist and Uncle Henry's.

We'll take a look at classified ads and how they can be examples of both fantastic pieces of writing and terrible pieces of dreck.  

We'll listen to this story from NPR on creative Craigslist postings.

Then you'll compose your own Craiglist/Uncle Henry's ad for the English class you want/need in order to meet your goals.

Share our awesome.

HOMEWORK

Gather: Design Kit items

Due: ASAP (If you are having difficulty finding things, talk to Mr. Ryder privately)

Sign Up: REMIND

Due: ASAP (Once we have laptops, this will be easier for folks to do)

Humanities: What IS Humanities & DEEP DT: Experiment Phase

Humanities: What IS Humanities & DEEP DT: Experiment Phase

Warm Up: Improv & Circle Doodles

Monday kicks off with a quick improv game involving handshakes.  Grand fun.

Then more fun with circle doodles.  Let's see where our brains take us.

What IS Humanities?

Then we'll be conducting an activity to help your understanding of just what Humanities IS and how it combines English and social studies.  It will also help you get a much broader sense of social studies than simply history or geography, and a broader sense of English as being about communication in all of its forms and not just novels or essays.  (At least, that's what we hope happens.)

Just read that paragraph.  Felt fancy.

We're going to create a huge definition of social studies that covers all the different topics within social studies that we might explore this year.

Then we're going to do the same thing with English.

Then we're going to see where they overlap and say, "That's a lot of what Humanities is going to look like."  We hope.

There.  Same thing.  Less fancy.

Design Thinking Challenge:  Design the Room:  Experiment Phase

DEEP Design Thinking 
DISCOVER: What is our challenge?  What do we need to know about this room?
EMPATHIZE: What do others need to be successful, comfortable, connected in this room? 
EXPERIMENT: What might this room look like? **** Today!  
PRODUCE: Make it.  And then see how well we did and reiterate if necessary

We'll be using the data collected the other day a.k.a. the compass charts and the sticky notes and using that information to create user-needs-driven diagrams of the room.  

After successfully creating a drawing, you'll have some 3D tools (LEGO bricks, Jenga blocks, K'NEX) you can use to create a low-rez mock up of your room design.

These drawings and models are key because they will inform the physical design of the room.

HOMEWORK

Gather:  Design Kits
Due: ASAP; if a challenge for you, talk to Mr. Ryder privately -- he can probably help) 

Sign Up: For REMIND
Due: ASAP.  This will be easier when laptops roll but still . . .  please make an effort if you want this service to help you out.  Please encourage your folks to do so as well.

Curate: Personal collection. 3 artifacts that could represent who you are.  
Due: Wednesday.