Humanities: Improvising Of Mice & Men & Socratic Seminar

We spent today in the Forum, because we did some improv acting, a little dramatic reading and then some deep questioning.  

We started with a quick refresher of the book by means of a quick game of symphony.  We thought of words that described Lennie & George as well as words that stood out to us in the text.

Then Mr. Ryder read aloud up through the next chapter break around page 36 or so.  We countered the rest of the bunk house for the first time, as well as the boss' son, Curley, and Curley's wife.  We are about a third of the way through the novel.  

To check for understanding of the scenes, we recreated tableaus, frozen images, from the story so far.  Groups had to guess which moments from the book the other groups were recreating.  

We ended with a socratic seminar that started verbally and then moved to a digital back channel on Today's Meet.  You can access the back channel here.

Homework

Blog:

3+ Posts

Req'd: Post 3 images/symbols that represent the 1st quarter for you; after posting the images, write a single paragraph of explanation

Due: Friday, Nov. 1st

Everything Else:

Grades Close Today: Friday, Nov. 1st

AP Lit 2B/3B: Analytical Process, Star Wars & LEGO

Here are pictures that document our thinking from Thursday's class.

Star Wars Puzzle Group Process

This led to our work around our own analytical processes which we illustrated by crafting LEGO constructs.

If you want to see more LEGO constructs, visit the AP Lit page to the right and check our the blogs there.  Some brilliant thinking to behold.

Homework

Blog:

3+ Posts

Req'd: Post 3 images/symbols that represent the 1st quarter for you; after posting the images, write a single paragraph of explanation

Due: Friday, Nov. 1st

Complete: Award winning/finalist book projects.

Due: Wednesday, November 6th

Read & Annotate: NBA Finalist Excerpts

Due: Monday, November 5th

AP Lit 3G: Uncovering Process, Star Wars Puzzles & Legos

We'll start by solving some Star Wars puzzles, because that's good strong academic thinking.

Actually . . . it is.

We will examine our process of problem solving and use it to fuel a comparison conversation around our own processing habits and needs.  This will lead into our work with our own analytical processes.

We'll use LEGO bricks  to help us along with that work.  (Interesting article about how to refer to LEGO here -- language and words are neat!)  We will use the LEGO bricks to create models of the first three stages in our personal poetry analytical process.  The results in Periods 2B/3B were neat.  I'm looking forward to seeing what we come up with.

Then we'll discuss the two excerpts from Kushner & Pynchon and what we noticed in those two works of fiction.  It will allow us to start looking at differences between our analytical processes around poetry and fiction.  

This weekend: book projects.  Boom.

Homework

Blog:

3+ Posts

Req'd: Post 3 images/symbols that represent the 1st quarter for you; after posting the images, write a single paragraph of explanation

Due: Friday, Nov. 1st

Complete: Award winning/finalist book projects.

Due: Tuesday, November 5th

PACE: Finishing the Unpacking

Friday, we started by writing the final paragraph for our I Am Hero project reflections: outcome.  Folks should be certain to share their I Am Hero project reflection paragraphs (product, process, outcome) in their PACE 2013 IN folders.

I Am Hero Product, Process, Outcome

Product: Describe in detail what you made OR what you've tried to make (if it isn't done yet)

Process: How you go about making it?  What troubles did you encounter? How did you overcome them OR why do they continue to persist?

Outcome: How does it look? How satisfied are you with the end result? What would you do the same? Differently? And what big understandings can you take with you from creating this product?

From there, we jumped into our Ohana teams and review our weekly work plans.  

Based on the outcomes of those discussions, I think we may need to add an exit ticket or Ohana report something that let's us capture the work done.  Wondering what PACE folks think . . .

Then it was on to unpacking the standards.  We finished paraphrasing the reading and writing standards and then started on to writing some outcome-based statements.  

If I am able to meet this standard, then I can . . . 

Over the weekend, I will HMW our "Music Is Poetry Is Music Unit" and then PACE folks can provide feedback, make changes, etc.

Homework

Blog:

3+ Posts

Req'd: Post 3 images/symbols that represent the 1st quarter for you; after posting the images, write a single paragraph of explanation

Complete/Revise: 

I Am Hero Projects & Revisions

I Am Hero Graphic Organizers & Revisions

I Am Hero Product, Process, Outcome

PACE has until MONDAY to get this stuff in to me

Humanities: Of Mice & Men Begins

Yesterday (and today) we started our work with John Steinbeck's Of Mice & Men.

On Wednesday, we started by signing out our books.  Then we took a look at the newly created Three 4 Thinking Google doc that's in the Humanities 2013 OUT folder on Drive.  You now have two options, the downloadable and uploadable PDF and the way, way cooler Google doc that you can make a copy of and then put right in your IN folder.

As Mr. Ryder read out loud, we started the process of thinking about our reading.  We completed two of the four boxes, with two more to complete another day.

Also during the reading, Mr. Ryder asked folks to make note of important words in the description of the setting, as well as key words that describe the two main characters (who we later learned to be named George & Lennie).  After everyone cut and paste those words to a shared Google doc., Mr. Dunbar made a Wordle out of the common words.  Words that stood out included "recumbent" and "Gabilan."

After Mr. Ryder read the whole first section/chapter of Of Mice & Men, he and Mr. Dunbar modeled how to do "How might we" thinking with four essential questions the class voted on for our poverty unit.

That ended Wednesday's class.

On Thursday,  class started with a roots activity.  Everyone grabbed a few Legos and built representations of roots from Roots 4.  Mr. Ryder built a ridiculously cool representation of "bell" (war), but forgot to take a picture of it.  Visiting the PACE link over to the right will take you to a list of blogs where you can see various Lego/Roots designs.

From there, Mr. Dunbar and Mr. Ryder finished their "How Might We" thinking about this unit.  We divided into four groups from there to keep working on it and so students could contribute in put.  Two of the groups made the following happen.

We returned as a class and jumped right into another chunk of Of Mice & Men.

On Friday, we will make some decisions regarding our "how might we" work and finish our Three 4 Thinkings.  We'll also do a little improvisation and a Socratic Seminar as well.

Homework
Blog: 3+ Posts
Req'd:  Post three images/symbols that represent your 1st quarter.  Write a paragraph at the end that explains your thinking.

Ignites/Essays: Get Them In & Revised If You Choose  GRADE CLOSE FRIDAY

Humanities: Ryder & Dunbar Are Out & Thinking Continues

Even though Ryder & Dunbar are taking care of sick, gross, phlegm-ridden children, the work! The work it must go on!

Here's what you have to do today:

• Finish the Three 4 Thinking you started yesterday.  It is in your Google Drive.  Think to the article is on yesterday's blog post.  (I could link it again here AND I want you to get practice hunting that info down.)  When you finish it, upload that doc to your Google Drive.  (We have a Google Drive version available in the Humanities OUT folder now as well.  Just make sure you go to "File" and "Make a Copy" in Drive. That's the only way you can get an editable version.)

• Find Roots 4 in the Vocab & Roots resources in the right hand sidebar of the blog.  Find the link to Quizlet and take 10 minutes to familiarize yourself and practice.  Take screen shots of your work on Quizlet -- scores, results, etc.  Post them on your blog. We'll do an improv activity on Thursday to get more familiar with these roots.   

• Make sure your blog is up to date.  Complete the required blog post for this week.

• Any make up/missing work/revisions, get it in.  Grades close Friday.

Wrap your day by completing this form.

Homework

Blog: 3+ Posts
Req'd: Post 3 images/symbols that represent the 1st quarter for you; after posting the images, write a single paragraph of explanation
Due: Friday, Nov. 1

Complete/Revise (If You Choose): Cardboard Challenge IGNITE & Essay

Due: Friday, Nov. 1 (Grades closing!)

AP Lit 2B/3B: Questions & Prufrock

We'll start class with an affinity mapping exercise to prime our brains for a graded class discussion Tuesday. (Yes, this day.)  It will take about twenty minutes.

It will involve sorting our Lot Jot questions and trying to find common qualities amongst the questions we ask.  

Our goal: to determine the qualities that make up effective, meaningful questions.  Thus, we'll start by sorting our questions into categories and threads that make sense to us.  And then we'll describe them. 

And THEN... the discussion.  Look to the right.  There's our discussion rubric.  We'll be following that grading criteria.  Prepare your quotes!

Homework

Blog: 3+ Posts
Req'd: Post 3 images/symbols that represent the 1st quarter for you; after posting the images, write a single paragraph of explanation
Due: Friday, Nov. 1

Read & Annotate: Excerpts from The Flamethrowers and Bleeding Edge
Due: Thursday, Oct 31
Read & Complete: Award Winning/Finalist Book Project
Due: Wednesday, Nov. 6
Prepare for Gallery Walk & Optional Choice to Present