Today we dig into: HMW we design our theme song essays? (hardcore.)
We are in DISCOVERY phase today, brainstorming & ideating.
We'll start with an improv game of sorts involving . . . well . . . you'll see.
Then we'll create "Who Am I?" charts for ourselves so that we are more in tune with the ideas that might show up in our essays.
This will lead to printing off the lyrics of 2 to 4 possible theme song choices and a color coding mark up activity. You will be using your design kits. I will be putting up pictures of this process so you can reference it.
What it comes down to is the we are throwing three different activities at you today intended to help you get your heads wrapped around this assignment.
HOMEWORK.
Blog. 3+ Posts.
Req'd Post. Drum Kit prompt. See Tuesday's blog post.
Due. Today, 2/6.
Design. Theme Song Essay. Create at least three pieces of pre-writing.
Maps. Sketchnotes. Outlines. Webs. Freewrites.
You don't have to write the essay.
You have to plan & design the essay.
Due. Monday, 2/9.
Complete: Theme Song Essay
Due. Friday, 2/13.
Friday, February 6, 2015
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Brit Lit CPI: Blogging, Bragging & Beowulf
We start with this today.
We'll make some predictions about why we opened with this and how it might relate to what's coming next.
Today we start building our routines and diving into the first of the texts we're going to read this semester: Beowulf.
NO RED INK.
We'll be using NoRedInk.com this semester to help with our MUGS: Mechanics, Usage, Grammar, Spelling. You'll be taking a pre-test today for me to get a baseline of your strengths and weaknesses in those areas. We'll also be doing some goal setting.
I know I have a goal for you folks: complete sentences, proper capitalization, and commonly mistaken words. If you can wrangle these three things, you can navigate most any writing and communication situation: job applications, official letters, e-mails to people that aren't your friends, etc.
So, we'll get started with the Semester PreTest.
GUIDELINES & EXPECTATIONS.
After No Red Ink & MUGS, we'll review our sketchnotes from the Guidelines & Expectations quickly. I want to make sure people understand what is being asked of everyone in the room the semester including me.
BRAGGING & BEOWULF.
Then we'll talk about bragging, about smack talk, about running our mouths, about rumors, about getting in people's faces, about how we handle them, and then taking a look at how long this has been a problem by looking at ancient and modern poetry.
We'll be breaking up the reading into group chunks with a few key questions for each. We'll use this time to get a sense of what the heck is going on in Beowulf, the central characters, and then we'll look at the language more specifically.
We'll be using a graphic organizer to keep track of our thinking.
All of this leads to . . .
Req'd Blog Post for the Week: Letting Fly the Taunts and Volleys of a Thousand Suns Upon the Ears of the Meek Before Us a.k.a. Running Our Mouths
Boast, brag, run yer mouth about anything you like -- just keep it relatively school friendly. It could be aggressive and calling someone or something out or it could be talking about how great you are at knitting. I trust you to use your best judgement there. Remember: swearing is lazy. It can be fun. And it's lazy. Your boast
Write or audio/video record two versions:
One. Your style. Your words.
Two. Beowulf style. His words.
Your goal? To show me you understand how the language used in Beowulf, the style and format, isn't all that different from today by using it yourself.
Option. Not feeling like bragging about anything particular about yourself? Do what the bards & the scops did back in the day: make up a character. Just let me know whether it is invented or real.
We'll make some predictions about why we opened with this and how it might relate to what's coming next.
Today we start building our routines and diving into the first of the texts we're going to read this semester: Beowulf.
NO RED INK.
We'll be using NoRedInk.com this semester to help with our MUGS: Mechanics, Usage, Grammar, Spelling. You'll be taking a pre-test today for me to get a baseline of your strengths and weaknesses in those areas. We'll also be doing some goal setting.
I know I have a goal for you folks: complete sentences, proper capitalization, and commonly mistaken words. If you can wrangle these three things, you can navigate most any writing and communication situation: job applications, official letters, e-mails to people that aren't your friends, etc.
So, we'll get started with the Semester PreTest.
GUIDELINES & EXPECTATIONS.
After No Red Ink & MUGS, we'll review our sketchnotes from the Guidelines & Expectations quickly. I want to make sure people understand what is being asked of everyone in the room the semester including me.
BRAGGING & BEOWULF.
Then we'll talk about bragging, about smack talk, about running our mouths, about rumors, about getting in people's faces, about how we handle them, and then taking a look at how long this has been a problem by looking at ancient and modern poetry.
We'll be breaking up the reading into group chunks with a few key questions for each. We'll use this time to get a sense of what the heck is going on in Beowulf, the central characters, and then we'll look at the language more specifically.
We'll be using a graphic organizer to keep track of our thinking.
All of this leads to . . .
Req'd Blog Post for the Week: Letting Fly the Taunts and Volleys of a Thousand Suns Upon the Ears of the Meek Before Us a.k.a. Running Our Mouths
Boast, brag, run yer mouth about anything you like -- just keep it relatively school friendly. It could be aggressive and calling someone or something out or it could be talking about how great you are at knitting. I trust you to use your best judgement there. Remember: swearing is lazy. It can be fun. And it's lazy. Your boast
Write or audio/video record two versions:
One. Your style. Your words.
Two. Beowulf style. His words.
Your goal? To show me you understand how the language used in Beowulf, the style and format, isn't all that different from today by using it yourself.
Option. Not feeling like bragging about anything particular about yourself? Do what the bards & the scops did back in the day: make up a character. Just let me know whether it is invented or real.
AP Lit: Projects & On Demands & Projects
INDIE BOOK PROJECTS.
We'll start with two project shares.
ON DEMAND.
From there, we complete the On Demand: Discuss Shakespeare's use of a literary device such as allusion, symbolism and characterization to develop a theme of power and control. 15 min. One powerful paragraph.
We'll use these On Demands as well as our last rounds for an On Demand workshop, focusing on the design of an analytical paragraph. It will also give us an opportunity to discuss Hamlet.
HAMLET.
Finally, I'd like us to do some rapid prototyping of the character card idea so we can build some congruency. We'll take a look at considerations we should be giving when staging our "To Be or Not To Be's" and develop a deeper list of criteria i.e. costumes, portrayal, color palette, physical setting, music (I think I'm getting a lot of it here already . . .)
HOMEWORK.
Blog. 3+ Posts.
Req'd Post. How to Read Lit Like a Professor. "When In Doubt . . . Shakespeare . . ."
How might Foster's position on Shakespeare inform our reading of Hamlet and/or our design of "To Be or Not to Be?"
We'll start with two project shares.
ON DEMAND.
From there, we complete the On Demand: Discuss Shakespeare's use of a literary device such as allusion, symbolism and characterization to develop a theme of power and control. 15 min. One powerful paragraph.
We'll use these On Demands as well as our last rounds for an On Demand workshop, focusing on the design of an analytical paragraph. It will also give us an opportunity to discuss Hamlet.
HAMLET.
Finally, I'd like us to do some rapid prototyping of the character card idea so we can build some congruency. We'll take a look at considerations we should be giving when staging our "To Be or Not To Be's" and develop a deeper list of criteria i.e. costumes, portrayal, color palette, physical setting, music (I think I'm getting a lot of it here already . . .)
HOMEWORK.
Blog. 3+ Posts.
Req'd Post. How to Read Lit Like a Professor. "When In Doubt . . . Shakespeare . . ."
How might Foster's position on Shakespeare inform our reading of Hamlet and/or our design of "To Be or Not to Be?"
Due. Friday, 2/6
Complete. Hamlet.
Read/Watch. (Clips on Google Drive.)
Due. Monday, 2/9
Start Designing. "To Be or Not to Be"
Dramatic Presentation & One Page Analysis/Justification
Due. Thursday/Friday after Feb break.
Start Designing. "To Be or Not to Be"
Dramatic Presentation & One Page Analysis/Justification
Due. Thursday/Friday after Feb break.
Humanities: Roots Quiz, Culture & Theme Songs
VOCAB.
We kick off with our Roots Quiz 7. You are all over this. Worry not. Do your best. And if you are struggling with quizzes, remember that FrankenWord and other vocab work can demonstrate your understanding just as well.
5 MIN PLAYLIST.
You've got five minutes to make the playlist you will carry with you for the rest of your life. What goes on it? Make it now.
Here's mine. This was stressful.
CULTURE.
We've got a way to pull all the culture work you've been doing these past couple of weeks together.
Check Google Classroom for this assignment.
THEME SONG ESSAY.
HMW express the reasons why particular songs serve as our theme songs?
We're going to tackle this essay as we have any of our design work because really, writing an essay is a piece of design.
DEEP.
Discovery. (What song might serve as my theme song? Why? Might it connect to an experience? Might the sounds relate to me? What might I focus on? How might I hook the reader?)
Empathize. (Consider your reader. Consider your audience. What do they need to know?)
Experiment. (Drafts. Play around with order. Play around with details. Make maps. Make sketchnotes.)
Produce. (Complete a 1st Submission Draft. Get Feedback. Revise. Reiterate.)
Today we will use a couple of brainstorming & ideating techniques including our 5 Min. Playlist to help get us started. Friday, we kick into introductions and thesis statements.
HOMEWORK.
Blog. 3+ Posts
Req'd Post. Drum Kit Post. (See this week.)
Complete. Culture Graphic Organizer (Google Classroom.) The new one.
Brainstorm. Theme song essay.
We kick off with our Roots Quiz 7. You are all over this. Worry not. Do your best. And if you are struggling with quizzes, remember that FrankenWord and other vocab work can demonstrate your understanding just as well.
5 MIN PLAYLIST.
You've got five minutes to make the playlist you will carry with you for the rest of your life. What goes on it? Make it now.
Here's mine. This was stressful.
CULTURE.
We've got a way to pull all the culture work you've been doing these past couple of weeks together.
Check Google Classroom for this assignment.
THEME SONG ESSAY.
HMW express the reasons why particular songs serve as our theme songs?
We're going to tackle this essay as we have any of our design work because really, writing an essay is a piece of design.
DEEP.
Discovery. (What song might serve as my theme song? Why? Might it connect to an experience? Might the sounds relate to me? What might I focus on? How might I hook the reader?)
Empathize. (Consider your reader. Consider your audience. What do they need to know?)
Experiment. (Drafts. Play around with order. Play around with details. Make maps. Make sketchnotes.)
Produce. (Complete a 1st Submission Draft. Get Feedback. Revise. Reiterate.)
Today we will use a couple of brainstorming & ideating techniques including our 5 Min. Playlist to help get us started. Friday, we kick into introductions and thesis statements.
HOMEWORK.
Blog. 3+ Posts
Req'd Post. Drum Kit Post. (See this week.)
Complete. Culture Graphic Organizer (Google Classroom.) The new one.
Brainstorm. Theme song essay.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Pop Culture: Sketchnotes & Expectations, Super Bowl Ads
We'll start with finishing our sketchnotes of the guidelines & expectations for this class, sharing them, and getting ourselves on the same page.
From there we'll take a look at this year's Super Bowl commercials, one of the annual pilgrimages most of the US takes into the world of pop culture.
We'll complete this graphic organizer to get a sense of how these ads function and operate, as well as what values they suggest matter to their audience.
This is all leading to our first design challenge: HMW design advertisements for something we love?
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Brit Lit CPI: Setting Up Blogs, Sketchnoting Expectations & Best Writing
Today we'll set up our blogs. This is will be the primary place where you write and share your thinking in class this semester.
For your first blog entry, write the best paragraph you can -- an example of your best quality writing -- in five minutes. Describe how you spent these past several snow days. Where were you? What did you do? How did you wrangle with the snow?
After this, we'll be creating sketchnotes of the Guidelines & Expectations in groups of 1, 2 or 3. The sketchnote should be based on the information in the packet you were given an answer these questions:
What do we need for class?
What will class be like?
How much work will there be?
Next class we dig into our first text: Beowulf and take a look at boasting and bragging and vanity plates.
For your first blog entry, write the best paragraph you can -- an example of your best quality writing -- in five minutes. Describe how you spent these past several snow days. Where were you? What did you do? How did you wrangle with the snow?
After this, we'll be creating sketchnotes of the Guidelines & Expectations in groups of 1, 2 or 3. The sketchnote should be based on the information in the packet you were given an answer these questions:
What do we need for class?
What will class be like?
How much work will there be?
Next class we dig into our first text: Beowulf and take a look at boasting and bragging and vanity plates.
AP Lit: Hamlet: Designing To Be or Not To Be Continues: Storyboards
Today we take our best, most intriguing ideas for staging "To Be or Not to Be" into the next round of Experiment phase: storyboarding. You will create at least 4 storyboard panels for the sequence you stage, accompanied by annotations to explain the visuals.
This will lead to determining criteria for our project. HMW demonstrate our depth of understanding of Hamlet by designing the staging of a single soliloquy? (I intended to dictate these terms to you folks and then realized this is a great opportunity to talk about what really matters in terms of analysis, synthesis, creativity and showcasing knowledge.)
Then we will On-Demand: Discuss Shakespeare's use of a literary device such as allusion, symbolism and characterization to develop a theme of power and control. 15 min. One powerful paragraph.
Also, we will share two of our indie book projects.
HOMEWORK.
Blog. 3+ Posts.
Req'd Post. How to Read Lit Like a Professor. "When In Doubt . . . Shakespeare . . ."
How might Foster's position on Shakespeare inform our reading of Hamlet and/or our design of "To Be or Not to Be?"
Watch/Read. Rest of Hamlet by Friday/Monday. See Google Drive and e-mail for clips.
To Be or Not to Be. Due Tuesday/Wednesday after break.
This will lead to determining criteria for our project. HMW demonstrate our depth of understanding of Hamlet by designing the staging of a single soliloquy? (I intended to dictate these terms to you folks and then realized this is a great opportunity to talk about what really matters in terms of analysis, synthesis, creativity and showcasing knowledge.)
Then we will On-Demand: Discuss Shakespeare's use of a literary device such as allusion, symbolism and characterization to develop a theme of power and control. 15 min. One powerful paragraph.
Also, we will share two of our indie book projects.
HOMEWORK.
Blog. 3+ Posts.
Req'd Post. How to Read Lit Like a Professor. "When In Doubt . . . Shakespeare . . ."
How might Foster's position on Shakespeare inform our reading of Hamlet and/or our design of "To Be or Not to Be?"
Watch/Read. Rest of Hamlet by Friday/Monday. See Google Drive and e-mail for clips.
To Be or Not to Be. Due Tuesday/Wednesday after break.
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