Monday, January 30, 2012

Journal #51

Narrate your life in the 3rd person.

Indirectly characterize yourself.

In other words, give us a clue to your personality WITHOUT directly telling us about it.

"Show, don't tell."

agendas, Jan. 30-Feb. 3

Monday, 1/30
Goals:
* To add to / spruce up our literary toolkit
* To more deeply understand literature

Tasks:
1. What We Talk About When We Talk About Literature
2. Journal #51


Tuesday, 1/31
Goals:
* To have productive discussions
* To share our learning with the class

Tasks:
1. Brief practice quiz
2. Preparation
3. Literature Circles
4. Sharing Time


Wednesday, 2/3
Goals:
* To read for fluency and comprehension

Tasks:
1. Reading Time
2. Reading Records
3. Journal #53


Thursday, 2/2
Goals:
* To share our learning as a class
* To improve as writers

Tasks:
1. Brief Group Meetings
2. Presentations
3. Journal #54



Friday, 2/3
Goals:
* To have good discussions about literature
* To understand our books more in-depth

Tasks:
1. Preparing Tasks (working quietly and independently)
2. Literature Circles
3. Journal #55 - reflections
4. Journals turned in!

if you were gone Friday, 1/27...

... be sure to see Mr. Anderson to pick up your Lit Circle task--you missed it!

Journal #50

Reflect on your first-ever literature circle.

1. What did you do?
2. How did you do individually?
3. How did you do as a group?
4. What should you do differently next time?

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Journal #49

Some thoughts: use as many as you like to write a solid paragraph about your first experience with this book.

What are your initial impressions of the book?
What do you think about the main character (protagonist)?
How does the author draw you into the story?
Which seems most important so far: setting, plot, character? Why?
What's the very first sentence? How does it "hook" you?

Journal #48

Write a story about winter--true, or fictional--and we'll try to guess if it's true.

1 page or so.

You might write about...

* Being trapped in the storm
* A winter vacation
* ?

If it's true, make it seem like fiction--dramatic and detailed!

If it's a tall tale, make it realistic enough to fool people!

agendas, Jan. 23-27

Monday, 1/23
Goals:
* To review material in an engaging way
* To practice working in groups

Tasks:
1. Journal #48: Truth or Tall Tale?
2. Sharing stories


Tuesday, 1/24
Goals:
* To dive into our books

Tasks:
1. Book Checkout
2. Reading Time (in our Literature Circle novels)
3. WPM / Reading Records
4. Journal #49
5. Updates: finals, thoughts from Journal #47, etc.


Wednesday, 1/25
Goals:
* To have successful group discussions

Tasks:
1. Prep for discussions / task list
2. Literature Circles!
3. Reflection: Journal #50


Thursday, 1/26
Goals:
* To connect themes to the real world
* To practice blogging skills (linking, blockquoting)

Tasks:
1. Reading schedule check-in
2. Task preview
3. Lab time (blogging)



Friday, 1/27
Goals:
* To make personal connections to literature
* To learn from others
* To have effective discussions

Tasks:
1. Individual task preparation
2. Literature Circles
3. Exit Slip

Journal #47

* How can I improve my teaching?
* How can we improve as a class?
* What are we doing well?
* What would you like to do / see in the future?

Journal #46

1. Imagine yourself as an expert on teenage behavior and issues. You might be...

* Psychologist
* Teacher / school official
* Law enforcement officer
* Parent
* Social worker / counselor
* Journalist
* Scientist
* ???


Write about teenage issues FROM YOUR IMAGINED PERSPECTIVE. In other words, you'll pretend to be that expert. (Don't forget to give yourself an official title!)


2. When finished, reflect on the experience.

If you participated, describe how. If you didn't, explain why--and how you could have.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Journal #45

Either...

* Pick an interesting word from today's reading. Write about what it means, why it's interesting, how it connects to the story

OR

* Stump Mr. Anderson! A word, plus a multiple choice list of definitions

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Journal #44 (the reading process)

The basics are below. Mr. Anderson elaborated on them in-class.

1. Prepare
What you do before you read.

2. First Dare
Reading for the first time.

3. Repair
What you do to check / fix understanding.

4. Share
Discussing, drawing, writing, reflecting...

Monday, January 9, 2012

Journal #43

Notes on theme.

agendas, Jan. 9-13

Monday, 1/9
Goals:
* To understand O Brother Where Art Thou
* To understand theme

Tasks:
1. Finishing the film
2. Discussion
3. Theme: what it is, and isn't
4. Journal #43
5. Part II


Tuesday, 1/10
Goals:
* To understand theme
* To understand the stages of the reading process
* To learn from others

Tasks:
1. Viewing a short film on aging. / discussion
2. The Reading Process / Journal #44
3. Previewing Texts
4. Lab Time


Wednesday, 1/11

Goals:
* To practice the stages of the reading process
* To read for focus and fluency

Tasks:
1. Reading Time
2. Reading Records
3. Calculating WPM
4. Journal #45

Stump Mr. Anderson (as time permits!)


Thursday, 1/12
Goals:
* To practice discussion / thoughtful questions / perspective-taking
* To prepare for tomorrow's activity

Tasks:
1. Journal #46a: prepare for discussion
2. Expert Panel Discussion
3. Journal #46b: reflection
4. Preparing for tomorrow's activity



Friday, 1/13
Goals:
* To review material in an engaging way
* To practice working in groups

Tasks:
1. Forming teams
2. Creating questions
3. SUPERQUIZ!
4. Journal #47

Friday, January 6, 2012

Journal #42

After today's reading time...

Who was your neighbor?
What did they read about today?

Journal #41

Choose any one of the following prompts.

Write for 10 minutes.

Have you made any resolutions for the new year? Explain. (If not--why not? What are your thoughts on resolutions?)

How was your break? (If you traveled, describe your odyssey back home as an adventure--a hero's journey.)

What comes to mind when you think of revenge?

agendas, Jan. 3-6

Welcome to 2012!


Tuesday, 1/3
Goals:
* To get back in the groove
* To understand the Odyssey

Tasks:
1. Journal #41
2. Slaughter in the Hall: the 22nd chapter, as read by Ian McKellen


Wednesday, 1/4
Goals:
* To provide data on the effectiveness of visual notes
* To read for enjoyment

Tasks:
1. One-Question Quiz
2. Library Time
3. Discussion / Journal #42

Permitted activities in the library:
1. Searching shelves for a book, magazine, or newspaper
2. Checking out a book
3. Silently reading a book, magazine, or newspaper

Journal #42 will be toward the end of class


Thursday, 1/5
Goals:
1. To understand the historical context / allusions related to The Odyssey
2. To enjoy a classic film

Tasks:
1. Watching O Brother Where Art Thou?
2. On a worksheet, taking note of historical references, Odyssey connections, and more


Friday, 1/6
Finishing the film. Worksheets due.