December 10, 2013: What's Happening in English 10?

Focus: How are we immersed in a culture of violence, and how can we counteract it?

Announcements: 

If I still need to check off your late annotations for A Long Way Gone, please have them out on your desk for the duration of class today.

If you missed Friday's vocabulary test, please make it up during an off hour or after school by the end of the on Wednesday.  Give yourself 30-45 minutes to take the test.

1. Warm-up: Revisiting a difficult timeline with a slightly different focus: How did this moment change things for our culture?  How did it change the way people look at each other? How did it change the way we act?

2. Working on the research aspect of our projects (see green packet)

Please keep a list of sources consulted as you will eventually need a Works Cited page.

HW:
Decide what you need to finish tonight in order to keep yourself on a good schedule for finishing your project by Monday, December 16.

December 9, 2013: What's Happening in English 10?

Focus: Is Ishmael a hero?

Announcements: 

If you missed Friday's vocabulary test, you need to make it up by this Wednesday at the latest.

Also, if you did not have your annotations on Friday, you may use a late pass (if you have one) to show me your annotations today or tomorrow.

1. Warm-up: Thinking about Ishmael as a potential hero...

"A hero is a man who does what he can."

--Romain Rolland, Nobel Prize winner

Step 1: Type/copy the quotation above into your notes on Ishmael Beah's interviews. Then spend about five minutes brainstorming what you think it means. Feel free to ask questions, make connections to heroes from books/films/history, make inferences, etc.

Step 2: Apply this quotation to A Long Way Gone. Does Ishmael fit this description of a hero? Why or why not? Please bring at least one good quotation from the book or from one of his interviews to support your thinking.

2. Discussing the ending of A Long Way Gone: The final fishbowl

1st Hour Fishbowl
3rd Hour Fishbowl
6th Hour Fishbowl

3. Wrapping up all of our discussions: The most important take-away from reading A Long Way Gone is... (please post your response on today's fishbowl blog).

HW:

Finalize your topic for the final project; bring your green packet to class tomorrow.

December 6, 2013: What's Happening in A.P. Literature?

Focus: Have we mastered the 110 SAT vocabulary words of 1st semester?

Two Announcements:

If you have your final project topic, please let me know today or e-mail me over the weekend.

If you have any revisions/make-up work to give me, please do so by 3:00 pm today.


1. Warm-up: Taking 5-10 minutes to quiz each other or study quietly (or ask questions)

2. Assessing your mastery of vocabulary: The SAT Vocabulary Test, Lists 1-10

3. Independent reading or A Long Way Gone reading


HW:
1. Finish reading and annotating A Long Way Gone for our final fishbowl discussion on Monday!

2. Decide upon your final project topic if you have not already done so.

December 5, 2013: What's Happening in English 10?

Focus: How do you regain your humanity after being a long way gone from it?

1. Warm-up: Viewing two interviews with Ishmael Beah

Please start a new document called "Ishmael Beah."

As you watch these two interviews, please take notes in response to the following questions:

What does it take to turn a child into a child soldier?

To what extent do you think Beah has healed from his experience? Explain your thinking. What has helped him heal?

CBS News
Jon Stewart


2. Fishbowl #6: Discussing Chapters 18 and 19 in A Long Way Gone

1st Hour Fishbowl
3rd Hour Fishbowl
6th Hour Fishbowl

HW:
1. Study for tomorrow's SAT vocabulary test on Lists 1-10.
2. Bring your independent reading book to class tomorrow. Bring A Long Way Gone and your annotations to class tomorrow so I can take a look at them.
3. Keep thinking about possible topics for your final project.
4. Finish reading and annotating A Long Way Gone by Monday.

December 4, 2013: What's Happening in English 10?

Focus: How can we augment our vocabularies?

1. Warm-up: Relaxing with a crossword puzzle

2. Circle story time!  Reviewing SAT Lists 1-10

• You must use the word correctly in the sentence; see your packet for sample sentences.

• Don't pass your story until directed to do so.

• You may not write sentences that may offend or insult anyone in the room.

• Your first sentence (finish it on your own, no vocab. word needed just yet):                           When Ms. Leclaire walked into our class today...

HW:
1. Read and annotate Chapters 18 and 19 in A Long Way Gone for tomorrow's fishbowl discussion.

2. Study for Friday's SAT vocabulary test over lists 1-10.

3. Remember that all make-up work is due this Friday, Dec 6.

4. Continue thinking about final projects for this class; decide on a topic by the end of the week and let me know what it is.

December 3, 2013: What's Happening in English 10?

Focus: How do the patterns start to shift in Chapters 15-17? Is there a moment you could identify as a turning point?  How so?

1. Warm-up: Introducing and starting to form your final projects

2. Discussing Chapters 15-17 of A Long Way Gone: Fishbowl #5

1st Hour Fishbowl
3rd Hour Fishbowl
6th Hour Fishbowl

3. Wrapping up the conversation

HW:
1. Bring your SAT List 10 flashcards and ALL of your vocabulary lists for a cumulative review tomorrow.

2. Read and annotate Chapters 18 and 19 of A Long Way Gone for Thursday's fishbowl discussion.  Remember to bring your books to class every single day so that I can take a good look at your annotations.

3. All make-up work is due this Friday, Dec. 6.

4. Start studying for Friday's cumulative vocabulary test over SAT Lists 1-10.

December 2, 2013: What's Happening in English 10?

Focus: What patterns are emerging in A Long Way Gone?

1. Warm-up: Close reading of Chapter 1 and quick recap of Chapters 2-17

Open a new document and call it "Patterns in A Long Way Gone"

On a surface level, this chapter is about...
On a deeper level, this chapter is about...

Circle up: Read aloud the two statements you have finished for your particular chapter.

Listeners: Write down any repeated words or any words that strike you as particularly important.  

Conclusions: What patterns are you noticing?  What's staying the same? What's evolving? What's devolving?

2. Fishbowl discussion: Chapters 15-17

1st Hour Fishbowl
3rd Hour Fishbowl
6th Hour Fishbowl

HW: 
1. Remember that this Friday is the deadline for all missed and make-up work (including vocab quizzes, missed fishbowl discussions, etc.).

2. Cumulative vocabulary test this Friday on Chapters 1-10. On Wednesday, please bring to class your Chapter 10 flashcards so that I can give you credit. Bring ALL VOCABULARY to class Wednesday for a cumulative review.

3. Start reading and annotating Chapters 18 and 19 to prepare for Thursday's fishbowl discussion; bring A Long Way Gone to class each day so that I can check everyone's annotations this week.

4. Show up for your conference if you signed up for one; if you were supposed to conference with me on Thursday or Friday before break, please come see me to reschedule.