11.25 - This American Life Socratic Seminar

We started today's class with the set 7 roots and prefixes quiz and then several people presented more polished recitations for their Poetry Out Loud poems.

We spent the rest of the class having a Socratic seminar based on episode 538 of This American Life.

Handouts:
Socratic Seminar Prep Sheet

Homework:

Revisions:
Set 2 Double Entry Leading Logs for Anthem (assignments 6-8) (due Wednesday, Nov. 26)
Socratic Seminar Discussion Question for Anthem (pg. 2 only) (due Wednesday, Nov. 26)
Poetry Out Loud Poem Analysis (due Wednesday, Nov. 26)

11.24 - Podcast Socratic Seminar Prep

Today in class we listened to the podcast of This American Life which we will be having a Socratic seminar discussion for tomorrow. For homework, tonight everyone should be preparing a prep sheet for the podcast. These prep sheets will be assessed for everyone tomorrow and the discussion, along with the discussion notes, will be a revision opportunity for people from our Anthem Socratic seminar.

In completing the prep sheet it will be helpful for people to revisit the podcast and to pull quotes from the transcript of the podcast (a text version of everything that was said).

This American Life, "Episode 538: Is This Working?"

Transcript for Episode 538

Handouts:
Socratic Seminar Prep Sheet

Homework:

Complete the prep sheet for tomorrow's Socratic seminar on today's podcast.

Prepare for the set 7 roots and prefixes quiz tomorrow.
Set 7 Roots and Prefixes - Word List
Set 7 Roots and Prefixes - Practice

If you are revising your recitation of your poem tomorrow, practice your poem tonight.

Revisions:
Set 2 Double Entry Leading Logs for Anthem (assignments 6-8) (due Wednesday, Nov. 26)
Socratic Seminar Discussion Question for Anthem (pg. 2 only) (due Wednesday, Nov. 26)
Poetry Out Loud Poem Analysis (due Wednesday, Nov. 26)

11.21 - Why Should Someone Read Your Poem

At the beginning of class today, we spent some time talking about the school competition for Poetry Out Loud (see Mr. Collins if you are interested in competing in the school competition).

Next, I handed out a prompt asking people to look at their poem and explain why it is one that people should read (see prompt handout below). As part of this, we talked about how a text can be either a window or a mirror. If a text is window, it lets you see another place, time, or another person's perspective. If a text is a mirror, it encourages you to reflect on your life and experiences and to think about them differently or more deeply. Looking at how the poem functions as a window or a mirror can help to explain why someone should read it.

Everyone had the rest of the period to work on this response. If people needed more time on this, they could finish it for homework and hand it in on Monday.

Handouts:
Why Should Someone Read Your Poem (POL Prompt)

Homework:

If you did not finish your response to the "Why Should Someone Read Your Poem" prompt, do so for homework.

If you plan to revise your recitation for Poetry Out Loud, prepare for that recitation next Tuesday (11/25).

We reschedule dthe roots quiz to Tuesday 11/25 so prepare for the set seven quiz then.

Don't forget to recite your poem for a parent/guardian and introduce it with the following script:

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Revisions:
Dystopian Writing Assignment (due by Friday, Nov. 21)
Set 2 Double Entry Leading Logs for Anthem (assignments 6-8) (due Wednesday, Nov. 26)
Socratic Seminar Discussion Question for Anthem (pg. 2 only) (due Wednesday, Nov. 26)
Poetry Out Loud Poem Analysis (due Wednesday, Nov. 26)

11.20 - Poetry Out Loud Recitations

Today's class was dedicated to sharing our Poetry Out Loud recitations.

11.19 - POL Recitation Practice

Today's class was focused on practicing recitations for Poetry Out Loud. Everyone worked with a partner to practice reciting their poem. We used feedback and the standards on the Poetry Out Loud rubric to focus both improvements and feedback on qualities that will be assessed tomorrow.

Towards the end of class, we took time to review class performance for the set two double entry journals for Anthem, the Socratic seminar for Anthem, and the Poetry Out Loud poem analysis (class performance graphs and feedback below).

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Homework:

Memorize your Poetry Out Loud poem (recitations are on Thursday, 11/20 and Friday,11/21).

Prepare for the set 7 roots and prefixes quiz on Friday.


Revisions:
Dystopian Writing Assignment (due by Friday, Nov. 21)

Set 2 Double Entry Leading Logs for Anthem (assignments 6-8) (due Wednesday, Nov. 26)

Socratic Seminar Discussion Question for Anthem (pg. 2 only) (due Wednesday, Nov. 26)

Poetry Out Loud Poem Analysis (due Wednesday, Nov. 26)

11.18 - Poetry Out Loud Rubrics

At the beginning of class today, everyone had time to practice their poem. I then handed out copies of the Poetry Out Loud assessment rubric that we will be using (see below).

We reviewed the rubric together as a class and then used it to assess various Poetry Out Loud performances. This review was intended to help people plan their own recitation through a better understanding of the Poetry Out Loud assessment rubric and what works in terms of recitation styles.

Some good videos to check out include:

Handouts:

Poetry Out Loud - Recitation Assessment Rubric


Homework:

Memorize your Poetry Out Loud poem (recitations are on Thursday, 11/20 and Friday,11/21).

Prepare for the set 7 roots and prefixes quiz on Friday.


Revisions: 
Dystopian Writing Assignment (due by Friday, Nov. 21)

11.17 - POL Practice

We started today's class with everyone working on the set 7 roots and prefixes (see below).

From here we transitioned to a partner activity in which people practiced reciting their poem with a series of partners. We will be having our official recitation for Poetry Out Loud on Thursday on Friday.

At the end of class, I returned student work and handed out grade report sheets for quarters 1 and 2. We will spend some more time tomorrow looking at recent progress on assignments and approaches for revision.

Handouts:

Set 7 Roots and Prefixes - Word List
Set 7 Roots and Prefixes - Practice


Homework:

Memorize your Poetry Out Loud poem (recitations are on Thursday, 11/20 and Friday,11/21).

Prepare for the set 7 roots and prefixes quiz on Friday.


Revisions: 
Dystopian Writing Assignment (due by Friday, Nov. 21)

11.14 - Tone Maps

We started class with the set 6 roots and prefixes quiz today. People also handed in their revisions for the Anthem set one double entry journals and the revisions of Anthem chapter one annotations.

Following this we looked at how the tone used in a piece of writing can be expressed verbally. To do this, we looked at the sentence "I never said she stole my wallet" and how the tone and meaning of that sentence can be changed by placing emphasis on different words (example sheet below). Everyone worked with a partner to identify changes in meaning and tone and then we came together as a class and people shared out their interpretations.

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Next, we looked at how the tone in a poem can be mapped out to better understand how it should be read and recited. Poetry Out Loud uses the poem "Jenny Kissed Me" to show this:

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Everyone then had the rest of the period to write out their own poem and map out its tones (see handout). I was on hand to check in with people and talk about their poems as necessary.


Handouts:

Tone Map

Homework:

If you did not do so in class, finish mapping out the tone of your poem for homework.

Memorize your Poetry Out Loud poem (recitations are on Thursday, 11/20 and Friday, 11/21).

Prepare for the set 6 roots and prefixes quiz on Friday.
Set 6 Roots and Prefixes - Word List

Revisions: 
Dystopian Writing Assignment (due by Friday, Nov. 21)

11.13 - Poem Storyboard

We started today's class by reviewing the set 6 roots and prefixes for tomorrow's quiz through a game of language ninja.

Everyone then had a few minutes to practice reciting their poem with a partner. Next, everyone created a story board for images in their poem as a way to help interpret and visualize the poem. This series of visual images will also help people to memorize their poem (see below for instructions and an example).

Handouts:

Poem Storyboards
Example Storyboard


Homework:

If you did not do so in class, finish your poem story board.

Memorize your Poetry Out Loud poem (recitations are on Thursday, 11/20 and Friday, 11/21).

Prepare for the set 6 roots and prefixes quiz on Friday.
Set 6 Roots and Prefixes - Word List

Revisions: 
Dystopian Writing Assignment (due by Friday, Nov. 21)
Anthem - Chapter 1 Annotations (due TOMORROW)
Anthem double entry journnals - Set 1 (due TOMORROW)

11.12 - Anthem Socratic Seminar

At the beginning of class, everyone had time to practice reciting their poem with a partner.

Next, we reviewed the process and protocols for the Socratic seminar and organized ourselves into two groups. Groups then took turns discussing and listening. After each group had a chance to have it's discussion, the person listening to them in the discussion shared some formative feedback with the person who had been in the discussion circle.

Tomorrow, we will work more with people's poems for Poetry Out Loud.

Handouts:

Socratic Seminar Prep Sheet

Homework:

Memorize your Poetry Out Loud poem (recitations are on Thursday, 11/20 and Friday, 11/21).

Prepare for the set 6 roots and prefixes quiz on Friday.
Set 6 Roots and Prefixes - Word List

Revisions: 
Dystopian Writing Assignment (due by Friday, Nov. 21)
Anthem - Chapter 1 Annotations (due by Friday, Nov. 14)
Anthem double entry journnals - Set 1 (due by Friday, Nov. 14)

11.10 - Set 6 Roots and Prefixes / Anthem Socratic Seminar Prep

At the beginning of class today, everyone had a chance to practice reciting their poem with a partner (switching to reading the poem once they had recited as far as they could).

Next, I handed out the word list and practice sheet for the set 6 roots and prefixes and everyone had a chance to work on the word list portion of this sheet (we'll look at the practice section on Wednesday). Everyone had 20 minutes to work on this assignment and then I returned the dystopian fiction assignments that people had completed and reviewed overall class progress on these. The graph for grades and feedback were as follows:

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Finally, we revisited the process for Socratic seminars and I handed out preparation sheets to get us ready for our Socratic seminar on Wednesday.

Handouts:

Set 6 Roots and Prefixes - Word List
Socratic Seminar Prep Sheet

Homework:

Complete the pre-reading work for our Socratic seminar on Anthem (see handouts).

Memorize your Poetry Out Loud poem (recitations are on Thursday, 11/20 and Friday, 11/21).

Prepare for the set 6 roots and prefixes quiz this Friday (11/14).

Revisions: 
Dystopian Writing Assignment (due by Friday, Nov. 21)
Anthem - Chapter 1 Annotations (due by Friday, Nov. 14)
Anthem double entry journnals - Set 1 (due by Friday, Nov. 14)

11.07 - Poem Analysis and Socratic Seminar Practice

We started today's class by taking a look at a poem I wrote about unpacking poems (see below). Everyone read this poem and then responded to the following prompt by annotating the poem and writing in their writer's journal:

Annotate this poem identifying what figurative devices it uses.
Identify a place in the poem that you feel needs work in this poem and suggest edits.

After everyone had a chance to respond to this prompt, we discussed student answers.

Everyone then had time to begin unpacking their poem by annotating it. For homework, eveyone will use these annotations to begin writing about and analyzing their poem (see below).

We then had a short, practice Socratic seminar in which people discussed the article I handed out yesterday about federal prison inmates and the internet. Next week, we will wrap up Anthem with a Socratic seminar.

Handouts:
Unpacking Your Poem

Homework:

Complete your annotations and the unpacking your poem sheet on your Poetry Out Loud poem.

Resource: Poetry Out Loud Poem Sign Up

Everyone had the first twenty minutes of class today to read through poems on the Poetry Out Loud website. Sign up for the poem you have selected via Google forms:

POL Poem Sign Up

11.06 - Poem Hunting and Socratic Seminar Intro

Everyone had the first twenty minutes of class today to read through poems on the Poetry Out Loud website. At the end of these twenty minutes, those people who had selected the poem that they would like to recite signed up for that poem with me via Google forms (see link below).

POL Poem Sign Up

Next, I introduced students to the Socratic seminar a discussion format we will be using to wrap up our work with Anthem. To become more familiar with the Socratic seminar process, we are going to take a look at an article which looks at the internet through the eyes of federal prison inmates who were incarcerated in the late 80s and early 90s (just before the internet became big).

Handouts:

Socratic Seminar explanation
      (pre-reading step 3 does not apply to our work at this time)
Article: The Internet Explained by Prisoners Who Have Never Seen It


Homework:

Complete the pre-reading work for our Socratic seminar on the article: The Internet Explained by Prisoners Who Have Never Seen It

Complete the following revisions for Fri, Nov 14:
Anthem chapter one annotations 
     Anthem - Chapter 1 Annotations
Anthem set one double entry journals

    Anthem double entry journals

11.05 - Figurative Language and Poetry

We started today's class by looking at the difference between figurative language and plain or literal language. To do this, everyone watched the video below demonstrating a recently created instrument called the yaybahar. Everyone then responded to the following prompt:

Write two descriptions of the music that the yaybahar makes.

One description should rely on figurative language (like an author may use)

and one description should rely on plain/literal language (as a scientist may use)

Yaybahar by Görkem Şen from Olgu Demir on Vimeo.

After everyone had a chance to respond to this prompt, everyone shared out their responses. Next, people shared out their descriptions and we discussed the advantages to each form of description and what sort of situations each would serve best.

This discussion lead us from looking at the role figurative language plays in prose writing to what role it plays in poetic language. We talked about how the main difference between prose writing and poetic writing is that in poetry the way words are arranged on the page contributes to the meaning of the poem in addition to what is said. Poems will also use figurative language, rhymes, and rhythm to add further layers of meaning.

We are going to be starting Poetry Out Loud and took a look at how best to select a poem which people will be analyzing, memorizing, and reciting. Since this is also a national competition we looked at what to consider when selecting a poem based on whether it was for competitive purposes or class purposes (see handout).

I then showed everyone how to navigate the Poetry Out Loud website to search for a poem.

We will continue with this work tomorrow.

Handouts:

Poetry Out Loud - Choosing a Poem

Homework:

Finish your dystopian fiction w/ author's statement (due Thurs, 6/11)

Complete revisions for Anthem chapter one annotations and set one double entry journals (both due Fri, 14/11)

Anthem - Chapter 1 Annotations

Anthem double entry journals

Dystopian writing assignment

11.04 - Revisions and Dystopias

At the start of class today, everyone responded to the following writing prompt in their writer's journal:

What did we do this quarter?

(3 minute brainstorm)

After everyone had a chance to respond to this prompt, we discussed people's responses and impressions of the quarter. There will be a more organized and formal mode for feedback, but this served as a review for what we have covered so far.

Next, I returned the set 1 double entry journals to students along with feedback sheets and we discussed overall student performance on this assignment (see feedback slide below).

Then, I returned various other assignments to students and everyone had the next twenty minutes to work on revisions for the following assignments:

Anthem Chapter 1 annotations (due 11/14)

Anthem Set 1 Double Entry Journals (due 11/14)

In the final twenty minutes of class, everyone had time to work on their dystopian short stories that use figurative language (which is explained with an author's statement).

Handouts:

Anthem - Chapter 1 Annotations

Anthem double entry journals

Dystopian writing assignment

Homework:

Finish your dystopian fiction w/ author's statement (due Thurs, 6/11)

Complete revisions for Anthem chapter one annotations and set one double entry journals (both due Fri, 14/11)

11.03 - Housekeeping and Annotations

We started today's class with the following writing prompt (which people wrote on paper that could be handed in):

What are some topics or questions you would like to discuss related to Anthem.

Next, we went over some general housekeeping items as we bring the first quarter to a close and begin the second quarter. These topics included properly stapling assignments, writing neatly, using the language we have learned to discuss material, and submitting work on time. For this last point, we are going to begin using "not prepared for class" slips to look at obstacles that prevent assignments from being turned in on time or people from having the materials they need for class (see below)

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I then returned chapter one annotations for Anthem along with feedback slips and we reviewed overall class performance on this activity (see below).

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Finally, we returned to our small group activity looking at tone in the initial chapters of Anthem and spent some time discussing how figurative language is used to develop tone and meaning in these chapters.


Homework:

Work on revisions for Anthem chapter one annotations (due Friday, Nov. 14).
Anthem - Chapter 1 Annotations

If you did not hand in your double entry journals for chapters 8 - 12 in Anthem today, those were due today and need to be handed in as soon as possible.
Anthem double entry journals