Final Exam

Focus: How can we demonstrate our growth this semester as readers and writers?

1. Please make sure I have your A Long Way Gone annotations/journals; turn in your A Long Way Gone books to be checked in. If you don't have your book today, please give it to Ms. Cheney in Bookkeeping.

2. Start a new document called "________ (your last name) Winter Final"; place it inside your "Common Assessments" folder.

3. You may use your reading strategies bookmark and your hero's journey essay on this final exam, but other resources are not allowed.

a. Read through the poem a few times, marking it up for little clues--things that strike you.

b. Fill out your reading journal; use the middle column to piece together patterns and themes.

c. Develop a thesis that states a larger theme about the conflict these two texts share.

d. Circle two quotations from the poem that support your thesis.

e. Brainstorm two specific examples from KR or LWG that support your thesis.

f. Write the paragraph! Look to your hero's journey essay for refreshers.

g. Proofread it once or twice.


5. 1st Hour: Please click HERE for the course evaluation.

    3rd Hour: Please click HERE for the course evaluation.

HW:
Have an awesome winter break!

Prepping for Poetry, Part 2: December 14, 2015

Focus: How do we apply our reading and writing skills to poetry?

If you have not conferenced with me on your A Long Way Gone annotations/journals, please turn yours in today.

1. Warming up with your found poetry--getting inside the poet's mind

2. Finishing your reading journals and doing a quick share

3. Outlining the synthesis paragraph and revisiting your hero's journey essays
(Here is the online version of the practice exam)

• Create a Venn diagram to synthesis "Flight 93" with either The Kite Runner or A Long Way Gone.

• Look at the overlapping section and use that to create your thesis.

• Find 1-2 quotations from the poem that defend your thesis (look to your journal).

• Think of 1-2 examples/quotations from KR or LWG that would defend your thesis.

• Running through your hero's journey essays to remind ourselves how to compose synthesis paragraphs.

HW:
Show up to your final with your laptop and brain fully charged. You may also want paper for brainstorming.

1st hour: Tuesday, 7:21-8:46

3rd hour: Wednesday, 8:56-10:21

Prepping for Poetry: December 11, 2015

Focus: How do we apply our reading skills to poetry?

1. Warming up with your final www.noredink.com quiz of the semester: Connecting Clauses, Take 2

2. Offering you sample found poems from your peers and giving you 10 minutes to finish creating yours

3. Exploring the practice exam: walking through the directions and performing a group close reading of "Flight 93"

• Moments: Images, word choices, the title, punctuation, structure, and other things that cause you take a moment and pause

• Movements: Patterns and shifts

• Multiple Meanings: Themes/big takeaways 

HW:
If you haven't done so recently, LOOK AT YOUR GRADES. Monday, December 14 will be the last day to turn in any revisions or make-up work for this class. NO WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DATE. 

Sample e-mail from Tuesday, December 15:

"Dear Ms. Leclaire,
I know that yesterday was the last day for late work, but I just got around to writing a blog from a missed fishbowl, revising my hero's journey essay, and finishing my Kite Runner annotations. Can you please grade those? I really need an A in this class.

Thanks a lot! You're a great teacher.
Student

"Dear Student,
No. I cannot grade those. You have had plenty of time to complete those assignments, and you missed the deadline. Better luck next time. Happy holidays!"
Sincerely,
Ms. Leclaire"

Final Fishbowl: December 10, 2015

Focus: What does Beah want us to understand?

1. Warming up: Viewing two interviews with Ishmael Beah

• Please open your A Long Way Gone brainstorming document.

• As you watch these two interviews, please take notes in response to today's focus question: what does Beah want us to understand?

CBS News
Jon Stewart

2. Enjoying our final fishbowl discussion of A Long Way Gone

3. Wrapping up with one big takeaway

HW:
1. "Quiz" tomorrow on Connecting Clauses, Take 2.

2. If you have not yet finished gathering quotations for your found poem, do that tonight. You will have another 10-15 minutes to create the poem tomorrow.

3. Monday, December 14 will be the last day to turn in any revisions or make-up work for this class. NO WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DATE. 

Turning Patterns to Themes: December 9, 2015

Focus: How can we use found poetry to turn patterns/topics into themes?

1. Warming up with reading conferences and time to finish reading and annotating A Long Way Gone

As you annotate these final chapters, consider the following the following question:

What does Beah want us to understand/learn/take away from his memoir?

2. Offering you an overview of the Found Poem Rubric to help you refine your poem

3. Finishing your Found Poem for A Long Way Gone with a focus on theme and tone

Pattern/topic: Storytelling as a way for Ishmael to connect to his past

Theme: Storytelling helps Ishmael connect to his past because it keeps him rooted in the morals his family and village have taught him since childhood.

Tone (emotion): The parts of the novel with storytelling are uplifting, hopeful, and contemplative; if Ishmael can connect to his past self through stories, then telling his own story in this memoir will help him root his future self in the same set of morals.

HW:
1. Finish your found poem if you did not finish in class.

2. Finish reading and annotating A Long Way Gone for our final fishbowl discussion tomorrow.

3. If you have not yet done so, please complete the www.noredink.com assignment, "Connecting Clauses, Take 2."

Finding Themo: December 8, 2015

Focus: What greater, thematic understanding of A Long Way Gone does Beah want us to have?

1. Warming up poetically: creating a found poem to understand themes in A Long Way Gone

2. Enjoying Fishbowl #5: Chapters 17 and 18 of A Long Way Gone

3. Wrapping up with big takeaways (thematic statements)

HW:
1. Finish reading and annotating A Long Way Gone for Thursday, which is our final fishbowl. I would recommend reading at least Chapter 19 tonight.

2. Please finish "Connecting Clauses, Take 2" on www.noredink.com by Thursday. It takes around five minutes.

3. Monday, December 14 will be the last day to turn in any revisions or make-up work for this class. NO WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DATE.

Classical Conditioning: December 7, 2015

Focus: How has Ishmael's brain been conditioned to be a soldier? What obstacles must he face in becoming a civilian again?

1. Warming up with a little psych background: classical conditioning

2. Thinking through the concept of classical conditioning with your grid groups

• Topic #1: As you watch the clip, respond to the following question: What is classical conditioning? In what ways have you personally been classically conditioned?

• Topic #2: Reflecting on Chapters 12-14, consider the following question: How did the adult soldiers use classical conditioning on the child soldiers? Find 1-2 passages to support your thoughts.

• Topic #3: Reflecting on Chapters 15 and 16 and making predictions for upcoming chapters, think about the following question: How will Ishmael's brain need to be reconditioned to become "human" again? What obstacles will he face? Find 1-2 passages to support your thoughts.

3. Conferencing with you on your annotations/journals so far while you start this week's reading

HW:

1. Finish reading and annotating Chapters 17 and 18 to prepare for tomorrow's fishbowl discussion. 

2. The www.noredink.com assignment, "Connecting Clauses, Take 2" is due Thursday; quiz Friday.

Human Conditioning: December 4, 2015

Focus: How has Ishmael's brain been conditioned to be a soldier? What obstacles will he face in becoming a civilian again?

1. Warming up with "Connecting Clauses: Cheat Sheet"

2. Taking the www.noredink.com quiz on connecting clauses

3. Reflecting on your hero's journey essays and your overall growth as a writer

4. Reading Chapters 15 of A Long Way Gone, keeping in mind the focus questions above and video clip we're going to watch on classical conditioning

• As you watch the clip, respond to the following question: What is classical conditioning?

• Reflecting on Chapters 12-14, consider the following question: How did the adult soldiers use classical conditioning on the child soldiers?

• Making predictions for upcoming chapters, think about the following question: How will Ishmael's brain need to be reconditioned to become "human" again? What obstacles will he face?

HW:
Please read and annotate Chapter 16 (and finish 15) in A Long Way Gone by Monday.

From Child to Child Soldier: December 3, 2015

Focus: What happens when a child becomes a child solider?

1. Warming up with an quick overview of your final exam

2. Reading and reacting to an article on child soldiers

As you read this article, find three separate sentences, copy each into your A Long Way Gone brainstorming document, and simply let yourself react to each one.

3. Entering A Long Way Gone Fishbowl #3: Chapters 12-14

4. Wrapping up with the following question:

• What happens to a child (mentally, physically, emotionally) when he becomes a child soldier?

• Another way of looking at it: What parts of himself must he leave behind? How does this happen?

HW: 
1. Finish "Connecting Clauses, Take 1" on www.noredink.com if you have not yet done so.

2. We will read Chapter 15 in class tomorrow; whatever we don't finish will be homework for Monday.

Back to the Future: December 2, 2015

PLC: Shortened Class

Focus: As Ishmael transforms into a child soldier, what traces of the past and future can we find?

1. Warming up with a quick partner discussion of Chapter 11: Ishmael makes it to the village where his parents were staying just moments after it has been attacked and burned. Yet, he finds no evidence of his parents' bodies.

• Do you think finding his parents' bodies would have helped Ishmael, or hurt him, or both? In other words, how would it have changed his journey?

• We meet an adult (Gasemu) at the beginning of the chapter who dies at the chapter's end. Why do you think Ishmael included him, and why did he include him at this particular point in the book?

2. Reading Chapter 12 together with a focus on connecting the past to the future:

• Find one line in which Ishmael is connected to past, and explore/question that connection.

• Find one line that offers us a glimpse of Ishmael's future as a child soldier, and explore/question that connection.

3. Starting Chapters 13 and 14 for tomorrow's fishbowl with a focus on finding patterns and connections, just as we've been practicing

HW:
1. Finish reading and annotating Chapters 12, 13, and 14 for tomorrow's fishbowl discussion (we'll read Chapter 15 on Friday).

2. Finish your www.noredink.com assignment, "Connecting Clauses, Take 1."

A Long Way Gone (From...): December 1, 2015

Focus: What patterns are you noticing in Ishmael's journey so far? How do these patterns connect to the title?

1. Warming up by revisiting your initial brainstorming on the title. Here are the original questions I posed:

• Have you ever felt a long way gone?

• What do you think it means to be a long way gone?

• Thinking about the front and back of this book, what are the possible multiple meanings of being a long way gone for Ishmael Beah? 

Beah references his own title on page 65. What new meanings of the title can you brainstorm now that you're about halfway through?

2. Taking the next steps:

Look at your specialized focus and start trying to establish some larger patterns. Write a thesis-like statement establishing the patterns you're noticing.

For example, yesterday you noticed that music tended to offer Ishmael a literal escape, a metaphorical escape, and a connection to his home and his former self.

Lastly, try to connect those patterns to the title, A Long Way Gone. 

For example, I might say that Ishmael's music was nearly taken from him in Chapter 10. With each person that treats him with distrust, Ishmael grows a long way gone from his former life and his very humanity.

3. Entering Fishbowl #3: Chapters 9 and 10

4. Trying out "Connecting Clauses" on www.noredink.com

HW:
1. Read Chapter 11 tonight with 2-3 annotations by tomorrow (Wednesday).

2. Finish "Connecting Clauses, Take 1" in www.noredink.com by Thursday; open-note quiz Friday. 

Beah's Sountrack: November 30, 2015

Focus: What soundtrack has Beah chosen for his memoir and why?

1. Warming up with our final, final round of book talks

2. Enjoying a little musical memoir writing to explore the role of Ishmael's cassette tapes

a. Warming up your creative brain with one of these music-inspired writing prompts.

b. Thinking about the purpose of music in A Long Way Gone with your grid groups:

Topic #1: What's the role of music in your life? How many minutes do you spend listening to music a day? What kind? To what purpose?

Topic #2: Reread page 38 and the top of page 39 in A Long Way Gone. Plotwise, what's the role of the cassette tapes in this scene?

Topic #3: Metaphorically, what's the role of the cassette tapes in this scene? Try to think of several bigger ideas the tapes could symbolize and explain the connections.

3. Reading Chapters 9 and 10 and conferencing on your journals/annotations

HW:
Finish reading and annotating Chapters 9 and 10 to prepare for tomorrow's fishbowl discussion.

Talking About Books: November 20, 2015

Focus: What are the qualities of a strong speech?

1. Warming up with an explanation of your exit tickets

• Each of you has an index card. On your index card, please number 1 through 10.

• By each number, write down the name of the person presenting.

• Write down one piece of positive feedback for this person's speech OR one takeaway you have from this person's speech.

• Turn this in at the end of class. It will be worth 10 points in the Growth category. This is an assessment of your listening skills.

2. Enjoying our final round of book talks!

HW: 
1. Your next A Long Way Gone reading assignment is due Tuesday, Dec 1: Chapters 9 and 10 (29 pages--it's the long one, so divide the reading up in a way that works for you).

2. BIG annotation/journals conferences will be happening next Monday and Wednesday. I will be looking for at the following reading assignments:

Monday:
Chapters 1 and 2
Chapters 3, 4, and 5
Chapters 6, 7, and 8

Wednesday: Add Chapters 9 and 10

3. Good food, good friends, good times. Enjoy Thanksgiving.

The Great Outdoors: November 19, 2015

Shortened Class: Advisement Schedule

Focus: How does Beah use setting for a larger purpose?

1. Warming up with yesterday's activity on using setting and imagery to create meaning (click HERE for yesterday's Google doc)

2. Enjoying A Long Way Gone Fishbowl: Chapters 6, 7, and 8

3. Wrapping up with a question, observation, or take-away

HW: 
1. Book talks tomorrow! Woo hoo! If you have not given yours yet, you must be prepared to deliver your speech tomorrow (Friday).

2. Your next A Long Way Gone reading assignment is due Tuesday, Dec 1: Chapters 9 and 10 (29 pages--it's the long one, so divide the reading up in a way that works for you).

Using Setting to Depict Tone: November 18, 2015

PLC: Shortened Class

Focus: How does Beah use setting to create meaning?

1. Warming up: Exploring images with mood/tone prompts

Step 1: Describe the scene linked HERE using your five senses.

Step 2: What human emotions would you connect to this scene? Why?

Step 3: Write three sentences that describe this scene with a specific purpose: to evoke the emotion you described in Step 2.

Ex: Let's say I'm describing this classroom and trying to evoke the tone of anxiety:

The overhead project dangles delicately over my head, threatening to fall at any moment. The faint smell of smoke wafts down from it, and I wonder if a small fire has ignited within its metal prison. The sharp edges of a hard desk jut out by the classroom door and forbid a quick exit.

Repeat: Try this exercise one more time with the scene linked HERE.


2. Connecting back to Beah

"Slowly, we walked on a path through a thick forest. The trees hesitantly swayed with the quiet wind. The sky looked as if it was filled with smoke, endless gray smoke that made the sun dull." (Beah 39)

Click HERE if you need the Google doc version of today's handout on setting and tone.

3. Taking time to start tonight's reading assignment and to conference with Ms. Leclaire on your first rounds of reading journals/annotations

HW:
1. Read Chapters 6, 7, and 8 for Thursday's fishbowl discussion (20 pages); bring your reading journals/annotations to class tomorrow, Wednesday, for our first round of reading conferences.

2. If you haven't given your book talk yet, you will present on Friday.

Dream Analysis and LWG Fishbowl #1: November 17, 2015

Focus: What do dreams reveal about Ishmael's state of mind?

1. Warming up with your first memoir prompt:

• Make a quick list of dreams you've had that you can remember, especially recurring ones.

• Select one dream and describe in as much detail as your brain allows (if you're artistic, you may draw your dream instead).

• Think about what was happening in your waking world when this dream happened. What aspects of your real life was your dream life dealing with? What's the connection?

2. Connecting back to A Long Way Gone: Look back to the two dreams Ishmael has described:

• Reread the two dream passages on pages 14-15 and 18-19.

• What might the specific images from each dream symbolize about what's happening in Ishmael's waking life?

3. Entering our first fishbowl discussion on Chapters 3, 4, and 5 A Long Way Gone...with a few new twists for the outer circle

Blog Correspondent: You need to jump in a hot seat at least once to offer something profound from the outer circle blog.

But What If...: You think "outside the box." You help us wonder what would have happened if...In other words, you need to jump into the hot seat least once with a question that starts with, "But what if..."  
         Example from The Kite Runner: But what if Baba had read Amir's story and told him he was              proud of him?"

Devil's Advocate: Your job is to respectfully disagree with the inner circle. You need to jump in at least once with a counter argument. This can also simply be an alternate interpretation rather than a flat-out disagreement. 
          "I see what you're saying, but..."
          "Here's another way of looking at it..."

Journal Specialist: You will jump into discussion at least once with an observation regarding your reading journal focus (as a psychologist, outdoorsman, etc.).


HW:
1. Read Chapters 6, 7, and 8 for Thursday's fishbowl discussion (20 pages); bring your reading journals/annotations to class tomorrow, Wednesday, for our first round of reading conferences.

2. If you haven't given your book talk yet, you will present on Friday.

Talking About Books: November 16, 2015

Focus: What are the qualities of a strong presentation?

1. Warming up with a quick reflection on book talks so far:

• Start a Google doc, call it "Letter to Self," and place it inside your English 10 folder.

• Think about which presentations have stayed with you, either because of something you saw on a slide, or someone's attention-grabber, or someone's ease with presenting.

• Take no more than five minutes to write your future self a note that goes something like this:

Dear Me,

Here are some of the things I've noticed about people's book talks so far: 

In my future presentations, I will prepare by...

I will avoid...

I will be better at....

I will make sure...

I will accomplish...


2. Enjoying our penultimate round of book talks

3. Finishing the parallel structure quiz, if time allows

HW:
1. Read and annotate Chapters 3, 4, and 5 in A Long Way Gone to prepare for tomorrow's fishbowl.

2. If you haven't given your book talk yet, please prepare for Friday.

Talking About Books: November 13, 2015

Focus: What are the characteristics of a strong speech?

All make-up work and revisions from the last six weeks due today!

1st Hour: Need your webquests. 

1. Warming up with some book talks!

2. Reviewing parallel structure briefly and enjoying the quiz

3. Finishing up Chapter 2 of A Long Way Gone on your own (if time allows)

HW:
1. Please finish Chapters 1 and 2 of A Long Way Gone for Monday with your annotations/journals (remember your specialized focus!).

2. If you're leading our first fishbowl on Tuesday, I highly recommend reading ahead.

3. Book talks (the rest are next week).

Entering Sierra Leone with Beah: November 12, 2015

Focus: What does the opening chapter of A Long Way Gone reveal?

Please turn in your webquest or make sure it's in your A Long Way Gone folder.

If you worked with a partner, please make sure BOTH names are the one you submit.

1. Warming up with a 3-minute recap of the opening page

2. Offering you an overview of the journal options for A Long Way Gone

3. Reading Chapter 1 together and trying out your new focus; click HERE for the three-columned journal

4. Setting up a new and improved fishbowl (it has surprise twists!)

HW:
1. Follow the LGW reading schedule: Chapters 1 and 2 due Monday. Click HERE for the three-columned journal.

2. Open-note "quiz" on parallel structure tomorrow.

3. Book talks--lots tomorrow.

4. All make-up work, revisions, etc. from the past six weeks due tomorrow.

What It Means To Be a Long Way Gone: November 11, 2015

Focus: What background knowledge do we need to understand A Long Way Gone?

Please turn in Kite Runner books and journals/annotations if you didn't have them yesterday.

1. Warming up with a quick writing prompt:

• Have you ever felt a long way gone?

• What do you think it means to be a long way gone?

• Thinking about the front and back of this book, what are the possible multiple meanings of being a long way gone for Ishmael Beah? 

2. Finishing your webquest from yesterday (with incentives, kids)

3. Closing: Reading the first page of A Long Way Gone together: Why open with this setting and this conversation?

HW:
1. Finish your webquest if you did not finish in class. These are due tomorrow.

2. Finish your www.noredink.com assignment, "Parallel Structure" by tomorrow if you did not finish in class. Open-note quiz on Friday.

3. Keep working on book talks (we have a bunch on Friday).

4. Remember that all make-up work, revisions, etc. are due this Friday.

Building Background Knowledge for A Long Way Gone: November 10, 2015

Focus: What background knowledge do we need to build to read A Long Way Gone?

1. Warming up with the return of an old friend: www.noredink.com

• Conquering an ACT favorite foe: Parallel structure

2. Transitioning from The Kite Runner to A Long Way Gone by revising our semester focus points:

From the class syllabus:

“Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now...and so we'll hunt him, because he can take it. Because he's not a hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector...a dark knight.”  --The Dark Knight

Semester Focus:

Are heroes extraordinary or ordinary?  Where is the line between a “dark” hero and a villain?  What kind of journey do all heroes (and many villains) share, and why does it matter to you?

Reflection: Now that you have finished reading and writing about The Kite Runner, what are your thoughts on the quotation and questions above? See if you can bring KR into your thinking.

Prediction: Look at the image on the front of the book. Now look at the image on the back of the book. Read the description. How do you think this book, A Long Way Gone, will relate to the quotation and/or questions above? How do you think it will relate to The Kite Runner?

3. Building background knowledge for  A Long Way Gone with a focused webquest (and there are some serious incentives, kids)

As you work on your webquests, please have out the following:

• Your student IDs (so I can check books out to you)
• Your Kite Runner books (so I can see your sticky notes or so I can collect your book)
• Your handwritten Kite Runner journals (if you handwrote yours)

HW:
1. Finish the first half of your webquest tonight if you did not finish in class today.

2. The www.noredink.com assignment, "Parallel Structure," is due Thursday. Open-note quiz on Friday.

3. If your Kite Runner annotations are handwritten (sticky notes or journals), and you did not have them in class today, please bring them tomorrow and hand them in before class starts. You may also turn in your book tomorrow if you did not have it with you today.

Wrapping Up The Kite Runner: November 9, 2015

Focus: What do we need to wrap up before moving on to the last 6 weeks of the semester?

1. Warming up with a brief survey about your needs for next year

2. Enjoying a round of book talks

3. Viewing scenes from The Kite Runner with a focus on the bigger picture

4. Working on making final changes to your essays if needed

HW:
1. Final drafts of your hero's journey essays are due TODAY by 3:00 pm. They must be submitted properly to the "Final Draft" folder of www.turnitin.com to be counted as on time.

2. Book talks. Yep.

3. If you need to revise or make up anything (including fishbowl blogs and your summary-response essay), next Friday is the deadline.

4. If you'd prefer to use your own copy of A Long Way Gone, please start bringing it to class this Wednesday. Also, I will need to finish up my second round of annotation/journal feedback this week. If I only conferenced with you once please bring your books or hard copies of your journals to class Tuesday to turn in. If you typed your journal, just make sure it's in your KR folder so I can find it easily.

Wrapping Up the First 12 Weeks: November 6, 2015

Focus: What do we need to wrap up before moving on to the last 6 weeks of the semester?

1. Warming up with a round of book talks

2. Viewing scenes from The Kite Runner with a focus on the bigger picture

3. Working on making final changes to your essays if needed

HW:
1. Final drafts of your hero's journey essays are due Monday, Nov 9 by 3:00 pm. They must be submitted properly to the "Final Draft" folder of www.turnitin.com to be counted as on time.

2. Book talks. Yep.

3. If you need to revise or make up anything (including fishbowl blogs and your summary-response essay), next Friday is the deadline. I extended it since you're working on essay for Monday.

Final Editing: November 5, 2015

Focus: What final revisions can we make to strengthen our writing style?

1. Warming up with a little creative writing designed to strengthen your verbs

• Click HERE if you prefer to type.

• Is your hero jumping over the threshold? Trudging through it? Tiptoeing? 

2. Whipping those verb tenses into shape

• Beware the "ing." 

• Keep all verbs in the present tense.

3. Using SAS Writing Reviser to improve sentence variety

• Click on "Create Essay."

• Play around with your new, robotic peer editor.

• Make all revisions in your original Google Doc, not in this program.

4. Musical chairs peer editing using the rubric from yesterday

HW:
1. Optional: Turn your rough draft into the "Hero's Journey Synthesis Rough Draft" folder in www.turnitin.com. This will help you check for plagiarism and might also iron out any technological wrinkles before you have to turn it in for real.

2. Edit your essay based on today's lessons and yesterday's slides (click HERE if you'd like to see the slides again).

3. Book talks. They're happening.

Sanding and Polishing that Draft: November 4, 2015

Focus: What revisions will strengthen the content and style of our essays?

1. Warming up with the new and improved English 10 writing rubric

• Highlight two areas where you see yourself as strong or distinguished.

• Underline two areas you'd like to improve upon. 

• Circle any places you don't understand/have questions about.

2. Bringing the art to your concluding sentences

• My trick: How do the book and and film end? How does this relate to the rest of your essay?

3. Editing your essays for content and style: click HERE for the editing slides.

HW:
1. Optional: Turn your rough draft into the "Hero's Journey Synthesis Rough Draft" folder in www.turnitin.com. This will help you check for plagiarism and might also iron out any technological wrinkles before you have to turn it in for real.

2. Edit your essay based on today's slides (click HERE if you'd like to see the slides again).

3. Book talks. They're happening.

Cinematic Close Reading: November 3, 2015

Focus: How do we perform close readings of film?

"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. 

Working together is success." 

--Henry Ford

1. Warming with a rousing of round of, "What's it mastering/what's it missing?"

2. Offering you a mini lesson on analyzing film

3. Finishing that draft...all the way through the concluding sentences!

A thought: In a synthesis essay, the thesis, the transition, and the concluding sentences are where much of the true synthesis happens.

HW:
1. Tomorrow will be our big day of editing, so please make sure all rough drafts are complete. Also, look for my feedback this week on your Google doc. You will be receiving a 30 point Attempt and Completion grade for finishing your draft by tomorrow.

2. Work on your book talks. Come in for a conference if you need some help or a pep talk.

Drafting, Drafting, Drafting Out to Sea: November 2, 2015

Focus: How can we strengthen the content of our drafts?

1. Warming up with a few book talks?

2. Using Team Shake to shake up your editing

Click HERE for the editing rubric.

3. Exploring how to tie your quotations back to your thesis and how to analyze your film example

Click HERE for the sample essay.

HW:
1. If you did not finish your draft in class today, please do so tonight.

2. Work on your book talk.

You've Been Drafted, Part 2: October 30, 2015

Focus: How do I form a strong rough draft?

1. Warming up with attention-grabbers: Click HERE to peruse popular TED talks

• Watch the first 30 seconds of several TED talks. Which attention-grabbers did you like? What ideas can you steal for your own book talk?

• If you're in need of inspiration, watch one TED talk in its entirety and consider how the speech is organized and how the speaker delivers it compellingly (voice, posture, pace, etc). 

2. Thinking about what needs your attention most right now:

• Your speech?

• Your rough draft of the hero's journey essay?

3. Drafting, drafting, drafting away while Ms. Leclaire conferences with Talia, Gabrielle, Ian, Chris, YiRu, Camryn, Morgan, and Louis their Kite Runner journals/annotations

Book Talk Q & A from yesterday:

Question #1: What is this speech supposed to be about? I know I'm supposed to talk about my independent reading book, but...

Here's what it boils down to:

• What three aspects of your book fascinated you the most?
• Why?
• Why should the audience care, too?

Question #2: Am I supposed to summarize my book?

• You don't need to dedicate a significant portion of your speech to summarizing. Just give us what we need to understand your main points.

Question #3: What should I put on my slides?

Click here for an example of how NOT to use your slides.

My advice:

• Use them sparingly.
• Include a title slide.
• Use them for emphasis or for things you can see but not say, like a picture or video.
• Proofread them carefully.

HW:
1. For Monday: Finish the first half of your rough draft. For example, if you're discussing The Kite Runner first in your essay, then complete your analysis of your example from The Kite Runner.

2. Draft your speech at least a few days before presenting; this way, you'll have time to practice.

You've Been Drafted: October 29, 2015

Focus: How do I start drafting?

1. Warming up with frequently asked questions about how to draft your book talk:

Question #1: What is this speech supposed to be about? I know I'm supposed to talk about my independent reading book, but...

Here's what it boils down to:

• What three aspects of your book fascinated you the most?
• Why?
• Why should the audience care, too?

Question #2: Am I supposed to summarize my book?

• You don't need to dedicate a significant portion of your speech to summarizing. Just give us what we need to understand your main points.

Question #3: What should I put on my slides?

Click here for an example of how NOT to use your slides.

My advice:

• Use them sparingly.
• Include a title slide.
• Use them for emphasis or for things you can see but not say, like a picture or video.
• Proofread them carefully.

2. Drafting the first part of your essay: reviewing the structure of a paragraph and putting it into action

Click HERE for an online version of the sample essay.


HW:
1.FIRST HOUR ONLY: Please go directly to the Forum tomorrow.

2. Homework for Monday: Finish the first half of your rough draft. For example, if you're discussing The Kite Runner first in your essay, then complete your analysis of your example from The Kite Runner.

3. Draft your speech at least a few days before presenting; this way, you'll have time to practice.

Back It Up: October 28, 2015

Focus: How do we support our big ideas?

Shortened Class: PLC Day

1. Warming up with a little visualization

2. Finding the perfect example from The Kite Runner and from your other text

• Looking at your quotation from The Kite Runner: Does it have at least one word, phrase, symbol, etc. that you could spend some time discussing?

• Looking at your film example: Is it five minutes or shorter? Keep it brief. Does it have symbolic colors, movements, objects, etc. that you could focus on? 

3. Filling in the chart (the rest of Step ) on your outline from yesterday

4. Looking at the opening sentence(s) on the sample essay

HW:
1. Finish filling in the chart (Step 4).

2. Finish composing your speech at least three days before you present.

Battling It Out, Hero's Journey Style: October 27, 2015

Focus: How does synthesizing two texts create a larger, more complex meaning?

1. Warming up with a little battle royale: Amir vs. _______?

Click HERE if you'd prefer to type.

2. Organizing and narrowing down your big, messy thoughts as you synthesize two heroes' journeys

Click HERE for the overview of the short synthesis essay and the step-by-step thesis process.

3. Composing your thesis statement and posting it on today's blog


HW:
1. Finish what you didn't finish in class; make sure that thesis gets posted on the blog, and check there for feedback from me. You will receive an attempt & completion grade for the thesis, but the most important part is the feedback.

2. Keep bringing your Kite Runner books and annotations to class.

3. I strongly suggest finishing your speech at least three days before you present. 

Amir's Poison Tree: October 26, 2015

Focus: How do we uncover larger themes?

First Hour

1. Warming up with a close reading/Venn diagram of two simple words: "Poison," and "Tree"

2. Reading William Blake's "The Poison Tree" with three steps:

Step One: Engage the abstract, the gut reaction by exploring "the visual" (imagery)

Step Two: Engage the concrete, the intellectual reaction by exploring the syntax: grammar (periods, question marks, etc), sentence lengths and structures, stanzas, sectioning the poem 

Step Three: Synthesize abstract with the concrete to develop larger patterns, such as theme and tone (try connecting back to your Venn diagram on the title)

Ex: In Blake's "The Poison Tree," the imagery of a carefully cultivated garden and the neatly organized four stanzas of four lines each suggest that revenge is not a wild emotion but a controlled, man-made poison.

3. Synthesizing "The Poison Tree" with The Kite Runner to generate some big ideas

With your partner, compose a "found poem" using lines from the poem and lines from the novel.

Rule 1: Your poem should be four stanzas, four lines each.

Rule 2: Start each stanza the way Blake starts each of his stanzas.
Ex: The first line of your first stanza should be, "I was angry with my friend."

Rule 3: Select lines/fragments from The Kite Runner to fill in the rest of each stanza; search for lines from The Kite Runner that connect to lines from "The Poison Tree."

Rule 4: Read your poem to the class. You and your partner should share the reading meaningfully.

Click HERE for the rubric.

HW:
1. You will need your Kite Runner book and annotations this week since we will be writing a short, synthesis essay. Start thinking about a fictional hero you'd like to compare/contrast to Amir.

2. You should finish composing your speech at least three days before you deliver it.

Talk It Up, Kids: October 23, 2015

Focus: How do we lay the foundation for a compelling speech?

1. Warming up with a sample great speech by Shawn Achor

• What's the first thing he says (his attention-getter)?

• What's his thesis? In other words, what's the purpose of his speech?

• What are his main points?

• How does he use screen behind him?

2. Planning your speech; click HERE for a mind-blowing overview

Click HERE if you prefer to type your outline.

3. Wrapping up by augmenting your vocabularies

HW:
1. Finish up today's vocabulary exercise if you didn't finish during class.

2. Work on your speech outline. Bonus: Work a vocabulary word into your speech!

3. Enjoy a rare weekend free of reading and essay writing.

Literature Is the Question Minus the Answer: October 22, 2015

Focus: What changes at the end of The Kite Runner, and why?

1. Warming up by reading our way into the ending with the following focus on shifts (feel free to use sticky notes or any extra space on your reading journals):

Shift Happens

Find one thing a character says out loud that shows a shift in that character. How has this character changed and why?

Find one thing a character does (an action, a facial expression, etc.) that shows a shift in that character. What kind of change does it indicate?

Find one symbol that has changed somewhat throughout the book. How has it changed? What might that shift signify?

Identify some interesting images on the final two pages of the books. What pattern/tone do they create?

2. Enjoying our final fishbowl discussion on The Kite Runner!

3. Wrapping up: What question does this book pose? What kind of answer does it offer?

HW:
1. If you're catching up with your Kite Runner annotations, please do so tonight.

2. Bring your independent reading book to class tomorrow so you can work on your speech.

3. Want to revise your essay? Come on in for a conference, kids!

Approaching the End: October 21, 2015

Focus: What aspects of the final chapters do you find satisfying? Frustrating? Disappointing? Empowering? What images do you find most significant and why?

1. Warming up quickly: Look over yesterday's Level 3 questions on the blog, and respond to one of them with a thesis statement that incorporates Amir and another hero of your choosing. Include this in your hero's journey notes, on a sticky note, or in your reading journal.

Example:

Level 3 Question: Why must all heroes endure a near-death experience?

Amir from The Kite Runner and Batman from Batman Begins survive near-death experiences in order to prove that they possess godlike strength.

2. Reading the final chapters of The Kite Runner and conferencing with Ms. Leclaire

As you annotate, think about the focus questions at the top of this blog.

HW:
1. Finish The Kite Runner and your last round of annotations/journal entries for tomorrow's fishbowl. Click HERE if you need another page for your journal.

2. Look over vocabulary words for Chapters 7-10; we will take a "quiz" on Friday, but it's really an open-note exercise to expose you to more vocabulary.

3. Friday, we will be working on your book talks, so bring your independent reading books.

Amir's Big Battle: October 20, 2015

Focus: Does Amir's battle with Assef make him "good again"?

Slightly shortened class

1. Warming up by finishing your hero's journey shapes: Where does Chapter 22 fit in? Is it a high or a low? Why?

With your partner, post a Level 3 question on the blog regarding the hero's journey.

Ex: What must all heroes endure a near-death experience? How does this help define them as heroes?

2. Entering Fishbowl #6: The Kite Runner, Chapters 21 and 22

3. Starting Chapter 23 together, if time allows.

P.S. If you're into Greek mythology, Odysseus' battle with the Cyclops bears some uncanny parallels to Amir's battle with Assef. Click here to read it (warning: it's gross).

HW:
1. Read Chapter 23 tonight (you don't need five annotations just for Chapter 23; you can combine them with the rest of the chapters). It's about 17 pages long. We will read Chapter 24 in class tomorrow and keep our warm-up to 5 minutes.

2. We will dedicate part of this Friday to working on your book talks; you have an optional outline and a rubric. We will review speech organization. Next week, we will review attention-grabbers and rhetoric (ethos, logos, pathos).

3. Vocabulary quiz this Friday on the next list of Kite Runner words: Chapters 7-10. I would suggest creating your flashcards by Thursday morning at the latest. 

Answering the Call: October 19, 2015

Focus: What is the call to adventure, and why is it important to the hero's journey?

1. Warming up with my all-time favorite call to adventure

The call to adventure (3:10, 18:00)

• What is the hero like as a little boy? How does he change as he gets older?

• How is the hero called to adventure as a little boy, and then again as an elderly man?

• Who is calling him to adventure?

• What is the adventure?

• Why does he refuse the call to adventure for so long?

• Why does he finally accept, and how do you think it will change him?

The red pill vs. the blue pill (optional)

• What symbolic choices are you noticing in this scene?  Consider color, weather, and any other possible images that might carry symbolic weight.

• How does the mentor in this scene define what the red pill and blue pill each represent?

• Describe the "call to adventure" in this scene. Who is calling the hero, and why? What's the adventure?

• When this hero accepts the call to adventure, what do we learn about his strengths?

Why is answering the call to action a crucial part of any hero's journey? What does it prove?

3. Applying the call to action to Amir's journey in The Kite Runner:

• Find one specific page where you see Amir being called to adventure. Who is calling him to adventure, and what is the adventure?

• Does Amir refuse the call? If so, why?

• When Amir finally accepts the call, what's changing inside of him? What strengths is he developing?

4. Start reading Chapter 21 together

HW:

1. Please read and annotate Chapters 21 and 22 for tomorrow's fishbowl discussion.

2. Start preparing your book talk.

3. Vocabulary quiz this Friday on the next list of Kite Runner words: Chapters 7-10. I would suggest creating your flashcards by Thursday morning at the latest.

Mapping Out the Recap: October 14, 2015

PSAT: Shortened Class today

Focus: What is the shape of Amir's journey so far, and why does it matter?

1. Warming up with a quick overview of how Joseph Campbell shapes the hero's journey

2. Mapping out Amir's journey

Step 1: Looking over your journals/annotations, select the 10 most defining moments of Amir's life; span Chapter 1 through Chapter 20

Step 2: Based on those moments, what shape best fits Amir's journey?

Step 3: Map out the moments in the shape you have selected (kind of like a timeline but with a more interesting shape)

3. Reflecting on your mapping decisions (if time allows)

• Why did you choose that shape?

• How does it compare to the shapes your classmates chose?

• Looking at your map and others' maps, what new understanding of Amir can you form? 

HW:
1. Prepare for Tuesday's fishbowl discussion of The Kite Runner, Chapters 21, 22, and 23; we will take some class time on Monday to read, but it's a weighty reading assignment.

2. Bring your annotations/journals to class tomorrow for reading conferences, as well as your independent reading book.

3. Parents: Hopefully, your child gave you the letter I sent home last week regarding conferences. Because I am a part-time teacher, I will only be at parent-teacher conferences on Wednesday night. If this is inconvenient for you, please contact me at kleclaire@lps.k12.co.us to set up a different time.

Are We Growing Yet? October 13, 2015

Focus: How does Amir cross the threshold, and how does it change him?

1. Warming up by handing back your final draft feedback, comparing it your pre-assessment, and charting/reflecting on your growth thus far

2. Reviewing some fishbowl changes

Fishbowl #6: Chapters 21, 22, and 23 will be moved to Tuesday, October 20

Fishbowl #7: Chapter 24-end will be moved to Thursday, October 22

Benefits of these changes include getting more time to read, as the upcoming chapters are highly significant, not having to fishbowl two days in a row, not having to fishbowl on the day of the PSAT, and improving the quality of the discussions.

3. Fishbowl, Interrupted: The Kite Runner, Chapters 19 and 20

4. Taking 10-15 minutes to enter Chapter 21 together with a focus on crossing the threshold

HW:
1. Prepare for Fishbowl #6 on Chapters 21, 22, and 23, which will now take place on Tuesday, October 20.

2. Bring your annotations/journals to class tomorrow for reading conferences, as well as your independent reading book.

3. Parents: Hopefully, your child gave you the letter I sent home last week regarding conferences. Because I am a part-time teacher, I will only be at parent-teacher conferences on Wednesday night. If this is inconvenient for you, please contact me at kleclaire@lps.k12.co.us to set up a different time.

Crossing the Threshold: October 12, 2015

Focus: What threshold has Amir crossed, and why is this significant to his journey?

1. Warming up by crossing the threshold

According to Merriam-Webster, here is what a "threshold" is:

threshold

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noun thresh·old \ˈthresh-ˌhōld, ˈthre-ˌshōld\

: a piece of wood, metal, or stone that forms the bottom of a door and that you walk over as you enter a room or building

: the point or level at which something begins or changes

Full Definition of THRESHOLD

1

:  the plank, stone, or piece of timber that lies under a door :  sill

2

a :  gate, door

b (1) :  end, boundary; specifically :  the end of a runway (2) :  the place or point of entering or beginning :  outset <on the threshold of a new age>

3

a :  the point at which a physiological or psychological effect begins to be produced <has a high threshold for pain>

b :  a level, point, or value above which something is true or will take place and below which it is not or will not

a. Watching two clips of crossing the threshold: Divergent and The Lion King

• What world is the hero leaving?
• What world is the hero entering?
• Who is guarding the threshold? What effect does this guardian have on the hero?
• Which definition of "threshold" above best works for this particular crossing?
• As the hero crosses this threshold, what aspect of himself/herself must he/she leave behind? What aspects must he/she embrace?

b. Reading about this step of the hero's journey and understanding what it means

c. Flip back through Chapter 19, and try to answer the same questions as above, but with Amir in mind:

• What world is Amir leaving?
• What world is Amir entering?
• Who is guarding the threshold? What effect does this guardian have on Amir?
• Which definition of "threshold" above best works for this particular crossing?
• As Amir crosses this threshold, what aspect of himself must he leave behind? What aspect must he embrace?

2. Entering Fishbowl #5: Chapters 19 and 20

HW:
Please prepare for Thursday's fishbowl by reading and annotating/journaling Chapters 21, 22, and 23 (this is your penultimate reading assignment for Kite Runner!).

Parents: Hopefully, your child gave you the letter I sent home last week regarding conferences. Because I am a part-time teacher, I will only be at parent-teacher conferences on Wednesday night. If this is inconvenient for you, please contact me at kleclaire@lps.k12.co.us to set up a different time.

Happy Homecoming: October 9, 2015

Focus: How can we grow as readers?

1. Warming up with an overview of book talks

2. Selecting from the options below:

Have you finished your independent reading book? If yes, start working on the brainstorming part of your book talk.

Are you almost done with your independent reading book? Perhaps now is the time to finish!

Are you worried about getting your homework done this weekend? Maybe this would be a good time to read Chapters 19 and 20 in The Kite Runner to prepare for MONDAY'S discussion.

3. Signing up for book talk dates

HW:
1. Please read Chapters 19 and 20 in The Kite Runner and complete your annotations/journal entries. Get ready to fishbowl on Monday.

2. Have a safe Homecoming weekend!

Shake the Dust: October 8, 2015

Focus: What does it mean to "shake the dust," and how does this apply to Amir?

1. Warming up with "Shake the Dust"

As you listen to and watch this spoken-word poem, jot down (or type up) the words and phrases that stand out to you the most. Aim for at least FIVE, I'd say.

Who is this poem for? Why?

What does it mean to "shake the dust?" Close read these two simple words...

• Why "shake" instead of "sweep," or "wipe," or "clean," or "destroy"?
• Why "dust" instead of "dirt" or "grime"?
• According to this poem, we have to _________________ in order to _______________.
• According to this poem, we have to _________________ but also ________________.

1st hour: Pick one line from yesterday's "Directions To Where I Live" exercise to read aloud.

Making a prediction: What must Amir do in order to "shake the dust," and why?

2. Entering Fishbowl #4: Chapters 17 and 18

3. Wrapping up

HW:
1. Bring your independent reading book to class tomorrow, as well as your Kite Runner annotations/journal entries.

The Recap: October 7, 2015

Please note that 1st hour and 3rd hour have separate agendas today.

1ST HOUR

Focus: What patterns are we noticing in Amir's life, and how can we use memoir writing to uncover these patterns?

1. Warming up with "Directions to Where I Live" by Stephanie Kallos with a focus on reading between the lines

2. Composing Amir's "Directions" using Stephanie Kallos' as a model

Some ideas:

• Try using her line starters as closely as possible.
• Think about the most defining moments for Amir; they might seem small, but their impact is large.
• Try saving the last paragraph of Amir's "Directions" for your predictions. Where do you think he will wind up, and how will he get there?
• If you're artistic, try illustrating your directions.

3. Sharing your writing and discussing what you learned about Amir


3RD HOUR

Focus: How can we develop our vocabulary?

1. Warming up with a little vocabulary review: Scattegories

Round 1

1. Something you might find in an affluent household.
2. An unscrupulous celebrity.
3. A food you disdain
4. An example of unruly behavior in the classroom
5. A trend that is fleeting

Round 2

1. A store where an impeccably dressed person might shop
2. Something you might implore your parents to buy for you
3. Something you would say to feign happiness
4. An animal that makes you feel trepidation
5. A viable excuse for missing curfew

2. Taking your first Kite Runner vocabulary quiz, Lists 1-6


HW FOR BOTH CLASSES:
1. Read and annotate/journal Chapters 17 and 18; prepare for tomorrow's fishbowl discussion.

2. Bring your independent reading book to class on Friday (whether you have finished it or not).

The Road of Trials: October 6, 2015

Focus: What battles has Amir encountered on his road of trials? Has he won yet?

1. Warming up: Click HERE to view the road of trials

In your hero's journey notes, please respond to the following with your partner:

a. In your own words, what is the road of trials?

b. In your own words, what is the brother battle?

c. In your own words, what is the dragon battle?

d. Look back to your three movies. For one of them, identify the brother battle and the dragon battle.

e. In your opinion, why must every hero endure a road of trials? A brother battle? A dragon battle? How does it help define him (or her) as a hero?

2. Bringing it back to The Kite Runner: Has Amir faced a brother battle? A dragon battle? Has he defeated anything yet? What's it going to take?

3. Entering fishbowl discussion #3: The Kite Runner, Chapters 14, 15, and 16

HW:
1. Prepare for Thursday's fishbowl discussion by reading Chapters 17 and 18 with your five annotations/journal entries.

2. 3rd hour: Study for tomorrow's vocabulary quiz.

Married to the Past: October 5, 2015

Focus: Can Amir move forward?

1. Warming up with making some connections: Flipping through Chapter 12 with a focus on the Chapter 1 quotations below in blue...

2. Reading Chapter 13 with the following focus:

Find five lines/passages that connect to one or both of the following statements, 
and create a journal entry/annotation for each:

"...the past claws its way out" (1)

"There is a way to be good again." (2)

Alternative #1: Instead of creating annotations, you could draw a sketch that portrays how those two quotations infiltrate Chapter 13.

Alternative #2: You could also perform some creative writing, such as a poem, that conveys how those two quotations infiltrate Chapter 13.

3. First hour: Making vocabulary flashcards for Chapters 7-10 (quiz Friday)

    Third hour: Reviewing Chapter 1-6 vocabulary (quiz Wednesday)

HW:

1. Prepare for tomorrow's third fishbowl discussion by reading and annotating Chapters 14, 15, and 16 of The Kite Runner. Leaders should have hard copies of their syllabus printed before class (remember to print one for me).

2. Independent reading; this Friday will be your last day of in-class time for independent reading.