The Final: May 16 or 17, 2016

Focus: What can we learn about our society through each other's films?

PLEASE TURN IN YOUR LAPTOPS AND CHARGERS BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE ROOM.

1. Warming up with a few final thoughts:

• Turn in your Works Cited page with your name on it (if it's not in your film).  

• Keep it on the quiet side...tests could be happening on the other side of the wall.

• No late work will be accepted at this point; make-up work and revisions were due last Wednesday.

• Final grades for this class will be posted by noon the day after your English final.

• An 89.4% = B+; an 89.5 = A-. Grades are non-negotiable, so please don't e-mail me.

• Watch each other's mockumentaries respectfully, and enjoy!

2. Presenting our films!

3. Click HERE for the course evaluation.

HW:
Have a fantastic summer, and please stop by next year to say hello!

The Final Begins! May 13, 2016

Focus: What can we learn about our society through each other's films?

1. Warming up with a few final thoughts:

• Turn in your Works Cited page with your name on it (if it's not in your film).  

• Keep it on the quiet side...tests could be happening on the other side of the wall.

• No late work will be accepted at this point; make-up work and revisions were due last Wednesday.

• Final grades for this class will be posted by noon the day after your English final.

• An 89.4% = B+; an 89.5 = A-. Grades are non-negotiable, so please don't e-mail me.

• Watch each other's mockumentaries respectfully, and enjoy!

2. Presenting our films!

Do you know when your English 10 final is?

(If you are not present at your final, your film will be counted as late and receive half credit.)

1st hour: Monday, 7:15 am

3rd hour: Tuesday, 8:56 am

HW:
1. Show up for your final on time.

2. If you have any books, please turn them in to avoid hold-ups at arena scheduling.

3. If you have a school Chromebook, you must turn it in and its charger on the day of your final in this class.

Finalizing the Film: May 12, 2016

Focus: What final editing does our film need?

1. Warming up with Ms. Leclaire's final mini lesson on publishing:

Be sure your film is finalized and shared BEFORE class tomorrow (it can take some time, so don't wait until class).

• You will likely click "Publish," and/or "Exports" and/or "Upload to Youtube"; you don't have to convert to a youtube video, but you need to have a link you can share with me and simply click "play." 

• Check to make sure it works.

• E-mail your link to me at kleclaire@lps.k12.co.us OR share it with me by placing it in your English 10 folder in Google Drive.

• You want it in a place where you won't have to sign in on my computer.

2. Working on your films for the final time!

3. Looking through the rubric one last time; make sure you have a copy for me to use tomorrow. Remember also that your Works Cited page must either be part of your film or printed; it cannot just be shared with me via Google Drive.

Do you know when your English 10 final is?

(If you are not present at your final, your film will be counted as late and receive half credit.)

1st hour: Monday, 7:15 am

3rd hour: Tuesday, 8:56 am

HW:
1. Mockumentaries are due at the beginning of class tomorrow, May 13. Extensions are not an option, so you will need to play your film as it is.

2. Please print your Works Cited page or include it in your film. 

Editing the Film: May 11, 2016

Focus: How can we edit and polish our films?

1. Warming up with shocking last-minute conversations of years past

2. Offering you a mini lesson on Works Cited pages: Try easybib.com

Your two Works Cited options:

Include a Works Cited slide in your film.

OR

PRINT a hard copy of a Works Cited page and hand it in BEFORE you present your film.  Please do not just Google share it with me because I will be grading your films on the spot.

Remember to include all sites on your Works Cited page.

3. Working on your mockumentary films and checking out THE RUBRIC

HW:
1. Record your narration today/tonight if you have not yet done so.
2. TODAY is the final deadline for revisions, make-up work, etc.
4. MAY 13 is the final deadline for mockumentaries; no extensions will be granted.

Creating the Film: May 10, 2016

Focus: What techniques can we use to create the film?

1. Warming up with simple yet effective film techniques:

Example #1: A published mockumentary from 2007: Epic
Example #2: Supersize Me

2. Giving you time to gather images, music, and videos

Here are helpful links/ideas from yesterday's blog:

• MUSIC: Click HERE  for a website that converts youtube music videos to MP3s (this is an easy way to get music for your film).

• VIDEO: Click HERE for a website that converts youtube videos into videos (MP4s) you can use in your film.

• KEEP TRACK OF ALL WEBSITES USED.

• If your film will be five minutes or less (or you're willing to pay), try www.wevideo.com

• If you have a Mac, use iMovie.

• If you have a laptop with Windows and your film will be longer than five minutes, try Movie Maker.

HW:
1. Record your narration today/tonight if you have not yet done so.
2. MAY 11 (tomorrow) is the final deadline for revisions, make-up work, etc.
3. MAY 13 is the final deadline for mockumentaries; no extensions will be granted.
4. If you have a laptop, you need to be charging it and bringing it this week.

From Script to Film: May 9, 2016

Focus: How do we turn our preparatory work into a film?

1. Warming up with happy Monday thoughts and self-editing your script

2. Offering you a few film-making options:

• If your film will be five minutes or less (or you're willing to pay), try www.wevideo.com

• If you have a Mac, use iMovie.

• If you have a laptop with Windows and your film will be longer than five minutes, try Movie Maker.

3. Giving you time to gather images, music, and videos

Here are two helpful conversion websites:

MUSIC: Click HERE  for a website that converts youtube music videos to MP3s (this is an easy way to get music for your film).

VIDEO: Click HERE for a website that converts youtube videos into videos (MP4s) you can use in your film.

KEEP TRACK OF ALL WEBSITES USED.

HW:
1. Record your narration at home.
2. MAY 11 is the final deadline for revisions, make-up work, etc.
4. MAY 13 is the final deadline for mockumentaries; no extensions will be granted.

Writing the Script, Part 2: May 6, 2016

Focus: How do we write compelling scripts?

(1st hour: Our last banned book presentation)

1. Warming up with a common script pitfall (and how to avoid it)

• Put your head down when you lose interest.

• What does this script need?

2. Looking at a sample script and developing/editing the timeline and script for your mockumentary

• Highlight/underline the parts that grab your attention. What makes them powerful?

3. Setting your own timeline for this weekend and next week

HW:
1. Finish your script and aim to record it over the weekend; recording your script will take you approximately one zillion hours.

2. Final mockumentaries are due before class on May 13 (the last Friday of classes); this means that you have six work days left. Extensions will not be granted for any reason. Students usually have one or two nights during this project where they spend a few solid homework hours creating their film (especially when it's time to record the script).

3. All make-up work/revisions must be submitted by Wednesday, May 11. No grades in IC will be changed after this point (this is to ensure that I have time to grade your work).

Writing the Script: May 5, 2016

Focus: How do we write a script to develop real and imagined events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences? 

1. Warming up: Listening to an opening clip from a "real" documentary

What do you notice about the script itself (powerful words and phrases)?

How does the script turn this into a movie about us? In other words, how does it capture human interest?

What ideas can you steal for your mockumentary?

2. Looking at a sample script and developing/editing the timeline and script for your mockumentary

3. Please make sure that by the end of class, you have shown me your annotated research and your timeline as an absolute minimum; hopefully, you can show me your script as well. Please note that we have only FIVE days of work time left.

HW:
1. Finish your script by the end of class on Friday; aim to record it over the weekend; recording your script will take you approximately one zillion hours.

2. Final mockumentaries are due before class on May 13 (the last Friday of classes); this means that you have six work days left. Extensions will not be granted for any reason. Students usually have one or two nights during this project where they spend a few solid homework hours creating their film (especially when it's time to record the script).

3. All make-up work/revisions must be submitted by Wednesday, May 11. No grades in IC will be changed after this point (this is to ensure that I have time to grade your work).

Trending, Then and Now: May 4, 2016

Focus: How can we combine our ability to invent with our ability analyze history?

1.Warming up: Which projection into the future is stronger and why?

Projection #1: In the year 2021, Apple releases a new version of iPod that is smaller, comes in various colors and patterns, and can be worn as jewelry.

Projection #2: In the year 2021, Apple releases iChip 1, an iPod that measures one millimeter by one millimeter and can be implanted directly into the tympanic cavity of the ear. Although the iChip has to be surgically implanted, it is an outpatient procedure costing less than a typical professional teeth whitening session. Many recipients of the iChip 1, however, complain about the inability to turn the iChip off, finding themselves tormented by constant noise and unable to think or concentrate.

2. Offering you an overview of the timeline (click here for an example)

3. Finishing your annotated research and creating your timeline

THE TRICK: Find interesting trends from the past and imagining how they might play out in the future.

HW:
1. Please finish your timeline before class tomorrow so that you can use Thursday and Friday and compose and start recording your script.

2. Final mockumentaries are due before class on May 13 (the last Friday of classes); this means that you have six work days left. Extensions will not be granted for any reason. Students usually have one or two nights during this project where they spend a few solid homework hours creating their film (especially when it's time to record the script).

Tackling the Research: May 3, 2016

Focus: How we can we establish a strong, academic background for our mockumentaries?

1. Warming up with banned book presentations

2. Finishing your how/why charts and five annotated articles; please show me EACH STEP AS YOU FINISH.

• Remember that you need to annotate each article with your brainstorming and questions: 

• You can copy and paste articles into a Google doc and insert comments, or 
• You can print and manually highlight and jot stuff down, or 
• You can copy only what you need from each article and follow it with a bullet point of your thoughts. Whatever works!

• Keep track of your sources and start a Works Cited page (I suggest Easybib and a list of hyperlinks).

• Keep everything inside your Mockumentary Folder.

3. Introducing the timeline and creating your projections into the future

HW:
1. If you have not yet finished finding and annotating your five annotated articles, please finish BEFORE class tomorrow.

2. Remember that final mockumentaries are due before class on May 13 (this is the last Friday of classes); we will be begin watching them promptly at 7:20 and will continue watching them through our finals period.

The Final Essay: April 29, 2016

Focus: How can I write a compelling synthesis essay?

A few reminders:

1. You may compose this essay either at the bottom of your Big Synthesis document, or you may open a new document. If you start a new document, make sure you label it clearly and place in your shared F451 folder.

2. You will want the following:

• A short of paragraph of introduction that concludes with your thesis.
• 2-3 body paragraphs, each with a topic sentence, 2-3 quotations/examples, and analysis (the outline lays this out pretty clearly).
• A short paragraph of conclusion.

3. Please double space and use 12-point font.

4. You may listen to music as you type; if you finish early, work on the research component of your mockumentary. If you finish really early, look back over your essay to figure out where it needs development. This should take you the entire hour.

HW:
1. Make sure your how-why chart (including the larger conclusions) is done by Tuesday. You may also wish to start your annotated research if you have not yet done so.

2. Meet in the Forum for MAP testing on Monday, May 2.

3. If you have not yet presented your banned book speech, you will present on Tuesday, May 3 (sorry that you had to get rescheduled twice).

Exploring Our Society's Past: April 28, 2016

Focus: How do we start creating our mockumentaries?

1. Warming up. Testing your topic by brainstorming its history: The How/Why Chart

Pencils vs. cell phones

Aim to finish this step in class today, and show me so that I can give you credit on your rubric and get you started on your annotated research.

2. Exploring the overview of the mockumentary

3. Starting on your annotated research if time allows; click HERE for an example of annotated research  (keep the C.R.A.P. test in mind)

4. Asking any last-minute questions you have about tomorrow's timed writing

HW:
1. Make sure your laptop is charged, your outline is ready, and you're ready to write your last essay as an English 10 scholar.

2. On Monday, May 2, please meet in the Forum for MAP testing.

Imagining Our Society's Future: April 27, 2016

Focus: What will our imaginations create in the final two weeks of English 10?

PLC: Shortened Class

1. Warming up: Viewing a few sample mockumentaries

Ralph Lauren
Meninism
Boring History Lesson on Music
iPods

2. Figuring out the purpose and process of creating a mockumentary

3. Brainstorming possible topics and starting the how/why chart

HW:
1. Look to your outlines for feedback; if you have immediate questions, please contact me no later than midnight tonight (Wednesday), or ask me during class on Thursday. I am going out of town Thursday afternoon and will be unavailable until Monday morning.

2. Schedules are due today by 2:16 pm in the counseling office.

3. On Monday, May 2, meet in the Forum for MAP testing.

Writing with Structure and Freedom: April 26, 2016

Focus: How can we fortify our outlines with creativity and analysis?

1. Warming up by exercising your sensory imagery

a. Find the most intriguing word in your thesis. Look it up in Google images, and find an image that speaks to you and relates somewhat to your essay.

OR...if you're writing about a film, find a screenshot from that film that relates somewhat to the topic of your essay.

b. Write one sentence of plot description. What's this a picture of?

c. Pick three senses this image evokes (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch). Write several senses evoking these three senses/using these three senses to describe the picture.

d. Write one sentence explaining how what you just described relates to the topic of your essay.

e. If you can use any of this writing in your introduction or conclusion, add it to your outline now.

2.  Recalling the close reading pyramid

3. Perusing my feedback and finishing your outlines (they're due at the end of class today)

HW:
1. Check your outline for feedback. If you have fallen behind, now is the time to catch up. Our timed writing will be this Friday, April 29.

2. If you are presenting this Thursday or Monday, now is the time to prepare.

3. Schedules are due this Wednesday in the counseling office by 2:16. If you're taking A.P. Language, make sure I sign your schedule.

Finding the Underlying Structure: April 25, 2016

Focus: How do I effectively structure my complex ideas?

1. Warming up with musical chairs: How's my thesis? What do you think my two body paragraphs will be about? Click here for the online version of today's handout.

2. Breaking down your thesis into two body paragraphs: Two tricks

THESIS: People must reject their societies' false "truths" and embrace their individuality, showing that the human desire for truth conquers the allure of lies.

EACH TOPIC SENTENCE TAKES A PIECE OF THE THESIS AND GETS MORE SPECIFIC WITH IT.

1. First body paragraph: Sylvia from The Truman Show and Clarisse from Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 inspire the protagonists to question and ultimately renounce their societies' inauthentic realities.

2. Second body paragraph: In Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, The Truman Show, and Hosseini's The Kite Runner, the protagonists must pursue what makes them unique in order to build a more authentic, fulfilling reality.


What if my thesis is only making one point right now?

People must escape their repressive societies.

My trick: Turn this into a problem-solution essay, in which you dedicate one body paragraph to developing the problem and one body paragraph to developing the solution.

Repressive societies create ignorance, but escaping these societies fosters intellectual and emotional growth.

3. Finalizing your topics sentences and gathering examples; finish your entire outline by the end of class on Tuesday, April 26.

HW: 
1. Outlines are due by the end of class tomorrow (Tuesday, April 26).

2. If you are presenting this week, make sure I talk to you about your presentation date.


3. Schedules are due in the counseling office on April 27 by 2:16 pm.

Finding the Patterns: April 22, 2016

Focus: How do we form complex thesis statements from our brainstorming?

1. Warming up with banned book presentations

2. Offering you some ideas about finding patterns in your brainstorming charts and using them to form a rough thesis

3. Seeking patterns and forming thesis statements

HW: 
1. Finish a strong draft of your thesis BEFORE class on Monday so that it's ready for workshop. 

2. If you are presenting next week, make sure I talk to you about your presentation date.

3. Schedules are due April 27.

Getting Specific: April 20 or 21, 2016

Focus: How do we generate specific, complex support?

1. Warming up with a sample close reading of a scene

• Why is Truman looking a mirror?

• How are his drawing and speech symbolic?

• How is this moment significant to the film as a whole?

2. Completing Step 3 in The Big Synthesis

• Remember to look for quotations/examples that have a striking word, phrase, symbol, etc....something you can sink your teeth into when you analyze.

3. Seeking patterns with a little color coding (if time allows)

HW: 
1. Complete most of Step 3 before class on Friday if you did not do so in class today.

2. If you are presenting this Friday, April 22, now is the time to practice.

3. Schedules are due in the counseling office by 2:16 on April 27.

Go Big or Go Home: April 19, 2016

Focus: What big ideas this semester interest us the most?

1st hour: 11:35-12:11
3rd hour: 12:57-1:34

1. Warming up with the beginning, the ending, and some big questions

What big questions do you think Peter Weir, the director, wants to talk about after watching his movie?

Ex: Should we accept the reality with which we are presented?

2. Meeting The Big Synthesis (click here and make a copy for yourself inside your F451 folder)

3. Developing your questions and sources (Steps 1 and 2)

HW:
1. If you didn't finish Steps 1 and 2, you need to complete them before class tomorrow. Remember that completing each step on time is essential to this essay; late work will lose three points per assignment. If you're absent, be aggressive about staying caught up.

2. If you're giving your presentation this Friday, April 22, make sure you are prepared.

3. Schedules are due Wednesday, April 27th by 2:16 pm in the counseling office. If you turn in your schedule late, you will be last in arena scheduling. Don't be that guy!

How's It Going To End? April 18, 2016

Focus:

1. Warming up with your Level 1 and 2 questions about The Truman Show

2. Finishing The Truman Show and focusing on the following in your notes:

This document will eventually be worth 40 points in the growth category.

Include the following categories in your notes:

a. Characters: Names, personality traits, clothes, things they say

b. Motifs/symbols: Specific objects that seem symbolic, what they might represent, and how they change throughout the film

c. Questions: Level 1, 2, and 3 questions; try to answer them at the end of the film

d. Connections to Fahrenheit 451: Be specific and original (these will form the backbone of your essay)

3. If time allows, analyzing the film with your grid groups

Topic #1: What specific moments from the ending of the film seemed most important to you? What do you think they meant?

Topic #2: What were the most important symbols and motifs? What larger patterns did they form? And/or, what did you think about the characters' names, especially "Truman" and "Christoff"?

Topic #3: Peter Weir is the director of this film. What big questions do you think Weir wants us to be talking about after watching this film?


HW:
1. Check Infinite Campus for grades (fishbowl, Truman Show notes, journals); if you're handwriting, make sure you bring your sticky notes/journals to class each day until I check them.

2. If you're giving your presentation this Friday, April 22, make sure you are prepared.

3. Schedules are due Wednesday, April 27th by 2:16 pm in the counseling office. If you turn in your schedule late, you will be last in arena scheduling. Don't be that guy!

What Does It Mean To Be a True Man? April 15, 2016

Focus: Is a perfect life a happy life?

1. Warming up with a round of banned book presentations

2. Sharing the best of your notes from The Truman Show

Please start a new document called "___________ (your last name) Truman Show Notes" and place it in your F451 folder. Though I don't often grade notes, I do assess these.

This document will eventually be worth 40 points in the growth category.

Include the following categories in your notes:

a. Characters: Names, personality traits, clothes, things they say

b. Motifs/symbols: Specific objects that seem symbolic, what they might represent, and how they change throughout the film

c. Questions: Level 1, 2, and 3 questions; try to answer them at the end of the film

d. Connections to Fahrenheit 451: Be specific and original (these will form the backbone of your essay)

3. Watching and analyzing The Truman Show: What does Truman want? What's in his way?

HW:
1. Check Infinite Campus for Round 3 of your reading journal grades; if you're handwriting, make sure you bring them to class each day until I check them.

2. If you're giving your presentation next Friday, April 22, make sure you are prepared.

3. Schedules are due Wednesday, April 27th by 2:16 pm in the counseling office. If you turn in your schedule late, you will be last in arena scheduling. Don't be that guy!

The Perfect Life: April 14, 2016

Focus: Is a perfect life a happy life?

1. Warming up with a preview of The Truman Show  (click HERE for a trailer): Look back to yesterday's statements on the blog...try to reply to one with a possible connection to this film

Ex: AndrewJ2018April 12, 2016 at 6:47 AM

Bradbury uses the symbols of burning and the hound to criticize our society and the superfluous restrictions we place on literature, and to what lengths we go to "protect" our citizens.

My reply: In The Truman Show, the main character seems overly "protected" as well. Though he seems happier than Montag, his society is likely limiting his potential for happiness.

2. Explaining how to set up your notes for The Truman Show

Please start a new document called "___________ (your last name) Truman Show Notes" and place it in your F451 folder. Though I don't often grade notes, I do assess these.

This document will eventually be worth 40 points in the growth category.

Include the following categories in your notes:

a. Characters: Names, personality traits, clothes, things they say

b. Motifs/symbols: Specific objects that seem symbolic, what they might represent, and how they change throughout the film

c. Questions: Level 1, 2, and 3 questions; try to answer them at the end of the film

d. Connections to Fahrenheit 451: Be specific and original (these will form the backbone of your essay)

3. Starting The Truman Show

HW:
1. Check Infinite Campus for Round 3 of your reading journal grades; if you're handwriting, make sure you bring them to class each day until I check them.

2. If you're giving your presentation tomorrow (April 15), make sure you are prepared.

3. Schedules are due Wednesday, April 27th by 2:16 pm in the counseling office. If you turn in your schedule late, you will be last in arena scheduling. Don't be that guy!

4. Click here for next week's testing schedule.

Considering Your Immediate Future: April 13, 2016

Focus: What important things do you need to know to schedule for next year?

PLEASE MEET IN THE FORUM TODAY. COME PREPARED WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU'D LIKE TO ASK THE COUNSELORS.

HW:
1. Make sure your F451 journals are finished. If you're handwriting, you will need to have them in class each day this week.

2. If you're giving your speech this Friday, April 15, now is the time to prepare.

Why Does It End Like This? April 12, 2016

Focus: Why does Bradbury end F451 this way?

1. Warming up with How To Read Literature Like a Professor

"So maybe on some level tossing characters into the river is (a) wish fulfillment, (b) exorcism of primal fear, (c) exploration of the possible, and not just (d) a handy solution to messy plot difficulties...

But back to our soggy character. Is he rescued? Does he swim out? Grab a piece of driftwood? Rise up and walk? Each of those would imply something different on the symbolic level. For instance, rescue might suggest passivity, good fortune, indebtedness. The piece of driftwood raises issues of luck and coincidence, serendipity rather than planning...

...He's not just alive. He's alive all over again...He's reborn." (Foster 153-155)

Reread pages 139-141, and consider the following question in your in-class notes: 

• Why does Bradbury throw Montag in the river? Use the Foster quotation above to help unravel the symbolic possibilities!

• How and why does the "news" fictionalize the end of Montag's journey? Think about the articles and clips on reality TV we reflected on yesterday.

2. Finding patterns among the symbols to form larger themes

On our class blog, try one (or more) of these:

Bradbury uses the symbols of ____________ and ___________ to warn us that...

Bradbury uses the symbols of ____________ and ___________ to criticize our society for...

Bradbury uses the symbols of ____________ and ___________ to encourage people to...

3. Diving into our final fishbowl of the year: The ending of F451

HW:
1. Make sure your F451 journals are finished. If you're handwriting, you will need to have them in class each day this week.

2. If you're giving your speech this Friday, April 15, now is the time to prepare.

3. Meet in the Forum this Wednesday, April 13 (tomorrow). Bring your scheduling questions. OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE COUNSELORS, KEEP PHONES AWAY UNLESS ASKED TO TAKE THEM OUT.

Taking the "Real" Out of Reality: April 11, 2016

Focus: What aspects of our society is Bradbury warning us about?

1. Warming up: Reading two opposing articles that may challenge the way you think about reality TV

Why Reality TV Is Good for Us (Times)

Why America Loves Reality TV (Psychology Today)


2. Viewing a quick clip on The Hunger Games and how "reality" TV affects our lives


3. Brainstorming a few concepts together...

Topic #1: What is reality TV? What types/genres of reality TV have you noticed?

Topic #2: To what extent is reality TV real, and to what extent is it fake?

Topic #3:  Why do you think reality TV has become so popular? Why do we watch it?

Topic #4: In Fahrenheit 451, how does TV fictionalize the end of Montag's chase? (Starts on page 133)  Why?

For ideas, please peruse this article on reality TV.


4. Reading the ending of F451 and considering Ray Bradbury's take on reality

HW:
1. Finish F451 and your reading journals for tomorrow's final fishbowl discussion.

2. If you're giving your speech this Friday, April 15, now is the time to prepare.

3. Meet in the Forum this Wednesday, April 13. Bring your scheduling questions.

How Will It End? April 8, 2016

Focus: How does it end, and why does it end this way?

1. Warming up with your PSAT packets and an announcement about 5-day-a-week American Lit

2. Enjoying a round of banned book persuasive speeches

3. Delving into the final section of F451; remember to finish the book and your journal/annotations by next Tuesday to prepare for our final fishbowl discussion (note: this is your final reading assignment of the year)

4. Reminder: If you have any last minute make-up work from the last 6 weeks, today is your final day to get it to me. Feel free to use your reading time to take care of this first.

HW:
1. Please finish the book and your reading journals/annotations by next Tuesday. Remember that you do NOT need to read the Afterword or the Coda.

2. If you're giving your presentation next Friday, April 15, now is the time to prepare.

3. ANY MAKEUP WORK/REVISIONS FROM THE LAST SIX WEEKS ARE DUE TODAY. THIS INCLUDES MISSED FISHBOWLS. If you have any grades that need to be fixed, please e-mail me.

Heroes and Villains: April 7, 2016

Focus: Who are the heroes and villains in F451?

1. Warming up with a few types of heroes...does Montag fit any of these categories?

2. Rereading Beatty's death (starting on page 117): Was it suicide? Are we supposed to feel empathy for him, or is he a villian?

3. Enjoying our penultimate fishbowl discussion: F451, pages 102-129


HW:
1. Please finish the book and your reading journals/annotations by next Tuesday.

2. If you're giving your presentation this Friday, April 8, now is the time to prepare.

3. ANY MAKEUP WORK/REVISIONS FROM THE LAST SIX WEEKS ARE DUE THIS FRIDAY. THIS INCLUDES MISSED FISHBOWLS. If you have any grades that need to be fixed, please e-mail me.

(Dis)connect: April 6. 2016

Focus: What is the root of these characters' inability to connect? 

1. Warming up with Bradbury's language: Click here for the final set of F451 vocabulary words

As you make your card, please keep in mind the following:

• Use only words that you DON'T know (why waste your time?)

• Write the definition of each word in the square.

• Dedicate one or two squares to Part 1 words.

• Dedicate one or two squares to Part 2 words.

• The rest of your squares should be Part 3 words.

2. Exploring an in-depth view of F451 character dynamics via speed dating

Your follow-up questions (to be incorporated into your journals/sticky notes/what have you:

• What is the greatest cause of DISCONNECT between the characters in F451?

• What has the potential to CONNECT these characters?

3. Reading and reflecting on F451, through page 139.

HW:
1. Your next reading assignment is due tomorrow (Thursday), and it's the long one: Read through page 139 for Thursday and prepare for our penultimate fishbowl. Make sure your journals/annotations/reflections are up to date.

2. If you're giving your presentation this Friday, April 8, now is the time to prepare.

3. ANY MAKEUP WORK/REVISIONS FROM THE LAST SIX WEEKS ARE DUE THIS FRIDAY. THIS INCLUDES MISSED FISHBOWLS. If you have any grades that need to be fixed, please e-mail me.

Are You Overprotected? April 5, 2016

Focus: What larger patterns are coming clear in F451?

1. Designing your ideal playground, comparing it to today's vanilla playgrounds, and reading about "The Overprotected Kid"

Before you read...

• Design your ideal playground (sketch it or describe it in words).  Create it from bottom to top, starting with what the ground would be made of, what the playground itself would be made of, what equipment it would have (if any equipment at all), how tall it would be, what colors it would have, etc.

• On a scale of 1-5, 5 being extremely risky, 1 being extremely safe, how risky is your playground? Please explain.

As you read the article, please respond to these questions in your F451 notes (feel free to watch the videos, but please use earbuds or turn the volume off)...

Summary:

• What is "The Land," and what makes it unique?

• What's happened to our playgrounds over the years and why?

• What is problematic about today's playgrounds?

Response:

• Does "The Land" appeal to you? Why don't we have playgrounds like this in the U.S.?

• In your opinion, can playgrounds affect the kind of people we become? How so (or not)? Do you think you (or American teenagers in general) are overprotected?

• What connections can you make between this article and F451? Please post this one on the class blog.

2. Reading F451 and journaling/reflecting; remember that you need to be through page 139 by Thursday.

3. Checking on my handwritten journals/annotations

HW:
1. Your next reading assignment isn't due until Thursday, but it's the long one: Read through page 139 for Thursday and prepare for our penultimate fishbowl. Make sure your journals/annotations/reflections are up to date.

2. If you're giving your presentation this Friday, April 8, now is the time to prepare.

3. ANY MAKEUP WORK/REVISIONS FROM THE LAST SIX WEEKS ARE DUE THIS FRIDAY. THIS INCLUDES MISSED FISHBOWLS. If you have any grades that need to be fixed, please e-mail me.

One: April 4, 2016

Focus: Can one book/one person really make a difference?

1. Warming up with Kathryn Otoshi's One

2. Thinking about the significance of one book/one person in your think tanks

Topic #1: What do you think was the author's purpose in writing One? In other words, if you think about little kids reading this book, what effects might it have on them? Can you think of any books (children's books, young adult books, or high school books) that helped shape who you are and how you see the world? How so? Had you grown up entirely without books, like the people in F451, would you be different?

Topic #2: In F451, who or what might be "red"? "Blue"? The number 1? The other colors?

Topic #3: Can one person truly effect a change in society? Can you think of examples? What has to happen for Montag to be that person?

3. Enjoying F451 Fishbowl #5: Pages 80-102

HW:
1. Your next reading assignment isn't due until Thursday, but it's the long one: Read through page 139 for Thursday and prepare for our penultimate fishbowl.

2. If you're giving your presentation this Friday, April 8, now is the time to prepare.

3. ANY MAKEUP WORK/REVISIONS FROM THE LAST SIX WEEKS ARE DUE THIS FRIDAY. THIS INCLUDES MISSED FISHBOWLS.

War Getting Ready in the Sky: April 1, 2016

Focus: How does Bradbury build the tension in Part 2?

1. Warming up with a rousing round of persuasive speeches/presentations

2. Trying out a new PSAT-style vocabulary quiz using F451 Part 2 words

3. Reading and reflecting on tonight's reading assignment (it's a good one!); try keeping an eye on today's focus question as you read.

HW:
1. By MONDAY, read through page 102 in F451. Leaders and discussers should prepare for Fishbowl. FISHBOWL IS ON MONDAY NEXT WEEK.

2. If you're giving your presentation next week, Friday, April 8, you might want to start working on it this weekend.

3. Complete Days 5, 6 and 7 of your seven-day challenge. It should be filled out by Monday.

Coming Back to Life: March 31, 2016

Focus: What does it mean to be alive but not alive, dead but not dead?

1. Warming up with the Part 2 vocabulary words and www.quizlet.com

2. Performing a dramatic reenactment of Montag and Mildred's book extravaganza (71-77)

• What's alive/coming back to life in this scene?
• What's dead or dying in this scene?

Please post one of your observations on today's class blog to kick off fishbowl discussion.

3. Enjoying F451 Fishbowl #4: Pages 63-80

HW:
1. By MONDAY, read through page 102 in F451. Leaders and discussers should prepare for Fishbowl. FISHBOWL IS ON MONDAY NEXT WEEK.

2. If you're giving your presentation tomorrow, Friday, April 1, you should be working on it this week.

3. Complete Day 4 of your seven-day challenge. Some of your charts are blank; remember that in order for your chart to be accurate, you must fill it out every single day rather than filling out the whole thing Sunday night (which I can see in your revision history).

Wading Into Dover Beach: March 30, 2016

Focus: How does "Dover Beach" illuminate Bradbury's themes?

1. Warming up with Matthew Arnold's "Dover Beach" (15 minutes)

Moments: 
1. Sensory imagery: What does this beach look like? What does it sound like? Feel like? Smell/taste like? Find an image that matches your mental picture of Dover Beach and leave it up on your computer.

2. Verbs: Which verbs strike you? What patterns emerge among the verbs?

Movements:
1. Shifts: Where would you section this poem? Where does it seem to shift topics?

2. Metaphor: What's Dover Beach being compared to? What do these two things specifically have in common?

Multiple Meanings:
1. The End: What do you make of the last stanza? What's the lesson to be learned here?

2. Extension: Bradbury includes this poem in an upcoming scene in F451. Of all the poems in the world, why do you think he chose this one?


2. Learning Bradbury's vocabulary by entering the Part 2 words in www.quizlet.com

3. Reading and reflecting on tonight's reading assignment

HW:
1. By tomorrow, read through page 80 in F451. Leaders and discussers should prepare for Fishbowl.

2. If you're giving your presentation this Friday, April 1, you should be working on it this week.

3. Complete Day 3 of your seven-day challenge. Some of your charts are blank; remember that in order for your chart to be accurate, you must fill it out every single day rather than filling out the whole thing Sunday night (which I can see in your revision history).

Our Relationship With Technology: March 29, 2016

Focus: What's our relationship with technology? How does Bradbury characterize people's relationship with technology?

1. Warming up by analyzing your survey data:

a.  Take a look at the pie charts and draw at least one conclusion about each graph that goes beyond the obvious (get in touch with your creative brain here).

b. Then, try to finish the following statements ON THE CLASS BLOG:

In 2016, teenagers' relationship with technology can be described as .... because....

c. MINI BREAK: Find a quotation from F451 about technology and/or happiness. Read aloud.

d. In Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, people's relationship with technology can be described as ... because...

2. Enjoying F451 Fishbowl #3: Pages 40-63

Reminder: Bloggers--if you want that 10 out of 10, you need to be bringing some passages/page references into some of your questions and responses.

3. Wrapping up by posting (or discussing) the first day of your seven-day challenge

HW:
1. By Thursday, read through page 80 in F451. Leaders and discussers should prepare for Fishbowl.

2. If you're giving your presentation this Friday, April 1, you should be working on it this week.

3. Complete Day 2 of your seven-day challenge.

Are We Social or Antisocial? March 28, 2016

Focus: Living in a world full of digital social networks, are we social or unsocial?

1. Warming up with a survey about your relationship with technology/digital networks and a seven-day-challenge

2. Round-robin reading of four articles on binge watching, texting, Facebook, and spacing out

As you read, keep your Google doc F451 notes open and keep track of the following:

• What are the main points of each article? Try to find one sentence you think is important and type it in your notes.
• What do agree with in each article?
• What do you disagree with in each article?
• What question(s) does this article inspire?

3. Discussing our findings with our Think Tanks

Topic #1: Spend a little time going through your notes on the articles, discussing what you thought they were about, what you agreed with, and what you disagreed with.

Topic #2: What aspects of these articles did you find personally relevant? In other words, have you experienced what these articles are talking about, and/or have you seen it with your friends/family?

Topic #3: What connections can you make between these articles and Fahrenheit 451? Is our society different from theirs? What qualities do we share? What do you think Bradbury was seeing in his society that concerned him?

4. Responding to today's focus question on the class blog

HW:
1. Please read through page 63 to prepare for tomorrow's fishbowl discussion.

2. Work on your banned book speech if you're delivering yours this Friday, April 1.

3. Keep track of the individual challenge you've been given starting today; continue all the way through Sunday. Click HERE for the forms; copy the one that's relevant to you and keep it in your F451 folder (or print it out if that's easier).

And...Break! March 18, 2016

Focus: To ban or not to ban?

Assembly: Shortened Class

1. Warming up with banned book speeches

2. Trying out the new PSAT-style vocabulary quiz together

(The first quiz will be Attempt and Completion)

3. Reading F451 (through page 63) while I touch base with handwriters

HW:

1. For Tuesday, March 29 we will be reading through page 63. If you're typing your reading journal, I will be looking in your folder to leave you feedback. If you're handwriting, I'll be checking in you on Wednesdays and Fridays. If you're conferencing, show up at your assigned time.

2. If you're giving your speech on April 1, you may want to work on it over spring break.

3. I hope your spring break is full of good things.

Play the Man: March 17, 2016

Focus: What are the characters sacrificing? Which ones are aware that they're making a sacrifice? Is it better to be aware or unaware?

1. Sketching our first encounters with Clarisse (p.5-7), then Mildred (p.11-14)

• Opening to those pages, finding three significant words or phrases for each, then brainstorming their connotations.

• Make a statement about how Bradbury's language characterizes each woman (finding the larger pattern).

• Why do we meet Clarisse first?

2. Trying the same connotation exercise with Beatty and the other firemen (p.32-34)

• Sketch, then find significant words and phrases from these pages. Brainstorm their connotations.

• Make a statement (or ask a question) about how Bradbury's language characterizes Beatty?

• What did you notice that maybe no one else did? Try posting this or your above statement on today's class blog to kick off discussion.

3. Fishbowl Discussion #2: Pages 28-40 of F451

5. Wrapping up: Responding to the focus questions at the tippy top of today's blog.

HW:

1. We will have a vocabulary activity tomorrow; it helps to be familiar with the words, but you don't need to memorize them. Just keep flipping through them on quizlet.

2. Our first round of banned book speeches is tomorrow! Remember that if you're not ready or you don't show up on your assigned day, the most you can receive is half credit on your speech.

3. For Tuesday, March 29 we will be reading through page 63. If you're typing your reading journal, I will be looking in your folder to leave you feedback. If you're handwriting, I'll be checking in you on Wednesdays and Fridays. If you're conferencing, show up at your assigned time (you received an e-mail from me yesterday).

Lighting the Candle: March 16, 2016

Focus: What does it mean to burn a book?

PLC: Shortened Class

1. Warming up with highlights and lowlights from yesterday's fishbowl discussion

2. Reading F451 or working on banned book speech while I check in with students who are handwriting 3-columned notes/journals/sticky notes

3. Cooling down by unlocking the powerful story behind "Play the man, Master Ridley; we shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out."

In whatever medium you're using for your reading journal, please uncover the following:

1. What's the story behind that quotation? What's the historical context?
2. How does it fit what's happening in F451?

HW:
1. Read through page 40 in F451 for tomorrow and complete whatever type of journal you've chosen.

2. Spend 5-10 minutes flipping through/playing a game with your F451, Part 1 words on quizlet. We will have a vocabulary activity on Friday that will resemble the PSAT; you will want to be somewhat familiar with the words, but memorization is not required.

3. Continue preparing your banned book speech.

Meeting Bradbury's Characters: March 15, 2016

Focus: What do we think about Bradbury's human and non-human characters?

1. Warming up with circles of enlightenment: Montag, Clarisse, Mildred,the machines and operator who save Mildred, the typical fireman, the Hound

2. Reviewing fishbowl expectations and diving in

3. Wrapping up with takeaways/questions: So far, what patterns are you noticing in Bradbury's characters?

HW:
1. Read through page 40 in F451 for Thursday and prepare for fishbowl discussion; continue your reading reflections. If you're handwriting, make sure you're bringing it to class.

2. If you're giving your speech this Friday, March 18, you should be working on it tonight and every night this week.

Understanding Bradbury: March 14, 2016

Focus: How can we understand Bradbury's language and purpose more fluently?

1. Warming up with a F451 vocabulary game

• Getting the tough words into www.quizlet.com
• Round-table storytelling

2. Reviewing fishbowl expectations; Tuesday's group may go into the hallway to work

3. Working on banned book speeches OR reading F451; how are you reading reflections going? Anybody want to switch it up?

HW:
1. Finish reading and reflecting on F451, pages 1-28 for tomorrow; fishbowl leaders and discussers need to be ready to go. REMEMBER TO PRINT A COPY OF YOUR SYLLABUS FOR ME.

2. Work on your banned book speech; remember that you if you're not ready for your date (or if you just don't show up), you can receive only half credit at most.

P.S. Any documents you need for this unit are likely on the class website.

To Ban or Not To Ban: March 11, 2016

Focus: What are the far-reaching effects of censorship?

1. Warming up with one statement from yesterday's high velocity brainstorming or from your grid group discussions

2. Going back to the future with Ray Bradbury: Reading the first ten pages of F451 together

• What are learning about this future society?
• How does Bradbury describe it?
• What confuses you?

3. Returning to your banned book brainstorming/outlining and picking dates

4. Signing up for F451 fishbowl discussions

HW: 
1. Read through page 28 in F451 by TUESDAY and complete whatever type of reading reflection you're doing. 

• Please e-mail me ASAP if you're planning to conference with me regularly so we can establish a time. 
• If you need the online version of the reading journal, it's linked the F451 page of my website.
• If you'd like a study guide, click here.

2. Work on your banned book speech; IF ARE NOT READY TO GO ON YOUR ASSIGNED DATE (OR YOU DON'T SHOW UP FOR CLASS), YOU WILL RECEIVE HALF-CREDIT FOR YOUR SPEECH AT MOST. This is not to be mean; this is a real-world situation.

3. If you are a leader or discusser for one of next week's F451 discussions, I recommend getting ahead in the reading this weekend.

Back to the Future, Bradbury Style: March 10, 2016

Focus: What kind of future did Bradbury create and why?

1. Warming up: Considering what should be banned and censored with a round of "Agree, Disagree, Unsure"

2. Considering why censorship concerned Bradbury, who was writing in the 1950s: If Fahrenheit 451 was his innovation, what prompted it?

http://classroom.synonym.com/forms-censorship-during-1950s-8608.html

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=1950s+and+censorship&qpvt=1950s+and+censorship&qpvt=1950s+and+censorship&FORM=IGRE

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_the_United_States

http://freemuse.org/archives/975

http://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/initiatives_awards/students_in_action/censorship.html

Think Tanks:
Topic #1: What strikes you from these websites? What questions do you have?

Topic #2: What patterns do you notice about censorship? What inferences can you draw about life in the 1950s?

Topic #3: Do you think our current society censors less than the 1950s society did, or is our modern version of censorship just different?

3. Entering Ray Bradbury's vision of censorship in the future

4. Wrapping a few loose ends from yesterday:

• Do I have hard copies of your rubrics?

• Raise your hand if your project is in your partner's Google folder.

• If you'd like a say in how much this project is worth and which category it belongs in, please take the 10-second survey linked HERE. You will need to be signed in.

• Do you have a F451 folder, and is your reading proposal in it? Who needs stuff from me ASAP?

HW:
1. Finish reading through page 28 for class on Monday; complete the method of reading contemplation you established in your reading journal. 

2. We will sign up for modified fishbowl discussions tomorrow, so if you know you will be absent, you might ask a friend to sign you up.

3. Bring your banned book tomorrow so that we can get back to developing our speeches.

Collaborating: March 9, 2016

Focus: What happens when we put our heads together?

1. Warming up:

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR PROJECT IS SHARED WITH ME (IT CAN BE IN YOUR "IMAGINATION/INNOVATION..." FOLDER.

GIVE ME A COPY OF YOUR RUBRIC. IF IT'S NOT PRINTED, MAKE SURE IT'S ALSO IN YOUR FOLDER.

IF YOU WERE PLANNING TO PRESENT TO THE ENTIRE CLASS, PLEASE WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW.

2. Preparing and sharing in mid-sized groups (please put students together in groups of 5-6 based on where they are sitting, but people who worked together should stick together):

In each group, select TWO members to take notes and share them with me directly during class. Here are some things each person/group should chat about:

• What did you focus on?
• Why did you pick that particular focus?
• How would you implement your ideas? (Share your actual project--if your group wants to watch/see it, feel free to Google share it with them)
• Ask and discuss any questions you have.

3. Following up as a large group via today's blog

• Please post one takeaway (either from sharing your own or from listening to others) on today's class blog.

• What is one small thing you can do, starting today, to help you develop your innovation/imagination skills?

• Take some time to read and respectfully comment on others' posts.

Ex: I wanted to redesign classrooms to emphasize collaboration. From now on, I'm going to do my science homework in a small group because I'll understand it better if I'm talking about it with others.

Ex: My brain works best in natural sunlight. I'm going to bring a heavier sweatshirt to keep in my locker so that I can do school work / eat outside every chance I get.

4. Distributing Fahrenheit 451 books (they're in a box on the back shelf) and designing your reading plan

Here are the two things I need:

1. Show me that you've actually done the reading. 
2. Show me that you're thinking about the reading.

Please create a F451 folder inside your English 10 folder.

Inside that folder, create a new doc and call it Reading Proposal. Please write me a reading proposal that addresses a two-part problem:

1. How can you show me that you're reading F451 and that you're thinking about it? What will be your method/medium? Possible options: 3-columned notes? Annotations? Journaling/freewriting? Regular reading conferences? Old-school study guide? What else?

2. Why is this method/medium the most meaningful way for you to accomplish the tasks above? Defend your ideas.

3. What do you specifically need from me to make this happen?

HW:
1. If you have your own copy of F451, bring it to class tomorrow. If you don't, bring your ID so I can check out a book to you.

2. Finish your reading proposal right away if you did not finish in class. If you need a reading journal, for example, I need to bring you one tomorrow.

3. For Friday: Bring your banned book to class. We will select presentation dates and continue planning our speeches.

Defining the Value of Your Innovations: March 8, 2016

Focus: How do define the value of what we're creating?

1. Warming up:

Click HERE to take a survey on sleep.

Click HERE to take a survey on grades and rubrics.

2. Thinking about what you'd like Ms. Leclaire to look for

If you like rubrics, try Googling "blank rubrics" and fill one in with your values.

If you don't like rubrics, try typing some questions you'd like me to respond to as I explore your mini-project.

Ideas to consider regarding assessment:

• What do you want people to take away from your project / understand in a new light?

• How does your medium fit your purpose?

• What makes your project innovative? Why does your project matter?

PLEASE PRINT YOUR RUBRIC OR QUESTIONS BEFORE CLASS TOMORROW.

3. Working on implementing your projects

HW:
1. We will share these tomorrow, so please finish up what needs to be finished. 

2. PLEASE PRINT YOUR RUBRIC OR QUESTIONS BEFORE CLASS TOMORROW.

3. If you're planning to purchase a copy of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, now is a great time! We will start this book on Thursday.

Innovation: March 7, 2016

Focus: What does the process of innovation feel like?

1. Warming up with the re-invention of the heart (and your answer to the last survey question)

2. Implementing your proposals: Trying, failing, trying again....creating, innovating

3. Closing with tips from innovative people who have failed their way to success:

Will Smith (named by Newsweek as "most powerful actor in Hollywood"; described by Forbes as "most bankable star worldwide")

J.K Rowling (author of the Harry Potter series and first person to become a billionaire from writing books)

Steve Jobs (former CEO of Apple)

Bill Gates (founder of Microsoft)

HW:
1. Tomorrow will be the last day of in-class work time on your innovative mini-projects, and we will share them on Wednesday, March 9; decide what you need to accomplish tonight and write it in your calendar.

2. If you'd like to purchase your own copies of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, now would be a good time. You need your books on Thursday.

3. Don't worry about your banned book speeches yet; we will return to this on Friday with a more solid time frame.

From Imagination to Innovation: March 3, 2016

Focus: How do we move from imagining future learning to inventing it?

1. Warming up by exploring the importance of innovation and the results of yesterday's survey

samw293March 2, 2016 at 6:37 AM

Can these changes be applied in the physical model for school we have? Or would we have to scrap everything?

Innovation: Coming up with new ideas of value and implementing them

2. Offering you my proposal as a think-aloud

3. Brainstorming, goal-setting, planning, and starting!

Click HERE for the proposal if you didn't make a copy of it yesterday.

Goal: Finish at least this sheet by the end of class; if you have a busy weekend (say, you're going to Vegas), try to get started on the research aspect of your mini-project.

Need a pep talk? Click here for MIT's list of current top innovators...who all happen to be under age of 35.

HW:
1. Essays due in www.turnitin.com by 3:00 pm today.

2. Complete the aspects of your mini-project that you assigned yourself. We will share on Wednesday, March 9.

3. Don't worry about your banned book speeches yet. Let's wrap up your essays and mini-projects first.

4. Make sure your parents/guardians know that I will be at conferences tonight from 4:00-6:00.

What Kind of Learning Might Prepare You for the Future? March 2, 2016

Focus: What will you need to learn for the future?

"To create the future, we must first imagine it." -- The XQ Institute

1. Warming up with a quick survey linked HERE, followed by a five-minute clip on American high schools

After (or during) the clip, please post a takeaway or question on today's blog from this clip.

2.  Discussing with your think tanks the video, the ideal school day, and the "XQ" factor

Topic #1: Discuss what you saw...did you see or hear anything you hadn't considered before? Questions? Takeaways? Opinions? 

Also, if you'd like, explore this website together about the Super School Project and the quality they define as "XQ."

WHAT IS XQ? (from https://xqsuperschool.org/about)

IQ: How We Think

It measures your cognitive capabilities.

EQ: How We Learn In The World
It measures the ability to connect, collaborate, and learn from others.

XQ: IQ + EQ + That Certain Something

XQ is the agile and flexible intelligence that prepares students for a more connected world, a rapidly changing future, and a lifetime of learning.

Topic #2: What do your ideal school days look like?  Share your thoughts from yesterday's/last night's writing.  Would your ideal school day develop "XQ"?

Topic #3: Look through your binders, folders, and/or Google folders. Find one task you've been given this semester in any class, and re-frame it a way that develops your "XQ," or the kind of learning you might need for the future.

Ex: Instead of a traditional speech with an outline, rubric, and step-by-step process, I gave you a problem to solve.

3. Creating a mini project that captures learning for the future

The problem: American high schools are failing to prepare their students for the future. 

Your task: create something that moves people--students, teachers, parents, administrators, and/or the community--to inspire others to rethink our school system.

Click HERE for the proposal and some space to brainstorm.

You will have Thursday, the long weekend, Monday, and Tuesday to work on this. They will be due Wednesday, March 9.

HW:

1. SYNTHESIS PARAGRAPHS DUE IN www.turnitin.com BY 3:00 PM TOMORROW.

2. Click HERE for the proposal; please finish by the end of class on Thursday.