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).