Week 4: What to Expect

Mon. Feb. 25th:
* Words of the week: Week 3 & 4 vocab quiz friday
* "The Lottery" group carousel
* Begin synthesis choices and ideas: In-class write next Monday

Tues. Feb. 26th:
* Check your tag: Considering our own scapegoats
* Introduce Literature Circle Options: Choose group and roles
* Independently read "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. LeGuin.
* Online discussions abound. Here's a sample analysis and differing opinions on this enrichingly ambiguous distopian piece: Sample Critical Analysis of Omelas

Wed. Feb. 27th:
* Independently complete role sheet for tomorrow's literature circles on "The Ones who Walk Away from Omelas"
* Study for terms test Friday

Thurs. Feb. 28th:
* Question, discuss, and debate in your literature circles
* Choose your two stories for the in-class synthesis on Monday
* Begin your synthesis outline

Fri. March. 1st:
* Week 3 & 4 vocabulary quiz
* Short story terms quiz
* Complete synthesis outline for in-class write (test) Monday

Community Corrections

This came across my path and reminded me of all of you hunting down atrocious communicators. Seek. Find. Fix.

Week 3: What to Expect

Mon. Feb. 18th:
* Words of the week
* Class guided read of "Hairball" by Canadian legend Margaret Atwood. This story will stay with you! It's disturbing, wonderfully challenging and resonate.
* Check out one literary blogger's summary of this angry piece of fiction.

Tues. Feb. 19th:

* Share of Community Corrections!

* Choose a Creative Character Study for "Hairball" Mobile? Visual Timeline? Prezi? Scrapbook? Journal? The choice is yours.

Wed. Feb.20th & Thurs. Feb.21st:

* Complete Creative Character Study: Due Friday

* Complete Week 3 Vocabulary: Checked Friday

* Consider "Hairball" and our other stories for your final short story evaluation

Fri. Feb. 21st:

* Considering the role of tradition in our lives. What are the positive and negative implications?

* Class read of Shirley Jackson's classic "The Lottery"

* "The Lottery" resources to assist understanding

* Short Story Terms Test Next Friday, begin reviewing your literary devices and how they fit within our stories studied thus far

Week 2: What to Expect

First, I applaud all of you for your thoughtful responses to the TED Talks video "Do Schools Kill Creativity?" Check out each other's ideas and the further replies and questions shared.

Tues, Feb. 12th:
* Dissecting Irony
* Collective guided read of "Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin. Our first story together, aren't you excited! Check out the hyperlinks to see who she was and what her story's all about

Wed. Feb. 13th:

* Taking on Point of View: 4-point quiz tomorrow

* "The Weapon" by Fredric Brown. What do you think it is? What is meant by "only a madman would give a loaded revolver to an idiot"? Who is the mad man? Who is the idiot? 

* Consider the following analysis

Thurs. Feb. 14th:
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
* Important Assembly and Class discussions
* Independent Read and Think

Fri, Feb. 15th:
* Week 1 & 2 Vocabulary Quiz
* Class-created and modeled synthesis.
* Writing resources and quote integration references given

Have a Marvelous Weekend! 

Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Now that we've heard and seen Sir Ken's argument about the education system we need to know, what do you think?

1.) What did you agree with? What did you disagree with? Why? Explain your thoughts on the ideas presented. Be specific.

2.) Where do you see yourself in the education system in your future? Post-Secondary? Independent studies? travel? different type of learning?

Remember: Write in full thoughts, with specific reasons and details. Sign your name. Edit, this is a public forum, and see your peers' perspectives. Respond to each other's ideas thoughtfully.

New Brain Tests Link

Hi ladies and gents, for any of you who were curious about your brain and various abilities the brain science link has been remedied. It connects you to the Cambridge Brain Science Tests page, and for those of you wondering, it's the spatial reasoning category where I have the capacity of a monkey :)