Treasure Chest of Thoughts

Thanks to Mr. Kevin at  NCS-Tech for the tip that Bullying Awareness Week is Nov. 16-22. 

How timely!  My English 11 is right in the middle of The Bullying Mentality thematic unit.  Next week we begin The Crucible.

Next year, I would like for my students to create Podcasts/videos that we could show during Channel 1.  Just do not think I can pull this together in a week.  Maybe we could colloborate with our broadcasting class…brainstorming!

We can script announcements for the daily announcements.  We can study cyberbulling (a topic on which I want to discuss more).  We can wear blue one day to symbolize peace.

The beauty of creating units?  A unit is never complete.  New sources.  New contacts.  Evolving.  Learning.  Sharing.

Not bullying.

Diggin’ deeper?  Thinkin’ more critically?  Climbin’ the ladder?

Let’s dig, let’s think, let’s climb to a greater understanding of the texts we are about to read.

First, let’s give credit where credit is due.  The source for this concept is The AP Vertical Teams Guide for English.  For the past two summers, I have attended Pre-AP English training, first a two-day workshop and then a five-day workshop this past summer on the campus of ASU, at which this book served as our mentor text.

How will we utilize this within the classroom?  First,  we will develop questions for each step on the below three-rung ladder about a text that we will read together entitled “Marigolds” by Eugenia Collier. 

Three-Rung Ladder of Questioning

1. Literal Level
   * Factual
   * Address key elements
   Answers found directly in text.
2. Interpretive Level
   * Inferential
   * Motive of author or a character
   * Answers found by following patterns and seeing relationships amongst parts of the text.
3. Experienced-Based Level
   * Connecting
   * Link text to prior knowledge, other texts, or experiences
   * Answers found by testing the ideas of a text against readers’ schema.

Next, we will analyze John Keats’ poem “A Song about Myself.”  You may also find a copy of this poem on our class wiki at Mrs G Info.  Using this poem as our mentor text, your lit circle group will meet online via Google Docs as you share collaboration on a form that I will email the discussion director within your group.

Why are we studying this poem?  Yes, to continue our study of our thematic unit Who Am I?

Then what?  As we read Julius Caesar, each of you will be required to develop questions for each level for each act of the play.  Why?  The development of these skills are not intended to just fill sheets of paper and “kill another tree.”  The reality is this:  these skills will greatly enhance your success in your AP courses, your score on your AP exams, which ultimately will result in your being a step-up on the college ladder of success!

This post may also be found at Writing Right, my Pre-AP English 10 class blog.

Over the last few days as I read some of my students’ blog posts,  I noted a theme:  several now know the definition of genre….this thanks to our sci-fi unit and their completing a multi-genre sci-fi project.

Oh, the taste of sweet success…at such unexpected times. 

This occurs at a most opportune time:  I had just admitted to a teacher-friend that I had not done a very good job with vocabulary this nine weeks.  Now, I am feeling better!  In addition, I have already created my PowerPoints for the next sixty words for two classes, one utilizing The Crucible, the other Julius Caesar. 

“Research suggests that the best way to teach vocabulary is to pull unfamiliar words from student reading.”  
                          ~Ms. Carla, from The English Teacher Blog

Thanks, Ms. Carla, for this reminder and for your inspiring blog and website at Web English Teacher.  I just shared this site yesterday with the students in my Secondary English Methods class (who I am also proud to say are blogging for the first time…please check out Connecting the Dots!)

More taste of success!

“The reflection upon my situation and that of this army produces many an uneasy hour when all around me are wrapped in sleep.  Few people know the predicament we are in.”
                                     ~ George Washington
                                        January 14, 1776

Interesting.

Was this man also prophetic?

In a recent discussion with my students concerning our current economic crisis, one student commented that she had heard this situation could be worse than the Great Depression.

My response:  “Not for a while, for so many do not even realize what is happening today here in our country.”

Then as I began reading David McCullough’s 1776, I discovered George Washington’s quote (page 1) that so eerily echoed our current “predicament.”  Yes, go back and read it again!

I will be interested to read more about  President George Washington’s part  in the dramatic unfolding of the year of our Declaration of Independence.

Why am I reading 1776?  My goal:  to read a biography of each of the US Presidents.  A goal that initiated this summer as I strolled around Mt. Vernon, a place steeped in history and motivation.

Please share any suggestions for other biographies.  I have also purchased David McCullough’s John Adams and Mornings on Horseback and John McCain’s Faith of Our Fathers.

Why this sudden interest?  One, I had really hoped to read 1776 before teaching my “A Pioneer Never Quits” unit for all the background information I might obtain (well…we are completing the unit this week, so that is a one sub-goal that I will not meet). Two?  History was my weakest subject area in high school and college, so since I love to read, why not use this activity to overcome a huge hole in my education?

Never fear, though, I have discovered another means to use this novel:  1776 will be one of my mentor texts when teaching my students how to embedd quotes.  McCullough’s extensive use of research is clearly reflected throughout and will provide this teacher with another novel on which to do a book talk.

In English 11, we have been reading Ben Mikaelsen’s Touching Spirit Bear, not a hard-read, but a definite good read.  Why teach this book at this level, a book taught by so many teachers at a lower grade?

Last year, when I read this soul-stirring novel in one night, it captivated me, and I decided then that this masterpiece would be the class-read for my A Pioneer Never Quits unit.  The pioneer in this novel, though, is not Cole Matthews, the main character, a punk, a bully, a young person in definite conflict with himself. 

The pioneer is Garvey, a parole officer.  He never quits…even when he sits down and refuses to help Cole rebuild the cabin that this rebel intentionally burnt to the ground. (Yes, cutting off his own nose to spite his face.) Sitting down, though, in this case, is the best example of not quitting.  Imagine that.

Garvey pioneers by not giving up on Cole.  This man, a promoter of the Circle of Justice, is the constant that Cole has never had in his life.

Does Cole like Garvey?  No.  An understatement.  Yet from day one, a respect is there.

Sometimes…well, sometimes, that is all one needs or can expect out of such characters.

So a note to teachers out there who have Coles in your life who do not like you.  That’s okay…just make sure they respect you.

Then read Touching Spirit Bear to further understand why you and Garvey truly are pioneers…pioneers that never quit.

And, by the way…thanks!

Another new adventure for me…reading a novel with one lit circle group within each of my English 11 classes.

First, to the group that assigned 175 pages for the first reading…let’s just say this is a good reminder of what being assigned homework is like…and what it feels like as I wait too long to begin the next assignment!  Don’t worry!  I’ll make it!

Right now, both of these classes are reading historical fiction, a genre I have not read in some time.   My in-class library needs some help here also…not enough choice and not near enough novels on our reading levels!

Here’s a list of what we are reading for our “A Pioneer Never Quits Unit”:

• Indian Captive
• The Sacrafice
• Fever 1793
• Caddie Woodlawn:  I’m in that group!
• Black Storm Comin’
• The Glory Field:  This is the group that assigned me 175 pages for the first assignment!  Good book, though!

Yesterday, we met for our first club meeting.  Reinforced  the fact that lit circles should assist in retention of content and a much deeper reading.  I am a sticky-note user (saves writing in my class books and my annotating choice of the day), so I showed the class my novel…one quickly sprouting pink wings (Caddie Woodlawn)!  Today’s group (The Glory Field) will see how I am using sticky notes to divide the book as the author has done…by segments of time.

Next time?  We adopt our roles and report accordingly.  Each person assumes a different role for each club meeting (of course, no two may have the same role on the same day).  Uh, oh…what role was I assigned? 

1. Discussion Director
2. Illustrator
3. Wordsmith
4. Summarizer
5. Travel Tracker
6. Vocabulary Enricher
7. Connector
8. Conflict Connector

The assigment includes having their role ready to discuss, then taking notes on the other roles as each club member discusses his/her findings.

Yes, reading deeper!  Need to find that extra package of sticky notes!