Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Standard 01-30-2013

Time to get serious on the WDIWTLMA paper.  We looked at several introductions today that displayed varied levels of success.  Make sure you grab our attention and make sure you include all the required bits of info: lead, how, why, claim.

You have the next 48 hours to take all your notes and turn them into magic.  You have plenty of info, now present the info in an organized, engaging manner.

That brings me to a slight change in the paper's expectations.  As I said in class today, I want you to write this paper the way you did the I-search.  No you don't need to explain every step of your research along the way, but I do want you to respond to the information you uncover.  Make it interesting.  Tell what you feel about what you've discovered.  What's your reaction to surprising bits of news, shocking discoveries, or extreme actions people take?  Share what you think about the weapons you are writing about, the bravery of the person you are researching, and the facts you stumble across.  Mostly, avoid just sharing facts.  I want to see YOU in the paper.  Just like you did with the I-search paper.

Any questions, I'll see you Friday with those first rough drafts...typed, Andy!

I won't be in class tomorrow, but we'll keep on working.  There is a short story you will be reading (it's third quarter--the fiction quarter), questions you will be responding to, and a few other things to cover.

Be good.  I'll see you Friday.


  

Enriched 01-30-2013

Ozymandias!  There's a name that won't soon be forgotten!  Oh, wait, that's not exactly what Shelley was saying in his poem, was it?  I guess Ozymandias's dream to live forever was undermined by the power of time.  What did ambition get him?  What did greed get him?  And where does this hubris word come into play?  A couple of you showed me definitions of hubris today, but no one brought it up during the discussion.

How about a shout out to Sean Conley for the image of the statue upon which the poem was based.  Very cool to see and it helped some people understand the poem better.  Way to go, Sean!

Well, maybe you will see a more relevant use of the word hubris in tonight's reading.  Anton Chekhov (thanks Natalie Raffelock!) wrote "The Bet".  It's one of my favorite stories to read and discuss.  It covers several important issues.  Greed, as I'm sure you can guess, but also some deeper ideas like:

How much is a life worth?

Is it better to be alive in any way than not to be alive at all?

Is capital punishment more humane than life in prison?

Be sure you read it thoroughly tonight and be thinking about those questions.  Keep the poem "Ozymandias" in mind as well.  Do you see a connection?  (I hope so!)  Be thinking how hubris fits into the story too.  Not sure what hubris is?  Look it up.

Sonnet is due Friday.  I've seen several and you seem to be coming up with some good ideas.  Double check those lines to be sure your syllable count is correct.  Have fun with the ironic twists if you haven't written yours yet.

Have you discovered what Project Imaginat10n is yet?  You'll all find out for sure on Monday.  Here's another question about it.  What does Project Imaginat10n and that classic old movie Splash have in common?  Not sure what Splash is?  Ask Mom and Dad.

I won't see you tomorrow because I won't be there--more meetings.  I'll be back Friday to collect sonnets and get a feel for whether or not you would take the bet.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Standard 01-29-2013

Can you believe I forgot to mention the irony quiz in yesterday's blog?  I can't either.  That's why we didn't have it today.  Guess what.  I'm mentioning it now so we will be having the quiz tomorrow!  You need to have an original, never-before-heard-in-class example of

verbal irony                situational irony              dramatic irony

Three points each.  If you have those, you'll earn nine points.  Think about them tonight.  Write them down so you don't forget.  No, you can't just copy them tomorrow in class, but if you have them written down you can look at them up until the moment I tell you to write them down.  Then you won't forget them!  Be a proactive student.  Have them tonight!

Catchy intros!  That's what I want to see tomorrow in class.  Typed catchy intros!

Be sure you start with a LEAD.  That's your hook.  Engage and excite your reader.

Transition smoothly to the HOW and WHY section of the paper.  HOW did you pick the topic?  WHY did you pick the topic? Don't just list this.  Transition smoothly to to it.

Then you'll close with your claim.  As you know this is the sentence that will tell your reader what the paper is about.

LEAD
HOW
WHY
CLAIM

Have them all!

In addition to the intro, you'll need a good section of your first body paragraph.  You have lots of information. Time to start organizing it all into a coherent paper.

We'll go to the IMC tomorrow (bring books to return and money to pay fines).  We'll look at the intros and body paragraphs.  We'll share many of them.  We'll have an idea what is working and what needs work.

Inferences...aren't too far behind.

Poetry...another area of concern based on our Acuity scores.  We'll be looking at that again, too.

See you tomorrow.

Okay, before class, show me the three fresh, original irony examples you plan on using tomorrow for the quiz, and I'll sign your Archer card.


Enriched 01-29-2013

T minus two days until the sonnet is due.  Do you know where your iambic pentameter is?

"Ozymandias"!  Now you know what the word means.  He was "King of Kings"!  Well, at least he thought so.  But understanding who Ozymandias is is only a small part of the task...do you understand the poem?  That is what you need to figure out tonight.  You have six question that I want you to "jot" down quick responses to tonight.  DO NOT come to class without having done so.  Tomorrow, in small groups, you will delve deeper into the prompts and the responses.

Why do this?  Well, it is the same thing Acuity, ISTEP, and the SAT and ACT tests will ask you to do: read a poem on your own and decipher some meaning out of it.  If you can do it on your own now, you can do it on your own when you take those tests.

One more thing, as you read and analyze the poem, be thinking how the poem fits into our discussion from today.  Ambition?  Greed?  Both?  Or is it something else entirely?

Speaking of which, can anyone tell me what hubris is?

And what about Anton Chekov?  I mentioned him yesterday.  Where will he come in?

Here's something else to chew on...What do Project Imaginat10n and Django Unchained have in common? Tell me tomorrow for an Archer card signature.

IMC trip tomorrow.  Be sure to bring books to return and money to pay fines.

See you tomorrow.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Standard 01-28-2013

A bit of a slow start to our WDIWTLMA papers today.  We have some facts--good--but we need to be sure we cite all that information correctly.  Spend time tonight doing further research and then being sure all your internal citations and your works cited information is correct.  Tomorrow we will begin work on the introductions.  For you to have a successful intro, you MUST have a clear claim.  Make sure you all have one of those by tomorrow.

We'll also be taking a look at the inference sentences you wrote today.  We'll make some inferences and then see where they take us.

Spelling and punctuation continue to be areas of concern from Acuity and for ISTEP.  We'll continue our work on those areas tomorrow.

Poetry is another area that we will need to cover.  Get ready for some fun times in the poetry department.  Lots going on in room 110.  Cut down on those absences and be an active participant in class.

See you tomorrow.  

Enriched 01-28-2013

Sonnets:     14 lines
                   10 syllables per line
                   iambic pentameter
                   ababcdcdefefgg
                   closing couplet
                   ironic twist
                   3 quatrains and a couplet
                   an octave and a sestet

Due Friday, typed, with proper heading

When does ambition slide over into greed?  That's the prompt I want you to spend a bit of time writing about tonight.  Be ready to talk about it too.

"Ozymandias" (Percy Bysshe Shelley) is a word you will be more familiar with after class tomorrow.  Heck, check it out now.


I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

What does that have to do with what we were talking about today?  What type of poem is that, anyway?

You'll also have an idea who Anton Chekov is.

Things to do.  See you tomorrow.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Standard 01-27-2013

Well, those were some pretty powerful Found Poems you submitted last week.  Several well written and creatively displayed examples demonstrating some of the darker themes of Night.  I was impressed.  You'll be getting your assessments back tomorrow, but I'll be hanging on to and hanging up those poems.

I analyzed your acuity results and the number one area of concern was, ugh, spelling.  We'll do some work with that and a couple other areas too.  Your poetry knowledge is evidently not where it needs to be.  That is something else we will be taking care of in the next few weeks as we prepare ourselves for ISTEP this quarter.

Odes?  Sonnets?  Ballads?  Narratives?  Lyric poetry? Elegies?  You'll know what each one is really soon.

I was working assessing your poems and some quizzes from other classes this weekend.  Hopefully, you've been busy working on your WDIWTLMA paper.  I'll be looking for a clearly written topic, at least four pieces of information you'll be including in your paper, and the sources of the information you've typed out.   That's right, all this information needs to be typed out so that I can see it clearly.  If you've been smart, you've gone beyond the minimum and researched and found a lot more useful information.

A reminder: plagiarism is when you steal or try to pass of the words of someone else as your own.  You MUST offer citations not just of quoted material but of information you learned as well.  You very likely will have dozens of citations in your paper.  That's fine.  Plagiarism is not.  Plagiarism will earn a failing grade.

What is an inference?

     The man in the Chicago Bears jersey walked into the restaurant with a smile on his face and slapped the waiter a high five.

Make an inference about the scene above, and I will sign your Archer card.

What's the scariest situation you have ever been involved in?  Sleep on that one--if you can.

See you tomorrow.

Enriched 01-27-2013

Tomorrow is the day!  The day the NBT papers are due.  You'll want to have the final typed, double spaced, with proper heading and a complete and separate works cited page.  Be sure you have the edit that your peer did as well.  You wouldn't want to deprive them of points, would you?  I'm looking forward to reading what you have researched and learned.

I'll pass back the irony quizzes tomorrow--lots of 9/9s!  You demonstrated a decent awareness of verbal, situational, and dramatic irony.  Well done!

We'll also take a look at our sonnet progress.  We'll talk about a reasonable time for you to submit a final version of your sonnet.  Wednesday?  Thursday?  Hmmm....

When does ambition shift over to greed?  Is there a slippery slope between ambition and greed?  Is all ambition evil?  Did you know someone once said, "Greed is good"?  Did you know greed is one of the seven deadly sins?  Why all this emphasis on greed?  We'll find out tomorrow.

By the way, does anyone know what Project Imaginat10n is?

See you tomorrow.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Standard 01-24-2013

I hope you felt some closure after watching Elie Wiesel walk the grounds of Auschwitz with Oprah Winfrey.  It's a powerful viewing, especially when he looks at all the hair (14,000 pounds!) and claims that he wasn't worthy to have survived the Holocaust (if not him, then who is?).  We'll talk a bit about it tomorrow and I'll assess your responses to the prompts.

Tomorrow we will spend time in Lab B working on our WDIWTLMA papers.  I want you to have some ideas about what you could research.  We'll discuss possible topics as a class before moving to the computer lab, but I want you all to come to class with a couple options.  Then you can start researching the topic and learning more about it.

Remember, this paper will contain a plethora of citations.  A works cited is also expected.  Anyone found copying information from a source and not citing it is committing plagiarism and will  fail the paper.  Cite those sources.  When in doubt, cite it out.

See you tomorrow.

Enriched 01-24-2013

Missed you today but I hear there was some good peer editing going on.  Hopefully you found it all worthwhile.  You were to hand back the paper and the peer edit sheet to the writer.  I will be checking out the work you did when I start assessing the papers.  As of right now, barring any unforseen circumstances, those papers will be handed in on Monday, January 28.

For tomorrow, you should be ready to start out the class by identifying original examples of the three types of irony we have been discussing.  This will be a quiz.  Let's make it worth nine points--three points for each original example of irony you share.

We'll follow that up with question time for the NBT paper.  Last chance before the due date.

After that we'll look at the sonnets and see what sort of progress we are making on them.  Then, perhaps, we will read a short story (3rd quarter is the fiction quarter per the Common Core State Standards) and make some connections to the last book we read.

Have a good evening and I'll see you tomorrow.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Standard 01-23-2013

Nice job with your examples of verbal, situational, and dramatic irony today.  Now, if you only knew what they were because of the people in your group, then you better spend a little bit of time looking over the definitions and the examples.  You will be quizzed over these three ideas in the near future.  I want you to be able to share original specific examples of all three.  Start prepping now.

The Found Poems we looked at today were pretty solid.  Thanks Tyler Davis, Jasmine Leininger, et al. They will get some minor tweaks tonight and be submitted tomorrow.  Make sure you do what you can to your Found Poem so that it
         
            *makes sense
            *is creatively displayed
            *is neatly presented

You received the WDIWTLMA paper today.  We went over the general expectations and now you should be spending some time going over possible topics in your heads.  Ask your parents/guardians/siblings for ideas.  Allow them to help you narrow the topic so that it is focused and researchable.  We'll spend a bit more time Friday (since we ran out of time today) brainstorming some possible topics, but we have lab B reserved for us for Friday so I don't want to waste much valuable research time.

I won't be there tomorrow, as I mentioned in class today.  You'll be viewing a video of Oprah Winfrey touring the grounds of Auschwitz with Elie Wiesel.  I have a few questions I'll be wanting you to respond to as well.  It's not a happy video, but it will be memorable.

I probably won't see you tomorrow, but I'll be looking for those Found Poems and will see you all on Friday.

Enriched 01-23-2013

Quick, what are the key attributes of a sonnet?

How many lines?

What's the per line syllable count?

What meter is it written in?

What's the rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet?

And what's so special about that final couplet?

If you can answer these questions, you have a basic understanding of the sonnet.  But there's more.  I'll be talking about the first three quatrains on Friday.   You guessed it; they often have a special role as well.  

You've seen several sonnet examples--some professionally written and some student written.   Now I am asking you to write one.  Be thinking of your idea.  What will you focus on?

But for your immediate future, you should be focusing on the NBT paper.  Due to the snow day, you have received an extension on the paper.  What was once due Friday will now be due Monday.  Be ready to peer edit well tomorrow.  Today's analysis of a couple papers should give you a clearer idea about what to do for your own paper and how to best edit the paper of your peer.  I'll be offering a handout tomorrow to help you focus on what's important while editing.  Fill it out diligently and thoughtfully.  You'll be returning it to the author who, in turn, will be submitting it with his/her final draft.  I'll be looking it over to see what kind of effort and advice you offered.

By the way, I read Peter Rutkowski's and Conrad Adams' papers today and really like what I saw.  If you want to be sure you are doing it correctly, you might want to check to see what they are writing.

Can you give me fresh, original examples of verbal, situational, and dramatic irony?  I'll be asking you for them on Friday.  Sure, you can call it a quiz if you want.

Won't see you tomorrow--meetings to attend--but I'll be in the building and will see all of you on Friday.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Enriched and Standard 01-22-2013

A surprise day off!  What a great way to start the day!  I hope you had fun.  One thing for sure,  you had extra time to put some finishing touches on those Found Poems (standard) and NBT rough drafts (enriched).  We'll be looking at both of those in the respective classes and tackling new writing assignments as well.  Looking forward to seeing you all refreshed and energetic tomorrow.


Thursday, January 17, 2013

Standard 01-17-2013


Some great work on the Found poems today.  You came with some well-prepared lines and were able to easily slip into forming the poems.  Make sure you complete the poems tonight--remember, they have to make sense.  We'll look at what you produced and then start doing the final step--the creative display of the words you used.  

As you read this, can you tell me the difference between verbal, situational, and dramatic irony?  Could you identify some examples for each?  I'll be asking you to do just that next week.  Be ready.  In case you were absent here's a synopsis:

verbal irony-saying or writing one thing but meaning the opposite

situational irony-a situation where the outcome is considerably different from what was expected

dramatic irony-when the audience or reader is aware of information that the character in the film, show, 
                        play, book, etc. is not

Ah, we made it to another Friday.  Three day weekend coming up too.  See you tomorrow.  

Enriched 01-17-2013

Poetry...you gotta love it!  We just had a taste of it today with our Shel Silverstein (are you coming in?) and Ogden Nash (poor Adam) poems, our exploration of how to eat a poem (get sloppy!), and our writing of four minute wonders (pretty darn good, Bryce Yoder!) and some couplets (awesome work, Savannah Day).  We'll try our hand at odes and sonnets tomorrow.  A bit more in store as well.  What can I say?  I love poetry!

As you read this, can you tell me the difference between verbal, situational, and dramatic irony?  Could you identify some examples for each?  I'll be asking you to do just that next week.  Be ready.  In case you were absent here's a synopsis:

verbal irony-saying or writing one thing but meaning the opposite

situational irony-a situation where the outcome is considerably different from what was expected

dramatic irony-when the audience or reader is aware of information that the character in the film, show,
                        play, book, etc. is not

Don't forget the rough draft of the NBT paper is due Tuesday.  I'm available tomorrow before school and during lunch if you have any questions.

Here's Savannah's couplet; very clever.

Writing is fun
When you hire someone

It's Friday before a three day weekend!  See you tomorrow.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Standard 01-16-2013

Remember, if you received a question mark over ten on your recent paper, then you have until Friday to rewrite it and earn up to a 9/10 score.  Offer detailed, supported reasons for your argument.

I love irony...and I know you do too.  We'll be looking at some more tomorrow, but why not bring in  your own, original, never-before-seen-on-the-walls-of-Discovery example?  I'll sign your Archer card.

We talked a bit about poetry today: ballad, narrative, lyric, free verse, stanza, and anaphora for starters.  Some of those ideas will be used in your Found Poems.  Be sure to come in with a good list (at least 40-50 phrases or "magic lines") tomorrow.  The stronger your initial list, the better your poem will be.  Remember to write down page numbers as well.  We'll spend some time tomorrow shaping these lines into fascinating, emotional, logical poems.  Just in case you need it, I've included the assignment sheet below.  See you tomorrow.


THE FOUND POEM

“A poem is a machine made out of words.” William Carlos Williams

And guess what you are going to do.  That's right.  You will be writing a poem.  Or should I say, finding a poem.  You see,  a “found” poem is not created from scratch; instead its words are “found” --in advertising, in headlines, or, in this case, in the writing of Elie Wiesel.

Thankfully, Mr. Wiesel has already done the hard stuff for you: he's supplied the words in his holocaust memoir Night.  Your job is to find the ones from his book which move/stun/impact/affect you the most, and arrange them into a “found” poem.  Sound simple enough?  Good.  Here's what you'll be doing.

*Write down words, phrases, or parts of sentences that particularly strike you.  Since you've already highlighted the text, I'd start with those words and phrases, but I wouldn't limit myself to them.  These “golden lines” must stand out or “resonate” for you.  As you look through Wiesel's writings, listen with your ears and eyes for words that sound especially suitable.

*Your poem must have a purpose or theme.  Maybe you have a theme or topic in mind as you write down the words; maybe you want a theme to find you.  Either will work; however, the sooner you  identify the theme the more focused your word and phrase selection will become.  

*Once you have compiled a sturdy list (I'd recommend at least 40-50 different lines), it's time to put them in the order you want for your poem.   Arrange them in a way so that the poem makes sense and so that the theme is easily recognizable.  

*Next is the fun part.  Now you want to arrange the words artistically.  Manipulate the words and phrases so they make any kind of rhythm you like and so they read like you want them to.  You might

space words out so they are alone

orrunthemalltogether

you may decide to put 
key
words
on lines by
themselves

*You should have a base font (a font you use when not doing anything artistically to the words) but feel free to print words LARGE or underline them or use different fonts or italics.  What you do with the type font should impact your message.  

*Use color.  But use it carefully.  

*In the end, know why you did whatever you did to the words.  In other words, be able to explain why you emphasized the words the way you did.

*Read your words aloud to yourself as you arrange them.  If they sound good, go for it.  Hear the words as you arrange them.  ***Remember, though, that the poem has to make sense.***

*You may add up to three words of your own.  You may make changes in verb tense, possessives, plurals, punctuation, and capitalization to help with the flow or rhythm of the poem.

*Create a title which indicates your poem's topic or theme.

*Be ready to read or have your poem read aloud.  Be creative and allow yourself to be surprised.

W

Enriched 01-16-2013

Today was a pretty solid research/writing day.  I answered a lot of questions, saw a nice variety of topics, and feel that we are heading in the right direction for Tuesday's rough draft editing day.  I'm sticking to the idea that we will be turning in a final copy of the Next Big Thing paper on Friday, January 25.  I'll leave time for some questions tomorrow and Friday, but otherwise you should be working on this paper  at home.  Don't wait until Monday!

Are you ready?  Are you ready to be excited?  Are you ready to be thrilled? Tomorrow and Friday we will be spending some time on...I can't wait to tell you!  It's always been one of my favorite things to teach and do!  It's time!  It's fun!  It's engaging!  It can be anything you want it to be!  I can't wait to share one of my biggest passions with you!

See you tomorrow!




Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Enriched and Standard 01-15-2013

I know, I know, it's pretty late to finally be posting today, so I'll make this a quick combined posting.  I'm out of the classroom next Thursday (the 24th) to look at the Acuity pretest data, so we won't here or know much about the Acuity results until after then.

Periods three and four bounced back nicely today with the academic dialogue.  I have also been impressed with the writings you submitted today.  You'll be seeing those again tomorrow.

I gave a quick intro to our next assignment to period four today (the found poem) and will give a more in depth explanation tomorrow to both classes.   You were supposed to have some homework tonight on the found poem, but since the academic dialogue went so well, we ran out of time.  Guess that's another good reason to be participating in class on a regular basis.

Periods three and four: bring Night tomorrow.  You'll definitely need it.

Periods one, five, and six, I know you didn't "enjoy" the film today; it was somber, emotionally draining, and, as Conrad Adams said, "Creepy."  Nevertheless, it was well worth seeing, if only to hear Elie himself describe his memories and his surroundings.  Several things resonated with me after watching the video:

***breathing in the zyklon B gas was like suffocating, and it took 15 minutes to die
***the liberating armies found 7 tons of hair--that's 14,000 pounds of hair
***Elie talking about not being worthy to have survived the Holocaust; if not him, then who would be
      worthy?
***Elie's conviction that we must believe in humanity, in other words, people are basically good
***the old legend that says God sheds a tear for every child that dies--then how many tears did he shed
      during the Holocaust?
***how Elie feels that people shouldn't suffer just because he suffered; instead, since he
      suffered, he wants to do all he can so that others won't suffer like he did; that's putting society first
***we should never forget what we just read about; in other words, the past matters

Oprah said it best, 'Night is one of the most important books of our time.'

For tomorrow,you need to come to class prepared to research your topic.  Bring your notes.  Bring your sources.  Bring your devices.  Bring your questions.  I'll be looking to see what everyone has at the start of class.  I know you won't disappoint.  Make good use of tomorrow.

Tomorrow starts the beginning of the third quarter.  We are onto new and exciting things with a third quarter emphasis on fiction.  There's a lot of good fiction we'll be reading.  Get ready!

Come up to me tomorrow and tell me who your favorite fiction author is--and a book you read by the individual--and I'll sign your Archer card.

See you tomorrow.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Standard 1-14-2013

Academic dialogue-a discussion between two or more people (say, a classroom full of students) over a topic of intellectual value (say, a book talk).  The key to a successful academic dialogue is a willingness to, well, dialogue.  Without conversation, without people willing to share opinions, the dialogue will be flatter than an I-Hop pancake run over by a steamroller.  Today's discussion in both classes was less than stellar.  Not that there wasn't plenty to talk about.  You had questions.  You had passages you wrote down and responded to.  I threw out some topics.  Time to deliver as a class.

(Find the figurative language in the paragraph above and I'll sign your Archer card.)

Tomorrow we will get a chance at some very specific academic dialogue.

Period three, you should be typing up a paragraph on whether or not Elie passed the test that Rabbi Eliahu's son had set for him.  You need to be sure you have cited evidence from the text to support your reasoning.  You'll be using it  tomorrow and handing in the paragraph.

Period four, you should be typing up a paragraph on whether or not we should look out for each other (the Polish kapo on page 41) or just ourselves (the blockalteste on page 110).  You too should be sure you have cited evidence from the text to support your reasoning.  You'll be using it  tomorrow and handing in the paragraph.

After our discussion we will be looking at some poems, some themes, and start the first of assignments with Night.  More to come on that tomorrow.  See you then.




Enriched 1-14-2013

Good to see you all again today after the weekend.  Brian Kelly is coming back.  Peyton Manning is going home.  Argo won a Golden Globe.  Lance Armstrong lost his final hope.  I started reading The Devil in the White City.  You started writing a paper of the research type.

I'll sign the Archer card of anyone who tells me what literary term can be found in the first paragraph.

Now, about that paper.  Start working on it.  You should be selecting a topic this evening and starting some basic research on it tonight.  Remember all those topics we mentioned today.  Almost anything related to the Holocaust and World War II is on the table.  Propaganda.  Weapons.  Camps.  Paintings.  Resistance.  Ghettos.  Experiments.  Individuals.  Poetry.  These are just a few of the general ideas we threw out.  Find that topic you care about, narrow it down, and start researching.

We won't discuss the paper much at all tomorrow, but you should, again, work on it tomorrow night.  On Wednesday we'll spend the class time researching, discussing, writing, editing, sharing, listening, encouraging.  We'll also decide our next step that day.  Remember, Acuity testing is proceeding all week, so our computer access will be minimal.  If you care to bring your electronic device to research during class, feel free to do so.

This paper is a research paper, but I want you to tell the story of that research.  You are a "character" in your paper.  I want to know what you are doing, thinking, and feeling as you write and learn.  Here is a copy of the hand-out and rubric in case you need a reminder.

One final word on our discussion topic at the end of class today: Are people basically good?  James Iapulucci said it best when he said he is an optimist.  He likes to see the best in people.  I love that philosophy and subscribe to it myself.  Brett Shepard added a prescient comment as well by saying most people would not see the Holocaust as a positive event.  We realize that what happened there, what happened in Newtown, what happened with Superstorm Sandy are tragedies.  Sure some people will take advantage of these situations for their own advancement, but generally speaking, people will want to help, want to do what is best for others.  Generally speaking, people are basically good.  I still believe that if given the chance, people will do the right thing.

Ah...I feel better.

See you tomorrow.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Standard 01-10-2013

Tomorrow is Acuity 3rd quarter pretest day.  All classes will be taking the test--on the Discovery mobile lab I understand.  We'll take our time, answer the best we can, and get a feel for what we ned to be focusing on during the third quarter.

The substitute gave you a great report yesterday.  Thanks for dedicating yourself to the assignment I left behind.  So far, I've been pretty impressed with what you produced from the four prompt questions.  The effort there and your reading last night, helped to generate some decent discussion over the text today.  During our fishbowl activity both classes were slow to get started but eventually the discussion became more engaging.  Still some work to do on how to consistently engage in a discussion and not just share a thought with no rebuttal or comment to what was previously said.

If time permits after our Acuity testing, we will take a close look at a short story called "The Harmonica".  The topic will be familiar and I'll be asking you to make some comparisons.

Be sure to finish actively reading Night (highlighting and annotating) (pages 104-116) for Monday.  While our reading will then be completed, we will still have some activities to complete before moving onto a fiction friendly third quarter.  Third quarter starts Wednesday.  See you tomorrow.

Enriched 01-10-2013

Tomorrow is Acuity 3rd quarter pretest day.  All classes will be taking the test--on the Discovery mobile lab I understand.  We'll take our time, answer the best we can, and get a feel for what we ned to be focusing on during the third quarter.

Nice job coming prepared with the Nuremberg defense analysis pieces.  You also "posterized" them pretty quickly and effectively.  That allowed us to complete our Gallery Walk and have some discussion too.  Obviously, it is an idea that is not just relegated to World War II and the Nazis.  Instead, it is a defense that was utilized well before the war up to and through today.  And it's not just used by those involved in the armed services.  Several of Lance Armstrong's teammates tried to use the same excuse to explain away their use of performance enhancing drugs.  Should they be excused?  Several of you say yes.  Some of you aren't sure.  A majority of you say no.  It goes to show how difficult it is to come to any consensus.

Should time permit after our Acuity tests, we might look at some poems, and I might give you the final thing we'll be doing with out Night study before heading in a new direction.  Third quarter starts Wednesday.   See you tomorrow.


Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Standard 1-09-2013

Sorry about not telling you about my absence today.  I did forget yesterday since we were so engaged in our discussion.

Hope you answered those four questions well today in class.  I'll be looking for top notch responses and assessing them for twenty points.  If you read the book well, you should have generated some solid answers.

I know the substitute told you to actively read 98-103 for tomorrow.  Here's a little tip.  I'll be checking everyone's book tomorrow for quality active reading which means highlighting and annotating.  I'll be giving 5/5 points for a strong job on both highlighting and annotating.  If you only highlight with minimal or cursory annotating, you'll receive 3/5.   Poor or no highlighting and no annotating will earn you a 1/5 or a 0/5.  Be prepared.  There's a lot packed into those six little pages.

We are going to finish the book real soon, but we will be interrupted this Friday.  We will be taking our 3rd quarter Acuity pretest on Friday.  We have the mobile lab so we will be taking the test in our classroom.  Looking forward to that.

See you tomorrow.


Enriched 01-09-2013

Hope you all were well prepared for today's in-class writing assessment...wait...what am I saying...of course you all were.  You are all diligent, industrious students who care about your learning.  Anyway, I can't wait to read what you were thinking.  Are people basically good?  Does the past matter?  Are we  individuals first or parts of society first?  What IS really important in life?  Good reading ahead, no doubt.

Remember to complete your Nuremberg Defense analysis tonight.  Have the completed writings printed off and in class tomorrow.  We'll spend a bit of time organizing the info, do a gallery walk, and then discuss the conclusions we came to.

There will then be one final thing we will be doing with the book.  I'll give you more info on that tomorrow.

By the way, our 3rd quarter Acuity pretest will be Friday.  Word on the street is that we have the mobile lab, so we will be taking care of our pretest in the classroom.  I know 2nd quarter doesn't officially end until next Tuesday, but you guys have always been ahead of the curve.

Had a good meeting today.  We completed our two performance tasks for the third and fourth quarters. Sorry, but you'll have to wait to find out what they are all about.

See you tomorrow.



Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Standard 01-08-2013

Good job working on the prompts in class today and a nice job developing a strong discussion once we moved into our groups.  I want to celebrate the key contributors: Nolan Metcalf, Savannah Scott, Ben Rose, Jordan Vargo, Sam Nicholas, John Graham, Kelsey Johnson, Jacob Shreve, and a few others.  I also want to stress the importance of everyone getting involved.   Too many people (one is too many!) sat quietly instead of contributing to the conversation.  If you want to be successful in life, you need to participate.

If you were absent today, you'll need to respond to these prompts in your LA notebooks and show me the answers to earn your points for the Socratic seminar.  Here they are.


1) Find an example of dehumanization in pages 69-84.  Write the quote down in your book.  Write the page number.  Write an explanation why it is dehumanization.

2) Find an example of loss in pages 69-84.  Write the quote down in your book.  Write the page number.  Write an explanation why it is loss.

3) Find an example of indifference in pages 69-84.  Write the quote down in your book.  Write the page number.  Write an explanation why it is indifference.

4) Why is it so important that Elie take the knife and spoon from his father on page 75?

5) What is ironic about what Elie says about Akiba Drumer on page 77?

6) What does the prisoner mean on page 81 when he says, “I have more faith in Hitler than in anyone else”?

7) Elie and his father on page 82...should they have left the camp or stayed in the infirmary?  What would you have done?


Tonight you should be actively reading Night pages 85-97.  There is a lot going on.  It's hard to believe Elie and so many others survived.  Read it well.  There are a few things we will be doing with it tomorrow.  See you then.

Enriched 01-08-2013

We made some great progress on the Nuremberg Defense analysis today.  You should finish up any uncompleted work over the next two nights and bring final copies of the two arguments and the conclusion to class on Thursday.  On that day we will put the information together and study your findings.  Be sure you have evidence to support both the legitimacy of the Nuremberg Defense and the reasons it is faulty.  Remember to have a dissenting opinion typed up as well if your group can't all agree on the validity of the defense.

Tomorrow you will be completing an in-class timed writing.  You will have 45 minutes to complete the writing.  In order to be prepared you should spend some time tonight identifying the evidence you will use from Night to support your response to one of the four prompts.  Here they are listed again for your convenience.

Are people basically good?

What is really important in life?

Does the past matter?

Are we individuals first or part of a society?

You will be able to have the book right next to you as you write tomorrow in class.  You should also have any evidence you plan on using with you.  While you can do a draft or a practice writing tonight, that will not be able to be with you in class.  All writing must be done in the classroom tomorrow.  You'll be given a rubric and instruction sheet tomorrow.  Do yourself a favor and prepare well.  I won't be there, so I will see you on Thursday.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Standard 01-07-2012

Wow!  What a great day!  I start it off by seeing all of you for the first time in 17 days and I end it watching the Irish battle Alabama for the National Championship after a 40 day wait.  If you are like me (and I found out today that a lot of you aren't), you've completed a lot of books since the last time Notre Dame played.  Three I've completed most recently are Dust Lands by Moira Young, The Heart and the Fist by Eric Greitens and Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden.    The first two were good, but you are all well aware of how much I enjoyed Black Hawk Down.  Without a doubt, one of the best books I've read in the last 365 days, and I've read a lot.  If you like war books--and have a strong stomach--you might want to check this one out.

Today you received your papers back and typed up some reflections.  If you want to rewrite your paper, you can, BUT you need to bring that typed reflection in and see me so that I can make sure you are going to be improving the right things.  I wouldn't want you to spend a bunch of time fixing things that don't need fixing and ignoring things that need to be repaired.  Set up a time to see me this week.

You should be actively reading 69-84 tonight in your Night books.  Kickoff to the Notre Dame game is  about an hour away so be sure to get the reading finished now.  I'm going to reread that section myself as soon as I post this entry.

Have a good night.  Go Irish.  See you tomorrow.

Enriched 1-07-2012

Wasn't it great to be back in school again today?  It sure was great to see all of you and hear about all of your exciting experiences over the break.  I was able to read three books over break including Dust Lands by Moira Young, The Heart and the Fist by Eric Greitens, and Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden.  You all know about Black Hawk Down since I raved about it in class today.  I'll say it one more time.  What an amazing book, all the more powerful since it is a true account of a one day battle in Mogadishu, Somalia.  It is, without a doubt, the most intense and, to borrow a word from The Wall Street Journal, "riveting" book I've ever read.

Today you began an analysis of the Nuremberg Defense.  You'll be continuing along that path tomorrow, researching and writing about the reasons why it is and is not a legitimate defense, coming to your own conclusions about it and presenting your results in an aesthetically pleasing manner.  I want you to be able to staunchly defend both sides.  That will require solid research and a strong knowledge of all the components of the argument.

I'm going to be out of the building on Wednesday.  I've got something special planned for you.  Hint: you'll need your Night book.  More on that tomorrow.

Tonight?  Enjoy the game.  Don't stay up too late.  Go Irish.  See you tomorrow.