Caged Bird and The Pedestrian

QBTs have been off to a fairly rough start so far.  We need to step up the preparation and deliver smooth presentations.  From this writing forward, all QBTs must be a minimum of 55 seconds long. A heavy penalty will be handed down to anyone not speaking for at least 55 seconds.  the structure should be pretty easy to follow otherwise:

Lead/Intro
Synopsis/Summary
Selling Point
Conclusion

Let's get them done well.

We looked deeper at "The Pedestrian" today in the honors classes.  We saw an important secondary meaning of the word "pedestrian".  We tried to decipher what Bradbury was trying to say and we made several connections to "Harrison Bergeron".  Those are all good.

Tonight I want you to think about the word individuality with regard to the two stories.

I also want you to read and annotate "Caged Bird" by Maya Angelou.  Like the title of Bradbury's short story, there is more to this poem than just a caged bird.  Think outside the box and, of course, be thinking about how the poem connects to the Vonnegut and Bradbury stories.

Acuity testing in language arts will take place on Thursday.

In the standard class we just started reading "The Pedestrian".  You are to complete the reading for class tomorrow being sure to annotate it like we were doing in class.  You should also be considering the following questions as you read:

1) What is a pedestrian?

2) Describe the city.

3) Pay close attention to everything about the police car. What does it symbolize?

4) Towards the end of the story, Bradbury describes a house that is “brightly lit”. What does that house symbolize?

5) Is the reader left with a positive or negative feeling? Explain and defend your response.

6) What is Bradbury's purpose?

7) How is the story “The Pedestrian” similar to “Harrison Bergeron”?

You don't have to answer the questions yet but you should be prepared to discuss them tomorrow.

Until next time...

The Pedestrian

We officially started the QBTs today...and not everyone was as prepared as he or she needed to be.  I drafted a couple people who would have benefited from a bit more practice.   Put in some good practice time tonight so you can offer a polished presentation tomorrow. For those of you who have already presented,  I'll record the scores tonight and you can see your assessment tomorrow in class.

In the honors class we had a brief talk on "The Pedestrian" today just hammering out the plot details. Tomorrow we will be diving into the story a little deeper.  Be sure you review the prompts below so that you can be an active contributor in class.

          1) Bradbury spends a significant amount of time writing about TV...what is its role in this
              society?
          2) Why does Bradbury name the story "The Pedestrian"?
          3) How does the setting establish the tone? Offer examples for support.
          4) What is ironic in this story?
          5) Is the reader left with a positive feeling or a nagative feeling?  Explain.
          6) What is Bradbury's purpose?
          7) In what ways is "The Pedestrian" similar to "Harrison Bergeron"?

In that standard class we haven't yet read "The Pedestrian".  We'll take a look at it tomorrow and then move forward from there.

Until next time...

Weekend Warriors

Today we worked on connecting two different pieces of writing.  We took "Harrison Bergeron" and a collection of quotes and used the short story to validate the quote.  We also analyzed the writing to see what needs to be done to make it as strong as possible.

We made it further in the honors classes so I passed out "The Pedestrian" to those three classes.  This weekend you should read and annotate (notes in the margins!) the short story.  Here's a link in case you were absent.    Be ready to discuss this story on Monday.  Be thinking of how the story could be a satire.  Also consider the different meanings of the title.  Think beyond the obvious.

QBTs start Monday.  You need your typed outline on Monday and you need to be ready to present.  Practice this weekend.  Then practice some more.  Can't wait to hear about your books.

Until next time...

Heavy Dose of Harrison

After a quick review of irony and satire we took a head first dive into "Harrison Bergeron" to understand Harrison's motivation and level of success.

We also tried to figure out what we could about Kurt Vonnegut by what he offered in the writing.

The story is obviously taking the idea of equality to the extreme making equality look ridiculous.  So does that mean Vonnegut is against equality?

Yet at the end the man who wanted to get rid of equality is dead and the woman who supported equality is alive.  Things also return to "normal".  Does that mean Vonnegut was for equality?

The story was written in 1961 during the burgeoning Civil Rights movement.  Was Vonnegut trying to say something about the black struggle for equality?

The key line in the text has Harrison saying, "'Now watch me become what I can become!'" So does Vonnegut support personal freedom without limits?

He seems to be mocking the doomsayers and the extremists.  Is he against them?

Another thing to consider is what Vonnegut is satirizing in the story.

Lots to talk about in class today.

Now for tomorrow, the honors classes have three quotes to read and think about.  They need to be able to connect the quote to the story and write about it fluidly.  Tonight you thin.  Tomorrow you write.  Here are the quotes.

 1) If liberty and equality are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government the utmost.

-Aristotle

2) Equality, rightly understood as our founding fathers understood it, leads to liberty and to the emancipation of creative differences; wrongly understood, as it has been so tragically in our time, it leads to conformity and then despotism.

-Barry Goldwater

3) Equality may perhaps be a right, but no power on earth can ever turn it into a fact.

-Honore de Balzac

Until next time...

"Harrison Bergeron" and Satire

We opened up class today with a look at satire.  We now have a working definition that reads as follows:

1. the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.

We also listed off several examples including Honest Trailers, The Daily Show, and, of course, "Harrison Bergeron".  The left-handed Green Goblin article from The Onion is also a pretty awesome example.  You can look at it again here.  

We then started discussing "Harrison Bergeron".  We seemed to have a decent understanding of the plot and started to move to some deeper discussion questions like the ones I posted on yesterday's blog.  We'll wrap those up tomorrow, and then you'll do a little work with either a picture or some quotes.  I'll decide later on tonight.  

Keep working on those QBTs.  They will be starting for all of you in five days.  

Until next time...

Irony

Today I introduced irony in all its creative glory.  Here's a link to the slide show you saw in class.  Can you remember what the three types of irony are?  Can you offer original examples of each one?  Can you define them all?  If not, check out your notes or revisit the slide show.

We'll be talking about irony a lot this year.  You'll want to remember it.

We will also be talking about "Harrison Bergeron" throughout the year.  We started diving into it today, but tomorrow's class will be a deeper dig into the Vonnegut classic.  A few things to think about:

What is Harrison's goal?

Does he succeed?

What are Vonnegut's beliefs based on the story?

What is satire and what is Vonnegut trying to satire here?

What is ironic about the story?

We will look at these questions, some of yours and a few others tomorrow.  Be ready to discuss.

Possible QBTs tomorrow.  Have the typed outline ready to be turned in the day you present.  Monday at the latest.

Until next time...

Is Equality a Worthwhile Goal?

Collected the investigative journalism articles today.  I'll start assessing hem tonight.  Period one, you are up first.

Gave my sample QBT today.  It was obviously a work in progress since I went about 15 seconds over.  I still need to edit it down, but hopefully, you saw the key things you need to do to be successful in yours.

Remember to type up a paper with what you are going to say for your QBT.  Include sections on the intro, the synopsis, the sell and the conclusion.  Remember to say the title and author in the beginning and repeat them at the end as well.  We'll start Wednesday with volunteers but officially kick it off on Monday, October 6.  On that day, everyone needs to be prepared to present.

So is equality a worthwhile goal?  We heard plenty of arguments for both sides.  After the obvious discussion points of race, gender and religion, some of you looked deeper into how far we should take the equality idea.  I believe you'll find that tonight's highlighted and annotated reading of "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut fits right in with today's class discussion.  Come to class tomorrow with your thoughts and questions but also consider this:

What are you willing to sacrifice in the quest for perfection?  

Can't wait to hear what you think.

Until next time...

Investigative Journalism and the QBT

Tomorrow is almost here and that means that the investigative journalism paper will soon be published and submitted to me.  You'll be giving me a typed, double-spaced, hard copy tomorrow when you walk into class.  Please print it at home as our school printer is not prepared to handle an onslaught of student printing.  It'll wear out quicker than  Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s tires.

Do yourself a favor.  Give your paper and the rubric to a trusted editor and have him/her give it one final read and assessment.

Double check to be sure your Works Cited page is attached.

Did you identify all your sources?

Be sure not to stack your quotes.

Make sure your points are clear.

Then print it and bring it to class.

Now onward! To the QBT!

I still say the the QBT is as fun to present as it is to say: Quickie Bookie Talkie! I'm even laughing as I type it!

Here's what I'm expecting you to do for the QBT. IN 60 SECONDS!

1) Pick the book.  (should be already completed)

2) Read the book. (should be already completed)

3) Start planning the following parts of the QBT:

     A) Your introduction-it needs to be brief but catchy in some way; be clever but quick
   
     B) Title and author-do not forget to say these two; that will be a an error proportionate to eating seven chili dogs 30 minutes before running a marathon (trust me...not a good idea)
   
     C) Organize your ideas on the plot of the story into a couple sentence summary.
     Use just the highlights.
     Then cut those down to the highlights of the highlights.
     And then use only the key highlights of the highlights.
     Remember your whole speech is only 60 seconds!
   
     D) Now you are on your selling point or points (no more than 2).  You need to figure out what makes this book of yours special.  What makes it unique?  Why should someone read it? Don't say it has a lot of action.  Tons of books have a lot of action.  Find something different about your book. Then discuss it efficiently and effectively.  Convince people to read your book (or not read your book if you are going in that direction).

     E) Time is running out.  The seconds are whizzing by faster than a Katniss arrow.  But you still have to wrap up the QBT.  No you can't say any of the following:

I'm done.

That's it.

I'm finished.

The end.

Time to clap.

Or anything like those.

Make it clear that you are finished and none of those will be necessary.  Offer one good closing sentence; you know, end with a jolt or a clever twist.  Make it good!

That's the QBT.  We'll start as early as Wednesday (depending on volunteers) and as late as next Monday.  I'll give a sample tomorrow or Tuesday.  We ALL need to be ready to go by next Monday.
60 seconds.

30 points.

The QBT.

Until next time...

The QBT Intro

The QBT!

QBT? What's a QBT?

It's a Quickie Bookie Talkie!  Fun to say and fun to present!

I told you about the QBT today.  Hopefully you've read your book and started to organize some thoughts in your head as to what you will be saying in your 60 second QBT.  I promise to have more detail on the blog come Sunday.  Check back here then for all the nitty-gritty details.

Your big focus this weekend will be on the investigative journalism submission.  Make it the best you possibly can. Have a typed, double-spaced, hard copy, complete with Works Cited, in class on Monday.  Be sure to print it at home because the ink level at school is pretty low.

If you are out of ink, think of a different way to print it.

If your printer doesn't work, think of a different way to print it.

If your Wi-Fi isn't working, think of a different way to print it.

Just have it printed and in class on Monday.

Thanks.

Until next time...

Sharing Day

Today, we shared.  We heard a nice variety of topics and had some good discussions over how individuals might improve their papers and how those specific changes might help all of us.  Some key points made included:

1) Every statistic must be cited.  Whenever you have a statistic, a fact, a number, a questionable statement then you must identify the source where you found the information.

2) We STILL need to clearly identify every person in our papers.

3) Word usage: be aware of the words you use and avoid needless repetition of the same words.

4) Read your writing aloud. As individuals shared today, they read their writings aloud and found errors they hadn't noticed before.

5) Do not offer a lengthy paragraph made up entirely of one quote.

6) Be sure to discuss and explain the quotes whenever necessary.

7) Don't make assumptions unless you can prove them to be true.  (At that point they aren't assumptions any more.)

8) Use the OWL to correctly write your Works Cited page.

There's probably more but that is enough for now.  Be sure to work that allusion in your paper.  Be sure to proofread.

We are looking to have a complete, typed, double-spaced, properly-headed, Work-Cited-included printed  hard copy in class on Friday.

I'm not here tomorrow but be on your best behavior and be ready to work.

Until next time...