First week of 2nd Semester Plan

Focus: Goal setting for the semester and motivation to start strong
2nd half of the week: Begin Transcendentalism.

Monday:
Read aloud To a Bright Kid with Trouble(s) . Have printed copies available for students to follow along with. Provide the link on Edmodo because there are resources listed at the end of the post.

• Ask students to freewrite for 5 minutes about any thoughts they had while I read associated with the blog. Students share at their tables and then allow anyone who would like to whole class share to share. 
• Tell students that the ante is being upped for Freewriting this semester. Ask them to count their words and place the count at the bottom of the freewrite. Also ask them to date the freewrite.

This activity is based on this blog post

• Hand out the Words of Intention Word Bank, 3x5 notecards, and art boxes. 
• Ask students to think about the concept of New Year's Resolutions. Look at the word bank with that in mind and choose a word that best fits what you want to be in 2013. 
• Write the word on one side of the card and illustrate it. Then on the back, write 2 or 3 sentences about how you plan to accomplish this goal. 
• Put your name on the card either on the back or the front. 

Tuesday:

Design the perfect English Class

What kinds of activities would you do with students if you were asked to teach an English class. 

We're going to focus on reading the first half of this semester, what would you do to make yourself a better reader?

Wednesday:

Transcendentalism Anticipation Guide

Intro the transcendentalist ideals

Thursday: 

Walt Whitman poem: Annotation of poetry

Introduce and model Cornel Note taking while viewing the film

Begin viewing Dead Poet's Society

Friday:

Excerpt from Walden 

Viewing of Dead Poet's Society

**Having looked at this again, with my plan book in front of me, I know I have too much crammed in to this first week. So, I'll be spreading it out and update later with how I manage that. 

Reader's Workshop for The Great Gatsby

It's Lesson Planning time....

The essential skills:
What are the best aspects of literature to teach with Gatsby?

• Setting
• History
• Description
• Narrative Voice
• Why would Fitzgerald choose this voice?
• The role of the narrator? What's he for?
• Theme
• The American Dream
• Gluttony of Wealth
• The appeal of social climbing
• American Caste system?

Bare bones structure of how the Workshop will work (Hah! I laugh at the redundancy of that).
We read The Great Gatsby as a mentor text practicing all of the essential skills, then students read their own novel of choosing. Something from the time period or about the time period (I want to make a list for students to choose from).

My ideas for how this workshop will work are very much based on Cris Tovani's work and helped by Kelly Galagher. The mini-lessons will primarily follow the Big Read (linked below) only condensed.

I intend to give a pre-assessment and and a post-assessment so that I can see where I'm landing as far as teaching. I feel like I need to have the data to back-up my teaching. I also need to pull the Common Core Standards to align with this plan.



Resources
The Great Gatsby Movie Trailer
SCC English Gatsby ShowMe
Dumbing Down Gatsby
American Dream in Gatsby
The Great Gatsby Big Read

I had to add this video! I just found this and it's AWESOME!
Crash Course Literature The Great Gatsby 1
Crash Course Literature The Great Gatsby 2

Monday 15 November 2010

SSR Today

Sustained Silent Reading:

Timer is set for 30 minutes.

Students read silently for the full time. They may read any BOOK of their choosing.

BUT it is suggested that they read their Independent reading books for their assignment.

Last 10-18 minutes of class

 

***NO Reader Response today****

Friday, 12 November 2010

Students continue to read  "The Birthmark." Once they have finished reading the story and taking notes on their Analyzing Relationships sheet, the students use their notes, and our earlier discussion to write two paragraphs about Alymer and Georgiana's relationship and beauty in the story. 

Thursday, 11 November

Students will begin reading "The Birthmark" by Nathaniel Hawthorne today.
We begin by discussing Beauty in groups of 4 using Jim Burke's Conversational Round-table. The students discuss what beauty meant in the Past, what it means in the present, what it could mean in the future, and what beauty is in other cultures. Once they have brainstormed ideas all the way around then they write a summary definition using all of their conversation notes.

Once we have finished discussing, students begin reading.

Wednesday, 10 November

Writer's Workshop Day
Mini-Lesson 7: Development

Development is how you flesh out the body of your paper.

Idea development refers to the details, examples, or images that develop and support the main idea (focus).    

Choose examples, details, quotations, explanations, elaborations that capture and maintain the reader’s attention

Refer to your FODP handout for examples of each of the above listed.

Monday, 8 November 2010

SSR Today

Sustained Silent Reading:

Timer is set for 30 minutes.

Students read silently for the full time. They may read any BOOK of their choosing.

BUT it is suggested that they read their Independent reading books for their assignment.

Last 10-18 minutes of class

Continue to read and/or do Reader Response Journal. 

Friday, November 5th, 2010

The plan for today was to discuss symbolism and finish reading "The Minister's Black Veil."

I wanted to the students to brainstorm a variety of things that the veil could symbolize and pick one that made the most sense to them and write a bit about it.

I also had a vocabulary workout for them with words from the story.

However, I was absent today and the sub merely handed out the worksheets and let the students do them on their own.

Thursday, November 4

Literature Day!
Today we are begining to read "The Minister's Black Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

I began the class with a Freewrite.
I gave the students two options for writing today
1. Does sin exist? If so, what is sin? And, should it remain hidden or be revealed through confession or punishment?
2. Is humanity primarily evil or good? Why?

I asked them to choose to write about one topic or the other.

After the students write for 5 minutes. We discuss both questions as a class.
I use the discussion to segue into the story on page 71 of The American Tradition textbook.
The students decide as a class whether they want to read alone or popcorn. 

Wednesday, November 3

Writer's Workshop

Mini-Lesson 5 Purpose
Be sure you have your FODP handout from Mini-Lesson 3

Look at the purpose column of your handout for specific questions to guide thinking for writing

Autobiography: Narration,  Description, Illustration

Persuasive Essay/ Editorial: Persuasion

Tuesday, November 2

Writer's Workshop Day
Mini-Lesson 4 Focus

Topic Selection: Student's have one chance to change their topic now. After today they need to settle and stay with one topic for their Second quarter paper.

Student's also have time to work on revising their Editorials.
The FINAL copies of their Editorials are due on Friday, November 5.

Thursday, October 27, 2010

Freewrite: Life change is a heart issue not a legislative issue.

Lesson: The Crucible Discussion
    1. Discuss the Freewrite. Compare to The Biggest Loser. Unless change comes from the inside it doesn't last even when it's something as simple as losing weight. .
       The Puritan life revolved around their religion. Isn't the main point of religion to cause "life change?"
   2. If so, then why didn't it change the lives of those involved in the witch trials?
   3. If the religion that the Puritans enforced so religiously was supposed to create pure life then why were so many sins evident in Salem: adultery, vengeance, hate, lying, stealing, greed, and pride?

4. Read pages 1252-1256
Talk about how societies that legislate pure living foster rebellion.
Communism, religious societies of various creeds, and so on.

SSR Today! Monday November 1

Lesson:

Sustained Silent Reading:

Timer is set for 30 minutes.

Students read silently for the full time. They may read any BOOK of their choosing.

BUT it is suggested that they read their Independent reading books for their assignment.

Last 10-18 minutes of class

Continue to read and/or do Reader Response Journal. 

SSR Today! Wednesday, October 27

Lesson:

Sustained Silent Reading:

Timer is set for 30 minutes.

Students read silently for the full time. They may read any BOOK of their choosing.

BUT it is suggested that they read their Independent reading books for their assignment.

Last 10-18 minutes of class

Continue to read and/or do Reader Response Journal. 

Lesson Plan for Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Lesson: Finish The Crucible.
After finishing the film, have the students freewrite answering the questions:
What do you think of John Proctor?
Did he make the right decision?
Where you put in the same position would you be able to choose between life and death?
Once the students have written have them share with each other and discuss the questions as a group.

Lesson Plan for Thursday, September 30, 2010

Freewrite: Am I my "brother's" keeper? "brother" equals sibling, friend, fellow citizen, fellow human.
The phrase "brother's keeper" usually means that you are caring from someone, protecting them, guiding them, whether your help was solicited or not.

Lesson: Discuss the freewrite. What does it mean personally, in a community, and for a government?

Give the Puritan Philosophy and Culture presentation that is posted below.

Thursday, September 30, 2009

Puritan Philosophy and Culture on Prezi

I showed this presentation today in class. If you were absent or in third hour you need to view it. 

Thanks,

Monday, September 27

Objectives:
• Student reading comprehension will increase through Silent Sustained Reading
• Students will read guided by a purpose and with a long range plan in mind.

Supply:
***
Freewrite:
• Supply: If I were a blank check, I . . .
• If I were a masterpiece of art I. . .
• If I were a garbage can I .. .

Lesson:
Sustained Silent Reading:
Timer is set for 30 minutes.
Students read silently for the full time. They may read any BOOK of their choosing.
BUT it is suggested that they read their Independent reading books for their assignment.
Last 10-18 minutes of class
Continue to read and/or do Reader Response Journal.

Thursday, September 23, 2009

Objectives:
• To introduce students to the idea of prejudice, accusation, and defense like what they will see in The Crucible

Supply:
***A Deck of Playing Cards
***Notecards
Freewrite: None

Lesson:
REFLECTION!!! **Do Reflection**

Play Mafia *See rules for Mafia* only call it Witches.
When students finish playing the game then handout notecards and ask students to discuss the similarities between the game and real life. Ask them to think specifically about the accusations, the defenses, and why certain people were accused more than others.

Exit Pass question: What principles of life are represented by the game Witches/Mafia?

Week of September 20 Assignments

Wednesday, September 22
English III
Objectives:
• Students will choose an issue to write an editorial piece about
• Students will write a letter to the editor or an editorial piece for publication in the school’s newspaper or website.
Freewrite: This I believe. . .
Make a list of what you believe to be true.
Lesson:
MINI-Lesson 1.
Editorials

• o Choose a topic of controversy
• If you need a topic I have a list
• Needs to be a topic that you know something about.
• The subject must be supportable by facts
• o Recognize the opposite side
• Address the opinion of the other side by stating why their opinions are wrong
• o Support with Facts & Examples
• Research if Possible
• o Strong introduction, Organized, Spell Check, Proper Conventions
• o Beware of being overly controversial in your topic choice
• Avoid overused topics
• Avoid being too personal or emotional
• Don’t overly Aggressive!
• Conclusion:
• Final Punchline or clincher about your opinion.

Tuesday, September 21
English III
Objectives:
students will think with literature
Students will develop inductive and analytical questions which they will use to guide their independent/SSR reading.

Lessons: IR/SSR Work Day
Proposal’s are due tomorrow!


Monday September 20, 2010
English III

Sustained Silent Reading:
Timer is set for 30 minutes.
Students read silently for the full time. They may read any BOOK of their choosing.
BUT it is suggested that they read their Independent reading books for their assignment.
Last 10-18 minutes of class
Continue to read and/or do Reader Response Journal.