Daily Annoucements
I post here daily about what we accomplished in class each day, including handouts and links available to students on my CANVAS site.
Thursday, 3/15 (Beware the Ides of March)
Day 34, Semester 2 After 10 minutes of reading, we held our second "game" of IRT March Madness and then went directly back to the final scene of Oedipus Rex. We worked on paraphrasing the final lines, creating theme statements, and analyzing the use of irony in the play. At the end of class, we took another look at the Study Guide posted on Canvas and discussed some study strategies for the test tomorrow. Homework: Test tomorrow! Prepare for the test by completing the irony analysis handout, using the practice test on Greek Drama and studying names/terms from the textbook project, studying the tracking evidence chart especially for quotes provide characterization by what the characters say to others and what others say about them. Also, finish revising 3rd ACES paragraph by reading and considering the accuracy of peer feedback. The entire portfolio is due on Monday, 3/19, so go back to previous revised paragraphs and get them as you'd like them for evaluation. Use the Writing Conventions Checklist you picked up in class today.
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WeWednesday, 3/14 (Happy Pi Day!)
Day 33 of Semester 2 After our 10 minutes of independent reading, we began our March Madness with the first bracket. The student reading each randomly selected book told the class a bit about the book, including its genre, the protagonist, and a brief synopsis of the beginning of the story. The class then voted which book they would most like to read next, based on the information given. We have eight days of first round brackets before we move on to the next round. "Winners" will need to update us in the second round about what's happened in their book as they have continued reading since winning the first round. Next, we finished reviewing Scenes 3 and 4, which students read in their groups in our last class (Monday or Tuesday). We then listened to a reading of the final scene, Exodos, and answered review questions as we followed along. We did not completely finish the play, however, so tomorrow we will finish and review Part 2 in preparation for the test. Homework: Begin studying for unit test (moved to Friday) and work on revisions to ACES paragraph #3 based on feedback. 3rd and 4th period have until tomorrow to get feedback on this ACES paragraph but can begin revisions as soon as they get feedback. Because of inclement weather, 1st period met on Monday, 3/12 and 3rd and 4th periods met on Tuesday, 3/13. We did the same work over the course of the 2 days:
After 10 minutes of reading, I asked everyone to write their name and the book they are reading for IRT on a note card. I will draw 16 random cards to use in our IRT March Madness. Students will give a brief synopsis of their book, if chosen, and classes will vote which books to move along in the brackets until we have a winner! My goal with this IRT Madness is to help students develop an interest in books they might not otherwise pick up to read. I then had students write on the other side of the the note card which method they chose to use for feedback on their Tragic Hero ACES paragraph drafts: peer reviewer (someone in the same class) or Writing Center peer tutor. `Their assignment for this week is to solicit feedback on their writing according to their choice written on this card. The Writing Center is open during A half of Smart Lunch on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in Room 1504. For the next 40-45 minutes, students read Part II: Scenes 3 and 4 in their groups, taking note of textual evidence for the four claims on the Part II evidence chart in their binders. We used the reading comprehension questions (posted on Canvas) to review the scenes in the final 15 minutes of class. We will finish that review in class before reading the final section of the play on Wednesday. HW: Get feedback on your final ACES paragraph from peer reviewer or Writing Center tutor by deadline (1st period: Wednesday; 3rd and 4th periods: Thursday). Begin studying for unit test on Oedipus/Tragedy and Fate. Study guide is posted on Canvas and includes a practice quiz on Greek Drama and Tragedy information. We relocated to the media center today so that everyone would have room to work on the posters for the literary seismograph project (due today by the end of class) and access to computers to work on the modern day tragic hero ACES (due by the end of the day today). In 4th period, we discussed the ACES paragraph in the classroom before moving to the media center. Since they spent most of class yesterday on the poster project, they were more focused on the ACES today while individual ones finished up their individual sections of the poster.
Homework: Finish draft of modern day tragic hero by 11:59 PM tonight (in the Google Portfolio document below the previous 2 ACES paragraphs. Thursday, 3/8
Day 30 of Semester 2 After 10 minutes of reading, we needed a few minutes to finish discussing Scene II of Oedipus. Then, I had the class divide up so that one half worked in groups on the seismograph project while the other half worked individually to write the draft of the modern-day tragic hero ACES in the portfolio. After 25-30 minutes or so, they then switched focus. We will do the same in class tomorrow, and both assignments are due at the end of class. Homework: Work on ACES or seismograph as much as needed to put yourself in a position to finish by the end of class tomorrow. Wednesday, 3/7
Day 30 of Semester 2 After 10 minutes of reading, we spent time in class reviewing the components of each sentence in an ACES paragraph so that students could begin creating their own plan for the modern-day tragic hero ACES paragraph. We also discussed how to choose two of the six characteristics of the tragic hero for the ACES' claim and how to incorporate other useful characteristics into the paragraph (HINT: ADJECTIVE CLAUSES). Lastly, we reviewed the students' comprehension of the important revelations from Scene II which they read yesterday (in 1st and 3rd period; 4th period will read/discuss in class today). Homework: Write out the full plan for the modern-day tragic hero ACES by writing a claim, choosing/writing out evidence, making notes on the explanations, and making notes on significance. Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Day 29 After 10 minutes of reading (again, no time for IRT in 4th period today as we try to catch up from loss of class time last week), we reviewed the concepts of Rhetoric and the three rhetorical appeals (ethos, logos, and pathos). With those clearly established, each group read aloud Scene II (pp. 221-227 until Creon exits) and noted at least 2 examples of each type of appeal used by either Oedipus or Creon to turn in. Then, they agreed as a group to continue reading aloud or to read silently until everyone finished Scene II (pp. 227-233). Finally, they found strong and thorough textual evidence to include on row 3 of the Tracking Evidence chart for each of the claims in the 5 columns (Hint: Thebes as a ship appears again in Choragos' lines on page 228). 4th period needed some class time to learn about the modern-day tragic hero ACES assignment and select an article or brainstorm a person to find an article about and will have to finish reading Scene II at home tonight. Homework: Make sure Part I tracking evidence chart is complete with strong and thorough evidence for every square. Finish reading and writing out evidence of the 6 tragic hero characteristics for the modern-day hero article. We will start planning the ACES in class tomorrow and write the draft by Friday.
Monday, 3/5
Semester 2, Day 28 (Only 1st period had independent reading time at the beginning of class because 3rd and 4th are playing catch up for time lost last week to ACT testing, etc.) Today, we evaluated the arguments between Oedipus and Teiresias in Scene I of Oedipus Rex. First, students conducted a silent debate to summarize the arguments between the two men (1st period finished the silent debate last week). Then, they evaluated the relative strengths and weaknesses of the points made. I then introduced the concepts of rhetoric, rhetorical appeals, and the three main appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos (more from Aristotle). The class watched a short video (see above), about the use of these appeals in persuasive speech, took notes on the three appeals, and then applied those to the argument in Scene I. Tomorrow when they read Scene II, they will repeat this process to evaluate the argument between Oedipus and Creon. Finally, I introduced the topic of our final ACES paragraph by asking them to read and annotate (using a graphic organizer) an article about a modern day tragic hero. I had three articles about Joe Paterno, Lance Armstrong, and Oscar Pistorius available for them to choose from, but they could also research and find their own article about a different example (some they mentioned were Bernie Madoff, Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, and Robin Williams). Tonight, they should read the article and complete the graphic organizer with examples of each of the tragic hero characteristics they find. Friday, 3/2
Semester 2, Day 27 We started with our grammar quiz, so students could work as long as necessary and read independently after. Some students needed the entire period (short classes today for early release) for the quiz, so I have nothing else to report. HW: Finish making revisions to Hero ACES in Google Portfolio doc. This doc is already shared with me, so there is no other action needed to submit by the deadline (tonight 11:59 PM). Thursday, 3/1
Semester 2, Day 26 Today's classes were short so that our Sophomore Class Academic Counselor, Mr. Gross, could come in to talk to students about registration for next year's classes. With the time we had, students read for 10 minutes (except for 4th period), reviewed types of sentences for tomorrow's quiz, and conducted a silent debate on which speaker, Oedipus or Teiresias, was more credible in Scene I. HW: Study for Grammar quiz tomorrow. Finish revisions to Hero ACES in Google portfolio document by end of day Friday. |