Modernity

1/10: Board ideas about theme possibilities. Board notes about Luhrmann's style. We began watching scenes from Moulin Rouge!

1/9: In class: write for 8 minutes about the book (do this on the same piece of paper as the Moulin Rouge! weekend homework) about the bok, what you are thinking, connections you can make, etc. In book groups, talk through the endings of the book and start working on connections to the film.

1/7: We finished Moulin Rouge!

1/4: HOMEWORK: Keep reading and respond to 2 of the bulleted points about the film.

In class, we continued Moulin Rouge!

1/3: HOMEWORK: Keep reading. Be thinking about the very good questions you wrestled with in groups today and about the craziness of the opening of the film.

We met in book groups to share thematic ideas from yesterday and started Moulin Rouge!

1/2: HOMEWORK: Keep reading, with an eye to the thematic and from ideas we looked at today.

In class, we read for most of the class, then looked at these bulleted ideas and revisited the book to explore them:

    • · breaking boundaries of convention
    • · the power of memory
    • · death as inevitable and elusive (think about the ways in which art can conquer death)
    • · who tells the story and whose story is it to tell
    • · the role of the artists in the world
    • · search for identity and a sense of worth
    • · the complicated nature of love

12/21: HOMEWORK: Reading over break. We'll have a reading day on the Wednesday we return.

To start, writing about the book - what's sticking, what do you need to talk about, characters,relationships, setting ideas, etc. Then, close reading two pages (if possible, pages that break convention) in an effort to explore medium and "messsage" as we did with poetry/children's books. Then, take all of that and meet in book groups.

12/19: HOMEWORK: Read for Friday.

Meeting in book groups. We looked at children's books and poems that break conventions in an effort to better understand how form works to enhance the artist's ideas and/or the questions s/he is wrestling with.

12/18: HOMEWORK: Read for groups on Wednesday.

We finished Won't You be My Neighbor?

12/17: HOMEWORK: Read for groups on Wednesday.

In class: Meeting in book groups today: talk about plot first. Ask any questions/confusions that are getting in your way (know that you might not have answers). Talk about characterization, relationships, setting, etc. and make any connections between them that you can. Revise your reading schedule if needed for Wed and Friday (on Wed I am going to ask you to set reading goals for break).

Part of our connection between Mr Rogers and these books come from these two quotes (so don’t lose them):

“The world needs a sense of worth and it will achieve it only by its people feeling that they are worthwhile.”

“We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility…There are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.”

As we continue to watch the documentary, THINK about the ways in which Mr. Rogers is breaking convention (in television, in child psychology, in race relations, etc.). He single-handedly saved PBS’ funding by reciting the lyrics to a song about controlling your anger to a congressional committee. It’s

12/14: HOMEWORK: Read for reading groups on Monday.

In class: We reflected on childhood and watched the first half of Won't You be My Neighbor?

12/13: HOMEWORK: Read for reading groups on Monday (we'll meet in groups on Mon, Wed and Friday).

Students read for 20 minutes or so then met in groups.