Daily Class Notes WED/Thurs Dec 18,19, 20

WED: Classes discussed reactions to theater and recorded differences between presenting stories "On the Page vs. On the Stage." Students worked in groups to share specific details about costumes, acting, sets, special effects, music, lighting etc.

THURS: We shared PPT of other versions of sets, costumes etc through the years at Trinity Rep and students pointed out the advantages and different advantages and messages that come through different choices.

We read the First page of Dickens' novel and then began reading and acting out the first page of the play to see how famous lines from the novel are put into character's mouths and to show bringing a scene to life with some props, costume pieces and a little bit of a set in class.

FRI:

• Read and performed some of Act I sc 1 and 2 out loud and discussed in class.
• Discussed HYPERBOLE used by Dickens when he writes the people who wish each other Merry Christmas should be "Boiled in their own pudding...." PPT on HYPERBOLE will be posted in DICKENS section of One-Note and in JAN HW pages. by Jan 6.
• Read the short story "Gift of the Magi" out loud. We won't be testing or quizzing on this.

Daily Class Notes TUES Dec 17

All Classes enjoyed a successful trip to the theater! If you were absent, see me for ideas for versions you can watch at home so you can participate in class discussions of drama.

Daily Class Notes Mon Dec 16

We discussed field trip logistics and the need to bring snack and lunch.

We reviewed the need for respectful enjoyment of the show tomorrow--clap and laugh appropriately but you are NOT the show. We want to be as proud of how you represent the Ahern this year as we were with last year's group.

NO NEED TO TAKE written notes on the play, but take MENTAL NOTES on the following:

• how the ghost's COSTUMES are different from each other (color, type of material, etc,)
• what the SETS are like--how does the director suggest you are seeing a city street or an office or a bedroom, or the difference between a wealthy home and the home of a poor family
• Judge the ACTING--do you BELIEVE that Scrooge is really so horrible and do you believe that he changes? Do the sad parts make you want to cry and the do you JUMP at the scary parts?
• what SPECIAL EFFECTS do you like?

We reviewed the Beehive handout in Per 1.

In other classes, we reviewed some background on Dickens and why he is so sympathetic to the poor. His family history--he was comfortably well off and attended a good school until age 12 when his father got into debt and went to debtor's prison. All of the family went with the father except young Charles, who had to work in a boot polish factory and bring food to visit his family in prison. Even after the family was released, Dickens was not allowed back to school. He carried the pain and humiliation of this period of his life to his death--and it made him highly sympathetic and empathetic to the poor. He felt society looking down on those who fell on hard times and saw how easily a mistake could ruin a life in a harsh world. Look for this spirit in the play tomorrow.

We will learn more about Dickens and life in London in the mid-1800s after seeing the play. We will begin reading OUR version of the play Wed.

DAILY CLASS NOTES FRIDAY Dec 13

1. Students took Literary Terms Unit test. If you were absent plan on staying after MON or TUES to take the test.

DAILY CLASS NOTES THURS Dec 12

1. Beginning of DRAMA/Dickens unit

Social Classes activity--We played "trashketball" to model the inequality between social classes in the 1800s. Excercise showed that people born into the upper classes could succeed more easily than those born into less fortunate circumstances. All students picked a random symbols and were seated at different distances from the "basket" based on the symbol they pulled. Students who were "born" closest to the basket were like royalty and nobles, while those furthest away represented the poorest segment of the society. Although the measure of success for rich and poor was the same--get a paper ball into the basket--the distance gave the rich an unfair advantage. Students who made the basket "earned" a HW pass. After all students agreed that the process was not fair, I asked who might give their pass back to the "king" or "Queen" to give to a needier student. Very few students were willing to give up their advantage--illustrating how hard it would be to decide HOW to redistribute and how hard it is to give up anything when you are ahead of others.

We will work with these basic concepts as we analyze the Victorian world Dickens lived in and what drove him to try to achieve social change through his writing.

DAILY CLASS NOTES WED Dec 11

1. Students participated in their FIRST Socratic Seminar. Students did a great job overall of using specific examples from stories we read to support an opinion about WHICH story teaches more about effective writing. Students incorporated literary terms to describe what they liked about the writing in each story. There were some very interesting debates about style preferences--One interesting point was about whether a shorter, simpler to understand story has a little less tension because the reader does not feel small tensions develop and does not have to think as hard to figure things out. Great points made about both stories.

IF YOU WERE ABSENT: You must turn in the purple and green sheets and your mark-up of "The Veldt" tomorrow.

DAILY CLASS NOTES Mon Dec 9

1. We handed out blue field trip permission slips and I reviewed details. See me if you were absent. I cannot post the permission slip.

2. We reviewed the definitions for PLOT, CONFLICT, and CLIMAX and applied the definitions to the story "All Summer in a Day."

• We identified that the CLIMAX of the story is NOT when Margot goes into the closet by applying the definition we are practicing for Friday.
• While it is true that it is a POINT OF HIGH TENSION when the bully puts her in a closet and the kids do nothing to help her, it is NOT the tipping point in the story and tension STILL builds later.
• It is NOT near the end! It is in Section 3 out of the 5 sections. Tension returns and is even higher--in a different way, when the kids remember they left her there.
• After they realize it the "stand "as if somone had driven them, like so many stakes, into the floor." The paragraph during which they FEEL the enormity of the terrible thing they have done is the HIGHEST TENSION and a TURNING POINT when they and the reader see they MAY have learned a lesson about regret after following a bully's plan.
• The sensory description STRETCHES and SLOWS the story, just as the tension stretched in the climax of "If Cornered, Scream" when the woman feels panic in the office with Gabriel.

3. We discussed that the Socratic Seminar will ALSO ask you to discuss which story, "All Summer in a Day" or "The Veldt" has a better THEME that the reader connects to or that can be applied to past and future examples in life. In "All Summer..." we identified an early EXTERNAL CONFLICT when William would not believe that Margot knew what the sun was. We noted that the TRUTH ABOUT LIFE or HUMAN NATURE (Theme) revealed in this conflict is that we often resist changing our beliefs, and often question experts.

TRUE IN PAST: It is hard to let go of a world view. The theme is a timeless truth--We related this to when Gallileo was locked up for saying the planets revolve around the sun and not around Earth 400 years ago.

THEME-TRUE NOW AND PROBABLY IN FUTURE: Students noted resisting new beliefs STILL happens around such issues as vaccination or man-made climate change. During the upcoming Socratic Seminar you might argue that "All Summer.." has a more relevant THEME as a way to remember that theme CAN be a Timeless TRUTH ABOUT LIFE OR HUMAN NATURE" to support your choice of this as the story to keep next year.

4. Most classes read a little of "The Veldt"--we will continue this tomorrow and you do not have to do the reading on your own tonight.

DAILY CLASS NOTES FRI Dec 6

1. I reviewed makeup test times for WK 5/6 quiz (next week after school Mon,Tue,Wed). Discussed TEST on ALL literary terms scheduled for NEXT FRI Dec 13.

2. Students submitted names of peers they might want to be grouped with for the next unit. See me if you were absent or EMAIL names of 2 students you can work productively with and anyone who you know might distract you.

3. We marked up Terms on the Unit Test REFERENCE SHEET: You must know the EXACT definitions underlined on the sheet for the following terms:

• plot
• conflict
• exposition
• climax
• point of view
• list 5 methods of characterization
• internal conflict
• Point of View
• Foreshadowing
• Meaning of roots con, omni, scien

You have been quizzed on most of these several times so you should already know many by heart.

3. I explained how to use the study guide to determine what you need to study before the test so you can CHUNK studying and not cram the night before.

4. I explained the Socratic Seminar we will have next week (Tues?) and we began reading "The Veldt" together. We will read and take notes together on Monday. This is NOT homework. Discussing in Socratic Seminar format will help you apply literary terms as a review for the Friday test.

DAILY CLASS NOTES Thur Dec 5

I was chaperoning a field trip. Students worked in lab to read and complete answering questions on the short story "All Summer in a Day."

Sub read the directions at the top of the page out loud and answered questions. Students on field trip need to make up this work independently. See HW space for details.

DAILY CLASS NOTES Wed Dec 4

I reviewed that homework is to complete the "Harrison Bergeron" ending, including adding new vocabulary from list distributed today. The words were compiled from suggestions found by students as they read their novels.

I re-explained that students who scored a D or F on the Week 5/6 quiz must stay after for review this week to have the chance to retake the quiz tomorrow or next Mon-WED after school.

I handed back any Week 5/6 quizzes that had not been handed back before the Thanksgiving break.

Students turned in novels. If you did not turn you book in yet, do so tomorrow. Take out and recycle sticky notes.

Students had full period to work on drafting endings in the computer lab. I helped some students who had trouble with planners or who needed to review their understanding of the story.

DAILY CLASS NOTES MON Dec 3

I reviewed that homework is to complete the "Harrison Bergeron" planner and start ending. Students were supposed to have completed full sentence answers to the comprehension questions in the Short Stories section of One-Note. ALL students were told to revise by the end of the day.

I explained that students who scored a D or F on the Week 5/6 quiz must stay after for review this week to have the chance to retake the quiz tomorrow or next Mon-WED after school.

I handed back half of the Week 5/6 quizzes.

Students turned in novels. If you did not turn you book in yet, do so tomorrow. Take out and recycle sticky notes.

Students had full period to work on planners and drafting endings in the computer lab. I helped some students who had trouble with planners or who needed to review their understanding of the story.

DAILY CLASS NOTES Thurs Dec 5

I was chaperoning a field trip today. Students read the short story "All Summer in a Day" and answered questions. The questions will help review literary terms for a final Narrative Literary Terms Unit test next Thursday or Friday. Students had the option of working on-line or on a hard copy. Students MUST finish the questions tonight. The markup can wait.

• Tip: Some students had trouble with Question 6. The question refers to the line "'Speak when you're spoken to." He gave her a shove." To answer the question, just highlight or circle which methods of characterization are used from the 5 types of characterization I list in the margin.
• Students TURNED IN any hard copy planners for the "Harrison Bergeron" assignment. If yours is in One- Note, you are all set.
• ANY STUDENT WHO WANTED TO RETAKE the Week 5/6 quiz should have stayed after for review yesterday or today. Students who stayed may retake the quiz next Mon, TUES, or WED after school. Email me if there is a good reason this will not work for you and we will see what we can do.