Learning is Change

Core 1:

1. Write-on: How do you prove something about a book?
   • Just think about this question: What do you think that your change and persuasion notes would help you to prove about your character?
2. How do you show character development and change in piece of writing without resorting to plot summary? (Lord of the Flies Example)
3. Thesis writing as an art form:
   • How do you choose something that you want to prove?
   • How do you state it so that you will be able to prove it in multiple ways?
4. Extension:
   • Write out your idea of a perfect thesis for what you want to prove in your book about change, persuasion, or character development.

Core 2:

1. Write-on: What do you think a name like “Donald Duk” implies?
2. Read “Donald Duk.”
   • How does his race affect his story?
   • How does his gender affect his story?
   • How is this story written?
     • How do the mechanics of the writing influence the ways in which we see the characters?
   • Why is Fred Astaire important to Donald?
3. Extensions:
   • How do we separate ourselves from those that are different?

Core 3:

1. Write-on: How do you think that reading Shakespeare’s plays is different than reading nearly any other book or play?
2. Read and/or act out the first three four scenes of the play.
   • How do you see Shakespeare’s language working in your mind?
   • Why is Antonio sad?
   • Describe Antonio and Bassanio’s friendship?
   • What kind of love do you believe Bassanio has for Portia?
3. Extensions: Continue to work on your script for your two minute podcast summary.

Core 4:

1. Write-on: Now that we have fully explored a great speech from modern America, answer the question on the back of the MLK handout: Which is more persuasive, written or spoken persuasion? Why?
2. What is it that you could speak with authority about? What would have confidence is giving a speech on? What injustice would you be willing to speak out about in your life?
3. Based upon I Have a Dream, what are the elements that a good speech requires.
4. Emulate MLK’s speech using your own sphere of knowledge.
5. Extension: Continue to work on your speech about injustice or personal experience to be given on Thursday.

The laughs, jeers, snickers and sidelong glances cut to the core. They didn’t need to say those things, to spout those stupid lines they learned on television.

My dancing was exemplary, singing impeccable.  Was there anything wrong with that? No. My swift ankle turns and soaring musical crescendos were felt across the room, felt wrongly, I guess.

Every exact step was an exemplary motion. Mrs. Coyle even said so.  So, why did they smile their knowing smiles.

“You are so GAY.”

That is all I heard, echoing in my head for the rest of the evening.

Core 1:

1. Write-on: Write out 5 questions you have (of all different levels) about the multi-cultural novels you have just finished.
2. Discuss the books on The Academy of Discovery Forums.
3. Extensions:
   • Continue to discuss the books on the Forums.

Core 2:

1. Write-on (on your blog): Describe a situation from the viewpoint of a victim of racism or sexism using internal monologue.
2. Read Jasmine.
   • How does her gender affect her character’s voice?
   • How does her race affect her character’s voice.
3. Extensions: Work on your AR reading.

Core 3:

1. Write-on: Translate the important events that you have from MOV into statements from a character’s point of view.
   • You can model your dialogue after the Brit Lit Podcast of a Macbeth Summary
     • Source Material Here.
2. Get into groups of 3 (or 4) and start writing the script for your two minute summary of the Merchant of Venice.
3. Create a podcast in Garageband of your summary using intro music, a verbal introduction, and outro music.
4. Extensions: Read your AR book.

Core 4:

1. Write-on: Write out 5 questions (of all three levels) you would want to ask Martin Luther King Jr. after he gave his speech.
2. Explore those questions on The Academy of Discovery Forums.
3. Extensions: Continue asking and answering questions on the forums.

Core 1:

1. Write-on: In a blog post (across the hallway) reflect upon your first video conference experience with the students from D.C.. How did you think it went? What are you most excited about? What ideas do you have for future video conferences?
2. Read Martin Luther King Jr’s I Have a Dream speech (watch it too) and analyze it using this handout.
3. Finish handout and discuss implications of spoken vs. written persuasion.
4. Extensions:
   • Read your AR book, and share your Academy Authentic with me if you haven’t already.

Core 2:

1. Write-on: How would you show that you are confident through your writing? How would  you show that you are shy?
2. Take a look at “The Tallest Girl I Ever Met” from Thou Shalt Not Kill Thy Sentences.
   • How is this case study different from Run-on Randy?
   • What kind of case study are you? If someone were to look at a piece of your writing, how would they describe it? Are there other types of errors that you might make that would cause people to call you another type of case study?
   • What can we do to help you to not represent your case study personality?
3. Read-Aloud:
   • What kind of case studies would these authors be?
     • Kurt Vonnegut
     • Stephen Chbosky
     • Avi
4. Extensions:
   • Read your AR book and share your Academy Authentic document with me if you haven’t already.

Core 3:

1. Write-on: What do caricatures tell about someone’s true identity?
2. Check MOV Summaries.
3. Reveal any other caricatures that would provide some illumination for us.
   • How does the caricature make you feel as an observer?
4. Start thinking like a playwrite:
   1. How are plays and novels different?
   2. How do you have to get information across when all you have are words and actions?
5. Begin Mini-project: Create a two minute or less audio-only summary of the play, only using words from the characters mouths.
6. Extension: Read your AR book and share your Academy Authentic with me if you haven’t already.

Core 4:

1. Write-on: Which is more effective at creating social change: Verbal persuasion or Written Persuasion? Why?
2. Read Martin Luther King Jr’s I Have a Dream speech (watch it too) and analyze it using this handout.
3. Discuss the analysis as a class.
4. Come up with your final answer to the final question:
   • From your reading/listening/watching and our discussion, what do you believe that speech can do better than the written word and what does the written word do better than speech?

Core 1:

1. Prepare-on: You will be talking directly to the students from Washington D.C. today. You will be introducing yourself in the following way:
   • Your name
   • Your Blog Title
   • One thing that you really like to write about on your blog or read about on other people’s blogs.
   • One thing that you think would be great to collaborate on or that you are excited about in terms of our partnership with the school in D.C.
2. Run the video conference:
   • Ro-Sham-Bo to see who goes first
   • Introductions
   • Question and Answer session about blogging and school life.
   • Wrap-up and thank yous
3. Extensions:
   • In a blog post reflect upon your first video conference experience with the students from D.C.. How did you think it went? What are you most excited about? What ideas do you have for future video conferences?
   • Please link to one of their blogs if you can remember any of the blog titles or kids that stuck in your mind.

Core 2:

1. Write-on: Describe the following people-
   • 
   • 
2. Continue to discuss the questions from introducing the Race and Gender unit.
3. Begin reading Jasmine and looking for how race and gender affect her character.
4. Extensions:
   • Read your AR book.

Core 3:

1. Write-on: Choose 5-10 elements of stereotyping that you have experienced and write out how you have been stereotyped in those elements.
2. Mini-project: From your list of stereotyping elements, write out and draw out a caricature of yourself (an exaggeration of your traits).
3. Share out your caricature:
   • Do they look like this?
4. Extensions
   • Continue to work on you plot/character summary (due tomorrow)

Core 4:

1.  Write-on: Think of a book where a character changed.
   • How do you know that this character changed?
   • How does a character or person in general really change?
2. Introduce the concept of multicultural novels, change and persuasion.
   • Dragonwings
   • Rising Voices
   • Taking Sides
   • The Secret of Gumbo Grove
   • Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry
3. Extensions:
   • Start reading your multicultural novel and pick a character to monitor change and persuasion.

Core 1:

1. Write-on: Which is more effective at creating social change: Verbal persuasion or Written Persuasion? Why?
2. Debrief from commenting on Mr. Mayo’s students’ blogs.
   • What did you see that was good?
   • What can we learn from them?
   • What types of conversations should we start having?
   • Who would like to take the lead in doing video conferences with the students from Mr. Mayo’s classroom?
     • Persuade us.
3. Read Martin Luther King Jr’s I Have a Dream speech (watch it too) and analyze it using this handout.
4. Extensions: Finish handout for Friday. Get geared up for video conference tomorrow.

Core 2:

1. Collect new word handouts from Monday.
2. Write-on: What is your definition of race and gender? Could they have multiple meanings?
3. Debrief from commenting on Mr. Mayo’s students’ blogs.
   • What did you see that was good?
   • What can we learn from them?
   • What types of conversations should we start having?
4. Work through the introduction to the Race and Gender study unit.
5. Extensions: Finish handout and read AR book

Class Notes:

Core 3:

1. Write-on: What is hatred based upon?
2. Debrief from commenting on Mr. Mayo’s students’ blogs.
   • What did you see that was good?
   • What can we learn from them?
   • What types of conversations should we start having?
3. Brainstorm the elements that a group has to have in order to be persecuted, hated, or stereotyped.
4. Extensions:
   • Crate a plot summary and notes of the Merchant of Venice from the following resources:

   • The Merchant Of Venice Plot Summary: Overview of The Merchant Of Venice

   • Shakespeare Summary’s

   • Merchant of Venice Summary

   • UTEL: Characters of Shakespear’s Plays

   • Shakespeare Play Summaries/Synopses

   • SparkNotes: The Merchant of Venice

   • The Merchant of Venice Summary

   • The Merchant of Venice Summary & Essays – William Shakespeare

   • GradeSaver: ClassicNote: Merchant of Venice Study Guide

   • Merchant of Venice Summary guide at Absolute Shakespeare

   • Merchant of Venice Study Guide / Merchant of Venice Summar

Core 4:

1. Share-on: With at least three people, share your attempt at persuading your parent or sibling to do something that you would rather not. Try to get better and better at telling the story each time that you do.
2. Competition for the most persuasive attempt with prize.
3. Debrief from commenting on Mr. Mayo’s students’ blogs.
   • What did you see that was good?
   • What can we learn from them?
   • What types of conversations should we start having?
4. What would it take to persuade this person to permanently take over your duties from you (persuade them forever)?
5. Think of a book where a character changed.
   • How do you know that this character changed?
   • How does a character or person in general really change?
6. Extension:
   • Write out how a character in your favorite book changes over the course of the book.

Class Notes:

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I am still at the CAGT conference.

Here are my sub plans: 100207.doc

I will be out both today and tomorrow at the Colorado association for Gifted and Talented. I will be presenting tomorrow about The Academy of Discovery, so wish me luck.

Here are the sub plans for today:  100107.doc

Cores 1-4:

1. Discuss-on: What is the most meaningful feedback you have ever gotten (on writing, on playing a sport, or anything else)?
2. Introduce final procedures for Academy Authentics.
3. Work toward turning in your first Academy Authentic.
4. Extensions:
   • If you haven’t yet finished the process, share out with four people (your Academy Authentic) by Friday and share with me in your Academy Authentic by Wednesday.