The Prose MC Review: April 30, 2019

Focus: How can we strengthen our multiple choice strategies?

1. Warming up with a lively review of Academic Vocabulary, Lists 1-4!

2. Discussing your general MC strategies

3. Selecting one MC prose passage to examine in detail

HW:
EVERY DAY UNTIL MAY 8: 

• Spend time with your Bedside Stack.

• Look through our first semester literary terms and our second semester academic vocabulary (and your teen tiny vocab notebook, if you kept one).

The Big MC Practice: April 29, 2019

Focus: How do we approach the multiple choice section of the A.P. test?

Note: We will begin class tomorrow with three good things as you will need the entire class period for your MC practice.

1. Warming up with your #1 strategy: Do the easiest sections first, then revisit the tough ones (just make sure you're bubbling the right bubbles).

2. Taking the full-length practice multiple choice

ON YOUR WAY OUT, PLEASE GRAB YOUR BEDSIDE STACK BOOKS!


HW:
EVERY DAY UNTIL MAY 8: 

• Spend time with your Bedside Stack.

• Look through our first semester literary terms and our second semester academic vocabulary (and your teen tiny vocab notebook, if you kept one).

The Sisyphean Life: April 26, 2019

Focus: How is life sisyphean?

1. Warming up with Henri, the Existential Cat

2. Reading and discussing "The Myth of Sisyphus"

• What does your mountain consist of? What about your boulder?  Your endless sky?

• What makes you pause at the top, and what do you think of?

• What makes you pause at the bottom, and what do you think of?

• What compels you to push the boulder up the hill once again?

3. Perusing background articles on the performance of Waiting for Godot, Q3 prompts that address Godot, and composing your final Big Question Blog

HW:
EVERY DAY UNTIL MAY 8: 

• Spend time with your Bedside Stack.

• Look through our first semester literary terms and our second semester academic vocabulary (and your teen tiny vocab notebook, if you kept one).

Final Thursday Workshop: April 25, 2019

Focus: What can we do to prepare for the A.P. Lit exam?

1. Warming up with favorite lines from your culminating essays

2. Introducing the Bedside Stack

3. Workshopping your essays

• Side-by-side comparison of important elements from Dickinson's and Frost's poems

• Old-school read-aloud workshop of your essays

HW:
1. TODAY: Please turn in your culminating essays by 4:00.

2. Start working on your bedside stacks!

What Does It Mean to Wait for Godot? April 24, 2019

Focus: What does Beckett want us to understand better of differently?

1. Warming up with Henri, the Existentialist Cat

2. Brainstorming some larger conclusions: Do Foster's ideas work with this play?

"Every Trip Is a Quest"
A quester?
A place to go?
A stated reason to go there?
Challenges and trials en route?
A real reason to go there?

"Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion"
"...breaking bread together is an act of sharing and peace, since if you're breaking bread you're not breaking heads." (8)

"...writing a meal scene is so difficult, and so inherently uninteresting, that there really needs to be some compelling reason to include one in the story. And that reason has to do with how characters are getting along. Or not getting along." (8)

"Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before?"

"Here it is: there's only one story. There, I said it and I can't very well take it back. There is only one story. Ever. One. It's always been going on and it's everywhere around us and every story you've ever read or heard or watched is part of it."

"More Than It's Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence"

"Violence is one of the most personal and even intimate acts between human beings, but it can also be cultural and societal in its implications...that punch in the nose may be a metaphor." (88)

"Geography Matters..."

"First, think about what there is down low or up high. Low: swamps, crowds, fog, darkness, fields, heat, unpleasantness, people, life, death. High: snow, ice, purity, thin air, clear views, isolation, life, death." (173)

"He's Blind for a Reason, You Know?"

Remember your old friend, Oedipus? And his frenemy, Tieresias?

"Every move, every statement by or about that character has to accommodate the lack of sight; every other character has to notice, or behave differently, if only in subtle ways...Clearly the author wants to emphasize other levels of sight and blindness beyond the physical." (202)

"Is He Serious? And Other Ironies"

"Now hear this: irony trumps everything." (235)

What ingrained expectations do we have of the characters and symbols in this play, and how does Beckett deny us the satisfaction of applying our expectations to these symbols (thus making them ironic)?

3. Reading "The Myth of Sisyphus" and considering how existentialism pertains to your life, personally


HW:
1. TOMORROW: Final draft of culminating essay due by 4:00 pm.

• Click HERE for the Night-Before Checklist (hard copy given out last week).

2. FRIDAY: Big Question Blog on Waiting for Godot due (but you will have in-class time to do this).

Writing About the Double Poem: April 23, 2019

Focus: How do we write compellingly about two poems?

1. Warming up with ideas on structuring the double-poem essay

2. Composing your final Tuesday writing!

HW:
1. THURSDAY: Final draft due Thursday, April 25 by 4:00 pm.

2. FRIDAY: Big Question Blog on Waiting for Godot due (but you will have time in class to do this).

What Are We Here For? April 22, 2019

Focus: What are we here for? That is the question.

1. Warming up with three good things and an article from The Onion

2. Finishing the play and drawing some larger conclusions: Do Foster's ideas work with this play?

"Every Trip Is a Quest"
A quester?
A place to go?
A stated reason to go there?
Challenges and trials en route?
A real reason to go there?

"Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion"
"...breaking bread together is an act of sharing and peace, since if you're breaking bread you're not breaking heads." (8)

"...writing a meal scene is so difficult, and so inherently uninteresting, that there really needs to be some compelling reason to include one in the story. And that reason has to do with how characters are getting along. Or not getting along." (8)

"Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before?"

"Here it is: there's only one story. There, I said it and I can't very well take it back. There is only one story. Ever. One. It's always been going on and it's everywhere around us and every story you've ever read or heard or watched is part of it."

"More Than It's Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence"

"Violence is one of the most personal and even intimate acts between human beings, but it can also be cultural and societal in its implications...that punch in the nose may be a metaphor." (88)

"Geography Matters..."

"First, think about what there is down low or up high. Low: swamps, crowds, fog, darkness, fields, heat, unpleasantness, people, life, death. High: snow, ice, purity, thin air, clear views, isolation, life, death." (173)

"He's Blind for a Reason, You Know?"

Remember your old friend, Oedipus? And his frenemy, Tieresias?

"Every move, every statement by or about that character has to accommodate the lack of sight; every other character has to notice, or behave differently, if only in subtle ways...Clearly the author wants to emphasize other levels of sight and blindness beyond the physical." (202)

"Is He Serious? And Other Ironies"

"Now hear this: irony trumps everything." (235)

What ingrained expectations do we have of the characters and symbols in this play, and how does Beckett deny us the satisfaction of applying our expectations to these symbols (thus making them ironic)?

3. Wrapping up with a very important video

HW:
1. TOMORROW will be your final Tuesday writing.

2. THURSDAY: Final draft due Thursday, April 25 by 4:00 pm.

3. FRIDAY: Big Question Blog on Waiting for Godot due (but you will have time in class to do this).

They Do Not Move: April 19, 2019

Focus: What does the ending reveal about the themes of Beckett's play?

1. Warming up by stumbling through the dark with Emily Dickinson

• Using Tuesday's method to break down the metaphor

• Comparing the speaker's approach to  E & V's approach in Waiting for Godot

2. Finishing Waiting for Godot

3. Wrapping up: Composing your Big Question Blog on Waiting for Godot

• Close reading: Which details on the final page seem the most important? Why might they be significant?

• Framework: Look back to the first page (my favorite trick). Has anything shifted? What does comparing the first and final pages reveal about the play's themes?

• Title / Themes / Tone: Revisit the title. What is the nature of waiting in this play? Why are they waiting for Godot (what are they hoping for)? Why doesn't Beckett allow Godot to show up? What does this play suggest about human existence?

HW:

1. MONDAY: If you are absent today (Friday), you will need to finish reading and annotating Waiting for Godot on your own over the weekend.

2. TUESDAY: We will have our final timed writing of the year!

3. THURSDAY: Final drafts of culminating essays are due.

4. FRIDAY: Waiting for Godot Big Question Blog due.

Smoothing Out the Rough Draft: April 18, 2019

Focus: What do our rough drafts need to become smoother drafts?

1. Warming up with a walk down memory lane: Literary Terms, Weeks 1-7 (5-10 minutes)

• Look through your Quizlet Literary Terms from first semester, Weeks 1-7.

• Are you using this kind of literary terminology in your essay? Look through your rough draft right now and try replacing more general terms with more specific literary terms.

• For example, you might replace "main character" with "protagonist." (Also, this might be a good time to remind you to briefly introduce characters when they first appear in your essay).

2. Offering you the Night-Before Checklist and establishing your "Wants / Needs / Would Be Nice..."

At the top of your draft, please jot down the following notes to your peer editor:

• What do you NEED from your peer editor today? In other words, what aspects of your draft are essential for your peer editor to comment on?

• What else do you WANT your peer editor to comment on? In other words, once they've tackled the essential needs of your essay, what else would be helpful?

• If your peer editor has time to help you with other, minor aspects of your essay, what would be nice?

3. Silent peer editing of each other's culminating essay drafts (20 minutes)

4. Conferencing with your peer editor (5 minutes) and revising / adding to your essay (rest of class)

HW:
1. MONDAY: If you are absent tomorrow (Friday), you will need to finish reading and annotating Waiting for Godot on your own over the weekend.

2. TUESDAY: We will have our final timed writing of the year!

3. THURSDAY: Final drafts of culminating essays are due.

The Thought Fox (for Real): April 16, 2019

 Focus: How do we think about poetry that's about thinking (very meta!)?

1. Warming up with catching up and a quick mini lesson: Similes vs. metaphors vs. conceits

2. Mapping out the conceit in the "The Thought Fox"

3. Playing a round of Quizlet live to review Literary Terms, Weeks 7-12, then considering sound devices, form, imagery, and other devices in "The Thought Fox"

4. Mapping out how to structure a timed writing in which you have two poems instead of one

HW:
1. For TOMORROW: Finish and print your rough draft of the culminating essay. Don't worry if it's pretty darn rough.

2. THURSDAY will be your final timed writing; it will be a Q1 (poetry).

3. FRIDAY we will return to Godot.

Lucky: April 15, 2019

Focus: What is the purpose of Lucky's character?

1. Warming up with a performance of Lucky's speech and entertaining few questions about Lucky

• How is Lucky "lucky"?  In other words, how is his suffering less than that of Didi and Gogo?

• To what extent is his name ironic? Or, how is he suffering more than Didi and Gogo are?

• Find one specific detail that we know about Lucky (the rope, the baggage, his movements, his speech, his relationship to Pozzo, etc.) and offer a reflection or question about it.

From shmoop: "At least Lucky can see the rope around his neck. Vladimir and Estragon can’t."

2. Acting out Waiting for Godot, end of Act 1 and beginning of Act 2

3. Getting together with your Companies to hone your understanding of Godot (10-15 minutes)

• At your own pace, click through these slides on the Theatre of the Absurd (and/or conduct your own search of Absurdism).

• As a group, discuss what the Theatre of the Absurd is, and how you see elements of Absurdism playing out in Godot so far.

• What does this background help you understand about Waiting for Godot? What are you wondering?

HW:
For WEDNESDAY: Please complete and print your rough draft before class.

The Frog in the Swimming Pool: April 12, 2019

Focus: How do we apply our extended metaphor knowledge to the MC poems?

1. Warming up with a 5-minute MMM (moments, movements, and multiple meanings) individual reading of the poem

• Don't forget to pause on the title!

2. Predicting answers using the question stems (with partners)

3. Choosing the best answers (switch partners this time)

4. Reviewing the correct answers and scoring your MC; please turn these in as they will go in the MC part of the gradebook

HW:
1. For TOMORROW: Finish your outline.

2. For WEDNESDAY: Please complete and print your rough draft before class.

Still Waiting: April 11, 2019

Focus: What are they waiting for?

1. Warming up by watching brief film clip echoing last  Monday's performance (10 minutes)

• Find one specific passage (dialogue or stage directions) from what we've read that connects to one of the focus questions on the green bookmark.

• In your composition notebook, take 5 minutes to freewrite on how this passage responds to the focus question.

2. Acting out more of Act 1 in Waiting for Godot (35 minutes)

• Remember to take a few notes in your composition notebook; use the focus questions on the green bookmark to guide you.

3. Discussing the play in your Companies (final 15 minutes)

• Work through the focus questions one at a time. Discuss as you did with your book clubs, and jot down some of your ideas in your composition notebooks.

HW:
1. For TOMORROW: Finish your outline.

2. For WEDNESDAY: Please complete and print your rough draft before class.

The Thought Fox: April 10, 2019

Focus: How do we think about poetry that's about thinking (very meta!)?

Shortened class due to testing

1. Warming up with a quick mini lesson: Similes vs. metaphors vs. conceits

2. Mapping out the conceit in the "The Thought Fox"

3. Considering its sound devices, form, imagery, and other devices

HW:
1. For FRIDAY:

• Finish your outline (click here for the sample).
• Start drafting.

2. Over the weekend, continue drafting (try to finish at least half of your draft).

3. For WEDNESDAY: Please complete and print your draft before class.

We're Waiting: April 8, 2019

Focus: What does it mean to wait?

1. Warming up with three good things and "I Am Waiting"

• MMM approach: What strikes you about this poem?

• What does it mean to wait? Does it make you powerful? Vulnerable? Hopeless? Hopeful?

• What are you waiting for?

2. Building a little background knowledge by scanning the play:

• What do you notice about the setting?
• What do you notice about the characters?
• What do you notice about the dialogue?

3. Starting to act out Waiting for Godot with focus questions; take notes in your composition notebook to work through the play and prepare for your Company Power Meeting

4. Wrapping up with your first Company Power Meeting (10 minutes)

HW (click HERE for the updated timeline):

1. By FRIDAY: Outline must be completed and shared with me.

• Click HERE for a sample outline.

2. By WEDNESDAY, April 17: Rough draft must be complete and PRINTED before class.

3. TUESDAY, April 23rd: Final draft due by 4:00 pm.

Finding the Underlying Structure: April 5, 2019

Focus: How do we structure a lengthy, complex essay?

1. Warming up with celebrating a few prompts and book lists

2. Brainstorming on your powerhouse books (I will model one for you)

3. Scrolling through your own brainstorming and color coding any possible patterns.

• Click HERE for Chase's sample brainstorming and color coding.

• If you're not finding any patterns, or if you're only finding one or two, you need to keep brainstorming.

4. Using your patterns to form your outline

• Click HERE for Kyle's sample outline.

HW:
1. Continue working on your outline with the goal of completing it and either e-mailing it to me early next week or coming in for a conference. Click here for the culminating essay timeline.

2. Start hunting for other artifacts you might want to use in your essay...childhood artwork? Diary entries? Letters to Santa? Photos?

Thursday Workshop: April 4, 2019

Focus: How can writing workshop help us improve our timed writing skills?

1. Warming up by visiting Academic Vocabulary, Lists 1-7

2. Investigating a sample Q3 essay together

• If you were this person's teacher, what feedback would you give to help him/her in terms of CONTENT?
• What about the STYLE worked or didn't work?
• What score do you think this person received?

3. Identifying your personal goals on the Q3 rubric: Underline the two or three specific sentences on the rubric where you feel you need the most help/feedback.

4. Workshopping your essays with partners from your book club

Round 1: Read through with no comments

Round 2: Intensive focus on self-identified areas of need

* * * Switch partners: Find someone who has NOT read your book. * * *

Round 3: Editing for style and mechanics

5. Wrapping up with a quick exit ticket on timed writings

HW:
1. Tomorrow will be another culminating essay day; if you have any materials from home (books, photos, letters to Santa, etc.) that you'd like to bring in, artifacts can be quite helpful. If you are absent tomorrow, come see me next week on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.

2. NEXT FRIDAY: Cumulative quiz on Academic Vocabulary, Lists 1-7. Look through one old list each night.

Finding Your Prompt: April 3, 2019

Focus: How do we structure a lengthy, complex essay?

Shortened class due to lengthened Tribe

1. Warming up with modeling a first draft of a prompt

2.  Taking what you're curious about and forming a Q-3 style prompt; for inspiration try scrolling through your Big Question Blogs (and others' blogs, too)

• Are you interested in using your Big Question as the heart of your prompt? If so, how can you personalize it a bit?

• If not, what are you wondering about these days?

3. Looking through past Q3 prompts:

• What do they have in common? 

• How can you refine your prompt to exemplify the Q3 style?

HW:
1. TONIGHT: Send me the draft of your prompt and book list.

2. ONGOING: Start collecting any "artifacts," such as old books, elementary school stuff, photos, poems, etc. that you may wish to use in your culminating essay.

Writing About Your Book Club Novels: April 2, 2019

Focus: What can we understand better or differently through the process of writing?

1. Warming up with a recap on Q3 timed writings and an enforced brainstorming on your novel

2. Composing a timed writing on your British Book Club novel

HW:
Continue thinking about your culminating essay prompt and book list. We will draft prompts and book lists in class tomorrow.

The Texts that Shape Us: April 1, 2019

Focus: What texts have shaped who we are?

1. Warming up with three good things!

2. Taking metaphorical and literal book trips down memory lane

3. Offering you a sample culminating essay and brainstorming your own possible prompts and book lists of books that have shaped you

4. Touching base with your book clubs one last time to discuss what your author was trying to say, and how your author was trying to say it

• How has this book shaped you?

• What do you think your author was trying to say? If you didn't do this at your last meeting, try rereading the first few pages and the last few pages to a get sense of your novel's larger journey.

• Which specific moments, scenes, symbols, metaphors, and lines most powerfully created the author's message for you?

HW:
1. For TOMORROW: Compose and post your Big Question Blog for your book club novel. See my feedback in IC for your Invisible Man posts.

2. For WEDNESDAY: Continue working on your culminating essay prompt and book list. FINISH YOUR BRAINSTORMING BEFORE CLASS ON WEDNESDAY. We will form outlines in class on Wed.

3. For FRIDAY: Review the last 7 Academic Vocabulary lists for a cumulative quiz. Also, bring your teeny tiny vocabulary notebooks to class.