Monthly Archives: November 2009

Inductive Ballads

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First, second, and seventh began by adding a poem to the portfolio we’re creating. It was an effort to help the students understand a simple process of creating poems that involves brainstorming, organizing, and modifying to create sentences that can be shaped into a poem.

Afterward, the classes returned to the Bob Dylan ballad “Boots of Spanish Leather” to discern patterns and elements of language in an inductive reasoning exercise to determine the general elements of a ballad from specific ballads.

Fourth period began discussing the trial and the morality of various characters. In class, we began a writing assignment (that will morph into a discussion tomorrow).

Characters
Prompts
  • Mr. Dolphus Raymond
  • Miss Maudie
  • Aunt Alexandra
  • Reverend Sykes
  • Judge Taylor
  • Bob Ewell
  • Mayella Ewell
  • Heck Tate
  1. Rank these characters order from the most moral to the least moral.
  2. For the two extremes, write a paragraph explanation of why you placed him/her in the two extreme positions.

Upon seeing some confusion about what “moral” and “morality” means, I decided to have students look at three normative ethics theories for homework.

Homework
  • First and second periods:
    • complete Thanksgiving poem;
    • complete ballad inductive reasoning graphic organizer.
  • Seventh period: complete Thanksgiving poem.
  • Fourth period:

Last Day Before Thanksgiving 2009

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It was a fairly easy day today. With the faculty/student volleyball game taking up sixth and seventh periods, and first period being a little behind, it was a day of catch-up (not to be confused with a day of ketchup).

Fourth period completed the presentations they worked on yesterday.

Homework
  • First, second, and seventh periods: complete all three poems:
    • animal poem;
    • poem based on “Your World” summary;
    • list poem.
  • Fourth period: read chapters 16-18 of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Quotations and Ballads

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First, second, and seventh periods began exploring ballads. We used Dylan’s “Boots of Spanish Leather” as a model ballad. Tomorrow, we’ll be finishing up with the attributes of a ballad.

Fourth period spent some time with an extended starter/bell-ringer that dealt with the use of quotation marks. We determined that more practice is definitely in order, and I assigned more as homework (see below).

We looked at three questions about the passage we read for homework (copied from the district lesson plan for To Kill a Mockingbird):

  • What is Calpurnia’s purpose in the novel? Her role there is traditional – she is a servant. But what else is Calpurnia?
  • Aunt Alexandra represents another segment of Southern society in the 1930s. Read the interview with three women who “grew up white in the South” during the ‘30s. Fill in the “Southern Behavior – Interview” concept map with things they were taught to do as a young girl; compare the list with what Aunty is trying to teach Scout and Jem (complete the Southern Genteel Behavior concept map). Is there an overlap?
  • Did Atticus make a poor decision to represent Tom in such an emotionally charged trial? Was it the right decision?

Students spent a little time in groups discussing the issues. Tomorrow, they will finish preparations and discussions and make quick oral presentations on their findings.

Homework
  • First, second, and seventh periods: second chance for the list poem.
  • Fourth period:

List Poems and Race

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First, second, and seventh periods worked on list poems. We used Shel Silverstein’s “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout” and “Sick” as our model list poems.

Fourth period discussed bravery in the three chapters we read for today, as well as Atticus’ assertion that the use of racist language is “common” (as in “base”).

Homework

Figurative Language and Emotional Language

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First, second, and fourth periods all worked on figurative language: similes, metaphors, and personification. We looked at three poems that use figurative language: “Concrete Mixers,” “The City is So Big,” and “Harlem Night Song.”

Fourth period finished up yesterday’s posters on the varying points of view and opinions about Boo Radley. Then we read, in class, the first portion of chapter nine of To Kill a Mockingbird. This is the episode in which Cecil Jacobs insults Scout’s father by suggesting Atticus is morally inferior because he is defending Tom Robinson. It is where the pejorative term for African Americans first appears in the book, so we spent the last half of the class discussing the impact of that word and how words can take on emotional hues.

Homework
  • First and second periods: complete illustrations of similes and metaphors from the three poems.
  • Fourth period:
    • read chapters 9-11 in To Kill a Mockingbird;
    • complete the
  • Seventh period: none.

Our World and Bias

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First, second, and seventh periods looked at Georgia Douglas Johnson’s poem “Your World” as a model for the second poem in our poetry portfolio project.

Your world is as big as you make it.
I know, for I used to abide
In the narrowest nest in a corner,
My wings pressing close to my side.

But I sighted the distant horizon
Where the skyline encircled the sea
And I throbbed with a burning desire
To travel this immensity.

I battered the cordons around me
And cradled my wings on the breeze,
Then soared to the uttermost reaches
With rapture, with power, with ease!

To begin with, we used context clues to determine the meaning of “immensity.” Then we came up with a one-sentence summary of the poem. That summary served as the theme for our next poetry portfolio poem.

Fourth period looked at Scout’s age, place in history, social culture, and other factors that might introduce an element of bias or otherwise affect her perspective as she narrates the story.

Homework

Poetry, Context, and a Question of Trust

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First and seventh periods worked on using context clues to determine unfamiliar words’ meanings.

Second period went over their animal poems (that must exhibit clear meter as well as onomatopoeia).

Fourth period took some time to correct their parts of speech test from Friday (for half credit) and then we went over the first chapters of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Homework
  • First period:
    • use context clues to determine the meaning of “immensity” in “Your World”;
    • add this information as an example for the context notes.
  • Second period:
    • scan the first four lines of “Silver”;
    • complete draft of animal poem (which includes discernible meter and onomatopoeia); and
    • read “Your World” (605).
  • Fourth period:
    • copy your journal entry from today’s class into the forum (make sure you reply to my initial post)forum
    • reply to at least one student’s journal entry (make sure all students have one response each).

Onomatopoeia and a Test

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Fourth period had a test on the parts of speech. They claim it was difficult; the results so far belie their claims.

First, second, and seventh periods all worked on their first poem for their poetry project portfolio. It was modeled on “Cat!”. As such, it was to include onomatopoeia and meter. (I added a few new pictures to the Classwork 2009/10 gallery.)

Homework
  • First, second, and seventh: finish first draft of poem.
  • Fourth period: read through chapter 4 of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Give Us a Beat

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First and seventh periods worked on rhythm in poetry, using “Cat!” to discover the patterns that create meter.

Cat!
Atter her, atter her,
Sleeky flatterer,
Spitfire chatterer,
Scatter her, scatter her
Wuff!
Wuff!
Treat her rough!
Git her, git her,
Whiskery spitter!
Catch her, catch her,
Green-eyed scratcher!
Slathery
Slithery
Hisser,
Don’t miss her!
Run till you’re dithery,
Hithery
Thithery
Pfitts! pfitts!
How she spits!
Spitch! Spatch!
Can’t she scratch!
Scritching the bark
Of the sycamore-tree,
She’s reached her ark
And’s hissing at me
Pfitts!Pfitts!
Wuff! Wuff!
Scat,
Cat!
That’s
That!

With a little work and some rapping, students were able to see two distinct patterns:

Patter 1
Pattern 2
dithery,
Hithery
Thithery		Git her, git her,
hard-hard-softhard-soft

Second period moved on to the poem “Silver” by Walter de la Mare. We began paraphrasing this somewhat challenging poem.

Fourth period began To Kill a Mockingbird. We will be having a test tomorrow on the parts of speech.

Homework
  • First periods: paraphrase the first four lines of “Silver.”
  • Second period: finish paraphrasing “Silver.”
  • Fourth period: read chapters 1-3 of To Kill a Mockingbird (pages 1-32).
  • Seventh period: none.

Sound Devices

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First and second period worked on sound devices, focusing on the use of rhythm and onomatopoeia in a poem titled “Cat.”

Second period finished up the ballad selection and poetry unit. We discussed a bit the portfolio (which will be turned in 2 December).

Seventh period finished up the test on The Diary of Anne Frank (we didn’t have class yesterday because of Career Day).

Homework
  • First period: none.
  • Second period:
    • re-read poems until mastered;
    • analyze “Drum” for onomatopoeia and meter;
    • analyze “Cat” and “Drum” for instances of  alliteration.
  • Fourth period:
    • parts of speech test Friday (November 13);
    • work on poetry portfolio.
  • Seventh period:
    • practice reading the poem until you’ve mastered it;
    • find the two passages that are most rap-like.

Test, Poetry, Ballads

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First and seventh periods had an essay test on The Diary of Anne Frank. The question was assigned Friday:

Write a letter to a theater manager asking him or her to stage The Diary of Anne Frank for your community. To persuade the theater manager, follow these steps:

  • Connect the events in the play to current events and attitudes.
  • Explain why the theme is important and how you think the community will benefit from seeing the play.

Second period began the poetry unit. We went over the difference between poetry and prose, looking at Howard Nemerov’s “Because you Asked about the Line between Prose and Poetry.” We went over the graphic organizer to trace the use of figurative language and sound devices in the poems we will read.

Fourth period completed the last of the poetry project presentations and began a final lesson on the ballad form.

Homework
  • First, second, and seventh periods: none.
  • Fourth period: complete the stanza of “Boots of Spanish Leather.”

Questions, a Test, and Sound Devices

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First and seventh periods completed work on the Diary of Anne Frank. We went over homework and did some work to review the play individually and in small groups.

We will be having a test on Monday in first and seventh periods. It will be an open book essay test, and I have already shared the question with students.

Write a letter to a theater manager asking him or her to stage The Diary of Anne Frank for your community. To persuade the theater manager, follow these steps:

  • Connect the events in the play to current events and attitudes.
  • Explain why the theme is important and how you think the community will benefit from seeing the play.

Second period took their essay test for the Diary of Anne Frank as well. They had a choice of two essay questions

  1. You decide to make a recommendation to the school board that The Diary of Anne Frank be required reading for all eighth graders. You want to stress how it is a selection that all students can relate to and learn something from. Write a letter presenting your case. Use at least three episodes from the book that
    1. Can relate to students’ own experiences and
    2. Teach students something significant and important
  2. Read I.4 (which we didn’t read in class). Select three characters and discuss how I.4 further develops them. What type of people are they, and how do the actions of I.4 confirm or change our impressions of them?

Fourth period continued work on the poetry unit. The group covering alliteration and assonance completed their presentation today.

Homework
  • First and seventh periods: plan and prepare for test.
  • Second period: none.
  • Fourth period: revise second quatrain of sonnet to ensure it is in iambic pentameter.

The End of Innocence

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First and seventh periods finished the Diary of Anne Frank. We will be having a test on the material early next week.

Second period went over the final bits of the play and tied up loose ends.

Fourth period finished the sonnet and the group presenting about rhyme completed most of their presentation.

Homework
  • First and seventh periods: questions 1-4 on page 870.
  • Second period: study for essay test tomorrow on Anne Frank’s diary.
  • Fourth period: revise the first four lines of the sonnets to be in iambic pentameter and the appropriate rhyme scheme.

The Thief

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First and seventh periods went over act II scene 3. We looked in detail at the consequences of the theft. We’ll be finishing up the play tomorrow.

Second period completed the play today. We’re scheduled to start a new unit — on poetry — on Monday, with a small open-note, open-book test on the play Friday.

Fourth period finished up meter. Now students can explain with “iambic pentameter” means, as well as dactylic trimeter, anapestic dimeter, and other imaginary and real meters.

Homework
  • First period and seventh periods: read II.4 of Diary of Anne Frank.
  • Second period:
    • complete questions 1-4 on page 870;
    • read Anne Frank Remembered (906-911)
  • Fourth period: make a first attempt at using iambic pentameter by writing a sonnet rough draft.