First and second periods were taken up with the ITBS. Our team switched second and fourth period, so second period met during the fourth period slot. We did the second part of our parts of speech review (pronouns).
Seventh period completed work on the addition of specific details to our writing. We also did a quick review of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives.
First and second periods were taken up with the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS).
Fourth period discussed three topics in R&J, two of which have been running through the whole play: fate and dreams. We decided on a project proposal that will not take up significant amounts of class time. We agreed on a few changes that the project prospectus and rubric now reflect.
Seventh period worked on the essential question, “What is the difference between specific and general details?” We worked on an activity that looked something like this:
HomeworkDue to ITBS testing, we only had fourth and sixth periods today. We continued the “frequently confused words” work in conjunction with Flowers for Algernon.
First period had an unplanned Giver review discussion. I hadn’t realized that there were some fundamental issues about the book that some weren’t comprehending, and the questions at the beginning of class illustrated that we needed to process as a group a bit.
Second period didn’t have class today due to the ITBS testing.
Fourth and sixth periods worked on a quick (theoretically quick, anyway) review of apostrophe use. It was intended to take less than a whole period; it will end up taking about 1.25 periods.
First period looked at the various rites of passage in The Giver and worked together to come up with an answer to the day’s essential question, “What is a rite of passage.”
Second period finished up Lord of the Flies. We began working on two trials that will be held Monday the next time we’ll have class together.
Jack's Defense
In separate trials, we’ll be trying Ralph and Jack for the death of Simon. Those who chose to work on Jack’s case will receive a bit of extra credit, as they had no materials to begin with.
Ralph's Defense Dream Team
Prosecution At Work
Initially, I only planned on the trial for Ralph, but we talked as a class and decided to do two trials, with the understanding that those working Jack’s trial — especially the defense — would have a much harder assignment.
Dream Team II
Prosecution Team for Ralph
“Defending Jack is a little like defending Osama bin Laden,” said one of Jack’s attorneys to me. Of course, the truly difficult defendant from Lord of the Flies would be Roger.
Prosecution and Defense for Jack
Fourth and sixth periods returned to Flowers for Algernon. We took a break from reading to watch a bit of the film version, Charlie.
We’ll be having ITBS testing next week, so theoretically we won’t have class for first and second periods until next Thursday. I’m hoping we can, as a team, make some adjustments so that we’ll have class with first and second periods at some point during that three-day testing block.
