First and fifth periods continued with the scaffolded work on determining a text’s main idea. We turned to a fictional text today, though it’s written in the style of a non-fictional report.

progris riport 4-Mar 8

Their going to use me! Im so excited I can hardly write. Dr Nemur and Dr Strauss had a argament about it first. Dr Nemur was in the office when Dr Strauss brot me in. Dr Nemur was worryed about using me but Dr Strauss told him Miss Kinnian rekemmended me the best from all the people who she was teaching. I like Miss Kinnian becaus shes a very smart teacher. And she said Charlie your going to have a second chance. If you volunteer for this experament you mite get smart. They dont know if it will be perminint but theirs a chance. Thats why I said ok even when I was scared because she said it was an operashun. She said dont be scared Charlie you done so much with so little I think you deserv it most of all.

So I got scaird when Dr. Nemur and Dr. Strauss argud about it. Dr. Strauss said I had something that was very good. He said I had a good motorvation. I never even knew I had that. I felt proud when he said that not every body with an eye-q of 68 had that thing. I dant know what it is or where I got it but he said Algernon had it too. Algernons motor-vation is the cheese they put in his box. But it cant be that because I didn’t eat any cheese this week.

Then he told Dr Nemur something I dint understand so while they were talking I wrote down some of the words.

He said Dr. Nemur I know Charlie is not what you had in mind as the first of your new brede of intelek** (couldnt get the word) superman. But most people of his low ment** are host** and uncoop** they are usually dull apath** and hard to reach. He has a good natcher hes intristed and eager to please.

Dr Nemur said remember he will be the first human beeng ever to have his intelijence tripled by surgicle meens.

Dr. Strauss said exakly. Look at how well hes lerned to read and write for his low mentel age its as grate an acheve** as you and I lerning einstines therey of **vity without help. That shows the inteness motor-vation. Its comparat** a tremen** achev** I say we use Charlie.

I dint get all the words but it sounded like Dr Strauss was on my side and like the other one wasnt.

Then Dr Nemur nodded he said all right maybe your right. We will use Charlie. When he said that I got so exited I jumped up and shook his hand for being so good to me. I told him thank you doc you wont be sorry for giving me a second chance. And I mean it like I told him. After the operashun Im gonna try to be smart. Im gonna try awful hard.

Students worked in pairs to determine the main ideas of the first four paragraphs, then we worked individually for the final paragraphs.

Notes from first and fifth about determining the main idea from progress report 4

Afterward, we went over all the work to make sure we’re all coming up with the same analysis.

Notes from first and fifth about determining the main idea from progress report 4

Once that was done, we reexamined some of the inferences we’d made and came up with three sub-steps for the process of determining the main idea of a text.

Notes from first and fifth about determining the main idea

Second and fourth periods worked on the EQ, “How does Shakespeare use irony in 3.1,” looking at all the ironic twists and turns that present themselves in this most famous scene, the deaths of Tybalt and Mercutio.

Notes from second and fourth periods

After going through the first part of the scene as a class (scaffolding as always!), we divided the first two-thirds of the scene into four mini-scenes which individual groups examined, looking for verbal, situational, and/or dramatic irony.

Notes from second and fourth periods

Hopefully it was clear at the end of the lesson: 3.1 is chock full of irony, with every single exchange containing multiple examples.

Homework

• First and fifth periods: write a carefully-crafted, one-sentence explanation of the main idea of today’s text (see above for notes and actual text).
• Second and fourth periods: plan and outline a Schaffer-model paragraph examining the use of irony in Romeo and Juliet 3.1.