All Boys, All Blogged: March 10, 2015

Focus: In dystopian societies, what do people care about? What don't they care about?

1. Warming up with a breakdown of the word "dystopia" and two dystopian film clips

a. The Hunger Games
b. Divergent

• What are the teenagers like in these societies?
• What are the adults like?
• What do people care about?
• What don't people care about?

Looking at your responses above, make one connection between each film clip and the teenagers/adults/society/morals of the characters in F451. Consider both similarities and differences.

2. Enjoying Fishbowl #3: F451, pages 40-63

3. Wrapping up

HW:

1. Please read pages 63-80 in F451 and complete one side of your green observation chart/reading journal by this Friday. I will likely collect your observation charts on Friday.

2. Work on your book talk and be ready to go on your presentation date.

3. This Friday we will have a vocabulary quiz over F451 words 1 through 15 ("abstracted" through "fold").

All Boys, All Blogged: March 9, 2015

Focus: What are the qualities of an effective speech?

Please make sure you are signed up for a book talk.

1. Warming up: Exploring a few definitions of logos, ethos, and pathos

2. Exploring the detailed overview of your book talks (if you don't have your green packet, please click HERE), particularly the part in which you address logos, ethos, and pathos

3. Watching a professional speech and discussing how the speaker uses the three appeals

• What is his attention grabber (how does he open his speech)?

• What is his claim?  In other words, what point is he trying to make?

• How was his speech organized?  In other words, what were his topics?

• How did he use the slides projected to the audience?

• Which details in his speech (images, phrases, word choices, etc.) appeal to ethos, logos, and pathos?

4. If time allows, starting to work on your own book talk

HW:

1. Please read pages 41-63 in F451 and complete one side of your green observation chart/reading journal by tomorrow (Tuesday).

2. Work on your book talk and be ready to go on your presentation date.

3. This Friday we will have a vocabulary quiz over F451 words 1 through 15 ("abstracted" through "fold").

All Boys, All Blogged: March 5, 2015

Focus: What is Bradbury's vision of the future?

1. Warming up with an overview of your PARCC schedule (click HERE for the tutorial):

• Testing will take place the mornings of  Wednesday and Thursday next week.  ALL 9th, 10th and 11th graders will take Language Arts testing on Wednesday.  The Math test will be given on Thursday morning.

• For the Math test:  Students will take either the Algebra I, Geometry or Algebra II test depending on their current math course.  9th and 10th graders who have already completed Algebra II will take the Algebra II test.  Juniors who have already completed Algebra II will NOT take a math test.  Students in Pre-Algebra will take the Algebra I test.

• Room assignments are posted on the wall in the Cafeteria outside the Security office.  Please check the list for your room assignment prior to Wednesday.

• If you have checked out a C​hrome​b​ook from Arapahoe, you will use that for your testing.  Please bring that ​C​hrome​b​ook to school fully charged on Wednesday and Thursday.

• You will need headphones on Wednesday for the Language Arts test.

• Click HERE for more PARCC details and the specific schedule for next Wed and Th.

2. Celebrating the best of the blog

Evan BunchMarch 3, 2015 at 6:47 AM

Fire in F451 symbolizes destruction of physical things and of knowledge, but also symbolizes a sense of security

Diego SchutzMarch 3, 2015 at 6:47 AM

Fire in F451 symbolizes the need to be destructive in order to rebuild.

Blakw062March 3, 2015 at 6:47 AM

Fire in F451 symbolizes a monster that also can't be contained

JustinKMarch 3, 2015 at 7:03 AM

Could Montag walking out into the rain on pg. 21 symbolize anything in Montag's life?

ReplyDelete

Replies

1. 
   Blake WMarch 3, 2015 at 7:03 AM

   Maybe how dark it has been

   Delete
2. 
   Reid CMarch 3, 2015 at 7:04 AM

   I think this shows how Montag is in a storm right now in his life and he isn't sure what to do next.

   Delete
3. 
   CristianMMarch 3, 2015 at 7:09 AM

   It could symbolize washing away his old and dark life, creating a new better one.

   Delete

3. Enjoying our second fishbowl discussion: F451, pages 28-40

4. Wrapping up

HW:
1. For next Tuesday, please read through page 63 and complete the backside of an observation chart.

2. Work on your banned book persuasive speech.

3. If you haven't finished entering words 1-15 of your F451 vocabulary into www.quizlet.com, please do so before Monday.

4. Make sure your parents know that I will be leaving conferences at 6:00 tonight (letter was sent home last week via hard copy and e-mail).

All Boys, All Blogged: March 4, 2015

Focus: What can we learn from breaking down Bradbury's metaphors and similes?

1. Warming up with a little creative writing: Making your own metaphors

Pick one of the following objects: Books, the breakfast you ate this morning, your brain, your friend's brain, your hands, your pet, your room

Close your eyes and visualize this object. Then generate a list of unlikely, unusual things your object resembles.

Create two metaphors/similes for this object: one that offers positive connotations, and one that offers negative connotations.

2. Offering you Ms. Leclaire's five-step approach to breaking down a challenging metaphor:

Step 1: Find a good metaphor/simile.

"How like a mirror, too, her face. Impossible; for how many people did you know who refracted your own light to you?" (11)


Step 2: Ask a question or two about it.

How is Clarisse's face like a mirror to Montag? How is she refracting his own light?


Step 3: Brainstorm connotations of the elements of the metaphor/simile.

What do I associate with the word "mirror"? What about "light" What about "refracting?"


Step 4: Connect those connotations to larger patterns you're seeing in the text.


Step 5: Answer the questions you asked in Step 2.


3. Trying out your newly found metaphor powers with pages 1-28 of F451; individual power first, then small group power

4. Understanding Bradbury's tricky vocabulary with a little help from www.quizlet.com; focus just on words 1-15 (quiz will be on Friday, March 13).

HW:

1. For Thursday, please read through page 40 in F451 and complete one side of your observation chart. Make sure you're bringing these each day of the week for random check-ins.

2. Start prepping for your banned book persuasive speech (esp. if that means finishing your book).

3. Finish entering vocabulary words 1-15 in www.quizlet.com if you did not finish during class.

All Boys, All Blogged: March 3, 2015

Focus: What's unfamiliar in the world of F451 so far, and what's familiar?

1. Warming up with a few interesting symbols

a. What's a hearth?

b. What's a salamander?

c. What's significant about 451 degrees?

d. What's a phoenix?

e. How many references to fire can you find in the first 28 pages?

Try this out on the blog: Fire in F451 symbolizes __________ but also _______________.

2. Enjoying our first fishbowl discussion on F451

3. Wrapping up: What worked? What didn't work? Suggestions?

HW:

1. For Thursday, please read through page 40 in F451 and complete one side of your observation chart. Make sure you're bringing these each day of the week for random check-ins.

2. Start prepping for your banned book persuasive speech (esp. if that means finishing your book).

3. Just a heads up: You will be taking a short break from www.noredink.com to understand Bradbury's challenging vocabulary! 

All Boys, All Blogged: March 2, 2015

Focus: What are the upsides and downsides of censorship?

1. Warming up: Considering what should be banned and censored with a round of "Agree, Disagree, Unsure"

2. Entering Ray Bradbury's vision of censorship in the future

3. Explaining your observation charts and looking at an example; taking time to try out your first task together; click here for the rubric

HW:
1. Finish reading through page 28 for class tomorrow; make sure you have the front and back side of an observation chart completed before class.

2.Our first fishbowl leaders and discussers need to be ready to go tomorrow. Leaders: Remember that each member of your group needs a copy of the syllabus, as do I.

3. Start working on your banned book presentations.

All Boys, All Blogged: February 27, 2015

Focus: What is the purpose of our banned books?

If you were absent yesterday, please catch yourself up with the following items:

a. Grab a Macbeth book and get scanned in.
b. Get a fishbowl overview packet from me.
c. Sign up for leadership and discusser dates.
d. Make sure your Macbeth essay is in the "Final Draft" folder in www.turnitin.com

1. Warming up with a brief quiz on verb tenses via www.noredink.com

2. Relaxing into your banned books (today is your final reading day)

3. Learning about your banned book persuasive speech and signing up for dates

4. Enjoying a little inspiration from an unexpected performer

HW:
1. Finish reading your banned book and start planning your speech.

2. Bring F451 to class on Monday; if you'd like to purchase your own copy, now is the time.