Freshman Performance Project

As you know from class, your going to be staging a performance of a scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream. In order to create a believable interpretation, the project will have several required steps, as well as a few creative options. The idea behind the project is that a play is meant to be performed, and the only way to really understand the themes and characters is to become them from the inside out. That's what you're going to do.

Step One: Brainstorm your ideas for characters, scenes, and how you might put them together and perform them (you already did this on your blogs).

Step Two: Find others that are interested in working with you. Or don't, you can perform solo if you like.

Step Three: Write a one page interpretation of your scene. More specifically, you will analyze the minimum 15 lines that you'll memorize, adapting the scene for performance, and figuring out how you're going to play the character, including their mood, tone, motivations, frustrations, all based on the language. The one-pager is due next Wednesday, C-day the 16th.

Step Four: With your groups, if you're working with a group, decide on a performance option. Here they are:
1. You can put on a live performance for the class. This means creating props,
costumes, and learning how to stage (move actors around the stage).
2. Radio show. These were before your time and mine. But they're really cool.
Think the audio version of the play but with more sound effects. This option
will mean really knowing how to inflect every word and how to use effects to
create meaning. The final product will be a podcast.
3. You can film and edit an iMovie. Before you choose this option, there are
several things to consider. First, you will have to make arrangements with
ITV to check-out equipment, unless you have your own. And it's a busy time of
year for video equipment. Also, we will need to meet and discuss sound,
lighting, and composition. These will make the biggest impact on the quality
of your movie.

Step Five: You will create a neat, organized, well-planned storyboard, analog or digital. The storyboard is also due C-day the 16th.

Step Six: Rehearse and create any materials.

Step Seven: Performances will be next cycle, day 3 and 4. That'll be Friday the 18th and Monday the 22nd.

Flat World Reflection Questions

On your blog, respond to the following questions. We will discuss and podcast in class.

1. What did you like best about the project and why?
2. What did you like least and why?
3. What was something surprising that you learned about the other students (from other schools)?
4. How do you think the project affected your writing?
5. Describe the most challenging aspect of the project.
6. Offer some advice to future participants.
7. Other comments.

Freshman Homework

We don't meet again until next Tuesday. So here's the work you need to prepare:
1. Finish your Shakespeare wikispace page. We'll be looking at them as a class next week.
2. Finish reading Act II, maybe even start reading Act III. Write another character analysis post after reading.
3. Prepare a few notes for a Flat World debrief/reflection session that I'm going to podcast.

Freshman, Here's Today's Activity

Follow this link to the Freshman corner of my class wikispace. Read every word, follow the links, rearrange yourselves into the assigned groups, and get to work.

Cycle 25 - Everybody

Okay, the final month is here. And each class is on their respective "plan" for the remaining 4 cycles. Be sure you're consulting the calendars I created for you often. Sophs, it's quality project all cycle, and "Stuckness" in class; Freshman, bring A Midsummer Night's Dream and get ready to do some performing; Composition, this cycle we write our nature essays.

Cycle 24 - Freshman

This cycle marks the end of our work with The Woman Warrior,culminating in an essay/project with a few options.This essay is your chance to display what you've learned about reading critically and writing thoughtfully, and most importantly what you've learned about who you are and your voice. We've also completed stories for 1001 Flat World Project, the first ever in the world! Now we wait for the winners.

The Plan:
Day 1 - Final Woman Warrior discussion, essay/project directions and brainstorm.
HW - Rough draft of essay.

Day 2 - Peer feedback groups for essay.
HW - Work on essay/project.

Day 3 - Computer lab time to work on essay, individual conferences about presentation.
HW - Continue work on essay/project.

Day 4 - Final essay/project work day.
HW - Presentations next class.

Cycle 23 - Freshman

This cycle we will be making the final revisions on Flat World stories. The only thing left to do next week is edit them for conventions, which we will do amongst ourselves. Then, our volunteer editors will convene and decide on award-winning stories. We are also finishing The Woman Warrior and will wrap up discussion of the story next week too. Then, get ready to get dramatic with some Shakespeare to finish the semester.

Plan and Homework
Day 1 - Computer lab, working on new draft after sentence fluency feedback.
HW - Story, finish The Woman Warrior if you haven't yet.

Day 2 - Computer lab, working on new draft.
HW - Story. Print 2 copies to bring to class.

Day 3 - Line editing for conventions in story.
HW - Final revision/editing.

Day 4 - Finish story, discuss The Woman Warrior.
HW - Submit final story.

Sentence Fluency For Freshman

Here are the questions to use for feedback on the Flat World Project this week:
1. Highlight the beginnings of sentences. Are there too many "th" words? Suggest different sentence structures.
2. What is your favorite moment based on how the essay sounds? Why? (this works for podcasted stories or for required read-aloud.)
3. Do the pace and style of sentences match the content of the story? Discuss specific examples.
4. Are there repetition of words and/or the same kinds of sentences? Is there a strategic reason or can it be deleted?

Also visit this link for Mr. B's sentence fluency exercise.

Welcome to 4th Quarter - Cycle 22 - Freshman

Soon, we'll be finishing The Woman Warrior, revisiting our essential questions, completing the 1001 Flat World Writing Project, and switching gears for some Shakespeare.

A Few Important Changes
1. Label all your posts with cycle number. And add a side bar element for "labels."
2. A few weeks ago, I set up a blog reading/Flat World checking schedule. But it was too confusing for me. So the new plan is that I'll read your blogs/story revisions at the end of each cycle. So your posts need to be completed each cycle by F-day midnight.
3. Continue to pay attention to the quality of your blogging, feedback, and creative writing.

In Class:
Day 1 - "At The Western Palace" quiz, silent reading time
HW: Critical response to passage on blog

Day 2 - Flat World work, podcast story
HW: Flat World feedback (see wiki for schedule)

Day 3 - Flat World work, podcast story
HW: Story revision

Day 4 - "A Song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe" reading in class, discussion, lit circle meeting (new group)
HW: Lit circle post

Flat World Out Loud - Attn: Freshman

Our classmates around the world have begun podcasting revisions of their stories. Now you can listen to the authors read their work aloud and give feedback. What if you could record your feedback out loud? Mr. B links to Jessica Y as a great example of how podcasting and reading aloud can improve writing. Give it a listen and get ready to podcast your stories.

Literature Circles With A Twist

I guess that makes them literature figure-eights. :) As we read our respective novels in freshman and sophomore English, we'll be using literature circles to discuss and extract ideas from the texts. Traditionally, I'd assign you groups, assign you roles, and assign you a reading and meeting schedule. I'll still assign you groups, but they will change after we read each chunk of the book. I'm going to give you a list of role options from which your group will decide who does what. And you will post and comment on each other's work on your blogs. This will allow you class time to discuss and determine what direction your explorations will go. Eventually, we'll use our wikispace to develop an extensive, original, Poisonwood Bible and Woman Warrior resource publications. For now, here's the list of possible roles:

Moderator (Bring questions)
Lexicographer (Vocabulary)
New Critic (Identify key passages)
Character Analyst (What do we know about the characters?)
Biographical Critic (What do we know/learn about the author?)
Psychological Critic (Analyze motivations)
Director (for drama) (Give instructions to actors for key passages)
Engineer (Identify physical and/or logical structures)
Historian (Information and inferences about history)
Anthropologist (Information and Inferences about culture)
Narratologist (Identify authorial strategies)
Stylist (Sentence-level strategies)
Feminist (What is stated/implied about the role of women?)
Devil's Advocate (Identify and attack weaknesses)
Cinematographer (How would this work as a movie?)
Philosopher King (What are the themes/big ideas?)
Musician (Where is this language most pleasing to the ear?)
Egotist (What's in this for me?)
Artist (How would this translate into a picture?)

Freshman Friday Follow-Up

Friday, we discussed the six methods of characterization and used Maxine's aunt in "No Name Woman" as our example of how to identify each of the methods. In class, your group is working on a visual based on the six quotes your group decided to use. On your blog, you starting to develop a family story that will become your contribution to 1001 Flat World Writing Project. For your first post, you should be trying to put together a story that somehow reveals your culture and how it plays a part in making you who you are. For now, it's probably mostly true; as the story develops, it'll take on more fantastic elements. Woman Warrior will surely inspire this. You should be revisiting your post and trying to add methods of characterization and Smiley-Face Tricks to bring your story alive. Everybody should have a draft to work with posted on their blog by Wednesday.

Welcome Freshman - What About Blogs?

The sophomores have been working in our blogosphere since the beginning of the semester. Now it's your turn! The blogs are different than our Moodle page. I think you'll find that they're more personal and have a much wider audience. We'll talk more about it in class today, but here's a quick set of guidelines:

What About Blogs?

How we’ll use them:
We’re going to use blogs as virtual notebooks. You will post daily assignments, free writes, reading responses, and many other forms of work on your blog. In addition to text-based work, you’ll eventually learn how to use multimedia on your blogs, things like pictures, podcasts, videos, etc.

The difference between our Moodle and your blogs:
Moodle can't be seen by anybody other than members of our class. We can post assignment instructions, drop files, develop wikis, amongst other things. Your blog is published material. Once you post it, people will read it. So think of it more as a place to post ideas to which you want people to comment, as well as more fine-tuned pieces of writing. More specifically, your blog will loosely document your exploration of our essential questions: Who Am I? How can my use of language help to develop self and voice?

What a blog’s not:
A blog is not a myspace. This means that when you write, you need to write correctly and academically. Try to avoid using abbreviations and slang. You should try to cultivate your voice. Be descriptive, specific, and yourself. Some assignments will be more formal than others.

What not to do:
Make sure you don’t post any pictures of yourself and/or use your last name in any of your published materials.

Where to go for great examples:
Start by clicking on the sophomore links from this page
Check out Mrs. Watsons' students' pages.
And, for some more inspiration, check out Mr. Burrell's class blogs.