Check out the class resources to see the supplements we used for this unit, which included a great deal of historical research for the students.
It's been a long time since we updated. Since our last update, we've actually completed reading a few different things. One important thing we completed was a unit on the graphic novel Maus I: A Survivor's Tale. This is the first book in the two-part Maus set, which is based on author Art Spiegleman's interview of his father, Vladek. Art interviews his father to learn about his experience as a Holocaust survivor in Poland during World War II. There is a lot that we learned from this experience. Many students did not understand the difference between Nazis and Jews. Many students did not understand the motivation behind the Nazi genocide of the Jewish people of Europe. Many students did not understand the idea of genocide. What makes Maus I such a great resource for our class is that its format, similar to a comic book, makes it pretty easy to read. Nevertheless, it is a story of real and adult issues, and in fact, it is the only graphic novel in history to win the Pulitzer Prize. This story of the Holocaust is real, personal, sometimes funny, and an honest depiction of a man who was not always such an easy person to be around.
Check out the class resources to see the supplements we used for this unit, which included a great deal of historical research for the students.
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It's been a while since we updated, so there is a lot to tell. We finished up reading Flight a couple of weeks ago. We then discussed the components that make up narrative writing, and how to construct our own narratives. As well, the students completed the Scholastic Reading Index test and have been grouped into differentiated sections based on Lexile scores for more targeted reading instruction. As well, the groups began working together to write their own narratives. The assignment is: "Create the long-lost missing chapter of Zits, Time Travelling Mass-Murderer. Each group worked to create a narrative that is sequential, singular in tone, developed around a central theme, and cohesive with the rest of the book. The kids have come up with some pretty great stories, which will be published on our website in the next week. Speaking of publishing, you will not be able to see the students' writing. You can, however, hear them! The students are creating podcasts, editing the audio, and doing their best to practice creating real voices in their readings. It is most definitely a reading skill to look beyond decoding of words and into the development of worlds and characters in the mind's eye. To practice this, students read a poem out loud in class using silly voices drawn from a stack of randomized cards, and they also listened to the first chapter of the nationally famous podcast "Serial" as a model. We'll be done with the unit no later than Monday. Then, onto Language Skills! We've done some significant work on Common Core State Standards 9.1, 9.2, and 9.3 in the last two weeks, and have also tested on Lexile levels in the Scholastic Reading Inventory. Students have tracked their Lexile scores and set goals for their reading progress throughout the year. Currently, it is clear that we have a lot of work ahead of us. Luckily, we are not intimidated by the idea of hard work in this class!
We have also begun working in our Vocabulary in Context workbook, which we will work in several times a week to improve our vocabulary skills. We will be updating our class website with links to student sites in the next week; the classes will be doing a lot of shifting around, so I am going to have to hold off on doing that until the schedules are settled. Finally, today was Picture Day at GHS! We have kids showing up with spectacular outfits and some who even "tip their hats" at their culture through their sartorial choices! I am gratified to see my diverse students celebrate where they come from. We have started our first novel of the year, Flight by Sherman Alexie. Some of the classes are already as far in as 50 pages in at this point, which is pretty great. Sherman Alexie is the award-winning author of many great works of fiction, including The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, which he later drafted into a screenplay for the independent film "Smoke Signals", a local favorite. He has been published in the prestigious New Yorker magazine, and his young adult novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian garnered him a National Book Award. He is famous for his combination of humor and depth, and his ability to create Native American characters who are well-rounded and rich. Flight is about a half Native, half Irish kid whose mother passed away and whose father is out of the picture. He jumps from foster home to foster home and in and out of jail, coping with his anger about losing his parents and his identity. He meets a kid who seems pretty smart at first, but who sends him down the path that leads him to make the biggest mistake of his life. He ends up paying for it in ways he never expected. This is an exciting, challenging book that takes the reader on an adventure through Native American history. This week, we are focusing on introductions and team-building activities. We have gone over our syllabus, practiced the fire drill route, played a whole group team-building game, and taken Briggs-Myers Personality tests! We have also discussed our course outline, classroom procedure, grading system, and I have started to learn a lot of new names.
I have already come to see that I will enjoy this new group of students very much, and I look forward to getting to know them and uploading our work as the year goes on. New parents and guardians, please look for any forms you may have missed, such as the Photo-Release form for this website, and check out our Course Syllabus on the Home Page. |
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