/November 21, 2013: What's Happening in A.P. Literature?

Dear students,

There aren't many things that could take me away from you.  Having a baby is one of them.  Watching that baby almost die is another.  The past two days have been terrifying, but Henry is hanging in there.  We will be at Children's Hospital for at least few more days.  I will keep you posted.

In the meantime, please keep working hard and being respectful of the substitute and of each other.  E-mail me if you need help or have questions.

Much love,
Ms. Leclaire

1. Warm-up: Perusing each other's bookmarks, musical chairs style (you may need to explain to the substitute teacher what this is).  Take your composition notebook with you as you and write your reactions and comments to each other's bookmarks in your composition notebooks. Do this for a couple rounds, then TRADE BOOKMARKS WITH EACH OTHER.

If the substitute has other plans for you for the first part of class, that's fine, too.  Just be sure to trade bookmarks before you leave class today.

2. Socratic seminar: Please make sure you have a scribe today.

HW:
1. Continue following the Invisible Man reading schedule, annotating and adding to your new bookmark as you go.

2. Continue working on your poetry project/paper.  Please e-mail me with question, and I will give you feedback on your metacognitive writing over the break.

November 20, 2013: What's Happening in A.P. Literature?

Focus: Is your poem worthy?

1. Warm-up: Perusing a sample metacognitive: "Darkness"

2. Testing your poem with a little (or a lot of) metacognition

3. Final 10 minutes: Recapping the purpose and structure of the poetry paper/project and answering questions

HW:
1. Finish your metacognitive if you did not finish in class; Google share it with kleclaire@lps.k12.co.us (Title it like this: "Michael Carlson's Metacognitive: How Cuteness Makes You Likeable")

2. Prepare for tomorrow's Socratic seminar on Invisible Man, Chapters 11 and 12 (as well as any previous chapters you'd like to discuss as a class).  For your reading ticket, add to your bookmark and annotate your text with questions, connections, and analysis.

November 19, 2013: What's Happening in A.P. Lit?

Focus: How do the opening chapters of Invisible Man establish everything you need to know about the rest of the book?

1. Warm-up: Exploring the pieces of the puzzle Ellison hands to you in the Prologue and Chapter 1

• The title of your motif (ex: The battle royal)
• The best quotation describing your motif (and page number)
• A few notes on what we know about this motif based on Ellison's first description of it?

• As you read, please add to the bookmark by doing the following:
• Write down the page numbers where this motif resurfaces, usually in a slightly different form.
• Explain how each new version of your motif deepens/alters your understanding of it.  Feel free to ask questions, too.

These, along with your annotations, will be your reading tickets for the time being.  With each reading assignment, we'll trade bookmarks with each other.

Here are the prominent motifs I'm seeing in the Prologue and Chapter 1 so far, but feel free to add to the list:

Monopolated Light & Power (5)

Grandpa's deathbed advice/curse (16)

The battle royal (21-26)

Black men and sensuous white women/the "Brute" (19-20)

Tatlock (24-25)

The Sambo (26)

The electrified rug of coins (27-29)

The brief case (32)

The brass tokens masquerading as gold coins (32)

"Keep This Nigger-Boy Running" (33)

The color white

Blood

Eyes and "I's"

Veils and blindfolds

2. Socratic Seminar: The Prologue and Chapter 1 of Invisible Man (and connections to subsequent chapters)

3. Going around the circle with final thoughts and questions

HW:
1. Bring your poem to class for tomorrow's metacognitive, as well as any other work you have done on your project or paper.

2. I'm switching up the end of the week just a bit because of absences; on Thursday we will have our next Socratic (Chapters 11 and 12), and on Friday we will have small group discussions (Chapters 13 and 14).  Reading tickets = bookmarks

November 18, 2013: What's Happening in A.P. Literature?

Focus: What have you been up these past two months?

1. Warm-up: Sharing the past two months of my life with you

2. Sharing the past two months of your life with me via letter writing

3. Sending around an optional conference sign-up and going over the upcoming weeks

4. Small groups: Teaching Ms. Leclaire what you've learned first semester about...

Wuthering Heights
Henry IV, Part I
Invisible Man
Tuesday Writings
How to read a poem

HW: 
Follow the Invisible Man reading schedule; please reread the Prologue and Chapter 1 for tomorrow.

Tuesday, Nov 19: Socratic on the Prologue and Chapter 1 and how these two chapters have echoed through subsequent chapters so far.

Wednesay, Nov 20:  BRING YOUR PROJECT/PAPER POEM TO CLASS WEDNESDAY FOR A METACOGNITIVE WRITING. You may also wish to bring your own laptop if you have one.

Thursday, Nov 21: Bring your "bookmarks" for small group discussion on Chapters 11 and 12.

Friday, Nov 22: Socratic on Chapters 13 and 14 (as well as anything from earlier chapters you'd like to discuss as a class).

Thanksgiving Break

Monday, December 2: Socratic on Chapters 15 and 16

Friday, December 6: Socratic on Chapters 17 and 18; all make-up work, revisions, and grade changes are due.

Monday, December 9: Poetry papers and projects due; presentations begin

Thursday, December 12: Socratic: Chapters 19-22

Monday, December 16: Socratic: Chapter 23-end

November 15, 2013: What's Happening in A.P. Literature?

1. Finish the time lines and post your group's thematic statements.
2. Read the Time magazine article.
3. Discuss the article and make connections to Invisible Man

HW--Read Chapters 11-14. Mrs. Leclaire will give you exact due-dates and tickets!

It was a pleasure being your teacher. Good luck with all of your studies and enjoy the remaining months of school. You are wonderful!

November 13, 2013: What's Happening in A.P. English?

1. Go into small groups and share your Literary 3 x 3's. Select a good one for each chapter and post them on today's class blog (under 3 x 3's)
2. Ask and discuss your questions.
3. Polarities Assignment is here and here.

November 13, 2013: What's Happening In A.P. Literature?

Read and discuss the grading rubric for "Evening Hawk."

Workshop yesterday's essay.

HW--Read and annotate Chapters 6-10 of Invisible Man and complete the ticket.

November 12, 2013: What's Happening in A.P. Literature?

Let's discuss yesterday's poem ("Tornados") and the thesis statements. What questions/observations do you have about the poetry drill, the poem, the prompt, the thesis statements?

You may use the poetry drill to help you move through today's poem if you believe that will be helpful to you. Spend about 10 minutes of the allotted time reading and annotating the poem and planning your essay.

HW--Read and annotate Chapters 6-10, Invisible Man. Complete the ticket assignment (last Friday's blog) Due Thursday.

November 11, 2013: What's Happening in A.P. Literature?

1. Overview of the Week:

• M--Poetry drill--How to Read a Poem
• T--Tuesday writing--a modern poem by William Carlos Williams
• W--Late-start day, shortened period. Workshop Tuesday's essay.
• Th--Discuss Chapters 6-10 of Invisible Man.
• Friday--Discussion--Invisible Man and Time magazine article.

Go into small groups (no larger than 4, please). Using the poetry drill I've handed you, break down the poem, "Tornadoes." At the end of class, you'll be asked to write and share a thesis and topic sentences for an A.P. style question about the poem. This exercise will give you a useful strategy for unlocking the meaning of any poem you encounter on an A.P. exam!

HW--Invisible Man, Chapters 6-10 due Thursday. (Ticket is described on Friday's class blog.)

November 8, 2013: What's Happening in A.P. Literature?

Break into two groups today to prepare for the poetry assignment.

Poetry Project Group--You'll need a computer!

• Share with the group what you would like to create for your poem and then complete a project proposal (see the link on Mrs. Leclaire's class web page.) Hand in the proposal on Monday.
• Sub-divide your group so that you are meeting with other students who are creating similar projects.
• Create a rubric for your smaller group's project. Look on-line for rubrics. Study the half rubric that the A.P. teachers have created, and then create a second half. (Find this on Mrs. Leclaire's A.P. Lit. web page.) All members of the group must agree on the standards that you are setting for each other. Hand in your group's rubric on Monday.

Poetry Paper Group--You'll need a computer!

• Free-write a paragraph explaining what attracted you to your poem--tell a little story, or describe your initial response to the poem. Why did you choose this poem above all others? This paragraph will become part of your introduction.
• Read the directions for this essay if you have not done so.  What questions do you have?
• Read sample essays and discuss them. Mrs. Leclaire posted a sample essay on her A.P. Lit. web page. (Avoid reading an essay about the poem you have chosen. Doing so will interfere with your own discoveries...)

When you finish, please read and annotate the Time magazine article. We will discuss it on Monday and make connections to Invisible Man.

HW: Read and annotate chapters 6-10 for next Thursday. Here is the ticket that's due on Thursday.

November 7, 2013: What's Happening in A.P. Literature?

Focus: Grappling with The Invisible Man, Prologue + Chapters 1-5

Divide into small groups. Use the tickets you prepared to help you focus your discussion.

• Share your quotations and the page numbers. Student one reads his/her quote and the others go round the circle, each reacting to/commenting on/analyzing that quote. The last person to comment is the student who read the quote.
• Ask your questions, chapter by chapter and discuss them. Take turns. Give everyone equal time.

At the end of the period, you'll be given time to bring your most interesting topic of discussion to the rest of the class. Summarize what you discussed and what you concluded so we can all learn something from you.

Do we need another day to continue discussing these chapters?

Homework: Read Chapters 6-10 for next Thursday.

November 6, 2013: What's Happening in A.P. Literature?

Finish our discussion of "Redwings"--the poem that illustrates "Multiple Meanings."
Enjoy looking at some of the poetry projects from years gone by...

HW--Prologue+Chapters 1-5+Ticket (with questions) for tomorrow's small-group discussions.

November 5, 2013: What's Happening in A.P. Literature?

M&M method of analyzing poetry (especially useful for modern and post-modern poems). We will use this method to analyze 3 poems by James Wright:

• "Autumn begins in Martens Ferry, Ohio" (Moment)
•  "A Blessing" (Movement)
• "Redwings." (Multiple meanings)

Tomorrow (time permitting--if not, then Friday): Meta-cognitive writing about your poem (in class).

HW Read Invisible Man and prepare ticket for Thursday's Socratic Seminar (or would you prefer small group discussions?)

November 4, 2013: What's Happening in A.P. Literature?

1. Hand in a copy of your poem.
1. Prewriting and small-group discussion of topics related to Invisible Man.
2. Easing our way into Invisible Man--Thinking out loud as we read The Prologue

• Rude student discussion: Interrupt the reader by blurting out questions and comments. 

3. Tomorrow and maybe Wednesday--3 poems (The M&M Method of Reading Poems)

HW:

• Read: Prologue+Chapters 1-5 of Invisible Man. Due Thursday.
• Reading Ticket for Thursday's Socratic Seminar:
• Find a challenging, beautiful, intriguing, or maddening passage. Quote it at the top of your paper. Then write a paragraph or two interpreting/reacting to it. What about this passage interests, confuses, or bothers you and why? 
• One good discussion question for each chapter. (That's five questions!)