AGENDA 1/15-1/20

First, write a challenge affecting k-12 public education on each of your four post-it notes
Then, in groups of 4-5, share your post-its round-robin style, one at a time,
Next, categorize your notes in a tree map
Create tree maps: problems affecting K-12 education (see sample #1 and sample #2) and present to class

Share out: what did this activity help you realize about challenges in K-12 education? What did you get from your group members or other groups that you didn’t think of on your own?

Read “10 Major Challenges Facing Public Schools” by Grace Chen. Students should read silently, annotate for understanding, re-read, and funnel this blog post. Then, with a sharing partner, discuss annotations and funneling. What overlaps did they notice with their tree maps?

Class discussion over Chen’s blog post. Of the ten challenges Chen mentions, which ones do students think are most important? What challenge would be most important for a third-grader? For a parent? For a politician trying to get elected on improving America’s schools? For a middle school teacher? How does the point of view change the importance of each challenge Chen notes?

Create tree map to help you organize your thinking as you read The Pact
Annotate as you read on your tree maps and/or with post-its and continue to note unfamiliar vocabulary, important ideas, questions you have. Read “Dreaming Big,” “Home,” and “Ma” and annotate/note on your tree maps as you read.

HW: Continue reading and annotating The Pact, “Common Ground,” “Caged,” “A Big Break,” and “Hope,” and add to your tree maps.

AGENDA 1/13

Review steps for timed rhetorical analysis essay in groups of 4 - write steps on individual post-its, then view another group's work and write check marks next to any similar steps to validate their thinking.

Flow Map we made of steps for Rhetorical Analysis Essay

HW: Independent reading - 500 pages by 2/15

AGENDA 12/9

Discuss yesterday's video, "How Prisons Can Help Inmates Live Meaningful Lives" by Dan Pacholke
Review viewing guide and your reactions/responses

Watch TED Talk by Nalini Nadkarni, "Life Science in Prison"

Introduce writing assignment - start by creating one introduction paragraph tonight, handwritten or typed, for one of our semester texts

HW: Finish reading The Scarlet Letter for Friday. Write one introduction paragraph tonight, handwritten or typed, for one of our semester texts.

AGENDA 12/8

View TED Talk, "How Prisons Can Help Inmates Live Meaningful Lives" by Dan Pacholke
Complete viewing guide

HW: Finish reading The Scarlet Letter for Friday.

AGENDA 11/23

Writing effective introductions for argument essays

Understanding whether argument is of fact, value, or policy

HW: For each of the four prompts, turn the prompt into a question (or questions) and write the questions down on the prompt paper. Additionally, note whether the argument called for is an argument of fact, value, and/or policy. Then, on notebook paper, write a FATT claim for each of the four prompts, preferably one per each side of the page (so 2 pieces of paper total).

Sample Critical Annotation in MLA format

Tips for MLA format:

Create a hanging indent in Google Docs

Create a hanging indent in Word

Create a header in Word

MLA Manuscript Format

Directions for Critical Annotation . Submit revision to Turnitin.com by 11/30

AGENDA 11/19

Introduce vocabulary from Thoreau's "Where I Lived and What I Lived For"
Begin reading and annotating "Where I Lived and What I Lived For"

HW: Revise critical annotation. Finish optional Clybourne Park essay if you attended the play. Complete independent reading. Have you earned 3-7 monster points this week?

Sample Critical Annotation in MLA format

Tips for MLA format:

Create a hanging indent in Google Docs

Create a hanging indent in Word

Create a header in Word

MLA Manuscript Format

Directions for Critical Annotation . Submit revision to Turnitin.com by 11/30

AGENDA 11/6

Discuss and introduce Optional Learning Opportunity for Clybourne Park including Cast List

Finish watching A Raisin in the Sun 

HW: Independent Reading