Thursday, September 30th - All Periods

Opening Inquiry: What is your impression of Africa? When you think about Africa, what do you see?

Critical Thinking Question: What is the single story?  How will you learn to express your many stories?  Will you write, sing, dance, or rap?

Content: Ted Talks - The Danger of the Single Story

Class Activities: Watch Video, Reflecting on your own “Single Story,” Writing the leads to your story.

Homework: Complete one of the stories that you began writing in class that makes you a more substantive person than the “single story” of Overbrook students.

The Single Story

Wednesday, September 29th - All Periods

Opening Inquiry: Please find your group and begin today’s agenda.

Critical Thinking Question: How do I connect with the members in my journal group?  How can we represent ourselves as a group?

Content: Student Name Stories, I am from poem

Class Activities: Journal group discussion about names, preparation for “I am from” presentation.

Homework: Get in touch with your journal group!

Tuesday, Sept. 28th - All Periods

Opening Inquiry: (Writing) Is anyone ever named wrong? Does everyone name fit their personality?

Critical Thinking Question:  Who are you?  What is your identity? What’s in your name that is a part of who you are?

Content: “Cyanocitta Cristata” by Chelli Riddiough

Class Activities: Reading and reflecting on short story, “I am...” activity, Discussion of our identities and things that we associate ourselves with.

Homework:  Written Reflection: Reflect on the “I am” activity.  How and why did you and your classmates identify yourselves the way you did?

Monday, September 27th - All Periods

Opening Inquiry: (Writing) Do you prefer people to call you by your nick-name or your actual name? Why?

Critical Thinking Question:  What is important about our names?  How do our names connect us to our culture and our identity?

Content:  “My Name” from House on Mango Street

Class Activities:  Read and discuss stories, Review the Reading and Writing Process, Begin writing about your name.

Homework: Portfolio Entry #3: Write the story of your name.  Explain in detail the story of your name from its history,its connection to your family, and its connection to your culture.

Reflection Post: Period 7; Week 2

What did we do?

We wrote poems.

Wrote a story.

Read poems.

Compared and contrasted our stories.

What did we learn?

Black Power.

Learned about Baca's life.

Punctuation.

Maturity.

Reflection Post: Period 6; Week 2

What did we do?

Learned about punctuation: semicolons, commas, and periods.

What is beauty?

Poems.

Psychology and Sociology.

Reflection Post: Period 1; Week 2

What did we do?

Punctuation.

Repeating lines.

Specific details in writing.

Introduction to Poetry.

Wrote own stories.

Friday, September 24th - All Periods

Critical Thinking Question: What makes me a unique reader and writer of the world? How am I related to a community?  How have I been an agent of change in my world? How can I be a more positive an agent of change in my world?

Content: Punctuation Review, Reading and Writing Process Review, Introduction to Chapter 3 from A Place to Stand

Class Activities: Review of skills, Short story about you as an agent of change in some situation, Extra time with Journal groups, Weekly Reflection

Homework: Keep in touch with your Journal groups about ideas for your presentation.

Thursday, September 23rd - All Periods

Critical Thinking Question: How are reading and writing related skills?  How are we each unique readers and writers?

Content: Reading and Writing Process Hand-out, Introduction to The Night Watch

Class Activities: Reflection on their writing process, Unfinished chapter from The Night Watch.

Homework: From Chapter 1 of The Night Watch, write what will happen next.  Think about how you as an individual can make it unique for you.

Wednesday, September 22nd - All Periods

Critical Thinking Question: What are the common threads that connect me to my classmates? What stories and experiences do I have in common with my classmates?

Content: Student Stories, “The Summer I Was Sixteen” poem, Sample “I am From” Poem

Class Activities: Review of punctuation poem for homework, Journal Groups first meeting, Reading Age Poems, Planning for “I Am From” Group Assignment

Homework: Write your own “I am From” Poem using a theme or that you developed in your journal group. At least 8-10 lines. You will use this to collaborate with your journal group.

Tuesday, September 21st - All Periods

Critical Thinking Question: What is poetry? Is there any one correct interpretation or meaning to poetry? How does punctuation help your message as a writer?

Content: “Introduction to Poetry” By Billy Collins, “The Cord” by Leanne O’Sullivan

Class Activities: Partner, then class discussion of the meaning of the poem. Analyzing punctuation in the poem for stops and pauses.

Homework: As a comma, period, and semicolon master, add these punctuation marks to the poem, “The Summer I was Sixteen.”
Answer questions about the poem from the two different perspectives explained.

Monday, September 20th - All Periods

Critical Thinking Question: How do events from my past affect my life and perspective today? What are the different stages you have had in your life?

Content: Age Poems: “Five” by Bea Clark and “Six” by Tim McGarry

Class Activities: Reading Poems, Discussion of Home Language, Partner Brainstorming, Begin writing poem.

Homework: Portfolio Entry #2: Write your own Age Poem.  Pick an age and reflect on that age through a poem. You will be expected to share your Age Poem in your journal groups.

Reflection Post: Period 6; Week 1

What did we do?

We learned how to make straw towers.

We focused on working together.

We focused on community.

Doubters and Believers activity.

What did we learn?

Companionship.

When everyone works together, things get done.

Expressing ourselves.

Reflection Post: Period 5; Week 1

What did we do?

Talked about beauty.

Read story about cracked pots.

Created straw towers.

Comparisons about Obama and us.

What did we learn?

Not to be disrespectful.

The definition for carnal.

Reflection Post: Period 3; Week 1

What did we do?

Read about Cracked Pots.

Made portfolios.

Watched Dove Evolution video.

Watched Obama video.

What did we learn?

Teamwork.

Flaws.

Beauty.

Togetherness and community.

Reflection Post: Period 1; Week 1

What did we do?

Learned about each other.

Express ourselves in different ways.

Models don't really look the way they look in magazines.

Friday, September 17th - All Periods

Critical Thinking Question: What characteristics do I have that make me unique? What is true beauty?

Content: Reflection sheet, Cracked Pots Story, Dove Video

Class Activities: Quickwrites, Write about your perfect self, Writing about beauty, Weekly Reflection

Homework: Make sure syllabus is signed and the parent letter is given to your parents. (That is a homework grade.)  Make sure you have a notebook and folder for class. Enjoy the weekend!

Thursday, September 16th - All Periods

Critical Thinking Question: What do I have in common with my classmates? What is unique about our Overbrook High School community?

Content: Student Survey, Peer Creative Introductions

Class Activities: Paired discussions, Interviews, Advertisements, and Partner Presentations

Homework: Written Reflection: What things connect us as a classroom community? How will this community help us to learn this year?

Wednesday, September 15th - All Periods

Critical Thinking Question: How do I best collaborate as a member of a group? What is the difference between collaborating and cooperating as a member of a group?

Content: Homework Reflections, Straws, Vocabulary Exercise

Class Activities: Paired sharing of vocabulary and homework responses, Straw building competition, Importance of Vocabulary

Homework: Write the following 5 words in accurate sentences.

• Dread
• Carnal
• Censorship
• Succumb
• Manipulate

Tuesday, September 14th - All Periods

Critical Thinking Question: What is the story of my hand? What qualities do I have as a unique individual?

Content: Portfolio, Classroom Norms and Expectations Final Copy, Obama Images and Videos, Student lists of Character strengths, Leadership Qualities, Accomplishments, Relationships, Unique Traits

Class Activities: Your Hand Story

Homework: Read “As if your life depended on it,” and complete the worksheet.

Obama as a Leader

What qualities does Obama display as an individual? How is he a leader? What are his character strengths? What are his accomplishments as a person? What is unique about him? What would be the story of his hand?

Obama's Weekly Address

Obama's weekly address in remembrance of September 11th.

Monday, September 13th - All Periods

Critical Thinking Question: What goals can I set for myself this year that would push me to achieve great things?
How should I behave to enable myself and my classmates to learn?

Content: Two Wolves Story, List of Behavior Expectations

Class Activities: Student Information Sheet, Classroom Norms and Expectations Draft,  Portfolio Design, “I Have a Goal” Poem Review, Student Survey

Homework: First Portfolio Entry: “I Have a Goal” Poem (Due Tomorrow)

Quran Controversy

Here is a controversy that we should all be aware of as American citizens. How should we remember 9/11? How does the rest of the world see us?

Quran Controversy Wordle

Click on the image above to see a larger wordle display related to the Quran 

controversy. 

Wednesday, September 8th - All Periods

Critical Thinking: How do I my beliefs and doubts relate to the beliefs and doubts of my peers, especially about school, literacy, and education?

Content: Course Syllabus

Class Activities: Doubters and Believers, Student Survey, Group Conversation

Homework:
1) Get Syllabus Signed
2) Get Parent Letter Signed
3) Have supplies for class for Monday: (1 folder, notebook(s) of 150-200 pages, packet of looseleaf, pens)