The BIG Ideas:
In
a learning environment, students should express themselves and ask
questions without fear. To have our ideas valued and respected,
we need to value, respect, and consider others' ideas as well. To
enhance our understanding, we may need to reconsider our ideas and try
to "see" things from others' perspectives. Humans create meaning, and it comes from at least three sources: the
reader, the context, and the author (the text); meaning does not exist
solely within the confines of the text itself.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: How and why must we show both self-respect and
respect for others to create a positive learning environment? How and why do we become, as Langston Hughes
implies, “a part of” each other by sharing our writing and our ideas during our
class time? Do we become “a part of” and
learn from each other whether we want to or not? How?
Why? Why is it both a student’s
right and responsibility to interpret “texts” in their uniquely individual way
while providing evidence and reasoning (support) for their interpretation? What in life, both inside and outside the
classroom, is open to interpretation? Where does meaning come from?
ENGLISH 10H LOG - 1st Quarter
1 - 08/20 (A) & 08/21 (B) - Writing Prompt 1 - Personal Expectations, QW1: Why take notes? Discussion: Note-taking procedures and rationale, common goals. READING: "Theme for English B" ID important lines. Why choose those? Discussion.
Homework: (1)
Using "Theme for English B"
as a model, "Go home and write a page tonight..." BIOPAGE: compose one
page (handwritten and legible) about yourself that may include some
biographical information, but more importantly, expresses some of your
thoughts and feelings. Do not provide an exhaustive list of your
family members, favorite movies, or hobbies. Do not focus on trying to
rhyme. Your objective is to provide me and your classmates with a
starting point from which we can get to know you and each other. For Mr. Nagro's examples click here.
2 - 08/24 (A) & 08/25 (B) - Writing Prompt 2 - The Class as Text, discussion and notes.
QW: The value of repetition - What
changes, or what is different, when you watch a film more than once?
Connect repetition to rereading and even meeting people. Portfolio,
disclosure, website, and Honors Reading List instructions.
Homework:
(1) Organize a
portfolio (binder) for Honors English.
(2) Read the
Disclosure Document, fill out the form, sign it and return the signed form to class.
(3) Visit this website, read the English 10H
Honors Reading Assignment, peruse the
list, and choose a book for 1st quarter.
3 - 08/26 (A) & 08/27 (B) - Writing Prompt #3 - Interpretation of visual texts,
discussion and notes on variable interpretation, perspective, and the
sources of meaning. Life and literary action:
inference. Literary concept -
Death of the Author. QW: Object lesson in
context - use the word "play" in a sentence. Follow-up: Return to Hughes - reread. Questioning worksheet
.
Initial impressions and three questions. Write one of each question type.
Analying the text for factual biographical information (CD) and thoughts and
feelings (CM).
Homework:
(1) See the note "
DON'T PROCRASTINATE!" to the left. Read for at least 20 minutes daily.
(2) Compose interpretive questions as you read your HRL choice.
(3) Note important, touching, or profound
quotations in your HRL selection as you go; you can use these for
writing about later.
4 - 08/28 (A) & 08/31 (B) - Portfolio check-up #1. QW1: How can I do better taking notes, on my
writing prompts, with organization, and avoiding procrastination? BioPage
excerpts - choose one or two and write a response. Review questioning worksheet. In small groups, read
"
Did I Miss Anything?" aloud. Have one person read "nothing" and another read "everything." Individually, quickwrite
(1-2minutes) initial impressions. Then, read it aloud again.
This time, individually write three interpretive questions about the text.
Then, read aloud a third time . Did
you miss
anything? What do you "see" the second or third time that you did
not the first? Discussion of questions and third reading.
Groups report to the class. Literary term:
binary opposition. Identify "binary
oppositions" at work in the text and the world around us.
Homework:
(1) See the note "
DON'T PROCRASTINATE!" to the left. Read for at least 20 minutes daily.
(2) .Note important, touching, or profound
quotations in your HRL selection as you go; you can use these for
writing about later.
5 - 09/01 (A) & 09/02 (B) - Review:
DoA, Context,
QW: How does knowledge of inferencing, DoA, and context impact both
the way we write and the way we interpret what we read? New
process:
Critical Reading. "Did I Miss Anything" class discussion. New literary term:
binary opposition. Identify "binary
oppositions" at work in the text and the world around us.
Homework:
(1) See the note "
DON'T PROCRASTINATE!" to the left. Read for at least 20 minutes daily.
(2) .Note important, touching, or profound
quotations in your HRL selection as you go; you can use these for
writing about later.
More BIG Ideas:
Writings
from the past still portray our experiences in the present.
Allegory and other symbolic representations can effectively
depict real, shared experiences. Understanding the writing, the
thinking, of the past can change how we interact with new knowledge and
help us shape our own futures.
And new ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
Why
do we, generally, resist learning and accepting new ideas and
information? How can we overcome that innate resistance?
What obligations, if any, do the educated have to the uneducated?
09/03 (A) & 09/04 (B) - Review binary opposition, context, DoA, inference
.
Levels of writing. QW: What is a paragraph? The "Thought
Exercise" and paragraph structure: TS-CD-CM-CM-CS. Modeling
composition - weak model, strong model.
Writing Prompt 4 - Learning
and Resistances, "
Allegory of the Cave" initial reading in pairs.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE SAMPLE THOUGHT EXERCISES DRAFTED IN CLASS BY MR. NAGRO.
Homework:
(1) Continue reading your HRL selection for at least 20 minutes daily.
(2)
Choose one of the selected quotations from you selection and
compose a "Thought Exercise." See the directions, and remember to
include both a title and one or more interpretive or evaluative
questions at the end.
09/08 (A) & 09/09 (B) - Symbolism and
Allegory - Galileo: right/wrong, good/evil, enlightened/unenlightened.
Read
"Allegory of the Cave" through again. After two complete readings,
individually compose five factual and five interpretive questions about
it.
Homework:
(1) Choose five significant, intriguing. or even confusing
quotations from "
Allegory of the Cave" and copy them down, then
(2) choose
one and use it to compose a
Thought Exercise;
integrate the quotation into the paragraph. Remember to title
your thought exercise and to compose one or more interpretive
or evaluative questions at the end about the quotation or the topic
you've written
on.
09/10 (A) & 09/11 (B) - QW1: What makes small-group work productive?
What makes
small-group work frustrating or otherwise ineffective? Class
discussion. Break-up into small groups to discuss the questions in
preparation for a group presentation explaining some portion of 'AotC"
to the class.
Homework:
(1) Choose a significant, intriguing. or even confusing
quotation from your assigned page of "
Allegory of the Cave"
and
(2) use it to compose a
Thought Exercise;
integrate the quotation into the paragraph. Remember to title
your thought exercise and to compose one or more interpretive
or evaluative questions at the end about the quotation or the topic
you've written
on.
09/14 (A) & 09/15 (B) - Work
in small groups to prepare an informal presentation on one, assigned
page of "AotC."
Homework:
(1) Continue reading your HRL selection for at least 20 minutes daily.
(2)
Choose one of the selected quotations from you selection and
compose a "Thought Exercise." See the directions, and remember to
include both a title and one or more interpretive or evaluative
questions at the end.
09/16 (A) & 09/17 (B) - Begin
"Allegory of the Cave" presentations. Presenters discuss
symbolism, question prompts and answer additional questions. Others
listen, take notes, and compose summaries of the presentations.
Homework:
(1) Continue reading your HRL selection for at least 20 minutes daily.
(2)
Choose one of the selected quotations from you selection and
compose a "Thought Exercise." See the directions, and remember to
include both a title and one or more interpretive or evaluative
questions at the end (This is the 3rd Thought Exercise you should have completed for your HRL book).
09/18 (A) & 09/21 (B) - Conclude "AotC" presentations. Presenters discuss symbolism, question prompts and answer
additional questions. Others listen, take notes, and compose
summaries of the presentations. Turn in Presentation and Response Sheet. Clarification of the
Elements of Understanding. Listen, once more, to "AotC."
Writing Prompt #5 - Out of the Cave.
Homework:
Homework:
(1) See the note "
DON'T PROCRASTINATE!" to the left. Read for at least 20 minutes daily.
(2) .Note important, touching, or profound
quotations in your HRL selection as you go; you can use these for
writing about later.
09/22 (A) & 09/23 (B) - Writing Prompt #6 - "Allegory of 'The Trees'"
How to complete a "Reading Record." Discussion
self-assessment and group-assessment. Review reading records for
"AotC" and "Theme for English B."
Building
Sentences #1 - Independent clauses, active verbs, adverbs, pronouns,
coordinating conjunctions.
Homework:
(1) Complete a
Reading Record for "Allegory of the Cave" and "Theme for English B."
(2) Work on Honors Reading List Assignment. Try to
complete at least 2/3 of the reading and 2-3 Thought Exercises before I
check
The Chosen out to you next class.
Even more BIG Ideas: Honest
differences of philosophy, religion, politics, and opinion may be
unresolvable, yet diverse people can still interact with, work with,
and even respect each other. To be open-minded, one must try to
achieve an UNDERSTANDING of others and their views, and that takes time and effort.
And new ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: What
are the sources of prejudice? When is it appropriate, if ever, to
act on prejudice? How can we recognize and control our own
prejudices instead of letting them control us?
09/24 (A) & 09/25 (B) - Reviewing "The Trees."
Building Sentences #2. The new BIG IDEAS and ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS.
Writing Prompt #7 - Unexpected Friend or External Expectations. Checkout
The Chosen. Critical reading, think-aloud/read-aloud part of chapter 1.
Homework:
(1) Read chapters 1-3 of
The Chosen. (2) Choose five insightful, meaningful, or otherwise significant quotations, copy and cite them (author page).
(3) Choose one and compose a good Thought Exercise (don't forget to compose an interpetive or evaluative question).
09/24 (A) & 09/25 (B) - Reading quiz chapters 1-3. Binary analysis ch 1-3.
Building Sentences #3 - subordinate conjunctions and dependent clauses.
Writing Prompt #8 - Critical Reading Self-Analysis.
Discussion of critical reading skills. Housekeeping - due
dates and requirements for 1st quarter HRL; extra credit possibilities.
Homework:
(1) Read chapters 4-6 of
The Chosen. (2) Choose five insightful, meaningful, or otherwise significant quotations, copy, and cite them.
(3) Choose one and compose a good Thought Exercise (don't forget to compose an interpetive or evaluative question).
09/28 (A) & 09/29 (B) - Writing Prompt #9 - Taken for Granted or Righteous Fanaticism. Start reading Chapter 7 in-class.
Homework:
(1) Read chapters 7-12 of
The Chosen. (2) Choose five insightful, meaningful, or otherwise significant quotations, copy, and cite them.
(3) Choose one and compose a good Thought Exercise (don't forget to compose an interpetive or evaluative question).
09/30 (A) & 10/01 (B) - Reading quiz chapters 4-12, Silent discussion - readng each others'
wriitng and offering specific descriptive feedback.
Self-evaluation of thought exercises 1-3
Homework:
(1) Read chapters 13-14 of
The Chosen. (2) Choose five insightful, meaningful, or otherwise significant quotations, copy, and cite them.
(3) Choose one and compose a good Thought Exercise (don't forget to compose an interpetive or evaluative question).
10/02 (A) & 10/06 (B) -
Reading quiz chapters 13-14,
Building Sentences #4 ,
Writing Prompt #10 - Ethcial Dilemmas I, Small-group discussion questions for chapters 1-7.
Homework:
(1) Read chapters 15-17 of
The Chosen. (2) Choose five insightful, meaningful, or otherwise significant quotations, copy, and cite them.
(3) Choose one and compose a good Thought Exercise (don't forget to compose an interpetive or evaluative question).
10/07 (A) & 10/08 (B) - Mr.
Nagro was out sick. Work in small groups to answer the
interpretive questions on chapters 1-7 and compose an additional
fifteen questions for chapters 8-18.
Homework:
(1) Read chapter 18 of
The Chosen. (2) Choose five insightful, meaningful, or otherwise significant quotations, copy, and cite them.
(3) Choose one and compose a good Thought Exercise (don't forget to compose an interpetive or evaluative question).
10/09 (A) & 10/12 (B) - Read chapter 18 together in-class. Read a sample Thought Exercise on
chapter #18 and respond to the questions at the end as
Writing Prompt #11 - To Stand Inside a Soul. Finish small-group work: composing and answering interpretive questions for chapters 8-18.
Homework:
(0) If behind, get caught up on reading The Chosen, select important quotations, and complete any and all missing Thought Exercises. (1) Complete a Reading Record on
The Chosen (2) Complete a Reading Record on your Honors Reading List Selection.
(3) Complete a Thought Exercise for your Honors Reading List selection. DUE OCTOBER 14 (A) or 15 (B).
10/13 (A) & 10/14 (B) - Writing Prompt #12 - Ethical Dillemmas II. Silent discussion II - readng each others'
wriitng and offering specific descriptive feedback.
Self-evaluation of thought exercises 4-6. Discuss final exam questions.
Homework:
(0) If behind, get caught up on reading The Chosen, select important quotations, and complete any and all missing Thought Exercises. (1) Complete a Reading Record on
The Chosen (2) Complete a Reading Record on your Honors Reading List Selection.
(3) Complete a Thought Exercise for your Honors Reading List selection. DUE OCTOBER 14 (A) or 15 (B)
10/19 (A) & 10/20 (B) - First Quarter Final Exam. Assessment Criteria (Rubric) For 1st Quarter Final Exam (MS Word Doc).
10/21 (A) & 10/22 (B) -
QW:
What is "the media"? Long form journalism: Who? What?
Where? When? Why? How? Cause and Effect. Listening to the story
of Sam and Yusef - notes - discussion. QWs: In
The Chosen and in the story of Sam and Yusef, what
are the sources of prejudice? How do they control and overcome their
prejudices? Why is it so rare that people do that? How can we
increase increase that rate or encourage ourselves and others to do so?
Discussion - notes.
Homework: Complete the 1st quarter portfolio checklist (260 points) using the rubric provided.
10/23 (A) & 10/26 (B) - Final Review
Homework:
(1) Choose and find the book for your 2nd quarter Honors Reading List assignment.
(2) Read it for at least 20 minutes daily - really.
