the elevens - Week One Tasks

Once your group has sorted out who is going to have what role, proceed to your first writing tasks. Compose them first in MS Word so that you can keep a copy in case there are any problems with working online. There will be more than one person with a role - remember to make all of these inside of the DISCUSSIONS inside of your GROUP. Look at the rubric if you need to be reminded about how you will be graded.


Discussion Directors - Begin a discussion about the first impressions of the novel. As part of your discussion starter, consider one of the following elements of fiction - character or conflict. This should be at least two paragraphs in length.

Summarizer - Summarize the first quarter of the novel. Do the math and figure out what page number or chapter everyone should be up to speed on. You may also ask a question that is related to your summary.
Two paragraphs minimum.

Passage Picker - What are the six most important quotable moments in the novel so far? Explain each one and ask your group about what they think about these.

Connection Maker - Start with a discussion of text-to-self connections. What has the novel made you think of in your own life so far? Or maybe consider connections to similiar things about our little community and the lives of others around you. Two paragraphs minimum.

Still sick... soooo sorry...

Yup - even teachers get sick too.

1) Silent Reading



2) We were going to watch a movie at the end of this unit... why not start watching it now? Enjoy!

Monday 11th

1) Silent Reading - remember that you need to be 1/4 of the way through your novel by Thursday.

2) "The Dumka" - what is happening in this poem? What are the contrasts?

Suggestions Regarding Response:
• “alone,” yet “together” lines 1; 39–40
• they sit quietly but in their thoughts, “something dense / and radiant swirled around them” lines 10 and 11
• the sky is smeared green with doom but afterwards the air is drenched with an amber glow lines 13–15
• “fields of maize” contrast with “bread lines in the city” lines 22 and 23
• “the war” contrasts with “the homecoming” and the new prosperity that comes with peace lines 25–28
• the deprivation of the Depression era contrasts with post-war prosperity lines 12–29 • “the homecoming” contrasts with the later solitude of old age and a vanishing neighbourhood lines 27–30
• contrast in the overall structure of the poem; the couple is alone together at the beginning and end, but in the middle stanza they are surrounded by the swirl of their memories various references
• contrast between the present as the older couple sits quietly alone together and their memories of past experiences various references

This list is not exhaustive.

Now, get out your rought draft and mark it with a partner.

Debate the multiple choice answers if need be or consult others in the room.

Mark one another's written responses. Remember the 6 point scale. Discuss what is working and what is not.

Give yourselves a mark for the whole pre-test and write these marks and your names on a piece of paper and hand them in.

3) Revisions in the library. Now that you have some feedback, you are to go to the library and re-write the paragraph response.

Make sure you have:
- A clear thesis statement that uses both the title and the author's name
- Transitional phrases
- No re-telling
- At least 8 sentences
- Sentence variety - try having some really short sentences and build one or two really looooooong sentences
- at least 6 short supporting quotations (even a word or two from the poem counts as support)
- a memorable last line/conclusion

4) Paragraph is due TODAY

Friday!!!

1) Silent Reading

2) Foundational Terms - Notes

3) Terrance! What! Huh!?

4) The Dumka - a pre test on poetry...

Monday, April 4th

Last call for Chapter Notes! (Need email addresses for sharing AND for upcoming sign-up for Online Novel Study)

1) Discuss Last Few Chapters. Read last few pages. How does the ending work?

2) Theme Brainstorm - what do we take away?

3) Review Notes - fill in the blank - small group and whole group work. STUDY THESE.

4) Movie??

TEST TOMORROW: 20 some MC, 15 marks for story sorting, 6 marks for example chart, 24 marks for written response.

Kite Runner work is due

Chapter Notes - overdue

Journal - Due Monday, April 4th

Test - Tuesday

Creative Project - Wednesday

Skateistan

A great video that gives you a sense of what life might be like for Afghani youth today.

SKATEISTAN: TO LIVE AND SKATE KABUL from Diesel New Voices on Vimeo.