Kite Fighting Short Film

Happy Spring Reading!

Please read 

up to and including...

Chapter 13.

A Slippery Spectrum, Ch.6 and work time!

Are some actions absolutely right? Are some actions absolutely wrong? A stand up and stand your ground exercise.

Before we judge Amir and other characters, let's face who we are.

Altruism <------------> Hedonism

Possible Journal Topics: How do you know who is mostly good?
Why is empathy/caring/doing good for others a key way to happiness?

Read: Chapter 6

Work: Journal, Questions, Reading (Ch.7)

Chapters 1-5

1) Discuss - chapter 4 and 5 questions... let's talk them through out loud! Together we are better.

2) Review Terms -

Irony - see board.

 sym·bol/ˈsimbəl/

Noun:

A thing that represents or stands for something else, esp. a material object representing something abstract. A symbol's meaning can shift to represent more than one thing, especially in a longer piece of literature. Examples from the Kite Runner (so far). What do these represent? Hassan's Hairlip The Pomegranate Tree "Feeding from the same breast" Kites Throwing up

2) mo·tif/mōˈtēf/

Noun:

A recurrent and distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition.  Examples from The Kite Runner: Tragedy and Loss Father and Son Relationships Wounds/Scars/Disabilities The Connection between the Social and Political Discrimination (Pashtuns vs, Hazaras) What is Masculine?

3) New Possible Journal Entries

• Buzkashi Video... what does this video teach us about Afghani culture? 

• Speaking of hate, what about a reaction to this article as a possible journal entry? Is it easier in an era of shallow media and social media to make people the other? Is it easier to hate? http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-hot-button/steubenville-confirms-it-twitter-has-become-a-hate-forum/article9958260/ 
  "But that is what Twitter does: Lacking a filter, it allows for all kinds of instant hate and viciousness. These are days when the first thing that pops into your head isn’t just worth saying, it’s worth the whole world reading."

4) Time to read - Chapter 6... silent reading or read-along - your choice.

5) Time to work - journal entries, chapter questions, vocabulary

Starting Journal Topics

What do you think about the state of the world today? Do you keep yourself informed about the world? If not, what not. If so, to what effect?

Interview an adult about 9/11. What do they remember? What do they describe? OR - watch some of the 9/11 footage online... how do you think this act of terrorism changed the world.

How does the movie, "Slumdog Millionaire" relate to The Kite Runner? What themes or ideas about life do they seem to share in common.

Characterize Baba and Amir's relationship. Why does "hate" enter into their father/son relationship? What quotations show us, the readers, the raw truths about their feelings towards one another?

Children are not colouring books.

Much of this novel is about discrimination and cultural divides across political/social/religious lines. Is it human nature to hate the "other"? Do we in Canada have our own stories of ugly discrimination? Or, what about right here in the hallways of Highland, what ugly divides and discrimination happen here? How can we deal with this sort of hatred?

Do you identify with Amir in any way? Most students see at least a glimmer of themselves in the complicated relationship he has with his father. In what ways are you like Amir?
Reflection is a form of personal response to 
experiences, situations, events or new information. 
It is a ‘processing’ phase where thinking and learning 
take place. There is neither a right nor a wrong way 
of reflective thinking, there are just questions to 
explore. 

Reflective writing is:
• your response to experiences, opinions, events or new information
• your response to thoughts and feelings
• a way of thinking to explore your learning
• an opportunity to gain self-knowledge
• a way to achieve clarity and better understanding of what you are learning and thinking about in class
• a chance to develop and reinforce writing skills
• a way of making meaning out of what you read and discuss in class

Reflective writing is not:
• just conveying information, instruction or argument
• pure description, though there may be descriptive elements
• straightforward decision or judgement (e.g. about whether something is right or wrong, good or bad)
• a summary of course notes
• a standard formal essay

The Lottery, Hate, the Journal, and Chapter Four

1) Life is a Lottery. 

 Discuss: How is this metaphor true?

http://www.economist.com/news/21566430-where-be-born-2013-lottery-life 

• What if you were re-born POOR? Draw a country...
• What if you were re-born to Afghanistan? Draw Pashtun or Hazara...

2) Let's talk about HATE.

What, really, is hate? 

Small h hate, and capital H Hate...

Where does hate come from?

Why did hate bubble up in Ch. 3? 

What about hate in Afghanistan?

3) The Journal 

• At least 40 topics will be provided.
• You pick and or create 20 topics that suit the span of the novel.
• 40 marks for journal writing.
• 20 marks for creative elements added to reclaimed book. (Quotes, art, clipped photos, images, stickers, leaves, advertisements, recipes, hand-made crafts, anything goes...)

4) Chapter 4 - reading... who prefers to read silently? Where did we leave off?

Packing for Afghanistan

Let's Pack... We have a lot of stuff to put in our packs before we can go to Afghanistan...

Destination Afghanistan (Hell on Earth?) 

1) What did you think of Slumdog Millionaire?

• The two brothers allegory - bible stories, literature across the world, typically about something... What did the two brothers represent in movie?
• How was this story depressing?
• How was this story uplifting?
• What was the theme, in your opinion? There are many....

2) What is the state of the world for most young people?

3 questions - Number of TV's in your house? Average dinner? Average ?

Let's see some visuals and photos to make

Look: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2_H3hKK6a0zTlBabDM0cllJQlE/edit?usp=sharing

• And what about this recent photo shoot? http://www.featureshoot.com/2013/03/photos-of-children-from-around-the-world-with-their-most-prized-possessions/ 
• And an older, similar series: http://www.motherjones.com/media/2012/11/kids-bedrooms-james-mollison 

3) What is Afghanistan like? What do you already know?

•  Sticky Notes - Draw what you think of. Add the words that come to mind...
•  Google Map - Where is Afghanistan? Guesses? http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/google_map_afghanistan.htm 
• Afghan History - a cheeky 3 minute summary: http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,45950304001_1931954,00.html 

4) Library - Let's get the book!

How to Write an English Test

1) Before you even get there... sleep, eat and believe in yourself.

2) Once you are able to open the test, take a minute (or five) just to take it all in. 

• Flip through all the pages. 
• Read all the writing topics, in particular.

3) When you are a reading a text:

• Read with a pen/pencil in your hand.
• (Remember the writing topic).
• Underline passages that seem important.
• Take a look at the title - what does it tell you?
• Remember to use The Questions to Ask of a Story to get to a deep understanding quickly. 
• Setting?
• Plot?
• Character?
• Conflict?
• POV?
• Theme?
• Figurative Language?

4) When you are writing your literary response, be sure to include the following:

• An engaging opening/ "Hook"
• In your introduction, introduce the characters and some of the basic plot...
• A clear and detailed thesis - includes title and author and main idea (answer to question/topic)
• Plenty of short, integrated supporting quotations
• Layers of points, evidence and evaluation (pee method)
• Transitions from idea to idea
• A clear and memorable conclusion (re-visit but do not re-state your thesis)

Movie time!? In between units... Anyone seen Slumdog Millionaire?

Group Handout - Best Minds and Happiness...

Click here if you need the handout.

Inquiry Project: Best Minds and Happiness...

Review and Preview - Is your "Boys and Girls" response in? This is our last story... practice exam and real exam to follow.

Terms: - Genre - Science Fiction - Dystopia - 

Coming of Age - Conflict

The Psychological Lens

• Why isn't the protagonist happy?
  (Internal conflicts are often about a lack of happiness).
• How is his unhappiness related to our own lives?
• What research/ideas support your theory about why he is unhappy?
• Present your answer to the class on Wednesday/Thursday - you need to speak for at least 3 minutes, you need to reference and refer to your research (quote, read aloud), and you need to use literary terminology.

Resources:

- Books in class
- Articles online... I have a couple...
- Websites - http://www.ppc.sas.upenn.edu/publications.htm 

Homework: Listen to Just Say No to Happiness -  http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/episodes/2012/02/14/say-no-to-happiness-2/

Mondayyyyy.....

I'm away. Sick. Icky. SO sorry.
Mr. Janz will take excellent care of you all.

1) Generation Why has published three people's commentary. Any guesses? Take a look together, if you can... maybe tell Mr. Janz about it.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2013/03/generation-why-this-weeks-must-reads-from-a-youth-perspective.html  Share this with your parents and friends! You should be very proud of this formally published piece - it means they saw something significant in your words and ideas. If you want to link to it, you can simply go to cbc.ca and find the link on their front page.

They said they just did not have enough room to include all the good ones, so they will include more of our work next week! Bravo!

2) "Boys and Girls" Response is due. 

Before you hand it in I want you to find a partner and read your work to one another. Then, together look over this essay rubric. Self assess using it - and attach the rubric to your work.

3) I Saw the Best Minds....

I know I asked you to read the story over the weekend, but here it is to listen to again. Underline passages that jump out at you as you listen. http://nides.bc.ca/tutorials/english_essay/Street_Poet_Talks.mp3

If you want to watch the tutorial series attached to this story you are welcome to here. http://nides.bc.ca/tutorials/english_essay/  It is possibly the silliest (read: most embarrassing)  thing I have ever created, but many students have said that it has helped them to understand the essay writing process.

Your task today - Elements of Fiction Cards: Find the handout - The Elements of Fiction - and element by element go through this story and create notes about each element. Include quotes. Cue cards are the ideal way to do this. You`ll each need your six cards or sets of notes for our discussion and work tomorrow. 12 marks

Ex. Setting Card

- Futuristic - provide details
- Seems not entirely unlike our world - explain why
- quote
- quote
- social and political context - explained.