Friday Freewrite: September 30, 2016

Focus: How can a one-word biography help you uncover a shift you've undergone?

4th hour: 9:54-10:40
6th hour: 12:06-12:55

1. Warming up with one-word descriptions of Oskar, the mom, the dad, the grandfather, and the grandmother

2. Friday freewriting: Click HERE for today's memoir slides.

HW:

1. Read pages 174-207 for next Tuesday in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close; spend 30 minutes this week with your journal.

If you miss a Fishbowl or Socratic, you must make it up. Read over the syllabus and blog comments, then add an extended comment to the class blog. 

2. We will continue our READING JOURNAL CONFERENCES in class next Monday and Wednesday. Click HERE for the rubric. 

3. TODAY IS THE FINAL DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING ANY WORK FROM THE LAST SIX WEEKS. 

The Underworld: September 29, 2016

Focus: What does Oskar's trip to the Underworld teach us about his struggle?

1. Warming up a few thoughts on the low point of the hero's journey: Trip to the Underworld

• Viewing a well-known heroic trip the Underworld/the Abyss (1:08:35)

• What is the hero struggling with in this scene?

• How might this scene represent a trip to the Underworld/the Abyss?

• What does the hero have to do in order to make it out of the Underworld/the Abyss?

• Flip through pages 142-173 and find one line that connects to the Underworld/the Abyss. 

• Read these aloud in a quick whip-around.

• What's Oskar really struggling with in this chapter?

2. Enjoying Fishbowl Discussion #3: Pages 142-173

3. Wrapping up with takeaways and reflections

HW:

1. Read pages 174-207 for next Tuesday in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close; spend 30 minutes this week with your journal.

If you miss a Fishbowl or Socratic, you must make it up. Fishbowl: Read over the syllabus and blog comments, then add an extended comment to the class blog. Socratic: Read over the syllabus and the class notes, then add an extended comment to the class blog.

2. BRING INDEX CARDS ON FRIDAY.

3. We will continue our READING JOURNAL CONFERENCES in class next Monday and Wednesday. Click HERE for the rubric. 

4. TOMORROW IS THE FINAL DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING ANY WORK FROM THE LAST SIX WEEKS. 

Alas, Poor Yorick: September 28, 2016

Focus: Why does Foer include the play Hamlet in his novel? What does it help us understand about Oskar's role?

6th hour: Click HERE for the tentative sign-up (feel free to edit).

1. Warming up with a crash course on Hamlet

• Read "Hamlet in a nutshell"
• In your journal or in your ELIC Google folder, spend some time listing possible parallels (strong similarities) between the play Hamlet and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. In particular, what conflicts do Oskar and Hamlet share?

• Read Act 5, scene 1 from Hamlet using No Fear Shakespeare (pages 8 and 9).
• What's Hamlet struggling with in this scene?

• How might his struggle relate to Oskar's struggle?

• The beginning of your reading assignment tonight shows Oskar's mind going to a disturbing place. Keep in mind the depth of his struggles as you read this scene.

2. Optional: Watching the "Alas, poor Yorick" scene from the 1990 Hamlet (in the book, Oskar plays the role of the Yorick, the skull)

3. Reading and starting our journal conferences

HW:

1. Read pages 142-173 in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close; spend 30 minutes this week with your journal.

If you miss a Fishbowl or Socratic, you must make it up. Fishbowl: Read over the syllabus and blog comments, then add an extended comment to the class blog. Socratic: Read over the syllabus and the class notes, then add an extended comment to the class blog.

2. BRING INDEX CARDS ON FRIDAY.

3. We will continue our READING JOURNAL CONFERENCES in class next Monday and Wednesday. Click HERE for the rubric. 

4. THIS FRIDAY IS THE END OF 6 WEEKS. All make-up work from the first 6 weeks must be submitted by this date. After Friday, any grade in IC will remain as is.

Something and Nothing: September 27, 2016

Focus: What do we learn about how the grandparents define "Something" and "Nothing" ? 

Advisement: Slightly shortened class today

1. Warming up with a quick overview of the journal rubric

2. Delving into Thomas' narrative

• Reading pages 108-111 and 132-136 together: 
• (1) Pick out three lines that captures something important about the grandmother and grandfather's relationship

• (2) Ask a question and/or make an inference about these lines. 

• (3) Extra challenge: What won't they say to each other?

• (4) Extra extra challenge: What do they mean by "Something" and "Nothing"? Why do they need "Something spaces" and "Nothing spaces"?

2. Enjoying Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Discussion #2: Pages 86-141

3. Wrapping up with takeaways/reflections

HW:

1. Read pages 142-173 in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close; spend 30 minutes this week with your journal.

If you miss a Fishbowl or Socratic, you must make it up. Fishbowl: Read over the syllabus and blog comments, then add an extended comment to the class blog. Socratic: Read over the syllabus and the class notes, then add an extended comment to the class blog.

2. will begin our READING JOURNAL CONFERENCES in class tomorrow (Wednesday). Click HERE for the rubric. 

3. THIS FRIDAY IS THE END OF 6 WEEKS. All make-up work from the first 6 weeks must be submitted by this date. After Friday, any grade in IC will remain as is.

Looking Back So We Can Move Forward: September 26, 2016

Focus: What do we need to learn from last week in order to take a big step forward this week?

1. Warming up by clearing up your confusions:

• 4th Hour: Click HERE for your questions
• 6th Hour: Click HERE for your questions

• Working with a partner to answer two of the questions.
• Teaching the class what you've figured out.

2. Setting a reading goal based on Thursday's fishbowl discussion (or your discussions in general)

3. Reading and journalling; click HERE for the journal rubric

HW:
1. Read through page 141 for Tuesday (tomorrow). Leaders need to prepare a syllabus for Tuesday and post it on the class Google doc.

If you miss a Fishbowl or Socratic, you must make it up. Fishbowl: Read over the syllabus and blog comments, then add an extended comment to the class blog. Socratic: Read over the syllabus and the class notes, then add an extended comment to the class blog.

2. Spend 30 minutes this week on your journal; bring your journal to class each day. We will start our reading journal conferences on Wednesday.

3. THIS FRIDAY IS THE END OF 6 WEEKS. All make-up work from the first 6 weeks must be submitted by this date. After Friday, any grade in IC will remain as is.

Friday Freewriting: September 23, 2016

Focus: What do artifacts reveal about their owners?

1. Warming up with dropping your Level 1 questions in the bucket and celebrating some of yesterday's successes

2. Getting into your writing space and investigating your artifacts; click HERE for the possibilities

3. Bringing it back to Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close:

• Pick one of our narrators (Oskar, his grandfather, or his grandmother).

• Make a list of the artifacts they collect.

• What do these artifacts reveal about the character? What insight do they offer you to who this character is, how this character's mind works, what this character values, what this character fears, what this character loves, what this character lacks, what this character desires above all else?

HW:
1. Read through page 141 for Tuesday. Leaders need to prepare a syllabus for Tuesday and post it on the class Google doc.

If you miss a Fishbowl or Socratic, you must make it up. Fishbowl: Read over the syllabus and blog comments, then add an extended comment to the class blog. Socratic: Read over the syllabus and the class notes, then add an extended comment to the class blog.

2. Spend 30 minutes this week on your journal; bring your journal to class each day. We will start our reading journal conferences on Wednesday.

3. If you don't feel like waiting another week or two to get your essay back, come on in for a conference (no sign-up necessary). We'll grade it on the spot, and it won't be scary.

4. NEXT FRIDAY IS THE END OF 6 WEEKS. All make-up work from the first 6 weeks must be submitted by this date. After Friday, any grade in IC will remain as is.

A 9-Year-Old's Hero's Journey: September 22, 2016

Focus: What is the nature of Oskar's journey?

Need a bookmark? Coming your way soon!

1. Warming up with Star Wars According a 3-Year-Old; mapping out the Joseph Campbell hero's journey as a class

"Here it is: there's only one story. There, I said it and I can't very will take it back. There is only one story. Ever. One. It's always been going on and it's everywhere around us and every story you've ever read or heard or watched is part of it." 

-- Foster, How To Read Literature Like a Professor

2. Trying out Campbell's hero's journey with your favorite quests, then using the hero's journey to understand the start of Oskar's quest

3. Discussion #1: Pages 35-85 of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

4. Reflecting on your role in discussion today

HW:
1. Read through page 141 in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close for Tuesday's discussion; leaders need to prepare a syllabus. 

2. Remember to spend 30 minutes on your journal for this book throughout the week; starting next week, I will conference with each of you during class on your journals.

3. First memoir assignment: Next Friday (TOMORROW), bring in a collection of items that have significance to you (ticket stubs, printed photos, hospital ID bracelet, etc.).