Resource Collection

Articles used:

• Herz, S. & Gallo, D. (2005). From Hinton to Hamlet: building bridges between young adult literature and the classics, Building bridges: getting students from wherever they are to where the curriculum says they should be.
• Richison, J. Hernandez, A., & Carter, M. (2006). Theme sets for secondary students: How to scaffold core literature.

Say:

High school teachers face an uphill battle with their students whenever they introduce a canonical text in their classrooms.  I remember this happening many times throughout my high school career.  I can still hear the collective groan when Romeo and Juliet or Animal Farm was being introduced, despite my teachers' best efforts at being enthusiastic about the book.  The million dollar question seems to be how to get our students equally enthusiastic about reading the classics.  Going along with Herz and Gallo in their idea that these classics are best taught in units where instead of the one book being analyzed to death, and thus causing "readicide", multiple works need to be brought in to pique students' interest in the overarching theme.  In my DO, I was required to find multiple resources to bridge the gap between the oft-studied Animal Farm and the modern world.  I strongly believe that when students actually see and experience how these old books are still relevant today, their enthusiasm really shows.  Again, it goes back to the fact that students need to understand the purpose of something in order for them to be interested in it in the first place.  Herz and Gallo did a fantastic job of showing how The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn still relate to today's high school students by listing several examples of young adult literature that have similar themes to Huck Finn.  These in turn draw our students in and help them not only draw personal connections to the novel but it also shows them that a book as old as Huck Finn is still relevant today and the importance of it being studied.  Another point which is brought up by Richison, Hernandez, and Carter is similar to that of the Socratic circle.  They paint a picture of a high school hallway between classes and how students are engaged with each other in whatever topic they are discussing and as soon as the bell rings they depart from each other to go to class despite the fact that they would rather not.  How wonderful would it be if our students were this engaged in our English classes?  I get excited just thinking about it!  Of course, the authors also bring up the fact that our students enjoy talking about hot topics with each other which can then be translated into the classroom via the classic text they are reading.  According to the authors, if we as the teachers can get our students talking about controversial issues in the book, their interest will take off in the classroom!  It almost seems too easy but luckily for us, many of the canonical texts are filled with controversial issues just waiting to be debated and explored by our students.  These same authors have also provided fabulous resources in how to implement hot topic themes into our core texts, such as the migrant family in Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath and the dystopia in Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.  No matter what the core text is, there is always someway a student can draw personal connections to it.  This is one of my favorite things about literature: it does not matter how old a book is or who wrote it, there is something for everyone.

DO:

Resource Collection for Animal Farm by George Orwell

Theme: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” –Sir John Dalberg-Acton

Essential questions:

1.      How does “absolute power corrupt absolutely”?

2.      Where is this seen in modern times? (Think current events, television, movies)

3.      Does corruption always involve the government?

Canonical text: Orwell, George. (1945). Animal farm. London, England: Secker and Warburg.

Young adult novels:

·         Roth, Veronica. (2011). Divergent. New York, NY: Katherine Tegen Books. (At-risk students)

·         Dashner, James. (2009). The maze runner. New York, NY: Delacorte Press (At-risk students)

·         Collins, Suzanne. (2008). The hunger games. New York, NY: Scholastic Press (At-risk students)

·         Westerfeld, S., Cummings, S., & Grayson, D.K. (2005). Uglies. New York, NY: Simon Pulse. (At-risk students)

·         Lowry, Lois. (1993). The giver. Boston, MA: Hougton Mifflin. (At-risk students)

Music:

·         Weinrib, G.L., Lee, G., Peart, N., & Lifeson, A. (1976). The temples of syrinx. On 2112 [Vinyl].  Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Anthem. (1975).

·         Meloy, C. (2005). The bagman’s gambit. On Picaresque. [CD]. Portland, OR: Kill Rock Stars. (2004).  

·         Waters, R. (1979). Another brick in the wall part II. On The Wall. [Vinyl]. Los Angeles, CA: Harvest/EMI

Informational/Explanatory/Argument texts:

·         Brown, Spencer. (1955, February 1). Strange doings at. Commentary Magazine, XIX, 155-161.

·         Stossel, John. (2010, February 10). Increasing government power threatens freedom. Real Clear Politics. Retrieved from http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/02/10/governments_increasing_power_threatens_freedom.html

·         Keane, Tom. (2013, May 19). Big government is watching you. Boston Globe. Retrieved from https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2013/05/18/the-overreaching-power-government/0NVX3NAI5nEmUguKhp5Q0J/story.html

·         Gaylord, Scott. (2013, July 17). States need more control over the federal government. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/07/16/state-politics-vs-the-federal-government/states-need-more-control-over-the-federal-government

Movies:

·         Batchelor, J., Halas, J. (Producers), Batchelor, J. Halas, J. (Directors). (1954). Animal Farm [Motion picture]. United Kingdom: Halas and Batchelor.

·         Silver, J., Wachowski, L, Wachowski, A., & Hill, G (Producers), McTeigue, J. (Director). (2006). V for vendetta [Motion Picture]. United States: Warner Bros. Pictures.

·         Sato, M., Okada, M., Kamaya, T., & Kayama, T. (Producers), Fukasaku, K (Director). (2000). Battle Royale [Motion picture]. Japan: Toei Company.

Art:

·         Lipton, Laurie. (2010). Surveillance [drawing]. Retrieved from http://www.superpunch.net/2010/08/dystopian-art-by-laurie-lipton.html  (ELLs)

·         Unknown. (2004). No name [political cartoon]. Retrieved from http://sadredearth.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/ThePartyOfLimitedGovernment.gif

·         Foldvari, David. (2009). No name [drawing]. In Ctrl.Alt.Shift Unmasks Corruption. Retrieved from http://www.themontrealreview.com/2009/Invaiatura-Short-story-by-Joel-Burcat.php  (ELLs)

Poetry:

·         Battle, M. (2015). Senza titolo. Retrived from http://allpoetry.com/poem/12380722-Senza-Titolo-by-Broken-Phoenix

·         Lathrop, R. (1864). Power against power. Retrieved from http://www.poetrycat.com/rose-hawthorne-lathrop/power-against-power

·         Dickinson, E. (1891). I took my power in my hand. Retrieved from http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/i-took-my-power-in-my-hand/

Short stories:

·         Bradbury, R. (1953). The flying machine. In Golden Apples of the Sun. New York, NY: Doubleday Publishing. (High achieving)

·         Jacobs, W. W. (1902). The monkey’s paw. In Our Lady of the Barge. United Kingdom: Alan Rodgers Books. (At-risk students)

·         Faulkner, W. (1930). Red leaves. In These Thirteen. London, England: Chatto and Windus.  (High achieving students)

Graphic novel:

·         Satrapi, M. (2000). Persepolis. Paris, France: L’Association. (High achieving, at-risk students)

Picture book:

·         Gerson, Mary Joan. (1995). Why the sky is far away: a Nigerian folktale. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. (Special needs, at-risk students, ELLs)

Reading and Writing Multiple Genre

Articles used:

• Romano, T. (2000). Blending genre, alternating style: Writing multigenre papers. Portsmouth, NJ: Heinemann.
• Allen, C.A. (2001). Creating flow: Pulling it all together. In The Multigenre Research Paper: Voice, Passion, and Discovery in Grades 4-6 (pp. 96-99). Portsmouth, NJ: Heinemann
• Styslinger, M. (2006). Multigenred-multigendered research papers. 
• Blitz, S. Teaching literature through the multigenre paper: an alternative to the analytical essay

Say:

Before reading these articles I had never been exposed to the multiigenre paper or had even heard of it.  I can say, though, that I really wish my teachers had used these when I was in high school.  They are such a wonderful way to tap into the different learning styles of students while engaging them in inventive and new ways.  While I was in the minority of students who actually enjoyed analyzing literature and liked having a set structure, it is safe to say that most high school students would rather do a project that is more creative in regards to literature and the works they are studying in their English classrooms.  I really like how Dr. Styslinger worded the purpose of the multigenre paper when she says that it "is a unique work.  The individual who chooses and creates the crots necessary to transform experience from personal to public is challenged to provide a sense of particularity that abstractions cannot render and paragraphs cannot conceal." (p. 55).  This is also a great way to integrate reader response; by having students "transform experience to personal to public" they are forced to really think about their personal connections to the text.  This in turn helps them appreciate and understand the text in a way that relates to them.  Allen's thoughts on the multigenre paper are also something I agree with.  She says that "because so much is implicit, you have to help students think about ways to present their pieces." (p. 96).  I like how she summarizes the multigenre paper because it does a good job of breaking down the why or the purpose which is so helpful for students in understanding the reasoning behind an assignment, which is vital.  She talks about using a writing workshop in the classroom which is another great idea of hers that I like and would actually use in my own classroom.  Students using each other as resources is a great way for them to create good classroom rapport and for the teacher to get a better understanding of their students' individual struggles and strengths in regards to writing and in analyzing literature.  Blitz's article was wonderful and I really enjoyed looking at the different ways in which to integrate the multigenre paper using Macbeth.  She has some great ideas that I would definitely use in my own classroom.  She does a really good job of breaking down her instructions step by step so it is easier for students to see all of the requirements in an easy to read way that is not overwhelming or intimidating.  She also explains each section of the essay in easy to understand terms such as "attention grabber" and "documentation" which benefit students greatly when they look at the instructions.

Do:

I would do something similar to Blitz in my classroom when introducing a multigenre paper.  However, instead of having so many options on the suggestions part of the assignment sheet, I would choose one or two cater to each learning style.  That way, students are not as overwhelmed by their options which can really affect the amount of effort they put into it from the beginning.  For the kinesthetic learners I would have them choose between rewriting an interior monologue and performing it or having them act out a scene or soliloquy.  For my auditory learners I would have them choose between acting out a scene or soliloquy or writing lyrics and performing them.  My artistic students would have the option of creating a storyboard in which they would rewrite a scene or acting out a scene.

Informational Text

Reading used:

Get it Done!: Writing and Analyzing Informational Texts to Make Things Happen by Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Michael W. Smith, James E. Fredericksen

Say:

I really l.ike the way this book begins because the authors take the time to relate their subject to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).  While South Carolina does not use these standards anymore, the state standards have been adopted based on CCSS.  I really appreciate that the authors took the time to do this because it shows that what they are writing about is still moderately relevant to today's classroom in South Carolina.  In chapter one they define informative/explanatory texts by using real world examples such as Jeff's recent trip to the Grand Canyon.  They talk about how everyone who went exchanged emails which consisted of "naming and listing"" of what "the group members...thought they would need".  They then talk about how the group summarized "gear organization, the trip itinerary, training regiments, and the like."  This would be easy to follow for any high school student as it uses something they can relate to in order to explain.  While the first two chapters hit on the definitions, the rest of the book uses those definitions and their relation to the CCSS to illustrate how to best use informational and explanatory texts in the classroom by way of lesson plans.  In these latter chapters, the authors do a fantastic job of explaining each chapter using definitions and examples.  Then, they further this by bringing it all together in various lesson plans and activities to use, for example, comparing and contrasting.  Having a book like this makes it very easy to flip to a specific chapter and find exactly what you are looking for.  It is organized very well and there are even annotations in the margins which point back to the CCSS.  Again, while South Carolina does not use the CCSS, the state standards that have been adopted are close enough that they would be easy to find.

Do:

In chapter 10: "Comparing and Contrasting", the authors explain how best to do this by using a movie club.  However, this could easily be adapted for book clubs in the classroom.  Their steps include (I have adapted these for book clubs):

1. Choose a book ("have a purpose for comparing")
2. Review the reasoning for reading and discussion ("Identify at least two things to compare at this time and in this situation")
3. "We agreed we would talk to people who had" read "one or both of the" books ("gather data about the items or issues to be compared so we can operate from a rich base of knowledge")
4. Each member brings in research and the most interesting things were categorized according to "points we wanted to consider under the headings genre, topic, reviews...special considerations, rating, and length" (identify meaningful points of comparison/contrast related to the purpose")
5. Rank and prioritize these points
6. "Decide how to present the points"
7. "Describe and characterize each point of comparison for each item"

Having students do this for book clubs is an excellent way to make sure that they are not choosing a book based on one facet that may not benefit them, such as only relying on reviews or even how long the book is.  It is very easy to judge a book based on the cover but by having students really research and prioritize what is important to them in a book will help them not only choose the best book for them but will help them enjoy it as well.  To implement this in the classroom I would have a copy of these steps on the Smart Board (assuming I have access to one).  They would do a book pass among the class and jot down notes about each book.  After the book pass, they would collaborate and then follow these steps.  After each person has decided on a book, they would be placed into groups and those would be their book clubs.  I would assign part of this for homework if I were not at a one to one school, though.  However, if every student has their own device, I would have them do all of the steps in class.

Entry 8: Reading Like a Writer/Close Reading

Articles used:

• "Where Does Rigor Fit?"
• "What is Close Reading?
• "Defining the Signposts"
• "Explaining the Signposts"
• Wondrous Words by Katie Wood Ray

Say:

This week's readings focused on close reading, writing, and how reading like a writer is a great way to help students with close reading.  The first four articles talk extensively about close reading and one word that comes up a lot in the first article is "rigor".  We learn that this term is often used incorrectly when talking about the intensity of academics, more specifically, reading.  The author says, "...rigor resides in the energy and attention given to the text, not in the text itself".  In other words, just because you read an incredibly long piece of literature, such as War and Peace as the author used as an example, does not necessarily mean you understand it and are ready to write a dissertation on it.  The point that the author is trying to make is that quality is better than quantity when it comes to reading literature.  The next three articles focus on ways to help our students with close reading.  One part that I really liked comes from the second article when the author references Rosenblatt and says that, "meaning is created not purely and simply from the words on the page, but from the transaction with those words that takes place in the reader's mind".  I have always thought this to be true and this is how I personally connect to anything that I read.  If I can't make a personal connection to the text, it becomes that much more difficult to enjoy it, much less analyze it.  This is why I believe Reader Response is one of the best ways to get students excited and enthusiastic about reading.  In Katie Wood Ray and Daniels and Steineke's works, they discuss the best ways in which to engage students in close reading.  Katie Wood Ray suggests using "sign posts" as a type of guidelines to help students as they read and even before they read.  I like that she talks about frontloading and scaffolding the work, especially if it is new. It is much less overwhelming to students if they are eased into a new work instead of thrown in the deep end.  

Do:

For my DO this week, I chose to use the sign posts.  I think this is a wonderful idea to help students with their close reading and something I would definitely have in my classroom.  I also think it would a good idea to make little bookmarks for my students with a shortened version so that they can continuously refer back to them as they are reading.  Having it right there will be extremely helpful, especially for the visual learners.  The bookmarks would look like this:

C & C (for contrasts and contradictions): "a character behaves or thinks in a way we don't expect, or an element of a setting is something we would not expect"

Aha! (for aha moment): an epiphany a character has

Tough Qs (for tough questions): "questions a character raises that reveal their inner struggles"

Wise words (for words of the wiser): life advice from an older character

Again and again; things that occur more than once throughout the novel

Memory moment: "a recollection by a character that interrupts the forward progress of the story"