Do Now: Response to the Elie Wiesel Auschwitz Death Camp Interview

One way to prepare for a discussion is to take a few minutes to gather your thoughts.

For today's "Do Now" think the Oprah interview of Elie Wiesel at the Auschwitz Death Camp (2006).



oprah.com

In your comments, answer at least 2 of the following 4 questions:

1. Describe what went through your mind as you watched the interview.
2. What images or words stay with you afterwards?
3. Do you have any questions you would like to ask Elie Wiesel or another survivor? List them.
4. How does seeing the interview change how you will read Night?

Now, when we talk together, you will have something to refer to.

If you don't know what to say, you can read what other people think and build on their observations.

If you have something else you to write  that isn't covered by the questions, feel free to add it.

If you can't think of anything during class , you can do your "Do Now" later tonight.

Evaluation: Upfront Magazine

After your vocabulary Do Now (10 Minutes), please read the Upfront Magazine (October 8) and visit its website [www.upfrontmagazine.com] and complete the following evaluation.

In your comments:

1. Describe your overall impression of the magazine and provide at least 2 reasons for your rating.
2. Select the article or feature you think is the best in the magazine. Explain why/how it’s the best. 
3. Select the article or feature you think is the worst in the magazine. Explain how/how it’s the worst. 
4.   Visit the website www.upfrontmagazine.com. Please describe and rate the website—what is worth looking at, what is interesting, what works, what doesn’t.

If you would rather send me your evaluation via email, send it to: drgrm110@gmail.com.

Your Response: Dishing Dirt

Dishing Dirt is a more personal essay about a tolerance lesson than ones we have been reading..

In your comments, please answer the following questions:

1. What message about tolerance does the writer send to the reader of this essay?

2. How could a reader of this essay be inspired to think or act  after reading this essay?

3. What are you inspired to think or do after reading this essay?


4. How does this essay work as a model for an essay you could write about tolerance?

You may email your responses if you would rather your answers remain private.
My address is drgrm110@gmail.com

DI as Do Now: What do YOU think?

So, I went to Maine this weekend to make a presentation to the New England Association of Teachers of English [NEATE] about teaching teachers to teach students how to read Nonfiction. Do you know what they thought was the very best part? The Daily Infographic as Do Now!

Now, these teachers from across NE want to know what you think before they try it with their students. Would you please answer each question in your comments and label them 1,2,and 3. IDK and IDC are OK answers if that is how you feel.

1. Do you like the DI as a Do Now?
2. If you could change anything about the worksheet, what would you change and why?
3. Do you think you have learned something about reading or infographics or is it just something to do?

Of course, they would like you to explain anything you think they need to know, especially if you have something not covered in their questions.

I would like to know because next month, I am going to give this presentation in New Hampshire to teachers and I want to give them the best version I can, and I know your feedback will help me out as well as help the teachers and most inmportantly, help their students.

P.S. The teachers were from: Amherst, Wachusett,Wareham and Cambridge, MA; Merrimac, and Portsmouth, NH; Burlington, VT; Hartford, CT; and Providence, RI.

Your SSR Choice: What are you reading? Why?

In this post, I ask you to comment:

• What you are reading for SSR?
• Why you have chosen that reading material?

If you would prefer to send your answer directly to me,
email me at drgrm110@gmail.com .

Thank You!

What book should we read first?

After you vote on the poll to the right of this entry, you have several options for commenting below that will inform my decisions for sequencing the major texts that will center our curriculum for the year.

Comment below, please. Choose one option minimum, but you may do more or combine them to express yourself precisely.

Option 1: Simply tell me why you voted for your first choice.

Option 2: Give me your whole ranking suggestion 1-5. Include your opinion where you have one.

Option 3: If you are undecided, [IDK] tell me why. What additional information do you need?

Option 4. If your answer is " I don't care" [IDC]. Email me if you prefer to comment privately.

The poll is open for 3 more days.

For a private comment, email me at drgrm110@gmail.com.
Also, if the bog isn't working, email me.

Your response: Chris Herren Presentation:



articles.boston.com



This post is a place for you to describe your responses to Chris Herren's presentation on Wednesday, September 5.

This is optional homework for Wednesday night.

We will work on this in class on Thursday.

I will comment as well.

In your comments, I would like you to complete three (3) tasks:

1. What do you or did you expect from the Chris Herren presentation?

2. What was your response during or after the presentation?

3. What kind of questions do you have after the presentation?

thefix.com

Some sites you might want to visit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Herren

http://www.basketballjunkie.net/about/

http://www.theherrenproject.org/

Follow Chris Herren on Twitter @c_herren





Let's get going!

We can add pictures and videos to posts also.

If you are here, that means you have received and accepted the invitation to our class blog. Good work!

Although this isn't homework, please jump in if you feel like it.
We will go over this information in class on Tuesday.

Now, take a test drive.

1.Click on the links to the right to tour my Virtual Office.
G10 materials are on the  right side of my teacher webpage.
Just scroll down.

2.If you have an opinion on the polls, feel free to vote.

3.If you want to know the kind of things we do in class, you can look through the archive.

4.Try out leaving a comment below.
Ordinarily, I will bold anything I expect you to comment on.
Just click on the hotlink to comments and a box should open up.

I often put directions like this in italics.

One thing I am wondering is if you want people outside our class to be invited to our blog.

By other people, I mean parents, guardians or family members, but we could expand it to include other teachers, guidance or friends.

So, should our blog be restricted to our period 4 and 5 classmates or should we include other people?

If you don't have an opinion or don't care, comment on that.

If you want to make any other comment or ask any other question, you can do that in this public space.

5.If you want to ask me something without it being public, email me at drgrm110@gmail.com.

P.S. If you want to feed the fish, go ahead. It is entertaining for awhile--I have no idea how they program that--do you?

Welcome to Grade 10 English!

Today is a day for introductions and an overview of the class, so this post is a little long.

The Powerpoint called Grade 10 FAQs can be found on my teacher web page where all other documents are saved and stored. That way, you can access them anytime you have an internet connection.

This blog belongs to both classes, period 4 and 5, so that we can work together, even though we are not in the same room. This page is also available to you at anytime; there is also a mobile app for Blogger that is accessible on SMART phones. You need a gmail address to be invited to participate.
The address for the blog is www. drgperiod5.blogspot.com.
I will post your homework here and sometimes you will do your homework as a comment or a post.

Homework Part 1
Please write your name at the top of the index card as you wish me to call you in class. 
Please secure a gmail address for your self and print it clearly below your name.

As soon as everyone in the class turns in the  electronic use form, we can begin using the netbooks daily.

I like to begin the class with a routine on the netbooks. Today I will demonstrate:

1. Writer's Almanac [www.writersalmanac.publicradio.org] and
2. Daily Infographic  [ www.dailyinfographic.com which you can get via email.

The links are on the right side of the blog page.

One of my favorite sites from this summer is www.allmyfaves.com/edu ; what do you think?

Homework Part 2
Your homework tonight is to design your name tent.
This will help me to remember your name more quickly.

Please fold your paper in half, hamburger style, and put your first name and an adjective that starts with the same initial above it that tells me a positive quality that I can expect from you in class. You may use a computer or letter your nameplate by hand. Feel free to decorate it with a symbol or drawing that makes your adjective selection more clear.

For example
My name is Elizabeth and most people call me Liz, so I would look for a word with either  E or  L.
Effervescent, efficient, elaborate, enabling, excellent or laughing, learning, lively, lofty ...

That's alot for one post; once everyone has a gmail account, you can comment, too.
For now, feel free to send me an email : drgrm110@gmail.com.

Chivalry

The person who comes to mind nowadays when hearing the word chivalry is Oprah. She is a perfect example of someone with a lot of money who puts it to good use. She gives money to a number of charities and is always helping those in need.

Nagle Family Crest

I could not find a picture of my actual family crest.  It is shaped like a generic shield and colored yellow.  There are three black nails on it, with the head of the nail at each of the three points on the shield.  All three black nails      meet in the middle with their points touching.  The name Nagle is of German decent, and translates to "nails" in German.  The surname Nagle was of occupational origin, which means it is based on the occupation of the man at the time.  This was before there was a system of surnames like there is today.  The person who originally had the name Nagle was a nail maker, which is where the translation comes from.   

McNulty Crest

I chose to mix the original crest for McNulty with some new aesthetic features such as the red stripes and more detailed animals. The animals one the crest are a lion and stag, the lion represents bravery, valor and strength while the stag represents one who will not fight unless provoked. It also includes the Red Hand of Ulster which represents the Northern part of Ireland known as Ulster.

Hall Crest

I chose to do something new, since I couldn't find any original Hall Family Crest. I drew it in paint and used a stag, griffins, unicorn, and phenix because of their symbolism and tried to incorporate different colors and textures, and created a design for the background.

Marella Crest

Since my family has an untraceable coat of arms, I created my own with my own family symbols and motto. I chose this shield because the swords and the book show the fight my family has and intellect we've gained. The wings with the cross symbolize faith, the arrows fight, the trojan shows the italian pride and strength, and the ship shows that my family came to America by sea. I picked the color red for my shield because red is the color of a warrior. The green banner goes along with the red shield and white backround to accent the colors of the italian flag. The motto "Al Fine" is in italian for 'to the end.' I did this to show that I want my family name to carry on until the end of time.

Reminiscing...

It's time to think about where we have been together and where you will be going next year.
[That is an allusion to one of my favorite creepy short stories by Joyce Carol Oates, "Where are you going, where have you been?" Check it out sometime...]

In your comments:

• What will you remember most about this year in ELA?
• What did you learn that you didn't know?
• What have you become more skilled at doing?
• What are you looking forward to next year?

Thank you for a wonderful year--I look forward to watching your progress...
Have a relaxing and inspiring summer...
Dr.G.

Mariano Crest

This is the family crest that I created on my own. Instead of taking a crest online or basing it off of something I used paint to make my own. There are many symbols, and each symbol means something. The crests that are on my shield are the crests of my ancestors. The top left green box represents Abington High School and the sports that I do here. The small blue words are phrases that have meaning to me that I typed into Google translate and changed into a language that was significant to me. My saying "Te Solum Vivere Semel" means you only live once, in Latin. The lightning bolt is something out of Greek mythology that represented Zeus, and he represented power and leadership. The stack of books represent the knowledge that I have gained so face and also the fact that I like to read. The Phoenix wings on the outside of the crest represent rebirth and second chances. The scale that the griffin is standing on represents equality and good judgement.

Kulikowski Family Crest

I do not have a picture of my crest, because I drew mine, but my crest has the two symbols on my family crest: a crescent moon with stars and a cross, as well as a horse, heart, crown, and daisy. Above is my family crest. I was unable to find out what the moon symbolizes, but the stars symbolize nobility. I was unable to find the exact type of cross, although it does resemble an Eastern Cross. The heart in which I chose represents ambition, the daisy represents dedication, the horse stands for dependability, and the crown symbolizes imagination.

Colquhoun Family Crest and Coat of Arms

This is my real family crest and coat of arms. I am of Scottish descent and this is the Cahoon, or the old spelling is Colquhoun, family of my father's side of my family. In the crest, the deer or stag is red, and it is in both the crest and coat of arms. The color red means warrior or martyr and military strength and the stag means one who will not fight unless provoked, peace, and harmony. On the shield, the white means peace and sincerity and the black means constancy or grief. The shape of the line on the shield is an engrailed line and it means Earth or land. The motto on both the crest and coat of arms "Si je puis" is old French for "If I can".

Sullivan crest

This is the Sullivan family crest I created. I chose white because it stands for peace and sincerity, gold because it represents generosity and then red for military fortitude. I chose the otter because it represents laughter, curiosity, playfulness, joy and originality. The red asterik is the Red Hot Chili Peppers logo. And the Latin motto means "stay calm and create."

Crane Family Shield

My coat of arms has a Celtic cross, a crane, a lion and a shamrock. The Celtic cross has to do with Ireland and i'm mostly Irish. The crane is on my shield because it's my last name and because it's a symbol for grace and peace. The lion is on my shield because it represents bravery and strength and I think some of the people in my family are very strong considering some of the things they have had to go through. A shamrock is also on my shield for the fact that I am Irish. I chose the blue background since it means truth and loyalty and my family considers them two very important qualities. Lastly I chose the motto Live and Love because if you don't live your life to the fullest then you might not ever find love.

Kelly's Shield

I don't have a picture of mine because I printed out a coloring page shield and printed out different symbols. But on my shield I have a blue circle, a lamb, and a snake. The blue circle stands for the truth. The lamb stands for gentle and the snake stands for wise. The colors I colored on it are yellow, blue, and pink. Yellow means generous, blue is the truth, and pink is love. When people ask me to describe myself I usually can't. So for picking out the symbols and colors I asked a friend what she thinks of me and then looked up the different symbols for the way she described me. Which was generous, honest, and wise. I picked the color pink on my own because to me it stands for the love in my family.

Family Crest

Rather than create a new fly crest, I found a crest and the motto from a family named Manley and based mine on that. The motto "manus haec inimica tyrannis" was an actual motto of the Manley family and means, "this hand is hostile to tyrants." I based the rest of the crest on that motto. The red on the sheild and the fact that there is a stripe down the middle represents military strength. The blue represents strength, and the boar represents fighting to the death.

Picardi Coat of Arms

My coat of arms consist of a lion, a knight's helmet, arrows and a cross. The lion represents power and strength of my family, hense the motto "live strong." The helmet represents loyalty that my family and I show to friends and family. The arrows represent the skills my family has in terms of education, sports and other things that test our skills. The cross shows my family's catholic religion and our faith in a god. Coming from an Italian family, religion has been a big part of that side of the family.

Coat of Arms

My coat of arms consists of a Celtic Cross, an Iron Cross with wings, an anchor with a snake on it, and a pair of hands folded in prayer. The two top crosses reprsent my nationalities. The Celtic Cross is used widely in Ireland which is where a large part of my family comes from. Another part of my family is German and the Iron Cross is a military decoration that was used by Germans since they were part of Prussia. The praying hands represent my religion and the anchor represents my love of the ocean, boating, fishing, and swimming. The motto "Hakuna Matata" from the Lion King is Swahili for no worries. I chose it as the motto because I think it describes a good way to live life, living without stress.

Shannon's Sheild

I chose to create a  new sheild and not base it off of anything. First i chose green and yellow as the colors on my sheild because green means hope and joy and I take on both of those traits. Also yellow means loyalty. The symbols I put on my sheild is first a lion because a lion represents couarge, next I put a hand to show faith. I also placed a heart on my sheild to show sincerity and love. Lastly I placed the sun to show my broad mind. The motto I chose is "never regret", I think this a a great motto to live by because I believe that if you did something that means that at one point in time that is what you wanted, so don't regret anything move on and grow from it because that is what makes you.

Ryan Family Crest

I chose to use the website makeyourcoatofarms.com because it had so many different symbols and sayings and shields that I knew i couldn't make anything better if i did it freehand or in paint ect. So I began by choosing the colors red, green and white for my crest which stand for warrior, joy and faith. I chose the colors red and white and green because on my actual family crest, those are the actual colors on it. My motto also includes the word faith which is close to me because it is my middle name and I was given that name as a good reason. My symbols stand for determination(eagle), Inventive(keys), polite(anchor), and dignified(sun). I chose the shield I did because its very pretty and looks regal. It also looks European and my family originates from Europe. I used a little bit of original back ground by putting a little twist on it to end up with my final crest you see now.

Thompson Shield.

My shield represents the way I have been brought up in my home. Love and Honor is my motto. To us this represents how we should love one another regardless of who they are, what they've done, or even if they have hurt us before, and honor each other through times of struggles and success. I chose the pink background because it represents love, and kindness, another characteristic I have been brought up knowing was essential. I also chose a heart for the first symbol, to represent "Forgiving" because I have learned that forgivness is important to have. The second symbol was a dog, to represent "Faithful" because to my family, faithfulness is one of the most important aspects of a family. It also carries on to other realtionships as well. The next symbol is a cross, representing "Merciful" because we believe you need to be merciful to others because no one is perfect, including ourselves. The last symbol I chose was wings representing "Humble" because I learned that even if you held up as highly as angels wings are, you shouldn't boast or be prideful, intsead let others talk about the great things you have done.
                                                                 I  did chose to design my own shield.

The Rooney Crest

I modified my crest from an existing design. I chose to do this because I found the crest designs and symbols very interesting and creative. I chose the four symbols of a sun, a flower, a moon, and a star. The sun symbolizes the trait caring. I also chose to put a flower on my crest which symbolizes the trait of being outgoing. The moon stands for loyalty and the star stands for the trait of being friendly. The colors I mainly used on my family Coat of Arms was yellow and green. Yellow symbolizes joy, happiness, intellect, and energy. The color green means growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. I chose the quote on my crest "You Only Live Once" becasue I think that people should live every day to its full potential and not let simple things bother them because anything can happen suddenly.

Odenweller Crest

I chose the colors red and orange for my crest, although you cannot see them. The colors stood out which symbolizes leadership. The sun on my crest represents a friendly person, which I try to be all the time. The flower represents being trustworthy, which means that I can keep secrets and people can trust me. The star on my shield represents being kind. Also the moon represents being dependable. People can count on me and I will always have my friends back and stick up for what I think is right. The red on my shield represents blood which means bravery and it can also stand for love. The yellow represents the sun which also stands for being outgoing and "lighting up people's days."

Heraldry Posts

As an author, please post about your experience creating a shield, crest or coat of arms.

Let us know:

1. Whether you created your own shield or modified an existing design and why...
2. What the symbols you selected are, what they mean and why you chose them ...
3. What the colors or shapes involved mean...

If you can insert the part or all of your finished design, please do so.
Again, if you can't copy and paste, take a picture of it with a camera or phone, save it to your pictures and insert as any other graphic.

Then, comment on the designs of others.
In particular, please ask questions about design considerations that have not been explained.

King Arthur: Is He Real?

King Arthur fits the classic heroic archetype--noble figure, protector of the weak, valiant combatant, flawed man, quest-driven wanderer.

You have encountered this character, many of you for the first time. Writers across the ages have found reason to retell Arthur's stories, and stories of those characters peripheral to him: Igraine, Morgaine, Merlin, Guinevere, Lancelot, Mordred. Even today, we speak of chivalry, knights and quests. When we describe a person as Arthurian, a place as Camelot, something elusive as the Holy Grail, our audience knows what that allusion means.

Today you saw National Geographic's King Arthur:Is It Real?

In your comments:

What do you think? Is Arthur real?

Does it matter? Why or Why not?

What purpose do Arthurian tales serve in today's age?

Are you curious now to investigate additional tales of medieval chivalry or history?

Why or why not?

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. That couple comes to mind when I think of chivalrous people. The couple have adopted children in need and have donated millions to charity. Some people may believe they do it just to look good, but I disagree. No one would adopt children just so they could look like a nice person. That is insane. Pitt and Jolie did it out of the kindness of their heart. Brad Pitt also started the Make It Right Foundation, it builds green, affordable, housing in New Orleans. Jolie has donated $8 million to charity. If that's not chivalrous then I don't know what is.



Bill Gates. Photograph. Tech Journal. Techjournal.org. Web. 31 May 2012. <http://www.techjournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/bill-gates.jpg>.



Someone who has been successful, but has also assisted others would be considered chivalrous. This description fits Bill Gates. He has made billions from Microsoft, and has donated much of it back to benefit society.  He has given back $29,000,000,000 towards education and AIDS-prevention.  He is also the founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which acts worldwide to limit poverty and disease, better education, and make technology more available for students.

Chivalry

My example of chivalry today was a man named Welles Crowther.  He was a Boston College graduate, he had a Bachelors degree in Economics.  His prized possession was a red bandana given to him by his father when he was a kid.  He worked as an investment banker on the 104th floor of the South Tower in New York City.  When the plane hit the South Tower on 9/11, he covered his mouth and nose with the bandana to protect him from debris.  He returned into the burining tower 3 times to help people and is directly responsible for saving 12 lives. His body was found 6 months later on March 19, 2002 in the lobby of the South Tower.  He was named a honorary New York City Firefighter and Boston College holds an annual 5k road race in his honor.  He is known as the Man with the Red Bandana.  I think he is an exellent example of chivalry today.

I also believe that Chivarly does still exsist in todays world and it always will. The person, well persons i am going to choose will be the men and women of our armed forces. I decided to pick them becasue i think that they are very chivarlist. These are the people that our putting their life on the line to protet our country and everyday and all day. These people also are the ones that had their own choice to decided if they wanted to go into the Army, Air Force, Navy, or whatever they have decided to go into. Also these people really dont get as much credit as they should.

Chivalry Today

I do think chivalry exists in today's world. I think a good example of a chivalrous person would be Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi fought for his country against the British rule by using non-violent protests. What he did was for his country but he did not anyone to be hurt along the way. Gandhi ended up paying the ultimate price for his chivalry, as he was assassinated. As he was trying to work out a way to make both the Muslims and Hindus in India happy, he was assassinated by a man who thought Gandhi was too sympathetic towards the Muslims. That is why I believe Gandhi was a very chivalrous man.  



Chivalry 2012

 I think that this picture is a perfect example of how people and mostly women see chivalry in today world. Women want ment to treat them like a lady and to be chivarvis but then they get mad when men say things like let me help you with that its too heavy for you. Everything can be seen both ways, but I think more chivalry would be shown in the world today if men weren't getting yelled at for being sexist. Like this link to an article about men holding doors for wowmen being sexis and bad.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2003821/Feminists-claim-men-hold-open-doors-women-SEXIST-chivalrous.html
In todays world, I think a good example of chiverly would be Zac Effron's character in the movie "17 Again".  He shows that you have to treat a woment like a lady no matter what and that even high school students should show it becasue its just the right thing to do. He shows that it works out in their favor and that all young men should be brought up like that.

If I think about chivalry today, one person I think of is Tim Wakefield. He was a great pitcher for the Red Sox, and stuck with them for 17 years. But of course, baseball players make a lot of money, and Tim gave a lot of that back to people in need. He is known as one of the most generous MLB players ever. He has been nominated for the Roberto Clemente award 8 times and won it in 2010. It is awarded to the player that  "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team." And it is voted on by fans and the media.  He donates to many charities every year, especially those that involve helping kids in need, such as the New England's Pitching in for Kids organization.

Michael J. Fox Foundation

Michael J. Fox

Michael J. Fox is a man who shows much chivalry. He has a disease called Parkinson's Disease. This disease ruins your brains control of the movement of your muscles. He has ignored his own struggles with it, and has created the Michael J. Fox foundation to help raise money to find a cure for this disease.

I chose Elen Degeneres as someone who shows chivalry becasue she is always helping others. She has many charities and is always giving back to her fans. She also is humble and loyal to her fans. She does not let her being famous get to her head. She reflects some of the qualities like the men in the stories that we have read this week in school.

Chivalry Today

I think that in the world today there is still a form of chivalry, but it is not exactly the same as back during the Arthurian time period. I believe that Nelson Mandela is one of these people. He was loyal to a cause, and fought for what he thought was right. He is known for his patriotism towards his country, and for his helping of his fellow countrymen. This is the form of chivalry that I think that is still around today. People helping each other and working together to overcome differences.

Chivalry Today

I think chivalry still exists today, although not in the same way as it was back in the time of the Arthurian legend. There are still people out there that help others for no reason other than they feel they need help. They are doing it out of kindness and don't take anything for their actions. They are very humble about who they are and what they do and known for their respect for others. One person that comes to mind is Harrison Ford. He is not only known for his acting but for being modest about his community services. Ford is known for piloting airplanes and helicopters, and when the earthquake happened in Haiti a few years ago, he donated his time for flying doctors and scientists from America over to Haiti to help those in need. He also volunteers as a food server for the homeless around Thanksgiving in Los Angeles. Ford is chivalrous because he does this community services out of kindness and he takes nothing for his help other than many people's thank yous.




Chivalry Today

I do think leaders and heroes with qualities like the men from the books still exist. They were very caring and helped others no matter what even if it was dangerous. I don't think chivalry is the same as it was back then though. It's not still about putting coats over puddles or anything but it is about caring for and helping other people. Not just people you know or people that can't help themselves but everyone. Someone I think cares for and helps other people is Oprah. She built schools in Africa to help people she knew nothing about.

Chivalry Today?

Question 7: Connect to Life

Do you think leaders and heroes with qualities like those of Uther, Arthur, and Launcelot still exist in today's world?

Explain your opinion.

As we did in "The Things They Carried" present your answer as a post rather than a comment.

If you think such leaders and heroes exist today, explain and include a picture of the person who demonstrates elements of the Arthurian Hero.

If you think such leaders no longer exist, explain and recognize the last leader who had those qualities (with picture)

OR

explain and describe the type of person who becomes a leader today (with picture).

Sir Lancelot Du Lake: Q. 2 and 3 or 4

When you hear someone say, "Chivalry is not dead!" a man has usually done something kind and deferential for a woman, child or elderly person. After reading this selection, do you know what that means?

2. Judging from the behavior of Sir Launcelot and the other knights in this selection, how would you describe the chivalric code by which they live?
Think about any or all of the following situations as you consider your answer:

• the reasons knights fight
• Sir Launcelot's reaction to the four queens' proposal
• Sir Launcelot's answer to Sir Tarquine's questions about his identity
• Sir Tarquine's reaction to the fighting skills of Sir Ector and Sir Launcelot

Select either of the following questions for your comment:

3. Do you think that Sir Launcelot is truly heroic? Why or why not?

4. What is your opinion of the female characters in this story?

Le Morte D'Artur: Questions 2 and 3

Now that you have had an introduction to Arthurian legend, think about the connections to other literature you have read and to your own life experience.
Is there anything familiar here? Although I have never read Harry Potter, I am curious to know if you see some relationships to those novels and movies? How about to Lord of the Rings? Do we still value these qualities? Have we moved on to another definition of hero?

2. How much control would you say the characters have over their lives?

• Uther's passion for Igraine and the way he makes her his wife
• What happens to Igraine's sister and daughter after her wedding
• Merlin's comment that Arthur is destined for glory and the instructions he gives for Arthur's care
• Arthur's discovery that he is heir to the throne

3. In your opinion, does Arthur deserve to be king?

• the sacrifices other people must make to bring him to power
• the support he receives from the common people
• the kind of person he seems to be

KWL: Arthur, Camelot, and Quests

Who is Arthur?
Where is Camelot?
What is a quest ?
Why are they importnat in literature (and, of course, life)?

In your comments:

• What do you know about Arthurian legend and the code of chivalry?
• What was the big quest of the Knights of Camelot?

• In other words--what do you know and what do you want to learn?

Common Core: Informational reading

The Common Core State Standards for literacy in the English Language Arts [CCSS for short] outline what students at grades 9 and 10 are supposed to know and be able to do on page 52 of its document, page 58 of the electronic document. The link is to the right.

In your comments, please share what you think of the document and its expectations regarding informational literacy.

How does your text help students at that grade learn what they need to learn to achieve these standards? 

Check the suggested titles in the appendix--is your author there?

Non-fiction: What are you learning?

What are you learning about non-fiction by creating the teachers' guide for your book?

• You may write a paragraph or create a bulleted list.
• If you have any project questions, list them here.

If you are having an issue with Publisher or Blogger, ask your questions here and anyone can go ahead and answer it.

Teachers' Guide: Formatting

For your Non-fiction book, of course!

In your comments, please indicate

1. what type of guide you are working on and why;
2. what parts beyond the required you are toying with;
3. what questions you have about the project and process; and
4. what part of the project should be assigned the greatest weight and why.

Please consider trying a different format, like a book-based blog.

Non-Fiction: Dr. Ted Figlock, guest speaker

My dad, Dr. Ted Figlock, spoke today in our class about his experiences in Vietnam, 1970-71. I hope that his talk helped you to think about history and non-fiction in a new way. I am always impressed with the clarity of details and the vivid recollections he has of his experience during that year.He has shared these autobiographical accounts with my own classes when I was a student and several times to my students here at AHS. Perhaps you will consider writing a memoir of your own, and sharing your experiences with students in the future.

In a special way, I am grateful for your welcoming of my dad and your attentive listening--when he returned to the US in 1971, many people were not so kind to veterans.Thank you for your kindness today.

In your comments, feel free to 

• ask any questions;
• make any observations that you would like to share with my dad; or 
• share anything you have learned about memoir, autobiography or history today that makes you appreciate informational/ explanatory texts in a new way. 

The lives you are living now are the non-fiction of the future!

Teacher's Guide Format

One test of understanding an idea or concept is your ability to explain it to someone else, and hence, our project for reading non-fiction.You are asked to review various techer guides and create your own for the work of non-cition you are reading. The assignment lives over at the Dr.G. Virtual Office in the G10 section, and you can get there from the link to the right.

Not only will this be evidence of your understanding but the beginning of a database of guides for non-fiction for teachers and students at Abington High School. We will all be reading more non-fiction acorss various content areas, and we all can use a trusted guide as we begin to work with a new genre.

Consider the following formats: web-page, book, booklet, brochure or Jackdaw.
Suggest a new format that is an amalgam or these--experiment!
You know what students need most.

1. In your comments, describe the kind of guide that will be most helpful to the reader of your book.
2. List the features you will include.
3. Feel free to ask any questions about the assignment here, too.

Non-fiction and Specialized Vocabulary

Often, in non-fiction, readers encounter a specialized vocabulary. Sometimes it is slang, but more often is jargon, the technical language used by people who are more familiar with the subject matter and work with it every day.

In your comments:

1. In your text, what unfamiliar words or groups of words confront you as a new reader of non-fiction?
2. Does your book have a glossary? If so, is it helpful?
3. Should it have a glossary? Why/Why not?
4. What web page or resource  would be helpful to new readers in this content area?
5. Search for resources from which a rookie non-fiction reader might benefit and list them below.

As always, provide examples.

Non-fiction: Architectural Blueprint

We all know the plot structure of a novel, but not all non-fiction works occur in chronological order.

In your comments below, how is your text set up?

Bulleting, listing or outlining is most helpful so that readers can tell at a glance what the features of non-fiction organization are.

1. Include parts like preface, introduction, table of contents, acknowledgements, chapters, endnotes, index, etc.
2. Starting at the title page, list all the sections of your book.
3. If chapters are numbered, then #1-whatever is fine.
4. If chapters are titled, please list them.

The purpose of having everyone post the structure of his or her text is to demonstrate the similarities and differences in the way non-fiction texts are organized.

Author Impact Statement

Use this period to become an expert on your author.

• Investigate Wikipedia to start.
• Check Amazon.
• Does the author have a webpage?
• Can you locate a YouTube video?

Comment below:

1. What did you find out about this author and his/her purpose for crafting this text for a public audience?
2. How does this information influence how you read this non-fiction text?

Cite Source/URL for information that is not public knowledge in parentheses.
Consider adding a picture, giving credit to the photographer or agency.

Vocie?

In your comments, suggest definitions for the word "vocie".

Determine what part of speech it is--a noun, verb, adjective or adverb.

Does it have a literal and figurative definition like "muniber"?

Do you have a plan for getting that word out there?

Wouldn't it be cool if people started using "vocie" ?
You could say that you were there at the birth of a word!

Non-Fiction: SOAPE TV

In your comments, use your non-fiction selection to fill out the acronym for SOAPE TV in an outline format (like the one below).

S=Subject of the book
O=Occasion that prompted the author to write the book
A= Audience that the author is addressing
P= Purpose that the author hopes to achieve by writing
E= the sort of evidence that the author provides to the audience to achieve that purpose

T= what kind of text is it?
V= Vocie--What kind is the author using? Is it formal or familiar?

Compare and Contrast: Non-fiction and Fiction

So, now that you have a non-fiction selection, take a minute to examine the book.
In your comments, answer the following questions:

1. What features does this book have that a novel usually doesn't?
2. How do those features make the process of reading non-fiction seem similar to fiction?
3. hwo do those features make the process of reading non-fiction seem different from non-fiction?
4. What are your questions about strategies for reading non-fiction?
5. Do the differences make non-fiction seem more or less difficult to read?

NON-Fiction: Search and Seizure!

In your comment, describe your search for non-fiction for this next unit.

• What were your strategies?
• Where did you search--on-line or old school in a library or bookstore?
• How did you narrow down your choices?
• Did you get something you really like or did you settle?
• Do you have any questions?

I am SO interested in your choices!

Montgomery Boycott: Response and Reflection

1. So, what do you think of Coretta Scott King's memoir?
2. How does the phrase "spontaneous combustion" work as a description of the events leading up to the boycott?
3. Do you think a boycott is an effective and fair means of protest? Use examples to explain your reasoning.

Extending your thinking:

• Have you ever participated in an informal or formal boycott of a service, product or industry? How?
• In what situations would you participate in a boycott?

Montgomery Boycott: Connect to Life, p.124

What do you know about the civil rights movement and two of its key participants, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr.?

What do you want to know? Why?

Nonfiction questions

Have you ever read any non-fiction on your own?
If not, why not?
If so, what did you read? Why?

There are many genre of non-fiction: biography, autobiography and memoir, philosophy, religion, history, science, sports, business, archaeology, education, health, medicine, cooking, travel, law, politics, crime, ecology, environment,exploration, careers, architecture, biology,genetics, chemistry, physics, technology, zoology, botany, culture, art, music, theatre, comedy.....the list goes on and on.

In fact, The New York Times Book Review is usually 3/4 non-fiction to 1/4 fiction. In the average bookstore, look around--mostly non-fiction. Most of us spent more of our college time reading more non-fiction than fiction. Yet, when we think about whether or not we are readers, we think about whether or not we read novels. I wonder, why?

At this point in your reading life, what kind of non-fiction do you want to try? Why?
Has anyone ever recommended non-fiction to you?
If you have a favorite non-fiction book, please share your suggestion in the comments, too.
Reading non-fiction is one of the ways to prepare for reading in college and career.