Boehme's implementation of "The World House"

“The World House”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Teacher implementation feedback

“Vocabulary Self-assessment Chart”

5 minutes: I gave one of these to each group (4 or 5 students). We went over the three assessment columns, and I described what each would be. I asked them to initial the proper column for each word. Passing the list around took all of three minutes.

10 minutes: Then, I asked them to get dictionaries, look up the words, but compose teenager-friendly definitions. The example I gave was that they should put what they would tell a friend who elbowed them in the ribs and asked what the word meant. Students who finished early could go on to the “Word Form Chart” or work on another assignment we have in the mix.

10 minutes: We went over the definitions. I asked for volunteers and let then do whatever word they wanted. They gave their definitions. I corrected and supplemented.

“Word Form Chart”

I modified this a little at the top so they had room to write all the definitions.

They copied these definitions over from the “Vocabulary Self-assessment Chart.” Then they did the chart at the bottom. I noticed that is was a little hard for them to find the forms when they were at the top and the bottom, but an announcement about this in following periods seemed to clear up the issue.

“Warrant” has a verb form.

“Vocabulary Completion Assessment”

A.J. intended this as a quiz, but I used it as a homework assignment. I have not collected them all yet, so I don’t know how they did. I went around and stamped them for completion only.

“Pre-Reading Map”
Prep: Today I handed out the text of the story to everyone.

I copied this on the back of the four squares. This was distributed at one per table (4-5 students). I read all four samples aloud to them, pointing out the vocabulary words we had already encountered.

15-20 minutes: Working as a group, they drew the pictures. I allowed them to use words, but the pictures were the key.

“Negro Spirituals”
Everyone picked up the chart on the way in the door.
We began with the article on everyone’s table, one copy per group. I read it aloud in period 4, but in the other periods I asked for a volunteer to read each section. That worked better, and my headache appreciated it. Next time I will have two copies for every table group so that each pair can share one and read along with the oral reading.
Then we reviewed the directions, and then I assigned the sections. I did not do it by table numbers but rather randomly. While they were working I wandered around, checked on them, and asked who their speaker would be. It took a little over five minutes for them to do the three facts. Then I had them go up to the front one by one, present their facts (repeating each one), and clarifying any details along the way.
This took about 45 minutes to reach this point.
We listened to the song, and I talked briefly about how the song might influence people. They wrote down two questions on the back of the chart: “What is the message of the song?” and “How is the tone and the message of the song like a tidal wave?” Next time I think I will have those questions preprinted on the back of the chart.

1.04.07 Meeting

Intersegmental Council Minutes
Council Name/location West Hills High School Cal-PASS Curricular Alignment Project
Meeting date: 1.4.07


Attendees: We met on January 4th 1:30-4 pm in Anne Foster’s room, Attendance: Tracy Clarke,, Anne Foster, Kristin McLaughlin, Cece Boehme, Todd Peterson, Michelle Liddell, Jennifer Romanowski, AJ Acosta, Deborah Napoli, Shelly Valdez, and Cali Linfor.

Discussion items and results:

Please refer to past emails for support documents.

12th Grade:

Brave New Girls
Prepare for Brave New Girls Implementation and Teaching Journals
Deborah will make copies of the text and the handouts for the team.
Everyone will start in two weeks.
Remember to collect a sampling of student work.
Discuss Blog Posting: http://www.blogger.com/home
Team members will either post directly to the blog or send an email file to Cali and cc the team.
On January 12th, the team will meet at lunch to review the BNG sequence before implementation.
On January 22nd, the team will meet a lunch to discuss the progress of the implementation of the BNG sequences and make notes toward revision. May be helpful to review the Assignment Type before making revision decisions. Please note what activities you added into the sequence so that they are included in the final draft.
A point person will need to be appointed to revise the sequence and a deadline set so those revisions will be ready at the February 27th meeting.
Brave New Girls Electronic Copy and Clip Links
A request was made for a class set of They Say I Say

Fast Food Sequence
Review/edit possible prompt
The first prompt seemed to be favored.
The other prompts need to be reworked as during or after reading activities.
The first half of the first prompt can be shared with students before hand. Year to Year the article excerpted can be changed to avoid cheating.
Review Sequence for what can be edited out or needs to be added in with our end assessment
The sequence still needs to be carefully reviewed with an eye toward the end assessment. This can take place at February 15th meeting.
Rework the other prompts as activities in during and after reading.
Create an activity that allows the students to gather evaluation support in the during reading stage of the sequences. A three or four column chart was suggested by Kristin.
Information on each author needs to be gathered to do some ethos work. Be sure to think about invented ethos as well as situated.

Cali’s Notes on Revising the Fast Food Sequence:
Create a pre reading activity about what evaluation means I might use ads, PSA, cartoons and other kinds of visual texts. You will want a variety of genres so you can talk about evaluation in terms of audience, aim, and genre. for diets or fast foods. The purpose of the activity is to begin to understand what it means to evaluate. You could rework one of the samples prompts or even the prompt we might use to apply to the visual texts. Again, the purpose here is to understand what it means to evaluate rather than write a persuasive paper. You might even require them to use the other texts to support their position. This could be group work. I am listing the links to samples of the kinds of texts you might use. I found them on Google Image.
www.blifaloo.com/humor/Fastfoodsm.jpg
http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/brandnewday/paris-hilton-hamburger.jpg
http://www.smallstep.gov/kids/index.cfm

In the After Reading section, I might pull from the They Say and I say book for sentence starters to teach the language of evaluation and create an activity around that kind of academic vocabulary and key terms of the articles.
During Reading: A Key term sheet to keep track of the articles,
An activity using Information on each author needs to be gathered to do some ethos work. Be sure to think about invented ethos as well as situated.
Create an activity that allows the students to gather evaluation support in the during reading stage of the sequences. A three or four column chart was suggested by Kristin.
Rework the non used prompts to be during or after reading activities
What kind of Reading and Writing Connection activity would be helpful? It might be good to return to the pre reading image work and have the students make a link to the articles.
In the Reading and Writing Connections, may want to think about Writing Strategies Standard requirements and add in an activity that includes one of the 11/12th grade genres mentioned in these standards.
Summary in the sequence really means a précis assignment.
Does some work with evidence need to be done?
We need an evaluation criteria and rubric for the final assessment.
Does some work with aim and purpose need to be done?
Does some looking at the powerful use of personal experience as evaluation need to be presented?
Does some work with revision need to be directly taught?
I don’t really see anything that needs to be taken out.
Assign tasks
This work will take place at the meeting on February 15th.
The work should be complete for the February 27th meeting so we can review it as a team and create a final version for our next meeting on March 10th.
Discuss Evaluation
Each prompt represents the spectrum of evaluation.
Create/Edit Evaluation work for sequence
Noted above
Schedule Spring Meetings and Due Dates
Due dates need to be filled in by team at upcoming meetings.
January 12th is the meeting date at lunch to review the BNG sequence before implementations
January 22nd is the meeting date at lunch to discuss the BNG teaching journals, student samples, and make arrangements for the revision of the sequence based on the implementation. (Applied Arts and College Prep Versions)
February 17th is the meeting at lunch to review the Fast Food sequence and discuss modification of the sequence to meet the assignment type and end assessment. Creations and revision of portions should be assigned at this time so that they are complete by February 27th. Some one should be placed in charge of the lesson plan but handouts can be done separately
February 27th at 1:30 the 12th grade team meets to review the BNG final draft and to the draft of the Fast Food lesson plan and added materials. (Cali returns from maternity leave).
March 10th is the Saturday meeting 9-1 pm to begin work Assignment Type 3. We will also dine and set the calendar and dues dates for the rest of the year.


11th: Grade:

The World House
Review World House implementation
Discussed the need to these skills to be occurring in the 9th and 10th grade and the development of an assignment sequence for these levels.
Discussed frustrations of feeling like more time is needed for this work and that some curriculum will have to be removed to make room.
This may be a difficult text to start as the first non fiction text. Think about smaller texts to do some skills training with before the launch of this first sequence.
Revisions of World House Work
On January 18th meet at lunch is the meeting date at lunch to discuss the completed implementation of WH sequence and make notes revision notes. May be helpful to review the Assignment Type before making revision decisions. Please note what activities you added into the sequence so that they are included in the final draft.
A point person will need to be appointed to revise the sequence and a deadline set so those revisions will be ready at the February 27th meeting.

Some preliminary notes from the team about implementation.
Looked closely at a sample of a strong Draft from Michelle’s papers
Need quote work in order to complete the text analysis task.
Not enough team members were able to complete the end assessment but student learning could be seen along the sequence.
Must create a prewriting activity with quoting in order to have drafts do the close work with the text that the prompt requires,
Need much more work with evidence (Pre and During and will as Prewriting Work) seeded through out the sequence. We don’t want to focus only on the appeals. We need a balance of the other sections of text analysis with appeals in the body of the sequence.
Audience
Genre
Aim/purpose
Main Argument
Evidence
Claims

Black Men in Public Spaces
Discussed importance of implementing sequence if possible.
Create/edit Evaluation work:
Review the Pre Reading Evaluation activity. The short editorials Laura is creating are likely to work much better for this work that the attach articles.
This work was not really able to be completed. Please review Variety of Prompts for the Fast Food sequence for samples and come up with during, an after reading evaluations work.
Are we happy with the prompt? If the first sequence is so appeals based then this sequence should really engage in another type of evaluation as well. If the first sequence is changed or does better work with evidence then a close evaluation based on appeals as the end prompt here makes sense. The first sequence identifies and the second evaluates.
Think about what to add into to this sequence based on what we learned from World House (more work with Evidence?)
This work should be done at the February 8th lunch meeting.
Review/Create Directed Writing and Reading Connection work
Needs to be assigned.
Review Sequence for missing portions and assign work
Needs to take place at the February 8th lunch meeting.


Cali’s notes on BMPS so far:
Needs a prewriting work with structure
Needs prewriting work with quotes
Reading and Writing Connection work.
Are we happy with the prompt?
Revise the Pre Reading Evaluation work
Create some Pre reading evidence and appeals activities based on Laura’s editorials.
Rework some the evaluations prompts from Fast Food into group work for BMPS. Simpler versions because we are looking at a single text.
Do we need some evidence identification and evaluation work? This doesn’t need to be the focus but a time to return to this skill?
Need evaluation criteria and rubrics for writing assessment.

Schedule Spring Meetings and Due Dates
Due dates need to be filled in by team at upcoming meetings.
January 18th is the meeting date at lunch to discuss the WH teaching journals, student samples, and make arrangements for the revision of the sequence based on the implementation. (Applied Arts and College Prep Versions).
February 8th is the meeting at lunch to review the BMPS sequence so far and discuss revisions and additions to the sequences. Creations and revision of portions should be assigned at this time so that they are complete by February 15th. Some one should be placed in charge of the lesson plan but handouts can be done separately
February 15th is a meeting at lunch to review progress on the World House revisions and to prepare BMPS sequences for its final revision. The WH and BMPS sequences should be ready for final review at the February 27th meeting.
February 27th at 2:45 the 11th grade team meets to review the WH final draft and to the next to last draft of the BMPS lesson plan and handouts. (Cali returns from maternity leave).
March 10th is the Saturday meeting 9-1 pm to begin work Assignment Type 3. We will also dine and set the calendar and dues dates for the rest of the year.

Meeting Dates:
January 12th at lunch (12th grade team)
January 18th at lunch (11th grade team)
January 22nd at lunch (12th grade team)
February 8th at lunch (11th grade team)
February 15th at lunch (11th grade team)
February 17th at lunch (12th grade team)
February 27th at 1:30 and 2:45 both teams
March 10th at Anne’s home both teams


Data questions:

None

Action items for participants:

See above.

Attachments (e.g. copies of handouts)

See last emails

The World House Teaching Journal--T Clark

Tracey Clarke
Calpass
“The World House” by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Daily Log

Friday, December 8, 2006
Prewrite: In three minutes, write down everything you know about MLK.
In the next three minutes, write down everything you do in the morning that requires technology (from the moment you wake up to the moment you sit down in your first class).
Tell the students what this has to do with MLK. He predicted some problems that result from our use of technology. The students make a list of some positive aspects of technology as well as some negative aspects of technology.
Read the kids’ book about MLK (Martin’s Big Words).

Reflection:
Michelle used the first two prewrites listed above, so I used them as well for the opening activities. She also suggested the use of the kid’s book, and the students enjoyed having it read to them. I think it was more effective than a lecture on MLK, as they have already learned about him in previous classes.

Monday, December 11, 2006
Do the pre-reading picture map based on the 4 previously selected paragraphs from the text. Students did this individually, but then they each shared their pictures with a partner.
Read “The World House” out loud together as a class.
Discuss as a class.

Reflection:
The pre-reading picture map seemed useful in giving the students an overall idea of what the text is about. The class discussion that we had after our reading went well, as many students volunteered their reactions and reflections, and several were able to connect this text to their daily lives.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Read the background information (from Cece) about African-American spirituals out loud to the students.
Listen to the song “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round,” which MLK mentions in the text.
Students respond in writing to the questions about the song.
Discuss the song and the students’ responses as a class.
Read the opening paragraphs to the other sections of “The World House” as a class and briefly discuss.
Review the list of rhetorically active verbs. Students then fill in the graphic organizer for charting a text. They do this in response to paragraphs 2, 4, 7, 12, and two paragraphs of their own choice. Finish for homework.

Reflection:
The song was originally intended to be used as a pre-reading activity, but I decided to use it after reading the text since there were several other pre-reading activities already in place. Students enjoyed the song, and they had some thoughtful responses to the written questions. We briefly discussed the opening paragraphs to the rest of the sections of the text, and students were responding well and actively participated.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Introduce the concept of a précis.
Go over the handouts of the description of the 4 parts of the précis and 2 examples of a précis.
Since this is the first précis my students are doing, they have the choice of working on this individually or with one partner of their choice.
I circulate about the room and assist students as needed.

Reflection:
Although this is the first précis my students are doing, they seem to understand the basic concept and are surprisingly willing to try it. Some chose to write individually, while others chose a partner.

Thursday, December 14, 2006
Students continue writing the précis, which is due at the end of the period.
I circulate about the room and assist students as needed.

Reflection:
The students were more a little bit distracted today because of the assembly, the shortened schedule, and the last day before winter break quickly approaching. Overall, though, they were working well on the précis. Several of them had me read over parts of their précis when they felt unsure. I feel like I am still learning this process as well since this is only the second year I have ever taught how to do a précis, and this is the first year I have taught this text.

Final reflection:
Some of the students’ précis were well constructed while others were not as great. However, I am pleased with the results, considering this is their first attempt at it, and we had a busy schedule during the week (a collaboration day, an assembly day, and a minimum day). Overall, the students grasped the main ideas of the text, and they were attentive and actively participated in the class discussions. They have at least done one précis now, which we can continue to try with other texts during the year. Because of the time constraints, I did not include any of the vocabulary work for this text. When I do this again, I will include that. I also will not do this all the week before winter break either, as we have slightly less time then. I would also like to take time next time for the students to do some peer evaluations (with evaluation handouts) of each others’ précis before turning in their final draft.

11/28/06 Meeting

Intersegmental Council Minutes
Council Name/location West Hills High School Cal-PASS Curricular Alignment Project
Meeting date: November 28, 2006


Attendees: We met on November 28 1:30-4 pm in Deborah Napoli’s room, Attendance: Tracy Clarke,, Anne Foster, Kristin McLaughlin, Cece Boehme, Todd Peterson, Michelle Liddell, Jennifer Romanowski, Laura Preble, Deborah Napoli, Shelly Valdez, and Cali Linfor.

Discussion items and results:

12th grade
Discussion of Brave New Girls Sequence
Changes
The team decided that the current version of the Evidence Grid will work and that any changes made to it can be modified during our final implementation revision
Pre Reading Quick write was added
The team decided we did not need Concept Maps for this sequence
Post Reading: Group Discussion Clip based post reading work was added on Carol Gillian and Mulan as part of the A closer look at Evidence work,
BNG Multiple Choice Questions were added.
The team decided: each teacher will create Vocabulary Assessment as they implement but each member will the assessment send to Cali as part of our last revision process.
A single document with all the handouts was created with a table of contents
We are missing a description of the work with Bewitched, Sabrina, Alec Mack, Xena and/or Buffy clips but we can easily share and insert that assignment as we develop it in class.
A Reading Writing Connection section was added with a RAFT prompt for an in class or group work writing assignments in order to keep the text current. A description of the RAFT strategy and the RAFT prompt can be found in Handouts.
A rubric for the grading of the “Brave New Girls” Essay was added.
Date to implement: Start of next semester
Record which assignments you use and keep a sample of student work: Can keep teaching journal or just notes. Can post to Blog. Everyone has been given access to post to the blog. Here is the Blog address. http://www.blogger.com/home
Do we want the videos to support?
We have Buffy. I am attaching a link to video clips on the internet for other shows.

Need a clean copy of the text. Will have at next meeting. The original is in Mirror on America. Ordered Exam Copy.


Start of Work on Fast Food Assignment Sequence: Assignment Type 2: Analyzing and Evaluating a Non-Fiction Text
I need copies of these texts
Review requirements of this assignment type
What do we mean by Evaluation?
Discussed evaluation of evidence
Discussed Reading Comprehension Standard 2.8
Discussed student personal reaction as part of evaluation.
Thought about Flaws in Logic as part of evaluation
Discussed using simple texts such as ads to introduce evaluation
Discussed the creation of criteria on which to evaluate a text (based on aim, audience, genre)
Examples of successful and unsuccessful texts.
Discussed evaluation of successful appeals
Review the prompts of the existing Assignment Sequence
Need to look closely at one text to evaluate.
Prompt Drafts: _Cali will draft________________
Précis Work Review

Next Meeting January 4 (moved Date)

11th Grade
Discussion of The World House Sequence
Changes
The song based Pre Reading Quick write was added.
Concept Maps were reinserted into the Handouts (they got lost in the mix somehow last time).
Included the Appeals power point.
Added in the Vocabulary Assessment
A single document with all the handouts was created with a table of contents.
Retyped the Evidence and Appeals document so we would have an electronic copy and made the revisions we discussed in the meeting.
A rubric for scoring the précis was added. The amount of points is, of course, easily changed. It can be changed to a credit no credit scale as well
A rubric for the grading of the “The World House” Essay was added.
Record which assignments you use and keep a sample of student work. Can keep teaching journal or just notes.
Michelle’s Teaching Journal will be on the Blog. . Everyone has been given access to post to the blog. Here is the Blog address. http://www.blogger.com/home
Report of implementation from Michelle, Laura, and Cece
Additional Prereading added in.
Major point of revision is the scaffolding of the teaching of evidence.
What does it mean to evaluate? Revisiting the Analyzing and Evaluating Assignment Type
Similar discussion to the 12th grade team.
Will work on evaluation of appeal/s at this level.
Progress on Black Men in Public Spaces Assignment Sequence: Assignment Type 2: Analyzing and Evaluating a Non-Fiction Text:
Review Lesson Plan and Handouts
Pre Reading Vocabulary Work with Multiple Choice Words
During Reading: Vocabulary Work
Post Reading Detailed appeals work
Needed
During Reading Evaluation work: Everyone Brainstorm based on appeals evaluation
Post Reading Detailed Evaluation work Everyone Brainstorm based on appeals evaluation
Additional Prompts ????
Reading Writing Connections Michelle
Directed Writing Instruction Cece
Rubrics
What else?


Next Meeting: The date was asked to stay January 8th and then later asked to be moved to January 4th. (moved Date)



Data questions:

None

Action items for participants:

Jennifer needs to submit contact.
Everyone write a reflection on what we mean by evaluation based on our discussion. Gather possible teaching tools for evaluation work.
Cali will draft a sample prompt for Fast Food. Electronic copy of Brave New Girls.
Laura will create a variety of texts for Black Men in Public Spaces using various appeals to have some starter text to practice evaluation skills on.
Tracey, Laura, and Cece teaching journal on the World House.
Cece bring in some direct writing instruction ideas for Black Men.
Michelle work on the Reading Writing Connect of Black Men and complete teaching journal on The World House.


Attachments (e.g. copies of handouts)

Agenda
Evaluation Standards Handout
Sequential Assignment Types
Fast Food Teacher Version
Fast Food Précis
If You Pitch It Work
Rhetorical Appeal Questions
Black Men in Public Spaces Lesson Plan
Black Men in Public Spaces Handouts

End-of-meeting assessment question & answers:

Keep thinking about what we mean by evaluation at each level.

Next Meeting

12th Grade

Brave New Girls
Prepare for Brave New Girls Implantation and Teaching Journals

Fast Food Sequence
Review/edit possible prompt
Review Sequence for what can be edited out or needs to be added in with our end assessment
Discuss Evaluation
Create/Edit Evaluation work for sequence
Schedule Spring Meetings and Due Dates


11th: Grade:

The World House
Review World House implementation
Revisions of World House Work

Black Men in Public Spaces
Create/edit Evaluation work
Review/Create Directed Writing and Reading Connection work
Review Sequence for missing
Schedule Spring Meetings and Due Dates

Day 10: What's a precis?

We finished up fun with evidence today. The 2nd and 3rd pieces of evidence of the grid were much easier for students to analyze, but if I had to grade them, the average would be about 45%. We definitely need to provide more examples of what evidence is DOING for argument. "Supporting" just isn't a good enough example.

I introduced the precis today using Ms. Boehme's idea ("Nothing Bad Ever Happens to Me" by Oingo Boingo). Thanks Cece! This is a really good way to introduce, as the song deals with tone and its effect on the overall argument. Students are also asked to make inferences, as the main claim is not directly stated.

This is the week before Winter Break, and we have 4 different bell schedules, including an assembly! My plan is to have students complete a precis for World House for Wednesday and peer review that day. I have created a shaping sheet (thanks to an idea I got from A.J. Acosta!) and students will turn in a typed final on Thursday.

Day 9 World House fun with Evidence!

Ugh. This is terribly difficult for them. I think we really need to revise the definition sheet. Instructionally, I am more concerned with their ability to identify claims than their ability to differentiate between an analogy, an allegory, or an allusion. Heck, I don't ask that of myself! We are working diligently toward completing the evidence grid, but I think we need to discuss this as a group and revise. Or at least articulate our expectations desired from our students.

Student Responses, Day 8

I wanted to record the experiences of my students, so I asked them, "How is the work you are doing in this unit different from the work you've done in English before?" My student teacher, Barbra Ruggles, was kind enough to record their response. Please note that these are unedited, and recorded as students volunteered.

Day 8: Student Responses about MLK Text.

The work we are doing is important because if we didn’t talk about the text, we wouldn’t understand.

We do more work trying to understand what MLK is talking about and learn more vocabulary.

Tying real world issues to our lives, instead of just reading about characters.

I actually feel like I am learning, instead of just using CD, CM,CM.

With other lit work, seems one-dimensional, this is more involved.

This is more personal because the things he talks about, how he acts, that we might ignore, makes us aware of what is happening, and how we can change and further our society/selves.

Our love of stuff (material things) is degenerating us.

This text takes reading comprehension one-step further. It doesn’t allow you to cheat.

Brain is more tired. Fiction books are easier because they are stories, and doesn’t really relate to us.

When you read stories, fiction books we tend to accept them but with this text, you are
having to question things. This text tries to persuade you when fiction doesn’t really persuade you. Fiction books are entertaining. This text really asks things of you.

1984 novel is an argument.

Student Response to MLK text

Opinionated speech and is somebody’s words. We have to think and it’s different.
We have to interpret what he is saying.

Reading is harder. Metaphors make it better. He uses a lot of terms. Books you get involved with the characters. You can relate more to it because it is not just about characters.

I could not have read this alone at home without the discussions held in class and with our classmates.

I like it because it is different. It is not made for a certain level of reading. The sentence structure and vocabulary is more challenging.

It makes you think about the world and the everyday life. He wrote this speech years ago, but I still feel included in the issues.

One guy speaking. Commentary is opinion and is really argument. You are proving through the evidence.

What kinds of prompts (essay topics) do you think you would write for this paper?

A personal reaction paper. How does it relate to the world today?

Write about a how it relates to the world, what are the claims, sub-claims of the argument.

His sub-claims are the four different chunks.

Days 7-8

Day7
Students finished their attempt at identifying sub-claims. I then gave them a copy of my idea map, and we negotiated that. Overall, they felt relief that there were “right” answers despite my repeated attempts to reinforce the idea that the only “right” way to do this was to support our hypothesis with King’s evidence. We then looked at the evidence types hand-out, then I gave them the sheet with evidence examples to identify.

Day 8

Because of the cognitive demands of this unit, group work has degenerated into chat time, or “this is too hard” time for some groups, I felt that it was time for students to grapple with the text on their own so that they could form their own opinions. (I feel this is a good place instructionally; I’ve read text, groups have read text, and now they need some reflection time.) I gave them the critical questions to respond to in class. Students were actively engaged ALL period in answering these questions. It was really encouraging to see the effort and energy they put into these questions! We’ll go over questions tomorrow before we begin evidence gathering work

World House Teaching Journal Days 5-6

Day 5
Today we tackled the Concept Maps. It was a great opportunity to have students practice the art of skimming (looking for concept phrase in text) and decoding from text. For example, when we looked at “disinherited masses” students were able to discern that things were bad for them in the beginning (negative phrases such as “dungeons of oppression”) but that things were turning around for them (“rising toward the bright hills of freedom”).

We then reviewed how to translate writing terms they already knew (Main Thesis, Body Thesis, Concrete Detail, Commentary) into rhetorical reading terms (Main Claim, Sub-Claim, Evidence).

I also gave them working definitions of ethos, logos, and pathos as ways of persuasion AND types of evidence. Believe me, it was a full day!

Day 6

After giving students paragraph chunks (modified charting) they were put into groups to come up with King’s sub-claim for that section. I spent most of my morning using Inspiration to create my own idea map.

Students really tackled this task with bravery. About half way thorough one class, a student told me, “This is the hardest I’ve ever worked in English!” I took it as a compliment. This was the sentiment throughout the day as students grappled with critical reasoning/rhetorical reading. The frustration level was high, but I kept reassuring them that if their head hurt, they were doing it right.