Monday, January 28th, 2013

Check Homework
List 10 groups/cliques.

Essay Check
Use essay checklist to review the essays written last class.

Circle
Norms for group reading.

Theme Prediction
We'll be reading the book "Speak," which is about a girl's horrible experience during her freshman year.  Like the Matrix, we will be deconstructing the book to understand how specific themes are developed during the course of the book. So:
1) Group yourselves into groups of 3-4 and find a place where you can sit in a regular polygon;
2) From what you know about high school, list possible topics that could be in the book (for example "friendships," "mean teachers," "homework").
3) Pick the top 10 topics and list them on the chart paper provided; hang them on the wall.
4) With your notebook; walk around to the different group's charts and look at them; write down any that you don't have.
5) Get your paper, return to your table and add the 5 topics you did not have that you think are interesting or important.
6) Now,  identify what you think are the 3 most important topics and develop possible themes for those topics.
7) Next, if you were going to make a movie about high school that wanted to develop one of your themes, explain what you would put in the movie to do so (be specific).

Speak
Break into reading groups and group read for 20 minutes. On each page, use a notebook or stickie to keep track of something you notice that a) connects to one of the topics we've all shared; or b) connects to a topic we hadn't thought of; or c) connect so something we've learned this year.  Circle and share.

Homework
Read to page 21.