Monday, July 20, 2008

Scribing: Lindsey Anderson

 

Writing Prompt:

From:  Poemcrazy: freeing your life with words by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge

The Muses Among Us by Kim Stafford, “Writing Daily, Writing in Tune”

 

“Things hidden wrap at the doors.”

        ~Ukranian Proverb

 

What’s happened to you in the past few weeks with your writing as you have “exercised the pen?” What is still undone?   

 

Discussed our reactions:

We are listening more as writers- doing much more “noticing” to the words around us.  The writing is always there if one’s ear is attuned to it.

 

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Demonstration: Gloria Webber

 

Background: Gloria’s focus for her lesson involves “sensory imagery” and the hero quest.  Gloria teaches a World/British Literature and Composition class in Burnsville.  Covers a wide range of topics and genres.  Gloria teaches 11th grade students.  The lesson presented today is part of a six to eight week unit.  The major assessment in this unit includes a students writing their own hero quests after extensive study of heroes.  Today, she is sharing a way to help students use sensory imagery to write their own hero quest; however, the lesson today is modified.

Question: How many are familiar with the idea of a hero quest?

Hero always has an internal and external conflict.  Dragon= hero’s fear.  Hero conquers dragon=he conquers fear.  Hero characteristics:  Miraculous, but humble birth, a daring deed at a young age, short, but brilliant life, work for the good of others, a teacher who accompanies him, uncommon ability or special weapon, fatal flaw or weakness, often excessive pride, and the difficulty in leaving loved ones.  

 

Idea: Gloria references movies and fictional book characteristics to familiarize students with a hero’s characteristics and the hero’s journey (Harry Potter, Obi-wan, Luke Skywalker, Matrix, etc).

 

Idea: Students pick a threshold in their own life and use the five senses to describe that threshold and find the prevalent emotion. Students write their own adventure.

Power point: Hero Quest Powerpoint

(Available at Burnsville High School Website) http://www.schooltoday.com/se3bin/clientschool.cgi?schoolname-school15 

1)    Joseph Campell: definition of a hero.  Path with specific stages, all of which the potential hero must follow.

2)    Characteristics of a hero

3)    Call to Adventure

4)    The Threshold

Film clip: Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Platoon, A League of Their Own, and Sleeping with the Enemy.

Idea: Watch the scene. Record the character’s actions.  What is the character actually doing? Focus on the five senses.

 

DISCUSSION:

Question: With a partner, discuss your observations.  What did the character see/hear/feel/smell/ taste? As a group, can you identify the prevailing emotion in this particular scene?

Responses:

Awe, wonder, curiosity, intrigued fear, fear (at end).

Question from audience: I wonder what would happen if the sound were taken away and students just watched the character’s actions?

~Tom

Question: Based on watching this scene, what are your predictions for what may happen to this character?

Response: She might get lost.

Question: What makes you think that?

Response: Because her curiosity might lead her to wander too far. 

~Chong

“She may also be so vulnerable because of her size and because of her curiosity to the world around her.” 

~Chong

“I had the feeling she might turn back to find someone else to share with this.  Everything is so heightened for her, but the footsteps bring her back to reality. “

~Bob

“But also, because she is so little and not afraid also gives us insight into her character.  It shows us how strong she is.”

~Gretchen

 

Idea: Students look at a piece of writing by Gloria about a “first time” for her (entering high school for the first time).  Students look for sensory images within the language.  Students share and then discuss how the sensory imagery reflects the character’s emotion.  What is the character’s prevailing emotion?  What sensory imagery led you to that emotion? Because of that emotion, what do you predict will happen to the character? What would happen to that emotion if some of those sensory images were changed?  Rewrite the piece changing some or all of the sensory images.

Once students have rewritten the piece, changing the sensory images, Gloria has them jot down a few predictions regarding how the emotion sensed in the new piece would affect the course of the hero’s journey.  How will that emotion play into the character’s future decisions?

Responses: Students share their revisions to the piece.  Discussion of the prevailing emotion in the new pieces of writing. 

 

Idea: Students brainstorm turning points in their own lives- points like the one shown to them in the movie scene (first times, last times, important realizations, etc).  Students usually take this home as an assignment.

 

Pointer: Give students time to brainstorm their own ideas for their threshold moments.  Due to time, it is better to share with the final assignment with them early on so that they may begin thinking about their own ideas for their hero quest stories.  Three days typically does not give students enough time to produce high quality work.

Idea: Students given time to brainstorm some turning point moments in class.  Completed a “quick share” where students underlined a favorite line or image from their writing.

 

Suggested Books:

On Rainy River by Tim O’Brien

Bill Moyer’s/Joseph Campell by interview

The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan

Freak the Mighty

Suggestion:

Students could make this a multi-genre assignment.  For example, they could make their writing into a script, comic book, etc.

 

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Topic: The first day of school (Culture/Tone)

Date: Monday, July 21, 2008

Presenter: Chong Thao

Scribe: Mandy Marek

 

 

Chong's background:

Teaches at Como Park Senior High School in St. Paul.  Very diverse population:  Hmong, Latino, etc. as well as very affluent/established families.  Como tries to engage this diverse population.  There is a strong AP program, and try to appeal to each subgroup.  At the beginning of the year, Chong tries to incorporate icebreaker activities to get kids to be open-minded about culture, and reinforce that throughout the year.  Some kids come in with very different, sometimes shocking stories, and Chong teaches her students to be accepting and open with all of those stories.  

 

Culture Shock:

There are four markers dividing us into four cultures of five people.  Chong comes around and gives each culture a sheet with their identity.  At this point, only the individuals within a culture may know what is acceptable and what is rude in that culture.   Once each culture has read their customs, they try to interact and communicate with people from other cultures answering the following question:

Who do you think will win the presidential election?  Why?

 The differences in what is polite or rude make for some very interesting conversations.  

 

Then individuals discuss what these interactions were like.  

Some wanted to share their opinions, and others were quiet and wouldn't make eye contact.

Some thought others were too loud and only talked about themselves

Some thought others were very quiet and shy. 

Some thought others would ask too many personal questions and were shoving noses in their face.

All in all, each culture thought the others were odd and rude.

 

What are some ways that one culture could talk to another in a way that is respectful of what they seemed to want?

How to talk to the culture that avoids eye contact?  Sit next to them so you're not facing each other, lower your voice, talk in the dark.  

How to talk to the culture that needs eye contact?  Glance up once in awhile, use other modes of communication (phone, email, etc.), explain why you're uncomfortable with eye contact.  Understanding goes a long way.  If you know why the other person doesn't make eye contact, it isn't so insulting and compromises can be made.  

 

Now, have students try interacting again.  Talk about this in school - what do we see in our own building that may or may not be offensive?  Eye contact?  Gestures?  Volume of voice?  Time before you raise your hand and answer a question?  In Western culture, it's good to be the first person with your hand up.  In Native American culture, waiting and having some moments of silence, shows that you are considering their question.  

 

Why do culture clash?  Have students explore the different reasons that cultures have conflicts in school or in the broader community.  This helps create a safe environment for reading literature that may have topics that are sensitive for some students.  

 

Talk about culture and what it means.  Allow students to share their own culture stories.  Assign a 'Tone Paper.'  What is tone?  Webbing on the board:

• Attitude
• Mood
• Reflection of opinion
• Voice of a writer
• Feeling or sentiment towards subject or reader

Where do you hear or see tone?

• Music
• Speaking voice (when your parents are mad at you...  I don't like the tone of your voice... etc.) 

Have one student compliment something about another student, but have them do it in several tones of voice:  Sarcastic, admiring, etc.

 

Bring in transparencies of song lyrics, and have students define the tone and pick out the words that convey the tone of the piece.  

 

"Brothers in Arms"

- Dire Straits

 

These mist covered mountains

Are a home now for me

But my home is the lowlands

And always will be

Some day you'll return to 

Your valleys and your farms

And you'll no longer burn

To be brothers in arms

 

Through these fields of destruction

Baptisms of fire

I've watched all your suffering 

As the battles raged higher

And though they did hurt me so bad

In the fear and alarm

You did not desert me

My brothers in arms

 

There's so many different worlds

So many different suns

And we have just one world

But we live in different ones

 

Now the sun's gone to hell

And the moon's riding high

Let me bid you farewell 

Every man has to die

But its written in the starlight

And every line on your palm

We're fools to make war

On our brothers in arms

 

 

Tones:

• Regretful.  We have just one world, every man has to die, live in different worlds
• Cautionary. Some of the same words
• Grateful.  You did not desert me, my brothers in arms.
• Nostalgic
• Sad
• Angry

What should the music sound like?

• guitar
• bagpipes
• longing
• slow-paced 

Play song - were we right with how it should sound?  Music can help set tone, or it can create an ironic effect.  

 

"New Soul"

-Yael Naim

 

I'm a new sould

I came to this strange world

Hoping I could learn a bit bout how to give and take

But since I cam here, felt the joy and the fear

Finding myself making every possible mistake

 

La, la (x21)

La (x21)

 

See I'm a young soul in this very strange world 

Hoping I could learn a bit bout what is true and fake

But why all this hate?  Try to communicate

Finding trust and love is not always easy to make

 

La (x21)

La (x21)

 

This is a happy end

Cause you don't understand

Everything you have done

Why's everything so wrong?

 

This is a happy end 

Come and give me your hand

I'll take you far away

 

I'm a new soul

I came to this strange world

Hoping I could learn a bit bout how to give and take

But since I came here, felt the joy and the fear

Finding myself making every possible mistake

 

New soul... (la, la, la....)

In this very strange world....

Every possible mistake

Possible mistake

Every possible mistakes

Mistakes, mistakes, mistakes...

 

 

Tone:

Mixed

Curious

Keeps talking about mistake, but then 'la la la.'  Cavalier

Regret, then hope

Cluelessness - ignorance is bliss "happy ending cause you don't understand"

Ironic happiness

Failure: I came hoping, with expectations, and here's what really happened.  But maybe there's a wisdom that comes out of this.   New soul, strange world.  Acceptance of mistakes because I'm new and exploring and I'll make mistakes as I figure things out.  

Relationship song, making mistakes and trying to learn what's true, what isn't.  why all this hate? try to communicate, finding love and trust is not easy to make.  Relationship isn't working?

Reminds of Chinese - the soul returns at different stages.  

Idealism instead of optimism

New soul is humble.

 

What should this sound like?

• Sitar
• Piano
• Fast-paced (short phrases, la's will be fast)

 

"The World is a Vampire"

-Smashing Pumpkins

 

The world is a vampire, sent to drain

Secret destroyers, hold you up to the flames

And what do I get for my pain?

Betwrayed desires, and a piece of the game

 

(Chorus)

Even though I know - I suppose I'll show

All my cool and cold-like old job

Despite all my rage I'm still just a rat in a cage (2x)

Then someone will say what is lost can never be saved

Despite all my rage I'm still just a rate in a cage

 

Now I'm naked, nothing but an animal

But can you fake it, for just one more show?

And what do you want, I want to change

And what have you got when you feel the same

 

(chorus)

 

(chorus 2)

Tell me I'm the only one

Tell me there's no other one

Jesus was an only son

Tell me I'm the chosen one

Jesus was the only son for you 

 

(chorus)

(chorus 2)

 

Despite all my rage I'm still just a rat in a cage

Then someone will say what is lost can never be saved

Despite all my rage I'm still just a rat in a cage

And I still believe that I cannot be saved

 

Tone:

• Hopeless
• Despair
• Rage
• Piercings/Leather/Tattoo stage
• Critique on message of hope - saved by Jesus, believe I can't be saved, etc.

 Words: Naked, animal, rat in a cage, vampire as metaphor for the world, etc.

 

What will it sound like?

• Electric guitar
• Fast
• Rock

 

Now we put this to writing: Tone paper.  Assignment includes a list of tone words to make them more rich than just 'happy' or 'sad.'  What part of speech?  Adjectives and adverbs.  Name a tone word, then cluster other words that are very close.  Happy - joy, elation, excitement, etc.  Branch out more - within elation, there is anxiety.  Within joy, something else that isn't necessarily happy.  

 

Look at list of tone words, open notebooks to a clean page.  Write down one word which describes the way you felt (tone) or thought (attitude) about your Monday morning - as you got up, got on the bus, met your carpool, got in your car and dodged traffic to get here... etc.

Then write 10 other words you can think of that fall under that:  were you tired?  What else did you feel during your commute?  

 

Go through one on the board to show sub-emotions under dominant feeling.  Write about that experience.  For kids, the question is about the first day of school.  

 

Tone word: Stressful

Other words:

• hectic
• anxious
• nervous
• scared

 

Now use just five, then write about another experience you had when you felt the same way.  At the end of your essay on the other experience, relate it to the first day of school - how is it like that?  Use the same five words to connect them. 

 

The next day, revise.  In groups, look for the five words, talk about whether it works, suggest revisions.  

Show student models from previous years.  Keep to one page.  Good initial assessment of their writing.  

 

We do the same thing:  Look at the list, and write about another experience when you felt that way.  Try to incorporate the same tone words and relate it back to today.  

 

Follow up with story: "A&P" by John Updike.