Today, we began with a Quick Write as we listen to a few tracks from the film Chariots of Fire. Options for the Quick Write included thinking about how our quotes for the day applies to our lives: "Sometimes you don't feel ready, but you have to move anyway." Mike says this to Poppy as Poppy sits in a tree with his arm around a Porch Pal whom he images to be his son, Doug.
Afterwards, we used Reader's Theater to perform the conversation Mike and Poppy have, and the epiphany that occurs during that talk.
For homework tonight, be sure to read pp. 195 - 209 in The Absolute Value of Mike (Chapters 24 - 26).
Our word of the day today was IMPERVIOUS, which is an adjective that means not letting anything through. And example of the word in a line is: Poppy has been impervious throughout the novel until this climactic moment in Chapter 23.
Have a great evening!
Peace,
Mr. R
Monday, November 9, 2015
Thursday, November 5, 2015
A Quick Review for our Creative Vocab Quiz Tomorrow!
Our post below explored the in-class activity we did with the iPads today, but bear with me for one more post in order to do a quick review for our creative vocabulary quiz tomorrow:
The five words we worked with this week are:
EPIPHANY (NOUN: huge moment of insight that is life-transforming)
SAUNTER (VERB: to walk leisurely or stroll)
INITIATIVE (NOUN: a first step)
INTRINSIC (ADJECTIVE: coming from the inside; a deep part of oneself)
OUTLIER (NOUN: a value far from the average--could be a person, a place, or a thing that is far away from most others in terms of life or actions or purpose)
And here is a single sentence with all five words:
As Jonathan walked to school one morning, he had an epiphany: it was time to let the intrinsic desire of his heart come out so that he could be the kind of outlier he always wanted to be; he would take initiative today, saunter into the the teacher's Homeroom and ask for help to finish writing his novel.
Peace!
Mr. R
The five words we worked with this week are:
EPIPHANY (NOUN: huge moment of insight that is life-transforming)
SAUNTER (VERB: to walk leisurely or stroll)
INITIATIVE (NOUN: a first step)
INTRINSIC (ADJECTIVE: coming from the inside; a deep part of oneself)
OUTLIER (NOUN: a value far from the average--could be a person, a place, or a thing that is far away from most others in terms of life or actions or purpose)
And here is a single sentence with all five words:
As Jonathan walked to school one morning, he had an epiphany: it was time to let the intrinsic desire of his heart come out so that he could be the kind of outlier he always wanted to be; he would take initiative today, saunter into the the teacher's Homeroom and ask for help to finish writing his novel.
Peace!
Mr. R
Sauntering Along With our Neurons...
Welcome to English! Today, we will be reading and reflecting on two fascinating pieces of writing. Afterwards, we will have time to share a little of our own thing regarding these two texts, and connect them to our novel, THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF MIKE.
Let's dive in!
First, follow this link to read a two-page overview of the ooey-gooey, sticky, slimy stuff in our brain called neurons and their connections.
Feel like a brain expert yet? Ready to perform brain surgery?
In all seriousness, now you have some interesting knowledge anput how the brain functions, and how it isn't fully formed until you are about 20 YEARS OLD! That means the way your brain functions now will probably change!
Now, read through this poem by Robert Frost, entitled, "The Road Not Taken."
Okay! We're ready to reflect! Check out the questions below, and choose one to share in your comment on today's blog. If you have more time, read through and reply too other people's ideas, of respond to the second questions as well. I'm excited to see what you think!
1) Based on the Neurons article and the poem you read, do you think intrinsic or extrinsic motivation works better to help people change and make good choices? Why?
2) Yesterday, we had a great Socratic Seminar exploring success and failure. Based on these two texts, state your case for why failure truly is necessary to succeed, or why it is not.
Let's dive in!
First, follow this link to read a two-page overview of the ooey-gooey, sticky, slimy stuff in our brain called neurons and their connections.
Feel like a brain expert yet? Ready to perform brain surgery?
In all seriousness, now you have some interesting knowledge anput how the brain functions, and how it isn't fully formed until you are about 20 YEARS OLD! That means the way your brain functions now will probably change!
Now, read through this poem by Robert Frost, entitled, "The Road Not Taken."
Okay! We're ready to reflect! Check out the questions below, and choose one to share in your comment on today's blog. If you have more time, read through and reply too other people's ideas, of respond to the second questions as well. I'm excited to see what you think!
1) Based on the Neurons article and the poem you read, do you think intrinsic or extrinsic motivation works better to help people change and make good choices? Why?
2) Yesterday, we had a great Socratic Seminar exploring success and failure. Based on these two texts, state your case for why failure truly is necessary to succeed, or why it is not.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Socratic Seminar!
Today, we held our first Socratic Seminar. It was wonderful to hear you all talk, debate, and reflect on four key questions that relate to themes from our novel, THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF MIKE.
Here is a picture of our four questions that we explored:
As I took notes on all of the comments and ideas you shared, I was deeply inspired and I learned a lot from you all. Here are a few ideas--quotes--that came out of your Socratic Seminar today:
"There is no such thing as success--it's not a real thing. But you can have various achievements, and those can make you feel proud."
"Success is reaching your own personal goals."
"There are multiple ways to be intelligent--and those ways can't always be measured by traditional schools."
"Ben Franklin is an interesting example of success: he never really had much schooling, and yet he was a creative genius and invented so much!"
"Success is so often shaped by other people's standards; people are pressured to achieve in certain ways."
"People who have a lot of empathy can often become despondent on behalf of others."
"You can still have fun and grow a lot without being the best at something."
"Often discouragement ties into failure; what can help is finding a hobby you like--something you believe in that brings you joy and relaxation."
"Society too often values things like beauty and talent, instead of much more important things like honesty."
"Wealth is the most important hing in our society, because it allow people to get good educations."
"More people would rather (deep down) be less popular and have good friends."
"There are a lot of successful people who never went to college."
"Popularity goes too far: consider the book Wonder."
"Success is totally subjective, but society crafts a majority definition."
"People who grow old too often forget what mattered to them in their childhoods."
"Most of us judge by money and intelligence, but that isn't always good."
"I think success is self-pride."
"What can help people who are despondent--like Poppy--is having friends and social connections."
"People who have lived through a lot of bad situations see the world differently."
"Happiness matters the most; happiness is the key to success."
"Past is homeless, but he's happy."
"Failure is an important part of success."
[in response to above comment]: "But failure isn't always good; like, what if you fail at disarming a bomb?"
"Success is doing something that makes you feel more like the person you really want to be."
"Sometimes, success is unintentional."
"Success is about working at something again and again, over a long period of time."
Our word of the day is: OUTLIER, which means: a value far away from the average (think: a person who does something very differently than others, a school or place that is very different than the norm, etc).
For homework tonight, be sure to read Chapters 22 and 23 in THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF MIKE.
Peace!
Mr. R
Here is a picture of our four questions that we explored:
As I took notes on all of the comments and ideas you shared, I was deeply inspired and I learned a lot from you all. Here are a few ideas--quotes--that came out of your Socratic Seminar today:
"There is no such thing as success--it's not a real thing. But you can have various achievements, and those can make you feel proud."
"Success is reaching your own personal goals."
"There are multiple ways to be intelligent--and those ways can't always be measured by traditional schools."
"Ben Franklin is an interesting example of success: he never really had much schooling, and yet he was a creative genius and invented so much!"
"Success is so often shaped by other people's standards; people are pressured to achieve in certain ways."
"People who have a lot of empathy can often become despondent on behalf of others."
"You can still have fun and grow a lot without being the best at something."
"Often discouragement ties into failure; what can help is finding a hobby you like--something you believe in that brings you joy and relaxation."
"Society too often values things like beauty and talent, instead of much more important things like honesty."
"Wealth is the most important hing in our society, because it allow people to get good educations."
"More people would rather (deep down) be less popular and have good friends."
"There are a lot of successful people who never went to college."
"Popularity goes too far: consider the book Wonder."
"Success is totally subjective, but society crafts a majority definition."
"People who grow old too often forget what mattered to them in their childhoods."
"Most of us judge by money and intelligence, but that isn't always good."
"I think success is self-pride."
"What can help people who are despondent--like Poppy--is having friends and social connections."
"People who have lived through a lot of bad situations see the world differently."
"Happiness matters the most; happiness is the key to success."
"Past is homeless, but he's happy."
"Failure is an important part of success."
[in response to above comment]: "But failure isn't always good; like, what if you fail at disarming a bomb?"
"Success is doing something that makes you feel more like the person you really want to be."
"Sometimes, success is unintentional."
"Success is about working at something again and again, over a long period of time."
Our word of the day is: OUTLIER, which means: a value far away from the average (think: a person who does something very differently than others, a school or place that is very different than the norm, etc).
For homework tonight, be sure to read Chapters 22 and 23 in THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF MIKE.
Peace!
Mr. R
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Is Failure Subjective?
Today, we began by writing all of our ideas about various characters from The Absolute Value of Mike on the board. You each shared about a character and events or experiences in which they seem to fail. Then, we moved around the room and agreed or disagreed with these thesis-style statements.
After debating and sharing, we began to see that what some of us view as failure in a character, others see as a form of success or growth.
Next, we moved into a read-aloud theater-type exploration of Chapter 19, whereby we saw how Past saves the day at Big Dawg's. A surprising turn of events for a character whom many saw, previously, as unimportant or somewhat of a failure.
Our word of the day, today, is INITIATIVE, which means a first step. Sometimes, great dreams are only accomplished when someone takes initiative.
For homework tonight, read chapters 20 and 21, and be ready for a brief Socratic Seminar tomorrow (with models and explanations to come!).
Peace!
Mr. R
After debating and sharing, we began to see that what some of us view as failure in a character, others see as a form of success or growth.
Next, we moved into a read-aloud theater-type exploration of Chapter 19, whereby we saw how Past saves the day at Big Dawg's. A surprising turn of events for a character whom many saw, previously, as unimportant or somewhat of a failure.
Our word of the day, today, is INITIATIVE, which means a first step. Sometimes, great dreams are only accomplished when someone takes initiative.
For homework tonight, read chapters 20 and 21, and be ready for a brief Socratic Seminar tomorrow (with models and explanations to come!).
Peace!
Mr. R
Monday, November 2, 2015
Is Failure Essential to Success?
Today, we are exploring the theme of failure in life and in our novel, The Absolute Value of Mike. We are watching a speech given by famed writer J.K. Rowling, author of the widely popular and mesmerizing Harry Potter novels. (Here is the link in case you want to watch it again or are out from school today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHGqp8lz36c).
In Mike, we see that failure seems to be a part of his life, too. He isn't quite able to master math, to have a good relationship with his dad, or to feel intrinsically valued for anything about himself--until Do(n)over. Then, things begin to change.
Today, we are chatting about failure as J.K. Rowling defines it, and tomorrow we will explore Mike Frost's experiences with failure in closer detail.
Our word of the day today is INTRINSIC, an adjective which means of or relating to an inner value or inner ability or goal.
Our homework for tonight is to read Chapter 19 in Mike, pp. 154 - 161.
Peace!
Mr. R
In Mike, we see that failure seems to be a part of his life, too. He isn't quite able to master math, to have a good relationship with his dad, or to feel intrinsically valued for anything about himself--until Do(n)over. Then, things begin to change.
Today, we are chatting about failure as J.K. Rowling defines it, and tomorrow we will explore Mike Frost's experiences with failure in closer detail.
Our word of the day today is INTRINSIC, an adjective which means of or relating to an inner value or inner ability or goal.
Our homework for tonight is to read Chapter 19 in Mike, pp. 154 - 161.
Peace!
Mr. R
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Math...in English!
One of the beautiful things about our class novel, The Absolute Value of Mike, is that it reveals how math is a way of understanding our lives and emotions, too.
We began today's class with an equation: MATH + EMOTION = LIFE When we look at the facts of any situation, and then add our emotions and views to those facts, we get a larger image of what our lives are about.
This happens for Mike and his Dad and all of the characters in the novel! And author Kathryn Erskine does a great job of revealing, though the mathematical chapter titles, how these mathematical properties connect to the lives of the characters.
Thus, here is the activity we worked on in partners today:
We began today's class with an equation: MATH + EMOTION = LIFE When we look at the facts of any situation, and then add our emotions and views to those facts, we get a larger image of what our lives are about.
This happens for Mike and his Dad and all of the characters in the novel! And author Kathryn Erskine does a great job of revealing, though the mathematical chapter titles, how these mathematical properties connect to the lives of the characters.
Thus, here is the activity we worked on in partners today:
And here is an example of one option for how the first part was completed today:
I absolutely LOVED seeing you all make connections between Math and English!
For homework tonight, be sure to study for our creative vocab quiz tomorrow. Here are the five words you'll use in a creative screenwriting quiz: HYPERBOLE, SEGUE, ATTRIBUTE, REDEMPTION (or REDEEM), and UNANIMOUS. (our word of the day today, which means in total agreement).
Look back over previous posts for help with each word, and your awesome yellow sheets with your own examples!
Peace,
Mr. R
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Empathy and Imagination
During our early release day today, we shared out our ideas and 1st person POV narratives regarding one of the children that we saw in a photo from Orphanage # 105 in Russia. You each created powerful and empathetic narratives regarding what life might be like, base don our reading in The Absolute Value of Mike as well as the photos that I showed and talked with you about.
In small groups of three, you read and responded to each other's writing.
Then, we did a close reading activity regarding page 135 in our novel, Mike. You each shared great insights and ideas!
Our word of the day today is ATTRIBUTE, which can be either a noun OR a verb! Whoa! As a noun, it means a quality or characteristic. As a verb, it means to explain the cause of, as in these examples:
1) (as a noun): My favorite attribute in a person is kindness.
2) (as a verb): The student attributed his "A" in Science to hard work.
Our homework for tonight is to read Chapters 17 and 18 in Mike (pp. 136 - 153).
Have an awesome evening!
Mr. R
In small groups of three, you read and responded to each other's writing.
Then, we did a close reading activity regarding page 135 in our novel, Mike. You each shared great insights and ideas!
Our word of the day today is ATTRIBUTE, which can be either a noun OR a verb! Whoa! As a noun, it means a quality or characteristic. As a verb, it means to explain the cause of, as in these examples:
1) (as a noun): My favorite attribute in a person is kindness.
2) (as a verb): The student attributed his "A" in Science to hard work.
Our homework for tonight is to read Chapters 17 and 18 in Mike (pp. 136 - 153).
Have an awesome evening!
Mr. R
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Life in an Orphanage...Reality and Literature
Today, we tried to step into what life might be like in an eastern European orphanage. First, we got out of our seats and each had a marker with which to write down key moments from Chapter 13 and Misha's life at the Romanian orphanage.
Then, with all of the evidence from the book on the board, you each had the chance to do a walk-about and record your reaction with a "+" that meant you agreed, or a "-" that meant you thought differently. Here are some images from this activity:
Next, we returned to our seats and I showed you some pictures from a trip my wife, Jennifer, and I took to Orphanage # 105 in Moscow, Russia, and our weeks living with kids there. We saw many similarities to Misha's life in The Absolute Value of Mike, and we discussed possible connections and emotions between the two examples.
Finally, we wrote 1st person POV narratives imagining a day in the life at one of the orphanages, trying to record the emotions and thoughts and experiences that we would have were we in their shoes.
Thank you for a wonderful class today.
Our word of the day was REDEMPTION, which means the process of gaining back what was lost, of returning value to something that appeared to be worthless. An example of the word in a sentence is: In our family, we use the idea of a "do-over" to show that any situation or person can undergo redemption.
For homework tonight, we are reading Chapters 15 and 16 in The Absolute Value of Mike (pp. 123 - 136).
Peace,
Mr. R
Then, with all of the evidence from the book on the board, you each had the chance to do a walk-about and record your reaction with a "+" that meant you agreed, or a "-" that meant you thought differently. Here are some images from this activity:
Next, we returned to our seats and I showed you some pictures from a trip my wife, Jennifer, and I took to Orphanage # 105 in Moscow, Russia, and our weeks living with kids there. We saw many similarities to Misha's life in The Absolute Value of Mike, and we discussed possible connections and emotions between the two examples.
Finally, we wrote 1st person POV narratives imagining a day in the life at one of the orphanages, trying to record the emotions and thoughts and experiences that we would have were we in their shoes.
Thank you for a wonderful class today.
Our word of the day was REDEMPTION, which means the process of gaining back what was lost, of returning value to something that appeared to be worthless. An example of the word in a sentence is: In our family, we use the idea of a "do-over" to show that any situation or person can undergo redemption.
For homework tonight, we are reading Chapters 15 and 16 in The Absolute Value of Mike (pp. 123 - 136).
Peace,
Mr. R
Monday, October 26, 2015
It's All About Empathy
After reading chapters 11 and 12 in The Absolute Value of Mike over the weekend, we used Mike's plan to raise $40,000 to adopt Misha from Romania as a topic for discussion and empathy. How might it feel to be vastly out of your reach to do something you love?
How do people like Poppy and Moo make ends meet?
Connecting to our recent field trip to Overlook Farm at Heifer International's MA site, today we explored how people struggle to make ends meet, and we brainstormed what we might do if we were in their shoes.
First, we used two-column notes to explore what Mike is doing to try and help raise the $40,000 to bring Misha from Romania to Karen, in Pennsylvania.
Then, I shared a personal story about my time in England with family and the difficulty of making ends meet.
Subsequently, we transitioned from literature to life. How would you fare if you were in Mike's shoes? What ideas would you craft to try to make ends meet and raise the $40,000?
Below are two examples from two classes on the ideas you generated for both Mike and for yourself:
How do people like Poppy and Moo make ends meet?
Connecting to our recent field trip to Overlook Farm at Heifer International's MA site, today we explored how people struggle to make ends meet, and we brainstormed what we might do if we were in their shoes.
First, we used two-column notes to explore what Mike is doing to try and help raise the $40,000 to bring Misha from Romania to Karen, in Pennsylvania.
Then, I shared a personal story about my time in England with family and the difficulty of making ends meet.
Subsequently, we transitioned from literature to life. How would you fare if you were in Mike's shoes? What ideas would you craft to try to make ends meet and raise the $40,000?
Below are two examples from two classes on the ideas you generated for both Mike and for yourself:
I admire the ways in which you tried to empathize with the characters, and how you tried to see life from their perspective!
For homework tonight, we are reading Chapters 13 and 14 in The Absolute Value of Mike (pp. 107 - 122).
Our word of the day today is SEGUE, which is a verb that means: to transition smoothly. Here is an example of the word in a sentence: A great writer knows how to segue from one idea to another.
Have an awesome rest of your day!
Peace,
Mr. R
Friday, October 23, 2015
Creativity & Exaggeration!
Today, we had our sixth creative vocab quiz, in which you wrote a letter to one of the characters (or objects!) from The Absolute Value of Mike. Thus far, I have seen fabulous letters to Doug, Mike, Moo, and even Tyrone (the car) and Junior (Moo's purse)!
Our word of the day today is HYPERBOLE, which means extreme exaggeration. An example of the word in a line is: when my 7-year old son asks how much I love him, it is time to use as much hyperbole as possible to make sure he understands!
Homework for this weekend is to read Chapters 11 and 12 (pp. 86 -106) in The Absolute Value of Mike.
Have an awesome weekend!
Peace,
Mr. R
Our word of the day today is HYPERBOLE, which means extreme exaggeration. An example of the word in a line is: when my 7-year old son asks how much I love him, it is time to use as much hyperbole as possible to make sure he understands!
Homework for this weekend is to read Chapters 11 and 12 (pp. 86 -106) in The Absolute Value of Mike.
Have an awesome weekend!
Peace,
Mr. R
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Your Life as a Movie?
Today in English, we began with a creative quick write in which many of you chose to respond to the prompt: What would your life be like as a movie? Who would play your role? What scenes would the film include, and what would the soundtrack be?
Some of us shared out our quick writes, and then we moved on to the mission of completing our writing portfolios. You each included some very inspiring quotes and images and ideas on your portfolios!
Our word of the day today was MOSAIC, which means an artistic pattern made from multi-colored tiles. However, we tried to use the word as an analogy in our sentences, such as Our class is a MOSAIC of people and learning styles!
For tomorrow, we have our 6th creative vocab quiz, using the following words: MOSAIC, DESPONDENT, JOVIAL, BOISTEROUS, and ASPIRE. Scroll down through the previous posts for definitions of the words to help you study.
Peace!
Mr. R
Some of us shared out our quick writes, and then we moved on to the mission of completing our writing portfolios. You each included some very inspiring quotes and images and ideas on your portfolios!
Our word of the day today was MOSAIC, which means an artistic pattern made from multi-colored tiles. However, we tried to use the word as an analogy in our sentences, such as Our class is a MOSAIC of people and learning styles!
For tomorrow, we have our 6th creative vocab quiz, using the following words: MOSAIC, DESPONDENT, JOVIAL, BOISTEROUS, and ASPIRE. Scroll down through the previous posts for definitions of the words to help you study.
Peace!
Mr. R
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