MySpace Page Project
Learning Objective: Students will be able to create a MySpace page for characters in classic play.
Task: Students will find textual evidence that supports characterization of a character in the play we’re studying. Students will then use that textual evidence to create a fake MySpace page that illustrates the traits of the character. Lastly, students will write an expository piece in which they defend their MySpace page choices with evidence from the text. (See steps below.)
Understanding: Literature reflects the human experience. Some stories are timeless.
Know: How to use textual evidence to define character traits AND to use this information to create a character profile.
Do: Use textual evidence to create a MySpace page for a character in classic play.
Rubrics:
MySpace Page 3 2 1 0
Effort, Care, Neatness, & Creativity
Accuracy of Character Traits
Fulfillment of Task
Regents Writing Rubric:
6 5 4 3 2 1
Meaning Insightful connections between the text and the task Clear and explicit connections between text and task Implicit connection Superficial connections Few or unclear connections Allusions to text, no direct connections
Development -develop ideas clearly and fully, making effective use of a wide range of relevant and specific details from the text -develop ideas clearly and consistently. Using relevant and specific details from the text -develop ideas inconsistently, using relevant details from the text -develop ideas simply, using some details from the text are largely undeveloped, hinting at ideas that are sketchy, vague, irrelevant, or repetitive are minimal, with no evidence of development
Organization maintain a clear and appropriate focus
-exhibit a logical and coherent structure through effective use of appropriate devices and transitions -maintain a clear and appropriate focus
-exhibit a logical sequence of ideas through the use of appropriate devices and transitions maintain a clear and appropriate focus
-exhibit a rudimentary structure but may include some inconsistencies or irrelevancies establish, but fail to maintain, an appropriate focus
-exhibit uneven organization lack an appropriate focus, but suggest some organization show no focus or organization
Language Use are stylistically sophisticated, using original and precise language with a notable sense of voice and awareness of audience and purpose
-vary structure and length of sentences for effect use language that is fluent and engaging, with some awareness of audience and purpose
-show consistent use of sentences that are varied in length and structure use appropriate language, with some awareness of audience and purpose
-occasionally vary length and structure of sentences rely on language from the text and basic vocabulary
-rely on sentences that are unvaried in length and structure use language that is imprecise or unsuitable for the audience or purpose
-rely on sentences that lack variety and may be constructed incorrectly are minimal
-use language that is incoherent or inappropriate
-violate basic rules of sentence structure
Conventions demonstrate control of the conventions demonstrate control of the conventions, with very few minor errors that have no effect on comprehension demonstrate partial control, exhibiting some sentence-level errors that do not hinder comprehension demonstrate partial control, exhibiting errors that occasionally hinder comprehension demonstrate a lack of control, exhibiting many errors that make comprehension difficult are minimal
-may be illegible or not recognizable as English
Steps:
1. Students will choose a character in the play.
2. Students will use a fiction reading strategy to determine the personality and traits of this character. (Hypothesis: Students will make a guess about the character’s personality. For example, “I think Tybalt is a violent character.”)
3. Students will search for and record all evidence from the text that supports their hypothesis. (For example, “I think Tybalt is a violent character. In Act I, Scene 2, line 15, Shakespeare writes that Tybalt says ‘I hate the word peace’.) Students should collect as much evidence as possible! The more evidence, the stronger the argument!
4. Based on the information gathered from the text, students will develop a concrete thesis. (For example, “Tybalt is a violent character.”)
5. Based on the thesis and the textual evidence, students will think creatively to make a fake MySpace page. The details to be included are found on the back of this sheet.
6. Next, students will defend their MySpace page using their textual evidence. (For example, I made Tybalt’s MySpace page background be devil horns because he says he ‘loves hell’ (Act I, Scene 3, Line 15). Also, I created Tybalt’s screenname “H8Montagues” because it is clear in the play that Tybalt hates the Montagues. This is seen in Act I, Scene 2, where Tybalt says “I hate thee and all Montagues”)
7. Lastly, students will self-assess their work based on the rubric above.
Minimum required elements of MySpace Page:
-Character’s Screenname
-About Me:
-Who I’d Like to Meet:
-General:
-Music:
-Movies:
-Television:
-Books:
-Heroes:
-Comments by at least one “friend”
Monday, November 10, 2008
MySpace Project
http://www.myspace.com/msdalyela
Above is the URL for Ms. Daly's ELA MySpace page. You can add me as a friend to submit your MySpace page. BE SURE TO WRITE YOU REAL NAME ON THE PAGE OR POST! As the MySpace page is modeled after a character in Romeo & Juliet, I will not be able to give you credit unless you provide your real name!
You other option for handing in this project is to post the URL to your page on this blog
Lastly, you can print the page and/or draw the layout of the page and turn it in on Friday, November 14th.
Regardless of your choice, ALL PROJECTS MUST BE TURNED IN BY 3:00 PM on NOVEMBER 14th!
Above is the URL for Ms. Daly's ELA MySpace page. You can add me as a friend to submit your MySpace page. BE SURE TO WRITE YOU REAL NAME ON THE PAGE OR POST! As the MySpace page is modeled after a character in Romeo & Juliet, I will not be able to give you credit unless you provide your real name!
You other option for handing in this project is to post the URL to your page on this blog
Lastly, you can print the page and/or draw the layout of the page and turn it in on Friday, November 14th.
Regardless of your choice, ALL PROJECTS MUST BE TURNED IN BY 3:00 PM on NOVEMBER 14th!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Leave a Comment
Please leave a comment under this post. Please note your name and class (10 A, B, or C).
This is a homework grade! Thank you.
This is a homework grade! Thank you.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Bold Books for Teens
http://www.englishjournal.colostate.edu/Extensions/BoldBooksExtEJ955.pdf
Many of these titles will be available in our in-class library this year!
Many of these titles will be available in our in-class library this year!
Independent Reading & Writing
Throughout this year, students will be expected to read and write independently of our units of study. The philosophy is that students will be provided opportunities to practice the skills that are necessary for success in college and life. These skills are critical thinking, reading, writing, and communicating. Regardless of the path a student chooses to take, these skills are invaluable. Our class will provide students with the opportunities to improve these skills, but it is up to the students to meet me half way and take the opportunities. Therefore, throughout the year students will be expected to read and write on their own.
The reading component:
New York State requires that students independently read 25 novels throughout the year. Students will be expected to record the title of the independent novel on their Book Card. Students will also be asked to keep a Reader's Response Journal. In any way that is comfortable and meaningful to students, they may respond in writing to their texts to deepen the understanding and connections. Students will be given time to read independently in class when time in the schedule is available.
Writing component 1:
Students will be asked to keep a Writer's Notebook. All ELA students at Pathways keeps Writer's Notebooks. This is an organic technique to improve writing that came from Ralph Fletcher and Teacher's College at Columbia. (I was fortunate enough to attend a conference with Ralph Fletcher this year!) Students can write about anything they choose in their Writer's Notebooks. It is a place to collect ideas and observations about the world. Writer's Notebooks will be collected occasionally throughout each semester and graded.
Writing component 2:
In order to prepare for the New York State Regents, SAT exam, and AP exam, students will respond to a writing prompt every other week. Students will complete be assigned these test-style essays on Friday. They will be shown a high-scoring model and we will discuss how to do well. Students will have until the following Thursday to complete the task. After review (either peer-review, teacher-review, or self-evaluation), the essays will be returned to students on Monday or Tuesday of the following week. When the essays are returned, students will have concrete suggestions of how to improve. Students will then have until that Friday to make improvements. The essay will be due the second time on Friday. By the time students hand in the essay for the second time, the cycle will repeat and they will be given a new essay prompt.
The reading component:
New York State requires that students independently read 25 novels throughout the year. Students will be expected to record the title of the independent novel on their Book Card. Students will also be asked to keep a Reader's Response Journal. In any way that is comfortable and meaningful to students, they may respond in writing to their texts to deepen the understanding and connections. Students will be given time to read independently in class when time in the schedule is available.
Writing component 1:
Students will be asked to keep a Writer's Notebook. All ELA students at Pathways keeps Writer's Notebooks. This is an organic technique to improve writing that came from Ralph Fletcher and Teacher's College at Columbia. (I was fortunate enough to attend a conference with Ralph Fletcher this year!) Students can write about anything they choose in their Writer's Notebooks. It is a place to collect ideas and observations about the world. Writer's Notebooks will be collected occasionally throughout each semester and graded.
Writing component 2:
In order to prepare for the New York State Regents, SAT exam, and AP exam, students will respond to a writing prompt every other week. Students will complete be assigned these test-style essays on Friday. They will be shown a high-scoring model and we will discuss how to do well. Students will have until the following Thursday to complete the task. After review (either peer-review, teacher-review, or self-evaluation), the essays will be returned to students on Monday or Tuesday of the following week. When the essays are returned, students will have concrete suggestions of how to improve. Students will then have until that Friday to make improvements. The essay will be due the second time on Friday. By the time students hand in the essay for the second time, the cycle will repeat and they will be given a new essay prompt.
10th Grade Curriculum
Course Units of Study (10th)
Unit I: Routines & Rituals of the Classroom
We will spend time establishing expectations for our learning community. We will look at how the independent components will look throughout the year.
Unit II: The Election - The Politics of Words
We will begin to improve our critical reading, writing, thinking, and communicating skills while looking at the Election of 2008! We will engage in informative reading, skilled debates, and other learning activities that will culminate in the voting process. We will live the election in the classroom as it happens. At the end of the unit, students should be able to read for information, recognize persuasive writing and speech, engage in persuasive communication, and ultimately be able to make an informed decision about real American politics.
Unit III: Thematic Unit- War
We will read Walter Dean Myers' award-winning novel Fallen Angels as a shared text. We will also look at the famously acclaimed The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. We will look at a variety of fictional texts that share the theme of war. We will develop our fiction-analysis skills. At the end of the unit, students will be able to apply their new skills and strategies in a Regents-style exam.
Unit IV: Mentor Author
Students will look through a variety of works by different authors. Students will then choose a mentor author and study him/her closely. Eventually, student will become an expert in the author's style of writing, and will be able to create a piece that reflect the student's mentor author. This is like an apprenticeship with a famous/favorite author.
Unit V: The Harlem Renaissance
We will take a look at a variety of texts, both written and visual, while studying the historical time period known as the Harlem Renaissance. Students will engage in a research process while studying the elements of biography. In order to prepare for the final presentation, we will also discuss public speaking and the elements of communication. At the end of the unit, students will make an individual presentation similar to a museum exhibit on an important player in the Harlem Renaissance.
Unit VI: Wordsmithing
We will read the classic play Romeo and Juliette by William Shakespeare. We will then look at newer versions of the classic play, including Sharon Draper's Romiette and Julio. We will learn how language has evolved over time. We will study iambic pentameter. We will also study the elements of a story that make it classic and timeless. At the end of the unit, students will be able to respond to a Regents-style essay prompt. Students will also be asked to creatively translate a piece of Shakespeare's play into modern language and discuss the evolution of words.
Unit VII: Genre Study: Poetry
We will embark on the process of noticings from a collection of poems. We will then formulate concrete ideas about the genre of poetry. We will then study many individual poems. We will look at how poets manipulate language. At the end of the unit, students will be able to create an imitation of a classic poem as well as a collection of original poems. Students will also look at the poetry found on the New York State Regents exam.
Unit VII: Social Action Unit
We will look at a variety of texts, using our fiction and non-fiction skills learned throughout the year, to learn about social issues that surround us. Students may choose to focus on local or global issues. Students will then conduct the research process in order to produce a 7-page research paper on their subject of choice. Once the students have conducted the research paper and become fully informed experts on their subject, they will create a plan to make a difference. Students will learn how to make successful action plans. Students will be asked to do something to help their cause. For instance, students that study illiteracy may choose to read to an elementary school class. Students that choose to focus on AIDS in Africa may choose to run a fundraiser to donate money to a cause. At the end of the unit, students will have written a research paper and created and followed an action plan.
Unit I: Routines & Rituals of the Classroom
We will spend time establishing expectations for our learning community. We will look at how the independent components will look throughout the year.
Unit II: The Election - The Politics of Words
We will begin to improve our critical reading, writing, thinking, and communicating skills while looking at the Election of 2008! We will engage in informative reading, skilled debates, and other learning activities that will culminate in the voting process. We will live the election in the classroom as it happens. At the end of the unit, students should be able to read for information, recognize persuasive writing and speech, engage in persuasive communication, and ultimately be able to make an informed decision about real American politics.
Unit III: Thematic Unit- War
We will read Walter Dean Myers' award-winning novel Fallen Angels as a shared text. We will also look at the famously acclaimed The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. We will look at a variety of fictional texts that share the theme of war. We will develop our fiction-analysis skills. At the end of the unit, students will be able to apply their new skills and strategies in a Regents-style exam.
Unit IV: Mentor Author
Students will look through a variety of works by different authors. Students will then choose a mentor author and study him/her closely. Eventually, student will become an expert in the author's style of writing, and will be able to create a piece that reflect the student's mentor author. This is like an apprenticeship with a famous/favorite author.
Unit V: The Harlem Renaissance
We will take a look at a variety of texts, both written and visual, while studying the historical time period known as the Harlem Renaissance. Students will engage in a research process while studying the elements of biography. In order to prepare for the final presentation, we will also discuss public speaking and the elements of communication. At the end of the unit, students will make an individual presentation similar to a museum exhibit on an important player in the Harlem Renaissance.
Unit VI: Wordsmithing
We will read the classic play Romeo and Juliette by William Shakespeare. We will then look at newer versions of the classic play, including Sharon Draper's Romiette and Julio. We will learn how language has evolved over time. We will study iambic pentameter. We will also study the elements of a story that make it classic and timeless. At the end of the unit, students will be able to respond to a Regents-style essay prompt. Students will also be asked to creatively translate a piece of Shakespeare's play into modern language and discuss the evolution of words.
Unit VII: Genre Study: Poetry
We will embark on the process of noticings from a collection of poems. We will then formulate concrete ideas about the genre of poetry. We will then study many individual poems. We will look at how poets manipulate language. At the end of the unit, students will be able to create an imitation of a classic poem as well as a collection of original poems. Students will also look at the poetry found on the New York State Regents exam.
Unit VII: Social Action Unit
We will look at a variety of texts, using our fiction and non-fiction skills learned throughout the year, to learn about social issues that surround us. Students may choose to focus on local or global issues. Students will then conduct the research process in order to produce a 7-page research paper on their subject of choice. Once the students have conducted the research paper and become fully informed experts on their subject, they will create a plan to make a difference. Students will learn how to make successful action plans. Students will be asked to do something to help their cause. For instance, students that study illiteracy may choose to read to an elementary school class. Students that choose to focus on AIDS in Africa may choose to run a fundraiser to donate money to a cause. At the end of the unit, students will have written a research paper and created and followed an action plan.
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