Class Notes 3/16-3/30

3/30/11	NOTES: Today we took a reading quiz.  We also drew a picture, in our journals, of a character from Rule of the Bone. HOMEWORK: Read pages 109-133, Rule of the Bone.  Do RWR for Friday, if you failed the quiz.
3/29/11	NOTES: In small groups, discussed and answered the following questions: What are the central tasks in coming of age?  (What does it take to become an adult?) Which of these central tasks has Chappie accomplished? As a class, we made the following chart: ________________________________________________________________ coming of age tasks                              Has Chappie achieved task? - moving out of parents’ house                   - yes - having a job                                              - not really, unless selling dope - having own house                                    - not his own, but with friends - having money                                           - only from selling dope - growing physically                                    - no, was runty 14-year old - know right from wrong                              - has a moral compass, won’t                                                                     sell crank, won’t steal high-                                                                     ticket items - self-reliant                                                 - yes, but is addicted to pot - stands up for self and others                    - sometimes, like when Joker                                                                     wants to shave Chappie’s                                                                     mohawk - not dependent on parents                         - yes - emotionally independent from                   - for the most part parents and others                                                                                         - sexual maturity                                         - unknown ________________________________________________________________ Students made KWL chart to organize thoughts on prompt: “about Chappie’s problems”.  K is for what you know. W is for what you’d like to learn or know.  L is for what you’ve learned (by the end of the book). The book starts to shift around page 84.  Why?  Because the apartment building where Russ and Chappie are living, burns down. HOMEWORK: Read pages 84-108, Rule of the Bone.  Reading quiz Wednesday.
3/28/11	INTRO: Students wrote down 3 things that they learned in March intensive, then shared them with the rest of the class. NOTES: Continued our discussion of Rule of the Bone.  Notes from the board: _______________________________________________________________ definition                                                       characteristics: a coming-of-age novel where                        - character moves or travels travels features prominently                             a lot                                                                      - person gains independence and                                                                        moves away from parents, doesn’t                                                                        rely on parents                                         Bildungsroman examples:                                                       non-examples: - Chappie, Rule of the Bone                          - Disreputable History - Catcher in the Rye, Holden                         - One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s   - Siddhartha                                                      Nest - Star Wars, Luke - Forrest Gump                                                                                                     ________________________________________________________________ Bildungsroman is of German origin.   coming of age= growing up becoming an adult (You don’t have to be totally independent.) What are some markers in our society of becoming an adult? age 16- license and car age 18- vote, tobacco, gamble, tattoo your own place age 21- alcohol                   HOMEWORK: Read pages 58-83, Rule of the Bone.
3/18/11	NOTES: Loop writing- used 2-3 minutes on each of the following prompts: How important is family in shaping who a person is?  We were generally in agreement that a person’s family has a heavy impact on shaping that person’s values and morals.  While a family’s nurturing affects a person’s personality, nature also heavily affects it. Write about an aspect of your person or personality that you feel your parents helped shape.  Some of the traits mentioned were athleticism, being artistic, and being religious. How has family shaped Chappie?  Chappie’s family is quite dysfunctional.  His real dad abandoned him.  His stepfather and mother are neglectful of him, and don’t set boundaries.  His step father is emotionally and physically abusive to him.  He puts Chappie down and dehumanizes him.  Chappie turns to outsiders, but no one tells him to stop smoking, stop doing drugs, or to stop drinking.  His mom seems to care about him, but it doesn’t seem to be enough.   HOMEWORK: SEE YESTERDAY
3/17/11	INTRO: Each student got a progress report today, and checked in with Mr. Bourne.  If all work was caught up, student could leave. NOTES: Another rebel presentation: Augustina and Kyle: Jimi Hendrix rebel because of music style, burning guitar on stage, and changing The Star Spangled Banner born 1942 in Washington state epitomized the 1960’s, image of flamboyant rock and roll, sexuality, and drug use African American who learned to play guitar at age 12 heavy drug use, arrested in 1969 The Hendrix Experience toured USA, not accepted by young adults, was taken off the tour turned to groupies and drugs controversial rendition of Star Spangled Banner died by suffocating in his vomit HOMEWORK: Read up to page 57, Rule of the Bone, by the time we return to class,  after March intensive.
3/16/11	NOTES: Today we all worked on in-class essay (The Disreputable History...)  Can finish it tomorrow during “x”. HOMEWORK: Read pages 24-41, Rule of the Bone.

class Notes 3/10-15

3/15/11	NOTES: Everyone did a dialectic journal.  (paper divided into 3 columns) The owner of the journal responded to a prompt, in the left column, then passed it to person on the right.  That person responds in the center column, then passes it to next person on the right.  That person responds in the right column and returns the journal to its owner.  The prompts to choose from were as follows: In the e-mail from Alpha to Frankie, Alpha calls her “psychotic.”  “I underestimated you....although you are not a nice person.”  Do you agree or disagree?  Is Alpha in any position to judge Frankie? When Matthew learns that Frankie has been the mastermind behind the pranks, he says, “You’re crazy, do you know that?  What you did is psychotic.”  Frankie responds by saying that he has double standards, and if Alpha had done it, it would be brilliant.  How unfair!  Do you agree with Matthew or with Frankie? Who would date Frankie, after all this? We read orally to page 5 of Rules of The Bone.  We then took a few minutes to work on an outline for tomorrow’s in-class essay.  (need a thesis, main points, and quotes) HOMEWORK: Read pages 5-23,  Rule of The Bone.
3/14/11	INTRO: Took reading quiz, postponed from Friday so we could finish the movie.  ( 5 questions, and extra credit)  Tomorrow, in class, we will do outline for in-class essay on The Disreputable History...  (See handout) The in-class essay will be done on Wednesday, unless done ahead of time.  On Tuesday, we will begin reading Rule of The Bone.    NOTES: Discussed questions, “Why was the Order in the book called the Loyal Order of the Basset Hound?”  Responses: administration less likely to hassle them they don’t want to come across as intimidating their goals were not of a serious nature- they were pranks “What changed at Alabaster when Frankie’s Dad attended?” Responses: smoked a lot of pot stopped keeping good records Max gave a great summary of the ending of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.  Billy loses his virginity.  Nurse Ratched threatens to tell his mom, and because he fears his mom, has a nervous breakdown and commits suicide.  An angry Mac almost kills Nurse Ratched.  Because he is seen as being a threat to society, Mac is partially lobotomized.  Chief suffocates Mac with a pillow so he won’t have to live the rest of his life as a zombie. A discussion of the movie followed.  “What happens to Mac in the end?”  He gets a partial lobotomy (the frontal lobe is removed) which pretty much destroys his sense of emotion and affect.)  “How does Billy change?” After losing his virginity, and feeling confident, Billy stops stuttering.  As soon as nurse Ratched mentions his mom, he stutters again.  “Is there symbolism in the movie?”  Nurse Ratched’s hair looks like the devil.  When Mac is strapped down for his electroshock treatment, lying with his legs spread out, it could symbolize Christ’s crusifiction.   HOMEWORK: Finish the book.
3/10/11	NOTES: Continued watching movie, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.  Cheswick, still upset and crying from the “cigarette” fight, is taken off forcefully for treatment.  Mac, meanwhile discovers that Chief can actually hear and talk and has been fooling everyone.  Mac tells Chief that they need to escape to Canada.  Then Mac is also taken for treatment, which turns out to be electroshock treatment,  which zaps the brain and numbs the emotions.  We learn from Mr. Bourne, that the book was focused on the poor conditions in mental hospitals in the ‘60’s- shock treatment and partial lobotomies.  Things are better today, as there is more treatment using medications. more rebel presentations: Brett and Jay Z: Samuel Adams born in Boston, 1722, died in 1803 American patriot and politician John Adams, 2nd President, was his cousin graduated from Harvard tried and failed at starting own business went into politics spoke out against Stamp Act and tea taxes organized Boston Tea Party rumored to be behind rioting leading to Boston Massacre Brits called him “the most dangerous man in Massachusetts” signed Declaration of Independence Carly: Joan Jett born in 1960 in Penn. first guitar at age 14 at age 15, met producer and joined The Runaways (group) loved by Americans, but rejected by American record companies “I Love Rock and Roll,” was big hit for her didn’t think she could make it as a female rock and roll singer credited for being a rebel HOMEWORK: Read to page 293, The Disreputable History...  Do RWR, or take reading quiz Friday.

class Notes 3/4-9

3/9/11	NOTES: Chalk talk activity: students had to write comments on the board about one or both of the following questions: “In what ways is Frankie strong?”  Responses included: none Trish is real friend doesn’t let anyone boss her around a ninja (stealthy) adamant determination (bordering on obsession) creativity persistence tries too hard “Why did the author select a boarding school as a setting?”  Responses: panopticon not many adults to interfere with them good place for secret society school can act as antagonist due to stricter rules parents not really involved all they have for guidance are teachers and friends more confidence- might push more Continued the movie, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.  Why are we watching this movie?  We’re watching it because the main character, Mac, is a rebel, although, at this point, he does not have a rebel cause.  Mac has been sent to the asylum to be evaluated because he didn’t want to serve time in jail for the statutory rape of a 15-year old girl, and various previous assaults.  The docs are telling Mac that they have found no evidence of mental illness.  This segment is filled with various escapades involving the residents of the asylum, precipitated by Mac.  In one scene, he takes them on a bus ride, during which he makes a stop to pick up Candy, a prostitute.  He proceeds to take them to a boat to go fishing.  When someone questions him as to his intentions, he introduces each of the residents as a doctor at the mental institution, and says that they have “chartered the boat.”  Later, during a staff meeting, Mac is described as “not crazy, but dangerous.” Nurse Ratched thinks that they can help him if they keep him on the ward.  Mac later wants to know why no one told him that they could keep him there, against his will.  He learns that most of the patients are there voluntarily; only a few were actually committed. HOMEWORK: Read to page 267, The Disreputable History...  Reading quiz on Friday.  Do RWR or quiz. (or both)
3/8/11	INTRO: Due to having a snow day, changes were made to the calendar. Any remaining rebel presentations must be done in class on Wednesday, or grade will be docked.  Thursday will be an “x”/movie day. NOTES: Spent some time discussing the book.  Gave reasons we thought Frankie was likable and reasons we found her not likable.  There were some differences of opinion on these:                                          Frankie likable                                                                    not likable - ninja-like                                                                - pretentious - nice                                                                        - stalking Matt - physically attractive                                              - obsessive - about the club - free-spirited                                                           - worries Matt will dump her - tries to get along with people                                - sneaky - doesn’t totally fall for social scene                        - lies about copying keys - is told she can’t participate, but finds a way         - has insecurities, thinks a lot                                                                                   about what to say                                                                                 - manipulative Watched more of movie, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.  In this segment, McMurphy asks for a vote to see if they want to watch the World Series.  Because of the inflexible rules of nurse Ratched, they don’t get to watch the game on the TV.  McMurphy, therefore gives a play-by-play anyway, inciting everyone to holler and jump around with excitement.  Nurse Ratched orders them to stop.  Questions to consider:  How is McMurphy a rebel?  How does Billy change? HOMEWORK: Read to page 244, The Disreputable History...
3/4/11	NOTES: Had a sub today.  Started watching the movie, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.  The setting is a depressing insane asylum.  So far we have met R. McMurphy, newly admitted there, and nurse Ratched, the “mother” of rules and regulations, as well as various other residents of the asylum. HOMEWORK: Keep reading The Disreputable History...