5/20-5/31 classnotes

5/31/11	INTRO: Each student filled out an “Assessment Portfolio Entry Slip”, the purpose of which was to write about the process of writing the essay due today. The creative projects are now due on Friday.  We will have x” on Thursday. NOTES: We continued watching Cool Hand Luke. HOMEWORK:  Read pages 26-46, Persepolis.
5/27/11	NOTES:  The Chocolate War essay due today.  Peer editing in class.  As we peer edited, we kept in mind: What’s the thesis sentence?  What is the one sentence that tells what the whole paper is about?    Topic sentence: There should be a thesis sentence for each paragraph.  We underlined the thesis sentence twice, and the topic sentences once. We continued watching Cool Hand Luke. HOMEWORK:  Final draft of essay is now due Tuesday.  Read to page 25, Persepolis.
5/25/11	INTRO: There will be an “x” tomorrow.  It will be used as a make-up day.  We will also watch more of the movie. NOTES: Did loop writing in journals, given the following prompts: (2 minutes each) Think of a time when you and some friends wanted to keep something a secret;  to what lengths did you go to keep it a secret? When you and friends have disagreed on something, how did that affect your relationship?  Why? What are the chances that Jerry would be able to reintegrate into Trinity School?  Why, or why not? Continued watching Cool Hand Luke.  Important scenes so far: Luke cuts meters won’t conform to inmate gang the box-solitary confinement the infamous car wash setting: South/Texas when? early-mid 60’s- still had inmates doing manual labor, hand mowing- more technology now- Civil Rights?? HANDOUT: “Cool Hand Luke Quiz Assignment #9”- These are questions to think about.  Quiz probably on Friday. HOMEWORK: Rough draft due tomorrow for The Chocolate War essay.
5/24/11	NOTES: In journals, we responded to one of two quotations from the book: 1. “That’s why it works, Carter, we’re all bastards.” p. 241 2. “And yet it was hard to tell about teachers- they were mysterious.” p. 224 We discussed the second quote.  Teachers have to act in a professional manner at school, so it’s hard to really get to know them.  There aren’t that many teachers who are actually trying to “do kids wrong”.  Most are just doing their jobs.  Sometimes it seems like they are picking on you.  It seems like some don’t always set a good example.  Some swear outside of school, but will write you up for it in school. We started to watch the movie, Cool Hand Luke, starring Paul Newman. HOMEWORK: Outline for final assessment, The Chocolate War, due tomorrow.  You may choose to fill in the 4 blank spaces on the front of the assignment sheet instead.  You may choose to do a regular essay instead, but you still need an outline with quotes.
5/23/11	NOTES: Chalk talk activity today: How do we tell a good rebel from a bad? a bad rebel hurts innocent people; good rebel is working to help people a good rebel fights for a cause; a bad rebel uses random acts of violence a good rebel understands what they are rebelling against and are not too extreme; a bad rebel doesn’t understand what they are rebelling against and are extreme a good rebel wants to make positive change by living a certain lifestyle (or are willing to sacrifice a lifestyle), like Jerry in the book; a bad rebel revolts to fulfil whims and to “improve” their self-image (like Charles Manson, Jim Jones, or Archie in our book) a good rebel is fighting for something they also believe in; a bad rebel is not (but this is all still your point of view) some wonder if morals, or the difference between right and wrong, enter into this. Who’s more twisted: Archie or Emile? Archie is, because he is less predictable. Archie is, because he pretends to have the picture of Emile on the toilet, but he doesn’t.  He is so manipulative, it’s creepy. Archie and Emile are twisted in different ways, and should not be compared. Archie is, because he is a psychopath- someone without a moral compass. Archie is, because he specializes in being twisted- puts a lot of thought into it. HOMEWORK: Finish reading The Chocolate War.
5/20/11	INTRO: First, we had reading/vocab quiz.  The final assessment for The Chocolate War is due on Friday, May 27.  The outline for it will be due Wednesday, May 25.  The rough draft will be due on Thursday, May 26.  Tuesday, we will watch a movie, Road Warrior.  The creative project is due on June 1. NOTES: We discussed conflicts in the book.  The initial conflict was: Will Jerry make the football team?  This is not the central conflict, and while resolved when Jerry makes the team as a QB, once on the team, Jerry is harassed by members of the team.  They beat on him, intentionally drop his passes, and refuse to block. The major conflict in the book is non-conformity vs conformity.  Will Jerry be pressured into selling chocolates?  (not yet resolved)  Minor conflicts include the attraction to the girl he has seen at the bus stop.  When he calls her, she thinks he’s a pervert, and he hangs up.  It resolves the conflict, since he strikes out with the girl.  There is also a minor conflict between Archie and Carter.  Carter is into physical violence, while Archie is into psychological violence.  Yet another minor conflict is the relationship between Jerry and his Dad. Made a Venn diagram of bullying vs hazing: Bullying: personal satisfaction wants to provoke subject Hazing: acceptance to group rite of passage perpetuated in a group Both bullying and hazing: physical violence mental harassment We also briefly touched on secular rites of passage, which would include baptism, and non-secular rites of passage, which would include getting to vote when you turn 18. HOMEWORK: see yesterday