Tuesday December 13

Critique-a-thon!!

Starter: Watch The Recipe for a Perfect Cover Letter

Cover letter CONTENT Critique (8:25)

Each group needs:

1. At least 3 group members
2. Tables pulled together
3. Cover letters pulled up on laptops, copies of job descriptions, and scratch paper/pen(cils) for providing feedback

Process:

1. Share your laptop with your cover letter on it and your job description with another member at your table.
2. READ and PROVIDE FEEDBACK (10 minutes)
1. Read the job description- note keywords and skills that are needed
2. Read the cover letter once through without editing
3. Read the cover letter again and comment on the CONTENT (comment on paper or add comments to the document)

• Is the letter formatted correctly?
• Dear Mr./Mrs. Last Name
• Size 11 or 12 font, easy to read font
• 3-4 paragraphs with intro, body and conclusion
• Sincerely, Name at the end
• What is the spicy opening sentence- does it grab you?
• How many references to the specific job do you see
• Where is the “proof” that they are an excellent candidate
• Is the letter clear and easy to read?
• Is there anything that should be cut or added?

3. DISCUSS (5 minutes)
1. Go over your comments with the person whose letter you read
2. Talk to the person who read your letter about their comments
4. REPEAT the process one more time with different cover letters

WORK TIME: Revise cover letter

Resume CONTENT Critique (10:10)

Each group needs:

1. At least 3 group members
2. Tables pulled together
3. Resumes pulled up on laptops, copies of job descriptions, and scratch paper/pen(cils) for providing feedback

Process:

1. Pass the resumes with their job descriptions to another member at your table
2. READ and PROVIDE FEEDBACK (10 minutes)

1. Read the job description, note keywords and skills that are needed
2. Read the resume once through without comment
3. Read the resume again and comment on the CONTENT

• Are the bullets reserved for verbs that show skills?
• Is everything described clearly?
• Do any questions pop up?
• Jot down any suggestions that you have

     3. DISCUSS (5 minutes)

4. Go over your comments with the person whose resume you read
5. Talk to the person who read your resume about their comments

     4. REPEAT the process one more time with different resumes

11:05-12:00 Interview Prep

Teacher prep: Load the following videos, prep projector and speakers

11:05 Watch Interview Question: Tell Me About Yourself (2 minutes)

and Interview Question: What’s Your Biggest Weakness? (2 minutes)

11:10 Review interview guidelines in student packets

11:30 Skits OR Work Time to Process/Brainstorm interview questions

12:45-1:30 Proofread Docs and Receive Transcripts and Grades

PERFECTION CRITIQUE

Cover letter and resume proofread:

1. Create a group of at least three, share your refined cover letter and resume with another member at your table
2. READ and ANNOTATE Cover Letter (5 minutes)
1. Read the cover letter and comment on the SPELLING, GRAMMAR, and SYNTAX

• Comment on errors that you discover
• Jot down any suggestions that you have

3. READ and ANNOTATE Resume (5 minutes)
1. Read the resume and comment on the SPELLING, LAYOUT, ALIGNMENT, PARALLEL STRUCTURES and FORMATTING

• Comment on any errors that you discover
• Jot down any suggestions that you have

4. REPEAT steps 2 and 3 with different resumes and cover letters

2:00-3:20 Mock Interviews

Mock Interview Practice

1. In groups of three to four, take turns playing the following roles:
1. Job Applicant
2. 2-3 Interviewers
2. Have the applicant give the interviewers their job description, cover letter and resume.
3. Ask the applicant to step away for a moment while the interviewers glance at the documents for 2-3 minutes.
4. Spend around 5-7 minutes interviewing the candidate.  Ask them questions from the provided list of interview questions. Feel free to throw some curve balls as long as they are relevant to this interview process. (Expect such curve balls in your POL interview.)
5. After the interview, the interviewers should share their observations with the candidate.
6. Rotate roles and repeat.

Observations: Does the candidate...

• Use academic, appropriate language?
• Speak clearly, with appropriate volume and pacing and avoid saying “um” or “like”?
• Seem confident (mindful of eye contact, posture, fidgeting and intonation)?
• Answer questions with in-depth responses and specific examples or anecdotes?
• Seem authentic/genuine/honest?

Monday, December 12

POL PREP (PM)

Watch This is What People Really Think of Your Resume

Take Janae’s Resume Quiz, discuss answers

Work Time: Cover letters and Resumes!

3:00: Exit Tickets!

Thursday, December 8

You guys rock!  #lovemyjob #hopefordemocracy

Today...

Debrief exhibition/Feedback circle

DP updates

1. Create a DP post with the title "Deconstructing America: Rhetoric, Ideology and the Democratic experiment.   

2. Write a 1-2 paragraph summary of the project.  Here is project description if you want to review it.  DO NOT cut and paste the project description from my document.  Paraphrase it in your own words.

3. Add parts 1-5, clearly labeled and neatly arranged.  If your Part 4 is an art piece, photograph it.

4.  OPTIONAL:  

Additional images related to the project (for flair)

Add a paragraph of reflection on exhibition and the seminar.

SEND ME...

Your project documents (all)

Link to your updated DP

Honors:  Historical Analysis due Monday

POL Protocol

See Janae's email and read over description

Your homework for Monday is to locate a job description for a job you would be interested in and bring it with you.  See the guidelines in Janae's email for specifics.

12/7 Exhibition Day!

"Willing to be Disturbed"

1. Can I read to you, mis pollitos?
2. As you listen, re-annotate with your news eyes of expertise,
3.  "Seminar Prep"

• Where does "Willing to be Disturbed" hit you now that you have studied American politics in depth and weathered our most politically divided election season in the modern era? How can you and will you use your willingness to be disturbed in your future life?
• How would you now answer the question:  "How can Americans of different political stripes work together to bridge the political divide and find common ground? AND/OR What can we do to heal our political division?
• Write one seminar question! (or more)

OK, let's flip this place!
Get yourself ready and help get the room ready!

Seminar Questions

Exhibition Schedule

Tuesday, December 6

Part 5 Read-around Critique:  Musical Chairs!
Open your reflection on your computer screen and set it to "Suggesting" 
1. Ask questions: what do you want to know more about?  (Should they expand on something?)
2. Mark places that are confusing or could benefit from streamlining for conciseness.
3. Correct surface errors.
4. Make general comments.


Exhibition Schedule


TO-DO

• Get all pieces ready for exhibition.  Look at guidelines from yesterday. (See Nicole's flawless model!)
• Start to clean up and prepare for exhibition.
• Can I excuse you from X-Block tomorrow?
• Who can stay until 8 and help fix Ashley's and Kyle's classrooms up for school on Thursday?

Monday, December 5

EXHIBITION COUNTDOWN!

TO-DO today and tomorrow
1. Finalize Parts 1-5 with refinements

2. Title overall project and each section

Overall title can be your yes/no question or something that frames your issue nicely
Part 1:  Personal Connections
Part 2:  Title that alludes to the bias
Part 3:  Title that alludes to the bias
Part 5:  Reflection

• To Fund or Not to Fund?  Should the federal government support Planned Parenthood?
• Part 1:  Personal Connections
• Part 2:  Fund Planned Parenthood to Support Women's Health
• Part 3:  Abortion Clinics should not get Federal Funding
• Part 5:  Reflection

3. Print out the title of your project and make a title card with your question and your name

4. Print out Parts 1-3 and mount to construction paper.  Print Part 5 and mount separately.

5.  Set up mine and Kyle's room for exhibition.  How do we want to do this?  What layout ideas do you have?

• Who can help with set-up after school on Wednesday?  (a little extra credit involved)

6.   We need signage!  A poster that we can use in the parking lot and one we can put in the hall.  As well, we need a sign for the seminar to indicate what is happening in Ashley's room.

7.  I am doing the schedule today and tomorrow so please communicate with me if you have any special requests

Critique during the last half hour of class.  
If you have not written your reflection, do that first today!

Part 5: Reflection-  Use the following questions to guide you (500-750, Words , First Person)

• Now that you have looked at both sides more deeply, how and why has your perspective shifted?  
• What do you now understand about your own values that you didn’t before?
• What do you understand about the “other side’s” values that you didn’t before?
• What have you learned about democracy after completing this project?
• How have your political views changed as a result of this project?

Part 5 Read-around Critique:  Musical Chairs!
Open your reflection on your computer screen and set it to "Suggesting" 
1. Ask questions: what do you want to know more about?  (Should they expand on something?)
2. Mark places that are confusing or could benefit from streamlining for conciseness.
3. Correct surface errors.
4. Make general comments.

Friday, December 2

Starter:  1984 Part One Survey


Project Work!
Exhibition is coming! Exhibition is coming!


Exhibition Planners: Let's check in!


Exit Ticket:  Email or scratch paper
1.  Where are you in your progress?  
2.  What might you need to do this weekend to set yourself up for exhibition readiness?
(Write your own answer down in your planner!)
3.  What might you need from Jessica?

Thursday, December 1

Exhibition details:
Wednesday 530-730 (Freshpeople start at 5:00)
Two rooms, one with seminar ("Willing to be Disturbed")
Seminar idea
Rotation
Required docs
Your ideas?
PR team?  Not too late to get involved!  Mini-meetings during class tomorrow

DUE MONDAY: DRAFT OF PART 5 FOR CRITIQUE/EDITING

Critique
1. Gallery Walk
On the whiteboard, write a focusing question or an area of struggle. If your project is just an idea or needs elaboration, please include a description on the whiteboard as well. Leave your project draft/sketch next to the white board.

Walk around and peruse your peers' projects. On post-its, write
1. questions that you have about the project and/or
2. suggestions and ideas on where to take it and/or
3. answer the focusing question

2. Project Tune
In groups of 3, follow the steps to “tune” each other’s’ project ideas.  

Step 1:  Presenter shares draft and project ideas. Explain to your group how you are hoping to appeal to your audience and the effect you are hoping to have.  Presenter should also share struggles and review the focusing question.

Step 2.  Group members ask clarifying questions to better understand the project idea and where the presenter wants to take it.

Step 3.  Group members ask probing questions that help the presenter think more deeply about their project and share ideas on how the project could be enhanced in terms of its rhetorical impact and its aesthetic approach.

Step 4.  Group has a discussion about the project, addressing the focusing question  and sharing ideas.  Include both warm and critical feedback. Presenter should take notes during this phase.

Step 5.  Presenter reflects out loud on what they heard during the tune and on any ideas/questions written on the post-it notes.

Rotate and Repeat!


Work Time
1. Essay Revisions
2. Parts 4 and 5 (Reflections will be displayed at exhibition as well)
3. 1984: Be through Part 1 by tomorrow
4. Honors essay

Wednesday, November 30

Starter:  Review project description for Part 4. On a scratch paper, answer the following questions.

• NAME
• What genre will your project employ?
• What perspective do you hope to communicate?
• What appeals do you intend to use?
• What needs do you have?

CRITIQUE TOMORROW
Sketch, draft, idea, or whatever you have so far....

Work Time:

1. Essay Revisions (inlcuding sentence craft: active verbs and conciseness!  See yesterday's resources)

2. I-Controversy Parts 4 and 5  (CRITIQUE ON PART 4 TOMORROW!)

3. Conference with Jessica?

4. Honors:  Sign up for a conference with me this week when you are done with your draft.

5. Read 1984.  The goal is to be through Section 1 by Friday.

Tuesday, November 29

Announcements:

• Wednesday is normal school schedule.  Friday is modified day with classes in the morning and NEST in the PM.
• EXHIBITION is next Wednesday, December 7 at iAM Music from 5:30-7:30.  Because of space, each of you will be required to exhibit for one hour of the two.  The other hour you can spend as audience members, engaging your peers in substantive dialogue.
• Exhibition crew:  Can we check in?  Does anyone want to make an exhibition poster?  PR?

Starter: Review rubric and my comments.  Everyone has an opportunity for further revision!  Sign up for conference with me?

IMPROVE YOUR SENTENCE CRAFT!

Conciseness (or "streamlining") and Active Verbs

Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.— William Strunk Jr. in “The Elements of Style”

Review these resources and apply the wisdom to your essay: 

Conciseness

1. Some strategies on making your writing more concise. (Source: Purdue OWL)

2. Writing Clearly and Concisely (Source:  Professional Communication Society)

Active Verbs 

1.  Active vs. Vague

2.  Active vs. Passive

Work Time:

1. Essay Revisions (inlcuding sentence craft: active verbs and conciseness!)

2. I-Controversy Parts 4 and 5 

3. Conference with Jessica?

4. Honors:  Sign up for a conference with me this week when you are done with your draft.

5. Read 1984.  The goal is to be through Section 1 by Friday.

Friday, November 18

Starter:  What are you thankful for?


By the end of the hour today...

• Submit Parts 1-3 of your I-Controversy project with the cover letter in the body of the email (see below for cover letter prompts)
• Show me your sketch or let me know your idea for Part 4. We will have a critique of our sketches/ideas on Wednesday, November 30
• Check out a copy of 1984
• Honors:  Submit your inquiry question and your sources to me by email.  We will conference the week after break about your essay.  A first draft is due at the time of your conference.  

Possible uses of your work time:

• Do you want another critique?  Exchange projects with a peer and give each other some feedback!
• Final refinements of your essay
• Work on Parts 4 and/or 5
• Read 1984
• Honors research and drafting

Thursday, November 17

PROJECT WORK TO DO LIST

• Refine Parts 1-3
• Sketch/plan Part 4
• Work on Part 5 (Reflection)
• Honors essay
• Conference with Jessica?
• Let Jessica know if you need any materials for your visual project
• Check out and READ 1984

When you submit Parts 1-3, don't forget about cover letter!  (Scroll down to yesterday)


1984 Reading (or listening) Due Dates
Part One (pp 1-104): by Friday, December 2
Part Two (pp.105-224):  by Friday December 9
Part Three (pp. 225-326):  by Friday, January 6
SEMINAR:  Monday, January 9

If you prefer, you may listen to the audio.  If you do this, please follow along in the reading!

Wednesday, November 16

Starter:  Sign up for Osprey Week!

Parts 4 and 5 Revised

Mini-lesson:  Visual Rhetoric 
Go take a tour of Ashley's class project on display in the hallway.

• Sketch/Project Proposal for Part 4 due on Friday, November 18
• Exhibition December 7 at IAM Music Institute

FINAL REVISIONS FOR PARTS 1-3
1. Self-Critique for Parts 2 and 3


2. Optional: During work time, trade essays with a partner and give each other a critique on the same parameters.

3. “COVER LETTER”:  When you submit your final draft to me, please include answers to the following questions in the body of the email:

1. When you look at the rubric, which areas do you think you are most successful in?  Explain.
2. Which areas do you believe you need to work on most?  If you could keep revising, what would you do? Explain.
3. Which of your arguments do you think is stronger?  Why?

Tuesday, November 15

TODAY'S OBJECTIVE:  Finish Parts 1-3 IN THEIR ENTIRETY!!!!  

If you made alternative arrangements for your critique, please carry through with that plan.

If you are done and want to preview the project reset of Part 4, you can do that here.

If you want to begin writing your reflection, it can also be located on page 2 of the same document.

Honors:  Research!

WHO NEEDS A CONFERENCE????

Monday, November 14

LAST PROJECT PUSH BEFORE BREAK!

• Parts 1-3 due Wednesday for final critique.  Due FINAL FINAL by Friday at the end of class.
• We are changing up Part 4 a bit. Switching from performance piece to visual expression (which could be a video-taped performance!). More info coming...
• Conference with me this week!
• Honors Crew:  Let's check in right now!

CRITIQUE: PART 3

Groups of 3:  Share your document with both of your partners.  Partners should each make a fresh copy and share the copy right back with you.

Analysis...

• Highlight what you believe to be the THESIS in yellow.  
• Comment in the margin if you have suggestions on how to improve the thesis statement.
• Highlight the TOPIC SENTENCE of each sentence in blue.  
• Is the topic sentence clear and does it establish the focus of the paragraph?  Does everything in the paragraph work to support the topic sentence?  Comment in the margins on these elements.
• Highlight where you see concrete EVIDENCE in green.
• Is there evidence missing?  Are they adequately connecting the evidence to the overall argument?  Comment in the margins on these elements.
• Check the MLA citations.  Is the author setting them up the way that you understand to be correct?

***If you cannot locate these different elements clearly, comment such in the margins.

Feedback...

Review the Writing Rubric

Use the criteria in the rubric to give AT LEAST 3 substantial pieces of feedback in the margins on how the author can improve the essay.

When finished critiquing both, work on revising and drafting Part 1-3.

Friday, November 11

Get great work done today, students!  I hope you all have an industrious Friday and a fabulous weekend!


Draft of Part #3 Due Monday!!!


TO DO
1. Please review the following writing resources.  In my experience as a writer and a writing teacher, attention to these elements can greatly improve the fluency and sophistication of your writing.  Find places in your essays that could benefit from this writing wisdom.

• Active/Passive Voice
• Conciseness

2. If you did not do so yesterday, please review guidelines for MLA citations.

• Please review the guidelines for setting up quotes.
• MLA In-text Citations
• Revise your own citations according to MLA Guidelines

3. Review this sample Works Cited pages and ensure that you are formatting yours correctly: .  Click around on the OWL's resources to examine how to construct these citations.  Here is the one for electronic sources.  If you use a citation generator, check it against the sample.

4.  If you did not do so yesterday, email an exit ticket:

• What successes are you having in this project?
• What strugs? 

5. Honors:  Work on research for your historical analysis essay.  By Monday, submit your topic and a list of resources that you plan on using.  

Thursday, November 10

Starter:

On the whiteboards, craft your THESIS FOR PART #3

Part 3 – Look carefully at the con side. (750 Words Min., Third Person, 3 Sources Min.)

• Thesis Generator:  Overall, where is the con side coming from?  What is driving this side of the argument?
• In this section, be sure to present the best arguments for the con side, and analyze those arguments using some criteria, framework, or classification system.  For example, you might look at the ideological and factual arguments separately; or, you might focus your analysis on the quality or character of the sources; or you might demonstrate how each part of the argument boils down to some foundational American ideal.  
• Min. Requirements: Proper in-text citation and use of quotes, use of 3rd person argumentative style of writing, works cited page, at least one reference to an ideological stance or American value you see connected to the arguments on this side.

Self-critique and revise it based on the criteria:

Good claims…

• are debatable
• are specific and focused
• avoid stating the obvious
• are clearly and eloquently stated
• avoid the first person (AVOID “I think, I believe, My opinion is, etc.”)
• can be supported with sufficient evidence

MLA citations:  

• Please review the guidelines for setting up quotes.
• MLA In-text Citations
• Revise your own citations according to MLA Guidelines

Work Time Today...

• If you need to conference with me, let's do that today!
• Revise Parts 1 and 2 with an attention to the rubric and yesterday's feedback.
• Finish yesterday's critique if you were unable to do so yesterday.
• Draft of Part 3 due for critique on Monday.

EXIT TICKET:

What successes are you having in this project?

What strugs?