Tuesday, January 19

TODAY'S GOAL
Understand and begin to ask the big questions behind our next project, "Happiness and Meaning"


ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Interested in joining the Honors Book Club second semester?  Mandatory Honors meeting lunch Thursday!  Current students must also schedule individual conference with me about your Independent Study project.
2. Submit your DP links when your reflections are done.  I will work on getting your videos to you this week.  If you did not submit the self-assessment, you MUST do so before I give you a grade!  Scroll back to last Thursday for guidelines.
3.  Cool opportunity for extended learning about the river:  Dan Olson's talk on February 10, "Are We Safe from Another Gold King Mine Spill?"  For more info, check it out.
4. Please sign the thank you cards for Animas City Theater!

NEW PROJECT COMP BOOK RESET!
1. Start anew at the top of your Digital Comp Book.  Space down all of the content from first semester so that it isn't battling for attention.
2. Create a header that says "Happiness and Meaning Starters/Journal" at the very top.
3. Work under this header for the duration of the project.
4.  Continue to label starters and journals clearly as labeled on my DP. (Starters will always be signified with the date; journal entries will usually have the date plus a title or label.)
5.  As before, see the link on my Resources/Links tab to catch up on starters and journal entries.  I will try to highlight necessary entries in blue on my DP each day.


STARTER 1.19
Watch Alan Watts' "What do you desire?"
Thinking about this video and any insights that you gained from watching the film on Friday, write for 10 solid minutes on the following questions:

• What is the purpose of your existence?
• What gives your life meaning?
• How do you define happiness?

Review Happy
1.  Add your 5 big questions to this Google Doc.
2.  Discuss with a partner or a group of 3:

• What conclusions about happiness does the film draw?
• What are the factors that seem to correlate with happiness?
• Were there elements of the film that you disagree with?

3.  Share out thoughts from starters and from film.


Happiness and Meaning:  Project Overview
Questions?  Feedback?


Stanford Research Reveals...
READ "The meaningful life is a road worth traveling"
In PAIRS, discuss and jot down some notes:

• Briefly summarize 3 different ways the researcher distinguishes between happiness and meaning
• Overall, how would the researcher, Jennifer Aaker, define happiness? How would she define meaning?
• According to her definition of these two concepts, which do you think is more important? Why?

4 CORNERS

• Pursuing meaning is more important than pursuing happiness.
• In order to be happier, we should focus on the "now."

JOURNAL 1.19 Stanford Research Reaction:

• Do you agree with Aaker's classifications of happiness and meaning? In other words, are they as separate as Aaker makes them out to be?  Can they exist without each other?  Which do you feel is more dominant in guiding your choices and thoughts in your current phase of life?  Explain your thoughts thoroughly and give examples.  (These comp books are just between you and me!) 

HOMEWORK  
Read "Shades" by Boleslaw Prus
(I recommend reading it at least twice) Interpret the story!  Annotate your thoughts, questions, and confusions in the margins.  What could the author be suggesting about the #meaningoflife?

*A note about interpreting literature:  There is not ONE right answer that we are looking for when we analyze literature.  There are many theories about how to approach literary criticism ("deconstruction" is one, in fact), but for now, open yourself up to whatever the lit might be saying to you, rather than trying to find some predetermined, absolute meaning.

Thursday Jan 14 and Friday Jan 15

THURSDAY
1. Debrief Exhibition and Project:  Roses and Thorns Circle

2. Rhetoric and Ideology Project Self-Assessment (due at end of the hour)

• Grab a paper copy of the rubric (or if you are absent, download a copy)
• Write your name on it.
• Score yourself in each category.
• On the back (and annotated on the front if you wish), give a narrative of how you feel your project utilized the Four A's of rhetoric. BE SPECIFIC!!!
• Turn it in to the box before you leave today.

3. Rhetoric and Ideology Project Reflection Guidelines (due Sunday)

• We will work on getting your video files to you:)  Many thanks to Dana and Alessandro for their videography!

FRIDAY: Sub and Film (Happy)

Assignment:  Come up with 5 probing seminar-style questions that this film brings up for you.  We will be discussing this content on Tuesday, so please takes notes to the degree that it helps you process the content.

Essential Questions for Next Project
1.  What is the purpose of our existence?
2.  What is happiness and what makes you happy?
3.  What does it mean to live a meaningful life?
4.  To what extent can literature and film shape your personal philosophy on happiness and meaning?

January 4-6 Welcome back!

Monday, January 4

Goal for the Day:

Re-integrate into the atmosphere of school and get our projects ready for critique!

TED Talk to get re-inspired about rhetorical arguments:  

Daniel Cohen, “For the Sake of Argument”

• ·         What model of argumentation is your project following? 
• ·         How do Cohen’s ideas relate to our project? 
• ·         What new thoughts does this TED talk give you about our project?

Freewrite (On paper, turn into the box)

• What is working about your project? In what ways is it effective argument?
• What does your argument need to be more effective?
• What do you need to do to refine for exhibition next Wednesday?

WORK TIME:

1.  Write a brief introduction to your project (a few sentences) that you will share with the audience on the exhibition stage.  It should be succinct and to-the-point, just enough to give your project context.  You will practice

2.  Work on refining your exhibition pieces for this week’s critique.  Give it rhetorical flair and audience impact! 

Google Folder of Project Resources

January 5th and 6th

Whole Class Rehearsal and Critique!!!

• Props/Praise
• Questions
• Suggestions

NOTES:

1. If you want feedback on something specific, write a framing question on the board.

2. Refer to the rubric as you give critique. (Rubrics located on front table.)

3. Give written and verbal feedback.  Make sure to hand your paper to the person who you critiqued.

4. Give great feedback!  Specific, helpful, and kind.  Remember all that you have learned about rhetoric to help each other refine!

Do you feel like this kid right now?

Don't worry! Soon you'll have passed your POL and be like this kid.

Or like these guys!

8:25-9:25: Interviewing Tips and Practice

• How to handle Q and A coaching (15 minutes): Teacher-led role play
  • When answering a question, you can….
    • Ask for more time
    • Be quiet for a few moments
    • Ask for clarification
    • Give specific examples
    • Take the question and run with it
      • I.E. What have you read recently that you enjoyed? “Oh, I don’t like reading very much”. Wrong answer. Make something up! You’ve read several things in Humanities but just don’t say ‘for class, I had to read…”.  
• Time to individually brainstorm answers to the questions (30 minutes)
• Speed dating round practicing questions and answers (15 minutes)

9:25-9:45: BREAK

9:45-11:15: Work Time (Parts 5 and 6 of the Planning Packet)

11:15-12:00 LUNCH

12:00-1:30: Rehearse/Peer Critique

• Go over instructions for peer critique

• In groups of 4-5 take turns presenting your POL and responding to questions from the panel(PANELIST QUESTION BANK)
• Peer critiquers: Use the rubric to provide Positive, Specific and Meaningful feedback

1:30-1:45: BREAK

1:45-2:15 Refinement or attend George's POL!

​2:15-3:15: Advisory (continue working if you need)

POL PREP: Monday

POL Prep Resources

• POL Planning Packet (must be filled out by you and submitted to the teacher in whose room you are spending these two days)
• POL Task Statement
• POL Panelist Question Bank
• POL Rubric

​
TODAY'S AGENDA
8:25-9:45
1. A Case of the Monday's
2. Go over the agenda for today and tomorrow
3. Review POL Expectations

• Be sure to highlight Strengths AND Weaknesses
• Directly address the question “How do you make this place better?’
• Don't say your weakness is procrastination!  Automatic 1 in the content category of the rubrc
• Be creative!
• Q and A from students about guidelines

4. Critique Past Student Examples
 A. Critique Tristan's using the ruric: Tristan's Rap (recording)  Tristan's rap (lyrics)

• Individually fill out the rubric
• Small group share out
• Whole class discussion

​B. Check out a few more examples and informally chat about the quality of the example according to the rubric

• Marley: Video and Brochure
• Sarah L.
• Brandon Navratil
  Ethan-- painting 1, painting 2

5. Academic and Cultural Strengths 

• Example of a thoughtful comments: "I appreciate the insightful comments you contribute during small group discussions and seminar"; "You are a talented artist and always give helpful critique on my art projects for Humanities exhibitions"; "Your writing skills are through the roof and I'm impressed by how strong of a poet you are"; "You always have a positive thing to say to someone to brighten their day"; "You are non-judgmental and that helps make other students feel comfortable at Animas". "I appreciate the ways in which you provide a different perspective for us in our discussions"
• Write your name on top of a paper
• Pass your paper around and highlight strengths in that person in both the academic and cultural/social sense

9:45-10:00 BREAK

10:00-10:45
Thinking Outside the Box On Ways to Contribute Discussion

• Video #1 Danny Macaskill-- Kinesthetic Learner, opening our minds to what is possible  on a bike (5 minutes)
• Video #2: Sir Ken Robinson: "Life is your talent discovered" (figure out what you're talented at, we need all types!)
• Reading #1: Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences
• Reading #2:  Roles People Play in Groups

​Seminar Prep:
A. How do these ideas/readings challenge traditional models of education and notions of "success" in school?
B. How does this content inform your understanding of your own intellectual and cultural strengths AND areas for growth?  Decide which of Gardner's Intelligences you think you most possess and which you need to work on strengthening AND which of the "roles" from reading #2 that most correspond to you and which you think it would be helpful to you to improve.  WHY?
C. What are other ways NOT discussed in these readings that you can contribute to culture? (peer critiquing? unique perspectives/backgrounds?) For example, if you are a hardworking student who focuses exclusively on academics and is not in any clubs, etc... is that a positive contribution? Why/why not?
D. How can you or others bring these ideas INTO POLs?

10:45-11:30:  Open Brainstorm time:  Complete pages 2 and 4 of the PLANNING PACKET
GOAL: Coming out of this you should be able to identify at least 3 key strengths in your academic and cultural contributions and LINK/COLLEGE at Animas and SUPER SPECIFIC pieces of evidence to support each strength as well as 3 areas for refinement AND ideas for how you'll present your POL.

11:30-12:10 LUNCH

12:10- 1:10: Work Time

• Coming out of this you must have a draft of your deliverable (What is your POL content and HOW will you deliver the message? i.e. powerpoint, song, rap, extended metaphor, act, etc..)
• Email your supervising teacher your draft (ticket out the door)
• Complete Steps 2 and 4 of the planning packet (pages 3 and 5)
• Create a draft or outline of HOW you'll deliver your presentation.

​
 1:10-1:20 Share-out: What types of evidence can you use? (be specific); What are creative ideas for presenting your POL? Make a list on the whiteboard.

1:20-2:15  Work time to the end of the day (fill out planning packet)

Self-Evaluation and Writing Growth Reflection Assignment

1. Make a copy of this or cut and paste the rubric into your reflection assignment.

2. Submit by email with "Writing Growth Reflection" in the subject line.

3.  Turn in your draft if you have not done so already.

Work Time

• Finish up odds and ends
• Work on POL
• Refine Oral Discourse project
• Get another peer critique

Monday and Tuesday POL Prep: 

• Morning class will be in my classroom.
• Afternoon class will be in Steve's classroom.

Starter:  Enlighten the new juniors!  Have an organic conversation.

• What is the purpose of POLs?
• What questions do you have about POLs?
• What have been memorable student POL's in the past? What made them stand out as particularly good or bad?

POL Guidelines

• Office Space: "Interview with the Bobs" Scene
• POL Task Statement
• POL Planning packet (to help you outline a rad POL)
• POL Panelist Question Bank
• POL Rubric

*Note: We will be devoting ALL of Monday and Tuesday of next week to guiding you guys through a structured POL planning process with lots of work time.  You can get started brainstorming and drafting ideas, but we will be teaching you a few things that you'll need to integrate into your POL, so keep that in mind.

Finish Critiques!!!