ELA Work for 12/7-9

Wed 12/7     2 period lesson to be done with 807 and 813 - please post on the computer; there is a black cube speaker in my upper right desk drawer or it may be in the computer cart; attach to laptop to watch videos:

Close Reading of TED Talks

Here are a couple of examples of TED talks by young people.

1. What is the overall central idea? What is the author mainly arguing or proving?
2. How does the author argue and prove her point? What strategies and text features do you notice?

Campaign to Ban Plastic Bags

https://www.ted.com/talks/melati_and_isabel_wijsen_our_campaign_to_ban_plastic_bags_in_bali

Hackschooling

http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/Hackschooling-Makes-Me-Happy-Lo

1. Watch the video once without taking notes.

2. Rewatch it and take notes in your notebok:

I notice… (visual and literal details, sounds, word choice, evidence, main and central ideas, author’s purpose, structure…)	I think/feel/wonder/realize...

3. What ideas do you have for your own TED talk?

Wed 12/7    Work for 813 Period 7 and Period 8 with 805

Get into book clubs. Finish the following chart together; include at least 3 reasons for each side and evidence from throughout the text.

Keep this in your folder. Be sure to complete the rubric for today.

1. The book should be banned or restricted in middle school.		2. The book is valuable and should  be read by middle schoolers.
Reasons for banning the book	Evidence + page #	Reasons the book is valuable	Evidence + page #

My Example - Focus: Should “Am I Blue?” by Bruce Coville remain part of the 8th grade curriculum?

A. The text is inappropriate for 8th graders.		B. The text is valuable and should  be read by 8th graders.
Reasons for banning	Evidence	Reasons for reading	Evidence
The text includes intense violence and offensive language. This exposure may encourage teens to use this language. Many parents would disagree with Melvin about using these words at all.	Butch slammed Vince in a puddle and called him a fruit (3) Melvin was killed by a group of men who yelled “We’ll teach you, faggot!” (7) Melvin discusses uses the word “faggot” with his friends and compares this with using “nigger” (10)	The text shows the negative effects of gaybashing and homophobia. Vince gets abused because someone assumes he is gay. As a result, Vince feels fear and shame.	Butch slammed Vince in a puddle and called him a fruit (3). Also, fear makes Vince very self-conscious and uncertain (5,7) Melvin was killed by a group of men who yelled “We’ll teach you, faggot!” (7)

Thursday 12/8:  1st period 805, 3rd period 807, 4th period 813

• In book clubs, finish chart from yesterday.
• Independently read and annotate book club books.

Friday 12/9   807 Periods 1 and 4; 805 Periods 2 and 6; 813 Periods 7 and 8. Each class has 1 period scheduled in the library (see Ms. Ahart).

1: Work in book clubs. Follow Book Talk Procedure.

• Record a 10-minute book talk on a focus of your choice.
• Afterward, plan and draft your final project.

2: In your book clubs, discuss and plan what outside sources you need.  

• In the library, plan and collect sources.
• Make a shared Google Document to help you organize and manage your project.
• Write a rough draft/outline of your TED talk.

Book Talk Procedure for Friday 12/9 (there are some copies of this on my desk - give 1 to each group in 807 and 805)

• Choose a focus: What do you want to focus on in your discussion?
• Write what you want to focus on on a post-it. This could be an inquiry question or a thought-provoking claim/thesis statement.
• Share in your group.
• Choose 1 or 2 related focuses.
• Put the focus on a blank sheet of paper where you can record your notes.

• Review: Here are 5 strategies to help you have dynamic discussions:
• Ask thought-provoking questions
• Provide relevant evidence and elaborate on the evidence (Ex. This shows/illustrates/reveals/connects to…)
• Explain/theorize:
• Character actions and motivations
• Author’s purpose
• Cause and effect
• Provide different perspectives. Imagine what other groups or individuals might think. In other words, examine other viewpoints.
• Make connections to other texts and the real world.

• In your groups,
• Have each student choose 1 of the above strategies to become an expert on.
• Decide who is going to do the audio recording.

• Independently prepare (2 minutes): Review the text. Write down ideas and evidence that relate to your focus and the strategy you are becoming an expert on (on post-its or in notebook).

• Engage in a 10 minute Dynamic Discussion on your book and record it. Be sure to use strategies and refer to the text and your notes.

• Write a group reflection on a blank sheet of paper to be put in your folders. Include the date.

Reflection: What went well? What strategies did you use? How can you improve?	Conclusion: What new discoveries and realizations have you made about the text and particularly your focus?

• Discuss and write down homework for next time. Complete individual rubrics, place in group folder, and return folder to its proper place.
• Independently read and take notes.

Alternate lesson for 807 and 813 (805 already did this) - please distribute the handout and article about banning books which I had printed for each student (in my mailbox or on my desk). Students can work independently to read and follow directions on the handout and read and annotate the article:

Investigating Author's Claim and Techniques for Developing an Argument

1. Read and annotate the article:

• write the main idea of each paragraph or section
• note word choice - circle important, repeated words, and loaded language
• note writer’s craft - how does the author try to persuade the audience of her position
• at the end, write the central idea/thesis of the article

2. Reread and analyze author’s craft: How does the author try to convince the readers that his/her argument is valid? Through what writing techniques? Focus on and label the following text features:

• Textual evidence: what evidence does the writer provide?
• Are there facts, data, and/or statistics from credible sources?
• Whose opinions and views are stated?
• Who is quoted?
• Word choice:
• What surprising, emotional, or convincing words or phrases does she use?
• What words or phrases are repeated and symbolic?
• Which words show bias?
• Structure:
• How does the writer organize and order her ideas?
• What sections are included?
• What text features are included (images, lists, captions, links, etc.)?

3. What are at least 3 lessons you have learned about how to make a valid and convincing argument?

4. Apply these lessons to your own argument. For your final book club project, brainstorm ideas for each component:

Evidence (what facts and sources do you need to help you better understand and support your argument?)	Word Choice (what language and vocabulary do you want to emphasize and incorporate?)	Structure (how do you want to organize your argument?)