We're still tying up the videos and MLA citations, which was complicated this week by network/computer issues; we lost a full day on the computers. Everyone is now finished reading The Outsiders, and Core 1 and 3 are working on the five-page sequel as their performance assessment. We're also sneaking in the movie in bits and pieces; it's one of the few I show because students love the novel so much, and they enjoy comparing the two. They enjoyed seeing the author S. E. Hinton's cameo appearance; she's the nurse when Dally is lying in bed, and he's giving her a hard time, then he says, "You make me sick to my stomach."
All classes continued to review using participial phrases for writing, and I gave them some mentor paragraphs. When we use a mentor text, we use the basic structure of the original to create a new work. Their new pieces are awesome, and I'm hoping to pull some "golden lines" from them to post around the room. I've explained to them that studying parts of speech and grammar has to be joint with writing, or the grammar study is pointless, and they are beginning to understand as they are creating sophisticated pieces of writing with their new knowledge. They also had the option of working on their essay about the important things in their lives.
Core 3 read "The Gift of Cochise," which Core 2 has already read, and they began some CRISS exercises to better understand the story. Core 2 has begun Hamlet. I've assigned very brief passages of the play as homework and encouraged them read simplified versions and commentaries online, if they wish. They then write a reflection to show they understand what it says and how it's progressing the story. They are doing a magnificent job with it, and it's been very exciting to work on the play with them. We're going to see it at Blackfriars in Staunton on December 3, and it's much more interesting if you know the story. I'm using four different film versions and showing different scenes based on what I'd like them to see about directors' choices in portraying the story. I want them see that drama is very much an interpretation of the director, not just the playwright's intention. They've been intrigued to see how different some of the directorial choices are.
Encore finished Honus and Me and comparing it to the Twilight Zone episode, "Extra Innings," then began Babe and Me. They quickly devoured a chunk of the book and made predictions about the story and discussed plot possibilities. It's wonderful to see them independently initiating those activities now after being led to do them with the first novel. They're already asking what the next book will be, but I'm keeping it a secret.
ECO finished the article on LFCC's grant to help the local workforce and began looking at the local businesses who would be hiring through the grant. We looked at Valley Healthlink first because I wanted them to see that there are non-health worker jobs at hospitals, like cooking and housekeeping. We next watched videos about jobs at Shentel and focused on a current job opening in Edinburg for fiber optic technician. It's a job requiring only a high school education that keeps the worker busy and outdoors, pays well, and has good benefits. Some of the guys were excited to see that they could qualify and apply for such a local job. Credit belongs where credit is due--Kobe asked if they could create a game based on job searching, and Mrs. Zimmon and I thought it was a marvelous idea, so they are now planning how to create such a board game. They've split into three teams. When the games are finished, Mrs. Brinkley and Mrs. Voigt said the CSYW would give them a test-play to see if they work and to judge how much fun they are and how educational.
Thanks! :)
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