We had good conversations today about Winter’s Bone! I was impressed with what you guys had to say both in our large group and within your small groups. Homework for tonight was the next reading/discussion guide. With our remaining time, we worked on the Malcolm Gladwell articles on Appalachian culture.
Also, you should be working on your graphic novel projects (due Monday! don’t wait until the last minute!).
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Today in class, we took our vocabulary quiz over Winter’s Bone words. Afterwards, students read an article from Malcolm Gladwell on the culture of Appalachia and started a reading guide (I’ll let you finish it tomorrow – get a paper copy from me if you were absent, as I don’t have electronic versions).
Homework for tonight was to finish your Winter’s Bone Discussion Guide #2 – see the posts from last week for an electronic copy.
You get a million bonus points (in my heart) if you can tell me where that line is from…
Hey, so, I came across two interesting things relating to what we have been discussing:
A comparison of Shakespeare’s vocabulary to that of contemporary rappers
A cool spoken-word poem written by a girl when she was 16:
And this doesn’t really relate to any of our lessons, it’s just fun – a high school student did this project where she altered her photos to see what she would have looked like if she had been born in another decade. That’s something I wonder about a lot – what my life would be like if I were born in 1945, or somewhere in there. You guys should do projects like this, where you get famous all over the Internet.
And since we’re talking about style, I visited Sweet Paris creperie with a friend today, and it made me want to paint the classroom walls over by my desk Tiffany blue and hang chandeliers. You guys would like that, right?
Today we discussed the first section of WB as a whole class and in small groups. I gave you the next discussion guide (due Tuesday; the electronic copy is in an earlier post) in case you’d like to keep reading over the weekend.
We also talked about the Shakespeare and Rap PowerPoint, and discussed the assignment guidelines for that – please bring a copy of what you would like to present to class on Monday (for a grade).
Your vocabulary sentences for WB are also due on Monday – there will be a quiz that day. See the Vocabulary section of the website if you lost your paper copy.
Shakespeare and Hip-Hop PowerPoint (please take notes):
On Wednesday, we had a lovely performance of Romeo and Juliet from the University of Houston. Thank you students for being such a respectful audience (and for not laughing at me too hard when I tripped over one of their swords!).
Today, we went over the practice reading quiz that we took on Tuesday, and we talked about the vocabulary words from Winter’s Bone. Sentences for those will be due on Monday (nothing special, just one sentence per word, in any order you would like).
Remember, Friday is the last day to do your poetry recitation and the last day to turn in any MAUS reading guides.
Some important announcements today:
1. Periods 3, 4, 6, and 7, meet at the MPR during your class time tomorrow for a special performance of Romeo and Juliet. Students in period 1, you may go only with the permission of your elective teacher (if you are not failing the class!) to a later showing.
2. All MAUS reading guides must be turned in by Friday to receive credit.
During class, we took a practice AP-style reading quiz related on an article related to Winter’s Bone. Please come make this up during lunch if you were absent.
Students then finished their MAUS exam essays.
You need to begin reading Winter’s Bone – students should be to page 38 by Thursday, and complete the reading/discussion guide. If you were absent and I did not assign you a question, please choose one to respond to.
Here is the document with all reading/discussion guides for the book:
Today we took our MAUS test. If you did not finish the essay portion, you’ll have some time (not the entire period) tomorrow. If you were absent, please come in to make up the exam some day during lunch, Tuesday through Thursday, of this week. (I have a meeting Friday during lunch.)
Homework for tonight was to be working on your graphic novel project – you don’t need to turn anything in tomorrow, but I don’t want you to have to rush to finish it at the last minute (it’s due May 12).
Homework for tonight is to analyze this poster:
Today we watched a documentary about the problems associated with meth use. This one takes a more personal look at the cost to the individual drug user, while the one assigned for homework analyzed how it’s a problem on a wide, systemic scale.
Here’s the link if you’d like to continue watching:
And here’s the viewing guide:
Today we worked on the reading guide for Chapter 5 of MAUS…
Homework, which is due Thursday, is to watch a PBS documentary on the rise of the meth industry and how it’s hurting American communities in preparation for our study of Winter’s Bone.
Ms. Chapman's Class (Pre-AP) 
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