Students' Responses to Adolescent Characters in Novels of Their Choice

Here are some paragraph responses of students analyzing the believably of the adolescent characters in a novel of their choice.

• Amber
• Numbers by Rachel Ward http://ambercandy11.blogspot.ca/2013/11/numbers-by-rachel-ward-my-opinion.html
• Conor
• The Maze Runner by James Dashner http://kangarooconor.blogspot.ca/2013/11/maze-runner-novel-responce.html

Gabe C:

• Gabe J
• The Obsidian Blade by Pete Hautman http://gabriel-nlc.blogspot.ca/2013/11/character-review-for-obsisdian-blade.html

• Hudson
• Midnight Fire by Melody Ann http://hudsonsnlcstuff.blogspot.ca/2013/11/midnight-fire-character-review.html

• Jade
• The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han http://thisismyblog9898.blogspot.ca/2013/11/novel-response.html

• Kiera
• In the Woods by Robin Stevenson http://kierasblog8.blogspot.ca/2013/11/my-novel-response.html

• Kira
• Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher http://iamkirathisismyblog.blogspot.ca/2013/11/novel-response.html

• Landon
• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne  http://landonlandonland.blogspot.ca/2013/11/the-book-i-am-reading.html
• Marissa


• If Only by Carole Geithner http://amazingrissalearning.blogspot.ca/2013/11/teenage-protagonist.html
• Ming
• City of Glass by Cassandra Clare http://stayhappyandlove.blogspot.ca/2013/11/my-novel-response.html

• Megan
• Nightshade by Andrea Cremer http://just-that-leo.blogspot.ca/2013/11/a-novel-response.html
• Nikki
• Arousing Love by M.H.Strom http://nikkislearingandpicture.blogspot.ca/2013/11/arousing-love-teen-novel.html

Parker:

• Sylvie
• The "Percy Jackson" series by Rick Riordan  http://steampunkdystopia.blogspot.ca/2013/11/percy-jackson-are-protagonists.html
• Tyson
• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins http://tasmaniantyson.blogspot.ca/2013/11/paragraph-on-recent-book-i-have-been.html
• Zach
• Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers http://zachlearning.blogspot.ca/2013/11/sunrise-over-fallujah-walter-dean-myers.html

Research Format

As a class we will develop an outline for how to research the topic of your rant. It will be posted here.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15LMcYrQAJqyalwXV8S51IJrSNEKBXy0j4ZGn8XVTIOw/edit?usp=sharing

Rant Topics

Rant Topics

In your rant, you will need to pick a topic that allows you to:

• defend a position on a controversial issue after considering a variety of perspectives
• analyse roots of present-day regional, cultural, and social issues within Canada

We will develop the requirements for the rant over then next couple of weeks. At this stage, you should be doing some basic research on areas of interest to you.

• You will be picking a modern regional cultural or social issues within Canada (may also be worldwide). 
• You will need to find information from both sides of the issue and some background about the deeper historic roots of the issue. For example, if you want to do women in the media, you will also go back to look at the history of women's rights. 
• You should be looking to see if there is good information about the topic online (more than Wikipedia or ask.com). 
• When you find a good source, paste its URL in a doc in your NLC folder. 

Over the next couple of days you will be asked to pick a topic that you think you can research and argue well based on your preliminary searches. 

Feedback and Thinking About Rants

Reminder of our questions for this project:

How can we build a media campaign to express our voices to a public audience?

•  What is the difference between speaking for yourself and having others speak for you?
• How are different viewpoints presented in the media?
•  How does the media influence concepts of self and others?
• What are the elements of different forms of media?

Class Outline

1. Silent Reading

• If you did your 1 min wonder last week, please go back and fill in your goal setting journal. I will give you your mark on the rubric.

2. "Basics" rubric: Some edits I see.

3. Hand back feedback from blog posts. Please go through and edit your posts. If you think you mark should be adjusted, please come speak with me and bring your rubric.

4. Read over the blog posts of all other students. Please comment on at least 3 giving two things you like. You may not be able to post comments on all blogs.

5. Pick your rant topic!

In your rant, you will need to pick a topic that allows you to:

• defend a position on a controversial issue after considering a variety of perspectives
• analyse roots of present-day regional, cultural, and social issues within Canada

We will develop the requirements for the rant over then next couple of weeks. At this stage, you should be doing some basic research on areas of interest to you.

• You will be picking a modern regional cultural or social issues within Canada (may also be worldwide). 
• You will need to find information from both sides of the issue and some background about the deeper historic roots of the issue. For example, if you want to do women in the media, you will also go back to look at the history of women's rights. 
• You should be looking to see if there is good information about the topic online (more than Wikipedia or ask.com). 
• When you find a good source, paste its URL in a doc in your NLC folder. 

Over the next couple of days you will be asked to pick a topic that you think you can research and argue well based on your preliminary searches. 

Rant: Devices and Techniques

Class Outline

1. Silent Reading
2. In groups of 2 or 3, watch a few examples of Rick Mercer's Rants from Youtube.
3. As you watch and after each film, brainstorm with your group all the things he says and does to argue his point and convince his viewers. 
4. With your group, you will be given a rant and a list of devices. Watch the rant and come up with a hypothesis as to what the definition of each device might be, and what one example of that device is in the rant.

Videos

Pandas

• Appeal to authority
• Allusion
• Declarative Sentences
• Hyperbole
• Irony
• Sarcasm
• Sentence Fragment
• Tone

Scientists Muzzled Again

• Allusion
• Anecdote
• Imperative Sentences
• Interrogative Sentences
• Irony
• Sarcasm
• Sentence Fragment
•  Simile

Relapse/Question Period

• Allusion
• Anecdote
• Exclamatory Sentences
• Interrogative Sentences
• Irony
•  Rhetorical questioning
• Sentence Fragment
• Tone

Teen Suicide

• Allusion
• Anecdote
•  Exclamatory Sentences
• Imperative Sentences
• Interrogative Sentences
• Repetition
• Simile
• Tone

Snow Day

• Anecdote
• Exclamatory Sentences
• Hyperbole
• Imperative Sentences
• Interrogative Sentences
• Rhetorical questioning
• Slang
• Tone

        

·    

Media Campaign: Class 1 (Friday, Sept 20)

Updates:
Steve and I have shifted the schedule to accommodate the new Grade 8 timetable. NLC will now have STEM Block C and Humanities Block D daily.

Class Outline:

1. Check In: where is everyone at for their Express Yourself Challenge? Express Yourself Challenge: Plan/Draft Due on Tuesday! 
2. Silent Reading
3. Dystopian: 

• What is it? 
• How authors use the genre to express their concerns or critique the world they live in

     4. Mr. Yule's Grade 12 Writing Class visit.

• In small groups, Grade 12 students will present the dystopic stories they have written. 
• NLC students will discuss with the authors what they were trying to convey and how they tried to convey it in their writing. 
• NLC students will give Grade 12 students feedback using the supplied rubric and "I like, I like, You might want to try."   

Depending on when Mr. Yule's class arrives, silent reading may occur at the end of class. 

Express Yourself Rubric Template

Hi class,

This is the rubric for the Express Yourself challenge. I have added the learning outcomes from the curriculum into the first column. In your expert groups, please come up with criteria for Level 1, 2, 3, and 4 for your area. We will share this with the class and develop one final rubric.

Rubric Doc

Communication (EN/XXC)

·         Finished product shows good proofreading and editing (i.e. attention to detail, and sense of individuality) (*a)

·      Plans and rehearses oral presentations (*b) ·     Uses oral communication techniques (eg. vocal techniques, style and tone, nonverbal techniques, visual aids, organizational and memory aids, monitoring methods) (*c) ·      Explains how features of the product construct meaning (e.g. form , symbolism, use of language, visual/artistic devices) (*d)

Thinking (EN/XXC)

·         Show reflection and explores ideas and information to express self in product (*e) ·         Creatively uses product form to enhance meaning and artistry, in the organization of ideas and information, and  text features or visual/artistic devices (*f)

Social and Personal Responsibility

·         Shows respect to others ideas and products AND contributes to the safety of the group by engaging in the activity (XXC)

·         Completes all the “Must Haves” (includes, a draft to share, a good copy/polished product, a format that can be posted on blog) (*a) (XXC/EN)

As you see, there are "*" with letters next to them. Those link to the curriculum text that supports these standards. You can see how I am assessing the Grade 9 English standards in this project. There are other standards that are not being assessed. I can give you that list too if you would like.

§  (*a) select and use a range of strategies to revise, edit, and publish writing and representing, including – checking work against established criteria – enhancing supporting details and examples – refining specific aspects and features of text – proofreading

§  (*b)select and use a range of strategies to prepare oral communications, including – interpreting a task and setting a purpose – considering audience – generating ideas – making connections among relevant knowledge and experiences – planning and rehearsing presentations;
§  (*c) select and use a range of strategies to express ideas and information in oral communications, including – vocal techniques – style and tone – nonverbal techniques – visual aids – organizational and memory aids – monitoring methods;

§  (*d) recognize and explain how structures and features of text shape readers’ and viewers’ construction of meaning, including – form and genre – functions of text – literary elements – literary devices – use of language – non-fiction elements – visual/artistic devices

§  (*e) create thoughtful representations that communicate ideas and information to explore and respond, engage

§  (*e) write meaningful personal texts that explore ideas and information to express self;

§  (*f) use and experiment with elements of form in writing and representing, appropriate to purpose and audience, to enhance meaning and artistry, including – organization of ideas and information – text features and visual/artistic devices

Beth

Express Yourself!

Challenge: Develop one way of creatively expressing yourself using your strengths to symbolically represent who you are as an individual. 

Medium: You may use any form you choose.
Criteria:
-It must be able to be posted on your blog later (filmed, typed, photographed etc.)
-It must be a format that uses one of your creative strengths as an individual.
-It must be presented to the class. You must also share your process
-You must plan it out, refine it and make a “good copy”
e.g choreograph a dance and practice it; write, edit, and type a poem or story; design and build a
        sculpture or  machine, create a sketch and then draw or paint a separate good copy
-You must have an idea or draft to present to your peers for feedback by a certain date.