Tag Archive for metamorphosis

Permission forms! Permission forms!!

March 7, 2017 / / No comments

Welcome to Tuesday!

Standard:

  • ELAGSE9-10W5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

Learning Target: I will write a strong rough draft with my group for my picture book project by focusing on what is most significant for an audience of children.06

Activator: Alien trailer! This is the movie we’re going to watch next week!

Work Session: First things first, I’m going to pass out your permission forms to watch Alien next week! Remember, these have GOT to be signed by mom or dad or whoever you stay with, otherwise you can’t watch the movie, because it is rated R.

Next up…

Today we’re going to read the first half of part III in the book. YAY!! This means we’re ALMOST DONE! For this reading, we’re going to use the questions-by-pages strategy. You guys will read to the bottom of the page (you have 6 minutes per page – they’re longer pages than last time we did this) and then I’ll have a question on the board for you to answer.

When we finish that, you guys should get to work with your groups on the picture book project! By the end of the day today, I expect you should be able to turn in either the rough draft or the storyboard (obviously, you can’t have the very last bit done because you haven’t finished the book, but you should certainly be almost done!). You can also start working on drawing your pages, and those of you who would like to type can send a group member over to the computers.

Closing Session: Picture Book Check In – I would like to meet with every group and check off each of your storyboards or rough drafts!

Assessment: Picture books will be graded, questions can be formatively checked for completion and understanding.

Differentiation: Leveled grouping strategy based on ability/achievement; visual/kinesthetic activity (picture book); chunking

Picture it: Monday

March 6, 2017 / / No comments

Standard:

  • ELAGSE9-10RL7 Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums (e.g., Auden’s poem “Musée de Beaux Arts” and Breughel’s painting Landscape with the Fall of Icarus), including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment.

Learning Target: I will look at children’s books and “The Metamorphosis” and analyze how I might transform “The Metamorphosis” into a story for children.

Opening Session: Metamorphosis 2012 official trailer:

Work Session: Okay, nobody panic, but I’m about to put you into assigned groups. Don’t freak out! I do know who your friends are, generally! So get with your groups…

BUT FIRST. Today we’re going to be finishing up the second half of part II of The Metamorphosis. We’re going to continue with our reading strategy from last Friday, which was the alternating one where I read a paragraph, one of you reads a paragraph, and so on.

NEXT UP….I’ll give you guys a big group assignment, which is….

A picture book!!!

Here’s the skinny:

The Picture Book Project!

For this project, you will plan, write, illustrate, and produce your own original children’s picture book.

You will be working in pre-assigned groups of 3. Your picture book should meet the following requirements:

  • The story must be a retelling of Franz Kafka’s story The Metamorphosis, written for children.
    • You must use the same characters as The Metamorphosis.
    • The story must follow the plot of The Metamorphosis.
  •  Your story should be 300-500 words.
  • Your book should be at least 10 pages, but no more than 20 pages.
  • The text of your book should reflect proper grammar, conventions, and spelling. The text may be typed or hand-written.
  • The illustrations should be fully colored and show effort, creativity, and neatness. I understand that not everyone is Rembrandt, but everyone is capable of putting time and energy into his or her artwork.
  • You must complete and turn in the following components:
    • Story Draft (20 points) – Due tomorrow, Tuesday, September 13th
    • Storyboard (20 points) – Due tomorrow, Tuesday, September 13th
    • Finished Product (60 points) – Due Friday, September 16th
  • The Picture Book Project – metamorphosis.docx

Closing Session: TOTD: How is the picture book project going so far? Comments/concerns?

Assessment: Reading ticket, informal assessment of picture book work/brainstorming/drafting.

Differentiation: Students will be placed in groups of varied ability level, talent, and learning style. Students will read in small group to account for differences in reading levels.

Awww, wook a da widdle baby Gwegor…

March 3, 2017 / / No comments

Standards

  • ELAGSE9-10RL3 Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

Opening Session

‘Cause this is…

Learning Target

Scholars will continue their reading of The Metamorphosis, analyzing the text for details about the characters and historical context, and then make a “baby book” about Gregor.

Work Session

So, today we’re continuing with reading The Metamorphosis. We’re going to do this a little differently today – remember that I do, we do, you do thing? Today we’re going to go to the same reading style we were doing during most of Animal Farm. I’ll read a paragraph, and while I read I’ll move around the room and select a student to read the next paragraph. Some of the paragraphs in this story are super long, so I may interrupt you midway so no one gets stuck reading a huge amount. I like this reading strategy because no one gets caught unawares, since I warn you ahead of time if you’re reading next, but everyone has to follow along since you don’t know exactly what you’ll be reading until I pick on you 🙂 We are reading the first half of part II today.

Now, I do want you guys to follow along in your textbook while we do this, but I would also like you to be jotting down some notes while we follow the story. Specifically, I want you to take notes on Gregor, who he is, what is he like, what are his likes and dislikes, and so on. After we finish reading and taking some notes, we’ll move on to another activity!

If you’re reading from home or ISS, here is the link to the story online: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/5200/5200-h/5200-h.htm

The Metamorphosis is a character-driven story, meaning that what keeps you reading is your attachment to the characters, your vested interest in seeing the characters develop, that sort of thing. The opposite of this would be a plot-driven story, where you’re reading more to see what’s going to happen next, and the characters might be more one-dimensional. Because Kafka chose to focus so much on the characters in his story, we’re going to make…dundunDUN! A “Baby Book” for Gregor!

Have you guys heard of this before? It’s a little book that talks about a person’s likes, dislikes, what they look like and how they act, and maybe has a little picture of them. I’m going to teach you how to fold a sheet of paper into a little 8-page mini book, and now it’s your turn to fill them out for Gregor! The “Ghost Writer” is where you put your name, and you should write the book as though you are Gregor. In most cases, the pages can be filled with no more than a sentence or maybe two at the most. Don’t forget to draw a picture of yourself! I have an example I’ll pass around for everyone, too.

Here’s a download of the baby book sheet: Gregor’s Baby Book!

Closing Session

Trade your baby book with a friend to read and write a 1-sentence “blurb” for the cover.

Assessment

Baby books will be graded.

Differentiation

Baby books use different learning styles to complete, students’ oral reading sections will vary in length according to reader skill and text complexity.

Smell Like A Monster

March 2, 2017 / / No comments

Standards

  • RL.9-10.7 Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus).

Opening Session

A classic :)

Learning Target

I will examine the representation of “monsters” in various media such as children’s books, movies, and in The Metamorphosis by writing a short analytical paragraph.

Work Session

Today we’re going to start out by listening to the second half of part I of The Metamorphosis and then talk about monsters in some other media. When we last left Gregor, he had just gotten out of bed and was about to work his way out of his room and try to get to work. Let’s see what happens today…

…Well, that was weird, wasn’t it? Anyway, we’ll of course continue with Gregor later on, but for now how about swapping gears and talking about some other monsters? The video we watched today is a famous children’s story that you’ve all probably read – or if not, you’ve seen it now! But just to reiterate, let’s get six volunteers up here to perform the story! Whoo! Give ‘em a round of applause!

After our lovely acting performs the Wild Things, we’re going to look at a couple of other famous children’s monsters – Grover and Cookie Monster!

So, obviously we have a lot of monsters made for kids today. Wild Things and Muppets are both obviously set up for little children to watch, and obviously not intended to scare. So…what’s up with this? I would like you to think about and discuss this in a paragraph. Yep, a paragraph. Write and turn in one paragraph of 7-10 sentences that answers the following question:

–>Why do you think children’s shows and books choose to use “monstrous” characters such as the monsters on Sesame Street and the Wild Things in Where the Wild Things Are?

Closing Session

Turn in your paragraph and tell me who your favorite monster is :)

Assessment

Students will be graded for their paragraphs as well as for their participation in class discussions and in performing Where the Wild Things Are.

Differentiation

Different learning styles are used in the presentation of different types of monsters. Various reading levels from children’s picture books through college+ level reading of Kafka allow for challenging and accessible texts for all students.

Metamorphowednesday

March 1, 2017 / / No comments

Standards

  • RL.9-10.6 Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.

Activator

Franz Kawhat?

Learning Target

I will analyize the cultural experience of Franz Kafka as I begin to read The Metamorphosis and reflect thoughtfully on why Kafka wrote the story.

Work Session

Today we’re going to start reading our Big Reading for this unit, but FIRST we’re continuing with our nonfiction reading. Whoohoo! We’re starting off with an article that’s appropriately titled “What makes a monster scary?” You’re gonna SQUEEPERS again!!! When you get to the R for reading, I want you to read the article I give you in any way you choose (you may read silently then discuss with a partner, alternate paragraphs reading aloud, have one person read aloud to the other, whatever you like). After you’ve finished reading the article, consider the definitions you wrote yesterday and work with a partner or alone to revise your definitions into a new one.

Your end product should be a 2-3 sentence concise definition that accurately explains what it means to be a monster. Yes, I’m grading it this time.

After we finish with this article, we’re going to start reading our Big Reading for this unit. This is a story entitled “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka. We watched a summary video of it at the beginning of class, but for simplicity’s sake let me give you a two-word run down of this story. It is 1.) Long and 2.) Complicated.

Excited yet? We’re going to listen to me read aloud for the first half of Part I of the story. That’s page 1066-1072 in our book, stopping at the end of the first paragraph on 1072. I would like for you to follow along in your book while you’re listening to me. If you’re reading online, you’re reading to the sentence “his sister began to cry.” We’re doing a bit of “I do, we do, you do” with this story. I’ll read part I aloud, we’ll read part II together, and part III you will read on your own 🙂

This is a VERY hard text, guys. So we’re going to run through it very slowly and carefully and do a lot of checks for understanding. I hope you enjoy the story! :)

Closing Session

Ticket out the door: 3 things you liked about the story, 2 things you didn’t like, and 1 question you still have.

Assessment

TOTD to check for understanding, definition of the word monster.

Differentiation

Students may read with their partners in any way that works best for them, differentiated/simplified texts, use of audio recording.

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