Scattered as I am, I forgot that my campus was hosting the PSAT for about 1,000 students this past week, meaning a last-minute calendar change that sliced out the library time I had planned for my freshmen. Thankfully, my librarian was able to squeeze in my freshies this Monday and Tuesday so they can still receive the two-day academic research skill training they need.
Here’s what’s happening this week:
Monday
There’s no M.U.G. Shot this week because the class needs the full hour to work with our librarian to learn academic research skills. This is the first of a two-day lesson hosted in the library’s computer lab.
For HW, students should continue reading their S.S.R. books because about a third of them are on deadline this week for their first-quarter Book Talks.
Tuesday
There’s no Lit. Term Tuesday this week because this is our second (and last) day of library research skills. Again, the librarian will take my classes for the whole hour while I hide in a corner and finish grading last week’s literary analysis paragraphs.
Wednesday
Open with a ten-minute Words on Wednesday vocabulary mini-lecture/bell-ringer.
Discuss common writing issues from last week’s lit. analysis work, return students’ marked “Scarlet Ibis” paragraphs, and have students complete corrections using my coding system.
Transition into science fiction, which will be the final two selections in our short story unit.
Students will complete a quickwrite for Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s short story, “Harrison Bergeron.” After discussing their quickwrite answers, I’ll read the story aloud to the class.
For HW, students will complete their paragraph corrections, if they did not finish in class.
Thursday
Begin with a think-pair-share of analysis questions relating to “Harrison Bergeron.”
View 2081, a short film based on the Vonnegut story.
Class discussion of 2081 and individual analysis of the rock band Rush’s lyrics to the song, “The Trees.”
For HW, students need only to remember to bring their S.S.R books. About a third of them are on Book Talk deadline tomorrow.
Friday
Play two rounds of Brain Teasers with the Quarter Trio groups.
Students will use the remaining class time to read their S.S.R. books and/or complete Book Talks with me, depending on their deadline date.
For HW, students will be assigned to complete a Common Core-style test prep assignment, which we’ll go over on Monday.
AND…another week is in the bag.
Teach on, everyone!