The first week of Advanced Placement testing is now complete on my campus. Next week with be our second (and final) week. The following week will be the SBAC (Common Core) English/language arts test. The week after that will be the SBAC math exam. And two weeks after that will be final exams.
So glad I’m not a teenager today.
In the midst of testing madness (more than 1,300 kids on my campus are taking an average of 4.5 tests each this A.P. season – oof!), I’m just carrying on with business as usual in my freshman English classes and offering hugs to the parade of former students who show up in my room seeking solace.
Here is this week’s plan (please note: most of the individual Romeo & Juliet lessons mentioned below are available in the full unit located here):
Monday
Open with a five-minute M.U.G. Shot (Mechanics, Usage, Grammar) mini-lecture/bell-ringer.
Review the answers to the practice S.A.T. section that students completed as weekend homework.
Recap Act 2 from last week and watch the Zeffirelli version of the end of Act 2.
Begin reading Act 3, Scene 1 aloud in class. (We act it out with lightsabers and I always choose my biggest ham to play Mercutio, leaving him “dead” on the classroom floor until the end of the scene. It works.)
For HW, students will finish reading 3.1, if we didn’t finish during class.
Tuesday
One-question quizzer on Act 3, Scene 1.
Discuss the Act 3, Scene 1 study questions in teams of two and then as a full class.
Begin reading Act 3, Scenes 2-4 aloud in class.
For HW, students will finish reading Act 3 and complete study questions for 3.2-3.4 on their own.
Wednesday
Open with a ten-minute Words on Wednesday vocabulary mini-lecture/bell-ringer.
Mid-point alternative assessment – students will choose ONE of the following to complete by the end of the hour (all evidence must come from Act 3):
Character Cell Phone
Direct/Indirect Characterization Grid
YouTube Channel Characterization Activity
What’s Your Sign? Character Astrological Chart
For HW, our first group of 20Time presenters need to be ready to go tomorrow. All visual aid links must be emailed to me today by 5 p.m. (I’ll preload all of their slides onto my laptop tonight to minimize the tech wrinkles tomorrow in class.)
Thursday
First round of the 20Time “what I did/what I learned” speeches.
For HW, students need to remember to bring their S.S.R. books to class tomorrow. Any students who haven’t yet presented their memorized prologues to me one-on-one at brunch or lunch must do so tomorrow in front of the whole class.
Friday
Any remaining memorized prologue speakers will perform at the beginning of the hour.
Quarter Trio teams will play three rounds of Brain Teasers, if time allows. (This depends on how many prologues we have to sit through. Some years, it’s just three or four procrastinators; other years, it’ll be nearly 20 kids. We’ll see what this year holds…)
In-class S.S.R. reading time for the remainder of the period.
For HW, students will complete another brief practice S.A.T. section and continue working on their 4th quarter S.S.R. reading assignments. Also, the next group of 20Time speakers need to be ready to present on Thursday.
Teach on, everyone!
