--FYI: Today, we will begin studying a letter written by someone named Rainer Maria Rilke.
--Obtain your Chromebook from the cart in the back of the classroom. Then, after logging in, carefully follow the directions below. You have TEN minutes!
- Google Rainer Maria Rilke and scroll through your hits for a reliable source.
- Once you have found a reliable source, look for two important facts about Rilke.
- Click on this Google Doc link:
- After reading what others before you have typed (so that your contribution is not unnecessarily repetitive), type one of the important facts that you found about Rilke.
- Change the color of your font and type your name after your contribution as I have done in my model.
--When you finish, read the targets below (focal points of today's lesson) and consider and be ready to discuss the questions that follow:
- When reading nonfiction, I can...
- pick out the author's main point
- pick out the important details that the author uses that connect back to his/her main point
- explain how the author's details connect back to his/her main point
- contribute something (a question, an answer, an important detail, etc.) to a whole-group discussion that moves us forward in hitting the three targets listed above.
- When and how have we worked toward hitting these targets already this school year?
- On a scale of 1-5+, how would you rate your ability to hit these targets? BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF.
--quick share-out as per the "When you finish..." component of the "Jump Off"
Transition (1-2 mins.)
--Fully shutdown your Chromebook, return it to the proper slot, and plug it in via the proper cord--I'm watching yoouuu! :)
Literacy Activity--Oral Reading and Discussion -- “Letter One" of Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet (40-45 mins.)
--An insightful excerpt from educational researcher Robert Marzano's book Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement:
- Today's class, which marks the beginning of our first mini-unit, is driven by the targets above. More specifically, today's class really presents an opportunity to hit the fourth target by aiming to participate effectively in a collaborative discussion. You will likely pose and respond to questions, incorporate each other into the discussion, and challenge/verify each other's ideas and conclusions. In fact, I will assess your ability to hit the fourth target using the "Discussion Contribution Rating Scale," which you will receive later in the class block.
Transition (1-2 mins.)
--Fully shutdown your Chromebook, return it to the proper slot, and plug it in via the proper cord--I'm watching yoouuu! :)
Literacy Activity--Oral Reading and Discussion -- “Letter One" of Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet (40-45 mins.)
--An insightful excerpt from educational researcher Robert Marzano's book Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement:
- "Although it is true that the extent to which students will learn...new content is dependent on factors such as the skill of the teacher, the interest of the student, and the complexity of the content, the research literature supports one compelling fact: what students already know about the content is one of the strongest indicators of how well they will learn new information relative to the content. Commonly, researchers and theorists refer to what a person already knows about a topic as “background knowledge.” Numerous studies have confirmed the relationship between background knowledge and achievement (Nagy, Anderson, & Herman, 1987; Bloom, 1976; Dochy, Segers, & Buehl, 1999; Tobias, 1994; Alexander, Kulikowich, & Schulze, 1994; Schiefele & Krapp, 1996; Tamir, 1996; Boulanger, 1981). In these studies, the reported average correlation between a person's background knowledge of a given topic and the extent to which that person learns new information on that topic is .66 (see Technical Note 1 on p. 127 for a discussion of how the correlation was computed)."
- How can this information help us better analyze and understand Rilke's letter during today's class block? What might we see, learn, etc. in/from a letter written by this person?
- A gist reading = “survival mode” in order to understand/comprehend the text on a literal level
- Ask the “curious questions”
- Basic comprehension is essential if any deeper understanding is to occur.
- Easier with some sort of defined purpose (therefore, often a purposeful reading)
- Most effective when it is still somewhat active reading (annotate: jot down curious questions, jot down notes related to your defined purpose, etc.)
- Pick up each of the following from the front table:
- a copy of the "'Letter One' of Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet" document
- a copy of the "Discussion Contribution Rating Scale" halfsheet
- Your purpose:
- Jot down curious questions on your personal copy of the text whenever such questions enter your mind (listen for them!)
- Underline key words/details and annotate with regard to these two questions:
- What does Rainer Maria Rilke, the author of this letter, say to "Sir" about what is important and meaningful to a person?
- What advice does Rilke give "Sir?"
--scan back through your copy of "Letter One"
- What curious questions did you jot down?
- What did you underline/how did you annotate with regard to these two questions?:
- What does Rainer Maria Rilke, the author of this letter, say to "Sir" about what is important and meaningful to a person?
- What advice does Rilke give "Sir?"
--whole-class share-out as per gist reading/address my related questions (cards drawn if necessary)--as I mark up the text on the SMART Board, do the same on your personal copy of the text
- Contributions will be assessed via the "Discussion Contribution Rating Scale"
Teambuilding Activity -- Artifact Bags (remainder of class [time permitting])
--I hand a paper bag to random student--he/she then displays items from the bag one at a time, briefly describing what he/she is seeing
--guess who?!
--owner of bag further describes, explains, shares anecdotes, etc. as a form of introduction to teacher/peers
--REPEAT THE PROCESS...
--I hand a paper bag to random student--he/she then displays items from the bag one at a time, briefly describing what he/she is seeing
--guess who?!
--owner of bag further describes, explains, shares anecdotes, etc. as a form of introduction to teacher/peers
--REPEAT THE PROCESS...
--Complete 45 minutes of Membean training in three different days before 11:59 PM on Thursday, 9/27 (see the "English Department Membean Routine" sheet). Any days/minutes logged last week count! Vocabulary Quiz #1 will take place NEXT class (Friday, 9/28 [ACE] or Monday, 10/1 [BDF]).
HW (Class Preparation)
--Read at least 10 pages of your free reading book between now and next class. ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS! I will be checking your books in the near future!
On the backburner:
HW (Class Preparation)
--Read at least 10 pages of your free reading book between now and next class. ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS! I will be checking your books in the near future!
On the backburner:
- Introducing "Take a Stand" Activity and ThinkCERCA/Article of the Week purpose, framework, etc.
- Do "Artifact Bag" as part of sharing in Block 2 ACE
- Do Dr. G's "Artifact Bag" and Mrs. Cole's "Artifact Bag" as part of sharing in Block 2 ACE
- Do Mrs. Cole's "Artifact Bag" as part of sharing in Block 4 BDF
