Protecting Ourselves from Sadness: November 22, 2019

Focus: How are the characters in ELIC protecting themselves from sadness?

1. Warming up with artifact writing and on overview of our experimental memoir pieces

2. Offering you a recap of your notebook expectations (I will start checking them today)

To clarify: By TODAY, you should have FOUR entries in your notebook

• Journal #1: Pages 1-85 (we did this in class)
• Journal #2: Pages 86-141
• Journal #3: Pages 142-173
• Journal #4: Pages 174-207

By next TUESDAY, you should have a FIFTH entry in your notebook.

• Journal #5 (new): Pages 208-259

3. Watching the first twenty minutes of the film adaptation of ELIC to help you picture the characters and understand the plotline; use the film notes to guide your deep thinking

*I will start grading your notebooks during this time.*

HW:
1. For MONDAY: Complete at least half of the reading assignment for Tuesday; catch up if you are behind in the reading or journaling.

2. For TUESDAY: Read and journal through page 259; leaders should prepare their syllabus.

3. HEADS UP: All make-up work, including fishbowl blogs, notebooks, essay revisions, and any other graded assignments from the past 12 weeks must be submitted no later than Wednesday, December 11. After this date, I will not be able to accept any previous work from the semester.

ELIC Fishbowl #4: November 21, 2019

Focus: What role do the minor characters play in Oskar's journey?

1. Warming up with a revisitation: Grammar You Must Know #3: Subject-Verb Agreement

2. Making some visits to everyone named "Black":

• Flip through Oskar's chapters and list everyone he's visited so far named "Black."

• For each person, write one word that indicates your initial perception or Oskar's first impression of this character (one-word biography style).

• Why is each Black significant to Oskar's journey? What does each one help him question or understand differently?

• What do all of the Blacks have in common? 

3. Enjoying EL&IC Fishbowl #4: Pages 174-207

HW:

1. For FRIDAY: Bring your personal artifact back to class. 

*START THE NEXT READING ASSIGNMENT OVER THANKSGIVING BREAK.*

2. For TUESDAY AFTER BREAK: Read pages 208-259 in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close; complete your journal entry. If you have fallen behind in your reading or journaling, please use break to catch up (and get ahead).

If you miss a Fishbowl or Socratic, you must make it up. Fishbowl: Read over the syllabus and blog comments, then add an extended comment to the class blog. Socratic: Read over the syllabus and the class notes, then add an extended comment to the class blog.

Artifacts: November 20, 2019

Focus: What stories and emotions live in our artifacts?

1. Warming up with a little artifact writing

2. Reading and journalling on EL&IC, pages 174-207

• Leaders may use this time to prepare their syllabus.

• I will start Notebook Check #3 today.

HW:

1. For TOMORROW: Read pages 174-207 in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close; complete your journal entry.

2. For FRIDAY: Bring your personal artifact back to class.

If you miss a Fishbowl or Socratic, you must make it up. Fishbowl: Read over the syllabus and blog comments, then add an extended comment to the class blog. Socratic: Read over the syllabus and the class notes, then add an extended comment to the class blog.

ELIC Fishbowl #3: November 19, 2019

Focus: Why does Foer include the play Hamlet in his novel? What does it help us understand about Oskar's role?

1. Warming up with a crash course on Hamlet

• Read "Hamlet in a nutshell"
• In your journal or in your ELIC Google folder, spend some time listing possible parallels (strong similarities) between the play Hamlet and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. In particular, what conflicts do Oskar and Hamlet share?

• Read/act out Act 5, scene 1 from Hamlet using No Fear Shakespeare (pages 8 and 9).
• What's Hamlet struggling with in this scene?

• How might Hamlet's struggle relate to Oskar's struggles?

2. Optional: Watching the "Alas, poor Yorick" scene from the 1990 Hamlet (in the book, Oskar plays the role of the Yorick, the skull)

3. Enjoying Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Discussion #3: Pages 142-173

4. Wrapping up with takeaways/reflections

HW:

1. For TOMORROW: Bring a personal artifact to class with you--an object that holds special meaning to you.

2. For Thursday: Read pages 174-207 in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close; complete your journal entry.

If you miss a Fishbowl or Socratic, you must make it up. Fishbowl: Read over the syllabus and blog comments, then add an extended comment to the class blog. Socratic: Read over the syllabus and the class notes, then add an extended comment to the class blog.

Artifact Writing: November 18, 2019

Focus: How can you use artifacts to write memoir?

1. Warming up with three good things

2. Reading EL&IC for 30 minutes; beginning the notebook checks; tomorrow's leaders should use this time to prepare their syllabus

3. Trying out a "quiz" on Grammar You Must Know #3: Subject-Verb Agreement

4. Perusing our memoir overview and starting to think about artifacts (click HERE for this week's artifact writing activities)

HW:
1. Ongoing: I will am performing Notebook Check #3 in class this week, so please make sure your first two ELIC entries are complete. Also, bring your book to class for 30 minutes of reading time.

2. For Tuesday: Read through page 173 and complete your third journal entry. Leaders should prepare their syllabus.

3. For Wednesday: Please bring an artifact to class for our writing activity. This should be an object (something that you can hold in your hands) that holds memories / value for you.

ELIC Fishbowl #2: November 15, 2019

Focus: How is Oskar's quest everyone's quest?

1. Warming up with the hero's journey as depicted in Finding Joe; mapping out the Joseph Campbell hero's journey as a class (around 4:00--13:34)

"Here it is: there's only one story. There, I said it and I can't very will take it back. There is only one story. Ever. One. It's always been going on and it's everywhere around us and every story you've ever read or heard or watched is part of it." 

-- Foster, How To Read Literature Like a Professor

2. Enjoying a fishbowl discussion of pages 86-141 in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

3. Wrapping up with lingering questions, kudos and epiphanies

HW:
1. For Monday: I will start checking notebooks, so please make sure your first two ELIC entries are complete. Also, bring your book to class for 30 minutes of reading time.

2. For Tuesday: Read through page 173 and complete your third journal entry. Leaders should prepare their syllabus.

The Timeline: November 14, 2019

Focus: What kind of journey are our narrators on?

1. Warming up with Grammar You Must Know #3: Subject-verb agreement

2. Celebrating your fishbowl successes and coming out of anonymity

3. Creating a timeline to find patterns in our narrators' journeys

4. Reading and journaling on EL&IC, through page 141; leaders may use this time to prepare a syllabus

HW:

1.  FRIDAY, NOV 15: Read through page 141 in EL&IC and complete your second journal entry; leaders need to prepare their syllabus.

2. Click HERE if you'd like a sneak peak of your final exam.

ELIC Fishbowl #1: November 13, 2019

Focus: How do we discuss Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close?

1. Warming up with a triple Venn diagram for our three narrators

As we diagram...

• What are you learning about our three narrators?
• What are you wondering?
• What's unique about each narrator?
• How do the narratives overlap / relate to each other? What similarities can you find?

2. Enjoying our first ELIC fishbowl discussion (pages 1-85)

Outer circle expectations:

• Make sure you are signed into Google (and don't use Safari).
• Comment consistently from beginning to end; you should always be reading and typing.
• Keep your language and grammar professional.
• Bring in at least one quotation from the reading.
• Hit F5 to refresh, and if you're responding to someone, hit "reply" to thread the comment.

3. Wrapping up with kudos, lingering questions, and epiphanies

HW:

1.  Change: FRIDAY, NOV 15: Read through page 141 in EL&IC and complete your second journal entry; leaders need to prepare their syllabus.

2. Click HERE if you'd like a sneak peak of your final exam.

The Falling Man: November 12, 2019

Focus: How does the story of The Falling Man help us understand ELIC?

1. Warming up with part of the award-winning documentary, The Falling Man with a focus on the big picture (click HERE for the guiding questions given in class)

• Click here for the documentary (watch 1/8, 2/8, 3/8, and the last three minutes of 8/8)

• What did you learn from these clips from The Falling Man?

• Looking at the ending of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, what might be the role of the falling man image in this book?

2. Reading and journaling through page 85 in ELIC; leaders may use this time to prepare their syllabus

HW:

1. Change: WEDNESDAY, NOV 13: Read through page 86 in EL&IC and complete your first journal; leaders need to prepare their syllabus.

2. Change: FRIDAY, NOV 15: Read through page 141 in EL&IC and complete your second journal entry; leaders need to prepare their syllabus.

3. Click HERE if you'd like a sneak peak of your final exam.

Meeting Our 2nd Narrator: November 11, 2019

Focus: What background do we need to understand our first two narrators?

1. Warming up with three good things

2. Discovering background on Dresden; add to your journal with things you're learning, images, and your reactions.

• Click HERE to read about the bombing of Dresden.

• Click HERE for before and after pictures of Dresden (before the bombing and after).

• Click HERE to read a survivor's story (he was a POW in Dresden at the time).

• Click HERE to read another survivor's story (this one was a child at the time).

• Click HERE to watch an interview with a Dresden survivor (contains war footage).

3. Reading aloud Thomas's narrative (he's a Dresden survivor)

As we read...

• What are you learning about Thomas?
• What are you wondering?

After we read...

• How do Oskar's and Thomas' narratives relate?

4. Reading, journalling, and prepping for our first fishbowl tomorrow

HW:

1. TODAY:

• Transcendentalist essay revisions due. 

• Please follow the revision policy explained in your conference and linked HERE.

• Turn in your book club book (if you checked one out from me).

2. Change: WEDNESDAY, NOV 13: Read through page 86 in EL&IC and complete your first journal; leaders need to prepare their syllabus.

3. Change: FRIDAY, NOV 15: Read through page 141 in EL&IC and complete your second journal entry; leaders need to prepare their syllabus.

One-Minute Speeches, Round 2: November 8, 2019

Focus: Which public speaking skills do we excel in, and which do we need to develop?

1. Warming up with a "quiz" on Grammar You Must Know #2: Unclear Pronouns

2. Delivering and reflecting on our one-minute speeches

3. If time allows, reading EL&IC

HW:

1. MONDAY, NOV 11: 

• FINISH READING CHAPTER 1 IN EL⁣ continue adding to your journal.

• Transcendentalist essay revisions due. 

• Please follow the revision policy explained in your conference and linked HERE.

• Turn in your book club book (if you checked one out from me).

2. TUESDAY, NOV 12: Read through page 86 in EL&IC and complete your journal; leaders need to prepare their syllabus.

What The? Oskar's Voice: November 7, 2019

Focus: What the? What are we learning about Oskar, our unusual narrator?

1. Warming up with a small, notecard-sized recap of tomorrow's one-minute speeches

2. Reviewing your Fishbowl discussions (links to all of today's handouts are on the website) and setting up your journal for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

3. Reading the first pages of EL&IC together and starting our first journal entry

• Step 1: Jot down lines that make you pause / take a moment.

• Step 2: Scribble down as many Level 1, 2, and 3 questions as you can think of. 

• Step 3: Offer some interesting things you're noticing, like craft moves and patterns.

• Note: If you'd like to listen to someone read the book aloud, click HERE for the audiobook. You can do a free 30-day trial, but I believe you do need a credit card number.

If you're interested, here is a quick timeline of what actually happened on 9/11.

HW:

1. THIS WEEK: Show up for your conference on time. :) Can't wait to see ya!

2. For TOMORROW, NOV 8: Prepare your one-minute speech on The Village. 

• Click HERE if you need the overview.
• Click HERE if you want that cool article about The Village and 9-11.
• Submit your viewing guide notes on The Village if you haven't done so yet.

3. MONDAY, NOV 11: Transcendentalist essay revisions due. 

• Please follow the revision policy explained in your conference and linked HERE.
• Turn in your book club book (if you checked one out from me).

4. TUESDAY, NOV 12: Read through page 86 in EL&IC and complete your journal; leaders need to prepare their syllabus.

Heroic Voices: November 6, 2019

Focus: What the? What are we learning about Oskar, our unusual narrator?

1. Warming up with Grammar You Must Know #2: Pronouns

2. Listening to 9-11 stories and discussing them in small groups; connecting back to the book

3. Setting up your Fishbowl discussions (links to all of today's handouts are on the website) and your journal for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

4. Reading the first pages of EL&IC together and starting our first journal entry

• Step 1: Jot down lines that make you pause / take a moment.

• Step 2: Scribble down as many Level 1, 2, and 3 questions as you can think of. 

• Step 3: Offer some interesting things you're noticing, like craft moves and patterns.

• Note: If you'd like to listen to someone read the book aloud, click HERE for the audiobook. You can do a free 30-day trial, but I believe you do need a credit card number.

If you're interested, here is a quick timeline of what actually happened on 9/11.

HW:

1. THIS WEEK: Show up for your conference on time. :) Can't wait to see ya!

2. For FRIDAY, NOV 8: Prepare your one-minute speech on The Village. 

• Click HERE if you need the overview.
• Click HERE if you want that cool article about The Village and 9-11.
• Submit your viewing guide notes on The Village if you haven't done so yet.

3. MONDAY, NOV 11: Transcendentalist essay revisions due. 

• Please follow the revision policy explained in your conference and linked HERE.
• Turn in your book club book (if you checked one out from me).

4. Next FRIDAY, NOV 15: Submit your notebooks for Check #3

• Checklist will be given out at the beginning of next week.

Entering Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: November 5, 2019

Focus: How do we enter Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close?

1. Warming up with a transition from The Village to 9-11 and a hands-on preview of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

• Click HERE if you need today's slides.

2. Exploring Time Magazine's Photoessay: "Shattered"

3. Listening to voices of resilience; click here for their stories, then follow up with small group discussions:

• What were your takeaways from these videos? What specific things struck you?

• What do you make of the cover of this book and the title page? Can you make some connections between what you've learned/seen today and the design of the title?

4. Wrapping up with an exit ticket

HW:
1. THIS WEEK: Show up for your conference on time. :) Can't wait to see ya!

2. For FRIDAY, NOV 8: Prepare your one-minute speech on The Village. 

• Click HERE if you need the overview.
• Click HERE if you want that cool article about The Village and 9-11.
• Submit your viewing guide notes on The Village if you haven't done so yet.

3. MONDAY, NOV 11: Transcendentalist essay revisions due. 

• Please follow the revision policy explained in your conference and linked HERE.

4. Next FRIDAY, NOV 15: Submit your notebooks for Check #3

• Checklist will be given out at the beginning of next week.

Big Ideas in The Village: November 4, 2019

Focus: What Transcendental elements does The Village use, and to what purpose?


1. Warming up with three good things and a quick Academic Character refresh

2. Watching the ending of The Village with a critical eye and developing your one-minute speeches

3. Brainstorming responses to the Transcendentalist questions and perusing the overview of the next one-minute speech

HW:
1. THIS WEEK: Show up for your conference on time. :)

2. For FRIDAY, NOV 8: Prepare your one-minute speech on The Village.

3. MONDAY, NOV 11: Transcendentalist essay revisions due. Please follow the revision policy (explained in your conference).

4. Next FRIDAY, NOV 15: Submit your notebooks for Check #3 (click HERE for the checklist).

Questioning The Village: November 1, 2019

Focus: What Transcendentalist elements does The Village use, and to what purpose?


1. Warming up by quickly reviewing the conference sign-up sheet; BE SURE TO WRITE DOWN YOUR CONFERENCE TIME AND LOCATION.

2. Investigating your Level 1 questions about The Village

3. Watching The Village with a critical eye

4. Wrapping up with your viewing guide observations

HW:
1. Read this overview of your next one-minute speech, which you will deliver on Friday, Nov 8.

2. Show up on time for your writing conference.