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LA MESA ONLY: Class 48 - 5/20/155/20/2015 Today's class began with a writing activity to prepare students to view the classic sci-fi Twilight Zone episode, "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street." These questions all touched on themes and elements of the episode. These questions were as follows:
We then had a class discussion on student responses to these questions. After the discussion, we began watching "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street." After viewing the episode, students responded to the following questions:
We spent the remainder of the period discussing student responses to these questions and related issues. For homework: Read the next 30 pages of The Martian Chronicles, and begin compiling a vocabulary list of ten words you come across in your reading that were previously unfamiliar to you. For each word, write a definition and a sentence using the word. I have attached a blank vocabulary sheet below. The vocabulary list will be due in one week.
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LA MESA ONLY: Class 47 - 5/15/155/20/2015 Today's class focused on the science fiction theme of time travel. We began with a quickwrite:
After discussing responses to the quickwrite, we read an article on the theoretical possibility of time travel. This article covered modern scientific theories on how time travel might be possible. Due to the scientific reasoning involved in answering some of the questions, students were allowed to work with a partner to complete this assignment. Here is a link to the article and the questions:
After discussing this article, we watched a fictional take on the topic of time travel from the classic TV series, The Twilight Zone. The episode we watched was called "Back There." Here are the questions that accompanied the viewing:
For homework, finish any part of the two assignments that you did not finish in class. In addition, read to page 174 in The Martian Chronicles.
LA MESA ONLY: Class 46 - 5/13/155/20/2015 In today's class, we covered the common science fiction theme of virtual reality. Virtual reality is a term used to describe any virtually created environment that an individual can, in some way, enter. A modern example is the headset known as The Oculus Rift. We began class with a quickwrite: 1. Are we too reliant on electronic technology? Why, or why not? 2. What are your thoughts on virtual reality? Do you think realistic virtual reality technology would have positive or negative effects on our society? Why? After discussing responses to these questions, we watched a film version of a Ray Bradbury short story entitled "The Veldt". The questions to accompany the video are attached below the video.
We discussed Bradbury's negative portrayal of virtual reality and then contrasted it with Chris Milk's Ted Talk on virtual reality. Note that in Bradbury's vision, virtual reality pushes people apart and makes them less empathetic toward each other; in Chris Milk's vision, virtual reality brings people together and makes them more empathetic toward each other. After this video, we had a discussion guided by the following questions:
1. Does Bradbury's or Milk's vision of virtual reality seem like a more realistic outcome? 2. Do you think virtual reality technology with be used more as a tool for creating empathy or simply for entertainment and escapism? 3. As a society becomes more and more globally connected, why is empathy so important? FOR HOMEWORK: Finish any incomplete work on the Bradbury questions, and read to page 137 in The Martian Chronicles. CHULA VISTA ONLY: Class 49 - 5/7/155/8/2015 In today's class, we looked at several poems relating to some of the themes we have seen in our recent class readings and viewings. We began with the following poem: Poem #435 by Emily Dickinson Much Madness is divinest Sense-- To a discerning Eye-- Much Sense--the starkest Madness-- 'Tis the Majority In this, as All, prevail-- Assent--and you are sane-- Demur--you're straightway dangerous-- And handled with a Chain-- divinest = most perfect discerning = showing good judgement starkest = most obvious assent = say yes demur = say no I read the poem aloud and then gave students some time to re-read the poem on their own and answer the following questions: 1. What does this poem mean? 2. Is Dickinson right when she says, "'Tis the Majority In this, as All, prevail"? 3. What would a good title for this poem be? 4. How is the theme of this poem similar to that of “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street”? Then, we had a line-by-line discussion of the poem to illuminate its meaning. Next, we read “The Universe” by May Swenson. This poem is formatted in a unique way. I have attached a document of this poem below to preserve the formatting:
I read this poem aloud, gave students some time to read through it and analyze it on their own, and we then discussed it together. We began generally and then worked through it line-by-line. For Homework: We will not have onsite classes for the next two weeks. During these two weeks, please complete the following: 1. Finish reading the rest of The Martian Chronicles. 2. Complete your independent vocabulary list (see previous post). 3. Choose and complete one book project for The Martian Chronicles from the list attached below. 4. Complete a review for the hit magazine, The Good Stuff (also attached below).
CHULA VISTA ONLY: Class 48 - 5/5/155/8/2015 Today's class began with a writing activity to prepare students to view the classic sci-fi Twilight Zone episode, "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street." These questions all touched on themes and elements of the episode. These questions were as follows:
We then had a class discussion on student responses to these questions. After the discussion, we began watching "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street." Here is a link to the video: After viewing the episode, students responded to the following questions:
We spent the remainder of the period discussing student responses to these questions and related issues. For homework: Read the next 30 pages of The Martian Chronicles, and begin compiling a vocabulary list of ten words you come across in your reading that were previously unfamiliar to you. For each word, write a definition and a sentence using the word. I have attached a blank vocabulary sheet below. The vocabulary list will be due when you get back from your two weeks of no onsite classes.
AuthorChris Trompas - English teacher at the Learning Choice Academy in Chula Vista and La Mesa, CA. Archives
June 2016
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