Make It Work: February 28, 2019

Focus: How can I revise the style of my essay to make it work for me and for others?

from www.goodreads.com

“Reinvent new combinations of what you already own. Improvise. Become more creative. Not because you have to, but because you want to. Evolution is the secret for the next step.”
― Karl Lagerfeld

1. Warming up with a little stylistic advice from Tim Gunn and Project Runway

• Make it your own.
• Make something that resonates for others.
• Make it work.

2. Swiftly attacking a stylistically weak essay

3. Peer editing each other's essays for style; click HERE for the editing slides.

HW:

1. For TOMORROW: 

• Make revisions to your essay based on today's editing. At this point, your draft should be 100% complete and in good shape.

• Bring your banned book to class.

• Finish XL Writing Strategies, Level J: Suggest Appropriate Revisions (O.7)

2. For MONDAY: Finish reading your banned book.

3. For TUESDAY: New final draft due date (due to my absences): Tuesday, March 5. YOU MUST PRINT YOUR ESSAY ON YOUR OWN TIME (NOT DURING CLASS). DUE BY 4:00 PM.

Finishing the Draft: February 27, 2019

Focus: How do we finish our drafts with command?

1. Warming up with 20 minutes of composing time

• Please see my feedback on your draft in purple font.

• YOUR GOAL RIGHT NOW: FINISH THE SECOND BODY PARAGRAPH.

2. Introducing yourself to conclusions

Your conclusion has three jobs:

• Job #1: Recap the essay's main points (but don't restate the thesis word-for-word).

• Job #2: To leave the reader with a little something to think about. What questions are left unanswered? What are you still wondering? What real-life connections can you make?

• Job #3: To end the essay with eloquence and command. Show off those creative writing skills!

Click HERE for sample student conclusions.

HW:
1. For TOMORROW: Make sure your draft is completely finished, including your second body paragraph and your concluding paragraph. Thursday and Friday will be the final days of editing.

New final draft due date (due to my absences): Tuesday, March 5.

2. For FRIDAY: Bring your banned book to class; finish XL Writing Strategies, Level J: Suggest Appropriate Revisions (O.7)

3. For MONDAY: Finish reading your banned book.

Revising and Composing: February 26, 2019

Focus: How does the process of revising improve our writing?

1. Warming up with 15 minutes of time to finish composing your first body paragraph (if you're done with your first body paragraph, move onto the second body paragraph)

• Click HERE for yesterday's sample essay if you need it.

2. Silent peer editing using the peer revision sheet (20 minutes)

3. Conferencing with your peer editing partner  (5 minutes)

4. Revising your first body paragraph based on your partner's revisions and beginning to compose your second body paragraph (however much time is left)

HW:
1. For TOMORROW: Finish revising your first body paragraph and BEGIN composing your second body paragraph. Remember that this essay is due Thursday, Feb 28.

2. For FRIDAY: XL Writing Strategies, Level J: Suggest Appropriate Revisions (O.7)

3. For next Monday: Finish reading your banned book.

Composing Your 1st Body Paragraph: February 25, 2019

Focus: How can we analyze our evidence to build strong body paragraphs?

1. Warming up with three good things

2. Offering you a quick essay checklist before moving forward and a glimpse of tomorrow

3. Climbing the pyramid of analysis! See below:


4. Color coding the first body paragraph of a sample body paragraph

5. Composing your own first body paragraphs

HW:
1. For TOMORROW: Finish your body paragraph. Remember that the entire essay is due this Thursday, Feb 28.

*Tomorrow, if you do not wish to Google share your essay, please PRINT your draft for peer editing.

2. For FRIDAY: XL Writing Strategies, Level J: Suggest Appropriate Revisions (O.7)

3. For next Monday: Finish reading your banned book.

Styling Up an Intriguing Introduction: February 22, 2019

Focus: How we compose an introductory paragraph that commands people's attention?

1. Warming up with by finalizing your Friday Freewrite from the first 6 weeks; click HERE for the options (same as last Friday)

2. Using your creative powers to develop a compelling introduction for your Macbeth essay

3. If time allows, drafting the beginning of your first body paragraph

HW:
For MONDAY:
1. Finish finalizing your Friday Freewrite if you did not finish in class.

2. Read your banned book (two weekends left).

3. Make sure you have the following completed before class on Monday:

• Thesis
• Topic sentences
• Quotations and lead-ins
• Paragraph of introduction

Organizing Your Body Paragraphs: February 21, 2019

Focus: How do we establish a strong structure for our essays?

1. Warming up with 10 minutes of IXL time (or catch-up time with your thesis and topic sentences if you've been absent or confused); also, please check out my thesis feedback on the blog.

2. Enjoying a quick self-edit of your topic sentences

3. Selecting the best quotations from your word trace to include in your essay

4. Composing our lead-ins: Making sure they're doing their two jobs

• Please compose your lead-ins on your outline / overview.

HW:
1. For TOMORROW:

• Make revisions to your topic sentences.

• Finish selecting quotations and pasting them into your outline.

• Finish composing your lead-ins. 

• IXL Writing Strategies, Level J: Correct Errors in Everyday Use (O.6)

HEADS-UP: Final draft of Word Trace essay due in Turnitin.com

by Thursday, Feb 28 (4:00 pm).

2. By March 4: Finish reading your banned book.

Refining Your Thesis: February 20, 2019

Focus: How can we write a clear, specific, analytical, and provable thesis statement?

1. Warming up with the lyrics of the Flobots and connecting them back to Macbeth's (self-?) destruction

2. Workshopping your thesis statements

3. Organizing your ideas into body paragraphs and composing topic sentences

HW:
1. For TOMORROW:

• Make revisions to your thesis and post it on TODAY'S CLASS BLOG.

• Finish composing your two topic sentences if you did not finish in class today.

2. For FRIDAY: IXL Writing Strategies, Level J: Correct Errors in Everyday Use (O.6)

HEADS-UP: Final draft of Word Trace essay due in Turnitin.com

by Thursday, Feb 28 (4:00 pm).

3. By March 4: Finish reading your banned book.

Connecting Words to Themes: February 19, 2019

Focus: What larger themes do our word trace words reveal?

1. Warming up with three good things

2. Returning to your opening Macbeth survey and considering how Shakespeare would respond to these questions

• Are there any questions that relate directly or indirectly to your word trace conclusions?

3. Understanding the purpose of the Macbeth Word Trace essay and composing thesis statements

• Click HERE for the overview and outline.

HW:
1. For TOMORROW: Finish your thesis statement tonight if you did not finish in class.

2. Read your banned week (due in exactly ONE week).

3. By FRIDAY: IXL Writing Strategies, Level J: Correct Errors in Everyday Use (O.6)

HEADS-UP: Final draft of Word Trace essay due in Turnitin.com

by Thursday, Feb 28 (4:00 pm).

Finalizing and Formalizing: February 15, 2019

Focus: What do we need to finalize and formalize at the end of the first 6 weeks?

1. Warming up by formalizing a freewrite; click HERE for options.

2. Enjoying and interpreting the final battle scene in Macbeth

3. Finalizing, revising, and editing your Word Trace

• Click HERE for the rubric.

HW:
1. Make sure your Word Trace is complete and in your shared folder.

2. Read your banned book (just two weekends left!).

Nobility in Battle: February 14, 2019

Focus: According to Shakespeare, what does it mean to lead a noble life? What does it mean to have a noble death?

1. Warming up with the lyrics of the Flobots and connecting them back to Macbeth's (self-?) destruction

2. Battling out the rest of Act 5 with a focus who lives, who dies, and why it matters:

In your in-class work document (or with sticky notes--your choice), keep a list of which characters die. For each one, discuss and write down...

• How does the character die?

• Is the death a "noble" one (think back to your brainstorming from last week)?

• How is the manner of death is fitting for each particular character? Try to think of each death symbolically.

• Which characters get to live, and why is significant that they survive?

3. If time allows, viewing and discussing Polanski's interpretation of Act 5

HW:
1 For FRIDAY:

• Complete your 8-10 word trace entries.

• Complete IXL Writing Strategies, Level J: Correct Errors in Signs (O.5)

• All make-up and revised work from the past 6 weeks is due this Friday, Feb 15 by 3:45.

2. Ongoing: Read your banned book (due March 4).

And the Battle Begins: February 13, 2019

Focus: To what extent do the prophecies come true in the battle scenes, and why?

Tribe: Shortened Class

1. Warming up with the 2015 film version of Lady Macbeth sleepwalking

• How does it differ from the version we watched yesterday?

• What interesting choices does this direct make, and why?

2. Battling out the first half of Act 5

• Please have out your apparition charts, and use the final column to keep track of which prophecies come true (and which do not).

HW:
1. For TOMORROW: Bring an umbrella to class.

2. For FRIDAY:

• Complete your 8-10 word trace entries.

• Complete IXL Writing Strategies, Level J: Correct Errors in Signs (O.5)

• All make-up and revised work from the past 6 weeks is due this Friday, Feb 15 by 3:45.

3. Ongoing: Read your banned book (due March 4).

Lady Macbeth, Then and Now: February 12, 2019

Focus: How has Lady Macbeth changed, and why?

1. Warming up with a quick wrap up of yesterday's analysis of Macduff and little background on sleepwalking

2. Reading 5.1 together with a focus on diagnosing her sleep disturbance

• Whom does she mention (and not mention)?

• What is she seeing, and why?

• What's happening to Lady Macbeth, and why?

• What larger theme might her mental breakdown suggest? In other words, what is Shakespeare trying to help us understand better or differently?

3. Watching and analyzing two different film versions of her sleepwalking scene
(2:05:30)

• What symbolic choices does each film version make?

• How do these choice affect the way we feel/think about Lady Macbeth?

HW:
1. For TOMORROW: Bring an umbrella to class.

2. For FRIDAY:

• Complete your 8-10 word trace entries.

• Complete IXL Writing Strategies, Level J: Correct Errors in Signs (O.5)

• All make-up and revised work from the past 6 weeks is due this Friday, Feb 15 by 3:45.

2. Ongoing: Read your banned book (due March 4).

Foils: February 11, 2019

Focus: How does Act 4 lay the battleground for Act 5?

1. Warming up with three good things and your final Shakespearean goal!

2. Acting out the rest of Act 4 together with a focus on foils

3. Reflecting on Act 4 with a partner and this guide; finishing Act 4 with a focus on where our empathy lies

HW:
1. For FRIDAY:

• Complete your 8-10 word trace entries.

• Complete IXL Writing Strategies, Level J: Correct Errors in Signs (O.5)

• All make-up and revised work from the past 6 weeks is due this Friday, Feb 15 by 3:45.

2. Ongoing: Read your banned book (due March 4).

Reading, Writing, and Watching: February 8, 2019

Focus: How does the film version of Acts 3 and 4 solidify our challenge our opinions about characters?

1. Warming up with with your weekly participation: Did you meet your goal? (5 minutes)

2. Enjoying Friday Freewrite #5 (10 minutes)

2. Checking in with your banned book schedule and reading your banned book (30 minutes)

• Please remember that these are due in three weeks.

3. Viewing the film version of the end of Act 3 and most of Act 4 (20 minutes)

(Start around 59:00; please don't go past 1:22.)

HW:
1. Please make sure your Word Trace is up to date through Act 4. The final Word Trace (8-10 entries) will be due next Friday, February 15.

2. Read your banned book.

The Macduffs and Shifting Empathy: February 7, 2019

Focus: How does our empathy begin to shift in Act 4?

Offering you a quick preview of tomorrow...

1. Warming up with the name game: Take a quick look at the names that Shakespeare invented, and hypothesize why he may have chosen these names in particular. If it helps, think about what each names sounds like.

• Banquo
• Fleance
• Macduff
• Lady Macduff

2. Acting out 4.2 together: Why do you think Shakespeare includes this scene?

3. Reflecting on Act 4 with a partner and this guide; finishing Act 4 with a focus on where our empathy lies

HW:
1. Read your banned book (must be finished by March 4). BRING IT TO CLASS ON FRIDAY FOR A LITTLE READING TIME.

2. Update your word trace document (you should have at least 6 or 7 entries by the end of Act 4).

3. For FRIDAY: Achieve and 85 or higher in IXL Writing Strategies, Level J: Correct Errors with Frequently Confused Words (O.4)

Surprising Appearances: February 6, 2019

Focus: What and who appears in Act 4 for the first time, and why is this significant?

1. Warming up with 10 minutes of IXL / Word Trace time! You're welcome!

2. Acting out 4.1 with the apparition chart to prepare you for the play's ending

3. Reading 4.2 with your Acting Companies and responding to the following questions, grid-group style:

• Why might Shakespeare have the audience witness the murder of Lady Macduff and her son instead of having it happen off stage?

• How does Lady Macduff compare/contrast to Lady Macbeth?

• Take our your apparition charts from 4.1, and talk through the prophecies and Macbeth's reaction to them. Are there any paradoxes here

HW:
1. Read your banned book (must be finished by March 4). BRING IT TO CLASS ON FRIDAY FOR A LITTLE READING TIME.

2. Update your word trace document (you should have at least 6 or 7 entries by the end of Act 4).

3. For FRIDAY: Achieve and 85 or higher in IXL Writing Strategies, Level J: Correct Errors with Frequently Confused Words (O.4)

Ghost Adventures: February 5, 2019

Focus: What is the larger significance of Banquo's ghost?

1. Warming up with two film interpretations of Act 3, Scene 4 (Banquo's ghost)

For the Polanski version: (1:18:28) Look up "bear baiting."

• When Macbeth lands in the bear baiting arena, what might this symbolize?

• What's one other symbolic choice that you're wondering about? Offer an interpretation or ask a question about it.

For the 2010 (WWI) version: (1:21:18)

• Do you remember the three "nurses" from the opening scene? Why might have the director have included them here?

• What's one other symbolic choice that you're wondering about? Offer an interpretation or ask a question about it.

2. Finishing and reviewing yesterday's understanding check-in on Acts 2 and 3

3. Reading Act 3, scene 6 for your word trace word and important plot points

4. Acting out Act 4, scene 1 with 3 the apparition chart to prepare yourself for the play's ending

HW:
1. Read your banned book (must be finished by March 4). BRING IT TO CLASS ON FRIDAY FOR A LITTLE READING TIME.

2. Update your word trace document (you should have at least 5 entries by the end of Act 3).

3. For FRIDAY: Achieve and 85 or higher in IXL Writing Strategies, Level J: Correct Errors with Frequently Confused Words (O.4)

Mental (In)Stability: February 4, 2019

Focus: How are the characters' mental states shifting in Act 3?

1. Warming up with three good things

2. Researching possible diagnoses of Macbeth (and Lady Macbeth)

Click HERE for a brief background on different types of personality disorders.

In your "Warm-ups" document, please respond to the following questions:

• Which ones fit Macbeth (or Lady Macbeth)?

• Find one or two lines from the play that support your diagnosis.

3. Acting out the rest of Act 3 together with a focus on diagnosing Macbeth

Use your sticky notes to...

• Find evidence for your diagnosis.

• Find shifts in characters.

• Find your word trace word.

In Acts 2 and 3, Lady Macbeth shifts from ______ to ______.

In Acts 2 and 3, Macbeth shifts from _____ to ______.

4. Checking your understanding of Acts 2 and 3 with a partner quiz

HW:
1. Read your banned book (must be finished by March 4).

2. Update your word trace document (you should have at least 5 entries by the end of Act 3).

3. For FRIDAY: Achieve and 85 or higher in IXL Writing Strategies, Level J: Correct Errors with Frequently Confused Words (O.4)

Friday Freewrite: February 1, 2019

Focus: What clutters the mind?

1. Warming up with your weekly Shakespearean focus and participation: Did you meet your goal?

2. Indulging in our fourth Friday Freewrite: Click HERE for the prompt.

3. Analyzing the film version of Macbeth (39 to 59) with a focus on symbolic choices

4. Discussing and illustrating Macbeth's mind symbolically; return to your Friday Freewrite prompt and draw a rendition of what's cluttering Macbeth's mind

• What issues/conflicts is Macbeth grappling with?

• What images could you use to represent those issues and conflicts symbolically?

• Which images are the largest / most dominant?

• Which images are in conflict with each other?

• What colors can you use symbolically?

Take a picture of your drawing and upload it to your "Warm-ups" document.

HW:
1. Read your banned book (you have about 3 weeks left).

2. Make sure your word trace is up to date for Act 2 and the first half of Act 3.