Week 7 Syllabus: October 2-6

MARGINAL ANNOTATONS SHOULD REFLECT THE READERS dialogue with the text about meaning. For narrative works, that includes your questions about what you’re reading: questions of clarification and questions that develop your thinking. Readers should write out their observations about the theme within the story, identifying and explaining a passage’s importance—be that a character conflict, a symbolic description, or an extended metaphor that develops the writer’s theme. There are lots of ways to annotate. Most importantly, you should practice engaging your reading in a dialogue. What do you notice? What is the writer doing? What would good readers notice, and what do they think it means?

MONDAY, October 2

  • Wordplay. Starting with a “Chelkash” crossword for the first 30 minutes, with partners.

  • Lecture on annotation. Returning student’s “The Machine Stops” and discussing feedback and grading system for the 25% of your grade made up of annotations.

  • Reading part three together in class.

  • HW: Answer question #6 in the part one worksheet. Check your annotations in “Chelkash,” based upon the feedback you’ve just gotten about the last assignment.

WEDNESDAY (anchor day)

  • STAR reports that include Lexile scores and reading recommendations.

  • Small group work on plot lines for parts two and three.

  • HW: Finish and staple together the three guides (intro, part one, and parts two-and-three). Due in class tomorrow.

THURSDAY, October 5

  • Returning to small groups to finish your plot lines on parts two and three.

  • The sub will collect part one (setting), part two (character) and part three (plot) worksheets mentioned above. Sub will also collect your annotations.

  • HW: On Monday, we will hold our discussion on “Chelkash”. Do preview our next story, “Those Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula Le Guin—it’s short, but powerful. We will re-read it at least twice.