TED Talk Tuesdays

When I first introduced this, I selected a TED Talk that connected to the unit of study. The connections were thematic, conceptual, skills practice, elaboration/extension of a “big idea”, etc.  I’d have the kids listen and write down how the talk related to the unit. Then we’d have a share-aloud Q and A.   After I did a few of these, the kids started to ask if they could “present” a Talk, which was always the plan, but I figured it would take them a while to want to facilitate the discussion from the Talk. When they first asked to do these, I left it open-ended; they could choose whichever Talk they felt presented an “idea worth spreading”.

 

TED Talk Tuesdays:

**Student has a week to find and prepare.

  1. Choose a Talk that relates to the current unit of study.
  2. The Talk has to be between 8-12 minutes. This made the students have to “edit” some Talks  since some of the Talks lasted the entire 18 minutes that TED allots to its speakers.
  3. Create two facilitating questions.

**OPTIONAL: I had the student send me the questions and the link to their Talk by Monday morning for review and to post to the blog after the presentation. **

  1. Present the questions to the class prior to viewing the Talk.
  2. Have a short 5 minute Q and A.
  3. Give me a six word summary of the Talk, which could also be posted to the blog.
  4. At the end, student draws a name for the next week’s Talk.
  5. They received a grade for the quality of the questions and the accuracy of the summary.

Writing the Final Draft

If you choose to write your final draft on college-ruled loose-leaf paper, follow these guidelines:

* Write in BLUE or BLACK ink for the entire composition.
* Add the complete heading in the upper left: Name/Class/Period/Date:

          First Name and Last Name
          GT ILA Grade ____
          Periods  */*
          26 September 2012

* Center the title on the top line. Punctuate properly.
* Skip a line and begin your first paragraph.
* Stay between the two red margins.
* Only write on the back if the pen does not bleed through the paper.
If you choose to type your paper, follow these guidelines:

* Set your margins at 1″ for  top/bottom/left/right.
* Use Times New Roman or Arial font only from beginning to end.
* Use 12pt font size only from beginning to end.
* Single-space your heading.
* Center your title. Punctuate properly.
* Skip line space and begin your first paragraph.
* Set the body of your paper at 1.5 line-spacing.

Open Mic Mondays

Beginning Monday, October 1, we will have Open Mic Mondays!

Guidelines:
1.   Mondays (if we have a Monday holiday, Open Mic will resume regular schedule the following Monday)
2.   Must sign-up
3.   3-5 students per Monday
4.   2 minute time limit (at teacher’s discretion)
5.   Must be ready

**A student may not sign-up two weeks in a row.
Criteria:
A) Original work done by the student (writing, poetry, music, art, etc.)  OR 
B) News item, et cetera. related to our novel study  OR
C) Something related to your age and socioemotional needs (ex: 10 Tips for Talking to Teachers).
Audience:
Will write a response  to each work shared and turn in for a daily check.

Downsiders Resources

Book Description

Talon lives Downside, that is, underneath New York City. There is a strict code of secrecy among the Downsiders. However, when Talon accidentally meets a young woman named Lindsay, who is a Topsider (from above the ground), the two worlds inevitably collide. They become friends and love blossoms. The punishment for Talon’s lack of discretion could be death. What will happen to them? Will the entire Downsider community be discovered?

http://www.storyman.com/books/downsiders.html

 

60 Second Recap
What happens when the world we know collides with the world down below? The answer will rock the very foundations of both the Topside, and the strange, secret world below it.

Barnes and Noble: My Favorite Teacher Contest

Enrichment Opportunity (Writing):

Barnes and Noble is sponsoring a My Favorite Teacher contest open only to middle and high school students.  The deadline is March 1, 2013, so this might be a great writing activity around the Thanksgiving break (9 weeks away…but who’s counting?) or even the Christmas holiday vacation (14 weeks away).

Here are the official contest rules.  Happy Friday!

9/11 Writing Prompt – American Symbolism

Courtesy of Teachinghub.com

This memorial is designed using imagery often associated with America, as well as symbols that come from nature. Name three symbols used in the memorial. Explain what each symbol means and how that object/thing has a greater meaning.

Link to videos: http://www.teachhub.com/911-memorial-video-writing-prompts

Learning Target: I can identify symbols and discuss (American) symbolism in a paragraph form.