Self assessment post presidential pitch - SA15P

Quiz - The main branches of the U.S. Government - NA16F

I Am NOT Black, You Are NOT White - Diversity

Now, more than ever, the urgency to emphasize that diversity enriches us is great....and growing day by day. After starting to read All American Boys (we're part of the Global Read Aloud 2016) we are starting to soak our minds in the notion that we don't like labeling, it confines us and limits our thinking. Today the lesson starts with the video above....

Against The Wall from Against The Wall on Vimeo.

Nobel Prize in Literature awarded to Bob Dylan

The Nobel Committee announced a few minutes ago that Bob Dylan has been awarded the prize in literature 2016. Here's an example of his lyrics: 

Like a Rolling Stone

Once upon a time you dressed so fine
Threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
People call say 'beware doll, you're bound to fall'
You thought they were all kidding you
You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hanging out
Now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud
About having to be scrounging your next meal

How does it feel, how does it feel?
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone

Ahh you've gone to the finest schools, alright Miss Lonely
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
Nobody's ever taught you how to live out on the street
And now you're gonna have to get used to it
You say you never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but now you realize
He's not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And say do you want to make a deal?

How does it feel, how does it feel?
To be on your own, with no direction home
A complete unknown, like a rolling stone

Ah you never turned around to see the frowns
On the jugglers and the clowns when they all did tricks for you
You never understood that it ain't no good
You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you
You used to ride on a chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
Ain't it hard when you discovered that
He really wasn't where it's at
After he took from you everything he could steal

How does it feel, how does it feel?
To have on your own, with no direction home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone

Ahh princess on a steeple and all the pretty people
They're all drinking, thinking that they've got it made
Exchanging all precious gifts
But you better take your diamond ring, you better pawn it babe
You used to be so amused
At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Go to him he calls you, you can't refuse
When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose
You're invisible now, you've got no secrets to conceal

How does it feel, ah how does it feel?
To be on your own, with no direction home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone

Read more:  Bob Dylan - Like A Rolling Stone Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

Evaluation of Module ": The Curious Incident... - NA16F

For those interested - the second presidential debate

The actual debate starts about 30 minutes in...

Snapshot from today - Giving presidential speeches

Evaluation of Module 2: the U.S. Election 2016 - to be answered after giving your own speech

After giving your speeches I want you to do this evaluation of module 2. After completing this evaluation you log onto PingPong and do the self-assessment there. Thanks!

Snapshots from today

Today during lesson time we chose to stop our reading of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" mid-way through, in order to analyze and describe the traits/likes/dislikes of the main character in the book - Christopher. The class was divided into their study groups - eight of them - and cooperated in noting down words describing Christopher. Each group then presented their findings on the whiteboard. I also put the words into a canvas-poster that I put up in the classroom.

Here's the poster all put together: 

Evaluation of module 1: Tolerance

"Presidential Pitch" - ENG 5

In your speech I will look at the following: 

Tip of the day - an interactive way to learn about history and the USA

Snapshot from today - Quizlet live

We used Quizlet live today as we tested our knowledge about the three US branches of government. When the students got the hang of it there was a lot of laughter, excitement, cooperation and winners!

Words to U.S. Election 2016 - ENG 5

Words to U.S. Election 2016 - gravity

Words to U.S. Election 2016 - scatter

The curious incident of the dog in the night-time - Module 2: ENG 5 for NA16F

Plan for book

Questions 

This exit ticket really made my day!

Needless to say really, but this exit ticket made my day. The students were asked "What have you learned this week?" and this student's answer blew me away. I've succeeded in making this student feel comfortable in my classroom and in understanding that making mistakes is part of the learning process... A good feeling indeed. :)

Q&A with Lakeside Junior High, Springdale, Arkansas

Today my students got the chance to hang out with some students at Lakeside Junior High in Springdale, Arkansas through Google Hangout. We had prepared some topics to discuss - prisons, health care, education, diversity and the Nordic model. Each group had prepared some questions - and imagined possible answers to the questions coming in- and the discussion went on for close to 60 minutes. So educational - among other things, we found out that you may have to pay 5,000 dollars to mend a broken arm in the U.S., that there are "ladies' etiquette clubs" and "gentlemen's clubs" as extra-curricular activities at Lakeside Junior High, that a general type of lunch could be a chicken sandwich and that a typical stereotype of a southerner is a person in overalls playing a banjo. :)

Thanks to Brian for arranging yet another great Hangout! And thanks to my awesome students!

Link to video clip from Hangout

"Module 2: U.S. Election" for English 5 for SA16M + SA16P

Link to plan for U.S. Election ENG 5

Clinton and Trump - positions on a few issues right now:
sources: (screen dumps from www.procon.org)

How to summarize a story - some good tips

Here is the link to the wikihow page that we took a look at last week:

http://www.wikihow.com/Summarize-a-Story

Quizlet spelling - words for module 1: tolerance English 6

Here is the link to Quizlet