Humans of AISJ  Blog Address

Humans of AISJ

CELEBRATION OF LEARNING VOLUNTEERS

I NEED A COUPLE OF VOLUNTEERS FROM EACH CLASS TO HELP ME WITH A "CELEBRATION" OF LEARNING SPOKEN WORD POEM

THE POEM WILL BE PRESENTED ON JUNE 8 AT OUR "COL" ASSEMBLY

TALK TO ME!  THANKS  FOR YOUR HELP!!!

Harvard U - Spoken Word "Speech"

TELLING LIES GROUP POEM AND APOLOGY POEM

Telling Lies

Telling Lies Poetry

A different way of looking

One of the pleasures of writing poems is that you can tell lies without getting into trouble! It’s just using your imagination.

• Each member of your group will write three lies about the something other than the sea (the sky, the moon the stars, the sun, the clouds etc. can also work well)

• Be wild and imaginative with your lies avoiding the obvious or the dull (the moon is made of cheese).

A few examples of what they could write are:

The sea is made of blue ink and green paint

The sea hates it when it’s drawn as a wavy line.

The sea is cold because it hasn’t got a coat on

The sea going up and down is a sign it’s still breathing

The sea feeds on rubbish but even he can’t manage it all

If you smack the sea it will splash you back

The sea has a small cousin who is a pond

The sea will wave to you when you turn to leave

As you can see, what starts off as a lie becomes a mix of word play, sometimes truth, and off-the-wall creativity. It gives a chance to use imagination without forcing it and with a sense of fun.

Your group will perform/read the poem aloud - reading each member’s own line.

EMMETT

NO EXPLANATION NEEDED

"EMMETT" BY THE PHILADELPHIA BRAVE NEW VOICES TEAM




CLICK HERE FOR THE  LINK TO BRAVE NEW VOICES - YOUTH SPEAKS

Personification and Family Metaphor Poems

H AND F BLOCKS 

TURN IN YOUR "WORD" POEMS TO ME RIGHT NOW! HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE ANNOTATED YOUR OWN WORK.

FRIDAY JUNE 3 YOU WILL HAVE A POETRY ANNOTATIONS SUMMATIVE AND YOU WILL TURN IN ALL THE POEMS YOU HAVE WRITTEN IN CLASS

C AND D BLOCKS 

TURN IN YOUR "WORD POEMS TO ME ON WEDNESDAY 5/25

THURSDSAY JUNE 2 YOU WILL HAVE A POETRY ANNOTATIONS SUMMATIVE AND YOU WILL TURN IN ALL OF THE POEMS YOU HAVE WRITTEN IN CLASS 

                 

But first, a poem:

Abstract vs. Concrete

Today we will finish our poetry packet with Abstract vs Concrete

Then

You will work on 1) personification poem or 2) family metaphor poem.

Word Intolerance

Today:  Work on Similes in the Poetry Packet

Homeword
F and H - Wed
D and C - Thursday

Guidelines

Write a poem - the story of the word you put on the "Wall of Intolerance"
Use as many poetic devices as you can - maybe do these on rewrites
Be honest; be brave; use the model of the spoken word poets we have watched

Poetry and Poetry Packet

Poetry and Beyonce' "Lemondade"

TODAY:

I will take you through the annotation for meaning of BEYONCE'S new song

"FREEDOM"

LET'S WATCH THIS POEM - and THANK SEHAR FOR FINDING IT FOR US!!



You will turn in your assignment - poetry in music - remember what you must do for this assignment:

Choose a favorite song - one that speaks to you - print out the lyrics and answer the following questions:

YOU MUST ANNOTATE DIRECTLY ONTO YOUR PRINTED PAPER

• What makes this poem compelling?
• What is the theme/message/meaning of the poem?
• What makes this song a poem (consider poetic elements/devices also called figurative language)?

I will, of course, ask some of you to share your favorite poems.

WE WILL PUT FORTH GREAT EFFORT TO WORK ON OUR POETRY PACKETS
So make sure you bring your packets to class.

What Kind of Stories Must Be Told

TODAY:

We are going to dive right into the poetry packet - step-by-step - to make sure you have an understanding of:

Onomatopoeia; Personification; Alliteration; 
Assonance; Simile; Metaphor and the concept
of Abstract vs. Concrete



TWO OF THE MOST ESSENTIAL OF ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

"WHY WRITE POEMS?"

"WHAT KIND OF STORIES MUST BE TOLD?"  
The poetry of protest against human injustices

The Death of Emmett Till 

Was down in Mississippi not so long ago
When a young boy from Chicago town
Walked in a Southern door

This boy's fateful tragedy
You all should remember well
The color of his skin was black
And his name was Emmett Till

Some men, they dragged him to a barn
And there they beat him up
They said they had a reason
But disremember what

They tortured him and did some things
Too evil to repeat
There were screaming sounds inside the barn
There was laughing sounds out on the street

Then they rolled his body down a gulf
Amidst a blood red rain
And they threw him in the waters wide
To cease his screaming pain

The reason that they killed him there
And I'm a-sure, it ain't no lie
'Cause he was born in black-skin barn
He was born to die

And then to stop the United States
Of yelling for a trial
Two brothers, they confessed
That they had killed poor Emmett Till

But on the jury there were men
Who had helped the brothers commit this awful crime
And so this trial was a mockery
But nobody there seemed to mind

I saw the morning papers
But I could not bear
To see smiling brothers
Walkin' down the courthouse stairs

For the jury found them innocent
And the brothers, they went free
While Emmett's body floats the foam
Of a Jim Crow southern sea

If you can't speak out against this kind of thing
A crime that's so unjust
Your eyes are filled with dead men's clay
Your ears must be filled with dust

Your arms and legs
They must be in shackles and chains
And your mind, it must cease to flow
For you to let our human race
Fall down so God-awful low

This song is just a reminder
To remind your fellow man
That this kind of thing still lives today
In that ghost-robed Ku Klux Klan

But if all of us folks that thinks alike
If we gave all we could give
We could make this great land of ours
A greater place to live

Bob Dylan - The Death Of Emmett Till Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

"The Death of Emmett Till"

A few other poems to be heard!

Reflection Essays are Due and a Little Poetry

ANYONE FEEL LIKE THIS

TODAY:
1)Make sure that your essays are in ONE NOTE in your own folder labeled
HOAISJ REFLECTION
2)We will write a class poem about a subject of our choice (pain, love, friendship, etc)
2)Let's make some progress on your poetry packets - WHERE ARE YOU


 

A Poem and some choices

LA Blocks C & D

Dear sub and students:

Please begin the day with a Spoken Word poem 

QUESTION FOR BRIEF DISCUSSION:  WHAT MAKES THIS A DYNAMIC SPOKEN WORK POEM?
Think - structure, pace, tone, passion, personal experience, its universality, and the use of poetic/literary devices (creation of rhythm, rhyme, repetition, etc.)

The students are all in different places, doing different projects.  They have 3 choices:

1)    They may use part of the time to organize their Language Arts contribution to their portfolios in preparation for the student led conferences.  All of their LA work is in folders by my desk.

      2)   They must turn in their Humans of AISJ reflective/informational essays on Thursday.  They can use this time to fine-tune their work, which means;

a.     reading the essay aloud to fix any errors in organization and conventions

b.     work with a peer to fine tune the essay based on feedback

c.     They can get feedback from me, but they must send the essay in a MS WORD document because I cannot access their work on One Note from home.  They can send it as an attachment to my email address dmoreau@aisj-jhb.com 

 3) Or, they can work on their poetry packet (they are all at different places), which provides an overview, examples and exercises to better understand the fundamentals of figurative language.  REITERATE the necessity for them to READ EVERY WORD AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THE EXERCISES – they must not skip sections as this packet is meant to build on understanding – their ability to do this with or without help will tell alert me to their understanding. They can work with a partner – but they must stay focused.  Don’t hesitate to split up the groups that are fooling around and getting nothing done. As they get into more complicated figurative language, they will have questions – please help as best you can.  Or have them email me.

So, they have work to do and should not waste time.

It is imperative that you walk around and check in with the students so that you:

1.     know what they are doing and their accomplishment goals during class time.

2.     Know they are staying on task and not wasting valuable time.

3.     If they ask to go outside, they must stay within site the classroom for easy check-ins. 

                    

Today we will accomplish work in our Poetry Packet - let's see where you are. But first,

           a poem.

 Today I will also take a few minutes remind you of what I am looking for in your Reflective Essay

                    

An Exemplar - Rough Draft

WRITING A BOOK

A REFLECTION OF LEARNING IN A MULTI-PARAGRAPH ESSAY

     Never in my entire life did I ever think that I would actually become a published author.  I hated writing until I was way into adulthood.  But one day something clicked and I remembered a very significant time in my life that I felt had to be written down – somewhere, somehow.  It wasn’t easy.  When I think of the approaches to learning that AISJ asks students to pay attention to – those fabulous behaviors that teachers are convinced ensure successful learning – I wondered how I approached writing my book using the ATLs.  I believe that I aced three of the ATLs – takes ownership of learning, contributes to the learning process, and cooperates and interacts respectfully with others.  Practicing self-management was one that I struggled during the five years it took me to write the book.

     I have always struggled with procrastination.  Even when I want to do something, I find ways to get out of doing whatever I need to do to get things done.  I remember starting out the day, raring to go, knowing that I had to write at least 1000 words before the day ended.   And there I would sit.  I would stare at the computer.  Maybe pet the kitties for a while.  Or I would just find an excuse to make another cup of tea.  As deadlines approached, I realized I needed to get my act together so I could submit my work to my editor in an organized, well-structured narrative.  I made my deadlines – most of the time.  But I did occasionally panic and pull all-nighters, which was not so great for my need to sleep.  Thankfully, I did take ownership of my project, which was most definitely the ATL that saved me from my time-management failures.

     My book became my life, I owned it wholeheartedly because I believed that it was important for people to read about the, “…other side of the Vietnam War.”  I was more than engaged. I lived, ate, and breathed the book.  Even when I couldn’t find the right structure – the hardest part for me – I didn’t give up.  I read books to find guidance and the one that helped me the most, John Dos Passos’ USA, became the exemplar I used to structure Waiting Wives. I sought feedback from just about anyone who would read chapters.  Or, sometimes I just needed to throw around ideas.  Seeking feedback was so important because sometimes, when in the middle of a project, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture. At one point, early on, I realized that I needed to contribute more to the book than my personal knowledge about my own story. I need be well-armed with broader knowledge to tell other people’s stories. So, I prepared and researched for what seemed like years because I had to be fearless and filled with background information when I met people.

     The knowledge I acquired through research prepared me for the over one-hundred and fifty interviews – 98% were people I didn’t even know – I conducted. I researched for years.  I read every book about the Vietnam War I could get my hands.  I went to all of the major news broadcasting companies and watch old new footage.  Visiting war museums, reading classified documents, and scouring old newspapers on a microfiche reader became my entertainment.  I would have to cold-call, make appointments, and travel to see people, hoping against hope that their stories could add to my book.  And let me tell you, not going to lie, I AM THE SHYEST PERSON IN THE WORLD.  I wasn’t going to get anywhere if I didn’t conduct those interviews to find stories for the book.  I was terrified, but fearless. As a result, I heard amazing stories and met awesomely kind people that cooperated with me and whom I respected greatly.  After all, they were telling me about very personal, sometimes tragic events that happened in their lives.

     Being respectful to the unique situations of each person was essential to successful interviewing.  I remember I met with one woman who had a story so disturbing that I left it out of the book.  It simply did not fit with the theme of my narrative.  I had to remain neutral as she told the story even though, on the inside, I was crying for her and what she went through.  Another time, a woman’s story was soooooo boring that I could not wait to get out of her home and onto the next interview.  I couldn’t let her know how I felt – I needed to respect that fact that she thought her stories were fabulous.  Research led me to her, but in the end, I could not use any of her stories.  I was lucky to have many other stories from people’s experiences that helped me shape my book.  For sure, looking back through the lens of approaches to learning, I am certain that they helped me finish by book.

      The ATLs provided me with a solid foundation for me to complete my book with a successful outcome.  Really, when you think about it, the ATLs were a way for me to discipline myself in order to accomplish a great thing – publishing a book.  Even though I had an issue with time-management, engaging my other ATLs helped me to compensate for that one weakness.  Basically, they got my butt in gear.  Without them, I probably would have floundered around forever with a great idea, but nothing to show for it in the end. 

     So, I ask you – students of grade 8 - is the way we approach learning important?  Well, I can’t answer that for you, you will need to reflect, not only on the Humans of AISJ project, but on other assignments you have had and decide why they were successful, or not.

Color Coded for Organization

Thesis/Topic/Summing Up Voice/Thoughts/Opinion Evidence/Details Transition Sentences – final sentence in a paragraph that connects to the paragraph that follows

WRITING A BOOK

A REFLECTION OF LEARNING IN A MULTI-PARAGRAPH ESSAY

Never in my entire life did I ever think that I would actually become a published author.  I hated writing until I was way into adulthood.  But one day something clicked and I remembered a very significant time in my life that I felt had to be written down – somewhere, somehow.  It wasn’t easy.  When I think of the approaches to learning that AISJ asks students to pay attention to – those fabulous behaviors that teachers are convinced ensure successful learning – I wondered how I approached writing my book using the ATLs.  I believe that I aced three of the ATLs – takes ownership of learning, contributes to the learning process, and cooperates and interacts respectfully with others.  Practicing self-management was one that I struggled during the five years it took me to write the book.

I have always struggled with procrastination.  Even when I want to do something, I find ways to get out of doing whatever I need to do to get things done.  I remember starting out the day, raring to go, knowing that I had to write at least 1000 words before the day ended.   And there I would sit.  I would stare at the computer.  Maybe pet the kitties for a while.  Or I would just find an excuse to make another cup of tea.  As deadlines approached, I realized I needed to get my act together so I could submit my work to my editor in an organized, well-structured narrative.  I made my deadlines – most of the time.  But I did occasionally panic and pull all-nighters, which was not so great for my need to sleep.  Thankfully, I did take ownership of my project, which was most definitely the ATL that saved me from my time-management failures.

My book became my life, I owned it wholeheartedly because I believed that it was important for people to read about the, “…other side of the Vietnam War.”  I was more than engaged. I lived, ate, and breathed the book.  Even when I couldn’t find the right structure – the hardest part for me – I didn’t give up.  I read books to find guidance and the one that helped me the most, John Dos Passos’ USA, became the exemplar I used to structure Waiting Wives. I sought feedback from just about anyone who would read chapters.  Or, sometimes I just needed to throw around ideas.  Seeking feedback was so important because sometimes, when in the middle of a project, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture. At one point, early on, I realized that I needed to contribute more to the book than my personal knowledge about my own story. I needed to be well-armed with broader knowledge to tell other people’s stories. So, I prepared and researched for what seemed like years because I had to be fearless and filled with background information when I met people.

The knowledge I acquired through research prepared me for the over one-hundred and fifty interviews – 98% were people I didn’t even know – I conducted. I researched for years.  I read every book about the Vietnam War I could get my hands.  I went to all of the major news broadcasting companies and watch old new footage.  Visiting war museums, reading classified documents, and scouring old newspapers on a microfiche reader became my entertainment.  I would have to cold-call, make appointments, and travel to see people, hoping against hope that their stories could add to my book.  And let me tell you, not going to lie, I AM THE SHYEST PERSON IN THE WORLD.  I wasn’t going to get anywhere if I didn’t conduct those interviews to find stories for the book.  I was terrified, but fearless. As a result, I heard amazing stories and met awesomely kind people that cooperated with me and whom I respected greatly.  After all, they were telling me about very personal, sometimes tragic events that happened in their lives.

Being respectful to the unique situations of each person was essential to successful interviewing.  I remember I met with one woman who had a story so disturbing that I left it out of the book.  It simply did not fit with the theme of my narrative.  I had to remain neutral as she told the story even though, on the inside, I was crying for her and what she went through.  Another time, a woman’s story was soooooo boring that I could not wait to get out of her home and onto the next interview.  I couldn’t let her know how I felt – I needed to respect that fact that she thought her stories were fabulous.  Research led me to her, but in the end, I could not use any of her stories.  I was lucky to have many other stories from people’s experiences that helped me shape my book.  For sure, looking back through the lens of approaches to learning, I am certain that they helped me finish by book.

The ATLs provided me with a solid foundation for me to complete my book with a successful outcome.  Really, when you think about it, the ATLs were a way for me to discipline myself in order to accomplish a great thing – publishing a book.  Even though I had an issue with time-management, engaging my other ATLs helped me to compensate for that one weakness.  Basically, they got my butt in gear.  Without them, I probably would have floundered around forever with a great idea, but nothing to show for it in the end. 

So, I ask you – students of grade 8 - is the way you approach learning important?  Well, I can’t answer that for you, you will need to reflect, not only on the Humans of AISJ project, but on other assignments you have had and decide why you were successful, or not.

REFLECTION

Today we will step back from poetry and begin the process of
reflection on the work done on HOAISJ.

HUMANS OF AISJ - A REFLECTION OF LEARNING

This project, though it seemed easy at first, took a long time to perfect.  But, what have you learned?

·        Your approaches to learning

·        Our community

·        Skills you can carry with you throughout your academic career – and beyond, maybe.

Approaches to Learning were instrumental in the success of this project. Talk with your parents and/or your friends, and thoughtfully reflect on your learning.

ASSIGNMENT: REFLECTION ON YOUR ATLs – Write a multi-paragraph essay that provides thoughtful reflections about your approaches to learning.  This essay must be well organized using an introductory paragraph with a topic sentence, paragraphs with details that provide descriptions, and examples/evidence of your approaches to learning, and must have a concluding paragraph that sums up what you have written about your learning.  You must be honest about what you did well or not so well.  You must pay attention to your conventions, making sure that you have spelled, punctuated, and capitalized properly. THIS ESSAY IS PART OF YOUR GRADE FOR WRITING AND CONVENTIONS. I WILL HAVE GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS AT THE FRONT OF THE CLASS IF YOU FEEL YOU NEED TO ORGANIZE YOUR THOUGHTS BEFORE WRITING YOUR ESSAY.

THE APPROACH TO LEARNING	THE ULTIMATE DESCRIPTOR	YES! I was awesome at just about everything.	NOT for everything! I could have done better.	NO, not so much – this is a weak area for me.
Takes ownership for learning	Ø  You were engaged in the project, which added to the depth and richness of the stories, and therefore, your learning.  Ø  You worked to your ability, but you challenged yourself, sought help when needed, and helped others gain a fuller understanding.  Ø  You were self-motivated to seek feedback and you sought opportunities to make your stories wonderful.
Contributes to the learning process	Ø  You used every moment of class time effectively and your behavior in class enhanced your opportunity for a successful outcome. Ø  You fearlessly went out and sought interviews.   Ø  Your attitude was fabulous because you understood and embraced the concept and worth of the project.
Cooperates and interacts respectfully with others	Ø  You were kind, helpful, and friendly to your classmates during the interview and editing process. Ø  You worked together with your editing partners to ensure that everyone’s story was the best possible story.  Ø  You listened carefully to your editing partners, accepted their ideas, and improved your stories based on the feedback offered.  Ø  You were respectful of other’s ideas and opinions.
Practices self-management	Ø  You were incredibly organized – making sure that all of your photos and narratives were in order.   Ø  You met all deadlines.  Ø  Overall, you used your time wisely.

You will have one class to prepare for and work on this essay – C and D block Thursday April 21 and F and H Friday April 22 : 
FROM THERE, TAKE 20 MINUTES PER DAY TO WORK ON YOUR ESSAY. I WILL CHECK YOUR PROGRESS AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH CLASS UNTIL THE ASSIGNMENT IS DUE

Essay due dates:    Blocks C & D May 5 and Blocks F & H  May 6 – It is unlikely that there will be an opportunity for revisions, so you must apply everything you have learned about editing to this paper – READ IT ALOUD, SHARE WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS – LET THEM BE YOUR EDITORS.

"Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful." Rita Dove

Today we will:

• Find out what you know about poetryand what kind of poetry you have written
• Watch a spoken word poem by Sarah Kay and
• Write your first poem

TODAY, hopefully, we will embark on our journey into the beautiful language of poetry.

First, let's have a look and a listen to this great TED talk about the human need to have poetry in their lives.

SPECIAL NOTICE

I am sending your edited stories to school tomorrow (Tuesday).  Please look for your stories, either in class, or in the office.  There are tiny little changes you must make. Thanks - Ms M

Humans of AISJ and Poetry

                  

Happy Monday - I'll be out for a couple of days.  I had a motorcycle accident on Saturday evening.  My back tire went out from under me when it slid on some wet paint on Witkoppen.  One minute I was up, and a millisecond later, I was rolling down the road.  Not pretty.  But, some nice folks stopped to help me and all my Harley friends came thundering down the road to my rescue, stayed with me in the hospital, and then made sure I was home safe.

BUT, NO WORRIES, I AM FINE.  Nothing broken. Just a little banged up on my right side. Little Red is pretty banged up, too.  However, we will both recover in no time.

Here's the plan for today:
STAY FOCUSED. DON'T FOOL AROUND JUST BECAUSE I AM OUT!

1.  Mr. Barton will be in today to show you how to prepare your stories for SWAY, which is the format we will use for our Humans of AISJ.  It's perfect. YOU WILL LOVE IT AND BE PROUD TO BE A PART OF IT.

2.  ONLY those of you who are DONE-DONE should give him your stories.  I am still editing first drafts and DONISH

3.  Those of you who need to edit, make sure you get help. The students who are DONE-DONE can help you.  YOU AND THEY MUST READ THE STORIES ALOUD.

4. Those of you who are DONE-DONE and don't have anyone to help, you will begin to work on POETRY.  The packets are on desk in front of my desk.  It was not bound very well, so you might have to take out the little doodad and staple the pages together.  The first few lessons should be a piece of cake for you - it's basic stuff.  You should annotate for understanding.  You may work in pairs as there are some exercises that require a combined effort. Read every word as there are explanations, examples, and directions for the practice exercises.

If you have questions, email me.  I'm not going anywhere.