Category: Writing

Favorite Lessons: Box of Destiny

A wonderful question appeared on one of my ELA social media groups the other day, “What was your favorite lesson/unit you created?” and immediately I thought of the (say this in a trumpeting voice): BOX OF DESTINY!

I created this prior to hearing the term ‘role play’ — not being a Dungeons and Dragons person and prior to my time in Azeroth, this idea came organically. While teaching humanities and Ancient Rome, I first create the Voices from the Grave unit, whereby students would draw a card giving them a role in Ancient Rome: it required hours of research on my part, and was a joy to make.

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Over the years, I put something new on the box–it has many layers.

Later, turning to Ancient Greece, I created the Box of Destiny. The idea is this: make a box and present with great fanfare and mystery to students*: the box contains 4″x6″ cards with the name of a Greek god, goddess, creature, spirit, etc. The interview questions are the same. From those questions, students research their character and present in first-person. This is important: explain to students if they are male or identify as male and get a female character, they may change, etc., however, writers do not write in purely their own gender or about their own gender. Some brave souls will take a character who is a different gender from themselves, and it is my hope as students’ awareness of gender identities continues this is not an issue. They can work in pairs, but independent presentations are encouraged. They can choose a modern retelling or update story, change the form, but the first-person narrative is key.

Athena

After the research, draft their short narrative, time to make props and backgrounds begin. The final presentation includes full role-play gear and a reading of their story. Students in the audience applaud, of course, and then there is a Q&A session and feedback.

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*Don’t skimp on this. 

Caution: Satyrs brings students to some questionable information. Be aware of age-appropriate sites.

Some of the characters:

  • Athena
  • Zeus
  • Aphrodite
  • Hypnos
  • Pan
  • The Moirai (good for a team, or have one presenter create a one-woman show)
  • Artemis
  • Zephyr
  • Persephone
  • Demeter
  • Hades
  • Poseidon
  • Eris* (my personal favorite)
  • Circe
  • Nemesis
  • Helios
  • Cronus
  • The Muses/Calliope
  • Eros
  • Prometheus
  • Rhea
  • Cerberus
  • Medusa
  • Ares
  • Dionysus
  • Hypnos
  • Hephaestus
  • Apollo

I am trying to go through years of digital files to locate the original cards, but they’re not hard to make in Word. Use card stock and laminate to give them gravitas. Rubrics? Examples? Well, you will want to update them, of course.

If you have any questions, feedback, or comments, ask away!

Box of Destiny Rubric 2017

Move heaven and earth…

What feeds your soul?

If I didn’t know about The Odyssey…or ancient storytelling, what would my relationship with incredible texts be with N.K. Jemison, Junot Diaz, Adrianne Huron, Neil Gaiman, Naomi Alderman, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Colson Whitehead…and on and on. Writers from a variety of backgrounds, ethnicities, and experiences, all weaving grand stories…if I didn’t have exposure to canon, would the texts and discussions be as rich?

The Battle of the Canon by Amber Counts from Three Teachers Talk created a little bristle in me at first, but then reading further I understand her opinion. Student choice is valuable.

My students regularly start with more contemporary books like The Help or The Road and then choose, for various reasons, to explore books from the canon. Often, they have built confidence due to the work we do together in class with shorter texts and from their own choice reading, and they feel comfortable taking on a challenge. Sometimes, they decide that they want to read books they’ve always heard about. I currently have students who have chosen to read Wuthering Heights, Oliver Twist, and Les Miserables on their own. When we have book talks and the students begin speaking with excitement about the books they’re reading, you better believe that others will want to read these books, too. I’ve seen it happen for several years in a row; students read more canonical texts due to choice than they ever would if the books were strictly assigned.

(And I hope she really doesn’t believe ‘rigor’ means ‘old.’ Perhaps I am overly sensitive to ageism.)

But here is Helen Mirren, bringing Stephen Colbert to tears, reading Tennyson’s ‘Ulysses.’

Why is there a battle at all? How would I frame this in the similar situation and privilege of teaching AP students? I am not sure. Until I am teaching ELA again do I put these ideas away like wooly sweaters when spring arrives? So perhaps it comes down to this: forcing students to read without purpose or relevancy because it’s always ‘been done this way’ is the most surefire way to demotivate anyone. Encouraging my students here, now, no matter the subject, that ‘it’s okay to be smart’ may be the best way to launch them. Every day my message is: it’s okay to be curious, it’s wonderful to be curious– it makes life AMAZING to be curious!

Since I am not that familiar with Tennyson’s work I looked up the poem, and listened again, sparked by what brought Colbert to tears.

I get it now.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45392/ulysses

https://english.duke.edu/sites/english.duke.edu/files/file-attachments/Ulysses%20by%20Alfred,%20Lord%20Tennyson%20-%20The%20Poetry%20Foundation.pdf

 

Changing the formula.

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Scaffolds and formulaic writing carry an enormous responsibility: the responsibility to go away. Be gone! BANISHED! They must serve their purpose, and then skedaddle. But how do we teachers help students know when to take off the training wells? The paradox of scaffolding helps them get started but also sends the message that they are not capable of thinking on their own. We’ve been using the same scaffold for two years now in my building and I’ve lost my own ability to take off the training wheels and ride freely, and show students how to do so.

Recognizing this while giving feedback to students this morning, my mission became clear: to find ways to dismantle scaffolds.

TO THE INTERNET!

Well, heck. When I research this, most of the sites advise how to scaffold with students, not to what to do to tear them down so students can do this independently. And after twelve years of teaching middle school students, they will push back when you want them to grow and become more independent. That push-back is a strong indicator of progress and growth.

What I am going to try this morning when I confer with this student and others who may need this help, is to be straight-forward and have them do the tried-and-true method of reading it out loud, see what sounds boring and formulaic to them, and what are they really, truly trying to say: what is the “so what?” of their thinking/learning. The “So What?” was one of my eureka moments years ago, and like all good insight, turns out it’s shared by many. I came across this document (So What/Now What) and in journalism why it matters.

Stay tuned.

 

 

First they came for…

I credit my dear friend Sharon Clarke for reminding me of this lesson we learned at a PSWP Social Studies course 

Here is the lesson in brief detail:

  • Have students write about a recent event that they would remember.
  • Take all the voices and then randomly throw some away: you can provide the educational theater by saying things like there was a flood, or war, or destruction of a library, or digital files, were lost…
  • Read the few remaining ones and try to piece together a historical event. Are all voices and perspectives represented? Whose are missing? Why does this matter?

The students will get it, immediately understanding the value of voice and story in history. If their voice was one of the lost ones, they will come to understand privilege and marginalization.

This is the story about how one student faced harassment after Trump was elected. It’s emboldened the white supremacists and racists in our nation. Years of propaganda from sources like Fox News and Breitbart fueled toxic masculinity and hate, and continue to do so. Imagine just walking down the street with your family and someone believes not only is it okay if they display bigoted, racist threats, but know nothing will happen to them?

Hate crimes increased in the U.S. last year. We cannibalize our own protectors. Teachers: be brave. Speak up. Help students find their voices. We can learn from history.

I urge everyone who still has their moral compass intact to fight. Those who are silent and think that these days are normal political shenanigans are on the wrong side. We are all welcome to our conservative and liberal views, and our First Amendment rights: write your story down and make sure it isn’t lost.

Finding the path back…

I’ve been writing this blog for over ten years. On the edublogs site, there are over 700 published posts and almost 200 drafts. It was easy to move content to this WordPress site. What has not proven easy is my prolificity. Maybe I’m reading too much, or reading the wrong things. Maybe I’m feeling edgy because of small puffs of gaslighting and overload of information. It’s been easy to sit back while some of the rockstars in education move to the front and speak for many of us educators (think Cult of Pedagogy and Pernille Ripp). But right now, at this moment, I’m wrestling with writing clearly, without fear of recrimination or misunderstandings that lead to unnecessary conflict and not constructive dialogue. I need to write for myself: I’m just not sure what to say.

But I have been reading some amazing texts:

The Power by Naomi Alderman

Better Than Carrots or Sticks (Smith, Fisher, Frey)

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Oh, and the best thing. A former student recently asked me if I had a copy of Bad Feminist by Roxanne Gay: I said only on my Kindle, so I bought her her own copy.

For students, this is the current focus now, curating content: it’s just a start, and it’s my intent to support other content areas around the building. The assignment was given with free reign over the choice of topic, and my students chose mostly substantive topics. They ranged from the very serious about school shootings to

The little notes the students wrote me are genuine and reflective:

annotated-curtingchart.docx

Ultimately I am asking for patience and feedback. If you do read this blog, what ideas or strengths would you like to see more of, less of, etc.?

Some posts for thought:

Priorities

If You Have These 3 Things in Place, You Will Master Any Industry

How to Confer Like a Ninja

 

 

 

 

Write.

writing

http://www.yesmagazine.org/for-teachers/writing-competition-essays/spring-2018-national-student-writing-competition-letters-of-hope

The Writing Prompt

Students, please respond to the writing prompt below with an up-to-700-word letter:

Think about what matters most to you about our country’s future. Write a letter to someone important to you, describing that future you imagine and hope for.

 

Who is Eligible?

 

How does it work?

 

WIHWT: Why I write.

This Wish I Had Written That is inspired by Rebecca Solnit.

Sometimes the artmaking stalls out.

Sometimes I’ve written my truth and it conflicts with someone else’s narrative. Writers step on toes, cause disquiet, and challenge ideas and status quo: and yes, I count myself in that group.

And when I stall out it’s because of fear. Fear of reprimand, unwarranted criticism, or being misunderstood.

But I suppose if I want to write, reflect, question, challenge, and process I must let go of any naivety and just write. Let go of the belief that all my words and ideas will be welcomed as a first-grader’s art project stuck on the fridge with a souvenir magnet.

It’s fun when there are over 1,000 hits and views on this blog. I realize other writers get tens of thousands a month, but for now, I’m satisfied with whoever takes the time to read.

There are too many fascinating and amazing miracles happening every day not to take snapshots of them, and curate the wonders of this world, and let fear get in the way. This age demands transparency and questioning. Carry on, be brave.

From:

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Frebecca.solnit%2Fposts%2F10155696952865552&width=500

Focus:

“You make art because you think what you make is good, and good means that it’s good for other people, not necessarily pleasant or easy, but leading toward more truth or justice or awareness or reform. I write nonfiction and know a lot of journalists, political writers, and historians, whose efforts tend to be more overtly geared toward changing the world but I believe this is true of poets too. This weekend a friend sent me a Neruda poem to celebrate the king tides—the exceptionally high winter tides we get here—and though it’s hard to say the way this might help someone, it helps me to read:

the disdain, the desire of a wave,
the green rhythm that from the hidden bulk
lifted up a translucent edifice

Because pleasure is part of what gets us through and helps us do what we’re here to do. Because the political struggle is to protect the vulnerable and the beautiful, and paying attention to them is part of the project.”

'tis the season: December Ideas

Two Writing Teachers posted:

Narrative Writing Makes a Beautiful Gift

Writing is a gift–and perhaps if students of writing see themselves, their words, as gifts to themselves and others we can reshape how they feel about writing (which isn’t always positive).

My favorite December idea:

Drabble-A-Day

Creative constraints provide necessary restrictions for all of us who wish to create productively. It may seem counter-intuitive, but creative constraints produce better focus and creativity, not less.

Drabble A Day Writer Portfolio Document: (click for Google Doc)

Using Signposts:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ohdgdQm4siMObbeEOsaO9hhuV9iVTCyQqu5Dm02EJ0I/edit?usp=sharing

Going to freshen this up today, too: http://lookupwriting.edublogs.org/