29 September 2016

After SSR, students completed their presentations for the "Odds and Even Money" section of the essay, made presentations, and took notes to develop their understanding of this portion of Geertz's piece. Students received focus questions to deepen their understanding of the "Playing with Fire" section of the essay. They need to complete those questions for our next class session, and they need to finish reading the essay.

"Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight" Slideshow

"Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight" Slideshow

27 September 2016

At the beginning of class, students responded to reflection questions connected to the second draft of the college/personal essay. Those questions are:

After answering the questions, students turned in their drafts, then spent time in SSR.

We then reviews "The Raid," "Of Cocks and Men," and "The Fight," the three sections of "Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight" students have read so far. We shared our questions and discussed the essay thus far, then moved into the section "Odds and Even Money." Students are working in groups to render assigned paragraphs in visual terms to make those paragraphs less obscure. We will continue that work at our next meeting, at which time students will share their visuals with the class.

For the next session, students should finish reading through page 385 of the essay. We will discuss the reading after presentations.

23 September 2016

Class began with SSR focusing on the IRP.

Students were introduced to the historical context of Bali, the setting of the essay we will devote the next several class sessions to discussing.

We began reading Clifford Geertz's essay, "Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight"; students should read through page 374 in the packet (up until the section entitled "Odds and Even Money") for our next session.

20 September 2016

Class began with SSR focusing on the IRP.

Students provided one another feedback on their "First Lines" drafts. We then spent time critiquing a college essay, discussing what kinds of feedback we would give the writer while identifying the strengths in the work.

Students received the Personal/College Essay Assignment. Second drafts are due 27/28 September.

Students received the Independent Reading Project Group Presentation Guidelines.

19 September 2016

Class began with SSR, focusing on the IRP books. Students should plan to finish the IRP books by 11/12 October.

Students gave one another feedback on their drafts of essays responding to the Unconventional College Essay Prompts that were distributed last session. They highlighted words, phrases, anecdotes, and details that impacted them as readers, then wrote notes to one another explaining what made those specific elements effective.

Students read and evaluated "winning" essays that have gained some students access to high caliber schools, and we discussed the strengths and weaknesses of those essays. Students completed a graphic organizer that led them to focus on introductions, use of evidence, use of rhetorical strategies, and conclusions.

Students were given the First Lines Prompts. A draft using one of the first lines provided will be due during our next session.

15 September 2016

Today we began class with time for sustained silent reading as the Independent Reading Project gets underway. Students received the Independent Reading Project Dialogue Journal assignment and had time to create a first entry in that journal at the end of the reading period.

Students then offered one another feedback on the drafts of the Common App essay they brought to class.

We followed the peer review activity with some consideration of the Unconventional Prompts, one of which students will choose to use as the basis for a rough draft due at our next class session.

13 September 2016

Today students heard a presentation from the GHS counseling department about college and career readiness, offering information about the application and scholarship process and timelines for events at GHS. Afterward, students provided one another with feedback on their drafts of their passion pieces. At the end of class, we reviewed the Common Application prompts, from which students were asked to select ONE prompt to use as the basis for a rough draft. The draft is due at the beginning of our next class.

9 September 2016

Today students discussed Roxane Gay's essay "To Scratch, Claw, or Grope...," focusing on the ways she at once accepts and rejects the label of "nerd." Students developed lists of specific obsessions, pass-times, interests, and passions that define them, then began to brainstorm specific stories or situations that centered on one of those passions. They then began drafting personal essays focusing on one of those stories or situations. A complete draft of the essay is due at the beginning of our next class session.

7 September 2016

Today students reviewed provocative quotes from the Heller essay, listened to a conversation about academic freedom between actress/activist Laverne Cox and feminist theorist bell hooks, and wrote in-class preassessment essays in response to prompts tied to class discussions. Essays were due at the end of the class period. For the next session, students should review the Roxane Gay essay "To Scratch, Claw, or Grope..."

1 September 2016

Today students discussed Nathan Heller's essay "The Big Uneasy." We began class by developing questions that emerged from the essay and the research students brought to class following their reading of the piece. After a lengthy discussion, students pulled provocative quotes from the piece, then completed an exit slip reflecting on how the readings and video have impacted their thinking about the relationship between safe spaces and academic freedom.