Friday, March 30

English 12B: Today we finished your graphic novel interpretations of how Scrooge moves through the Four Stages of the Hero in A Christmas Carol. We also continued with your research for your Capstone Project. All 20 cards (at a minimum) are due Monday, April 9, and we will start writing your research paper that day. We also read Elementary Rule of Composition 18 today in The Elements of Style. 

CNF: Today we focused on reading the rest of Chapter 5 from Blink and had a discussion on it based on your notes.

Thursday, March 29

English 12B: Today we focused on the Fourth Stave of A Christmas Carol and the Chaos Stage in your graphic novels. We read Elementary Rule of Usage in The Elements of Style and conducted a little research for your Capstone Project. We will have about 30 minutes for this on Friday.

CNF: Today we focused on how packaging impacts purchasing choices and watched Malcolm Gladwell's Ted Talk on happiness and spaghetti sauce. We also began Chapter 5 in Blink.

Wednesday, March 28

English 12B: Today we completed Day 18 of our packet for The Elements of Style. A Christmas Carol is a great example of the rule from today's packet; we read Stave Three from A Christmas Carol and continued to focus on the Initiation Stage. By the time you return from Spring Break, you should have 20 index cards at a minimum with information about your topic and be an expert on it.

CNF: Today we focused on figuring out the right way to discern what people actually like. We did a Coke-Pepsi taste test challenge, debated the best kind of ice cream, peaches, and chairs, and got jiggy-wid-it listening to Kenna.

Tuesday, March 27

English 12B: Today we focused on the Initiation Stage as we read A Christmas Carol. We also completed Day 17 from our packet for The Elements of Style.

CNF: Today we focused on how structure aids spontaneity. We looked at basketball and chess as two good examples, and had a discussion about Chapter 4 from Blink.

Monday, March 26

English 12B: Today we completed Day 16 of The Elements of Style Packet (Elementary Rule of Composition 14). We also began a study of the Four Stages of the Hero by creating a graphic novel version of Dickens's A Christmas Carol. You should be gathering as much research on your Capstone Project as possible.

CNF: Today we focused on completing Chapter 4 and talked a little about how structure aids spontaneity, which we will focus on further tomorrow.

Wednesday, March 21

English 12B: Today you completed Elementary Rule of Usage 11 and took a quiz on Canvas. It closes at midnight. You are not allowed to use notes or the book on the quiz. The rest of the period was spent in research for your Capstone. Remember, your research should be complete by the time we come back from spring break.

CNF: Today we finished reading Chapter 3 from Blink and had a discussion on it.

Tuesday, March 20

BTW - I picked UMBC to upset Virginia...

English 12B: Today the incomparable Ms. Bates came in to teach us about academic research so that you can better find information about your Capstone topic. We will be implementing all that she taught us this week in class and at home as you research your topics and gather information.

CNF: Today we talked a bit more about the IAT. We also read Chapter 3 of Blink and began a written reflection on its contents.

Monday, March 19

English 12B: Today we focused on items 1-5 on our Capstone Project handout under Research Paper starting on page 1. We went to many different websites in an attempt to find sources you may use in your research paper. Some of the places we visited were: Ted, NPR, This American Life, Radio Lab, Science Friday, Freakonomics (podcast and blog), To the Best of Our Knowledge, All Things Considered, PBS, Youtube, Time, National Geographic, CNN, Fox News, Newsweek, and The New Yorker. I also suggested entering your topic + documentary, just to see what comes up.

We also learned about Question-Based Research Strategy. You should spend the next three weeks gathering as much information about your topic as possible. When we return from Spring Break, the expectation is you are an expert on your topic and should be able to begin writing your research paper.

CNF: Today we took several Implicit Association Tests through Harvard University. If you missed it, go to https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html and take at least the Race IAT. Record the results and write a short reflection on what you think or feel about the results.

Extra Credit Opportunity: English 12B

For up to 50 points extra credit, choose one of the following essay options. Your essay should be typed, and is due Monday. In your header, identify the introduction and conclusion technique you are using. Have an interesting title. Completely address the prompt.

1. In an essay, analyze how your assigned character progresses through the four stages of the hero.
2. In an essay, explain how the four stages of the hero is present in your own life.
3. In an essay, show how these four stages are present in a text we have previously studied this year.
4. In an essay, analyze how a character from a text outside our class fits the four stages of the hero (you may not pick one I’ve referred to).

Wednesday, March 14

What's up, Pi Patel fans (3.14!)?

English 12B: Today we studied various archetypes, their attributes, and saw an example of these attributes in the characters we studied in Into the Woods. Speaking of which, I have posted an extra credit opportunity on the blog and on Canvas. Remember to continue researching potential Capstone Project ideas. Your Proposal is due Monday. It must be typed and cannot be late.

CNF: Today we practiced thin slicing - couples, as well as individuals. We will continue thin slicing people based on a photograph of their room tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 13

English 12B: Today we took a quiz on the Four Stages of the Hero and Into the Woods, and also began learning about archetypes. We will continue with this study of archetypes tomorrow. You should continue researching potential Capstone Project topics; remember your Proposal is due Monday, March 19.

CNF: Today we read Chapter 1 from Blink and took some notes on the chapter. If you were absent, you can find a PDF of the text here: http://www.lequydonhanoi.edu.vn/upload_images/S%C3%A1ch%20ngo%E1%BA%A1i%20ng%E1%BB%AF/Blink-%20The%20Power%20of%20Thinking%20Without%20Thinking.pdf

Crucible Extra Credit

Attend Brighton's production of The Crucible and write a one page analysis of how it fits the Four Stages of the Hero that we studied in class and earn up to 25 points extra credit.

Monday, March 12

English 12B: Today we did Day 6 of your The Elements of Style packet and concluded our overview of The Four Stages of the Hero and Into the Woods. There will be a 25 question quiz tomorrow. The lesson overview and the musical's lyrics can be found on Canvas for those of you who wish to study. You should be researching your various potential Capstone Project topics the rest of this week, and your typed Proposal is due next Monday, 3/19.

CNF: Today we studied how seemingly complex things - such as personalities, love, and relationships - can be quickly and easily understood using algorithms that measure the correct data. Your homework is to ask a friend or relative to take the Big Five Inventory, answering questions about you, and compare their assessment of your personality with that of your own. That should be done by Wednesday.

Friday, March 9

English 12B: Today we focused on the third stage of the Four Stages of the Hero and first half of Act II of Into the Woods. We also completed Day 5 of your The Elements of Style packet, focusing on Elementary Rule of Usage #3. It is critical that you spend the next week researching your potential Capstone topics and making sure that the topic interests you and that there are plenty of sources for you to draw upon.

CNF: Today we finished reading the Introduction from Blink, and had a discussion about some of the topics contained within. Be sure to email a photo of your room for a sociological experiment to jeffrey.baird@csddocs.org by Monday. Remember, you don't have to cop to being the room's occupant if you don't want to. 

Thursday, March 8

English 12B: We read "In Praise of the Humble Comma" and wrote about it in your The Elements of Style Packet (which can be found here: http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,149453,00.html). We also concluded the first act of Into the Woods as we continued our study of the Four Stages of the Hero.

CNF: Today we studied decision-making more in-depth, focusing specifically on our subconsious associations with different aspects of decision-making and some of the snap and meticulous decisions we've made. We then read the Introduction to Blink. 

Wednesday, March 7

English 12B: Today we focused on Day 3 of The Elements of Style packet and Stage Two of the Four Stages of the Hero. You should be researching potential Capstone Projects, narrowing your choices and topics.

CNF: Today we focused on the question of which superpower you would choose, flight or invisibility. We listened to an episode of This American Life titled "Superpowers." We focused on how this exercise not only exposes us to different forms of nonfiction but is also practices both Blink-style and Freakonomics-style thinking, as we had to go with our initial choice first, and then sometimes saw it change when examining it more.

Tuesday, March 6

English 12B: Today we reviewed what you should be doing over the next few weeks for your Capstone Project: researching potential topics and seeing how much information is out there and in what form. Your proposal is due on Monday, March 19. It must be typed. It cannot be late.

We also began a study of the way heroes progress and change through stories. We will continue with this the rest of the week. We also completed Day 2 of The Elements of Style packet.

CNF: Today we studied audio nonfiction and the way producers of it can use ethos, pathos, and logos. We listened to an episode of Radiolab titled "Finding Emile" and an episode of This American Life titled "Wonder Woman." We also discussed the role of decision-making in each of these stories.

Monday, March 5

English 12B: Thanks for a great first day of the tri. Read the Foreword and the Introduction of The Elements of Style (completing Day 1 in your packet). We then went over some of the disclosure statement. For homework, finish reading it and have your parents sign it. Return it to me on Tuesday. Then we began talking about the Capstone Project, which will be the primary focus of our trimester. We began thinking about potential topics, and I asked you to read through the packet I gave you, especially the first two pages. Over the next two weeks, I want you to start doing a little research on your potential topics and deciding which one is right for you. In two weeks (March 19), your proposals are due (this is explained in the packet).

CNF: Thank you all so much for taking the class. I am very excited to work with you this tri. We began with an introduction to the kinds of thinking we will be studying, went over the disclosure, and then did a bevy of activities. Bring back your disclosure tomorrow.