Thursday, March 28

English 12B: We read Stave III of A Christmas Carol and continued with the graphic novel/monomyth/four stages project. There's a link to a PDF of the text in an earlier post if you were absent. We also took a quiz on Canvas that is due tonight.

CNF: We watched a Ted Talk about spontaneous behavior and completed Chapter 4 from Blink.

Wednesday, March 27

English 12B: We continued with our study of the monomyth and the four stages of the hero via reading A Christmas Carol and the creation of some graphic novels that illustrate it.

CNF: Today we began reading Chapter 4 from Blink.

Tuesday, March 26

English 12B: Today we started a graphic novel project in conjunction with our reading of A Christmas Carol. Your task is to transform Dickens's novel into a graphic novel that shows his story through the lens of either the four stages of the hero or the monomyth. Today we read Stave I.  Here are the directions:

A Christmas Carol and the Four Stages of the Hero Graphic Novel Project

As we read Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, your task is to create a graphic novel of the text that displays your understanding of Scrooge’s progression through the Four Stages of the Hero. You should have a minimum of 16 panels, with at least four panels dedicated to each stage of Innocence, Initiation, Chaos, and Resolution. You may do more than this if you want. Every panel must include at least one line from the text that is emblematic of, and represents, that particular stage. This can be dialogue or narration, either is fine. Your panels can be arranged however you would like in terms of shape and size - they need not all be the same. You can include color or not; this can be done in pen, pencil, or any other medium. Include a title and your name someplace on the project.

A Christmas Carol and the Monomyth Graphic Novel Project

As we read Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, your task is to create a graphic novel of the text that displays your understanding of Scrooge’s progression through the Monomyth. You should have a minimum of 16 panels, with two dedicated to each of the following aspects of the monomyth (note: I’ve combined some from our previous lesson on the monomyth to fit the 16-panel parameter): Birth, the Call to Adventure, Helpers and Amulets, Crossing the Threshold, Tests, The Final Battle, Flight and Return, Elixir and Home. You may do more than two panels per stage if you want. Every panel must include at least one line from the text that is emblematic of, and represents, that particular part of the monomyth. This can be dialogue or narration, either is fine. Your panels can be arranged however you would like in terms of shape and size - they need not all be the same. You can include color or not; this can be done in pen, pencil, or any other medium. Include a title and your name someplace on the project.


You can find a PDF of the text here: 

https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/pdf/passage/2824/a-christmas-carol-002-stave-i.pdf

CNF: Today we played chess as a way to practice both Blink-style and Freakonomics-style thinking.

Monday, March 25

English 12B: Today we finished our overview of the monomyth; the notes can be found on Canvas. There is a quiz on Canvas tonight. There will be a quiz on Part I of The Elements of Style later this week.

CNF: Today we focused on the relationship between structure and spontaneity in preparation for reading Chapter 4 of Blink.

Friday, March 22

English 12B: We began a pretty concentrated study of the monomyth structure. You should be researching your topic for 15-30 minutes per night at home, filling out your index cards.

CNF: We discussed what we read in Chapter 3 of Blink.

Wednesday, March 20

English 12B: Today we spent most of the day exploring some of the sites Ms. Bates showed us yesterday and gathering as much information as possible about our topics. You should be an expert on your topic after spring break and have at least 20 index cards with information on them when we return and begin writing your research papers. Spend 15-30 minutes per night researching your topic.

CNF: Today we took a few more IATs and discussed the results.

Tuesday, March 19

English 12B: Today we were fortunate to have Ms. Bates come to us and talk to us about conducting academic research on your Capstone topics using resources such as Opposing Viewpoints and Gale. These are some of the sources you should be using as you research your topic for 30 minutes per night over the next three weeks.

CNF: Today we explored the IAT, and engaged in some priming experiments with it. We will take a few more tests tomorrow and discuss the results.

Monday, March 18

English 12B: Today our primary focus was on Question-Based Research Strategy. See your Capstone packet for more information. We also focused on some non-traditional places to find information about your topic. See Canvas for more information.

CNF: Today we finished reading and discussed Blink Chapter 2.

Wednesday, March 14

English 12B: Today we concluded our study of the four stages of the hero. You have a Canvas quiz tonight as well as an extra credit opportunity that is posted there if you wish to do it.

CNF: Today we practiced thin-slicing couples as well as rooms.

Tuesday, March 12

English 12B: Today our focus was on the third stage of the hero, what we called the chaos stage. We will continue this tomorrow. You should be completing your Capstone Proposal in preparation for Monday.

CNF: Today we began reading Chapter 1 from Blink and watched a Ted Talk by Dan Airely about irrational decision making. We will continue Chapter 1 tomorrow.

Friday, March 8

English 12B: Today we concluded a brief overview of various hero archetypes and began studying the four stages that all heroes progress through, regardless of archetype. Due a week from Monday is your Capstone Proposal.

CNF: Today we read the Introduction to Blink. We will discuss it Monday. For a classroom experiment, please take a photograph of your room and email it to jeffrey.baird@canyonsdistrict.org.

Thursday, March 7

English 12B: You should be thinking about potential Capstone Project topics and working on your Proposal, due March 18. Today our focus was on archetypes, and six basic archetypal hero forms.

CNF: Today we focused on the superpowers flight and invisibility, which is better, and what your choice reveals about you as a human being.

Monday, March 4 - Trimester Day 1!

Thanks for a good first day. I am excited about all four of my groups!

English 12B: Today we did some standard first-day stuff, and also focused on a Thought Map with the intent of identifying some potential Capstone Project topics. Some questions that we addressed are the following: What makes you angry? Happy? Anxious or worried? If you were going on a long hike or car ride without anything to distract you, just you and your thoughts, what would you think about? What career possibilities have you considered, or would you like to consider? If you only had one day left to live, what would you do, how would you spend your time? What are you really, really interested in or fascinated by? And, what problems (either big or small, global or personal) would you like to see solved or solve yourself?

Bring your disclosures back on Wednesday.

CNF: Again, thanks for taking the class. It was great meeting you all today. We basically got an overview of the course and its focus and did some get-to-know you activities. Bring your disclosure back to class on Wednesday.