7/24/13
In Class:
Journal-- Describe how your relationship with nature has changed over the past six weeks.
Students used class time to finish and polish final projects, complete missing work, and make up missing journal entries.
Exit ticket: What grade do you deserve in this class and why?
Homework:
Continue appreciating the natural world!
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Monday, July 22, 2013
July 22nd, 2013
7/22/13
In Class:
Journal-- Respond to one or both of the following quotes:
“The best thing once can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.” - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer; it sings because it has a song.” - Lou Holtz
As a class, we read the introduction to "Diary of a Fire Lookout." Independently, students continued to study the piece with the following assignment:
1) Read and annotate at least seven of the diary entries, looking specifically for the intersection of the human and other-than-human worlds.
2) a. Write 3 haiku inspired by an entry;
b. Write 1 personal reaction/response to an entry;
c. Illustrate an entry.
With remaining class time, students worked on final projects or missing assignments.
Exit ticket: Describe one place where you feel balanced.
Homework:
Finish today's assignments.
Work on final.
Catch up on any missing work.
In Class:
Journal-- Respond to one or both of the following quotes:
“The best thing once can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.” - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer; it sings because it has a song.” - Lou Holtz
As a class, we read the introduction to "Diary of a Fire Lookout." Independently, students continued to study the piece with the following assignment:
1) Read and annotate at least seven of the diary entries, looking specifically for the intersection of the human and other-than-human worlds.
2) a. Write 3 haiku inspired by an entry;
b. Write 1 personal reaction/response to an entry;
c. Illustrate an entry.
With remaining class time, students worked on final projects or missing assignments.
Exit ticket: Describe one place where you feel balanced.
Homework:
Finish today's assignments.
Work on final.
Catch up on any missing work.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
July 17th, 2013
7/17/13
In Class:
Journal-- Respond to one or more of the following images:
http://500px.com/photo/40533706
http://500px.com/photo/40519320
http://500px.com/photo/40524258
Using a collection of five nature-inspired memoirs, students completed the following assignment:
1) Read and annotate the collected nature memoirs, looking specifically for the intersection of the human and other-than-human worlds.
2) Write:
a. 1 summary,
b. 1 creative response, and
c. 1 found poem using three or more of the nature memoirs.
Exit ticket: Describe the state of being the "transparent eyeball."
Homework:
Work on final submissions.
Catch up on missing work!
In Class:
Journal-- Respond to one or more of the following images:
http://500px.com/photo/40533706
http://500px.com/photo/40519320
http://500px.com/photo/40524258
Using a collection of five nature-inspired memoirs, students completed the following assignment:
1) Read and annotate the collected nature memoirs, looking specifically for the intersection of the human and other-than-human worlds.
2) Write:
a. 1 summary,
b. 1 creative response, and
c. 1 found poem using three or more of the nature memoirs.
Exit ticket: Describe the state of being the "transparent eyeball."
Homework:
Work on final submissions.
Catch up on missing work!
Monday, July 15, 2013
July 15th, 2013
7/15/13
In Class:
Journal-- Respond to the following quote: "Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet, and the winds long to play with your hair." - Khalil Gibran
Read and discussed "At the River Clarion" by Mary Oliver, particularly focusing on the Transcendentalist conception of (G/g)od in nature.
Independently, students worked on the following activities:
* Read "Swans" by Mary Oliver and write a creative response (poem, short story, etc.).
* Catch up on missing work.
* Work on final projects.
Exit ticket: Describe a non-human living creature you encountered this weekend.
Homework:
Catch up on missing work.
Work on your final project.
In Class:
Journal-- Respond to the following quote: "Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet, and the winds long to play with your hair." - Khalil Gibran
Read and discussed "At the River Clarion" by Mary Oliver, particularly focusing on the Transcendentalist conception of (G/g)od in nature.
Independently, students worked on the following activities:
* Read "Swans" by Mary Oliver and write a creative response (poem, short story, etc.).
* Catch up on missing work.
* Work on final projects.
Exit ticket: Describe a non-human living creature you encountered this weekend.
Homework:
Catch up on missing work.
Work on your final project.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
July 10th, 2013
7/10/13
In Class:
Nature excursion to Mt. Sanitas trail base to do species-focused nature writing.
Introduced final project (see separate post).
Exit ticket: Name one new thing you've learned (academic or otherwise) in the last week.
Homework:
Revise and polish your species-focused nature writing; the piece and the graphic organizer are due on Monday.
In Class:
Nature excursion to Mt. Sanitas trail base to do species-focused nature writing.
Introduced final project (see separate post).
Exit ticket: Name one new thing you've learned (academic or otherwise) in the last week.
Homework:
Revise and polish your species-focused nature writing; the piece and the graphic organizer are due on Monday.
Final Project -- Nature Writing
Nature
Writing – Final Project
Due July 24th,
2013 at 3:00 PM
In order to demonstrate your
developing relationship with the natural world and proficiency with nature
writing, you will expand, revise, and develop a collection of your eco-writing
to submit to the Boulder Prep field guide.
Assignment:
Your task in this project is to prepare six nature
writing pieces to the standard of a publishable field guide. This process will
involve several steps:
1)
Identify and
collect six strong drafts you have written.
(Depending on how many assignments you have completed, you may need to write more.)
(Depending on how many assignments you have completed, you may need to write more.)
2)
Expand and revise
these drafts: add more detail and description; make stronger connections;
incorporate intersections with the human world; draw out thematic meaning
within your writing.
(You should complete this step once at the very least. Better writing pieces require more drafts.)
(You should complete this step once at the very least. Better writing pieces require more drafts.)
3)
Ask a peer,
teacher, family member, or other responsible person to read and critique your
drafts. Use feedback to re-shape and improve your writing.
4)
Polish your
drafts: edit and correct grammar/mechanical errors, type, and format.
For your six submissions, you may use writing of whichever
styles you want, including: ecopoetry,
species-focused nature writing, non-fiction nature prose, short fiction,
reflective writing, landscape description, responses to other nature writing, etc.
Additionally, to demonstrate your writing process, you must include at least one previous draft of
each piece. The more drafts you include, the more clear it will be that you
have engaged the iterative process of writing; no one gets it right the first
time, and no piece of writing is ever really “finished.”
Tips for success on this
project:
· Start early. Start now. The quality of your ‘final’
drafts will directly correlate to the amount of time you dedicate to this
project.
· Ask questions and find support. Whether you come to
me, your peers, other teachers, your family, or any other responsible person,
you should not—and cannot—do this right all by yourself.
· Consider all your options: if you draw from a large
pool of your own writing, you will more easily find the writing with genuine
potential.
Monday, July 8, 2013
July 8th, 2013
7/8/13
In Class:
Journal (after reading 'Tenacity of Life' from H.D. Thoreau's Journals)-- Do you agree with Thoreau's statement about living creatures? Why do you think he believes in this notion?
As a class, reviewed and analyzed "For the Lobaria, Usnea, Witch’s Hair, Map Lichen, Ground Lichen, Shield Lichen" and "Witchgrass" as species-focused nature writing using the following questions:
* Pull up Wiki for background information/extra resources
* What species is the subject of this piece?
* What message is the author trying to convey about the species and its place in the world?
* What characteristics, symbolic purpose, and behaviors of the species help the author convey that message?
* Where do you see the intersection of the human and other-than- human worlds? What does that intersection imply about the Earth as a whole?
Independently, each student read either 1) 'White-Headed Eagle' by John James Audobon, 2) 'Galapagos Tortoise' by Charles Darwin, or 3) 'Loon' by Henry David Thoreau, then analyzing and answering the above questions.
Next, each student chose one of the following species (which we will see on Wednesday) to research for species-focused nature writing:
- Prickly pear cactus - Yucca
- Morning glory - Prickly rose
- Sage - Hemlock
- Penstemon - Purple locoweed
- Plains cottonweed - Ponderosa pine
- Creeping thistles - Chicory
With chosen species, students began researching using the graphic organizer to the left.
Exit ticket: What time do you need to be in class on Wednesday?
Homework:
Finish graphic organizer for species research.
Excursion on Wednesday!
In Class:
Journal (after reading 'Tenacity of Life' from H.D. Thoreau's Journals)-- Do you agree with Thoreau's statement about living creatures? Why do you think he believes in this notion?
As a class, reviewed and analyzed "For the Lobaria, Usnea, Witch’s Hair, Map Lichen, Ground Lichen, Shield Lichen" and "Witchgrass" as species-focused nature writing using the following questions:
* Pull up Wiki for background information/extra resources
* What species is the subject of this piece?
* What message is the author trying to convey about the species and its place in the world?
* What characteristics, symbolic purpose, and behaviors of the species help the author convey that message?
* Where do you see the intersection of the human and other-than- human worlds? What does that intersection imply about the Earth as a whole?
Independently, each student read either 1) 'White-Headed Eagle' by John James Audobon, 2) 'Galapagos Tortoise' by Charles Darwin, or 3) 'Loon' by Henry David Thoreau, then analyzing and answering the above questions.
Next, each student chose one of the following species (which we will see on Wednesday) to research for species-focused nature writing:
- Prickly pear cactus - Yucca
- Morning glory - Prickly rose
- Sage - Hemlock
- Penstemon - Purple locoweed
- Plains cottonweed - Ponderosa pine
- Creeping thistles - Chicory
With chosen species, students began researching using the graphic organizer to the left.
Exit ticket: What time do you need to be in class on Wednesday?
Homework:
Finish graphic organizer for species research.
Excursion on Wednesday!
Sunday, July 7, 2013
July 3rd, 2013
7/3/13
In Class:
Independently, students worked on the following asssignments:
* Read “The Third Planet: Operating Instructions” by David Brower.
* Write either a one-paragraph summary and response or a creative response inspired by "The Third Planet."
* Choose two of the prompts on the handout “Natural World Creative Writing Prompts” and complete two writing pieces.
* Review and complete missing assignments.
Exit Ticket: Name one thing you are proud of.
Homework:
Complete and polish the pieces you started today.
In Class:
Journal--
Use descriptive imagery to describe this setting and reflect on its meaning; infer the four senses other
than sight.
As a class, we read “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by W.B. Yeats and discuss the use of imagery, especially language that inherently creates imagery, e.g., “lake water lapping.” Independently, students worked on the following asssignments:
* Read “The Third Planet: Operating Instructions” by David Brower.
* Write either a one-paragraph summary and response or a creative response inspired by "The Third Planet."
* Choose two of the prompts on the handout “Natural World Creative Writing Prompts” and complete two writing pieces.
* Review and complete missing assignments.
Exit Ticket: Name one thing you are proud of.
Homework:
Complete and polish the pieces you started today.
Monday, July 1, 2013
July 1st, 2013
7/1/13
In Class:
Journal-- What responsibility do humans have to preserve the other-than-human world?
Reviewed and annotated Country Diary articles to examine the use of imagery.
imagery: the use of language that appeals to any and all of the five senses.
Imagery is controlled by specific and deliberate diction--e.g., "beasted" in "Could the psychedelic blueness..." or "mellow and gentle" in "Sounds of summer..."
diction: the choice and use of words.
Practiced using deliberate and specific imagery outdoors using sensory stimulants, including the surrounding environment, lemon juice, broccoli, and candy.
With remaining time, students worked on the following assignments:
* Write a piece (poetry, short fiction, anything) based on today's imagery activity that appeals to all five senses.
* Revise and polish a piece from last week's excursion.
Exit ticket: Name one place you consider 'home.'
Homework:
Finish the imagery piece you began today.
In Class:
Journal-- What responsibility do humans have to preserve the other-than-human world?
Reviewed and annotated Country Diary articles to examine the use of imagery.
imagery: the use of language that appeals to any and all of the five senses.
Imagery is controlled by specific and deliberate diction--e.g., "beasted" in "Could the psychedelic blueness..." or "mellow and gentle" in "Sounds of summer..."
diction: the choice and use of words.
Practiced using deliberate and specific imagery outdoors using sensory stimulants, including the surrounding environment, lemon juice, broccoli, and candy.
With remaining time, students worked on the following assignments:
* Write a piece (poetry, short fiction, anything) based on today's imagery activity that appeals to all five senses.
* Revise and polish a piece from last week's excursion.
Exit ticket: Name one place you consider 'home.'
Homework:
Finish the imagery piece you began today.
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