Communiqué

Book Reports

As a student teacher I've come across some good ideas that make traditional Language Arts projects seem more fun. Students seem to appreciate the opportunity to be creative with their homework assignments as well as the fact that the instructor is trying to keep things interesting. One common assignment that could use a tune-up is the dreaded book report. Rather than focusing the project on a basic summary, students should be given a number of choices in how to demonstrate their understanding of the text. Listed below is a variety of ways a student can complete a non-traditional book report. These are project ideas my master teacher has used, to great effect, in the classroom.

1. Make a list of 15 gifts each major character might want for a birthday or holiday. After each item, explain why each character would want those items.
2. Make a coffee can into a garbage can and fill the can with things you would find in the main character's trash. Explain why someone rummaging through the main character's garbage might find these objects on a separate piece of paper (2-3 paragraphs).
3. Make a timeline to show important events in the story. Include pictures and brief summaries of the events.
4. Use the story to create a CD. Create your own 10-song CD with titles relating to the theme of the story. Design a CD jacket and cover that displays the songs you've chosen as well as the name of the CD. The songs you choose must be real songs from actual musical artists. On a separate piece of paper, write a short summary for why you've chosen each song.
5. Assemble a cast for a movie version of the book. Imagine that you have to choose actors and actresses to portray the characters in the book. As the casting director for the movie you must provide a written statement on why you've chosen each person to portray the characters from the story. Provide pictures of the movie stars with your list.
6. Write five diary entries that the main character might have written. Entries must be at least half a page each.
7. Pretend you are conducting an interview with a character from your book. Write the interview questions you would ask and answer them in the way you think he or she would respond to them. The interview must be at least two pages in length.

Drawing with Grids: Art Lesson Plan

Using Visual Aids

Using visual aids for drawing practice is essential for the beginning artist. Through observations of photographs or the paintings and drawings of master artists, art students learn the needed skills to create their own masterpieces. Careful study of successful compositions help in learning to capture a visual reference's correct proportions, perspective, and balance.

Take for instance the photograph I took of a dragonfly pictured below. This photo could be reproduced as a drawing with astounding accuracy using a technique that helps an artist break up the task in pieces.

Step 1:

Find a visual aid that you would feel comfortable reproducing as a drawing.

Step 2: Draw a grid on top of the visual aid with lines that are evenly spaced both vertically and horizontally. It is important to plot the grid as a series of squares rather than rectangles in order to avoid distorted proportions.

A grid superimposed on the image will allow an artist to efficiently handle positive and negative space without the frustrations of centering the subject on the drawing surface. The exact distribution of vertical and horizontal lines will depend on the artist's preference - some will find it easier to draw with the aid of a grid made up of many, smaller squares rather than one with fewer and larger squares.

The illustration above shows how a grid system can break up the image in terms of positive and negative space. Negative space is represented by the black background while the positive space in the image is shown as the white outline of the object.

Step 3: On a sheet of drawing paper, lightly plot out a grid that has the same number of vertical and horizontal lines as the visual aid. The best way to do this is with a hard graphite drawing pencil that only makes light marks (a 6H pencil from a drawing kit should do the trick). Be careful not to score the drawing paper as you plot out the grid so that they can be erased easily when the drawing is complete.

The drawing surface does not have to be the same size as the visual aid, though it helps to choose a piece of paper that is proportional to the dimensions of your visual reference. Doing so will prevent a lot of headaches when it comes to plotting out the grid. Also, bear in mind that this technique is useful for both enlargements and reductions of your chosen visual aid since the size of the subject matter that you are drawing depends on the dimensions of the grid's squares.

Below is an example of a 2X enlargement of a visual aid to a drawing surface. Notice that both the height and width of the visual aid has been doubled in the enlargement, resulting in a drawing that is exactly twice the size.

Careful attention to measurement, as in the example above, will result in a drawing with proportions that are double that of the visual aid. In other words, the dragonfly will be twice the size in the drawing as it is in the photograph (provided the dimensions of the graph are doubled as well).

 

Step 4: After the drawing surface has been prepared, transfer the drawing piece by piece to the corresponding squares.

For this project you will need:

1. A visual aid
2. A 12 or 36 inch ruler
3. A 6H drawing pencil
4. A piece of drawing paper
5. A bright colored pen or marker (for visual aid grid)
6. Your medium of choice (graphite pencils, pen and ink, colored pencils)

Mock Interview: What Would _________ say?

I recently read about a high school English instructor who uses the concept of a "mock interview" in her class. The idea behind the mock interview is an interactive assignment that involves the whole class in a question and answer session with famous figures from popular literature and History. While it is, to my knowledge, impossible to raise such famous individuals as Ben Franklin and Mark Twain from the dead, students can make use of the next best thing - eachother. In this assignment each student chooses an individual related to the topic of study and prepares to assume that person's identity. Each student will have to field questions from their peers in an activity that involves the entire class. An appropriate ammount of time will have to be allotted to research, ensuring that every student is prepared to play their role in the assignment.

Examples:

1. This type of assignment could be used in a Government/Civics class to encourage students to research contemporary political figures currently serving in the legislature. Each individual will have to answer a series of questions based on their politician's stance on controversial issues and public policy.
2. A mock interview assignment could also be integrated into a Literature course in which students are analyzing the personalities behind the books studied in class.
3. This assignment could also be useful for researching famous figures from American History in a Social Studies class.

One Last thought:

A class activity can also be crafted in which students assume the identity of a non-famous individual associated with a political or cultural movement in American or World History. For example, a unit designed to teach students about the civil rights movement of the 1960's can be supported by a mock interview assignment in which students are acting as political activists. In order to generate realistic answers to inquiries from fellow students in the interview activity all participants must be familiar with the ideology of civil rights protesters, such as those who supported Martin Luther King.

Expressive Writing Assignment: A Scandal in Verona

Romeo and Juliet: Rich Beautiful and Dead.

We have just finished reading Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. As a reader, you have perhaps formed a number of opinions about the interactions between literary characters in the book. For this expressive writing assignment you will need to gather your thoughts and feelings about the outcome of the story.

Background Information: It is now known by everyone in the fair town of Verona that Romeo and Juliet are dead. Although not everyone knows the circumstances of their untimely demise, many of the townsfolk are aware of a secret marriage between the two. The Montague and Capulet households, despite their ongoing feud, have agreed that Romeo and Juliet should be buried together. Both families have agreed to a temporary truce while the funeral arrangements are made.

            As a member of the clergy in Verona the task of presenting the eulogy for the funeral has fallen upon your shoulders. You are tasked with writing a speech that will be given in the town cathedral prior to Romeo and Juliet’s burial. The audience you will be addressing will consist mainly of Montague and Capulet family members who wish to pay their respects. You know from living amongst both rival families that there will likely be tension between the mourners at the funeral, with the threat of violence a very real possibility.

The Assignment: Write a eulogy that, as a priest, you would give to an assembled audience of Montagues and Capulets. It is important to remember that you are not on anyone's side and must look at the situation objectively.

What is a eulogy?

A eulogy is a speech, given at a funeral, which pays tribute to someone who has died.

Tips: If you need help starting your eulogy, visit www.eulogyhelpdesk.com

Art Ideas: Counterchange Pattern

Time to Design

Counterchange is a design technique most often associated with textile and wall-covering design. The practice makes use of a simple grid system that allows an artist to create stunning patterns with little effort. The most familiar counterchange pattern is that of a chessboard since the design contains more than one color and is repetitive in nature. Counterchange patterns are, after all, simply the reversal of shapes or colors along an axis. In the chessboard example there is both the reversal of color and form as the squares are reflected vertically as well as horizontally.

Although the above example looks simple, counterchange patterns can employ an axis that adheres to a curvaceous or organic shape. Also, some counterchange patterns are only defined by a vertical axis as is the case in many drapery designs. The example below illustrates how a simple geometric design reflected symmetrically across both a vertical and horizontal axis can produce an aesthetically pleasing pattern.

Shown below is an example of how counterchange elements combined together creates a pattern that is seemingly endless. This pattern is entirely made up of repeated segments of the above example (the dark portion in the upper left-hand side) reflected 180 degrees over the horizontal axis, and 180 degrees over the vertical axis.

Counterchange patterns can also feature interlocking shapes with varying colors. Use of vertical and horizontal axes is not necessary in many examples of repeatable patterns. The example below uses the same shape over and over again since each element fits together like pieces of a puzzle. Only the colors in each adjacent shape have been reversed, creating an exciting pattern that could be used for upholstery or wallpaper.

      

Materials needed for this Project:

1. Drawing paper
2. Markers or Colored Pencils
3. A Ruler and a T-square
4. Super 77 spray adhesive (to mock up the design on cardstock)
5. Posterboard or Cardstock

Design software such as Adobe Illustrator or Macromedia Freehand is also useful for this project. The above examples were created using Adobe Illustrator.

Classroom Observation

Behavior Management in Action

The following observation took place on June 3rd, 2005 at a high school in Orange County. Although the events recorded in this account are factual, the name and description of the instructor has been altered to protect her identity.

            The nondescript classroom at the end of the hall was a hive of activity between class periods. Pouring out in an ebb and flow from the constantly swinging door sounded the mingled chatter of a sophomore English class. As the bell attendance bell sang its electric tune the students of room 411 lowered their collective volume to a dull roar about half as loud.

            “I’d like you to be quiet during the morning announcements,” cried an adult voice from the front of the class. The short, dark-haired woman held her students in a spectacled gaze as she clutched a role sheet, driving the crowd to semi-silence with her peering eyes. Noticeable for the first time was the was the muffled dialogue of the PA system with the day’s message, almost serving as a sign that class had actually begun.

            The instructor, Mrs. Johnson, was charged with the task of teaching a very diverse group of students for the third period English class. Most of her pupils, she would admit later, did not present themselves as college-bound academics and were generally described as reading and writing below their grade level. There were also about half a dozen special education students present in the class, one of them attended to by a teacher’s aide. In all, they number 38 and seemed to occupy every livable space in the average-sized classroom.

            The lesson for the day was an out loud reading of “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding. The instructor, along with a small group of student volunteers, took turns reading from the novel, pausing only occasionally to make a comment or ask a question. Since this class activity required everyone’s attention, not to mention silence, Mrs. Johnson would use an arsenal of non-verbal queues and gestures to bring students back on task. A quick glance, soundless mouthed words, or a wave of the hand seemed to work well for discouraging talking between students. Although Mrs. Johnson’s style of classroom management could seem relaxed at times there was never any indication that she was not in control of the classroom. Her actions actually allowed for an orderly classroom without relying on punitive measures to enforce the class rules.

            Aside form classroom management, Mrs. Johnson seemed to also have a good rapport with her students. Throughout the reading activity there was a prevailing sense of mutual understanding between teacher and student that restrained both parties from hurtful words or actions. For example, during a group reading of chapter 12 a couple of female students on the far side of the room began to quietly talk amongst themselves. At the time a passage of text was being read by a student volunteer who took no notice of the disruption. Mrs. Johnson reacted by saying, “ladies, please. This isn’t fair to the class.”

Mrs. Johnson could have reacted in any number of ways but ultimately chose to simply remind the girls of their obligation to be silent during the reading activity.

            In a conversation after class had ended, Mrs. Johnson talked briefly about her philosophy on classroom management as well as her relationship with the students. While she had studied the likes of Fred Jones and Harry Wong for their behavioral management expertise, she claimed not subscribe to any one particular theory. She admitted that although she agreed with virtually everything presented in the widely used methods of classroom management, her own journey had been built on trial and error.

            “I go with what works for me and my students. Years of teaching have taught me how to react to certain situations,” she said with the authority of an experienced educator.

            When asked how she handled her communications with the parents of a disruptive child, she maintained that calls home were an infrequent occurrence. Most of the behavior problems that she encountered on a daily basis did not merit getting the parents involved and could be resolved by working directly with the student. However, there were those special cases that required parental involvement that Mrs. Johnson would, on certain occasions, have to either refer to an administrator or handle on her own. Although such cases often had the title “horror story” attached to them, Mrs. Johnson claimed that she had not encountered too much resistance from parents regarding student discipline.

            The monotone din of the attendance bell marked the end of the snack period between third and fourth period. Within moments yet another group of students began to stream into the classroom, attended by the same laughs, shouts, and hum of conversation as the previous class. Without hesitation Mrs. Johnson took to her feet and waited for the other bell to ring.

Head of the Class

What a Difference One Teacher Makes

            

            

            

           

             It seems that everyone has at least one teacher from childhood or beyond that stands out in memory. The heartwarming, and unfortunately sometimes frightening, stories of those who shaped our world begin to take on a sentimental familiarity when repeated often enough. From the confident and funny Geometry teacher that many of us cherish in our memories, to the wretchedly sadistic history professor that even now provokes nightmares, it is safe to say that the educators of our youth have a lasting impact on our lives.

            For me, the inspiring teacher who I remember most from the murkiness of childhood academia is an upstanding gentleman by the name of Mr. Walsh. As my dedicated sixth grade teacher Mr. Walsh instilled in me a certain confidence in learning that I have not since lost. The fact that my entire fifth grade year was spent in a state of confused frustration under an instructor of considerably less charm was literally offset by the expert instruction I received in my sixth grade year.

            Before the sixth grade, I was not what one might call a diligent student. For most of my elementary schooling I had a difficult time with reading and math, which pretty much covers everything they try to teach you in grade school. Learning for me was not a particularly easy venture and by the time sixth grade started up, the thought of spending another decade in school was torturous. All of these negative feelings, however, began to change when I found myself in Mr. Walsh’s class. Mr. Walsh was a different kind of teacher than what I was used to. For one thing, he was a man, and I had never had a male teacher before. Almost instantly, I knew this was an instructor I could relate to. His calm demeanor, warm smile, and authoritative presence seemed to remove the anxiety and depression I always associated with school.

            What made Mr. Walsh an effective teacher, at least in my eyes, was his lack of favoritism. He treated all of his students with an even hand and made no individual exceptions for the rules. To me this was an important distinction between Mr. Walsh and other teachers who often labeled students as “good” or “bad”, treating them accordingly. If anything Mr. Walsh seemed unbiased and unaffected by the reputations of difficult students. In his classroom system of equality I actually felt like I had moved up a couple notches on the evolutionary scale.

            Another aspect of his teaching style that seemed to endear much of my sixth grade class to him was his use of encouragement. It took only a few simple words to have the entire class believe that if we tried our best, we could succeed at whatever task was put before us. Mr. Walsh had the confident expectation of success that he always applied to his students. I believed in my ability to do well in his class because I knew he was rooting for me the entire time.

            In hindsight, I believe that his role as disciplinarian also attributed to his success as a teacher. Attention to rules and standards isn’t what most children would cite as the most admirable trait in a teacher, but is nonetheless an important factor in keeping a class full of students on the right course. Despite Mr. Walsh’s gentle ways, he always kept to the code and never wavered from what was acceptable behavior in the classroom. He was in no way a tyrant about following the “law to the letter”, but rather a respectable leader whose authority is based in confidence.

            During and well after my experience in Mr. Walsh’s sixth grade class my grades improved considerably. I believe that his effective teaching style engendered a paradigm shift in me that carried me all the way to college. It wasn’t simply the curriculum we studied, as I can’t remember for the life of me what I learned in my final year of grade school, but rather the positive attitude toward academic challenges the experience instilled in me.

                                                                        

Sunprints: Drawing with Light

What is a Sunprint?

Sunprints are made using a special type of photographic paper coated with a light-sensitive emulsion. When exposed to sunlight the specially treated surface undergoes a chemical reaction that reveals the outline or pattern of objects placed on the paper. This type of image is also commonly called a “photogram” since the subject is created using physical objects rather than a photographic transparency or negative. I wanted to utilize this alternative process of photography as a lesson plan for children because the exercise did not require the use of a camera and could conceivably produce instant results. The idea to teach students how to create sunprints also benefits from the fact that the assignment is easy to prepare, requiring only a few key materials. A sunprint activity is also relatively inexpensive to conduct since sunprint kits are commercially available over the internet or through a photography supply store.

History of the Sunprint

Some of the very first images made without the use of drawing materials or paint were created using a technique similar to the sunprint activity. Sunprints are actually a modern form of the 19th century Cyanotype, a process named for the blue hue of prints made using this method. Although sunprints involve slightly different materials than the original Cyanotype process, originally developed in 1842 by British scientist Sir John Herschel, the concept is still the same. Cyanotypes were also the chosen medium of the fist woman photographer, Anna Atkins. Atkins, also a scientist and good friend of Herschel, used the process to document her botanical research of algae and flowering plants. Aside from being a pioneer in the field of image-based research, Atkins was also the fist person ever to publish her work in the form of a photographically illustrated book in 1843.

To order Sunprint paper, contact Freestyle Photographic Supply Company in Los Angeles by logging onto their website:

www.freestylephoto.biz

The World in Color: Lesson Plan

Project Intended for Grade Level: 9

Class Subject: Beginning Art

Overall Objective: Create a Color-Wheel using non-traditional art materials that can be presented as a visually appealing yet functional guide to color theory.

Guidelines: Students will have the choice of using two or three-dimensional objects in their creation of a color wheel. Students may not, however, use their own original artwork or utilize traditional art materials, such as colored pencils or paint, in the creation of the Color-Wheel model. All materials used in this project must be pre-existing items the students can effectively organize into a working project model. An example of appropriate materials for this project may be pages ripped out of a magazine, photographs, fabric, wood, Plexiglas, etc. When combined, the chosen materials can be assembled to create a collage, additive sculpture, or even a hanging Mobil. Students engaged in this project may implement any design idea they desire, provided they adhere to the guidelines listed above.

Content Standard:

California

Content Standard for Visual Arts, grades 9-12 (Proficient).

Possible uses for Technology: Personal Computers can be used for internet research on the application of color theory in modern design and art. Digital Cameras may also be used for the collection of content material for the Color-Wheel project. Inkjet Printers can also be utilized for the output of content material found online that can be used in the project model.

Introduction/Motivation: The project will be introduced in the form of a brief lecture that outlines how the Color-Wheel influences design decisions in the field of art. The initial lesson will also discuss Sir Isaac Newton’s early research on color and the nature of light, dating back to the year 1666. The introduction to the Color-Wheel concept will then be concluded by an interactive analysis of artists whose work demonstrates an understanding of color theory (Miro, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Warhol, etc.).

Lesson Activities: Students will be given class time to research and design their Color-Wheel models. Opportunities to experiment with the use of various materials and discuss the merits of design applications will also be made available to students. Before initial construction begins, each student must submit a design prospectus that demonstrates knowledge of the course material as well as illustrates the general design and materials that will be used in the project. The design brief must be neatly typed and contain an artist’s rendering of the final product of the assignment.

Individual Practice: The majority of time spent on the project will be outside of class. Class time will be made available for research and planning, however, most of the building process and execution of design ideas will be considered homework.

Assessment: Overall success for the Color-Wheel project will be determined on an individual basis. Although a letter grade will not be given for the final project, each completed color wheel will be given a point value that reflects the student’s progress.

Each project will be rated in four categories: Design, Accuracy, Creativity, and Presentation.

1 Design: This category is a determination of how well the chosen design works for the project as a whole.

2 Accuracy: How accurate is the Color-Wheel? Does it reflect a scientific and artistic knowledge of color theory?

3 Creativity: This category rates the students ability to use take the project to the next level intellectually as well as artistically.

4 Presentation: How well has the Color-Wheel model been constructed? This category rates craftsmanship and attention to detail.

Final Critique: All students will engage in a class discussion that considers the effectiveness and creativity for each submitted project. During this time the entire class will be given an opportunity to comment on each other’s work and generally reflect on which design ideas really worked for this project. The final critique will be held as a casual and relaxed class discussion organized much like an art gallery show. 

Modifications for Special Needs Children: A greater level of assistance will be made available to special needs children, such as those who suffer from acute dyslexia or some other form of learning disability. Consideration to altering the project standards will be made on an individual student basis. A Spanish Language version of the project syllabus will be made available to ESL students.

Adaptations for Learning Disabled Students: As a means for assisting students with learning disabilities, the entire Color-Wheel project outline will be presented in an easy-to-read syllabus that students can constantly refer to. For students that have a difficult time with audio and visual input, or in some cases both, an in-depth explanation of project goals and guidelines could save a learning disabled student from a becoming discouraged. This guide will be complete with an introduction, assignment goals, and a timeline for student progress in the project. Also included will be a number of illustrations that demonstrate how the color wheel is really the observable range of light that the human eye can see. The table of contents for such a syllabus would ultimately include:

1 - Introduction

      a) What is the Color-Wheel?

      b) Sir Isaac Newton

2 - Project goals

      a) Guidelines for Color-Wheel Project

3 - Timeline for student progress and completion

4 - Visual guide to the Color-Wheel

5 - Examples of student work (Photographs or Illustrations)

6 - Ideas for choosing a Color-Wheel design

      a) Tips on conducting research

7 - Rubric for how the final project will be assessed

8 - A brief description of the final critique process

            The last section of the project outline will contain some information that many learning disabled students may find encouraging. It will state how Tom Cruise, Whoopi Goldberg, General George Patton, Walt Disney, Winston Churchill, and Alexander Graham Bell all achieved a tremendous amount of success in their lives despite being learning disabled. The main point of this last section will be to assure students that having a learning disability is not a roadblock to creative expression and accomplishment, not only in art, but in all fields of study.

* This syllabus will be provided to learning disabled students at the beginning of class or before the project is introduced to allow them to follow along during the class discussion.

      

Word of Mouth

              

           

             According to the 2002 edition of Microsoft's Encarta Encyclopedia software, there are over 6,000 languages currently being spoken in the world today. This estimate, however, does not represent the total number of spoken-language variations commonly referred to as dialects. Knowing this, it is easy to understand how the ability to teach languages is so vital to public education.   

            My own personal thoughts on the subject of primary and secondary languages is that it is important for non-English speakers to master their native tongue as well adapt to the linguistic challenges of their host country. In other words, the preservation of foreign language ability is important, but not to the detriment of assimilating into a mainstream, English-speaking society. Without the basic ability to communicate in the common language of our culture it is unlikely that those belonging to the non-English speaking minority will enjoy the high standard of prosperity our country offers. Although America is, by all respects, a multilingual nation, the language of commerce is firmly in the realm of English.

            The public school system has traditionally been tasked with teaching its students to a core set of knowledge. Lessons regarding Arithmetic, History, and Science, are all devised with the common goal of preparing students for a lifetime in the workplace. I believe that our educational system must also approach the issue of language development in non-English speakers from the same vantage point. Neglecting the rather obvious need for comprehensive language instruction for an increasingly growing segment of our population would only call the effectiveness of public education to question. Our public education system must be made adaptable to the ever-changing needs of an ever-changing population.

            My ultimate goal as an instructor will be to encourage students to explore the world around them. I would be quite happy to simply instill in my students the love of learning and prepare them for a lifetime of personal growth. If part of this academic ideal is to help my pupils learn the common tongue of our culture, then I will approach this task with the same enthusiasm as I would with any other subject matter.