Carol of the Carol - Merry Christmas Wishes

We continued working on A Christmas Carol of A Christmas Carol. We recorded the first Staveverse but found the process more time-consuming than anticipated. Oh, well, there ARE 12 days of Christmas, yes? Here's wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Assignment: (See last sentence above!)

Quiz Return - CrimCapDisc - Calligraphy Lesson

Today our seventh graders:

• Examined their graded Quizzes over the Ch. 6 Summary: End of Spanish Rule
• Discussed Part II of Ellen Howard's The Crimson Cap (student recorders' notes here)
• Received gifts of calligraphy pen sets and began to learn Edward Johnston's Foundational Hand; you can find online illustrations here, here, and many other places online.
• Worked briefly on a Christmas Carol of A Christmas Carol

Assignment:

1. Read Part III, Ch. 1-3 of The Crimson Cap and write and post discussion questions at your blog.
2. Post at your blog your analysis of "Using Primary Sources to Evaluate the Accuracy of Ellen Howard's The Crimson Cap".

Chapel - Ch. 6 Summary Quiz - Carol of a Carol

Today our students:

• Attended chapel
• Took the Quiz over the Ch. 6 Summary: End of Spanish Texas
• Recorded some music for A Christmas Carol of A Christmas Carol

Assignments for Thursday

1. Finish your analysis of "Using Primary Sources to Evaluate the Accuracy of Ellen Howard's The Crimson Cap".
2. Read The Crimson Cap, Part II, Ch. 6-10, write and post discussion questions. As we had no time to discuss last night's reading today, we will discuss all of Part II on Thursday.

Student Presentations (cont'd) - The Crimson Cap: Discussion & Primary Sources Analysis and Evaluation

Today our young scholars:

• Continued their presentations analyzing various aspect of the Ch. 6 Summary: End of Spanish Rule
• Read pages from the documented 1698 interrogation of two Talon brothers, survivors of La Salle's colony, Indian captivity, and Spanish "rescue"
• Discussed The Crimson Cap, Part I, Ch. 6-9 - See notes by student recorder here.
• Began a activity called "Using Primary Sources to Evaluate the Accuracy of Ellen Howard's The Crimson Cap"

Assignment

For Wednesday:

1. Quiz over Ch. 6 Summary: End of Spanish Rule (as announced yesterday)
2. Read and write discussion questions over The Crimson Cap, Part II, Ch. 1-5; post your questions, with illustration(s) at your blog.

For Thursday:

1. Finish your analysis of "Using Primary Sources to Evaluate the Accuracy of Ellen Howard's The Crimson Cap".
2. Read The Crimson Cap, Part II, Ch. 6-10, write and post discussion questions.

The Crimson Cap, Part I, Chapters 1-5 --- Chapter 6 Summary: End of Spanish Rule

Today students:

• Discussed Part I,, Ch. 1-5 of The Crimson Cap
• We considered questions students posted at their blogs: here, here, & here.
• The notes by a student recorder can be viewed here.

• Read & analyzed the Ch. 6 Summary: End of Spanish Rule
• First students read the Summary.
• Then each student took a paragraph and related it to the maps and pictures on the Summary page and/or found illustrations online.
• Quiz Wednesday, 12/17 over the Summary page (text & illustrations)
• Students began explaining their paragraphs to the rest of the class. (To be completed tomorrow.)

Assignments

For Tuesday: Read The Crimson Cap, Part I, Ch. 6-9.

• Write post at your blog at least one discussion question for each chapter.
• Be sure to include a good illustration. You might find illustrations at the "Fort St. Louis" site at Beyond Texas History useful.
• As you read, continue considering what in the story is "fact" and what is more likely "fiction." What could author Ellen Howard support with primary source evidence?

For Wednesday: Be studying the Ch. 6 Summary for the Quiz noted above.

La Salle & The Talon Children - A Christmas Carol of A Christmas Carol

Today our students:

• Looked at the Table of Contents & Reading Schedule for Ellen Howard's historical novel, The Crimson Cap
• Hypothesized as to the 3 Parts of TCC
• Read the HOTO article on the Talon Children
• Examined a HOTO-Based Chronology of the Talon Children
• Went to the Parish Hall & practiced singing A Christmas Carol of A Christmas Carol, making revisions as needed.

Assignment for Monday

1. Read Part One/Chapters 1-5 in The Crimson Cap.
2. Write one discussion question per chapter.

Spanish-French Rivalry - The Crimson Cap - A Christmas Carol of A Christmas Carol

Today our seventh graders:

• Continued their analysis of a color-coded Chronology of Spanish Texas, noting how Spanish interest in Texas waxed and waned, based on perceived threats from the French
• Used this map on Spanish Texas to gain further understanding of the concepts
• Asked questions about the Chronology dealing with the French and Indian War, the War of 1812, the Spanish-American War of 1898 (and its leading to the acquisition of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba), and the just-released Senate report on the CIA's use of enhanced interrogation on suspected terrorists

• Were introduced to the historical novel, The Crimson Cap, dealing with the Talon children, survivors of La Salle's French colony at Matagorda Bay (aka "Fort St. Louis)
• Collaborated on the Class Christmas Carol of A Christmas Carol by
• Working together on this Google Doc
• Gathering around the piano in the parish hall and practicing singing our lyrics to 12345's piano accompaniment

Assignments

1. Finish reading the Chronology of Spanish Texas
2. Reread textbook Ch. 4/Sec. 3 on La Salle's colony
3. Read the following in The Crimson Cap:
• Acknowledgments (I added this; sorry, guys.) - page v
• Characters in This Story
• Before

Chapel - Quiz Makeup - Dramatization - Carol of a Carol

Today our students:

• Attended chapel
• Took a makeup quiz over the Chapter 5 Summary (as needed)
• Imagined and dramatized (using sign language only) the first meeting of Spanish missionaries and Hasinai Indians of East Texas; they focused mainly on attempts to
• Convert the Indians to Roman Catholic Christianity
• Get the Indians to enter the missions
• Get the Indians to substitute the Spanish way of life for their native ways
• Collaborated on the Class Christmas Carol of A Christmas Carol

Assignment: Use the Synopses of the 5 Staves to write your portion of the Class Christmas Carol; click here to add your part. If you have suggestions for classmates, add them as Comments.

A Christmas Carol, Stave 4 - Google+ Chat/Videoconference - Reading Ch. 5 on Spanish Missions & Settlements

Students today:

• Discussed several students' questions about Stave 4 of A Christmas Carol in various ways:
• Orally
• Google Chat
• Google Videoconference
• Semi-silently read Chapter 5 on Spanish Missions & Settlements, intermittently pausing to discuss key concepts:
• The role of French imperialism in Spanish policy toward Texas
• The relative importance of God, gold, glory, and the French in Spanish decisions whether or not to settle people in Texas

Assignments - For Thursday:
1. A Christmas Carol

• Read rest of the Carol (Stave Five).
• Write discussion questions.
• Stave Five Vocabulary, if you need it

2. Finish reading textbook Ch. 5: Missions & Settlements.

• Be thinking about the key concepts & questions mentioned above.

Tiny Tim - Discussion of A Christmas Carol

The Ghost of Christmas Present

Today students:

• Checked one another's blog-posted questions over Staves Two & Three of  A Christmas Carol
• Discussed Staves Two & Three of A Christmas Carol - A few insights here
• Decided to write a collaborative Christmas carol over A Christmas Carol rather than individual carols
• Set up a Google Doc to compile ideas they had written so far
• In answer to a question about Dickens' Tiny Tim learned there was another Tiny Tim from the 1960s. As it turned out, they'd already learned about his music from its being in various computer games, t.v. programs (Spongebob SquarepantsI, etc.). They just hadn't known the singer looked as follows:

Assignment for Tuesday

1. Read Stave Four of A Christmas Carol.
2. Write and post to your blog possible discussion questions over Stave Four.
3. Use the Vocabulary for Stave Four as needed.

Comparing a Mission & a Presidio

Today students:

• Did an activity called Comparing a Mission & a Presidio
• Used Google Maps to visit mission sites of Spanish Texas
• Discussed some of the similarities and differences students noticed 
• Discussed which type of compound would be easier to defend & why
• Compared the Los Adaes presidio with other presidios in the Spanish, French, and British empires

Assignments

1. Finish Comparing a Mission & a Presidio
• Post your comparison at your blog by 8 A.M., Monday, 12/8/14
2. Read Stave Three of A Christmas Carol
• Write discussion questions & post them to your blog.
• Continue working on your Christmas Carol of A Christmas Carol.
• Come prepared to discuss Staves Two and Three on Monday.

Various Zany Approaches to A Christmas Carol - Less Zany Approaches to Spanish Texas

Today students:

• Discussed some of their questions over Stave One of A Christmas Carol - View them here and here.
• Acted out key words describing Scrooge, particularly this passage: "Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice." Things got a little zany indeed, but no one complained.
• Examined the mystery of the origins of the word humbug
• Began writing A Christmas Carol about A Christmas Carol
• We brainstormed various Christmas carols.
• Students chose one and then began writing their own carol based on what happened in Stave One.
• They will keep adding stanzas as we read each Stave.
• Things got a little zany during this activity as well. Indeed.

• Read one another's Essay Ranking Spanish Explorers. They can be read here and here. (You will need to select the second one by hovering and clicking, as it seems to be written in black. It can be read, though!)
• Examined and analyzed two sets of maps showing the competition between European powers to build colonial empires in the Americas
• Began examining a rather complex Chronology of Spanish Texas to note how Spain's interest in settling Texas waned and waxed as French threats to Texas waned and waxed.

Assignment: A Christmas Carol

1. Read Stave Two.
2. Write discussion questions, post them at your blog, add picture(s).
3. Write Verse 2 of your Christmas Carol, based on what happens in Stave Two.
4. Vocabulary help for Stave Two can be found here.

Communion - Brief Review for Quiz - Quiz over Ch. 5 Summary

Today students:

• Attended communion chapel
• Reviewed briefly for the Quiz over Ch. 5: Missions & Settlements
• Took the Quiz

Assignments - Due Thursday

1. Essay Ranking Spanish Explorers - 
• Have your finished essay posted at your blog by 8 A.M. on Thursday. 
• You can copy and paste it but also link to it in Dropbox.
• Mrs. Horner will let you work on it this afternoon, so use your time well.
• Add one or more pictures to the post, just to, you know, spiff it up.
2. A Christmas Carol - Stave One
• Read the rest of Stave One.
• Write good discussion questions. You can add them to the ones you wrote over the first 8 paragraphs.
• Post the questions to your blog. 
• Be sure to add a picture to the post.
• Use the Vocabulary list for Stave One to help you with difficult words.

Quiz Prep - Pre-Reading Discussion for A Christmas Carol

Today, the student and I:

• Prepared for tomorrow's Quiz over the Chapter 5 Summary: Missions and Settlements
• Examined an Animated Chronology of Spanish Settlement in Texas
• Finished reading, highlighting, and analyzing the Ch. 5 Summary
• Quizzed one another over key facts and concepts in the Summary
• Used a Practice Study Map to quiz one another over locations of key missions and presidios
• Prepared to Read Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol by
• Generating a list of Possible Discussion Questions About Christmas
• Choosing one of the questions and discussing it
• Agreeing to read the first few paragraphs of ACC (see below)

Assignments

1. Quiz over Chapter 5 Summary
2. Be working on your Essay Ranking the Explorers (Due Thursday; Mrs. Horner will let you continue working on it in Grammar/Writing class.)
3. Read the first 8 paragraphs of Stave One of ACC (clicky clicky): "Marley's Ghost" 
4. Write at least two discussion questions over the reading.
5. Vocabulary for ACC: If you're having trouble understanding some of Dickens' "big words," here are some Stave-by-Stave lists of words, defined for your learning and reading pleasure. (Thanks to Phil Jones for doing this!!) 

• Stave One 
• Stave Two  
• Stave Three 
• Stave Four 
• Stave Five

Tolsto(r)y Followup - Explorers Essay - Ch. 5 Summary

Students returned from Thanksgiving and:

• Discussed several followup questions over Tolstoy's "How Much Land Does a Man Need?"
• Began writing an Essay Ranking the Spanish Explorers - See instructions here.
• They will be able to work on it in Grammar class with Mrs. Horner.
• The essay will be due Thursday.
• Began reading and discussing the Chapter 5 Summary: Missions and Settlements
• Students will take a Quiz over the Ch. 5 Summary on Wednesday.
• We finished the first paragraph, pausing to relate key terminology from the reading to things depicted in the maps and pictures to the right.
• We color-coded key terminology and then inserted arrows stretching from the words to the picture. Click here to get an idea of how this was done.
• We distinguished between missions & presidios.
• Did a sort of anticipatory discussion of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, which we will read and discuss over the next week. One question raised and discussed was "Why does Dickens call his chapters "Staves"? Click here to see various formats available.

Assignments

For Wednesday - Quiz over Ch. 5 Summary: Missions and Settlements
For Thursday - Essay Ranking the Explorers

Sell Myself Presentations - Discussion of Tolsto(r)y - Wishes for Happy Thanksgiving

Today students:

• Sold Themselves to Queen Jill and the Royal Court of Grade the Fourth
• Discussed Tolstoy's short story, "How Much Land Does a Man Need?" - 
• See students' discussion questions here, here, and here.
• See our riff on this here.
• Gave and received wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving!

Assignments: (See wishes above.)

Sell Myself Project - Tolsto(r)y - La Salle's La Belle Documentary

Today students:

• Got back their graded Quizzes over Chapter 4: Early Explorers - The celebration almost got out of hand! (j/k)
• Had the choice of working on their Sell Myself Project or reading the Tolstoy short story (or doing some of each); both are due tomorrow
• Shared their lists of "Wants" and "Needs" at their blogs. Click here, here, and here to view.
• Watched some of a documentary of the La Salle Shipwreck Project, embedded above:

Assignments: See instructions in yesterday's class blog post.

Flag Raising - Chapel - Fire Drill - Quiz over Ch. 4 Summary - Tolstoy

Fire drill cartoon here

Today students:

• Raised the flags and went to chapel
• Participated in a fire drill
• Did last-minute study for the Quiz
• Took the Quiz over the Ch. 4 Summary: Early Explorers
• Were emailed a link to a Tolstoy short story (See Assignments below.)

Assignments

For Thursday:

1. Continue working on your "Sell Myself" Project.
2. Make a table (chart) listing every thing you can think of that you WANT and everything you can think of that you NEED. Do this before beginning the Tolstoy story.
3. Optional: Begin reading Tolstoy's "How Much Land Does a Man Need?". If you'd rather begin tomorrow, that's fine, so long as you read the story and complete the assignment by Friday.

For Friday

1. Your "Sell Myself" Project will be presented to Queen Jill and Her Royal Order of Grade the Fourthers sometime between 8-8:30 A.M.
2. Tolstoy's "How Much Land Does a Man Need?
1. Have it read in full.
2. Write lots of discussion questions.
3. Post them to your blog, along with pictures & a link to something interesting relating to Tolstoy and/or the story.

Primary Sources of Spanish Explorers - La Salle, Fort St. Louis, & the French Challenge

Today students:

• Worked on their Sell Myself Projects
• Examined one another's blog posts on excerpts from 3 primary sources by Cabeza de Vaca, Coronado, and Moscoso
• Discussed the documents, into which students showed excellent insights
• See them here, here, and, hopefully soon, here.
• Reviewed the importance of the advent of the French presence in Texas, beginning with La Salle's establishment of Fort St. Louis, near Matagorda Bay, in 1685
• Noted on the Timeline of the Spanish Period that from the Spanish discovery of Texas in 1519  through 1682, the Spanish only established one settlement in Texas (Ysleta, near modern-day El Paso). Then, because of La Salle and the French, the Spanish began establishing missions in East Texas, along the Rio Grande River, and in-between, especially in San Antonio.
• Viewed, chortled over, and, yes, learned from the short video on La Salle and the French
• Speculated as to what is involved in marine archeology and what types of artifacts might have been found on La Salle's last ship, La Belle, which sank in Matagorda Bay. Check out the excellent audio-visual and textual information on the La Belle Project at the Texas State Historical Commission and the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.

• Looked at the Senex map of French claims in parts of North America, including Texas; the 1718 French version appears below.

Assignments: Quiz Wednesday over Ch. 4 Summary: Early Explorers - Learn everything in the handout!

Sell Myself Project - Ch. 4 Summary - LaSalle Video - Are You a Historian?

Today, students:

• Worked on their "Sell Myself" Projects
• Were going to discuss the 3 Primary Sources, but only one student had actually read them and followed instructions
• Were advised of a quiz Wednesday over the Chapter 4 Summary: Early Explorers 
• Viewed part of a short video on the French explorer LaSalle
• Got involved in an interesting discussion when a student asked the teacher, "Are you a historian?"

Assignments

1. For tomorrow: Do the 3 Primary Sources assignment you were supposed to do today. The student who had completed it will get full credit. The others will get partial credit but have a zero until this assignment is completed, as described in the class blog post of Friday, 11/14.
2. For Wednesday: Quiz over the Chapter 4 Summary: Early Explorers.

Former Texas State Historian - Short Film on Spanish Conquistadors - God, Gold, & Glory? - Primary Sources

Please notice the magnificent background!!!

Today, the 7th Grade Scholars:

• Wrote and discussed their responses to an inquiry-based unveiling of a former Texas State Historian; they wrote responses one entry at a time and were to post their responses at their blog.
• Viewed and critiqued a short video discussing the motives of the Spanish conquistadors
• Analyzed what different configurations of "God, Gold, and Glory" might show about the motives behind Spanish exploration and conquest
• Were told about 3 documents they need to read and analyze (See Assignments below.)

Assignments

1. Continue preparing your "Sell Myself" Project.
2. Read and analyze the 3 primary source documents by Cabeza de Vaca, Coronado, and Moscoso.

• As mentioned in class, you can come up with various ways of doing this, and I'd like you to come up with as many ideas on your own as possible.
• If you are drawing a blank, though, click here for sints and huggestions.
• When you finish, post your analysis at your blog.

Timeline of Spanish Period - Sell Myself Project - Chart of European Explorers - Discussion of "A Modest Proposal"

Today students:

• Examined not one but two Timelines of the Spanish Period
• Analyzed a map showing 3 possible routes of Cabeza de Vaca's travels across Texas
• Helped develop ideas for the Sell Myself Project, in which they sell themselves as most worthy to be sent on a Royal Expedition
• Read the Chart: Ch. 4: Early Explorers to get ideas they could use in the project
• Discussed Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" - See a few of their insights here.

Assignment for Friday - Continue working on the Sell Myself Project - It will be due Friday, 11/21/14.

Map Quiz on Spanish & French Explorers - Read Ch. 4

After chapel, the awards ceremony, and first aid after a fall, students spent a few minutes reviewing for the Map Quiz over Spanish and French Exploration of Texas and then took the quiz. Students knew so much that there was little time left in class after they finished. And that's a good thing!

Assignment for Thursday: Read Ch. 4 on Spanish and French Exploration, filling in mental details about Pineda, Cabeza de Vaca, Coronado, Moscoso, Onate, and LaSalle.

Map Analysis of Spanish & French Exploration - Brainstorming Presentation Projects - Opinions About Cannibalism - Swift's "A Modest Proposal"

With the blues still ringing in our ears, today we did the following:

• Used our animated PowerPoint maps and worked collaboratively on what we noticed about the Maps of Spanish & French Exploration of Texas.
• Students were asked to use the animated PowerPoint maps to prepare for a Map Quiz over Spanish and French Exploration of Texas---to be given tomorrow
• Brainstormed Possible Presentation Projects on the Spanish and French Explorers.
• Opined as to whether it was right for members of the Cabeza de Vaca Expedition to engage in cannibalism. Results are here.
• Were directed to Jonathan Swift's 18th-century essay, "A Modest Proposal" and asked to read it by tomorrow

Assignments - Due Wednesday

1. Map Quiz - Spanish & French Exploration of Texas - Use your animated maps to prepare.
2. Read and write multiple discussion questions over Swift's "A Modest Proposal."

Field Trip to CAC

We checked to see that students had embedded their PowerPoints showing Spanish and French Exploration of Texas. Click here, here, and here to see the excellent results.

We then attended a performance of the E-Flat Porch Band at the Cultural Activities Center.

No Assignments Due

Summaries of Summaries - Choosing Topics to Teach - Animated Maps of Spanish & French Exploration

Animated Map: Spanish & French Exploration of Texas

View more presentations or Upload your own.

Students:

• Wrote 15-minute summaries of the Chapter Summaries of the Spanish Period they read yesterday
• Chose the learning activity they would lead the class in while we study Spanish Texas
• Opened an animated PowerPoint of Spanish & French Exploration of Texas and were supposed to follow these instructions to learn how to make an animated slides of their own

Assignment Due Monday

1. Finish the animated PowerPoints as described in the instructions.
2. This assignment is due when you arrive to class on Monday, and no late credit will be given.
3. You wasted most of the class time given you to work on this, so I expect you to put in that time and more during the weekend, finishing and polishing your slides by 8 A.M. Monday. 
4. Save it to Slideboom and embed it in a blog post before you arrive in class. (Slideboom works better with animation than Slideshare.)

Relating Lord of the Flies to Our Previous Studies - Collaborative Planning for Spanish Period Unit

Pineda Expedition Map, 1519 

1. Today we first worked collaboratively to relate aspects of Lord of the Flies to stories and topics we've studied so far this school year. Check out the Google Doc by clicking "Google Doc."

2. Then we looked ahead toward our study of the Spanish Period of Texas history.

• Students read the three (3) chapter summaries on the Spanish Period: Ch. 4, Ch. 5, & Ch. 6.
• Each then chose a chapter and wrote down possible learning activities we could do while studying the Spanish Period. Click here to see what they've thought of so far.
• We also took a quick look at what Professor Donald E. Chipman calls "the oldest known document of Texas history," the Pineda expedition's map of the Texas coastline, drawn in 1519.

Assignments for Friday

1. Add to your LOTF/Previous Learning Activities GooDoc.
2. Add some more possible learning activities to the Brainstorming the Spanish Period GooDoc. Also, add to your classmates' ideas. Be sure to color code or use your initials or numbers (wink) to indicate who is making each suggestion.
3. Optional: I thought you tech-oriented scholars would find this article, "The Creepy New Wave of the Internet," interesting. I surely did and would enjoy discussing it with you.

Picture Day-No HistLitLogic Class

So look at yesterday's post: what was due today will be due Thursday. Smile. Click.

Indian Debate, Day 2

A. Students did an excellent job on Day 2 of the Indian Debate. They continued the cross examination of students who didn't get cross examined yesterday and even got in a few extra licks against tribes from yesterday. They then posted several debate items at their blogs:

1. Debate Planning Sheet (the multi-colored one) that was to be color coded by:
• Notes from the Chart-Indians of Texas (info from our textbook)
• Notes from HOTO - your tribe & each opponent
• Notes from Notes from Newcomb (Possibly Interesting Information) - your tribe & one opponent
2. Indian Debate PowerPoint
3. Notes During Indians Debate

B. We also discussed some possible ways to relate Lord of the Flies to various stories and topics we have studied thus far this year: SMERFCAPS, Texas Geography, Indians of Texas, Shipwrecked in Outer Space, "Harrison Bergeron," "The Lottery," and "The Most Dangerous Game." One student began working up a multi-part Venn Diagram as a possible approach, so we'll decide what and how to do this tomorrow.

Assignment for Wednesday: 

1. Be sure to have all three of the above debate-related items posted at your blog by tomorrow.
2. Be thinking of possible approaches to relating LOTF to previous studied stories and topics.

Indian Debate, Day 1

Excellent debating today, students. Look back over your notes and decide what you want to ask and might answer during tomorrow's cross examinations. And have a great Monday evening.

LOTF Movie, Conclusion - Canterbury Faire - Debate Instructions

On an abbreviated schedule, students viewed and discussed the conclusion to the 1963 Peter Brooks movie version of Lord of the Flies. The students then repaired to the field across the street from the church to help with the school's annual Canterbury Faire.

Assignment - For Monday: Indian Debate - Be prepared to debate the question, "Which Indian tribe of Texas was the best?"

• Organize your PowerPoint the same basic way as for the Regions Debate (Notice, though, a couple of important changes for Slide 2.)
• Slide 1: Title
• Slide 2: 
• Background Information on Your Tribe: where located, main way(s) of making a living, settled or nomadic, etc. - You could put this on a MAP if you like.
• Your 3 Main Arguments as to Why Your Tribe is the BEST (You may give more than 3 main arguments if you like.)
• Slide 3: Ways your tribe is better than Opponent #1
• Slide 4: Ways your tribe is better than Opponent #2
• Slide 5: Ways your tribe is better than Opponent #3
• Reminder: You may use more than 5 slides if you like.
• Be sure to include PICTURES illustrating your arguments.

LOTF Movie - Debate PowerPoint

Today we:

• Discussed the denouement of Lord of the Flies
• Watched and discussed the rest of the 1963 movie version (except for the final five minutes or so)

Assignments
No assignments due Friday

• Be preparing your Debate PowerPoint - due Debate Day, Monday, 11/3/14.
• We'll work on this during our pre-Canterbury Faire classtime tomorrow, time permitting.
• Organize your PPT the same basic way as for the Regions Debate
• Slide 1: Title
• Slide 2: 
• Background Information on Your Tribe: where located, main way(s) of making a living, settled or nomadic, etc. - You could put this on a MAP if you like.
• Your 3 Main Arguments as to Why Your Tribe is the BEST (You may give more than 3 main arguments if you like.)
• Slide 3: Ways your tribe is better than Opponent #1
• Slide 4: Ways your tribe is better than Opponent #2
• Slide 5: Ways your tribe is better than Opponent #3
• Reminder: You may use more than 5 slides if you like.
• Be sure to include PICTURES illustrating your arguments.

Notes from Notes from Newcomb - LOTF Movie, Day 2

After chapel, students:

• Took debate preparation notes from notes I'd taken from W. W. Newcomb, Jr.'s The Indians of Texas
• They were to take notes on their own tribe & at least one (1) of their opponents
• They can take notes on one or more of the opponent tribes for Extra Credit.
• Notes are to be added onto the Debate Planning Sheet & identified by color code as coming from Newcomb's The Indians of Texas
• Viewed the next 15-20 minutes of the movie version of LOTF

Out-Of-Class Learning Opportunity OOCLO) - Due Thursday:

1. Finish taking DebPrep Notes from my notes from  Newcomb
2. Read Ch. 12 of LOTF "Cry of the Hunters."
3. Write QFT-based questions and post them at your blog. Be sure to add a picture to each blog post.

HOTO DebPrep on Opponents - LOTF Online Game - Began LOTF Movie

Yep, same one as yesterday; good of you to notice!

Today our scholars did the following

History: Indians of Texas

Took Debate Prep Notes from HOTO articles on the 3 opposing tribes

• They did not have to highlight the HOTO articles  but simply took notes right onto the Debate Planning Sheet they worked on yesterday.
• They were to indicate by color coding the information they were taking from the HOTO articles.

Literature: Lord of the Flies

• Played, discussed, and evaluated an online Lord of the Flies Game
• Discussed Ch. 10 of LOTF
• Watched and discussed the first 13 minutes of the 1963 Peter Brooks movie version of Lord of the Flies

Assignments for Wednesday:

1. Finish HOTO notes on your 3 Debate opponents

• You are taking these notes on the Debate Planning Sheet.
• Please remember to color code them so I can see they are taken from HOTO. This will also allow you during the debate to say something like, "As stated in the Handbook of Texas Online . . ." This will add authority to your arguments, as HOTO is considered to be a respected, scholarly source.
• These notes will be graded tomorrow. 

2. Read and write questions over Ch. 11 of LOTF: "Castle Rock."

• Please follow the QFT (Questions Formulation Technique) we've been using the past week.

Indian Debate Prep - Lord of the Flies, Ch. 9

Today students:

• Prepared for the upcoming Indian Debate by using information they've been reading and highlighting to fill out a Debate Planning Sheet.
• Information was to come from:
• Chart - Indians of Texas - 4 tribes: each student's own tribe & each of the 3 opponents
• HOTO - each student's own tribe
• This is due Tuesday, 10/28.

• Discussed Chapter 9 of Lord of the Flies - Notes are here.

Assignment - Due Tuesday

1. Debate Planning Sheet as described above - Include information from Chart (4 tribes) & HOTO (your own tribe)
2. Read & write discussion q's over Ch. 10 of LOTF: "The Shell and the Glasses." - Use the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) as your guide.

Lord of the Flies - Pigs - Indian Debate Prep

Next?

Lord of the Flies: Today we had a nice long discussion of LOTF through Ch. 8. Highlights:

• Focus on Simon & his "chat" with the Lord, especially analyzing these statements from the Pighead on p. 111:
• "You knew, didn't you?"
• "I'm part of you?"
• "Close, close, close!"
• "I'm the reason why it's no go?"
• "Why things are as they are?"
• 12345 looked up the word "Beelzebub" and found it's Hebrew for "lord of flies." This led to a discussion of Satan, original sin, and how this might apply to Simon's saying on p. 66 that "maybe there is a beast . . . maybe it's only us."
• We enjoyed a visit from Dr. Carpenter, who added pertinent insights and questions to the discussion.
• We discussed pigs and enjoyed a chat with Mrs. Jeter about Rufus, her three-year-old pet porker.
• Notes taken during all of this can be viewed here.

Indians of Texas

• Students got back their graded Map Quiz over the Indians of Texas & Texas Geography: Well done, ya'll!!!
• Debate Prep
• Students' color-coded highlightings of Strong Points/Weak Points were checked and graded (the Chart).
• Students began color coded highlighting from HOTO (Handbook of Texas Online) over the tribe they will be defending in next week's debate.

Assignments for Monday:
1. Finish the HOTO reading & highlighting.
2. Read Ch. 9 of LOTF:"A View to a Death." Write questions that follow the Questions Formulation Technique we practiced this week. That means writing as many questions as you can!!!

Map Quiz on Indians & Geography - Debate Prep

Our students today:

• Did some last-minute study for the Map Quiz - (Kudos to student 12345 for producing another study guide, this time on the Indians of Texas in 1600 & 1800!)
• Took the Map Quiz
• Prepared for the Indians Debate by reading and color coding the strong points & weak points of their tribe and their opponents' tribes.

After-Class Learning Opportunities (A-CLO, aka "Assignments") for Friday

1. Finish color coding the Strong Points/Weak Points for your tribe and each of your opponents' tribes (Jumanos vs. Comanches vs. Wichitas vs. Caddos . . . gee, I wonder if any of the central and southern tribes are feeling left out; sad, man). The color coding is being done (AS YOU WELL KNOW) on the Chart - Indians of Texas.
2. Read and write questions over Ch. 8 of Lord of the Flies: "Gift for the Darkness." Follow the Question Formulation Technique we've been using this week. Post your questions at your blog and include a picture.
3. Have a wonderful Rest-of-Thursday!

After chapel, students:

• Read one another's blog posts on the relationship between the geography of Texas and the Indians of Texas
• Augmented their blog posts with the information from their classmates' posts

Prepared for tomorrow's Map Quiz over the Indians of Texas by:

• Glancing (very briefly but probably not long enough to suit them) at a page of the actual quiz
• Analyzing the two maps on Texas Indians in 1600 & 1800
• Looking at an excellent study guide a classmate voluntarily made (see above) - OUTSTANDING! And MANY THANKS!

Assignments for Thursday

• Read Ch. 7 in Lord of the Flies and write as many questions as you can, following the Questions Formulation Technique previously referenced
• Quiz over Indians of Texas - See study tips at previous post.

Today students:

• Learned to make QR Codes
• Made codes for the Google My Maps assignment from a couple of weeks ago
• Helped finalize the Texas Our Texas bulletin board in the north hall downstairs, adding their QR Codes to the Texas My Texas table/map assignment
• Analyzed the two maps from yesterday showing the relationship between Texas geography and the lifestyles of the Indian tribes living in each region and sub-region of Texas. 
• Each student took the region & sub-regions their defended in the Regions debate last week.
• Students will share their analyses with one another tomorrow.
• Looked at several other maps of Indians of Texas, noting that not every map shows the same locations as those in our textbook. Some of the more useful ones can be found here, here (1500), here (1500/1776), here (Comanche Migration), here, and here. That last site has a useful note about the challenges of mapping locations of Indian tribes.

Assignments

Lord of the Flies

• For Wednesday: Read Ch. 6. (Rescheduled from yesterday)
• Use the Questions Formulation Technique to write as many questions as you can about Ch. 6: "Beast from the Air."

Map Quiz-Indians of Texas

• The Map Quiz over the Indians was rescheduled for Thursday. 
• See the instructions at the HistLitLog blog post of Monday, 10/20.

Lord of the Flies, Ch. 5 - Indians of Texas (very briefly)

Today we:
Were introduced to a Question Formulation Technique

• Used the technique to write additional questions for Chapter 5 in LOTF
• Discussed students' favorite questions

Were told of a Quiz Wednesday over the Indians of Texas (see below)

Assignments
For Tuesday:

• Read Chapter 6 in LOTF: "Beast from the Air"
• Write as many questions as you can over Ch. 6, using the technique we practiced in class today

For Wednesday Thursday:
Learn the locations of the Indians of Texas from the following maps

Regions/Indian Cultures

• We were introduced to this on Friday.
• Be able to relate the locations of the Indians to the geographical region in which they lived and how geography affected the way they made their living (economics), housing (architecture), and whether they lived in settled villages or were nomads. 
• This map should also help you learn this concept.

Two Maps: Texas Indians in 1600 & 1800 - Sent by email today, but click on the title if you need to.

• Know the locations of the various Indian tribes
• Notice how their locations changed between 1600 & 1800.

We will study this in class tomorrow to help you learn these concepts.