It's time to demonstrate mastery of the standards

Homework:

Section 1 should have completed pictionaries, choosing, and synonyms for unit 7.

All sections could take time to prepare for the writing we will do over the next two days.

Standards:

CC.8.R.L.2 Key Ideas and Details: Determine a theme or central idea of a textand analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

CC.8.R.L.3 Key Ideas and Details: Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

CC.8.W.2.a Text Types and Purposes: Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

CC.8.W.2.b Text Types and Purposes: Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.

Here are the links students will need to do the next assignments:  
                Constructed Response 
                  Finding the theme in the movie due Friday, February 6
                 Bobby Fischer Discussion Questions
                  Article on details use by screenplay writer
                  Script of movie for dialogue quotes
                 

Tomorrow and Friday, students will be using the computers to write two things.

1. Students will have prepared the 16 questions below.  On Friday, they will enter answers for two of the questions into a Google Form.  The response must rephrase the question in the answer.  There should also be enough supports to demonstrate understanding of the movie and the characters.(See blue below)

2. Students will have written 500 words explaining how the writer's choices conveyed the theme.(See red below)

Searching for Bobby Fischer: discussion questions

1.     What was life like when you were seven?  What things were important to you?  Explain. What is important to Josh?  Is he a typical 7-year old? Why or why not? Explain.

2.     Why doesn’t Josh want to play chess with his dad?  What does this tell us about his character? What might the film-makers be trying to accomplish in that scene? Was it effective?

3.     How has the dialogue contributed to the development of the movie so far? What was done to make the dialogue seem natural?  Give examples and explain.

4.     Who was Bruce Pandolfini? Why does he insist he doesn’t teach any more when talking to Josh’s dad?  What was the significance of the conversation on the phone beforehand?  How did those two brief conversations develop Pandolfini’s character? Explain.

5.     Who is the man in the park that plays chess with Josh?  What does he teach Josh?  Explain.

6.     What’s the moral dilemma the parents struggle with to determine if they should let Josh learn chess from Bruce Pandolfini?  Explain.

7.     What’s wrong with Josh playing chess in the park?  Explain.

8.     Explain the tension between Josh’s mom and Pandolfini.

9.     Why do parents get so intense about the chess games when the kids don’t seem to mind?  What are the things in your life the adults care more about than you do?  Explain the significance.

10.  How are Bruce and Vinnie opposites? How are they similar?  Whose philosophy do you agree with more?  Explain.

11.  If you were Josh’s parents, what might you do differently?  What are they doing right?  Explain.

12.  Evaluate the movie’s ending.  Was it satisfactory?  Explain.  How might you have it end differently if you were the director?

13.  What’s the difference between a prodigy and someone who works hard?  Which one is more valuable?  Which would you rather be?  Using examples from the film, explain your answer.

14.  How important is it to be a normal kid?  In what ways does our society force kids to grow up too fast?  In what ways should we expect people to be more grown up?  Explain.

15.  Does Josh have friends his own age, or are they competitors?  What’s the difference?  Explain.

16.  Break down the dialogue in a specific scene.  Briefly describe the scene and the dialogue.  What was the film trying to accomplish with the dialogue?  How effective was it?  Explain.

Bruce: You have no idea what I want. What is chess, do you think? Those who play for fun or not at all dismiss it as a game. The ones who devote their lives to it for the most part insist that it’s a science. It’s neither. Bobby Fischer got underneath it like no one before and found at its center, art. I spent my life trying to play like him. Most of these guys have. But we’re like forgers. We’re competent fakes. His successor wasn’t here tonight. He wasn’t here. He is asleep in his room in your house. Your son creates like Fischer. He sees like him, inside. Fred: You can tell this by watching him play some drunks in the park? Bruce: Yes. You want to know what I want. I’ll tell you what I want. I want back what Bobby Fischer took with him when he disappeared. 

Theme: Searching for Bobby Fischer

Here are some suggestions for discussing the theme of Searching for Bobby Fischer. Choose one or come up with your own.  Do not just answer the questions and write them in order.

 For each of these topics, you are expected to discuss the main characters in the movie, their motivations, internal and external conflicts, and their influence on Josh.

 Remember, you are explaining how the writer’s choices (plot, characters, point of view, etc.) help convey the theme.  Explain the theme.  How what it developed? Prove this is the theme.

1. Who is in charge of how our children turn out?

• ·To what extent are parents responsible for the success or failure of their children?
• ·      How do parents’ own childhoods guide the decisions they make with their own children?
• ·      Do parents have the right to impose their hopes and dreams on their children, fix their pasts by giving their children what they never had?
• ·      Are parents even aware of the source of their decisions?
• ·      Have parents as sons done enough to please their fathers?

2. How is life is like a chess match?

• ·      How do people have different philosophies about chess, and are these are also ways to live life?
• ·      How do the ways the characters view opponents also transfer over to how they see people?
• ·      How did these views change in certain characters?
• ·      What is the reason for a character to not change throughout a story?

3. How important is winning?

• ·      What is a healthy level of competition?
• ·      What is the difference between a career in competition and an obsession?
• ·      They are searching for the next Bobby Fischer.  Should we really want a next Bobby Fischer?
• ·      What is most important in life?

4. The person we are today is the result of many people trying to guide us.

• ·      Who are the people trying to guide Josh?
• ·      In what ways did each one give good guidance?
• ·      In what ways did each have flaws?
• ·      How is Josh the result of these influences?
• ·      Is Josh his own person able to make his own decisions? 

Stick to the details in the story.  As much as you would like to explain how you relate to the story and the theme, this written piece is not about you. 

Just explain what the theme is and how you know by using details from the movie.

 Characters: Josh, Dad, Mom, Bruce, Vinnie     Bruce’s Teacher/Jonathan   Other dad/Morgan

All the argument essays are graded and in HAC

Homework:

• All classes have a quiz on the academic vocabulary and the first ten words of the critical vocabulary on Friday.
• All classes have a written piece due Friday on Searching for Bobby Fischer.  (We will have typing time in class on Thursday.)
• Section 1 should do the pictionaries for unit 7 to be entered on the responders tomorrow.

Argument Essay Scoring

Samples of A's on Social Media Argument Essay
     Sample 1
     Sample 2
     Sample 3

I wanted to give a little explanation about the scoring of the argument essays.  The average score for section 1 was an 82%, section 2 was a 75%, and section 3 was a 72%.  As I tell the class, the bidding starts at a C, and no student gets lower than a 70%... as long as the basic requirements are attempted. Argumentative writing is difficult for middle school students.  I believe it requires a level of analytical reasoning that is above the abilities of many of the students.  Even with a scaffolded assignment, a basic outline, and two practices essays, many students were not able to thoroughly discuss the topic of cyberbullying in a way that takes a position yet demonstrates that there is not one position that is completely correct.

If you read the samples, you will see what I think are essays that meet the full requirements of the rubric.  The scores on these essays reflect what I believe students will be expected to do on their testing and on argumentative writing in the future.

If any student would like to challenge or discuss my score, I am more than willing to explain why I gave it a particular score.

Here is what students should be working on this week

Section 1 should have pictionaries for unit 7 in tomorrow.
        Here is the Quizlet flashcards for the words.

All section should be practicing vocabulary using the Quizlet links below.

Unit 2 
Vocabulary

Practice Quizzes: Here is the Quizlet practice for ALL the literary terms a student should know.List of Words: Academic Vocabulary List (Quiz Feb. 6)
Quizlet Practice for the 63 vocabulary words students should know.       Set 1 (Contribute - Style) (Quiz Feb. 6)

Literature Study          Searching for Bobby Fischer (Movie)                  Constructed Response due Friday, February 6

Objectives:

Students will demonstrate that they can use academic vocabulary to explicate the theme of a movie.

Standards

CC.8.R.L.2 Key Ideas and Details: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.CC.8.R.L.3 Key Ideas and Details: Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

CC.8.R.L.6 Craft and Structure: Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use ofdramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor. 

Determining theme in Searching for Bobby Fischer: Characterization and Imagery

Due Friday, February 6

Standards to demonstrate

CC.8.R.L.2 Key Ideas and Details: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

CC.8.R.L.3 Key Ideas and Details: Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

CC.8.R.L.6 Craft and Structure: Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.

Theme:

The movie comments on the relationship between teacher and student, father and son, parent and child, the choices each makes and the consequences of those choices. What is he trying to tell us? What is he telling children who watch this?  What is he telling parents who watch this?

In the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer, director and screen writer Steven Zaillian

The theme (message) of movie is…

Writing Choices

1.     Discuss the effect of shooting the whole movie from Josh’s point of view and having him narrate Bobby Fisher’s history. How did this help convey the theme?

2.     Discuss the plot choices used in the movie.  What was the effect of using Bobby Fischer’s history at certain parts in the movie. How did this choice help convey the theme?

3.     Discuss the visual imagery/symbols used in the movie (colors, camera angles, objects to focus on, close-ups). How do these choices help convey the theme?

4.     Discuss Dad’s and Bruce’s internal conflicts and the effect their relationship with the other characters had on them (external conflicts): Josh, Vinnie, Mom, other parents, etc. How did the characters help convey the theme? We learn about characters through their actions, dialogue, how others see them, and their thoughts.  I would discuss the director’s use of close-ups.

Requirements:

·      Try to keep your response below 500 words.

·      Use as many academic vocabulary words as you can from the sheet.  Bold them. The more you use the better!

·      Demonstrate that you understand how the director/screen writer’s choices helped convey the theme.

·      Type on Google Docs and share with mrbozhb@gmail.com.

·      Due by Friday, February 6.

Some 3rd Marking periods are on HAC

Section 1:
The argument essays are graded.  I will post some samples when I have time.  The grade is a summative because there were two practice essays and lots of teaching.  They were to demonstrate they understand what an argument paper should look like.  Thy will be expected to write an argument essay on the test in the spring.

Sections 2 and 3:
Students were supposed to have written two practice essays so I could give them feedback.  Not all students handed in the completed essay, so I gave them partial credit.

The argument papers are NOT graded, but I have read through most of them.  Based on what I saw, most students will earn around a 75%.  When I grade them, I will adjust the grade higher or lower.

Writing an argument essay is a difficult skill for an 8th grader.  I want the grades to reflect their mastery.

Academic Vocabulary for the upcoming unit

Argument is over and being graded.

We are getting back into literature.  Students have filled in the sheets below.  As we watch Searching for Bobby Fischer, they will identify examples of these literary terms in the right column. I have shown this movie for years.  I consider it as deep and meaningful as any story we would read in our anthology. I also included the character study we will do with the movie.  We will be spending a lot of time discussing characterization in the next two units.

The words are defined on this page.

The students can use this Quizlet page to practice for the quiz.  It is a large, ugly group, but it does provide practice.  Students can take practice tests.  Only check off multiple choice and hit "create new test."

We are transitioning from argumentative essays back to literature

At this point, students should have given me their argumentative essay.  I am in the process of grading them.  When I have finished, I will enter a formative grade for the first two practice essays and a summative grade for the one I just collected.

I also need to enter the debate grades for section 1.  They will be a large formative grade.

All sections will soon have lots of vocabulary to learn and apply.  I will post the requirements tomorrow.

Section 1 Debates: What a great way to end the unit!

This is what a great debate looks like.  Not only were both of the students well prepared for their first round, they were effective with their rebuttals which  lead to students changing their minds throughout the debate.

Topic: Homework does more harm than good.

First Round:
Sophia (on the left) started off with a great introduction, the best of all the debates!  She went on to support her position well.  She discussed how homework benefits students.  Taylor, on the other hand, tried to prove that homework is harmful to students.  Her introduction was not as effective, but she was well prepared for her first round.  Notice how the students voted using their responders: Taylor had a slight lead.

Second Round:
This is the rebuttal round.  Sophia (left) refuted six of Taylor's reasons with pretty good reasons.  Taylor, on the other hand, only discussed four of Sophia's reasons, and a few of the refutations were a little weak.   Notice how the students voted: Sophia now had a slight lead.

Third Round:
During the last round, students discuss anything that needs to be addressed.  Neither student had a great third round, so the scoring came down to the final parts of the debate: the conclusion, eye contact, and the use of visuals.  I do not add up my score until they are both done.  That's when I see the total impact of each part's score.  I scored the debate 36 to 32 with Sophia as the winner.

But that is not how the students scored the debate!  They felt that Taylor had won!  However, I am the one that gives the grade.  Mine is the score that counts.

How exciting!  The students got to see a few important features of argumentative writing.

First, they saw that the topics do not have one side that is clearly better than the other.  When they are planning for and writing their argument paper, they must address both their claim and the counterclaim with valid reasons and evidence.

Second, the quality of their reasons and evidence matter.  In this debate, and especially the one that followed, the students lost points during their rebuttal round when what they said was silly.  Any time someone said something silly, the opponent would jump on it.

I am very pleased with the results of the debates.  Together with the lessons I have taught on argument writing and the two practice essays they have written (and I scored), I look forward to some great essays next week!

Here are the results of all the debates.