We'll start class with ten minutes of reading. This is the first day of quarter two and I am going to remind my students to be tracking their page counts as I plan to change the way we reflect/assess their reading starting later this week.
The students should have completed the front part of their dichotomy journals this weekend. I will let them get back into Faulkner squares to discuss/compare notes on these. Then I will give them 10 minutes (or whatever time is left) to do the formal analysis section on the back of the sheet.
This will be their first practice with formulating a written argument about substantive topics (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1). As they prepare for a much larger version of this in their final papers, I am hoping that they will find some success with this process as we attempt to chunk it out act by act.
I have created reading groups with mixed ability levels. These are bigger groups than I have used in the past (eight students each). I am using bigger groups so that each speaking part can be covered by a unique individual. I am using smaller than the whole class so that students are more responsible for their reading/engagement. Hopefully the chemistry of each group will work to their benefit.
As this is the first day in their groups, I am also going to assess their ability to set goals and norms for their reading time (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1b). I have already seen some leaders in my class and hope that they will help to take charge of this process.
While they read, I am going to ask them to track dichotomies. I will give them a new graphic organizer for this process.
As an informal exit slip, I will ask students to share out about what they read and what it means.