This Week's Deadlines and Project Work Goals!!

RESOURCES

Energy and Place Project Folder

Essay Rubric

Visual Piece Rubric

DEADLINES

• Due Monday at 8:15 am:  Email Ashley your refined draft of essay with evidence of peer critique for 10 process points

• Due Tuesday:  Bring in materials to work on your visual piece

• Wednesday at midnight:  Last chance to get feedback from Ashley on your draft.

CLASS TIME
Week of April 29th
Tuesday-Friday: Visual Piece Work Time + Chem Debate Work time + Honors Project Work time


Week of May 6th

• Mini-lessons from Ashley on common errors in essays
• Refine your essay
• Refine visual piece
• Get ready for exhibition!

Friday, April 26th

Today's Menu:  Peer Critique and Writing Time!

Starter:

• Copy and paste the rubric to the end of your draft.
• Highlight TWO "Content" categories you'd like your critiquers to focus on.
• Delete the "Energy Production" category if you chose not to incorporate that element into your writing.
• Write this on the top of your draft:
• A focus question for both ME and your peer critiquer: What are you most struggling with? What do you think you are missing? Etc...
• "Before emailing this to Ashley for feedback, I must include my first draft with evidence peer critiquer's feedback (i.e. as additional attachment in email).  I must have the rubric at the END of the document after my refined draft"
• "Highlight my use of elements of nature writing (metaphor, simile, analogy, writing with sound, etc..)"
• "Email my draft to Ashley by Monday at 8:15 am for 10 process points"
• TAKE THIS SURVEY about your satisfaction at AHS: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ahssurvey2013student

Agenda + Essay Draft Deadline Review

• Go over the Visual Piece Rubric
• Work Time- Manage your time according to these objectives:
• If you follow the peer critique protocol today, you'll receive 10 process points.
• You need to have evidence of at least ONE peer critique before you submit to me via email on Monday morning by 8:15 am.
• You need to refine it after receiving peer critique before you submit it to me for feedback.  If this is done by Monday at 8:15, you'll receive 10 process points.
• I will not accept ANY drafts for feedback after Wednesday at 3:30pm, May 1st.
• You will have Tuesday-Friday exclusively to work on  your visual piece.
• I'll return your draft on Monday morning, May 6th for you to refine Monday-Wednesday before Thursday's Exhibition.

PEER CRITIQUE PROTOCOL
1. Author: State your focusing question and the 2 content areas of rubric you'd like the group to focus on

2. Critiquers: Track changes on one document together. Focus on 2 content areas and focusing questions.  Also, look out for sentence structure and spelling/grammar errors.

3. Critiquers: Discuss your feedback with the author and ask any clarifying questions you may have.

Thursday, 4/25

Today's Agenda is to simply WRITE your personal essay!  

Remember: Let it flow like a turtle in the riptide

Like this guy:

But not this guy. He's not flowing anywhere

But if you're feeling particularly amped about your essay, maybe like these guys

Wednesday, April 24th

Starter:
80's music speed dating essay topic idea exchange.   When the music stops, grab the person closest to you.  Share your ideas for your essay topic.

Agenda:

• Announcements
• Write!

Important Documents:

• Visual Piece Rubric

• Sense of Place Personal Essay Rubric + Links for Inspiration

• Google doc to the  project folder (See the "Project Resources" tab above)

Announcements

• Visual piece rubric is available. We'll go over it on Friday in class.  You'll have ALL next week to work on the visual piece (Tues-Friday)
• PLANNERS!
• Reminder on deadlines:  Essay draft due Friday for peer critique.
• Email it to me by 8:15 Monday morning for 10 process points and my critique.  You must submit evidence of peer critique and refinement before I'll look at your essay.
• Parent drivers for Monday's field trip- send them to Steve
• Sign-up for essay help (office hours TODAY and SIG availability THURSDAY as well! Lunch Thursday and Friday)
• Absent Monday? Turn in your journal
• Did you turn in Abbey critique/analysis notes? No? Why not? You might as well.
• Intermediate deadlines: 1,00-2,000 words by tomorrow.  2,000-3,500 by Friday
• Most journals are graded-  pick them up on front corner of my desk

Homework:  

Get a draft of your essay done by Friday for 10 process points
Intermediate deadlines: 1,00-2,000 words by tomorrow.  2,000-3,500 by Friday

Monday, April 22nd

Today's Topic:  Sense of Place Essay Rubric and Drafting!

Starter: 

Read the document linked below.  Choose an object in this classroom or your home and come up with 2 out of the 3 "writing with sound" techniques from this handout to describe that object.

Writing with Sound (page 6 only of online version)

Agenda:

• Go over the personal sense of place essay prompt and rubric handout

• Turn in your journal:
• Are all the in-class and out-of-class entries dated and titled? If not, do that now.
• Is your name on the journal?
  
• Begin writing!

• Writer's block?
• Option 1
• Write your name on the board and your issue (no clue, no place, no ethic, no energy)
• Get into groups of 2-3  and try to have a balance between the different "issues"
• Do Part III: "In the Hot Seat" with your group members. Designate a "timer" and stick to the time requirements.

• Option 2
• Write your name on the board and your issue (no clue, no place, no ethic, no energy)
• Check out some of the links in the rubric packet.  Read through some of the essays, watch some vimeos and/or check out some photography.  Hopefully this will offer some inspiration? 

Announcements:

• Missed class Friday? Make-up the Sense of Place Categories starter on Friday's DP post.
• Parent drivers for our field trip
• ACT tomorrow!
• Email me or turn in your Abbey Analysis and critique notes from last week with all group members' names.

Homework:

First draft of essay for peer critique (10 process points for completed drafts) is due on FRIDAY, April 26th

Friday, April 19th

Today's Topic:  Sense of Place and Brainstorming Essay Ideas!

Ashley's Starter like her Quizzes:
Categories of Sense of Place Reading

• Read the following document and highlight lines that connect to your experience with place in some way:  https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2QC-culCKvHNGxab2lUVWN2ajA/edit

• In your journal, label the entry "Sense of Place Categories"
• What questions do you have about these?
• Choose the type of RELATIONSHIP to place AND the type of COMMUNITY ATTACHMENT that you most connect with:
• Write their definitions down
• Explain WHY you connect with those concepts
• You might consider writing your own "Quote" like the ones on the document.

Agenda:

Brainstorm Activity

Announcements:
Desert camping trip, meet in my room at 2:15!
Rubric for the essay is available. We'll go over it as a class on Monday

Homework:
Inspiration journal assignments due on Monday!!

Thursday, April 18th

Today's Topic: Metaphors, Abbey and Environmental Law!

Starter:

Read the handout on metaphors (page 5 of the online version)

In your journal:

a.  How do metaphors either CHANGE or MAINTAIN readers' perspectives?

b.  Create your own metaphor that either reinforces the readers' perspective on an element in nature or a piece of machinery.

Announcements:

• Quiz corrections due tomorrow
• Inspiration journal assignments due Monday
• Desert Camping trip: packing list + 2:15 my room tomorrow
• Missed class this week? Review the Elements of Nature Writing Mini-lesson documents (pages 1-4 only)
• Examples of other essays/writings: (page 3 of this document)
• Yesterday's Abbey quote is posted below
• Honors: Begin reading Fahrenheit 451

Agenda

Class A: 

1. Finish Critique from yesterday

2. Abbey Seminar/Work time

Seminar groups

Work Time Options:

• Make-up work for my class:
• Quiz corrections
• Mini-lessons/starters/Abbey reading
• Inspiration journal assignments
• Other classes?

Class B

1. Finish Critique from yesterday

2. Whole class seminar on Abbey readings

3. Guest Speaker: Brad Bartlett

Brad practices public good environmental law.  He has worked as an attorney for 15 years and has represented citizen groups against governments and corporations.  He has done a lot of work representing Native American citizen groups, including representing them against their tribes.  This work involves viewing the land as more than just a commodity including valuing sacred spaces and valuing the land for its own sake as part of their tradition

Abbey Quote from Wednesday's Starter

“One final paragraph of advice: do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am - a reluctant enthusiast....a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, the lovely, mysterious, and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much; I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those desk-bound men and women with their hearts in a safe deposit box, and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this; You will outlive the bastards.”  ~ Edward Abbey  

Wednesday, April 17th

Today's Topics:  Similes, Abbey and Trout Unlimited!

Objectives:

• Identify simile in others’ writing and create your own.
• Critique Abbey's use of the Grand Style, sense of place and environmental ethic.
• Learn about the nation’s largest and oldest river conservation organization, Trout Unlimited,  through the presentation of Ty Churchwell. 

Starter:
Respond to the Abbey quote in your journal

Agenda

1. Mini-lesson on writing visually with similes and analogies.   Read the handout on similes and analogies (pages 3-4 only of online version).

 IN YOUR JOURNAL:
a.  What is the difference between similes and analogies?
b.  Create your own simile or analogy in describing a specific object in an environment that is important to you OR a machine that represents a form of energy production. 
c.  Based on yesterday's Abbey reading, what is Jessie Dvirnak's middle name?

*If you are stuck, choose one of  these photographs or search for google images of city landscapes or wilderness landscapes that inspire you.

2. Partner Analysis and Critique on Edward Abbey readings
3. Guest speaker: Ty Churcwell from Trout Unlimited 

Homework

Inspiration Journal Assignments!!

Tuesday, April 16th

Today's Topic:  Elements of Nature Writing and Abbey!

Objectives
1. Understand the 5 elements of nature writing

2.  Critique writing by Edward Abbey in his description of sense of place, perception of the 

relationship between man/technology and nature and his environmental ethics. 

Starter
Read the handout on elements of nature writing (page 1 and 2 only for online version) and answer the questions on the backside at the bottom of page #2.


Agenda
1. Introduction to Edward Abbey and overview of reading/annotation reqs

* Scroll down on this website to listen to a  short reading by Abbey from his essay "Freedom and Wilderness, Wilderness and Freedom"


Links to the Two Abbey Readings:
1. Desert Solitaire pdf: ·         https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B2QC-culCKvHc05NaF9VOFNQOVk&usp=sharing

2. "Freedom and Wilderness": https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B2QC-culCKvHc05NaF9VOFNQOVk&usp=sharing

Announcements

• Desert camping trip meeting today at lunch
• Honors seminar today at x-block
• Quiz corrections due by Friday
• Database of Links to Examples of Writing, Film, Photography (inspiration)

Homework:
Inspiration Journal Assignments (Due Monday 4/22)

Monday, April 15th

Topic: Introduction to Sense of Place and Elements of "Nature" Writing

Today's Objectives

1. Understand what sense of place means and see examples of how writers and filmmakers define and describe sense of place.

2. Creative Writing: Analyze how your perspective shapes how you feel about and describe place/people/objects and be able to express that perspective in detail. 

Starter:

Take the survey (below) and get out your inspiration journal

Agenda:

1. Discuss project learning objectives and this week's agenda

2. Powerpoint on Sense of Place

3. Critique Vimeos
4. Respond to Sense of Place Essays

5. Creative Writing prompt

Sense of Place Essays from Orion Magazine

• "The Backcountry" by Will Flemer
• “‘The Bluffs,’Pacific Palisades, CA” by Caroline Kanne
•   “Oakland, CA” by Phoenix Smith ·    

Announcements:

• Envt Ethics Quiz make-ups + quiz grades 
• Maureen meeting sign-up
• Meeting times with Elaine
• Desert Camping trip meeting Tuesday during lunch
• Honors: 
• Turn in Half the Sky seminar prep
• Seminar tomorrow during X-block

Envt Ethics Quiz Correction Guidelines:

You can make-up the quiz by correcting your mistakes with complete answers.  You will receive up to 5 additional points. These are due by the end of this week.  

Homework:

All 4 out-of-class journal assignments are due next Monday, April 22nd.
Instructions for the Inspiration Journal Assignment: Click HERE

Thursday, April 11th

Today's Topic:  Uranium Mining in Naturita  and Artistic Reactions to Interaction between Man and Nature 

Learning Goals: 

• Understand the concepts of Innovation and Mutation (both forms of ADAPTATION) to the way we've changed nature

• See examples of how artists perceive and react to nuclear energy.

• Evaluate the impact of energy development on one place (Naturita Uranium mill pro/con)

Starter:  

• What was yesterday's powerpoint about?  Summarize what you remember from it.
• Email me your Pinon Ridge Mill Notes!

Agenda

1. Review the goals and finish Powerpoint on Adaptation and History of Nuclear Power
2. Pinon Ridge Mill Town Hall Meeting Debate

3. Review Intro to Creative Writing ppt (and "Tips)

4. Creative writing- tell a story about ONE of these pictures here.

5. Go over inspiration journal assignment requirement

Homework:

Bring an "inspiration journal" to class on Monday.
Instructions for the Inspiration Journal Assignment: Click HERE

Wednesday, April 10th

Today's Topic:  Environmental Adaptation and Attitudes toward Nuclear Power

Starter:  

What questions do you have about this news report?  What additional information do you know about Chernobyl?  Does this make you concerned about nuclear power?

Agenda:
1. Quiz!

2. Powerpoint on Adaptation and History of Nuclear Power as well as artists reactions to nuclear power.


Videos used in class today:


What was the attitude toward nuclear chemistry in 1953? 


What is the attitude now?



Them! (1954)  Is radiation creating MUTANTS (either in human form or plant/animal/insect?)

Nuclear Testing on Pigs

Operations Crossroads (1946)

Tuesday, April 9th

Today's Topic:  Nuclear Power and Renewable Energy

Objectives:
1.  Finish Justice and Sustainability lesson and make sure you understand these two concepts
2. Evaluate pros/cons of nuclear power and renewable energy

Agenda:
1. 30  minutes to finish Justice and Sustainability activity from yesterday + work on homework for Thursday
2.  Class discussion on Justice and Sustainability activities
3. Guest Speaker: Eric Wanless on Nuclear Power and Renewable Energy

Homework: 
Same as yesterday (See yesterday's DP for the link to the homework form)!  Due Thursday.

Announcements:

• Submit your stations activity from last week and the Justice and Sustainability reading responses.
• Check out the "General Resource" google doc.  Add to this as you find resources for debate prep in Chem.  
• Desert Camping Trip-  open to all juniors!!  Please chat with me if you are interested or have questions. 

Monday, April 8th

TOPIC: Environmental Justice and Sustainability

Starter

Read "Celebrity 'fractivists" from The Durango Herald

• ‘What does “NIMBY” stand for?
• What is the tone of this article- pessimistic, uplifting, discouraging, critical, etc....?
• Is NIMBY-ism an ethical approach to environmental activism?

Colleen's Survey!  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/86SZTRF

Definitions:

• Sustainability:  Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
  
  
• Environmental Justice: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines Environmental Justice as "the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, sex, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies"
  
  

Cancer Alley Trailer

AGENDA

1. Case Study on Justice and Sustainability (2 short readings and responses)

2. Class Discussion 

3. Explanation of the week's homework 

Announcements

• Honors Proposals due today
• Maureen meeting sign-up
• Camping trip meeting today at lunch
• Honors meeting tomorrow- guest speaker Kat Hollis on gender equality in Myanmar
• Bring in old sporting goods
• Masquerade tickets!
• Turn in stations activity, please.

Homework

Read the 4 article links and complete the note-taking form found HERE in preparation for Thursday's town hall meeting/debate on the Pinon Ridge Uranium Mill.  This is meant to help you evaluate the various issues (economic, social, environmental) at stake in making decisions about energy development as applied to one specific community.  

Friday, April 5th

Today's Topic:  Environmental Ethics and Creative Writing!

Announcements:

• Honors Proposals for Half the Sky are due on Monday.
• Sign-up for a meeting with Maureen for next year's schedule
• Camping Trip- fill out the link on edmodo if interested in going. Lunch meeting next Monday to go over logistics.

Learning Goals

• Determine the strengths and limitations of “The Land Ethic” and Tim DeChristopher’s sense of environmental ethics.
  
  
• Begin to tap into the creative writer within you!
  
  

Agenda
1. Starter: Review The Land Ethic Discussion Questions in preparation for discussion. Jot down your thoughts to 4-5 questions. 

Helpful resource on explaining "The Land Ethic": Click Here

2. Finish the powerpoint lecture on environmental ethics.

3. “The Land Ethic” Class Discussion + "Bidder 70" Discussion

4. Creative Writing Exercises

Homework:
Honors:  Half the Sky Proposals are due Monday

Thursday, April 4th

Environmental Ethics

Starter: Bidder 70 Film Trailer

What questions or reactions do you have to this film trailer?

Agenda:

1.  Finish  Ashley's power point lecture on "Introduction to Environmental Ethics"

2. Watch Bidder 70

3. Go over "The Land Ethic" Vocab and discussion questions
4. Independent Work Time

• Refine Affirmative Action Essay
• Read "The Land Ethic" and think about the discussion questions 
• Finish the Stations Activity (you need to have done 3 out of the 5)

Announcements:
Desert Camping Trip Meeting at lunch

Homework Reminder:

• Affirmative Action refinements are due tomorrow
• Finish "The Land Ethic" for tomorrow's discussion

Wednesday, April 3rd

Starter:  Complete one more STATION 
Save your station responses with your starters.

Agenda:
1. Read the first page of the powerpoint note-taking form and follow the directions to complete page 1.
2. Ashley's powerpoint lecture on "Introduction to Environmental Ethics"
3. Discussion of homework assignment "Bakken Business": QUESTION: Is this progress?
4. Introduction to homework reading: "The Land Ethic" by Aldo Leopold, vocab overview + discussion questions

Homework:
Read and annotate "The Land Ethic" by Friday

Images of the Badlands and Bakken, North Dakota

Fire aftermath in Elkhorn Ranchlands, ND (oil well in left corner)

Oil and Natural Gas Horizontal Fracking

Tuesday, April 2nd

Starter:

"This is the most beautiful place on earth.  There are many such places.  Every man, every woman, carriers in heart and mind the image of the ideal place, the right place, the one true home, known or unknown, actual or visionary.  A house-boat in Kashmir, a view down Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, a gray gothic farmhouse two stories high at the end of a red dog road in the Allegheny Mountains, a cabin on the shore of a blue lake in spruce and fir country, a greasy alley near Hoboken waterfront, or even possibly for those of less demanding sensibility, the world to be seen from a comfortable apartment high in the tender, velvety smog of Manhattan, Chicago, Paris, Tokyo, Rio or Rome- there's no limit to the human capacity for homing sentiment" -- Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire, pages 1-2. 

Starter Task:  Free write or draw a place that you find beautiful or that holds significant meaning to you. Think about why you find it beautiful or why it is important to you.

Agenda

1. Energy and Place Project Overview + Time for Q and A

+ Organization of project process work

2. Stations Activity to introduce various concepts/subject areas related to Energy and Place

3. Ashley's read-aloud of her example personal sense of place essay
4. Critique: does or does not my essay meet the project task description?

Announcements:
Yearbook! Buy them because they are radical and you want to be too.  $60 due tomorrow!
Honors lunch meeting today

Homework:

Finish reading "Bakken Business" and coming up with 3-5 clarifying questions for tomorrow's class discussion