Blog Archives - AHS * HUMANITIES 11

AHS * HUMANITIES 11

Tuesday, 9/15

9/15/2015

Starter #11
Watch this Video of the Gold King Mine spill and react in writing. What do you see in the videos? Does watching this footage do anything to modify your perspective?

Riddle of the day: "The Dragon and the Knight"
There is a magical yet deserted island far far away from our quaint mountain hamlet of Durango, Colorado. On this (semi) deserted island live one Knight and one Dragon. They have been living together on this island for hundreds of years and have finally grown quite tired of each other. It is time for one of them to get to steppin'. They decide that the most fair way to decide which one has to ship out is through a battle of wits. On this island, there happens to be 12 lakes, numbered 1-12, all with poisonous water. If you drink the water from any lake, you will die. The ONLY antidote is to drink from a lake numbered higher than the lake you previously drank from. So, if you drank from lake #1, you can drink from lakes 2-12 to survive. The only catch is that lake #12 is located high up on a basin and only the dragon can fly to it.

The battle of wits goes like this: The dragon and the knight show up at dawn and serve each other a cup of water. Whomever survives, gets to stay, obviously, because the other will be dead. Who wins and how so?

Class Biz
1. Gradebook is updated
2. Review dates

Seminar: Thursday 9/17
Janae-LINK/Chem Lab: Friday 9/18
Final Reflection and Storycorps Interview uploaded to Storycorps.me: Tuesday 9/22
Storycorps Interview deadline extension for those who need it

3. Audacity/Garage band help: Who are our in-class experts?
4. If you missed class on Friday, be sure to complete the starter and the Orion reading + response questions posted on Friday's blog.

Agenda
1. 10 minutes to review your notes on Snowbarger's article in Orion from Friday's class and then we'll synthesize the article as a class:

What is Jeff Snowbarger's bias about the Animas River?
Upon what has he formed that bias?
Do you agree with his perspective?
What does Snowbarger mean by the following quotation? "This was how a free people behaved. And this is what seems buried in our current disaster, the notion that decisions collectively made in the name of freedom almost always have detrimental consequences for those who follow."
What commentary is Snowbarger making about the American West and America herself? How does he extrapolate what has happened to the Animas onto his larger ideas about America?

2. WORK TIME TO-DO LIST

Seminar Prep and Final Project Reflection (sign up for a conference if you want help prepping for seminar!) (Seminar Group Assignments)
Schedule your interview (conference with me for help)
Produce your interview if you have already recorded it (see guidelines on page 2 of this document)
Conference with me about any and all of these things

Friday, 9/11

9/11/2015

Starter: Reflection on Silverton field trip:

Overall, how did your day in Silverton go?
What is something you learned?
What surprised you or with what did you disagree?
What questions do you still have or what questions were raised for you from our trip?

1st hour agenda
Read this Orion Magazine Article and mark lines (annotate) that:

Reveal the tension between our freedom and securing the health of the environment
Reference historical events

When done, make a new entry in your starters called "Orion article response, 9/11/15" and respond to the following prompts:

Choose 2 of the historical events referenced and do a little research (Wikipedia is fine) and take notes in your starter section on these events
Why would this author reference these events in relationship to the Animas River spill?
How does the author reveal the tension between our freedom and securing the health of the environment?
Do you think this is a real 'tension"? Meaning, do you think we need to choose between our freedom and the health of the environment? If so, how does/should that choice play out with the Animas River and mining in Silverton?

2nd hour:

Time to work on Math and Spanish that you missed yesterday OR if you're in Dan's Alg. 2 Class, join him for a seminar!

Wednesday, 9/9/15

9/9/2015

Starter #9:
1. Please have your draft of interview questions out for me to check for completion grade!

2. 10 minute free write! Pick up where you left off from last week's free write or start from scratch.
For the next 10 minutes, just write. You start by writing about the physical space right here and now and everything you can hear/feel/see/smell/touch. Then perhaps bring it to the emotional level: how you are feeling, what's weighing on your mind, how school is going, what you're looking forward to this weekend, etc....

OR write more creatively! What's a story that seems to want to be told? Maybe use the picture above as inspiration for a story.

Class Biz:

Turn in permission forms!
Tomorrow's field trip agenda

Agenda
1. Short video on Silverton history (2 min. 29 sec) + Quick review of two news updates on the #AnimasRiverSpill: "Navajo Nation Says Relief Water Sent by EPA was Toxic" and Congressional Hearing on the EPA + Live footage of Congressional hearing- it's gripping stuff folks!!

2. Interview Questions Peer Critique

Get into groups of 3
Interviewer--Interviewee--Observer
Interviewer: Read your drafted questions
Interviewee: Try to answer them in "character"
Interviewer: Ask followup questions as needed
Observer: Take notes to provide positive, specific and helpful feedback to the interviewer (Quality of the questions AND Quality of the Interview Etiquette)

3. Refine interview questions!

4. Schedule your interview: Interview assignments

Ben, Thane and others struggling to get the Silverton interview scheduled: Interested in interviewing a student?

5. Research our driving questions on the #AnimasRiverSpill

Add resources you find to our list of AWESOME Resources on the #AnimasRiverSpill

6. Class list of awesome interview questions! + Q and A for Ashley: What clarifying questions do you have about the podcast assignment? About tomorrow's field trip? About your interview questions? (10:12 am)

How have you been affected by the spill?
What does the river mean to you?

Tuesday, September 8th

9/8/2015

Starter #8

To which of our driving questions do you have the most answers? On which do you need to focus your research the most on in the next week?

Class Biz
A. Honors app due. Please email it to me.
B. Field trip permission forms + driving list
C. Seminar date (next Thursday, 9/17)
D. Starters:

Alec, Rylan, Shauntino: Please turn in your hard copy notebooks each week Thursday in class
Reed: Please share your digital starter compbook with me
I only check one, by random, each week (worth 5 points/week). I'll enter a grade once a month so out of 20 points. You need to make up starters if your absent or late to class. If there is one you want to make sure I read in addition to the random one I check each week, please highlight it or add a comment asking me to respond to it or posing a specific question to me)

E. This week's homework
F. Pep Talk from Kid President to get us amped about this week of making history!

Agenda
1. Spirit Read "A Eulogy to the Animas River"

As you read, annotate for 2-3 lines or phrases that strike you as impactful/emotional/thought-provoking
After we finish reading, each student will stand up and select one of their lines/phrases to read aloud to capture the SPIRIT of the article
Then we'll discuss the perspective/bias/driving questions relevant to this article

2. Interview Podcast Overview: "Voices from the Animas" Storycorps.me Interview Podcast Task Statement

3. Interview assignments (sign-up missing students)

Missing your name on the survey?
Gone yesterday?

4. Ashley to demo how to ask for an interview

5. Draft your interview questions (peer critique on interview questions tomorrow) OR Try to contact your interviewee if you're interviewing in Silverton on Thursday!

Do you have contact information for your interviewee? If not, conference with Ashley!

Done early?

Continue seeking answers to our driving questions on the #AnimasRiverSpill
Add resources you find to our list of AWESOME Resources on the #AnimasRiverSpill

Friday, September 4th

9/4/2015

Today's Goals

Brainstorm a list of voices that should be heard as part of our project
Interview each other for Storycorps practice

Starter 7: What makes a good interview?

REMINDER: Honors Application due Tuesday!

Agenda
Period 1
1. StoryCorps Founder TED Talk

2. Pair Share: What new understanding did this TED Talk provide you about why we are doing storycorps interviews, how they should be conducted and what the benefits of them are?

3. Review perspectives for our "Voices from the Animas" interview (see survey below)

4. “Vote” on which perspective you want to interview

5. StoryCorpsInterview Guidelines and List of Great Questions

6. Jessica and Ashley to model mock interview!

BREAK

Period 2:
Jessica's Daily Affirmation to help us transition into awkward mock interviews!

1. Class criteria brainstorm for what makes a good StoryCorps Interview + 10 Conversation Tips for a Great Interview

NEVER the phone in your hand

ELEVATE THE PHONE so it is at mouth level

Optional: Download the StoryCorps Interview App (but don't use this to interview for our project...)

2. Get into partners (who has a smart phone?) and Pick the questions you'd like your interviewer to ask you (highlight them on the list of great questions document)

3. Mock Interview Practice

4. Reflection in your starter digital compbook:

What was it like to be the interviewer? What worked well? What didn't work well? What did you learn that you can apply to the next interview you do?
What was it like to be interviewed? What can you take from the experience of being interviewed to help you be a better INTERVIEWER?

5. Ashley to share thoughts on y'all's feedback from yesterday's ticket out the door

6. End with appreciations

Thursday, September 3rd

9/3/2015

Rhetoric is all around us!

Today's Goals

Continue to seek and develop answers to our DRIVING QUESTIONS!
Evaluate perspective and bias in media and identify evidence that supports your claims around bias

Starter
Listen to the NPR story on the impact on Navajo farmers. How does looking downstream further influence your perspective on the situation?

Announcement
Chaperons? Names/emails/phone #s
Power Lunch today in Lori's room

Agenda
1. Consume a couple bits of media on the #AnimasRiver Spill together as a whole class

https://twitter.com/hashtag/animasriverspill
Owner of Gold King Mine speaks
Pair Share: What is his perspective on the situation? How does hearing his view modify your perspective?

2. Open research time OR More Sample StoryCorps Podcasts (depends on time)

Seek out resources to provide you with a unique perspective to answer any of our driving questions
Take notes using this template
Did you find a SUPER good resource? Add it to this document pretty please!

Follow your own curiosity or click on some of the links below:

Need further clarification on the Superfund dilemma? Check out these resources during independent work time:

Further perspective on Navajo impact

For historical context

For a broad historical perspective: History of mining in Colorado
Silverton history
More context: Gold King: A long history of public risk for private gain (What's the bias here?)

3. Share out findings to the whole class ("Whip-around") OR Exit Ticket depending on time

Briefly summarize what you learned from your research
What perspective on the river do you feel yourself developing? What leads you to that perspective?

4. StoryCorps Podcast Time

Animation: "No More Questions"
Interview: "I Never Said a Word to Anyone about Bambi"
Podcast # 436: Listen Closely
Podcast # 438: The Wind and the Rain
Animation: "John and Joe"
Animation: Traffic Stop

Exit Ticket (if time.....)

What feedback do you have for me at this point about the project?
What is one "Ah Ha" "Say What" or "I Wonder" from your research today?
What perspective on the river do you feel yourself developing? What leads you to that perspective?

Wednesday, September 2nd

9/2/2015

Starter 5: Creative writing Free Write
Research has shown that writing creatively can actually enhance productivity! It's also fun and a nice change of pace from all the politics we're entrenched in with our current project!
SOOOOOOO......

For the next 15 minutes, just write. You start by writing about the physical space right here and now and everything you can hear/feel/see/smell/touch. Then perhaps bring it to the emotional level: how you are feeling, what's weighing on your mind, how school is going, what you're looking forward to this weekend, etc....

OR write more creatively! What's a story that seems to want to be told? Maybe use the picture above as inspiration for a story

Announcements
Any luck on parent chaperons for our field trip?

Agenda
1. Review our driving questions!

2. Share out: "Ah-ha, Say what!? and I wonder" about yesterday's readings
Article 1: "The Gold King Mine: From An 1887 Claim, Private Profits And Social Costs" from Colorado Public Radio (read at least to the section labeled "Mining: Why all the water and toxins?")
Article 2: "When Our River Turned Orange" from High Country News

3. Assigned reading on Silverton's Superfund debate (I have printed copies!)
Driving questions' themes: Future Implications and Historical Context
A. Read Chase McCallister’s coverage in The Durango Herald of the Silverton mining situation over the last year or so. Pay attention to the date of each article!

B. Then read this letter to the editor in the Silverton Standard, written just before the disaster.

As you read, take notes to help you answer our driving questions (note-taking template)
and after we'll discuss:

How do these articles illuminate your understanding of our driving questions?
What perspective are you forming about the Superfund dilemma in Silverton? What are pros/cons? What biases may influence other folks' perspectives on the Superfund?

4. Podcast examples
A. "It sounds like you were a black sheep"

Great example of empathetic listening (can you spot it?)
What did you notice about the types of questions the granddaughter asks and how she asks them?

B. Animated: "Miss Devine"

5. Jessica's Daily Affirmation to help us transition into independent research!

6. Open research time OR More Sample StoryCorps Podcasts (depends on time)

Pick a perspective from the list on the board that most intrigues you AND one that you know the LEAST about or are least drawn to
Focus your research on those two perspectives
Take notes using this template

Taking notes digitally? Please do so in your digital comp book (same place as starters)
Did you find a SUPER good resource? Add it to this document pretty please!

7. Share out findings to the whole class ("Whip-around")

Briefly summarize one of the perspectives you researched
Select one piece of evidence OR argument used to defend that perspective from the article you read and share that with the group.

MORE EXAMPLE STORYCORPS PODCASTS

Tuesday, September 1st

9/1/2015

Starter #4
Listen closely to the following Storycorps interviews and then record your reactions to it in your digital comp book.
Not sure what to write? What questions does this podcast raise for you? Does it help remind you of our shared humanity, or build connections between people? If so, how? What stood out to you as inspiring, interesting or thought-provoking?

1. "Danny and Annie"
2. "Mary and Oshea"

After writing, let's share out our thoughts from yesterday and today's podcasts!

Announcements

Chaperons for class field trip (Thursday 9/10)
5% off late penalty policy? Thoughts from Ashley: On assignments that are NOT due for class participation, I'll only dock them 5% per day late. For assignments needed for class participation that day, I'll dock 10%. You may ask for an extension on most assignments granted you've used your class time wisely AND your request comes by 6pm the evening before the assignment is due.
Reminder on my assessment categories: Are you doing the work? Are you learning stuff? Are you developing as a learner?

Agenda
1. Review from yesterday's small group brainstorm

How are the two cartoon engaged in political discourse with each other?
Which perspective does Dan Olson's relate to?
What are the people saying? What were some of the perspectives your group talked about?

2. Mini-lesson: Open-ended v. Close-ended questions

3. Game time! How are we gonna fail fast and fail up if we can't make fools of ourselves!?

4. Creating Open-ended questions to guide our research

Student Questions from our brainstorm
In your group, read the above list of questions for your group's assigned "theme" and try to synthesize them into 1-2 OPEN-ENDED questions
Write your open-ended questions on the board under your topic
As a class, we'll refine the questions and dial our list of questions
Record these questions in your notes! Taking notes digitally? Please do so in your digital comp book (same place as starters) using this template

5. Whole-Class Animas River Spill research + Ashley to conference with prospective honors students
Today's topic: History of the Gold King mine and events surrounding the EPA spill
Directions: As you read the following two articles, annotate for questions/confusions, additional questions raised that you'd need to research, specific perspectives on the causes of the toxic spill, persuasive and/or shaky evidence, etc....Record your notes to help you prepare for seminar and the final writing assignment.

Take notes using this template

Taking notes digitally? Please do so in your digital comp book (same place as starters)

Article 1: "The Gold King Mine: From An 1887 Claim, Private Profits And Social Costs" from Colorado Public Radio (read at least to the section labeled "Mining: Why all the water and toxins?")
Article 2: "When Our River Turned Orange" from High Country News