It’s been a busy week in Upper School Language Arts! Middle school covered a lot of ground as they conclude the short stories they’ve been working on.
6th grade – Wrapping up “The Monkey’s Paw,” 6th grade completed an art project where they had to draw their own version of the monkey’s paw from the story. They ranged from funny to gruesome and both in some cases, but they had fun engaging with the story in a new and fun way. They also took their first formal assessment over literary terms and vocabulary from the story. We used a new program called Nearpod where the students were able to race each other through the correct answers and earn bragging rights at the finish line. They all did exceptionally well and had a lot of fun with it. The program was engaging, enjoyable, and definitely took some of “test pressure” off. We’ll be moving on from this story next week, but I’m confident they got a lot of this classic story.
7th and 8th – This week, 7th and 8th also finished up their story. “The Most Dangerous Game” was a great choice for them as they were engaged and enjoyed this thrilling story of danger and adventure. They began the week by creating their own version of the island that serves as the backdrop to the story. They were tasked with mapping the island and charting the heroes journey as he desperately attempts to evade the evil count who is hot on his trail. They also viewed a film version of the story from 1938 which was definitely different from modern day cinema. The melodrama and primitive special effects certainly made the film version funnier than they original creators intended, but it also presented the class with good opportunities to compare/contrast the story with the film. Questions like “why were the names changed?” “Why introduce a female lead character where none existed in the text,” and “How did the addition of events that were only hinted at in the story improve or hinder the story” drove a great discussion. They will have a test over literary terms and vocabulary from the story on Monday 10/05.
High school wrapped up their work on writing prompts this week. They have until Monday to turn them in, however. Thursday and Friday were used to prep them for their first class novel of the year. In honor of spooky season (which happens to be my personal favorite) we will be reading the classic novel, “Dracula” by Bram Stoker. This work of gothic fiction has captivated audiences for over a century and remains ever present in current popular culture. The Dracula the students think they know, however, may not be the real thing. As is common with similar novels (think Frankenstein) popular culture has shaped and molded classic characters in new and interesting ways that are not necessarily reflective of the primary sources. I’m curious to find out how the original Transylvanian count squares with the stories they’ve been told or the movies they’ve seen. Friday concluded with an introduction of the various characteristics of gothic novels; many of which continue to permeate modern novels, film, and theatre. For instance, one student, Henry Currao, managed to make a connection between gothic literature and Scooby-Doo that was not only funny and spot on, but relatable to the rest of the class. I’m excited to see what further connections my students are able to make as we delve into this classic.
Photojournalism is taking over the Raven Report this week! At least most of it. They have been working with Miss Amy to create original and relatable content ranging from balancing work and school, to how to be a successful distance learner. Be on the look out for their work next week when The Raven Report hits the presses! or at least the internet.
Sci Fi lit students continue to have in depth and thought provoking discussions surround “Dune.” Each student has been tasked with creating discussion questions for the rest of the class to answer each week. The work they have done so far has been thoughtful, insightful, and reflects a good grasp of the subject matter and skill in interpreting the events and themes of the text. I thoroughly enjoy our discussion and I feel like I get just as much out of them as my students do, which is a great feeling.
