If everything goes according to plan, I will be back in class on Monday. 

Monday, we will review the work we have done so far in the semester for two purposes: 

1. To prepare for a Literary Unit Test. The date will be determined as a class on Monday.
2. To prepare to complete the Evidence of Learning document for the course. 

Your group novel will form the basis of your course summative work due near the end of June. So read, read, read. The sooner you have read the novel for the story, the sooner you will be able to work with the text.

Looking forward to being in class on Monday.

Miss you guys. 

May 10 -11  We are now finished Unit 1 (Concept Map) and Unit 2 (“Power” as a literary theme). The next unit (“Abuse of Power”) is the research report process. Today, after you finish reading your self-selected novel, finish outstanding work and submit it so that you are ready to work on unit 3.

1. Read novel —15 mins per day
2. Finish outstanding work.
   1. “On the Rainy River” work
   2. Concept map Rounds 1-3
   3. Reader’s notes for all four texts
   4. Literature Circle Reflection
   5. Goodreads post for all four texts
   6. “Canada, My Canada” Personal Narrative Essay

UPDATE YOUR TRACKING SHEET TO MONITOR YOUR PROGRESS.

Please find your copy of “Canada, My Canada” by Tomson Highway and the work you have done on this text already.

Tomson Highway biography.

We have read: “Canada, My Canada” (April 26):

1. Before—-We have discussed this prompt:
   1. What makes Canada a great country / not a great country to live in?
2. During—–We have completed this task:
   1. Annotate the text to identify the reasons why the author thinks Canda is a great country. 

Today, I would like you to 

1. Discuss the reasons why Highway thinks Canada is a great country to live in with your group.
2. Do you agree or disagree? 
3. Write two paragraphs: 1) listing what Highway thinks and 2) what you think. 

Then listen to an interview with Tomson Highway CBC interview

Has Highway’s thinking since 2001 changed? What choices did he make in his life? How did he choose to live his life? How have his choices impacted him?

Now it’s your turn! 

In the work we have done on POWER, we have considered what power is (Concept map), how power emerges in character’s lives (The Outside Circle), how power is taken away from characters (“The Legend of Sugar Girl” and Wenjack), how the power of society can impact people’s decisions about their lives (“On the Rainy River”), how resilience works to give power (“Jann’s Journey”), and how forces larger than the individual can create a sense of powerlessness (“Shooting an Elephant”). Finally, we have considered the power of personal choice (“Canada, My Canada”).

Plan and write a personal narrative on the topic of POWER. A personal narrative is a story about yourself. You might have a story about a time you experienced being empowered or having your personal power taken away. You might have a story about resilience or how your personal values guide your decision-making. Choose one event, one experience, one story to tell. 

Personal Narrative mentor texts include “Shooting an Elephant” and “Canada, My Canada”.

Criteria for a personal narrative.

Generating ideas and planning. You can list ideas, create a web or mind map to generate and sort ideas, or you can use an outline.

Write in Google docs or Word doc. 

Use the Peer/Self-editing Sheet: Narrative

Send draft and planning to me for feedback. 

Once I have read the essays, you will revise for writing techniques and then I will mark the essays. Review the rubric. Criteria for a personal narrative.

Tuesday at the end of class. 

May 2: Choose the 4th book in the lit circle cycle. Pick the one which one have you not read yet.

Moving Forward

Dreaming in Indian

Wenjack

The Outside Circle

Go through each of the steps in the reading process that we have used for the other three books: 

1. Read the text. ——————->May 2-4
2. Create reader’s notes and submit————>May 3-4
3. Prepare for the literature circle (see below).—>May 7
4. Conduct the literature circle——->May 8
5. Complete a Literature circle reflection and submit—>May 8
6. Choose one question to answer/revise post-literature discussion and post to Goodreads—>May 8

For Step 3: Write questions about the story and character that truly interest you or answer the following questions in relation to your text. 

1. How can power be used?
2. How can power be abused?
3. How does literature have the power to inspire/entertain/evoke memories/awaken emotions?
4. How does literature have the power to make history/the past come to life?
5. To what extent does power or the lack of power affect individuals?
6. What are the factors that create an imbalance of power within a culture?
7. What does power have to do with fairness and justice?

May 9th: Choose a novel to read from the titles below. Choose a group to work with. In other words, you must choose a book that others have chosen. The minimum in a group = 2. 

• Between Heaven and Earth
• Lost Cause 
• Jump Cut
• Ink Me
• Close to the Heel
• Devil’s Pass 
• Last Message

Sign the book out using the Book Sign out sheet found on the course blog. 

Read: 15 mins. 

Concept Map: Round 3

Round 1 = base map with synonyms, definitions, categories 

Round 2 = adding one of the course texts

Round 3 = add a second-course text

Course texts:

1. “Jann’s Journey”
2. “On the Rainy River”
3. “Shooting an Elephant”
4. Outside Circle
5. Wenjack
6. Selection from “Moving Forward”
7. Selection from “Dreaming in Indian”
8. “Canada, My Canada”