Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Here is the lesson plan I'm leaving for my substitute tomorrow. I hope the formatting transfers over clearly.

Thank you for covering my classes today. Here is the lesson plan:

Advanced Placement Literature and Composition:

We are beginning a unit on Romantic poetry, beginning with the work of William Blake. Interestingly enough, Blake’s “The Chimney Sweep” was a prominent element of last year’s AP exam. First, give them the handout with the poem “The Chimney Sweep” on it and have them read the poem and answer the questions on the bottom of the page. Then, please distribute the green booklets and have the students look over the actual AP test, with emphasis on Question 1. While they do not need to construct the actual essay as requested by that prompt, they do need to accomplish two things: 1. They must construct a reasonable writing plan or pre-write indicating how they would address the prompt, and they then need to 2. pair up (or in groups of three) and discuss the question and their approaches to it. I will pick up with them upon my return tomorrow and we will get to know Mr. Blake quite well. DO NOT LET THE GREEN FORMS LEAVE THIS CLASSROOM. College Board allows their use in the classroom, but they are not for widespread distribution. Please collect and count the booklets at the end of first and fifth periods.

Gifted English IV

These students are taking the Macbeth unit test. There is a short essay at the end, so they will each need one sheet of paper. Scantron sheets are in the folder provided. Please circulate casually and watch out for wandering eyes. It’s a small class, and the front row is terrific.

Gifted English II

These students will be reading Things Fall Apart after the Author of the Day presentation by a pre-scheduled student each period. I will get feedback on the presentation itself upon my return; it’s really informal and involves a student sharing data on an assigned author, followed by reading. Near the end of the period, distribute the journal prompt and have them write a response to be turned in. (It’s like a reading journal slip—just something to ensure that they are reading actively and to let me know if they have any questions.)


Thanks so much for doing this. I have student assistants throughout the day to help you—they are VCC students who don’t have class on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Most of them will quietly work on their calculus, but if you need assistance they can help you. Sarah Beehner will probably be with you all day—she crochets, so just let her. She’s very good at it.

I am off fourth period and this room is open for students who need to use it as an annex to the Writing Center.