1.Today we signed our call to action letters and wrote a reflection. If you were gone, answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper:
- Which rhetorical appeal did you use the best or the most in your letter? Pathos, logos, or ethos? Explain where you used it and why.
- What are you most proud of about your letter?
- What was the hardest part of the writing process? (drafting, coming up with an idea of what to write about, doing research, figuring out who to write to…)
- After doing this assignment, are you now more likely or less likely to write an email or a letter to a person in power? Why?
2. Then, students received “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, which we worked on reading some of today, and will continue to read tomorrow.
3. Students will begin having time in class to read books of their own choosing. At DSA, students have a lot of book choice in middle school with AR and other independent reading programs. However, in high school, most students spend their time reading difficult literary texts and textbooks. This creates a negative association with reading that can persist one’s whole life. I want students to have time to read for pleasure books that interest them, with no (or at least very few) strings attached. We will have 10 minutes of free reading a day. After finishing a book, students will complete a brief, non-stressful, non-hate-inducing one-page assignment on the book. They will also have a short talk with me about their book. And that’s it!
HW: Bring your free reading book tomorrow.
ALEXA GARVOILLE 