Agenda for Wednesday, September 7 Through Friday, September 9, 2016

English I

Agenda for Wednesday, September 7 through Friday, September 9, 2016

Select a seat in a desk facing the Smartboard, filling in from the front, please. If you have vision issues, please tell me now so we can seat you in front. These will be your seats for the foreseeable future. I will be filling out a seating chart while you work ona couple of tasks.
Welcome and introduction of teacher(s).
Fill out the top of both sides of the student log sheet first.
Write your name on the index card provided, and write three interesting, funny, or unusual things about yourself.
Turn in student information sheet and index card.
Count off by “fours.”
Break up into groups based on your number—all the ones together, etc.
Follow directions given for the mystery!

Learning objective: In this activity students will demonstratethe ability toorganize cooperatively to accomplish a task, considerthe contributions of every group member, organize and evaluate information and data, and use critical thinking and logic to solve a problem.

Over the next few days we will discuss and process your problem solving skills, group dynamics, differences between relevant and irrelevant information and introduce the idea of higher-order thinking like analysis, evaluation and creating.

Each group gets a complete set of clues for the mystery to be divided as evenly as possible among group members.
Each student in the group shares his clues with the group. You may not pass your clues around to the other students. You MUST share the clues verbally in the group.
It is up to each group how to organize the members, the discussion, and how to share and process information.

If you put all the facts together, you will be able to solve the mystery. Any time you think you know the answers and the group agrees on the answers, you may tell me. I will only tell you whether all five answers are right or wrong. If parts of your answers are incorrect, I will not tell you which answers are wrong.

You may organize yourselves in any way you like. You may not, however, pass your clues around or show them to anyone else, and you may not leave your seats to walk around the group. All sharing of clues and ideas must be done verbally.

Task: Mr. Kelley was murdered. You must find the murderer, the weapon,

the time of the murder, the place of the murder, and the motive.

Wrap-Up: Take the last five minutes of class to “debrief” in your groups, discussing what went well, what you need to do differently tomorrow, and how you might use your time more efficiently. Would any group like to volunteer to share your analysis of your group work (NOT what you think the solution to the mystery is) and how you are doing meeting the objectives?

EVERY DAY: THE LAST MINUTE OF CLASS WILL BE SPENT “POLICING” THE ROOM. THIS MEANS STRAIGHTENING UP DESKS, PICKING UP ANY AND ALL TRASH, AND CHECKING THE DESKS AROUND YOU FOR GRAFITTI. TEXTS WILL BE RETURNED AND TRASH WILL BE DISCARDED ON THE WAY OUT THE DOOR.

Thursday, September 8

All students not present yesterday must fill out a student log form and have seats assigned. Most seats are already taken, so please see me before you settle in.
Go over course outline and class requirements and expectations. Please bring this home, share it with a parent or guardian and return the signed page to me. This is an actual assignment, so please be sure to bring it back by Monday, September 12.
Form groups for students who were not in class yesterday and review the rules and objectives for the task. Do I have a volunteer to do this?
Review learning objectives.

Begin day two solving your mystery, again taking the last five minutes to debrief. Did things go more smoothly today? How so? If not, why not? Volunteers to share?

EVERY DAY: THE LAST MINUTE OF CLASS WILL BE SPENT “POLICING” THE ROOM. THIS MEANS STRAIGHTENING UP DESKS, PICKING UP ANY AND ALL TRASH, AND CHECKING THE DESKSAROUND YOU FOR GRAFITTI. TEXTS WILL BE RETURNED AND TRASH WILL BE DISCARDED ON THE WAY OUT THE DOOR.

Friday, September 9

All students not present before today must fill out a student log form and have seats assigned. Most seats are already taken, so please see me before you settle in.
Go over course outline and class requirements and expectations at home with a parent or guardian. Please return the signed page to me. This is an actual assignment, so please be sure to bring it back by Monday, September 12.
Form groups for students who were not in class yesterday and review the rules and objectives for the task. Do I have a volunteer to do this?

This is the last day to solve your mystery. Review objectives, conclusions so far, and get to work!

Wrap-Up: Does any group think you have solved the mystery? Volunteers to share your solution?

Our next period will be devoted to a more formal discussion and written evaluation of the group process and attainment of the objectives, so take some time to reflect on your group’s performance!