1. Beyond Book Reports: Using technology and Drama to Share and Celebrate Literature in the Classroom Freyja Bergthorson Loudoun County Public Schools English SALT, Farmwell Station Middle Freyja.Bergthorson@lcps.org

2. Nature of the Beast (middle / HS students) Highly social Need movement Easily bored Must be monitored Pacing Desire for fun and recognition from peers May not ‘value’ English as area of study Desires options / choice Naturally curios / inquisitive (at school?)

3. Nature of the Beast (middle / HS students)

4. Nature of the Beast and English Instruction May not value ‘English’ Satisfied with literal (reads good enough) Needs a ‘reason’ to care about English Reading and writing are silent, sedentary, and individual activities (aka – boring)

5. Overview Poetry Performance Project Audacity – “The Bells” Lyric Project Trailers / choices –Movies Theater Games Literature Circle Groups Shakespeare “Out Loud” Illuminated Poetry

6. Formative Assessment and Project Work Teacher monitors & corrects misconceptions Peer discussion of content Product develops communication skills (21 Century communication) Active engagement of students with content

7. Poetry Performance Project Guided practice –Group –Teacher Engagement Formative Assessment Emphasis on academic skills Memorization (a first)

8. Poetry Performance Project Process Students Select poems Analyze & apply literary terms (SOL) Create academic and creative presentation Teacher - Teach skills for group (explicitly) Formative assessment – walk the room

9. Student Examples “Oranges” Sonnet Eldorado

10. Playing with Sound Poe’s “The Bells” mood, sound devices, voice Support SOL objectives –Sound devices / figurative language / voice Focus on author’s craft and purpose –Student engagement

11. Process Whole Class / complete table Listen to reading – identify type of bell & sound / stanza Identify mood & supporting word choices / stanza Deeper meaning / theme Group work – 20 minutes

12. Student Samples 2010 6B online “O Captain, My Captain”

13. IV Hear the tolling of the bells- Iron Bells! What a world of solemn thought their monody compels! In the silence of the night, How we shiver with affright At the melancholy meaning of their tone! For every sound that floats From the rust within their throats Is a groan. And the people- ah, the people- They that dwell up in the steeple, All Alone And who, tolling, tolling, tolling, In that muffled monotone, Feel a glory in so rolling On the human heart a stone- They are neither man nor woman- They are neither brute nor human- They are Ghouls: And their king it is who tolls; And he rolls, rolls, rolls, Rolls

14. IV A paean from the bells! And his merry bosom swells With the paean of the bells! And he dances, and he yells; Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the paean of the bells- Of the bells: Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the throbbing of the bells- Of the bells, bells, bells- To the sobbing of the bells; Keeping time, time, time, As he knells, knells, knells, In a happy Runic rhyme, To the rolling of the bells- Of the bells, bells, bells: To the tolling of the bells, Of the bells, bells, bells, bells- Bells, bells, bells- To the moaning and the groaning of the bells.

15. O Captain! My Captain! O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done; The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won; The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring: But O heart! heart! heart! O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead. O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells; Rise up--for you the flag is flung--for you the bugle trills; For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths--for you the shores a-crowding; For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning; Here Captain! dear father! This arm beneath your head; It is some dream that on the deck, You've fallen cold and dead. My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still; My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will; The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done; From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won; Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells! But I, with mournful tread, Walk the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.

16. Introduction to Poetry I ask them to take a poem and hold it up to the light like a color slide or press an ear against its hive. I say drop a mouse into a poem and watch him probe his way out, or walk inside the poem's room and feel the walls for a light switch. I want them to water-ski across the surface of a poem waving at the author's name on the shore. But all they want to do is tie the poem to a chair with rope and torture a confession out of it. They begin beating it with a hose to find out what it really means. Billy Collins

17. Lyric Project Music is poetry Apply poetic terms & analysis to song lyrics Connects school learning to ‘real world’ Student beg to do this project Value of sharing projects (how to do this efficiently)

18. Student Samples Fireflies Hungry Like the Wolf

19. Book Reports / Trailers Importance of choices No summaries Critical thinking Writing skills reinforced Group options Grading Homework they WANT to do!

20. Student Examples The Hand Drew, Nick, Thomas song Emily & Luis 451 Nathaniel 451 Giver trailer Phil James Giver Soundtrack Arens Giver trailer Alison & Taylor Body Biography

21. Literature Circles Student choice for books Grouping Reluctant readers and… Clear objectives & monitoring –Allow for differences / choices Self & peer evaluation of progress Daily MVP

22. Student Projects Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie

23. Value of Video Analysis Students record presentations & analyze their efforts Reflective process to improve performance Video group analysis –Select focus (general area for improvement) –Identify strengths

24. Theater Games The Doctor is in Tableau Dumb Show (Shakespeare) Reduced performances See additional resources

25. Importance of Peer Feedback Immediate, valued, treasured, raises the bar, improves climate Quick & Easy Ways to give feedback MVP Post-it Project guest sheet 2 stars and a wish Discussion

26. Illuminated Text New idea – power point manipulation of text to imaginative new form of communication…

27. Handouts Web site - http://cmsweb1.loudoun.k12.va.us/509125612142226/site/default.asphttp://cmsweb1.loudoun.k12.va.us/509125612142226/site/default.asp E-mail – freyja.bergthorson@lcps.org Group Support Materials Poetry Performance –Instructions –Rubrics “The Bells’ –Table & web link Lyric Project Lit Circles Project 451 Project choices Body Biography

28. It’s all about Student Engagement!

29. Fun Extras! Kipling’s “If’ “Lost Generation”

30. Freyja.Bergthorson@lcps.org fbergthorson@msn.com