Day 1…Asthmacooperative groups

Asthma-a lot of trouble breathingAilment- a sickness of any typeAbsurd-almost stupidIll-sickSquall-a furious ocean stormRehearsing-practice before the play“high spirits”-feeling happy, not stonedTranquility-peacefulNecessity-essential

Key Vocabulary

• Plan-make inferences about text and use text evidence to support understanding (RCD 8)• Do- Reading and analyzing “Asthma” by

Seneca the Young in cooperative groups• Study- Mini-lesson on key vocabulary,

form & content, tone & audience, didacticism and epigrammatic writers• Act-cooperative group literary analysis of

“Asthma”

Task #1 Form and ContentSeneca’s letter to Lucilius builds a discussion that explains specifically a single asthma attack to several thoughts on life and death.1. Is this letter about asthma or thoughts on life

and death?2. Is it written to complain or to discuss

philosophy?3. What is a subtitle you would give this letter?4. Does it seem this letter was written in

response to an earlier conversation? Why or why not?

Task #2 Tone and Audience1. How is Seneca speaking to Lucilius? (with

respect to someone intelligent or like a conversation with a friend)

2. What is the tone of the letter? [serious, sarcastic, condescending (talking “down) or angry]

3. Who seems to be of higher status, the letter writer or the person it was written to?

Task #3 Didacticism(an inclination to teach or lecture others too

much, especially by preaching and moralizing)1. Where is Seneca most instructive?2. What are some examples of what

Seneca thinks a wise man should do?3. What are some examples of who

Seneca thinks a wise man should look up to or model themselves after?

4. Are people today, in 2014, as concerned with what “wise men” of the past did or how they lived?

Task #4 Epigrammatic Writers(writers who say things others quote later

on)1. Find at least three epigrammatic

statements in “Asthma” and write them down. Below each quote, explain why you think it is special.

2. Who is your favorite epigrammatic singer or author of the 2013-2014 school year? How often have you quoted them this year? Write at a quote from their work.

• Each person in the group will have 60 seconds to explain their task and what they learned while figuring out the answers!

Debrief

Day 2…Asthmasmall groups

• Plan- Summarize the main ideas, supporting details and relationships among ideas in a text in a way that maintains meaning.(8.10A)

• Do- Reading and analyzing “Asthma” by Seneca the Young in small groups

• Study- Mini-lesson on main idea, supporting details, factual claims and commonplace assertions

• Act-small group literary analysis of “Asthma”

Job #1 Main Idea (works with Job#2]

1. Who is this letter written to?2. What is it about?3. When was it written?4. Where was it written?5. Why was it written?6. How was it written?7. Take the answers to 1-6 and turn them

into a 20 word less “main idea statement.”

Job #2 Supporting Details(works with Job#1]

1. What are four statements that support the main idea. You must consult with the main idea person to see that you don NOT overlap, but rather support their statement.

Job #3 Factual Claims (works with Job#4]

1. What are three factual claims in this piece? (Remember that a factual claim cannot be argued against. It is what is whether you like it or not!)

Job #4 Commonplace Assertions

(works with Job#3]1. What are three commonplace assertions in this

piece? (Remember that a commonplace assertion is an opinion. It CAN be argued against and is not set in stone.) Check with the factual claim person to make sure you have opinions and they have facts.

• Each pair will have two minutes to explain their task and what they learned while figuring out the answers!

Debrief

Day 3…Asthmasilent discussion groups

• Plan- Make subtle inferences and draw conclusions about ideas in the text and their organizational patterns.(8.10C)

• Do- Reviewing and discussing “Asthma” by Seneca the Young in small groups

• Study- Mini-lesson on silent discussions• Act-small group discussion/ analysis of

“Asthma” and author’s intent/ structure

Discussion Questions1. This is a letter. How formal does it seem to you?

Would you expect it was written to be read by just anyone (even you)?

** after you write your answer, pass your paper to the person on your right…they will write a comment below your answer… “I agree with you and I also think…” or “I disagree with you and I think…”

Discussion Questions2. Why do doctors call asthma “rehearsing death”?

** after you write your answer, pass your paper to the person on your right…they will write a comment below your answer… “I agree with you and I also think…” or “I disagree with you and I think…”

Discussion Questions3. Why does he say he is overjoyed by having escaped death by asthma after his recent attack?

** after you write your answer, pass your paper to the person on your right…they will write a comment below your answer… “I agree with you and I also think…” or “I disagree with you and I think…”

Discussion Questions4. What is Seneca’s way of handling an attack and what is his attitude toward death?

** after you write your answer, pass your paper to the person on your right…they will write a comment below your answer… “I agree with you and I also think…” or “I disagree with you and I think…”

• Explain which person in your group made the silent discussion most interesting.

• Who do wish was in your group if you could add one person?

• What is a good thing about silent discussions?• What is another question we could have

“silently” discussed about this piece?

Debrief

Day 1… In Bedcooperative groups

Migraine- a severely debilitating headacheInsensible- without being able to use sensesCircumnavigation-to get around somethingChemical inferiority- your body chemicals are

not as good as someone else’sInvoluntary tears- crying without wanting toNeurosurgeon- a brain specialistInherits a predisposition-you may have “x”

because another family member has had itPreventative-to do it before something

happens

Key Vocabulary

• Plan-make inferences about text and use text evidence to support understanding (RCD 8)• Do- Reading and analyzing “In Bed” by

Joan Didion in cooperative groups• Study- Mini-lesson on key vocabulary,

form & content, tone & audience and sentence variety• Act-cooperative group literary analysis of

“In Bed”

Task #1 Form and ContentHere a writer recounts, in a memoir, her personal history with a recurrent illness(one that keeps happening).1. Does she only want the reader to

learn about her experience with migraines?

2. What does the writer tell us about the American view of illness?

3. How does her attitude change over the course of the piece?

Task #2 Tone and Audience1. What is Didion’s tone as she describes her

illness?2. How much grief does she describe in the

piece?3. How does the tone shift by the end of the

essay when she describes her attitude change?

4. Do you find places in the essay where she feels sorry for herself? Or, when she uses a sense of humor? (explain with text evidence)

Task #3 Sentence Variety(the length and grammatical style of various

sentences)Copy an example that shows a sentence with the following variety:1. Includes a list within the sentence2. A fragmented sentence3. A “wonderfully” long sentence4. A simple clear sentence

Task #4 Sentence Variety(the length and grammatical style of various

sentences)Compare paragraph 2 and the last paragraph of the essay.1. In paragraph 2, where she describes the onslaught of

her illness, she uses long sentences. Why do the length of the sentences help convey what the experience is like?

2. In the last paragraph, where she describes life after a migraine attack, why do you think she uses shorter sentences?

3. What is the mood created in paragraph 2? What is the mood created in paragraph 4?

• Each person in the group will have 60 seconds to explain their task and what they learned while figuring out the answers!

Debrief

Day 2… In Bed small groups

• Plan- Summarize the main ideas, supporting details and relationships among ideas in a text in a way that maintains meaning.(8.10A)

• Do- Reading and analyzing “In Bed” by Joan Didion in small groups

• Study- Mini-lesson on main idea, supporting details, factual claims and commonplace assertions

• Act-small group literary analysis of “In Bed”

Job #1 Main Idea (works with Job#2]

1. Who is this essay about? 2. What is it about?3. When was it written?4. Where was it written?5. Why was it written?6. How was it written?7. Take the answers to 1-6 and turn them

into a 20 word less “main idea statement.”

Job #2 Supporting Details(works with Job#1]

1. What are four statements that support the main idea. You must consult with the main idea person to see that you don NOT overlap, but rather support their statement.

Job #3 Factual Claims (works with Job#4]

1. What are three factual claims in this piece? (Remember that a factual claim cannot be argued against. It is what is whether you like it or not!)

Job #4 Commonplace Assertions

(works with Job#3]1. What are three commonplace assertions in this

piece? (Remember that a commonplace assertion is an opinion. It CAN be argued against and is not set in stone.) Check with the factual claim person to make sure you have opinions and they have facts.

• Each pair will have two minutes to explain their task and what they learned while figuring out the answers!

Debrief

Day 3… In Bedsilent discussion groups

• Plan- Make subtle inferences and draw conclusions about ideas in the text and their organizational patterns.(8.10C)

• Do- Reviewing and discussing “In Bed” by Joan Didion in small groups

• Study- Mini-lesson on silent discussions• Act-small group discussion/ analysis of “In

Bed” and author’s intent/ structure

Discussion Questions1. What was her attitude toward her illness as a

child and how well was it understood?

** after you write your answer, pass your paper to the person on your right…they will write a comment below your answer… “I agree with you and I also think…” or “I disagree with you and I think…”

Discussion Questions2. Why was she ashamed of her illness and willing to lie about how often the headaches happened on questionnaires?

** after you write your answer, pass your paper to the person on your right…they will write a comment below your answer… “I agree with you and I also think…” or “I disagree with you and I think…”

Discussion Questions3. Is there anything positive about this essay?

** after you write your answer, pass your paper to the person on your right…they will write a comment below your answer… “I agree with you and I also think…” or “I disagree with you and I think…”

Discussion Questions4. Think about the full essay and all it talked about. Complete the following sentence:“In Bed” is about how migraines…

** after you write your answer, pass your paper to the person on your right…they will write a comment below your answer… “I agree with you and I also think…” or “I disagree with you and I think…”

• Explain which person in your group made the silent discussion most interesting.

• Who do wish was in your group if you could add one person?

• What is a good thing about silent discussions?• What is another question we could have

“silently” discussed about this piece?

Debrief

OER

Considering both pieces, “Asthma” and “In Bed,” explain in a 10 line box which of the two ailments you would rather have to suffer with on a regular basis. You must use text evidence from both pieces in your essay.