Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secret of the Universe

 Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secret of the Universe 

Lesson 1 

In the next few weeks will read a book named Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secret of the Universe. 

The author is Benjamin Alire Sáenz a Hispanic author of poetry and prose for adults and teens. He was born at Old Picacho, New Mexico, the fourth of seven children, and was raised on a small farm near Mesilla, New Mexico. He lives and works in El Paso, Texas.

Have you heard La Bamba with Richie Valens before?

Do you know what Hispanic means?

Do you know where in the world we find El Paso and Texas?

Have you heard about Aristotle?

1. Today I will read to you, but I don't know how far we will come.

While you listen to me I would like you to have a pen in your hand and write down words you don't know or find hard to spell. I don't want you to use the computer.

Together in class we will then collect words in Padlet and talk about their meaning.

2. Homework for Wednesday is to write a few sentences in the reading log and read til page 40. You can find a copy of your reading log in Classroom.

9a you have time to read during "homework -class" on Thursday and 9B on Friday.

3. On Wednesday you will get a short test where I would like you to answer the questions:

- Which characters do we encounter at the beginning of the book? Give examples of who they are ie: Mrs Q is Ari's mum... etc...

- Describe Ari. What kind of person do you think he is?

- How does Ari meet Dante?

Lesson 2 Wednesday You got a short test with 5 questions then Sara read pages 40 - 58 and you listened.

We gathered more words and discussed their meaning.

Lesson 3 Monday

1. Those of you who were absent last time will take the short test in Trelson.

2. While they are taking the test I would like the rest of you to try to beat me in Quizziz! The link will take you to a quiz about the first part of the book:

Quizziz - Ari and Dante Sign in with the code:
3690 6715 and write your real first name. Start the game! You need to be correct and quick to beat me! You can take the quiz twice if you want to.

2. Vocabulary.

- Go to Quizlet: Ari and Dante part 1 and rehearse the words, by using Flashcards. In Classroom, you can see how many words you knew when you took the test last time. Study at least 10 words more deeply and write them down in your notebook or in the document attached called "Word knowledge". Use the model for learning new words that you find below.

If you don't understand the Swedish words use Lexin to look up their meaning in the language that you understand the best. There are many different languages to choose from:

In Classroom you will find your own copy or you can click on the link here and make your own copy: Word knowledge .

3.  Page 1- 58. Questions to answer about what happened in the book. 

Go to Trelson and answer the questions there. Use your book if you need to look up the answers. 

* Do you think Ari has a close relationship with his parents? Motivate your opinion.  

*  How does his relationship with his mother differ from his relationship with his father?  

* Where is  Ari’s older brother Bernardo, and what does Ari think about not seeing his older brother? 

* Why is  Ari’s father silent and how does he manage to deal with his emotional problems?  How does his wife gloss over his emotional distance? 

* Describe the different ways in which Dante and Ari handle the boys with the BB guns and the death of the bird? What would you have done in the same situation? 

4. For Wednesday read until page 99. 

Questions to think about for the book test on Wednesday: 

(You just have to write a few sentences per question. 5-6 sentences will be fine.)

* What kind of dreams does Ari have when he’s sick? What do you think these dreams mean? 

* How does Ari getting the flu change his relationship with his father? What does his father realize? 

* What sketch does Dante leave for Ari? How does it represent Ari? How does that make Ari feel? 

Lesson 5 (Wednesday, January 25)

1. Discussion! 

- Let's make a mind map of the characters and talk about what you think about them. 

First, think on your own and then discuss with your neighbour. Use your notebook and write down your thoughts. Then you will come to the whiteboard and help each other build the mind map. 

- Describe the main-characters - Ari and Dante. What kind of persons are they? 

What are the similar

- Which of the characters do you like the most and why? Is there anyone you dislike? 

(Does anyone know why I write anyone and not someone?) 

- Would you like to hang out with Ari or Dante or both? Why? 

2. Reading! 

- Together we will read and talk about pages 99- 120. 

- What would you have done if you were Ari? 

3. Book test! 

- Go to Trelson and choose three of the questions to write about. 

For next Wednesday, February 1, read til page 154. 

Lesson 6 Monday, January 30 

- Today we will work with the questions above that we didn't do last time since you wanted me to read instead. 

- Read individually. (p. 154 til Wednesday) 

Lesson 7, Wednesday, February 1 

Grammar! 

I have taken a few examples from the answers you wrote last time. We will take a closer look at how to improve your answers. 

1. Work together in pairs and try to fix the sentences. 

Improve your grammar and spelling

2. We will take a look at the sentences in class and I will help you correct the sentences. 

Reading

- What happened in the chapters you just read? 

- Work together in pairs and help each other make a mind map of what happened. 

- What do you think will happen next? 

Vocabulary 

Individually - practice and learn both spelling and the meaning of the words below: 

Vocab - part 3 

Homework for next Wednesday is to learn the words (both spelling and meaning) from part 3 and read til page: 194

Freedom Writers 

 -What did you think about the movie? Motivate your opinions.

- Who is your favorite character? Describe him/her and motivate why he/she is your favorite.

1. Choose 3 of the questions and write down the answers:

Tolerance

1. Why does Erin compare the drawing of an African-American student to the drawings of Jewish
men during the Holocaust?

2. Why do you think Erin refers to the Nazis as the most famous gang in history?

3. Why does this comparison make the students begin to listen to her?

4. Do you think Ms. Gruwell’s teaching methods should be used at the entire school? At other schools? Why? Why not?

5. What would you do to break the ethnic and racial barriers in Ms. Gruwell’s classroom?

6. Think about your own school or out-of-school activities. Are youth respectful of each other’s differences? Are there, at our school, problems similar to those in Wilson High? If so, what can you do to make a change? 

- Choose 3 of the questions below and write down your answers: 

Respect 

 1. Why is it important that teachers and students can trust each other?

2. Why do the students feel betrayed when they get to know that Ms. Gruwell will not continue
teaching them in their junior and senior years?

3. How do the classmates learn to trust one another?

4. Imagine you are Ms. Gruwell. What would you have done in her situation?

5. What would you have done to earn the trust of the students?

6. Respect and trust issues are not the only problem among the students. The teachers and
administrators at Wilson High do not support Ms. Gruwell’s teaching methods. Why do they
refuse to trust her?

- Choose 9 of the questions:

Families 

1. What makes Eva choose to “go against her people” in the courtroom?

2. Do you think this was a good decision? How do her family and friends react?

3. Do you think it’s more important to “protect your own” or do what’s right?

4. Put yourself in Eva’s shoes. Would you tell the truth in the witness stand or protect your friend?

5. In the book, the students write openly in their diary entries about sensitive family problems such
as drug use and sexual abuse. Would you too have been that open?

6. In the movie, how does Erin Gruwell’s obsession with work conflict with her marriage?
Describe the changing relationships with her husband.

7. What does Erin’s father think about Erin's choice to work as a teacher- at the beginning
of the movie and
at the end of the movie?

8. In what ways does Ms. Gruwell’s classroom become a family for the students?
Do you have a “family” outside your actual family?

9. Why are the students so angry at the beginning of the book/ movie? Do you think their anger is reasonable?
10. Why aren’t Ms. Gruwell’s students motivated to succeed in school? What outside factors affect their ability to learn?
11. Why do so many of Ms. Gruwell’s students believe they won’t live past the age of 18?
12. How do teachers and students deal with bullying, violence and/or gang activity in your school? 

Make sure you have answered 15 of all questions. Write in English and size 12.

Freedom Writers Diary - Our Perfect School

 Freedom Writers Diary 

The students in Ms. Gruwell’s freshman class are almost all African American, Latino, or Asian, and at first, they are suspicious of their white, suit-wearing teacher. They bet she will quit within the first week or month, but she quickly wins them over with unique teaching methods and reading material the students find relatable. The fall of their freshman year, they read Durango Street, a book about an African American teenager living in the projects after being released from a juvenile work camp for stealing cars, and then they make a movie about it. In the spring, when they read Romeo and Juliet and, Ms. Gruwell compares the Capulets to a local Latino gang and the Montagues to a rival Asian gang and gains the respect of more students. Still, the students deal with many difficulties that distract them from school, including race-based gang violence, domestic violence, illness, drug and alcohol addiction, and homelessness. (Supersummary.com)

Now when you have read a few chapters of the book and have realized what kind of school Wilson High School is and what kind of teacher Erin Gruwell is.

Today you will create your perfect (fantasy) school!

Our Perfect School 

Create your idea of the perfect school.  You will share your ideas with the rest of the class, so do your best, most thoughtful work. You don't have to present in front of the class! Don't worry!

You will need to write down your ideas and create Google Slides to present your school. Owning a school generates money - the more students that choose your school the more money you make!

Make students choose YOUR school! 

When you are done with your presentation you hand it in to me, and your group presents your idea to me. At the end of the lesson, I will present your schools and you will vote for the best school! 

The questions below are just to help you - no need to answer them all! 

Create at least 4 slides and use both pictures and text. 

Here you can find templates for slides: Slidesmania 

1.)  What would the name of your school be?

2.) What courses would you keep?  What courses would you eliminate?

3.) What new courses would you offer?  Describe them thoroughly.

4.) What kinds of teachers would you hire? Would you give teachers tenure at the

end of three years, as is the policy today?
5.) How long would the school year be and what hours would it start and end?

6.) Would the school have bells to indicate the end of a period or would there be

something else?
7.) What sports would your school have?  Are there any sports you would add that

the school does not already have?  Would you eliminate any sports?

8.) Would you eliminate or make any changes to the physical ed program?

9.) Describe the physical layout of your new school. 
    a.) What would the building be like? What would its layout be like?
    b.) What would each classroom be like?  Would the desks, for instance, be in rows

as in most classes in the school today?  Would there even be desks?  What might be

introduced into your new school that would make it more comfortable and inviting?

    c.) What might you do to improve the climate in the school?
10.)  Add anything else you can think of that would make your school a perfect place for learning

Freedom Writers Diary

Freedom Writers Diary 

Pre-reading activities 

Monday Nov 14

For the next few weeks, we will be working with Freedom Writers Diary. We will read extracts from the book and also listen to episodes of the Freedom Writers podcast. 

Before you start reading you need to understand a few concepts, where some places and who some persons are. Otherwise, it will be hard to understand the book and pod. 

1. Below you can see a blank map of the different states in the US.

Do you know where to find the cities: Washington D.C, New York, Chicago, Phoenix, Miami, Houston, San Fransico, Los Angeles and San Diego? 

1. Without using Google - put an X on the map where you think the cities are.
2. Turn to your neighbour and compare your maps. 

The American dream. Have you heard about the expression before?
What do you think it means?

1. Individually - write down your thoughts
2. Turn to a neighbor - discuss the expression 
3. In class - tell the rest of the class what you think about the American Dream. Does it really exist?  
4. The places and persons below are all taken from the book we will read. They are important to know about so you will be able to understand the book. 

You will get one name/place/concept each: 

Find out more about: 
- Where is it? Where is the place situated? Why is it a well-known place? 
- Who is it? Why is it important to know this person? 
- What happened? Why is it important to know what happened? 

After about 15 minutes you will individually present the name/place/event you got. One student is presenting and the rest of you take notes. 

Just say a few sentences so everyone gets a brief understanding. 

i.e 

Long Beach is a ... and is situated in... . Long beach is most known for... 

Long Beach
Tupac
Rodney King
Durango street
Newport Beach
Elisabeth Mann
Renée Firestone
Gloria Ungar
Miep Gies
Rosa Parks
Rosetta Stone
Matthew Shepard
Snoop Dogg
Freedom Riders
Ku Klux klan
Jim Zwerg
Abraham Lincoln
Dr Mengele
Wilson High School
Living in the projects
Proposition 187
The American Dream
Mongomery bus boycott
Martin Luther King Jr
1992 Los Angeles Riots
segregation
Fredrick Douglass
Emmet Till
The American Civil War
Free states and slave states - Pre-Civil War
Abolitionism

5. Freedom Writers Podcast 

Episode 51 #BlackLivesmatters (you can listen on your Chromebook and you don't need a Spotify account to listen)

In class we will listen to parts of an episode where Erin Gruwell has a conversation with two original Freedom Writers. 

While listening I would like that you take notes by hand. 

I will show you how to do it. 

Taking notes while listening is good for learning! Use the method in other subjects as well. 

6. Homework for Wednesday November 16: 

Choose one of the episodes and listen to about 20 minutes of it. Feel free to listen to the whole episode if you enjoy it, but you don't have to. 

- Take notes during the first 10 minutes

- The next ten minutes just listen.  

 They are my pronouns .. 

Dear Freedom Writer. Samuel, or “Sam” as Erin affectionately refers to him is a trans man. Sam candidly discusses what it was like to grow up feeling out of place in his own body, and how he ultimately found the strength to live his truth. Sam's courage and authenticity are truly inspiring, and we hope this episode will leave you feeling enlightened and empowered to make a difference.

Healing from Hurting 

In the midst of widespread protests and civil unrest following the tragic murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at the hands of four now-charged police officers, Freedom Writers felt compelled to rally together for a "town hall" style live broadcast we're calling "Healing from Hurting."

How Discrimination Feels

On this episode, Erin speaks with educator and anti-racism advocate Jane Elliott about her seminal “Blue Eye / Brown Eye” exercise with her third grade students in Riceville, Iowa. Jane discusses how the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr inspired her to educate her students about the effects of racism and how she has made it her life’s mission to encourage others to see only one race - the human race.

Wednesday Nov 16

1. In your pairs, tell each other about the episode you listened to. 

What was the episode about? 

What did you like? 

What did you dislike? 

Would like to recommend the episode? Why/ Why not? 

2. Reading 

Sara will read the first extract to you and you follow in the text while listening. 

Underline words you don't understand and after reading we take a closer look at these words. 

3. Make a copy of the reading log and take notes in the reading log after each chapter: 

Reading Log 

4. In your pairs, read the next chapter aloud and help each other understand it. 

Underline and look up words you don't understand. 

When you have finished reading help each other with the the reading log. 

/ Sara 

National Exams coming up...

National Exams week 49

First of all, answer the question in Classroom: Who would you like to be with during the national exams? Give me two options! 

The exam takes about 20 minutes and you will be in pairs. 

Secondly, we will start practising speaking in groups:

To be able to do this we need to learn a few phrases and we will play Quizlet Live. 

The phrases in the link and picture below are good to learn and use while talking. 

National Exam - great phrases





I will help you with the first example below. Discuss the second one in your groups and remember to use linking words.

1. Mobile phones are dangerous and disturb people
 Agree? Disagree? Explain why and give examples. What do your friends think?

2. Smoking should not be allowed

Agree? Disagree? Explain why and give examples. 

What do your friends think?

3. Work in your pairs, and discuss the statements in the cards below.  Use the phrases we practised. 

Speak English all the time! Remember: It is a dialogue and not a monologue! 

4. On Wednesday, Sofia will be in class instead of me. You will continue working in your groups and you will get cards from a former national exam to discuss. 

/ Sara 

Let's play Mystery Skype with a class from another country!

 Today, Monday, you are going to try your first Mystery Skype.

Let's play! 

1. Some of you will be the "Google-group". You listen carefully to the questions and answers we get from the other class. By the answers you get you try to circle where in the world the other class is. 

2. Some of you will ask the other class questions. You can only ask yes or no questions. You see examples of questions below.  (Only those of you who feel comfortable talking to another class will be asked to do so)

3. The Google- group helps you with questions. 
3. The class that first finds out where the other is, wins!

Here are questions we can use:

1. Is your continent in the northern/southern hemisphere? (norra/södra halvklotet)

2. Is your continent in the eastern/western hemisphere (östra/västra halvklotet)

3. Is your continent near the Atlantic/Pacific/Indian/Arctic Ocean?

4. Is your continent N. America/S. America/Africa/Europe/Asia/Australia/Antarctica?

5. Is it a big/small country?

6. Do you speak English as a first language?

7. Is it very hot in summer and cold in winter? 

8. Is it north/south/east/west of...........? 

9. Does your country border another country?

10. Are there mountains in your country? 

11. Does your country have a coastline? 

12. Is......................the capital of your country? 

13. Is your country/state/Province north/south/east/west of...?

14. Is your city in the north/south/east/west of your country/state/province?

15. Is your city the capital of your country/state/Province?

Possible Clues:

Our time zone is...

Let the best class win!

Sara