The Summer Assignment Part I (Before you read the book) * Read the political cartoon - The First Amendment? D’oh! * Read “Between the lines” and “Talking points”. Answer questions 1 – 3 under “Talking points”. Answer the questions on the handout provided and use complete sentences. * Complete question handouts featuring “Bill of Rights” and “School Rules”. Part II * Read the book Nothing But The Truth by Avi You can obtain a copy of the book from the library or you can purchase a copy of the book at Mrs. Figs’ Bookworm in Camarillo. The Bookworm will give all students a discount on the book. Call 805 – 482 -1384 to check on book availability. * Maintain a dialectical journal. (See instructions) Part III (After you read the book) * Answer the “Bill of Rights” and “School Rules” questions based on your reading. * Read informational sheet about the Socratic Seminar. You will be expected to use your summer reading assignment components during our first Socratic Seminar of the year. * Find one political cartoon or current news article that you think relates to the subject of the book. Think about the questions posed for Socratic Seminar. Perhaps you can search for an article about the First Amendment in action. Or perhaps you can search for an article about truth. What about hoaxes that people perpetrate to gain media attention at the expense of others? Be prepared to share your selection the first week of school during Socratic Seminar. Make notes on the article or cartoon based on the questions posed for the Seminar. Any questions? Need help on any component of the assignment? Check out my password protected blog for tips and discussions related to the assignment. You can find the blog on my website by clicking on the Nothing But The Truth tab. Email me for the password at ckavon@me.com. Part I - Talking Points 1) Name the five members of the Simpson family. 2) List all five freedoms covered by the First Amendment. If you cannot - use the clues in the cartoon and make a guess. 3) Why do you think people know more about a cartoon family than the U.S. Constitution? Part I – Bill of Rights Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. * What does this amendment mean to you? * This constitutional right does not grant unlimited rights. Do you believe there are limits to freedom of speech? If so, what are the limits? Part I – School Rules Every school functions under an established set of rules and regulations. Every year, these rules are set forth in a school handbook. Teachers and students are expected to know these rules and abide by them on campus. *How and why are these rules made? *How do they control student behavior? * Think of some rules that exist and discuss their purpose. * How are the rules enforced? * Do all the rules make sense to you? * Do you have the right to choose which rules you will obey and which you will disobey? * What are the consequences of not knowing the rules or choosing to disregard the rules? * What would it be like if there were no rules? Part II – Dialectical Journals In 8th grade, there is an emphasis on developing as a reader. Reading will enhance your vocabulary, influence you as a writer and assist you in interpreting the world around you. The dialectical journal is an assignment that helps you think about what you read and why you think the way you do. There are really no right or wrong answers – but there are answers that are too short or underdeveloped. Your answers should be reflective and thoughtful – indicators that you have read the book and thought about what you read in a meaningful way. The Dialectical Journal is a simple t-chart: As you read, choose passages that stand out to you and record them in the lefthand column of a t-chart. Always include the page numbers. In the right column, write your response to the text. Your responses may include ideas/insights, questions, reflections, and comments. You must complete a minimum of 15 Dialectical Journal Entries. There are only 19 chapters in the book, so a good goal would be one entry per chapter. Focus on passages that identify character traits, actions and specific quotes by characters that you think are related to the overall theme of the book. Read the Socratic Seminar informational pages before you start so you have an idea of what to record in your Dialectical Journal. Sample Dialectical Journal Entry for Nothing But The Truth by Avi Passages from the text Page Numbers From the diary of Philip Page 4 Malloy... people can’t have their own minds about anything!!! Talk about a free country!!! And the stuff we have to read! Comments & Questions (Why do I find this quotation interesting or important?) What does he mean by “own minds” and “free country”? Is he disagreeing with the teacher and then saying he should have the right to disagree? Is there a limit to the definition of free? By law, students are required to attend school until a certain age. I think that implies that children need to be taught and have not fully developed the capacity to make full and informed decisions until a certain age. Just what age is that? Who decides what age? Are Philip’s journal entries an indication of his attitude and what issues may be addressed in this book? What would happen if there weren’t certain rules and standards in place? Part III Bill of Rights Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. * What does this amendment mean to you after reading the book? Any changes in your understanding or interpretation? * This constitutional right does not grant unlimited rights. Do you believe there are limits to freedom of speech? If so, what are the limits? Do you think Philip thought there were limits? How do you think Philip feels about the press? Part III – School Rules Every school functions under an established set of rules and regulations. Every year, these rules are set forth in a school handbook. Teachers and students are expected to know these rules and abide by them on campus. * Think of some rules that existed in the book and discuss their purpose. * How were the rules enforced? * Did all the rules make sense to you? Why or why not? * Does anybody have the right to choose which rules will be obeyed? Were there different interpretations about a rule and how it should be obeyed? * According to the book, what might the consequences be of not knowing the rules or choosing to disregard the rules? * Do you think this book could have had a different ending if one of the characters acted/reacted differently at any time during the book? Which character do you think could have changed the outcome of the story most significantly? Explain. Part III Socratic Seminar "The Socratic method of teaching is based on Socrates' theory that it is more important to enable students to think for themselves than to merely fill their heads with "right" answers. Therefore, he regularly engaged his pupils in dialogues by responding to their questions with questions, instead of answers. This process encourages divergent thinking rather than convergent thinking" (Adams). "Socratic questioning recognizes that questions, not answers, are the driving force in thinking. Socratic seminars explore ideas, values, and issues drawn from readings or art works chosen for their richness. They also provide a forum to expand participants' familiarity with works drawn from many cultural sources. Leaders help participants to make sense of a text and of their own thinking by asking questions about reasoning, evidence, connections, examples, and other aspects of sound thinking. A good seminar is more devoted to making meaning than to mastering information. Seminars strengthen participants' learning by getting them actively engaged in rigorous critical thought. Practical activities are always followed by periods of reflection and discussion about what has been experienced. The goal here is to allow learners to create a community of inquiry for the purpose of making meaning cooperatively" (Raider). FAQ What does Socratic mean? Socratic comes from the name Socrates (ca. 470-399 BC) who was a classical Greek philosopher; he developed a Theory of Knowledge. What is a Socratic Seminar? A Socratic Seminar is a method to try to understand information by creating an in-class dialogue based on a specific text. The participants seek deeper understanding of complex ideas through rigorously thoughtful dialogue, rather than by memorizing bits of information or meeting arbitrary demands for 'coverage.' What Do I Do? 1. Refer to the text when needed during the discussion. A seminar is not a test of memory. You are not "learning a subject"; your goal is to understand the ideas, issues, and values reflected in the text. 2. It's okay to "pass" when asked to contribute. 3. Do not participate if you are not prepared. 4. Do not stay confused; ask for clarification. 5. Talk to the participants, not just the leader. 6. Stick to the point currently under discussion; make notes about ideas you want to come back to. 7. Don't raise hands; take turns speaking. 8. Listen carefully and respectfully. 9. Speak up so that everyone can hear you. 10. Talk to each other, not just to the teacher or the leader. 11. Discuss the ideas rather than each other's opinions. 12. You are responsible for the seminar, even if you don't know it or admit it. How Do I Prepare? Read the two questions found at the beginning of the book. What message do you think the author wants to convey with those two questions? Think about the following: 1) Is telling only part of the truth dishonest? 2) Are there situations in which unfairness to an individual is justified? 3) Should a person always tell the truth even if the truth will hurt others? 4) Does justice require more than the enforcement of rules? 5) Are there circumstances when rules should be broken? These are the initial questions we will pose at the beginning of Socratic Seminar but questions often change and develop based on student interpretations. Don’t be afraid to pose your own open-ended questions! In order to prepare for our first Socratic Seminar: 1. Decide who you think is most “at fault” in the book. 2. List character traits this person has. 3. List actions this person took that led to the conflict and subsequent resolution. 4. List things this person said that led to the conflict and subsequent resolution. 5. Mark passages in your dialectical journal or in your copy of the book with post-its so you can find them. You will need to prove your character was most at fault, and the best way to do that is with quotes directly from the book. 6. Make some notes, including passages you want to discuss, questions you want to ask, and things you want to say about the topic. Do this by reading through the questions you answered before and after reading the book. Is there one question that really makes you want to voice a strong opinion? Be prepared by writing down your ideas and then finding some more supportive material to back up your opinion (the political cartoon or article).