Mr. Holbrook’s Hillcrest Blog

Please follow this link to access Mister Holbrook’s Challenge Program Blog: Everything You Wanted To Know About The Hillcrest Challenge Program But Were Afraid To Ask.

Thanks,

- Mr. Holbrook

I’m teaching the Challenge Program this year.  A new role at the school demands a new blog and here’s the link:

Mister Holbrook’s Challenge Program Blog

It’s very much under construction but, soon enough, you’ll see the same high level of blogging craftsmanship at my new site as you did at this one.

- Mister Holbrook

Today was listening station day in Humanities, a day for all students to bring in their iPods (or a CD) with songs related to the big ideas in Crispin: The Cross of Lead.

At each listening station, students listened to music, reviewed the lyrics, and read an analysis of how the lyrics fit with the novel.  Thanks to all students who handed in their lyrics and analysis pages today.  If you did not hand in your work, please do so on Friday, 5 June 2009.

A reminder for students in Div 19: Kari will be in for blocks EF on Friday, 5 June 09 to show us tips on editing the HCE photos we took today on the topic of hazards, job related or wireless & online communication related. Please make sure you bring your photos to upload.  They can be on a CD, a flash drive, or on your camera (as long as you have the cable or interface required for uploading).

That’s all for this week.  Take care,

Mister Holbrook

The end is near for the Crispin novel study.  Today, you received the instruction sheet for the task, What’s On Crispin’s iPod. You can find a copy of the directions here:

What\’s On Crispin\’s iPod Task

Here’s what we did in class to work toward the completion of that task:

1. Lyrics People Search

I asked the students to move around the room and find other people who had chosen songs on similar themes, songs by the same artists, or songs they liked but didn’t choose.  The goal was to see the variety of songs that could fit with the ideas in the novel.

2. Modeling the Task

I wrote out an example of what the lyrics analysis might look like.  With Division 17, I analyzed “I’m Free” by the Soup Dragons.  With Division 19, I examined “40″ by U2.  In essence, we followed each step on the task description sheet to create an example of how to do the task.

3. In-class Work Time

Students had the rest of class to work on analyzing their own 3 songs and ask me questions if need be.

4. Homework

On Friday, 29 May this task is due.  On that day we will set up a series of listening stations – using iPods or CD players – so students can listen to the songs and read each student’s analysis of the lyrics.

Here’s what you need to bring to class on Friday:

• The lyrics for all 3 songs
• The analysis of the lyrics for all 3 songs
• Your iPod (or any other mP3 player) with the songs in a playlist OR a CD with the songs burned on it
• Your headphones
• A headphones splitter (if  you have one)

That’s all for this week.  I’ll see you on Friday.

PS:  Division 19 will need their digital cameras for Friday, 29 May as well.  We will continue working with Kari in HCE class on our Learning Through the Arts project involving still photography.

Take care,

- Mister Holbrook

It seems that I had a bit of a brain cramp last week and forgot to update my blog.  Sorry about that.  It’s a bit late, but here’s what happened:

1. Songs in the Key of Crispin

In preparation for our final task on the novel, I brought in 4 songs that relate to the big ideas in Crispin.  Those songs were:

“I’m Free” by the Soup Dragons

 
“Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” by The Smiths

“40″ by U2

“I Will Not Go Quietly” by Don Henley

After listening to each song, we considered how the lyrics fit with some of the big ideas in the novel.  Those big ideas include:

• freedom
• survival
• death
• change
• isolation
• friendship
• learning who you are
• courage
• good vs. evil
• life and death
• sacrifice
• responsibility
• oppression
• fate
• taking charge
• fear
• listening
• grief
• family
• faith
• understanding
• decision making
• hope

The homework for Friday, 22 May is to find 2 or 3 songs that fit with the big idea of the book and bring the lyrics of those songs to class.  Please make sure the lyrics are all appropriate for school.

2. Say Something

Next, we sat in a circle and each student “said something” about the characters, events, or themes in the novel using a sticky note they had placed somewhere in the book as a prompt.  It was a very interesting discussion that led nicely to a whole-class discussion and debate on the subject of…

3. Freedom

After considering the ways in which Crispin is free at the end of the story, we debated who was most responsible for Crispin’s freedom – Crispin himself or Bear, his teacher and mentor.  It was a thoughtful and engaging sharing of ideas.

That was it for the lesson.  Please remember to bring your lyrics to class for Friday, 22 May.

- Mr. Holbrook

After the play at Dr. Charles Best Secondary and the fire / earthquake drill, there wasn’t a lot of time left for class work today but we did our best.  Here’s what we managed to wedge in:

1. Songs in the Key of Crispin

I asked Ss to think of songs that might fit with Crispin’s life.  There were many interesting suggestions.  Here is a video for one of them:

“I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash

We’ll spend more time next week thinking about the themes of the novel and songs that might fit those big ideas.

2. Chapter 52 to 58 Tableaus

Groups of students were given one of seven scenes from the final section of the novel.  Each group presented their tableau and the audience guessed what was shown.  The tableuus served as a fine summary of the exciting events that close the book.

If you’re looking for a short summary of the whole novel, you might find this video, Crispin: The Cross of Lead - The Movie, interesting:

That’s all for this week.  Take care ’til next Friday.

- Mr. Holbrook

Today in both divisions we finally took up chapters 43 – 52 in Crispin: The Cross of Lead. Here’s how it looked:

1. Story Sorting

To get in a Crispin frame of mind, I asked the students to put 9 events from the section into the order in which they actually happened.

2. Crispin’s Learnings

Next, I asked students to consider what Crispin has learned about his life and the world during these revelatory chapters.  Students wrote about what they thought were the two most important things Crispin has learned in a journal entry.

3. Talk Show

In an effort to get into the minds of novel’s characters, Crispin, Bear, John Aycliffe, and Lady Furnival were all guests on Dr. Bill Show.  Mr. Holbrook stepped out and Dr. Phil’s first cousin’s second college roommate took the reins as talk show host.  The conversation was an enlightening one and helped the students develop a deeper understanding of the characters’ motivations and though processes.

Here’s a shot of world traveler Dr. Bill doing his show in Paris:

4.  Finishing the Novel

The homework for Friday, 8 May is to finish reading the novel and to place at least 3 sticky notes on important parts in the text.

5. Thinking of Songs for Crispin’s iPod

The final task for the novel will be to create a small playlist for Crispin’s iPod (we’re assuming he had one back then).  So, as you read be thinking of songs that fit with Crispin’s life and personality.

Until next Friday, have fun in the sun.

- Mister Holbrook

Today’s Humanities class (it was basically the same for Divs 17 and 19) had three parts:

PART 1: City Life in the Middle Ages

After thinking about our favourite cities (mmmm… Santa Barbara), we considered the sights, sounds and smells (yukkkkk… raw sewage) of Great Wexly, the walled city that Crispin and Bear visit.   Finally, we watched a video clip to put a picture to some of the images we discussed.  Division 17 watched the first 12 or so minutes of Kingdom of Heaven and Division 19 watched the tax stealing scene from Robin Hood (the 1991 John Irvin directed version).

Here’s the trailer for Kingdom of Heaven:

I couldn’t find the trailer for Robin Hood online.

PART 2: Character Examination

As a way of processing the information in the character trees completed for this lesson, I asked you to choose a symbol – from among a collection that included a firecracker, a briefcase, a bell, a book, and a spider – that fit yourself and then a symbol that fit Bear and one that fit Crispin. Some thoughtful metaphorical thinking was demonstrated. The character trees were handed in at the end of the lesson.

PART 3: Reading Crispin: The Cross of Lead

Homework for Friday, 24 April 2009 (we don’t have class for the next two weeks) is to read chapters 43 to 51 of Crispin. As you read, please place sticky notes on at least three things Crispin learns about himself or the world.  While his physical journey ends in Great Wexly, Cripsin’s spiritual, intellectual and emotional journey continues in these exciting chapters.

That’s all for this week.  Enjoy your Easter Break (Friday, 10 April) and your day off for the PRO D Day (Friday, 17 April) and I’ll see you in three weeks.

- Mister Holbrook

Today in Hum class both divisions did essentially the same stuff.  Here’s what shook down:

A Dramatic Warm Up

The lesson called for some acting so, to get warmed up, we played the following drama games:

• Boom… zap… bang!
• Hey, what are you doing?
• The Martha Game

Tableaus

Once the creative juices were flowing, each table group was to create a tableau based on an important scene from chapters 14 – 32 of Crispin: The Cross of Lead.  As the actors stood frozen, the audience guessed what the tableau showed.  This activity served as a review of the book up to the end of the 32nd chapter.

Character Trees

After doing an example based on Homer Simpson (turns out he’s lazy, dumb, and funny), each student had to think of fhree personality traits demonstrated by Crispin and find two pieces of specific evidence to support each trait.  After completing a character tree for Crispin, one needs to be completed for Bear.

The two character trees are due in class on Friday, 3 April 2009.

Also due in class on Friday, 3 April is the reading of chapters 33 – 42 in Crispin: The Cross of Lead.  As always, when reading please place three stickies on sectons of the book that interest and/or engage you.

That’s all for today.  I’ll see you next week.

- Mister Holbrook

Today was a day to showcase the creative talents of students in both Division 19 and Division 17.

In blocks A and B, students in Div 19 finished off their 5 Dimensions of Health short films and presented them to the class in a gallery walk.  Many thanks to Learning Through the Arts educator Charlotte Lightburn for taking the teaching lead on this project.

In the Humanities lesson, both both divisions enjoyed watching the commercials that had not yet been shown in class.  Here is a small sampling of the ads we watched:

and…

and…

In the next lesson we’ll spend some time working with Crispin: The Cross of Lead, the novel both classes are currently reading.   Your homework for Friday, 27 March is to have read up to chapter 32 in the book and to have placed at least 3 sticky notes on sections of the book that interest you.

Take care ’til then.

- Mr. Holbrook