A collection of handouts, resources, and ideas from various workshops by Jennifer Pust.

Welcome to the Pust Workshops blog! Please email me with ideas, suggestions, activities, and lessons that might go along with the units and workshops presented here...I'm always looking for new ideas!

Friday, February 12, 2010

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING FUNNY: TEACHING SATIRE AND HUMOR

SATIRE UNIT ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
What makes something funny? What devices can artists and authors employ to create humor?
What topics/issues are best broached through humor? Are some topics "off-limits"?
When is satire more effective than a traditional, "straightforward" approach?

Workshop PowerPoint
Humor Devices Bookmark
Understanding Humor Devices PowerPoint
Understanding Humor Devices Cloze Notes


Links to unit texts:
"3' by 4' Plot of Green Space Rejuvenates Neighborhood" from The Onion
"Kitchen-Floor Conflict Intensifies as Rival House Cats Claim Same Empty Bag" from The Onion
"Fall Canceled After 3 Billion Seasons" from The Onion
"Dollar Bill Found on Floor Sends Wall Street into Frenzy" from The Onion
VIDEO: from The Onion News Network: Report: "American Schools Trail Behind World in Aptitude of Child Soldiers"

CAVEAT: The Onion's website specifically states that it is NOT intended for readers under the age of 18. It has amazing articles and resources for satire, but PLEASE examine all items on the page(s) carefully - sometimes profanity lurks in the sidebars, related links, and captions, even if the article or video itself is innocuous.

"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift
"Let's Spread the Fun Around" by Ward Churchill
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Visual satire:
OPTIC analysis sheet
Gin Lane, engraving by William Hogarth
The Marriage Settlement by William Hogarth
Native American sports mascot editorial cartoons: "But I'm Honoring, You, Dude!" and "Which One is the Mascot?"
Norman Rockwell's "Freedom from Want" and the parody, "American Thanksgiving"

Satire Project Scoring Guides
Link to student project on YouTube: "Poor, Poor iPhone: An Elegy"

Independent reading book list
Description of independent reading assignment: Satire Terms Entries
Sample satire terms entry for The Importance of Being Earnest

"Through" Activities for The Importance of Being Earnest:
Epigrams activity
Act I Marriage Quotations activity
Facebook Live News Feed Parody for The Importance of Being Earnest
Facebook Live News Feed Activity directions

Thursday, February 11, 2010

RESEARCH 1-2-3!

Step 1: Source Packets
Students amass packets of information related to their topics: web sources, print sources, experience sources, and annotate each with their thoughts, reactions, questions, and connections.
TIPS: Model annotating with own sources, help students prepare interview questions, show students how to search for videos (Google Videos at school to circumvent YouTube, etc.)

RESOURCES AND HANDOUTS FOR STEP 1: SOURCE PACKETS
ProQuest
OWL at Purdue's 2009 MLA Formatting and Style Guide
UCLA Library Catalog

Handouts:
Source Packet Grading Sheet
Bookmark with Annotation Strategies
Research Argument Paper Steps 1-3
How to Find a Research Topic
Narrowing Topics
Possible Topics for Research Papers
Research Tips
Guidelines for "Experience Sources"
Choosing the Right Research Topic

Step 2: Working Bibliographies
Students complete MLA bibliographies for all of the entries in their source packets. These working bibliographies will give students the chance to practice MLA format and can be pared down later for their Works Cited lists.
Bibliography Pre-test
Activity to introduce why we use MLA Format

RESOURCES AND HANDOUTS FOR STEP 2: WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHIES

KnightCite Online Bibliography Generator
MLA Works Cited Information from DianaHacker.com
In-Text Citation Information from DianaHacker.com
Sample MLA Format Works Cited Page from DianaHacker.com

Handouts:
Bibliography Pre-Test
MLA Format Introductory Activity
Sample Partial Works Cited List
Bibliography Information


Step 3: Using Templates to Draft Papers
Begin by Formulating Research Arguments (prewriting)
Generate Complex Thesis Statements
Body Paragraph Templates: Sample synthesis paragraph, blank synthesis paragraph, sample counterargument paragraph and blank paragraph template
Ideas for conclusions

Final Paper Checklist and Scoring Guide

RESOURCES AND HANDOUTS FOR STEP 3: WRITING THE RESEARCH PAPER

Scoring Guide for Research Paper
Generating Complex Thesis Statements
Formulating a Thesis for Researched Arguments
Writing Hooks and Introductions
Creating Body Paragraphs
Sample Body Paragraph
Creating "Monster" Paragraphs
Blank "Monster" Paragraph Template
Essentials of Synthesis Body Paragraphs
Handling Counterarguments
Essentials of Counterargument Paragraphs
Sample Essentials of Counterargument Paragraphs
How to Handle Conclusions
Exit Slip #1 - Middle of Project
Exit Slip #2 - After Conclusions Lesson

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

CONTACT INFORMATION

Jennifer Pust
English Teacher and English Department Chair
Santa Monica High School
(310) 395-3204 x 270
jpust@smmusd.org