Today the girls came to class prepared to discuss The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind using the notes they had prepared from the questions I gave to them the class before. First period's conversation was great. I told the girls that the conversation exceeded my expectations. I would have liked for there to be more time to talk, because the girls had so much to say. They made many specific references to the text and very little was repetitive. They found William's story inspirational. They gained an appreciation for what they had as far as possessions and the access to education. They questioned the culture and enjoyed learning about a place so different from their home. I asked them how reading a book about Africa differed from their research last year. The story carried much more impact than the research of facts.
Second period had a strong conversation, too. I asked them if they thought the president was corrupt or lacked experience. They thought he was corrupt and shared evidence for the opinion.
Three students in my third period class did not participate. Overall the conversation was not as strong. Many of the girls restated what others had already said. Thinking about what to do to improve whole class discussion in the future, I think I'd like to try something smaller. Maybe work with a poem and continue to let the girls know that I want all to speak. I think I will check in with the three who did not speak, too. Find out what is up with them.
In general I feel like the lesson went well. Third period will need more support and I need to pay closer attention to the individuals. The questions prior to the discussion were helpful and I liked the rubric I used, too. I have not read their responses yet, but I look forward to that.
An FYI on 3rd period - their grades on Absolutely Normal Chaos responses were lower than the other two A day.
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