march 29

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Whoa.  Our last day of March together.  How did you spend the month?  Did your habits and actions get you where you wanted to go over the last four weeks?  If you could do it over again, would you do it the same way or would you change things?

-OR-

Choose your own topic.

AGENDA:
1. Mindfulness (this is up to you today; you can do it together, at the beginning of the period or whenever someone suggests it, or you can do it by yourself, anytime)
2. Journal (happy Friday; please remember to turn in)
3. Answer the questions below on paper and turn them into the sub (you're going to have to manage your time well in order to get all this done by the end of fourth period.  No late work will be accepted. Some of you will have to resist distractions, talking, etc. because the time will go faster than you think. You know who I'm talking to.  Yaxeny.  Luis.  Ricardo.  All of you. :) 

ABOUT THE MONKEY'S PAW:
Please answer the first three questions in one paragraph (3-5 sentences) each.

1. How does the setting set the tone at the beginning of "The Monkey's Paw"?
2. Before Morris (the soldier) mentions the Monkey's Paw, the White family seems happy.  What's the appeal then?  Why wish for wishes when you're already satisfied with your life?  What do you think the author wants the readers to understand about this?  Is this a theme of the story?
3. Morris (the soldier) says that the last person before him to have the Monkey's Paw wished for death.  Is this foreshadowing?  Explain.

Please answer this question in a well-organized essay.  Include your pre-write/outline/notes when you turn in your paper.

• One theme of "The Monkey's Paw" has become associated with a common saying: "Be careful what you wish for."  In the short story "The Monkey's Paw, author W.W. Jacobs uses diction, syntax, figurative language, symbolism, exposition, foreshadowing, plot twists, the supernatural, and a strong sense of tone to establish this theme.  Pick any three of these literary elements and explain how they contribute to your understanding of the central message of the story.

march 28

JOURNAL TOPIC:
What kind of hat suits you best?  Think of all the hats you've ever seen.  Look up "hats" on the internet if you like.  Which hat suits your personality, or the shape of your head, or a group, culture, or lifestyle that you admire?  Please describe your hat in detail and explain why you chose it.

AGENDA:
1. Mindfulness
2. Journal
3. Summarize the story for Ricardo
4. Finish the story
5. Study the story
6. Game the story

march 27

JOURNAL TOPIC:
In "The Monkey's Paw" we discover an artifact that is said to have the power to grant wishes.  In real life, can you think of an object that is "lucky" or believed to have some sort of magic associated with it?  Describe it and explain how it came to be associated with such beliefs.  (Note: If you can't think of something, explain why you believe such "magical thinking" is or is not effective.)

AGENDA:
1. Mindfulness
2. Journal
3. Reading (continued from yesterday)
4. Your digital identity
5. About your Big Questions
6. Our game map & calendar

POSTS:
1. What did you find when you searched for yourself online?  Is it accurate?  Does it reflect your best self?  (title: MY ONLINE ME)

2. What have you done recently about your Big Question?  Do you think of it and/or pursue it when we don't talk about it in class?  Why/why not?  (title: BQ THOUGHTS)

Use the boxes

Use the classroom

Google maps

Use the blogs

Behind the clock

Find the jokers

(Saw video)

"Want to play a game?  Accepting  will put your grade on the line.  Refusing will certainly cause you to fail.  Let's play."

Use the chairs

what the heck does THIS mean?

There's an old saying:

"Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it."

Huh?  Why would I wish for something I don't want?  Please explain this to me in a comment to this post.

please remember our agreement

march 26

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Today's topic comes with a story.  Last Friday Ms. Anderson (my former student and favorite SMJUHSD substitute teacher) dropped by just before class with some food she thought I might like.  I turned it down and asked if I could re-gift it to students.  You should have seen the smile on Ms. Anderson's face when I told her why.  Later we exchanged texts.  Mine's in blue, hers is in gray:

This is a fairly recent thing for me.  For most of my life I put away more than my fair share of burgers, steaks, chicken, ribs, eggs, fish, cheese, butter, etc.  I used to gleefully defend my way of life to my vegan and vegetarian friends.  But over time things have changed.  I've learned a lot more about the subject.  Animals grown for food are often sickly and stuffed with antibiotics.  The way they're raised has a powerfully negative impact on the environment.  They are not the best sources of nutrition, even for protein.  When my cousin had a major heart attack in December, he started eating vegan, and when he told his doctors -- the best cardiologists in San Diego -- they said, "Yup.  Us too."  That was the tipping point for me.

I watch students eat Hot Cheetos and processed meat and drink chocolate milk all day, and I wonder: Why do any of us eat what we eat?  Because it tastes good?  Because we're used to it?  Because it's cheap?  Because of our relationships with the people who make food for us?  Because we don't have enough money or enough freedom to make different choices?  Because it's the best fuel for energy or the healthiest nutrition?

AGENDA:
1. Mindfulness
2. Journal
3. Your next poll winner: "The Monkey's Paw"
4. Reflections on yesterday's experiment
5. Game design: building what we need for next week

POST:
How do we manage the choices in our lives that we can control?  Think back on the last few days: you're in charge of your mind, of how you wake up in the morning, and what you put in your face.  How do your decisions about these things help make you more powerful and successful?  (title: IT'S MY LIFE)

why are the chairs arranged this way?

I didn't have time to plant clues around the room, so I am putting them -- and the solution, and the reason for their existence -- right here on the course blog.  If you find this before the end of Period 3, comment with your answers.  If you get 3 right, you win!  (And that's worth an A.)

1. Who was the main character in Tangerine?
2. Was it Fahrenheit 450, 451, or 452?
3. What was the point of the story "First Love"?
4. How many *Things* are there in Cat in the Hat?
5. What was Montag's wife's name in Fahrenheit 45_?

march 25

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Describe your morning routine.  How do you set yourself up for success each day?  Which ideas did you invent on your own, and which did you get on loan from other people?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Thoughts on our morning routine
3. How to win the games we play

POST:
Describe something you learned about morning routines.  Describe 3 habits or practices that you will start/stop/continue supports your well-being and success.  (title: GOOD MORNING)

PRO TIP:
Want to succeed in Period 3?
Everything is right here on the blog
Check it yourself and see.

senior ditch day

I do not condone missing school or being dishonest.  Everyone who shows up to class today will receive a free gift and a puppy*.

That being said, I understand that some seniors have extracurricular plans for today, and I offer the following ideas in no particular order.  Full disclosure: #3 is my personal favorite.

1. Go to the beach. (You must live near a beach and/or have transportation to aforementioned beach.  Combine this one with #3 and pick up some trash or save a starfish while you're there.)
2. Have a pool party. (You must have a pool, or a friend with a pool, or a strong enough immune system to withstand whatever's floating in the pool at the Y or the public park.  Pro tip: avoid the school pool.)
3. Volunteer.  (Our community needs you.  Read to children or seniors.  Pick up some trash.  Help the homeless.  Do some good in the world.)  
4. Organize a sport.  (It's not like you need less exercise.)
5. Organize a potluck. (After you play you'll be hungry.)
6. Dig a ditch.  (For the literalists who prefer denotation to connotation.)

Whatever you do today, please be safe and mindful.  Come Monday, it will be a true luxury to wake up with the sort of happy memories that don't involve fear, debt, or legal/health problems.

march 22

According to Lao Tzu,  

“If you are depressed you are living in the past.
If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present.”

What can we do in this very moment to forget about the past and future, and focus on this very moment?

AGENDA:
1.  Journal/discussion

welcome

It's a class
It's a game
Whatever you believe
Now that you're here
You can never leave

first glimpse

Describe your favorite restaurant / food / snack

Where are you going to college?

CLUE #1

Introduction: Welcome/want to play a game? (Jigsaw)

Video: link to Instagram account: the game master...

Code

opening ideas

Put letters and numbers under the desks so that students have to arrange.

To make a video with clues, that students find based on the joker idea.

Put clues on the chairs

Use the textbooks

Put the desks in a horseshoe

Put clues all around the classroom

march 21

JOURNAL TOPICS:
Yesterday, after the meeting, I went to a funeral.  I saw many people expressing sympathy and empathy.  Look up both words and explain the difference.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Discussion: what did you play yesterday?
3. Today we build

march 20

***MEETUS INTERRUPTUS***

Unfortunately, the education gods have decreed that I must attend another meeting today.

Please use the journal time to write about the rain.  What is it about rain that affects so many people's moods?  Why do authors use rain to establish setting or tone?  (In your answer, make sure you explain setting and tone. :)

Please use the rest of the period to add notes, posts, and design elements to your blog.  When you're finished (I mean, REALLY finished, like, "Wow, I can't believe I posted all this.  Preston can't help but be impressed. I'm so done that my brain hurts, but in a happy kind of way.") you can play a game.  Yes.  This is the best offer you're ever going to get.  Play a game.  *And be prepared to remember and describe the experience tomorrow.

Tomorrow we will be reviewing your blogs together on the big screen, and we will begin building the Game.

game values

Decisions

Pressure

Fun

Threat

Opportunity

Fear

Thrill

Outsmart

Win

Relief

Competition

[What else can you think of?]

march 19

AGENDA:
1. Finish the movie
2. Journal
3. Discussion
4. Design

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Discuss the following elements of game as you saw them in the movie.  What parts did risk and even danger play in making the adventure interesting?

college admissions scandal

Some of you asked me for more information on this.  You can read about it HERE.

wargames questions

1. What happened at the beginning of the movie that made the Air Force switch to computer generated launching of nuclear missiles?
2. What is the name of the national computer?  What does it "think" about?
3. How does David Lightman get the password to get into the school computer system?
4. How often does the school change their password?
5. What does David Lightman do once he gets into the school's computer?
6. How does David try to get the phone number to ProtoVision?
7. Name some of the places that David's COMPUTER contacts?
8. What type of place did David really log onto since it wasn't Proto Vision?
9. What is a "Back Door"?
10. How did the Falken make his computer better than other types of computers? 
11. What was the password to get into the system?
12. What does the computer thinks it is talking to?
13. What game does David want to play?
14. What happens when David starts to play the game?
15. What happens when David turns off the computer?
16. Who calls David after he gets off the phone with Jennifer?
17. What is the primary goal of the game?
18. What causes the military to go to DEFCON 3?
19. What was the computer's answer when David asked if it was a game or if it was real?
20. How does David get out of the room?
21. How is David able to call Jennifer without any money?
22. What happens at the time of impact?
23. What happens with the launch codes?
24. How do they get back into the system?
25. Name five (5) pieces of technology that are different in today's society.
26. What game was David playing at the video arcade?

march 18

JOURNAL TOPIC:
This morning as I walked onto campus, I talked with a security guard about the book he was reading: Jurassic Park.  He got curious about it years after watching the movie (which was in theaters in 1993).  When I asked him how it compared, he lit up with a huge smile and said, "Man, it's awesome!"  Of all the movies you've seen, which one would you like to read so that you can imagine it for yourself?  Why?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Check in on status from last week
3. Wargames/ watch, learn, and answer questions

march 14-15

JOURNAL:
Are you caught up?  Describe your independent working experience yesterday: How far did you read?  Did you post to your blog?  Did you work with your lit circle?  How did you take advantage of the freedom to choice how you used your time?  What did you learn -- from the book, from your colleagues, and/or from your decisions (that is, what will you continue today and what will you change to achieve your goals)?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Please make sure you've:

• Posted your notes for the 50 greatest games article
• Posted your notes for the ancient board game article
• Posted your analysis of Cat in the Hat
• Posted something that interests you because it's new information, or funny, or got your attention for a different reason (*this is new-- I'm asking about it because some of your blogs are about as interesting as insurance paperwork 😜)
  

POST:
Use your journal as a draft to post on your blog.  Please make sure to proofread-- you can also ask a friend to help double-check your mechanics)-- document your work for yesterday and today.  You can either include your reading notes in this post, or you can publish additional posts for each chapter (title: WHEN THE CAT'S AWAY THE MICE GO TO WORK)

march 13

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Today is my sister's birthday.  Whose birthday(s) do you remember?  Why is this important?  Who remembers your birthday?  How does it make you feel when people remember... or forget?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Essay/ please write a carefully thought-out response to the following prompt:

Compare and contrast the experience of playing a game with answering questions in a textbook or doing a set of problems for homework.  What do the experiences have in common?  How are they different?  Please support your answer with at least three examples from the reading we have done over the past week. 

3. If you have time left over in period 4, you may work on your blog and/or catch up on missing work from this class or another class

5PH1NX

1. Read about it HERE
2. Look up any vocab words you don't know and define them on a piece of paper
3. List any questions you have (about how the game works, or the principles it uses to engage players) on the same paper

march 12

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Imagine: in the next few minutes you will be summoned to the principal's office, where you will be ambushed by a roomful of officials who falsely accuse you of wrongdoing. How do you feel? How will you respond? Explain in detail.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. 5PH1NX
3. Designing for the win (and the week)
4. Next story is...

march 11

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Describe a time that you played a game, and:

• won and felt great
• won and felt awful
• lost and felt great
• lost and felt awful

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Rules of the game: discussion & writing
3. Analyzing Cat in the Hat

ancient board game

Remember how we talked about games as ways to learn about other topics?  Here's one for the history books.  Click THIS LINK for the whole story and comment to this post with your thoughts.

march 8

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Think about Jane McGonigal's comments about the civilization that survived famine and even moved to another country by using games.  Now imagine replacing one of your academic courses with a game.  Which course would you replace?  Science?  Math?  English?  P.E.?  Something else?  What kind of game would you play to learn the subject?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Read THIS ARTICLE and summarize on your blog (title: THE GOAT GAMES) by answering the following questions:

• What do you think of this list?
• What qualities do the greatest games of all time have in common?
• What are your favorite games of all time?

3. Steps to building our game
4. Cat in the Hat & literature analysis

cat in the hat

Directions:
1. Search online and find the complete text of "Cat in the Hat"
2. Copy and paste it into a post for your blog (title: CAT IN THE HAT)
3. Read it and answer the following questions in another post on your blog (CAT IN THE HAT, EXPLAINED)

• What is the theme of "Cat in the Hat"?
• What is the plot of "Cat in the Hat"?
• What is the tone of "Cat in the Hat"?
• Is the cat the protagonist or the antagonist of the story?  Explain your answer.

march 7

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Describe the most fun you ever had playing a game.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. The character poll
3. Jane McGonigal/ how gaming can make a better world



4. Post your McGonigal notes (title: HOW GAMES HELP US)
5. "Cat in the Hat" by Dr. Seuss/ background and research

sphinx quiz

Now that you've taken awesome notes, it's time to use them -- get a perfect score!

Please answer each of the following questions in a complete sentence.

1. What is the Sphinx?
2. When was it built?
3. Where does it stand?
4. What does the ancient Egyptian word "sphinx" mean?
5. What was the Sphinx probably built to honor?
6. Who was Oedipus in Greek mythology?
7. What was unique/weird about Oedipus' relationship with his parents?
8. Who adopted Oedipus?
9. Did Oedipus answer the riddle of the Sphinx?
10. What happened to Oedipus when he died?

march 6

JOURNAL TOPIC:   

This morning I listened to an interview with a man who described his experiences in hang gliding.  Have you ever been tempted to try something that is fun but also considered risky?  For example, if you were invited to go sky diving, would you?  Explain why this sort of thing appeals to you or why you think it's nuts.

AGENDA:

1. Journal

2. The Sphinx

3. Do you want to play a game?

4. (if YES) Serious fun: game research

5. (if NO) Serious other fun: Dr. Seuss

oedipus & the sphinx

Please read THIS ARTICLE and post your reading notes to your blog.

meet the sphinx

The Sphinx.

Who built the Sphinx? The most compelling evidence that the Sphinx was built for the Egyptian Pharaoh Khafre during his reign (2520-2494 BC) is in the architecture, geology, and archaeology of the Sphinx and its related monuments.

The Great Sphinx is a stone monument built about 4000 years ago, in ancient times. It is located on the Giza Plateau in Egypt, where it guards the front of Khafre’s pyramid. It was carved out of limestone with a human face on a lion's body.

The Sphinx looks onto a temple built directly east of the statue. The alignment of the Sphinx Temple probably indicates sun worship.  The ancient Egyptians were sun worshipers. The ancient Egyptian word for sphinx means the "living image of Atum". Atum is the creator god and the setting sun. So the Sphinx was probably built to honor the Egyptian sun god, Ra.

Some archaeologists believe the Sphinx is part of a set of monuments built to create a very special place of worship. These monuments include the Great Pyramid, the Sphinx, the Causeway, and the Valley Temple, all of which can be found on the Giza Plateau.

march 5

JOURNAL TOPIC:
From the California Science Center website: "To celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the discovery of King Tut’s tomb, the California Science Center proudly presents the world premiere of KING TUT: TREASURES OF THE GOLDEN PHARAOH–the largest King Tut exhibition ever toured!

Why do you think the 3300 year-old remains of a boy king still draw sellout crowds around the world today?  What do you know about ancient Egypt?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. "To Build a Fire" wrap-up
3. "To Build a Fire" reading quiz
4. Meet the Sphinx
5. Meet the 5PH1NX

march 4

JOURNAL TOPIC:

What is it about survival stories that make them popular?  Is it inspirational to imagine ourselves thriving in the wild?  Is there something about watching someone else fight for their lives?  What's the appeal?  Please explain. 

AGENDA:

1. Journal

2. Read "To Build a Fire"
3. Take the quiz on the story

POST:

Publish your reading notes on "To Build a Fire".  Highlight anything that: a) strikes you as significant to the theme, plot, tone, or characterizations in the novel; b) exemplifies any of the lit terms you've learned so far; and/or c) is extremely well-written. (title: TO BUILD A FIRE)

quiz: to build a fire

The questions are after the jump (click "Read More" below):

how the CIA approaches problem-solving

The "Phoenix Checklist" is a set of questions developed by the CIA to define and think about a problem, and how to develop a solution.  Here it is:

THE PROBLEM
Why is it necessary to solve the problem?
What benefits will you receive by solving the problem?
What is the unknown?
What is it you don’t yet understand?
What is the information you have?
What isn’t the problem?
Is the information sufficient? Or is it insufficient? Or redundant? Or contradictory?
Should you draw a diagram of the problem? A figure?
Where are the boundaries of the problem?
Can you separate the various parts of the problem? Can you write them down? What are the relationships of the parts of the problem? What are the constants of the problem?
Have you seen this problem before?
Have you seen this problem in a slightly different form? Do you know a related problem?
Try to think of a familiar problem having the same or a similar unknown
Suppose you find a problem related to yours that has already been solved. Can you use it? Can you use its method?
Can you restate your problem? How many different ways can you restate it? More general? More specific? Can the rules be changed?
What are the best, worst and most probable cases you can imagine?
=====
THE PLAN
Can you solve the whole problem? Part of the problem?
What would you like the resolution to be? Can you picture it?
How much of the unknown can you determine?
Can you derive something useful from the information you have?
Have you used all the information?
Have you taken into account all essential notions in the problem?
Can you separate the steps in the problem-solving process? Can you determine the correctness of each step?
What creative thinking techniques can you use to generate ideas? How many different techniques?
Can you see the result? How many different kinds of results can you see?
How many different ways have you tried to solve the problem?
What have others done?
Can you intuit the solution? Can you check the result?
What should be done? How should it be done?
Where should it be done?
When should it be done?
Who should do it?
What do you need to do at this time?
Who will be responsible for what?
Can you use this problem to solve some other problem?
What is the unique set of qualities that makes this problem what it is and none other?
What milestones can best mark your progress?
How will you know when you are successful?

march 1

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Think of a person who is important in your life.  What if you realized this afternoon that you would never get to see or communicate with that person again?  What would you want s/he to know?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Finish "First Love" work on paper and/or on your blog
4. (if time) Revlon work (*if you know what literary technique I'm using here, comment to this post*)