Treehouse Talks 3.0

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The Seven Moons Podcast– A Deep Dive into the 2022 Booker Prize Winner and Why it Won

In this podcast, we (Emily, Nate, Kira, Anna, Michelle, and Sara) discuss different takeaways and aspects of the first part of the novel The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. This is critical to understanding why this book won the Booker Prize and how its complex and radical format mesh into a captivating and insightful plot that forces great reflection among the reader. Along with our podcast, we have a short infographic that is a quick visual summary of what each person/group is discussing in case you are short on time. We hope this conveys the many different themes and realizations we have already encountered and how they apply to society today. Thank you and if you want to find more info about our work, go to pbl_facilitator on Instagram:)

Posted in #PBL #StudentCentered, 2022 Booker Prize Short List, DeepDive, Lit Circles, Podcast, Reflection | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Magic of The Donkey Stone: How Can We Appreciate the Fantastical Aspects of Alan Garners, Treacle Walker?

“Ragabone! Ragabone! Any rags! Pots for rags! Donkey Stone!”

Our Litcircle dissected this important line, in our most recent Twitter post. The donkey stone is the largest aspect of magic in Treacle Walker. Within the novel, the protagonist Joe is gifted a donkey stone by Treacle Walker in exchange for rags. Joe is then taken on a magic filled adventure, dealing with the return of his vision, and the concept of living without the constrains of time. We wanted to call attention to how the donkey stone had an immense impact on the fantastical nature of the text. So, to answer the question asked in the title of this post, readers can appreciate the fantastical aspects by understanding the importance of the donkey stone, and checking out our Twitter post!

One response to “The Magic of The Donkey Stone: How Can We Appreciate the Fantastical Aspects of Alan Garners, Treacle Walker?”

  1. emiliaboino Avatar
    emiliaboino

    I love how you explored the idea or notion that perhaps the stone did not have any real power, but rather the power of connection and the power of believing can be just as magical as a magical stone. It’s almost as if the placebo affect is at play, where Joe can see more than he ever thought he could because he believes more in himself than he did before.

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Posted in #PBL #StudentCentered, booker prize, English IV Honors, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

PBL Instagram Tutorial – Austin, Katie, Luna

This is our tutorial to guide you into creating a PBL cake (with just the right amount of frosting). The ultimate goal is to get engagement from the author! Have fun with your content and make sure to include the SEL lens so that you can also include Marc Brackett into the conversation. Happy PBL!

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vTxDEXtSVQL8n6XV_90R5jasqhrzIjJux6YXpbwJXGN1tNhAKT5lgRyw_k9ON5LbP8pgsKDQ0-t1rPU/pub?start=true&loop=true&delayms=3000
Posted in #PBL #StudentCentered, 2022 Booker Prize Short List, English IV Honors | Leave a comment

Small Things Like These: An Untold Story

Small Things Like These- Will, Connor, Juana 

Claire Keegan’s novel Small Things Like These honors the unsung history of Ireland’s “fallen women.” Beyond being a riveting, heartwarming story, it is a glimpse into the darkness that litters humanity. The Magdalene Laundries of Ireland sold the babies of single mothers and worked the mothers to the bone. This story does not disappoint as we look into the mind and soul of Bill Furlong, a married man and father of five daughters who is the son of a single mother himself.  

#hardhistory #irish #smallthingslikethese #litcircles #BookerPrize

Posted in 2022 Booker Prize Short List, AP Mindset, Lit Circles, Literature Circles aka #litcircles | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Oh William! E Period’s SEL Approach to Analyzing Literature

“She loved me, my daughter! Even knowing this, I was surprised. In truth, I was amazed.” 

Discussing Oh William!, Elizabeth Strout writes Lucy Barton as an individual scarred by her parental relationships as a child. As a result, she struggles with her future relationships and marriages in which she is unhealthily attached to emotionally unavailable people that are unable to meet her needs. However, through her daughter, Lucy is slowly able to learn the foundations of a secure and healthy relationship– one that is unconditional and deserving of her time and effort. 

These infographics illustrate a helpful guide to healthy relationships that Lucy could utilize; while also showing a satirical juxtaposition to her behavior and ideals of love in the novel.

The RULER analysis is used to break down Lucy’s behavior and shortcomings as an emotional scientist. 

Posted in #CASEL, #PennPBL, 2022 Booker Prize Short List, 21st Century Learning, 21st Century Skills, Literature Circles aka #litcircles, Social-Emotional Learning | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Nuanced Death in Shakespeare—Treehouse Talks #2

Shakespeare was a man who wrote about complex and controversial topics for his time. At times he subtly delved into the discrimination of women and racial minorities. In this podcast we discuss the nuance in Shakespeare’s writing—and how he critiques society through it.

Posted in #PBL #StudentCentered, Collaboration, English IV Honors, Injustice, Podcast, Shakespeare, Shakespeare Podcast #PBL | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What is Love?

In order to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and how it translates into modern day depictions of love and the accuracy of this renowned love story, we decided to interview Ms. Rawlings D Period AP Literature class and comment on some of their opinions. The questions we ask are as follows: What is your definition of love? Is Romeo and Juliet an accurate depiction of love? What book, show, or movie do you feel is a better depiction of love? Is it ok to betray the person you love for greatness? Listen as we unpack how elements of forbidden love, obsession, loyalty, devotion, and misogyny are seen through 21st century and Shakespearean love alike.  

Posted in #PBL #StudentCentered, LoveInLiterature, Shakespeare, Shakespeare Podcast #PBL | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Examining Hamlet to recognize Mental Health– Then & Now

Through both medias, our Hamlet comic and our podcast, Anna, Emilia, and I (Kira) explore different perspectives of Hamlet in modern times. Our comic strip is a modern twist of a scene from Hamlet and exemplifies the weight of social media in today’s world. Our podcast dives into the implications of social media on mental health and ties into the CASEL principles of addressing social and emotional learning. We hope that through our projects we can shine a light on modern issues in the way we communicate today. Here is a link to the CASEL website for more information: https://casel.org/

Thank you and enjoy:)

Posted in #CASEL, Mental Health, Podcast, Shakespeare, Social-Emotional Learning | 1 Comment

Oh William, Elizabeth Strout Podcast, Sullivan E Period

“I would like to say a few things about my first husband, William.”

Protagonist and narrator Lucy Barton commencing her story with this casual claim about what’s to come sets the tone for a stream-of-consciousness type of intimate novel.

Posted in #PBL #StudentCentered | Tagged , , | Leave a comment