Reading Strategies Ongoing Assignment
Today, we read our personal novels for the first 15-30 minutes of class. I asked students to pay close attention to all of the story elements such as major events, characters speech thoughts and actions, settings, etc.
Then I led the class as they explained to each other in a proudly organized way all of the ins and outs of the reading startegies we started the year with: Prediction, Visualize, Connect, Question, Clarify, Evaluate.
Students were then asked to pick two strategies to complete for the reading they completed in classs today.
For instance, attached are some examples of student work completed.
Kimberly described this next one this way, “I drew it because the whole book is based on the elements: water, fire, wind, spirit, and earth. I drew the moon because most fo the story happens at night.”
I finished Chapter 20 today in Dracula. This book is taking me a very long time to read. I am noticing great differences between the book and the film versions – all of them. The archetype of the vampire created by Stoker is so much more of a natural beast than all the others I have seen. And that without ever seeing the beast himself. All inferences and conclusions I have had to draw based ont he deails and events described in journal entries the whole time I’ve been reading. There is no vampire only feelings and personal conclusions of what must be behind the phenomenon observed, as in the case with Mina describing the fog as it crept toward the building Renfeild was jailed in, “Not a thing seemed to be stirring, but all to be grim and fixed as death or fate; so that a thin streak of whit mist, that crept with almost imperceptible slowness across the grass towards the house, seemed to have a sentience and a vitality of its own.” (Chapter 19 – Mina Harker’s Journal.
I decided to do some research into the history of psychiatric care. Dr Seward is a twisted guy. Here are links I looked at – I have not verified the authenticity of the information offered by this page:
http://www.sntp.net/evolution.htm
Some highlights from the page above include, “EST – Electric Shock
ECT was “discovered” when Ugo Cerletti, psychiatrist, visited a Rome slaughterhouse to see what could be learned from the method that was employed to butcher hogs.” So, EST is linked to a form of butchering? hmmmm. . .
I read a bit of Dracula during class today and yesterday. I feel like the book is dragging on and on. Maybe because I am only reading it in school for fifteen minute blocks of time. I like the story. It’s just that it is moving slowly. Not to mention the fact that I have a lot of experience with so many versions of the story that came from it. I’ve seen all the film adaptations. My favorite portrayal of the count is that played by Gary Oldman – but that may be because he is one of my all-time favorite actors. It all started for me with his role in Rosencrantz and Gildernstern are Dead. Then there is what he was – almost beyond description – in Romeo is Bleeding. My mind jumps to his portrayal of Chief and then Commisioner Gordon in the recetly released Batman films. He is so versatile. There are some connections I made born of the readign I’ve been doing recently.
SOme questions that come to mind, some on and some off the topics specifically in the book Dracula are: Why are the Twilight books so popula? They are so poorly written. What ever happened to character developemnt? Dr Seward is so honestly good at heart, butyet his methods seem bent on torturous investigation. I guess that might be attributed to the way people in his line of work did their work back then. Although Dracula is Science Fiction – some would say fantasy – it is in many respects a good example of historical fiction.