Open Mike
Prep Week Remember: the primary goal of our Open Mike sessions is the same as the Open Mike sessions in the book, Bronx Masquerade: to allow you to share a piece of yourself with your classmates for creative expression and – perhaps - deeper understanding.
The work completed this week will provide the basis for your Open Mike performance, so please use your time wisely.
♥ Our Open Mike presentations will occur in consecutive class periods instead of on Fridays like in the book. Open Mike presentations will be during the last full week of classes in April.
♥ Open Mike performances are mandatory and will be scheduled. (*If students are absent on their assigned day, they will perform on the class day of their return.)
♥ Some of the content of the performances will vary, but certain aspects are required (length of the performance is a minimum of 2 minutes, mandalas must be incorporated, voices should be clearly heard, etc.).
♥ All items for your presentation (poems, mandala, prompt responses) are due on: Monday, April 23rd for 2nd, 3rd, and 5th periods Tuesday, April 24th for 4th period en Mike sessions is the same as the Open Mike sessions in the book, Bronx Masquerade: to allow you to share a piece of yourself with your classmates for creative expression and – perhaps - deeper understanding.
♥ You are required to turn in responses to the questions in the categories below.
1. Name:
- What is the meaning of your first and middle names? Nicknames?
- Are there stories behind how you received these names?
- Is there a specific tie to your family heritage or history that your name reflects?
- What are the names of the primary adult figures in your life (parents, grandparents, guardians, etc.)?
Chat with the adults in your family to gather information.
Also, use the links below for further research. Check with Ms. Roberts FIRST before moving on to a free web search to find more information.
Resources:
Ancestor Search (surname - last name - research). This site is free, but is connected to other sites that might not be. You don't need to pay to locate this information. Check with Ms. Harris if you get stuck.
Behind the Name Info on just about every name you can think of. This is a great place to start.
Also, check the library catalog for books on the origins of names.
2. Family:
- How many people are in your immediate family?
- Is most of your family in Washington or elsewhere?
- Have you always lived in Washington?
- What is your favorite family tradition? (Often family traditions are linked to holiday celebrations, but that is not always the case.)
- What is your favorite memory from your childhood?
Chat with the adults in your family to gather information. Also, use the links provided below. Check with Ms. Roberts FIRST before moving on to a free web search to find more information.
Resources
ASK A FAMILY MEMBER FIRST. (Remember, an INTERVIEW is an option as well). Begin at home. Ask family members for information about your family history, traditions, etc. Once you have some great ideas, use some of the databases we use for history and culture research to find out more:
Also, check the Library Catalog!
3. Totems & Symbols:
- What is a totem?
- If you have a totem already, what is it? If you don’t, what totem do you think would best represent you?
- What totem do you think would best represent your family?
- For Chinese and western astrology, what are some of the different symbols with which you are connected? (These are connected to your birth date.)
- Do these symbols accurately reflect elements of your personality?
- What are some other symbols that reflect you, your personality, and things going on in your life? (For example: if you were an animal, what animal would you be? What fruit, song, place, or other inanimate object would you be? Etc.)
Chat with the adults in your family to gather information. Also, use the links below. Check with Ms. Roberts FIRST before moving on to a free web search to find more information.
Resources
Northwest Totem Symbols From the Manataka American Indian Council, scroll down for a list of totems and their meanings.
What's your sign has lots of information on the meaning of symbols, including mandalas, totems, astrological signs, cultural symbols and more.
eLibrary and Britannica Online will also have information on specific astrological signs.
and..wait for it....check the LIBRARY CATALOG. :)
♥ Mandalas:
More information on mandalas is included in your assignment packet. PLEASE read it and follow the directions. The mandala is a key piece to your presentation. You are required to explain the mandala after you present your poem and hang it for display. (Therefore, it is important to remember that the mandala - which should NOT be bigger than a piece of poster board – should be hangable.)
♥ Poems:
NOTE: More information on poems can be found in your assignment packet. You will create drafts of three (3) separate poems during this prep week based on any of the prompts given. You will present ONE of them. At least one of the poems needs to be a pantoum*. The other two poems that you create can be in any format that you like (rhyming, free verse, metaphorical, concrete, pantoum, etc.) EXCEPT a list poem.
Poems must meet the following requirements.
1. The poem must be an original piece of work written by and about you for this project using the prompts given.
2. It must be at least 150 words long, but can be broken into as many stanzas as you like. (How can you check the word count? In TApps or in Microsoft Word, highlight your text, click on Tools, then click on Word Count.)
3. Poems should be turned in both electronic AND paper format.
♥ Additional Items:
If music, costume, and/or props would make your performance stronger, please consider their additions. These items, however, are not required.