DICKENS DAY at South LA!
Foshay Learning Center 12.18.2014
Photos by dickensdayfoshay@blogspot.com Blog Team
View more photos at: DickensDay Foshay Photo Album
On December 18, 2014, the seniors of Ms. Barrios AP English
Literature class, along with partnering Foshay Teachers led activities to
inspire a campus-wide launch of thematic study around Dickens and the 19th
century. 150 Dickensian ambassadors in costume roamed the school with “Ask Me”
buttons on anything from Dicken’s use of the semicolon to the Poor Laws to the
status of women in 19th century England. Students sipped Earl Grey tea and received a
lesson on Tea Etiquette (pinkied down!) at the Grand Victorian Tea Party while
designing “animechanicals”, making chalk skeletons, “tagging” themselves with
Dickensian graffiti and getting 200 students to read Dickens outloud at the
lunchtime quote-a-thon. A London Bridge mosaic mural (a collaborative project
about the symbolic meaning of bridges) was not
falling down while PopArt Galleries went up around campus with student work
based on readings of Martin Chuzzlewit,
A Christmas Carol and A
Tale of Two Cities. A Dickens Victorian basket was raffled and staff,
administrators and parents mingled in general Dickensian good cheer.
USC NAI Theater Workshop joined in the
festivities—reprising our costumes from our 2013 production of A Christmas Carol as they recited famous
lines from this beloved work:
“I will honour
Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the
Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within
me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!”
It was the best of times indeed here in the heart of LA-Thank you to all
who are spearheading this growing appreciation of Dickens’ work and times in
our school.
View our pictures and share this post! Long live the joy
of learning TOGETHER!
PROGRAM
WELCOME
To
DICKENS DAY
Foshay 12.18.2014
About
Dickens Day
Dickens
Day is our contribution to a school wide thematic learning experience,
celebration of the holidays, launch of Dickens and the 19th century
studies in various classrooms and support of Foshay students’ literary
and literal travels to Europe.
About
A Tale of Three Cities
A Tale of Three Cities is a
campus-wide exchange as Foshay travels to different cities through a fun-filled
day and evening of activities, art exhibits, 19th century lessons, Dickensian
discussions, Victorian tea, Parisian culture and Jazz!
AcTIVITIES
The following lessons, activities and projects are based
students’ study 19th century, Dickens, Parisian culture or any combination of
the above. Some are stand alone activities, and others are open to all!
Take a look, get inspired, join us if you can!
Dickens
Day Blog {online}
dickensdayfoshay.blogspot.com
an
online running documentary of our work! Send your pictures and thoughts
about Dickens to our Lead Blogger, Joe
Sanabria <joesanabria18@gmail.com>
Dickensian
Ambassadors {whole
campus}
students
in costume or Dickens-inspired apparel become "teaching" ambassadors
about Dickens' novels, especially Martin Chuzzlewit and A Christmas Carol, his
favorite stylistic techniques and Victorian culture. Spot them and "ask
them" about their topic!
Dickensian
Gingerbread House {miami
room}
an
extravaganza of royal icing and edible architectural design elements, inspired
by Dickensian quotes, techniques, characters or themes. Its a
competition!
Pop
Art Galleries {campus}
spontaneous
displays of student work in their study of the novel, from syntax analysis to
characters visuals, thinking maps to web-quests! Recognize the thinking through
our custom-designed Mr. Pecksniff Logo!
Animated
Dickensian Dialogue {tech room}
a
fun way of bringing Dickens' wit to life using animation skills!
Dickensian
Quote-A-Thon Booth {lunch area }
an
challenge for students to try out Dickensian declamation skills by reciting
famous quotes to their peers (and get an early Christmas candy cane) while
thespians wander reciting famous lines from A Christmas Carol!
The
Luddites! {johnson john}
an
investigation into learn the cost of progress through a documentary screening
and discussion about the Luddites (19th-century English
textile artisans who protested against newly developed labour-replacing
machinery from 1811 to 1817)
From Saartjie Baartman to
Kim K.: The Curious Intersection of Fashion and Racism in Dickens' London
and Beyond
{cheryl gonder}
A
documentary and discussion of costume history and societal values of the
period.
Stay tuned for:
Le Impressionism
Gallery, A Christmas Carol Screening, Scroog'd Screening, Character Analysis, A Tale of Two Cities Response Poems, London-LA
Dystopia-Utopias, American
Notes close reading and Intellectual
At the DICKENS UnLTD
Headquarters
{H14}Students
hosted by invitation only. Staff welcome to come by!
Character
Skeleton
study characters
through syntax: Seth Pecksniff and Ebeneezer Scrooge
\\
\\
Animechanicals
Punk Lab
design an
original steampunk "animechanical"--a combination of animal and
machine
London
Bridge Mosaic
build a symbolic
bridge of learning by making connections to Dickens, and to the idea of
“connection"
Wearable
Graffiti
"tag"
oneself with renegade Dickens inspired sticker graffiti
Great
Dickensian Scavenger Hunt
learn about
Dickens' work through a campus wide search
Grand
Victorian Tea Party
sip a fine cup of
earl grey tea and a Pecksniff Butter Cookie or a Blue Dragon Cupcake--learn
about tea etiquette while studying characters from Dickensian novels)
You
are cordially invited to conclude your evening at the
Paris
Holiday Winter Spectacular Show
&
Art
Exhibit
A
grand finale to a day of fabulous learning! Get your tickets!
Let
the performers of Foshay sweep you into the holidays!
