Sunday, December 21, 2014

Dickens Day Comes to South LA!

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!









Saturday, December 20, 2014

The Great Dickensian Scavenger Hunt!

On Dicken's Day at Foshay I had the wonderful pleasure of leading the Dickensian Scavenger Hunt with my fellow classmates. Our activity brought the Victorian Era to life as the students went on a hunt for items that symbolized the decaying life of nature and the uprising machinery of industrialization. Our activity was also engaging as the students reenacted characters like Jonas Chuzzlewit or Mr. Pecksniff from our current novel: Martin Chuzzlewit. 


It was a rewarding and thrilling experience to see how the student grew curious about the nineteenth-century. At the end of our scavenger hunt the students participated in a minor Q&A session where they were able to understand and receive a greater insight of how this urban civilization was growing macabre. One of my favorite experiences with the students was when they brought up their own examples to explain Jonas' paranoia. For instance, they mentioned how it was like cheating on a test and fearing the teacher would find out through their score. The teacher wouldn't have known if the student hadn't reacted in such suspicious manners. Overall, the students worked hard at completing the scavenger hunt and ended their time at our headquarters smiling with their tea and dessert treats.