Monday, November 24, 2014

Serial in School - Episode 2



Class started with a review of the case facts. We covered suspects and witnesses. We also discussed Sarah Koenig's interpretation of the evidence, and how we must be on the lookout for bias. Many of the students referenced Koenig's description of Adnan's "dairy cow" brown eyes during this discussion.

Then we listened to Episode 2. There was much giggling during the reading of Hae's diary. This again highlights how accessible this story is to today's high schoolers. They understand Hae. They understand Adnan. They understand the hot and cold of teenage love.

Following Episode 2, student took a listening quiz. To answer the questions, students started with a position statement and then backed that up with evidence. The quiz was open notes. I created the quiz in a Google Form and set the character minimum to 200 to encourage students to write more than one sentence answers. Overall, the students did well and I was encouraged to see no "I think" or "I feel" answers. All answers were solidly based on fact.

To close out the class, I again polled students on Adnan's guilt. It's interesting to note the swing. For my 7th period class who was solidly in the "no" camp after episode 1, 9 people jumped into the "maybe" camp and 2 people moved into the "yes" camp. On the other hand, 8th period felt like Episode 2 solidified Adnan's innocence, and more moved into the "no" camp.

Of note: Students came into class excited to listen to the next episode. They were brimming with questions and suspicions. During class, students continued to fill out their case logs. One student took over four pages of notes. I couldn't have designed a higher-interest unit for this quarter.

Student theories: So far, most believe that Jay was involved in some sort of cover-up.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Serial in School - Episode 1

Serial Bulletin Board - we will be adding much, much more here.
Class started with me asking students to remember where there were and what they were doing a week ago. A few people could give details, but not many. Then we went back six weeks. The details were even sketchier. Those who could describe their activities mirrored Sarah Koenig's observation that major events can help anchor the mundane.

Interest levels were high when I introduced the unit. None of the students were aware of the podcast, but they were drawn in by the accessible nature of the story. 

I paired students up in teams with a shared Google Doc to use as a Case Log. Students took notes while listening to the first episode.

My favorite moment in class was near the beginning of the podcast when the details of the case were plainly laid out. The closing statements of the prosecution included something to the fact that Adnan was obviously guilty because he was leading a duplicitous life - acting as a different person at home than at school. Several of my students raised both their hands in shock and yelled out, "By that logic, we'd all be guilty of murder!" They get it. 

My plan is to poll the students at the end of each class. Yesterday, one class believed entirely in Adnan's innocence. 

Is Adnan guilty?
Another class had a mixed reaction, with many of them in the "maybe" category. They found Asia Mcclain's story fishy. One student commented that he thought Asia redacted her initial statement because the real killer started threatening her. 

I've had some people ask how this unit fits into an academic setting. Last week, I was looking through the Common Core standards to see how well I was aligning (we are not required at my school). So many of the recommendations for 10th grade social studies will be covered in this unit - everything from analyzing non-fiction, building arguments with credible evidence, and unearthing bias. Slam dunk. 

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Serial Unit


Over the course of the next few weeks, my college prep History students will be listening to Serial, the podcast that has swept the nation. We will be analyzing documents, discussing bias, and honing debate skills. I plan for this unit to heavily feature discussion and writing as students learn to back up their opinions with hard evidence. Students will keep a case log as we listen to the story, adding their own thoughts as we unpack the crime drama. I plan to daily poll the students to see if they have changed their initial thoughts on Adnan Syed's guilt or innocence. 

If you're not familiar with Serial - stop. Go listen! Sarah Koenig has ignited the podcast world with brilliant storytelling that episodically investigates a murder mystery from 1999.