What social hierarchies do we see in the opening chapters of the novel? Are they presented as rational, arbitrary, common sense? Is there a connection between the youth hierarchies and the class system in Black Swan Green?

Why does Mitchell choose to have a narrator who stammers? (HINT: the answer is NOT NOT NOT about whether or not Mitchell himself has/had a speech impediment!) Focus on questions of what themes this trait might help Mitchell to explore: what are the affordances of this detail as a narrative tool? Again, feel free to quote the novel!

Find a passage of 1-2 sentences  that shows the voice of Mictchell’s narrator, and transcribe it here. Write a few sentences of your own about what features of that voice make it distinctive: what speech patterns, vocabulary choices, etc. do you notice?

(You are free to close read someone else’s quotation as well!)

I mentioned Pulp’s era-defining song “Common People” in class yesterday and invite you to have a look/listen here (sorry for the ad). The lyrics speak to economic inequality:

(credit)

PRINCIPLES:

• Learning takes sustained effort, which leads to improvement
• We should try hard things
• We need to use effective learning strategies and switch strategies when needed
• We must seek help when needed

IMPLICATIONS:

• Preparation is key
• I will offer critical, encouraging feedback
• We will work together!

• SOURCES: Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and Eskolta School Research and Design Motivate Lab

Transcript here: https://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/102777