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Annette Spahr

Upper School English teacher; English Department Chair
Harrisburg Academy
Middle School (13 to 15 years old), High School (16 to 18 years old)
Teacher/Educator
Language Arts And English :

As a Harrisburg Academy Upper School teacher, I interact daily with 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students - some who were born and raised in central Pennsylvania, and many others who have come to our school from China, Spain, Finland, South Korea, and Germany to receive their IB (International Baccalaureate) degree. I currently teach 10th grade American Literature, and 11th & 12th Grade IB Higher Level Literature. I currently live in a small Central Pennsylvania town with my husband, and I'm missing my three kids terribly as I have officially become an "empty nester" - sending my youngest to college this year. I love to read (naturally!), visit museums with my daughter who has lived in Washington D.C. and now resides in Philadelphia, as well as spend my time swimming, hiking, and taking an endless number of photographs. Currently my husband and I are jointly renovating our fourth "wreck" - this time with the goal to rent the property out....right now it's a disaster! But it's a great opportunity to work on a goal together.

Annette Spahr's collections

 

"A Doll's House" - Wrap Up Lesson: Beauty/Truth/Revealing/and Concealing: Adding complexity to a literary analysis #SAAMTeach

<p>While this lesson revolves around Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House," it can be used in conjunction with any work of literature featuring strong characters - the type who generate potentially negative reactions among students, such as: "I hate him... There's nothing good about ______....he's the villain... she's the hero, etc." The lesson is designed to push students out of their comfort zone, give themselves permission to speculate and entertain a variety of viewpoints, and as a means to step away from the literature they just read, then step back in with perhaps a more open-minded approach.</p> <p>This is a discussion-heavy lesson, requiring some patience on the part of the teacher not to jump in and fill in the gaps. But after completing it the first, second, and then third time, I could definitely sense the students were now more apt to be "risk takers" and more "open minded" with their interpretations and insight.</p> <p>Step by step instructions follow in the "Notes to Other Users" section. #SAAMTeach</p>
Annette Spahr
8
 

American Short Stories Preview (#SAAMteach)

<p>The following paintings will be used to preview a variety of selections within a "Great American Short Stories" collection. The first painting is used as a warm up activity and an introduction to the See/ Think/ Wonder strategy. We will begin as an entire class tackling this painting. Next, students will be divided into small groups, provided with a printed version of the painting, but no title, etc. They will together, create a "See/Think/Wonder." Each painting will then be shown  on the smart board, as the students share their discussion points. The class as a whole will then weigh in on the question/prediction: How do you think this painting represents a number of the ideas, story lines, themes, etc. featured in the stories you read over the summer? This is not intended to be a thorough review of the stories, but rather, prompt discussions to preview the larger unit.  As we conclude the discussion, the categories of <strong> Place, Identity</strong>, and <strong>Conflict</strong> will be introduced - - noting how these paintings embody such topics in a variety of ways. This discussion then will also serve as an introduction to the entire course - identified for students as "Conflict and Conscience in American Literature."</p> <p>For your additional information, the first eight stories featured in our collection include:<br></p> <p>Rip Van Winkle (Washington Irving)</p> <p>Young Goodman Brown (Nathaniel Hawthorne)</p> <p>Tell Tale Heart (Edgar Allan Poe)</p> <p>Ghost in the Mill (Harriet Beecher Stowe)<br></p> <p>Cannibalism in the Cars (Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain)</p> <p>A White Heron (Sarah Orne Jewett)</p> <p>An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (Ambrose Bierce)</p> <p>Hills Like White Elephants (Ernest Hemingway)</p> <p>There are a wide variety of additional stories the students will study following these initial eight - highlighting the breadth and diversity of American literature across race, culture, geography, background, and socio-economic differences. </p> <p>#SAAMteach<br></p>
Annette Spahr
11
 

Emily Dickinson

<p>Images to use as a discussion launch before each selected poem, addressing elements related to the creation of mood, atmosphere, and sensory imagery (among other topics). #SAAMteach</p>
Annette Spahr
4
 

Frankenstein - Artistic Interpretation Written Response

<p><strong>Some “artistic” food for thought...</strong><br /></p> <p>“There can be different, competing, and contradictory interpretations of the same artwork. An artwork is not necessarily about what the artist wanted it to be about.” – Terry Barrett, <em>Criticizing Art: Understanding the Contemporary</em></p> <p>“Our interest in the painting grows only when we forget its title and take an interest in the things that it does not mention…” – Françoise Barbe-Gall, <em>How to Look at a Painting</em></p> <p>Directions: </p> <p>Please see attached Google Doc for complete assignment directions.</p> <p> #SAAMteach</p>
Annette Spahr
10
 

From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

<p>This collection has two components: </p> <p>1. Artists from the Italian Renaissance period are featured, providing an opportunity to introduce students to some of the artists mentioned in the novel and featured in an area of the museum where Claudia and Jamie are hiding out. </p> <p>2. "Angels" as portrayed by a number of artists are featured, to encourage a discussion regarding how we are drawn to the subject, inspired to create works with Angels as a focal point; this an opportunity to discuss Claudia's attraction to "Angel" the statue the children believe may have been created by Michelangelo.</p> <p>#SAAMteach</p>
Annette Spahr
10
 

Mark Twain and Reconstruction

<p>As he traveled the South, post reconstruction, while researching "Life on the Mississippi," Mark Twain was appalled by what he saw as the failure of reconstruction. This collection will help share some of the "alternative facts" Twain faced as he harshly critiqued the south. Additionally, this collection will share some of the images that forced America to confront the "South's peculiar institution" and its lingering effects. #SAAMteach</p>
Annette Spahr
7
 

Personal Essays & Self Portraiture: "The more you look, the more you see." - Student Version - (#SAAMTeach)

<p><strong>Text below, from The National Portrait Gallery: "Eye to I: Self Portraits from 1900 to Today."</strong></p> <p>#SAAMTeach</p> <p>Drawing from the National Portrait Gallery’s vast collection of self-portraits, this exhibition explores and thinks critically about how American artists have chosen to portray themselves over the past two centuries. Individuals featured in <em>Eye to I</em> have approached self-portraiture at various points in history, under unique circumstances, and using different tools, but their representations—especially when seen together—all raise important questions about self-perception and self-reflection. Some artists reveal intimate details of their inner lives through self-portraiture, while others use the genre to obfuscate their true selves or invent alter egos. Are we seeing mirror images? Or, are these portrayals refractions of modern identity that reveal artistry rather than personality?</p> <p>As we are confronted each day with “selfies” via social media, and as we continue to explore the fluidity of contemporary identity, this is an opportune time to reassess the significance of self-portraiture in relation to our country’s history. </p> <p><a href="https://www.si.edu/exhibitions/eye-i-self-portraits-1900-today-event-event-exhib-6263">https://www.si.edu/exhibitions...</a></p> <p></p> <p></p>
Annette Spahr
26
 

Revolutionary War Literature/Rhetorical Analysis Unit

<p>This collection is intended to launch a study of American Revolutionary War era speeches and famous documents.. Students will examine a set of 1860s era renderings of the major events of the American Revolution and consider what story these images were intended to tell about the creation of America. </p>
Annette Spahr
3