Title: Thinking About Thinking Forum
Course: BC - English 8 - 2.0.0.0 > Section: Unit 2: The Outsiders

To help practice your metacognition (thinking about thinking), you will participate in an online forum with your classmates. Your job is to reflect on and write about ways that your thinking has changed through reading The Outsiders.

Create a new forum post. Begin your first sentence with the words, “I used to think…” Fill in the blank with something that you used to think before you started reading The Outsiders. Then write a sentence beginning with the words, “Now I think…” Write down something that has changed about your thinking.

Use the rest of your post to explain how your thinking changed. What happened in the novel that helped you see things in a new way? What did you read, see, or experience that shaped your thinking?

Possible topics for reflection may include loyalty, friendship, heroism, poverty, social classes, or violence. There are many other possible topics too, so write about whatever is most meaningful to you.

After you have posted your own thoughts, read through at least five of your classmates’ posts and reply to at least two posts with an additional thought or two. You only need to write one or two sentences in each reply.

Forum Rubric

 | Not Complete | Emerging | Developing | Proficient | Extending
 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
Evidence of metacognition | Not complete | My original post showed that I was unable to reflect on how my thinking has changed. I was unable to express my thoughts. I did not reply to my classmates. | My original post and my replies show that I was somewhat able to reflect on how my thinking has changed. It was difficult for me to express my thoughts. | My original post and my replies show that I was able to reflect on how my thinking has changed in a meaningful way. I was able to express my thoughts. | My original post and my replies show that I was able to reflect on how my thinking has changed in a deep way. I was able to express my thoughts clearly.