Mentor Binder · Source pages 15–43
WEEKS 1–25
Facilitation notes for every week
WEEKS
Tab 04 / 11 · Facilitation Notes
WEEKS
1–25
Trial Forge through the U8 Tavern: minute-by-minute facilitation for every week of the year.
11 Tabs
START
WHY
MENTORS
WEEKS
CYCLE
UNITS
WORKSHOPS
FINALE
PROTOCOLS
FADE
DICT
WEEKS · opener
Weeks 1–4
WEEK 1 · TRIAL FORGE
Week 1: Trial Forge
SESSION TYPE: TRIAL FORGE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: ALL 3 ACTIVE, FULL DEMONSTRATION
What it is: Students watch mentors debate each other, then are thrown into a mock debate with roles assigned on the spot. The goal is not mastery. It is orientation: they see what the room feels like when it is alive.
Pre-class setup → Appendix
Print 8 Role Cards + 8 Scholar Agreements (signature pages) → Student Handbook
Print 8 Evidence Map templates (Jury use) → Student Binder §9 · Jury Worksheet
Prepare a 600-word mock topic students already know (e.g. “Should high school start later?”)
Bring a timer. Test it. Bring a backup timer.
Arrange chairs in two semicircles facing each other
Prepare 8 blank ballots (scrap paper is fine)
Hand out on arrival
1Role Card (assigned at door, do not let them choose)
2Scholar Agreement (sign after the session, before leaving)
3Evidence Map (jurors only; debaters/researchers get blank paper)
Minute by minute2 MENTORS? A = FORGE COACH + WEAVER · B = TEXT COACH
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:05 | Introduction: “You are not here to learn about debate. You are here to debate.” Set the single rule. | Weaver speaks. Forge Coach sets energy. |
| 0:05–0:20 | Mentor demonstration: Two mentors run the mock topic for 7 minutes, pre-vote, openings, rebuttal, questions, closing, post-vote. Narrate aloud: “I am calling the pre-vote now.” | Forge Coach moderates. Weaver narrates what is happening and why. |
| 0:20–0:25 | Debrief: “What did you notice?” Call on 3 students. Do not explain. Just listen. | Weaver asks. Text Coach notes noticed vs. missed. |
| 0:25–0:30 | Role assignment: Hand out Role Cards randomly. 3 minutes to study. Spot-check: “Moderator, what is your first job?” | Forge Coach assigns. Text Coach circulates. |
| 0:30–0:35 | Mock debate: Students run the same topic. 5 min, abbreviated. Chaotic is fine. | Forge Coach beside moderator w/ whisper-card. Text Coach beside researcher. Weaver watches. |
| 0:35–0:50 | Debrief: “What was harder than it looked?” Call on the student who said the least. | Weaver facilitates. Forge Coach notes confusion. Text Coach notes evidence mistakes. |
| 0:50–0:55 | Scholar Agreement: Hand out, read aloud, students sign. Parents sign before next week. | Weaver reads. Forge Coach collects. |
| 0:55–1:00 | Next-week preview: “You should be through Block 4 of Project Hail Mary. Finish by next week’s Arms Room (Sept 22).” Check that everyone has the reading guide. | Text Coach hands out guide. Forge Coach states deadline. |
WEEKS 1–4 · 10
WEEK 1 · TRIAL FORGE
Weeks 1–4
What to listen for
1Did the moderator call votes without prompting?
2Did jurors ask questions or just sit?
3Did debaters open with claims or with stories?
4Did researchers have anything to pass?
Common failure — a student refuses their assigned roleThe single rule applies. “There are no passengers. Everyone has a job.” If they refuse, bench them for this session but explain that bench prep is still required for Week 2. Do not negotiate roles. The random assignment is part of the design.
Homework to check
Finish Project Hail Mary by next week’s Arms Room (Sept 22). Blocks 1–4 should be done.
Scholar Agreement signed by parent and returned before Week 2.
WEEKS 1–4 · 11
Weeks 1–4
WEEK 2 · ARMS ROOM
Week 2: Unit 1 — Arms Room
SESSION TYPE: ARMS ROOM (INVESTIGATE) · MENTOR VISIBILITY: ALL 3 ACTIVE
Pre-class setup → Appendix
Print the U1 debate questions (Q2 & Q4 priority; Q1 warm-up) → unit materials
Print 8 Evidence Map templates → Student Binder §9 · Jury Worksheet
Have spare reading guides on hand
Prepare the Q2 hook: “Mission Briefing” (1-page declassified brief)
Prepare the Q4 hook: “Volunteer Form” (1-page agreement)
Reading-compliance check: did 6+ students read the assigned chapters? (crisis is fewer than 4, see Protocols)
Minute by minute2 MENTORS? A = FORGE COACH + WEAVER · B = TEXT COACH
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:05 | Reading check: “Stand if you've read through Chapter [X] and the unit's document study.” Count. If <6 stand, assign researcher roles to those current; late readers get jury or bench. A signal, not a penalty. | Forge Coach calls. Text Coach notes who stood. Weaver observes. |
| 0:05–0:25 | Document Study discussion: Mentor leads the U1 close-read questions. Students arrive having pre-read from the Document Study Reader. | Weaver facilitates; Forge Coach times. Keep it inside 20 minutes. |
| 0:25–0:35 | Hook: Run the Q2 or Q4 hook. Students write one sentence. Collect. Read 3 aloud. No discussion yet. | Weaver runs the anchor (Q4) or hook (Q2). Forge Coach times. |
| 0:35–0:55 | Evidence Forge: Quote mining, argument construction. Language is martial: “your blade” (opening), “your shield” (counter), “your range” (gaps). | Text Coach circulates; spot-checks one pair live. Forge Coach manages energy. |
| 0:55–1:00 | Break | |
| 1:00–1:10 | Argument Sharpen: Pair check. “Does your impact follow from your evidence, or are you just restating your claim?” | Text Coach spot-checks. Weaver listens for quality. |
| 1:10–1:20 | Role assignment for the Forge. Moderator tests timer. | Forge Coach assigns. No reference to prior history. Fresh start. |
| 1:20–1:25 | Role preview: What does this role require? Announce upcoming debate roles. | Forge Coach narrates. Students ask procedural questions. |
| 1:25–1:30 | Prep deadline stated in days and hours. No exceptions. | Forge Coach: “Your evidence packet is due [day] at [time].” |
WEEKS 1–4 · 12
WEEK 2 · ARMS ROOM
Weeks 1–4
What to listen for
1Are students mining quotes from the text, or making them up?
2Are they identifying counterarguments, or just restating their own claim louder?
3Is anyone pairing with the same person every time? (Mix them next unit.)
Common failure — the evidence forge is quiet, students are stuckText Coach intervenes with one pair: “Show me the strongest quote you found. Now show me why the other side would disagree.” Do this once, out loud, for the room to overhear. Then circulate. Do not intervene with every pair.
Homework to check
Reading: Day 2–3 of Project Hail Mary (see reading guide).
Researchers: evidence packet due 48 hours before the Forge.
Jurors: Evidence Map due 48 hours before the Forge.
Bench: backup opening arguments due 48 hours before the Forge.
WEEKS 1–4 · 13
Weeks 1–4
WEEK 3 · THE FORGE
Week 3: Unit 1 — The Forge
SESSION TYPE: FORGE (DEBATE) · FORGE COACH MODERATES AND NARRATES EVERY MOVE
Pre-class setup
Confirm prep deadline was met. Forge Coach checks packets.
Moderator has timer. Test it.
Jurors have ballots.
Weaver has logbook for the Forge Record.
Print extra Evidence Maps for absent jurors. → Student Binder §9 · Jury Worksheet
Minute by minute2 MENTORS? A = FORGE COACH + WEAVER · B = TEXT COACH
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:05 | Arrival. Evidence packets out. Prep deadline confirmed. | Forge Coach: nod or stare. Text Coach reviews packets quickly. |
| 0:05–0:15 | Hook: Q2 or Q4 (the one not used in the Arms Room). Students write. Collect. | Weaver runs. Forge Coach observes student energy. |
| 0:15–0:25 | Pre-debate. Moderator checks timer, reads stakes. | Forge Coach beside moderator. Whisper-card ready. Narrates aloud for the room. |
| 0:25–0:30 | Break | |
| 0:30–1:05 | Oxford Debate: Pre-vote → Openings → Rebuttals → Closings → Jury questions → Post-vote. 35 minutes, each debater speaks twice. This is the canonical Role-Cards flow, run it exactly. Ballots pass to the moderator at post-vote. | Forge Coach monitors clock, not content. Text Coach fact-checks only if a source is clearly fabricated. Weaver watches room dynamics. |
| 1:05–1:20 | Forge Reflection: Moderator tallies and announces once: “X minds changed. That is the point.” No public scoreboard. Then every role writes a short analytical reflection (Mod: turning point? Debater: what argument stuck? Jury: what moved me?). Goes in the Forge Journal: Anvil fuel. Distinct from the Story Layer. Moderator + jurors hand the tally sheet and reflections to the Weaver before this block ends. | Forge Coach or moderator announces once. Weaver reminds students to keep their reflection; Text Coach circulates if stuck. Weaver collects tally sheet + reflections. |
| 1:20–1:30 | The Reveal: Weaver reads one anonymized line from the written reflections aloud. “Someone changed their mind. That is the point.” | Weaver reads. No commentary. Let the room sit with it. |
| 1:30–1:40 | “Hold the Tension” minute: Weaver asks: “What did the winning side leave out?” One minute. Noted in the Forge Journal, not the Record. | Weaver asks. 60 seconds. No scoring. Just noticing. |
WEEKS 1–4 · 14
WEEK 3 · THE FORGE
Weeks 1–4
What to listen for
1Did the moderator manage time, or lose control?
2Did debaters address the strongest counterargument first?
3Did jurors ask text-based questions, or emotional ones?
4Did the room shift? If not, why not?
Common failure — the debate dies at minute 12Check in this order: timer (does the moderator know where they are?), stakes (did the hook make the question feel real?), moderator confidence (calling jurors by name?), debater prep (do they have text evidence?). Fix the nearest problem. If all four are fine, let the room die for 30 seconds. Silence is teaching.
Common failure — the room gets personal or angryForge Coach pauses, re-reads the exact question aloud. Precision cools emotion. If it continues, call a 2-minute break. Do not mediate the argument, the format mediates it.
Homework to check
Forge Reflection kept in the Forge Journal (analytical, about the argument).
Reading: Day 4–5 of Project Hail Mary.
WEEKS 1–4 · 15
Weeks 1–4
WEEK 4 · THE TAVERN
Week 4: Unit 1 — The Tavern
SESSION TYPE: TAVERN (BRIDGE) · WEAVER RUNS · FORGE COACH OBSERVES · TEXT COACH TEACHES SKILL
Pre-class setup
Forge Record updated with U1 roles, votes, shifts
Skill Layer prepared: one explicit skill to teach
U1 Story Layer prompt ready (Weaver's prompt)
Celebration prepared: which name, which reason
U2 reading guide (Little Women) ready to distribute
Minute by minute2 MENTORS? A = FORGE COACH + WEAVER · B = TEXT COACH
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:10 | Arrival & Retro: “What worked? What faltered?” Call on the student who spoke least during the Forge. | Weaver facilitates. Forge Coach notes wins/failures. Text Coach notes evidence mistakes. |
| 0:10–0:30 | Skill Layer: Text Coach teaches one skill using the debate as context, e.g. “Here's how to answer a counterargument: [technique].” | Text Coach teaches. Weaver and Forge Coach observe. |
| 0:30–0:35 | Break | |
| 0:35–1:00 | Story Forge: Weaver runs the Story Layer prompt, “It's 5 years from now, who have you become because of what you argued?” Identity, not argument. Do not let it echo the Forge Reflection. | Weaver runs. Do not write for them. |
| 1:00–1:15 | Reading Pipeline: “Where is everyone in the next book? You need to be [X]% done by Friday.” | Forge Coach holds the line. Text Coach answers reading-guide questions. |
| 1:15–1:20 | Celebration: One public recognition. Name + reason. No grades, just names. | Forge Coach or Weaver announces. Specific, not generic. |
Watch for
· Are students citing themselves (“I argued…”) or the text? The Story Layer is about them.
· Is anyone following a template (“I became more disciplined”)? Ask what it looked like in their actual life.
Homework to check
U2 reading begins tonight: Little Women, Day 1
Story Layer paragraph submitted (1 paragraph, Unit 1)
Common failure — the Story Layer is genericWeaver interrupts: “Stop. Go back to the debate. What did you actually say? What quote did you use? Now: what did that make you think about yourself?” Anchor every abstract claim to a specific debate moment.
WEEKS 1–4 · 16
Week 5
WEEK 5 · ARMS ROOM
Week 5: U2 — Arms Room
SESSION TYPE: INVESTIGATE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: HANDOFF — FORGE COACH BESIDE MODERATOR, WHISPER-CARD
Pre-class setup
Confirm reading guide Day 1–2 (Ch. I–XXI: "The Ambition" + "The Cost") was due tonight.
Prepare Q2 hook materials: one slip of paper per student.
Print Evidence Map templates and extra blank ballots.
Have Q2 debate text ready to display or read aloud.
Confirm the student moderator for this unit's Forge; print the whisper-card.
Reading check (top of class)
• Cold-call one student: "In 'Castles in the Air,' what does each sister say she wants, and what arrives right after?" (Correct: Meg wants a fine home; Jo wants fame as an author; Beth wants only to stay home; Amy wants to be a great artist. Then a telegram arrives, their father is ill.)
• Ask one focus question from Day 1 or Day 2 to confirm depth, not just completion.
Hook
Name something you’re pursuing that you’d set aside if a family member needed you. Would you? Jo will face exactly that choice by the end of this book.
Minute by minute
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:05 | Arrival. Reading check. | Forge Coach asks the plot-anchor question. Text Coach reviews evidence quickly. |
| 0:05–0:25 | Document Study discussion (Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning) | Students arrive having pre-read from the Document Study Reader. Mentor leads the close-read questions, still mentor-led through U4. |
| 0:25–0:35 | Hook: Q2 Cost prompt. Students write one sentence, share. | Weaver runs. Forge Coach times. |
| 0:35–0:55 | Evidence Forge: quote-mining for both sides of Q2, at least 3 quotes per side. | Text Coach circulates and spot-checks; verifies quotes are attributed to the correct chapter. |
| 0:55–1:00 | Break | |
| 1:00–1:10 | Argument Sharpen: pair check. | Text Coach spot-checks. Weaver listens for quality. |
| 1:10–1:20 | Role assignment, first unit a student moderates. Whisper-card handed to the student moderator. | Forge Coach sits beside the moderator from this unit on; does not run the room. |
| 1:20–1:30 | Prep deadline stated in days and hours. | Forge Coach: "Evidence packet due [day] at [time]." |
Homework to check
Day 3–4 reading (Ch. XXII–XLI, "New Territory" + "The Breaking Point") before next Arms Room check.
Jury: Evidence Map with 2 quotes per side + 1 sentence each, submitted 48 hours before Forge.
WEEKS 5–7 · 17
Week 6
WEEK 6 · FORGE
Week 6: U2 — Forge
SESSION TYPE: DEBATE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: HANDOFF — FORGE COACH BESIDE MODERATOR, WHISPER-CARD
Pre-class setup
Confirm the student moderator is ready; timer checked; whisper-card in hand.
Prepare Q4 hook materials: two columns on board, "What Amy sacrifices" / "What Jo sacrifices."
Print ballots; confirm jury Evidence Maps received.
Have Q2 and Q4 debate texts ready.
Reading check (top of class)
• Confirm Day 3–4 (Ch. XXII–XLI) complete. If multiple students are behind, run a 2-minute catch-up huddle before proceeding; do not cancel the debate.
Hook
Each student lists what Amy sacrifices, then what Jo sacrifices. Compare on the board: who actually gave up more? Then: Jo "renounced her old ambition" at Beth's bedside while Beth was still alive (Ch. XL). But she also "never left her for an hour" (Ch. XL), and after Beth's death was "taught by love and sorrow," and wrote again (Ch. XLII). Was giving up the ambition itself the perseverance, or was coming back to the work?
Minute by minute
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:05 | Arrival. Evidence packets out. Prep deadline confirmed. | Forge Coach nods from beside the moderator. Text Coach reviews packets. |
| 0:05–0:15 | Hook: Q4 Ledger. Two columns on the board. | Weaver runs. Forge Coach keeps it moving. |
| 0:15–0:25 | Pre-debate. Student moderator checks timer and reads Q2 stakes. | Forge Coach sits beside the moderator with the whisper-card; prompts only if the moderator freezes. |
| 0:25–0:30 | Break | |
| 0:30–1:05 | Oxford Debate: Pre-vote → Openings → Rebuttals → Closings → Jury questions → Post-vote. 35 minutes. | Forge Coach stays beside the moderator, silent unless procedure breaks. Text Coach juries, votes and asks a jury question like a student, while also spot-checking evidence. Weaver watches room dynamics. |
| 1:05–1:20 | Forge Reflection: moderator tallies ballots and announces once: "X minds changed. That is the point." No public scoreboard. Each role then writes analytically. | Weaver reminds students to keep it in their Forge Journal; collects tally sheet + reflections for the Reveal. |
| 1:20–1:30 | The Reveal: Weaver reads one anonymized line aloud. | Weaver reads. No commentary. |
| 1:30–1:40 | "Hold the Tension" minute. | Weaver asks. No scoring. |
Students treat Jo's bedside renunciation as the whole answer. Re-read the Ch. XL/XLII contrast aloud: she renounces ambition while Beth is dying, then resumes writing after, perseverance doesn't mean never pausing, it's what she does with the pause.
Homework to check
Day 5 reading (Ch. XLII–XLVII, "What Remains") before next week.
Story Layer paragraph: "What did this unit cost you? What shifted?"
WEEKS 5–7 · 18
Week 7
WEEK 7 · TAVERN
Week 7: U2 — Tavern
SESSION TYPE: BRIDGE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: HANDOFF — WEAVER RUNS THE ROOM
Pre-class setup
Have Forge Record updated with U2 roles, votes, shifts.
Prepare Skill Layer: arguing the text, not the wound, the U2 signature skill.
Prepare Forge Workshop 1 (replaces Story Forge this Tavern).
Have U3 reading guide (The Boys in the Boat) ready to distribute.
Prepare Celebration: one name, one reason.
Minute by minute
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:10 | Arrival & Retro: "What worked? What faltered?" Call on the student who spoke least during the Forge. | Weaver facilitates. Forge Coach notes wins/failures, the first debate a student ran solo start-to-finish. Text Coach notes evidence mistakes. |
| 0:10–0:30 | Skill Layer: teach arguing the text, not the wound. Example: "Jo's choice hurt her family" is not evidence; "Beth risked her life, Meg gave up her salary" (reading guide, Day 2) is evidence. When a debate brushes close to home, the fix is always: cite the chapter, not the feeling. | Text Coach teaches. Weaver and Forge Coach observe. |
| 0:30–0:35 | Break | |
| 0:35–1:00 | Forge Workshop 1 (replaces Story Forge). See The Forge Workshops tab. | Weaver runs. |
| 1:00–1:15 | Reading Pipeline: introduce U3 (The Boys in the Boat). "Day 1–2 by next Arms Room." | Forge Coach holds the line. Text Coach answers reading-guide questions. |
| 1:15–1:20 | Celebration: one public recognition. Name + reason. No grades. | Forge Coach or Weaver announces. |
Homework to check
U3 Day 1–2 reading begins tonight.
WEEKS 5–7 · 19
Week 8
WEEK 8 · ARMS ROOM
Week 8: U3 — Arms Room
SESSION TYPE: INVESTIGATE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: WARM FADE, FORGE COACH OUTSIDE CIRCLE, CRISIS ONLY
Pre-class setup
Confirm reading guide Day 1–2 (Ch. 1–8: "Abandonment" + "The Boat") was due tonight.
Prepare Q2 hook materials: one slip of paper per student.
Print Evidence Map templates and extra blank ballots.
Have the Q2 debate text ready (Pocock's "swing" passage, Ch. 10 & 13).
Reading check (top of class)
• Cold-call one student: "What does Pocock mean when he says a crew must 'surrender yourself absolutely' (Ch. 12)? What happened to Joe before the shell house that makes surrender especially hard for him?" (Correct: rowers give up individual effort for the boat's rhythm; Joe was abandoned by his family and taught himself never to depend on anyone.)
• Ask one focus question from Day 1 or Day 2 to confirm depth, not just completion.
Hook
Have you been in a group where your own thoughts disappeared into its rhythm? Freeing, or frightening? Great crews "have no stars…not the individual, not the self" (Ch. 10), is that what makes them great, or what it costs them?
Minute by minute
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:05 | Arrival. Reading check. | Forge Coach asks the plot-anchor question. Text Coach reviews evidence quickly. |
| 0:05–0:25 | Document Study discussion (Shackleton, South) | Students arrive having pre-read from the Document Study Reader. Mentor leads the close-read questions, still mentor-led through U4. |
| 0:25–0:35 | Hook: Q2 Swing prompt. | Weaver runs. Forge Coach listens for energy. |
| 0:35–0:55 | Evidence Forge: mine quotes for both sides of Q2; require 3 quotes per side. | Text Coach circulates. Both sides quote the same Pocock passage (Ch. 10) to opposite ends, hold students to exact wording. |
| 0:55–1:05 | Argument Sharpen: pair check. | Weaver listens for students who can't name the other side's best point. |
| 1:05–1:15 | Role assignment. Student moderator confirmed; whisper-card on standby only. | Forge Coach steps back from the circle now, present in the room, not beside the moderator. |
| 1:15–1:20 | State prep deadline and next reading. | Forge Coach: "Day 3–4 of The Boys in the Boat by next week. Evidence Maps due 48 hours before the Forge. Hard deadline." |
Homework to check
Day 3–4 reading (Ch. 9–16, "The Swing" + "The Trust").
Jury: Evidence Map with 2 quotes per side + 1 sentence each, submitted 48 hours before Forge.
WEEKS 8–10 · 20
Week 9
WEEK 9 · FORGE
Week 9: U3 — Forge
SESSION TYPE: DEBATE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: WARM FADE, FORGE COACH OUTSIDE CIRCLE, CRISIS ONLY
Pre-class setup
Confirm moderator role assigned and timer checked.
Prepare Q4 hook materials: prompt on board, "Who did you trust after being let down?"
Print ballots; confirm jury Evidence Maps received.
Have Q2 and Q4 debate texts ready.
Reading check (top of class)
• Confirm Day 3–4 (Ch. 9–16) complete. If multiple students are behind, run a 2-minute catch-up huddle before proceeding; do not cancel the debate.
Hook
Write about a time you trusted someone after being betrayed. What did saying yes cost you? Then: after his father told him to leave, Joe's "world had grown dark, narrow, and lonely" (Ch. 2); Pocock says a rower must "surrender yourself absolutely" (Ch. 12). Is that surrender what happens when you can't leave, or is it trust?
Minute by minute
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:05 | Arrival. Evidence packets out. Prep deadline confirmed. | Text Coach reviews packets. Forge Coach checks in from outside the circle. |
| 0:05–0:15 | Hook: Q4 Trust. | Weaver runs. Forge Coach observes from outside the circle. |
| 0:15–0:25 | Pre-debate. Moderator checks timer, reads Q2 stakes. | Forge Coach stays outside the circle; whisper-card within reach but unused unless procedure collapses. |
| 0:25–0:30 | Break | |
| 0:30–1:05 | Oxford Debate: 35 minutes. | Forge Coach intervenes only on genuine crisis. Text Coach juries; steps in only if the researcher is absent. Weaver watches room dynamics. |
| 1:05–1:20 | Forge Reflection. | Weaver collects tally sheet + reflections for the Reveal. |
| 1:20–1:30 | The Reveal. | Weaver reads. No commentary. |
| 1:30–1:40 | "Hold the Tension" minute. | Weaver asks. No scoring. |
Debates collapse into "teamwork is good" platitudes. Force every claim to name a specific dependency from the boat, who carried whom, and what it cost. No generic "they worked together."
Homework to check
Day 5 reading (Ch. 17–19 + Epilogue: "The Furnace").
Story Layer paragraph: "What did this unit cost you? What shifted?"
WEEKS 8–10 · 21
Week 10
WEEK 10 · TAVERN
Week 10: U3 — Tavern
SESSION TYPE: BRIDGE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: WARM FADE, WEAVER RUNS THE ROOM
Pre-class setup
Have Forge Record updated with U3 roles, votes, shifts.
Prepare Skill Layer: naming a specific dependency, not a general one, the U3 signature skill.
Have U4 reading guide (Pride and Prejudice) ready to distribute.
Prepare Celebration: one name, one reason.
Minute by minute
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:10 | Arrival & Retro. | Weaver facilitates. Forge Coach notes wins/failures from outside the circle. Text Coach notes evidence mistakes. |
| 0:10–0:30 | Skill Layer: teach naming the specific dependency. Example: not "they worked together" but "Hume's rhythm let the boat fall into synch (Ch. 13), and the other seven held that rhythm when he went white mid-race (Ch. 18)." Name the seat, name the cost. | Text Coach teaches. Weaver and Forge Coach observe. |
| 0:30–0:35 | Break | |
| 0:35–1:00 | Story Forge: the Story Layer prompt, 5 years out. | Weaver runs. Do not write for them. |
| 1:00–1:15 | Reading Pipeline: introduce U4 (Pride and Prejudice). "Day 1–2 by next Arms Room. Shortest book of the year but the most calendar-stressed window, front-load it." | Forge Coach holds the line. Text Coach answers reading-guide questions. |
| 1:15–1:20 | Celebration. | Forge Coach or Weaver announces. |
Homework to check
U4 Day 1–2 reading begins tonight; no school Nov 24 (Thanksgiving).
WEEKS 8–10 · 22
Week 11
WEEK 11 · ARMS ROOM
Week 11: U4 — Arms Room
SESSION TYPE: INVESTIGATE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: WARM FADE, FORGE COACH OUTSIDE CIRCLE, CRISIS ONLY
Pre-class setup
Confirm reading guide Day 1–2 (Ch. 1–24: "The Assembly" + "The Proposal") was due tonight.
Prepare Q3 hook materials (this unit's formal debate): one slip of paper per student.
Print Evidence Map templates and extra blank ballots.
Have the Q3 debate text ready; post the 48-hour hard prep deadline, it starts this unit.
Reading check (top of class)
• Cold-call one student: "Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth in Ch. 19, and Charlotte accepts him in Ch. 22. What does each woman actually get from her choice?" (Correct: Elizabeth refuses for love and keeps her standards; Charlotte accepts for security, Longbourn itself, since Collins is Mr. Bennet's heir.)
• Ask one focus question from Day 1 or Day 2 to confirm depth, not just completion.
Hook
Find one person, real or fictional, who proves resilience is possible without Elizabeth's advantages. Then: strip Elizabeth of her father's protection, her wit, her looks, would she still have refused Collins, or is that a luxury only she could afford?
Minute by minute
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:05 | Arrival. Reading check. | Forge Coach asks the plot-anchor question. Text Coach reviews evidence quickly. |
| 0:05–0:25 | Document Study discussion (Douglass, Narrative) | Students arrive having pre-read from the Document Study Reader. Mentor leads the close-read questions, the last unit this is mentor-led; U5 hands it to a student moderator. |
| 0:25–0:35 | Hook: Q3 Class Question prompt. | Weaver runs. Forge Coach listens for energy. |
| 0:35–0:55 | Evidence Forge: mine quotes for both sides of Q3; require 3 quotes per side. | Text Coach circulates. Verify the proposal order is correct: Ch. 19 (Collins), Ch. 34 (Darcy's first, refused), Ch. 58 (Darcy's second, accepted, after the Lady Catherine confrontation). Do not let a debater claim Darcy proposed again before that confrontation. |
| 0:55–1:05 | Argument Sharpen: pair check. | Weaver listens for students who can't name the other side's best point. |
| 1:05–1:15 | Role assignment. | Forge Coach stays outside the circle; whisper-card on standby only. |
| 1:15–1:20 | Prep deadline stated, the 48-hour hard deadline starts this unit. | Forge Coach: "Evidence packet due [day] at [time]. A missed deadline means jury or bench, not debate. No exceptions, holidays included." |
Homework to check
Day 3–4 reading (Ch. 25–37, "The Letter").
Jury: Evidence Map with 2 quotes per side + 1 sentence each, submitted 48 hours before Forge: hard deadline, no exceptions.
WEEKS 11–13 · 23
Week 12
WEEK 12 · FORGE
Week 12: U4 — Forge
SESSION TYPE: DEBATE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: WARM FADE, FORGE COACH OUTSIDE CIRCLE, CRISIS ONLY
Pre-class setup
Confirm moderator role assigned and timer checked.
Prepare Q4 hook materials: have Ch. 56 (Lady Catherine confrontation) ready to read aloud.
Print ballots; confirm jury Evidence Maps received, hard 48-hour deadline, no late packets.
Have Q3 and Q4 debate texts ready.
Reading check (top of class)
• Confirm Day 3–4 (Ch. 25–37) complete. If multiple students are behind, run a 2-minute catch-up huddle before proceeding; do not cancel the debate.
Hook
Read Lady Catherine's confrontation aloud (Ch. 56). Write one time you stood up to someone more powerful: brave, or because silence would cost more? By this point Elizabeth has read Darcy's letter, learned the truth, and had months to recognize his goodness (Ch. 36: "blind, partial, prejudiced, absurd"). Is defiance backed by evidence still resilience, or is it just confidence?
Minute by minute
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:05 | Arrival. Evidence packets out. Prep deadline confirmed, the 48-hour rule held this unit; note who it caught. | Text Coach reviews packets. Forge Coach checks in from outside the circle. |
| 0:05–0:15 | Hook: Q4 Confrontation. | Weaver runs. Forge Coach observes from outside the circle. |
| 0:15–0:25 | Pre-debate. Moderator checks timer, reads Q3 stakes. | Forge Coach stays outside the circle; whisper-card within reach but unused unless procedure collapses. |
| 0:25–0:30 | Break | |
| 0:30–1:05 | Oxford Debate: 35 minutes. | Forge Coach intervenes only on genuine crisis. Text Coach juries; steps in only if the researcher is absent. Weaver watches room dynamics. |
| 1:05–1:20 | Forge Reflection. | Weaver collects tally sheet + reflections for the Reveal. |
| 1:20–1:30 | The Reveal. | Weaver reads. No commentary. |
| 1:30–1:40 | "Hold the Tension" minute. | Weaver asks. No scoring. |
December momentum kills this unit if the 48-hour deadline slips even once. Forge Coach states the deadline in days and hours and holds the line without exception, holidays included.
Homework to check
Day 5 reading (Ch. 38–61, "The Elopement" + "The Confrontation").
Story Layer paragraph: "What did this unit cost you? What shifted?"
WEEKS 11–13 · 24
Week 13
WEEK 13 · TAVERN
Week 13: U4 — Tavern
SESSION TYPE: BRIDGE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: WARM FADE, WEAVER RUNS THE ROOM
Pre-class setup
Have Forge Record updated with U4 roles, votes, shifts.
Prepare Skill Layer: holding a claim once new evidence arrives, the U4 signature skill.
Have U5 reading guide (A Man for All Seasons) ready to distribute, a play (~150 pp), which absorbs the semester gap well.
This is the last Tavern before Winter Break (Dec 22); confirm families have the U5 reading guide before they leave.
Prepare Celebration: one name, one reason.
Minute by minute
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:10 | Arrival & Retro. | Weaver facilitates. Forge Coach notes wins/failures from outside the circle. Text Coach notes evidence mistakes. |
| 0:10–0:30 | Skill Layer: teach revising a position on new evidence without abandoning your standards. Example: Elizabeth calls herself "blind, partial, prejudiced, absurd" (Ch. 36) after the letter, and still refuses Lady Catherine four chapters later. Changing your mind and holding your ground aren't opposites. | Text Coach teaches. Weaver and Forge Coach observe. |
| 0:30–0:35 | Break | |
| 0:35–1:00 | Story Forge: the Story Layer prompt, 5 years out. | Weaver runs. Do not write for them. |
| 1:00–1:15 | Reading Pipeline: introduce U5 (A Man for All Seasons). "Day 1–2 over Winter Break; the U5 Forge is the last day of Fall semester, so pace across the break, not after it." | Forge Coach holds the line. Text Coach answers reading-guide questions. |
| 1:15–1:20 | Celebration. | Forge Coach or Weaver announces. |
Homework to check
U5 Day 1–2 reading over Winter Break.
WEEKS 11–13 · 25
Week 14
WEEK 14 · ARMS ROOM
Week 14: U5 — Arms Room
SESSION TYPE: INVESTIGATE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: INDEPENDENT — FORGE COACH OUTSIDE CIRCLE, EMERGENCY ONLY
Pre-class setup
Confirm reading guide Day 1–2 (Act One, opening through the King) was due tonight.
Prepare Q2 hook materials: one slip of paper per student.
Print Evidence Map templates and extra blank ballots.
Have Q2 debate text ready to display or read aloud.
Reading check (top of class)
• Cold-call one student: "King Henry visits More in disguise in Act One. What does Henry want from him, and what does More actually give him?" (Correct: Henry wants More's support for the divorce; More gives him nothing in writing and no public opposition, only silence and courtesy.)
• Ask one focus question from Day 1 or Day 2 to confirm depth, not just completion.
Hook
Have you ever stayed silent about something important and let someone else draw their own conclusions? Write one sentence: were you being principled or strategic? Collect. Then: More said, "I will not take the oath. I will not tell you why I will not" (Act Two, Tower interrogation). He later stated, "And for my silence I am punished, with imprisonment" (Act Two, trial). He called it safety. Cromwell called it treason. Which was it?
Minute by minute
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:05 | Arrival. Reading check. | Forge Coach asks the plot-anchor question. Text Coach reviews evidence quickly. |
| 0:05–0:25 | Document Study discussion | Students arrive having pre-read from the Document Study Reader. Mentor leads the close-read questions U1–U4; a student moderator runs it U5–U8. |
| 0:25–0:35 | Hook: Q2 Unsaid prompt. Students write and share one sentence. | Weaver runs. Forge Coach listens for energy. |
| 0:35–0:55 | Evidence Forge: Mine quotes for both sides of Q2. Require at least 3 quotes per side before pair check. | Text Coach circulates. Verify source claims (especially Act Two Tower interrogation and trial quotes). |
| 0:55–1:05 | Argument Sharpen: Pair check. Each pair states the strongest counterclaim they can answer. | Weaver listens for students who can't name the other side's best point. |
| 1:05–1:15 | Role assignment. Whisper-card ready; moderator is a student. | Forge Coach assigns roles. Confirm 48-hour Evidence Map deadline for Jury. |
| 1:15–1:20 | State prep deadline and next reading. | Forge Coach: "Day 3–4 of A Man for All Seasons by next week. Evidence Maps due 48 hours before the Forge. Hard deadline." |
Homework to check
Day 3–4 reading (Act Two opening through imprisonment) before next Arms Room check.
Jury: Evidence Map with 2 quotes per side + 1 sentence each, submitted 48 hours before Forge.
WEEKS 14–16 · 26
Week 15
WEEK 15 · FORGE
Week 15: U5 — Forge
SESSION TYPE: DEBATE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: INDEPENDENT — FORGE COACH OUTSIDE CIRCLE, EMERGENCY ONLY
Pre-class setup
Confirm moderator role assigned and timer checked.
Prepare Q4 hook materials: two columns on board, "What the principle cost me" / "What I still believe."
Print ballots; confirm jury Evidence Maps received.
Have Q2 and Q4 debate texts ready.
Reading check (top of class)
• Confirm Day 3–4 (Act Two opening through imprisonment) complete. If multiple students are behind, run a 2-minute catch-up huddle before proceeding; do not cancel the debate.
Hook
Write about one time someone you love chose a principle that cost you something. Not the principle, the cost. One sentence. No names. Collect. Then: More told Alice, "If you can tell me that you understand, I think I can make a good death, if I have to." She said, "I don't! I don't believe this had to happen" (Act Two). He told her, "If you say that, Alice, I don't see how I'm to face it." She was supporting his acceptance with her own refusal. Was that love, or was that hostage-taking?
Minute by minute
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:05 | Arrival. Evidence packets out. Prep deadline confirmed. | Forge Coach: nod or stare. Text Coach reviews packets quickly. |
| 0:05–0:15 | Hook: Q4 Cost. Two columns on the board. | Weaver runs. Forge Coach keeps it moving. |
| 0:15–0:25 | Pre-debate. Moderator checks timer and reads Q2 stakes. | Forge Coach outside circle. Whisper-card ready. Narrate what the moderator is doing if needed. |
| 0:25–0:30 | Break | |
| 0:30–1:05 | Oxford Debate: Pre-vote → Openings → Rebuttals → Closings → Jury questions → Post-vote. 35 minutes. | Forge Coach monitors clock, not content. Text Coach fact-checks only if a source is clearly fabricated. Weaver watches room dynamics. |
| 1:05–1:20 | Forge Reflection: Moderator tallies ballots (passed at post-vote) and announces once: "X minds changed. That is the point." No public scoreboard. Then each role writes analytically about the argument. Moderator: "What was the turning point?" Debater: "What argument stuck with me?" Researcher: "What surprised me about evidence?" Jury: "What moved me / why they failed." Moderator hands the tally sheet, and jurors their reflections, to the Weaver before this block ends. | Weaver reminds students to keep it in their Forge Journal; collects tally sheet + reflections for the Reveal. |
| 1:20–1:30 | The Reveal: Weaver reads one anonymized line from the collected written reflections aloud. "Someone changed their mind. That is the point." | Weaver reads. No commentary. |
| 1:30–1:40 | "Hold the Tension" minute: Weaver asks: "What did the winning side leave out? What did the text say that didn't fit either position?" 60 seconds. | Weaver asks. No scoring. Just noticing. |
Students read More's silence as passivity. Re-read the Q2 Position A/B text aloud. More's silence is not cowardice or indecision; it is the legal and moral argument. His refusal to speak IS the position.
Homework to check
Day 5 reading (Act Two trial through execution) before next week.
Story Layer paragraph: "What did this unit cost you? What shifted?"
WEEKS 14–16 · 27
Week 16
WEEK 16 · TAVERN
Week 16: U5 — Tavern
SESSION TYPE: BRIDGE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: INDEPENDENT — WEAVER RUNS THE ROOM
Pre-class setup
Have Forge Record updated with U5 roles, votes, shifts.
Prepare Skill Layer: how to read silence as argument, the U5 signature failure.
Prepare Forge Workshop 2: pull students' U1 Story Layers; have the thesis hinge question ready.
Have U6 reading guide (All the Light We Cannot See) ready to distribute.
Prepare Celebration: one name, one reason.
Minute by minute
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:10 | Arrival & Retro: "What worked? What faltered?" Students speak. Mentors listen. Call on the student who spoke least during the Forge. | Weaver facilitates. Forge Coach notes procedural wins/failures. Text Coach notes evidence mistakes worth correcting. |
| 0:10–0:30 | Skill Layer: Teach strategic silence. Example: "More was silent because he had nothing to say" is wrong, More was silent because speech would have cost him his conscience. Use the trial scene (Act Two) as the case. | Text Coach teaches. Weaver and Forge Coach observe. |
| 0:30–0:35 | Break | |
| 0:35–1:00 | Forge Workshop 2: Thesis exploration. Pull the U1 Story Layer. Read it aloud. Ask: "Was I right? Did the year prove me wrong?" Each student names one pattern in how they argue and one they want to change. | Weaver runs. Goal is self-recognition, not product. |
| 1:00–1:15 | Reading Pipeline: Introduce U6 (All the Light We Cannot See). "Day 1–2 by next Arms Room." Note: U6 is the year's longest book; start tonight, even across the break. | Forge Coach holds the line. Text Coach answers reading-guide questions. |
| 1:15–1:20 | Celebration: One public recognition. Name + reason. No grades. | Forge Coach or Weaver announces. |
Homework to check
U6 Day 1–2 reading begins tonight.
WEEKS 14–16 · 28
Week 17
WEEK 17 · ARMS ROOM
Week 17: U6 — Arms Room
SESSION TYPE: INVESTIGATE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: INDEPENDENT — FORGE COACH OUTSIDE CIRCLE, EMERGENCY ONLY
Pre-class setup
Confirm reading guide Day 1–2 (Parts Zero–Two + first half of Part Three, ≈ pages 1–180) was due tonight.
Prepare Q2 hook materials: one slip of paper per student.
Print Evidence Map templates and extra blank ballots.
Have Q2 debate text ready to display or read aloud.
Reading check (top of class)
• Cold-call one student: "At Schulpforta, Frederick is singled out in the 'weakest' exercise. What does Werner do while Frederick is beaten?" (Correct: Werner watches without intervening, he "opens his mouth but closes it again; he drowns; he shuts his eyes, his mind.")
• Ask one focus question from Day 1 or Day 2 to confirm depth, not just completion.
Hook
Write two numbers on your paper. First: estimate how many lives Werner's radios helped destroy. Second: how many he saved. No discussion yet, just the numbers. Then: the text says "The resistance is pitched to Werner as supremely organized; they are dangerous, disciplined insurgents" but what he sees is "ragtag desperadoes with nothing to lose." He sees them starve and freeze. Still he tracks them. Now argue: when does a technician become responsible for what his tools do?
Minute by minute
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:05 | Arrival. Reading check. | Forge Coach asks the plot-anchor question. Text Coach reviews evidence quickly. |
| 0:05–0:25 | Document Study discussion | Students arrive having pre-read from the Document Study Reader. Mentor leads the close-read questions U1–U4; a student moderator runs it U5–U8. |
| 0:25–0:35 | Hook: Q2 Ledger prompt. Students write numbers and share one sentence. | Weaver runs. Forge Coach listens for energy. |
| 0:35–0:55 | Evidence Forge: Mine quotes for both sides of Q2. Require at least 3 quotes per side before pair check; every quote must carry a timeline marker (Saint-Malo 1944 vs. lead-up). | Text Coach circulates. Verify source claims and timeline markers (especially Frederick/Schulpforta vs. Saint-Malo). |
| 0:55–1:05 | Argument Sharpen: Pair check. Each pair states the strongest counterclaim they can answer. | Weaver listens for students who can't name the other side's best point. |
| 1:05–1:15 | Role assignment. Whisper-card ready; moderator assigns roles. | Forge Coach assigns roles. Confirm 48-hour Evidence Map deadline for Jury. |
| 1:15–1:20 | State prep deadline and next reading. | Forge Coach: "Day 3–4 of All the Light by next week. Evidence Maps due 48 hours before the Forge. Hard deadline." |
Homework to check
Day 3–4 reading (second half of Part Three + Parts Four/Six/Seven/Nine, ≈ pages 181–360) before next Arms Room check.
Jury: Evidence Map with 2 quotes per side + 1 sentence each, submitted 48 hours before Forge.
WEEKS 17–19 · 29
Week 18
WEEK 18 · FORGE
Week 18: U6 — Forge
SESSION TYPE: DEBATE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: INDEPENDENT — FORGE COACH OUTSIDE CIRCLE, EMERGENCY ONLY
Pre-class setup
Confirm moderator role assigned and timer checked.
Prepare Q4 hook materials: two columns on board, "What the resistance cost Manec" / "What hiding cost Etienne."
Print ballots; confirm jury Evidence Maps received.
Have Q2 and Q4 debate texts ready.
Reading check (top of class)
• Confirm Day 3–4 (second half of Part Three + Parts Four/Six/Seven/Nine, ≈ pages 181–360) complete. If multiple students are behind, run a 2-minute catch-up huddle before proceeding; do not cancel the debate.
Hook
Write about someone you love who chose something principled that scared you. Not the principle, the fear. One sentence. No names. Collect. Then: Madame Manec tells the other women, "Seventy-six years old, and I can still feel like this? Like a little girl with stars in my eyes?" She's the only character who seems happy in the resistance. Everyone around her pays. Argue: if courage feels like stars, is it really courage?
Minute by minute
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:05 | Arrival. Evidence packets out. Prep deadline confirmed. | Forge Coach: nod or stare. Text Coach reviews packets quickly. |
| 0:05–0:15 | Hook: Q4 Cost. Two columns on the board. | Weaver runs. Forge Coach keeps it moving. |
| 0:15–0:25 | Pre-debate. Moderator checks timer and reads Q2 stakes. | Forge Coach outside circle. Whisper-card ready. Narrate what the moderator is doing if needed. |
| 0:25–0:30 | Break | |
| 0:30–1:05 | Oxford Debate: Pre-vote → Openings → Rebuttals → Closings → Jury questions → Post-vote. 35 minutes. | Forge Coach monitors clock, not content. Text Coach fact-checks only if a source or timeline is clearly fabricated. Weaver watches room dynamics. |
| 1:05–1:20 | Forge Reflection: Moderator tallies ballots (passed at post-vote) and announces once: "X minds changed. That is the point." No public scoreboard. Then each role writes analytically about the argument. Moderator: "What was the turning point?" Debater: "What argument stuck with me?" Researcher: "What surprised me about evidence?" Jury: "What moved me / why they failed." Moderator hands the tally sheet, and jurors their reflections, to the Weaver before this block ends. | Weaver reminds students to keep it in their Forge Journal; collects tally sheet + reflections for the Reveal. |
| 1:20–1:30 | The Reveal: Weaver reads one anonymized line from the collected written reflections aloud. "Someone changed their mind. That is the point." | Weaver reads. No commentary. |
| 1:30–1:40 | "Hold the Tension" minute: Weaver asks: "What did the winning side leave out? What did the text say that didn't fit either position?" 60 seconds. | Weaver asks. No scoring. Just noticing. |
Students cherry-pick scenes from the two timelines as if they happened in order. Re-read the Q2 Position A/B text aloud. The central factual dispute is about what Werner does across the whole novel, Frederick/Schulpforta, the roving unit, Saint-Malo: not what happens in a single scene. Insist on timeline markers every time a student names a quote.
Homework to check
Day 5 reading (Parts Eight/Ten/Eleven/Twelve, ≈ pages 361–531) before next week.
Story Layer paragraph: "What did this unit cost you? What shifted?"
WEEKS 17–19 · 30
Week 19
WEEK 19 · TAVERN
Week 19: U6 — Tavern
SESSION TYPE: BRIDGE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: INDEPENDENT — WEAVER RUNS THE ROOM
Pre-class setup
Have Forge Record updated with U6 roles, votes, shifts.
Prepare Skill Layer: how to keep the two timelines straight, the U6 signature failure.
Prepare Story Forge prompt: "What did this unit cost you? What shifted?"
Have U7 reading guide (The Picture of Dorian Gray) ready to distribute.
Prepare Celebration: one name, one reason.
Minute by minute
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:10 | Arrival & Retro: "What worked? What faltered?" Students speak. Mentors listen. Call on the student who spoke least during the Forge. | Weaver facilitates. Forge Coach notes procedural wins/failures. Text Coach notes evidence mistakes worth correcting. |
| 0:10–0:30 | Skill Layer: Teach timeline discipline. Example: "Werner saves Marie-Laure after he has already tracked resistance signals for years" collapses if students treat Saint-Malo as the whole story. Use Q2 evidence to show how the lead-up changes the weight of the ending. | Text Coach teaches. Weaver and Forge Coach observe. |
| 0:30–0:35 | Break | |
| 0:35–1:00 | Story Forge: Prompt: "What did this unit cost you? What shifted?" Students write a short reflection. No hand-in required, but the Weaver may collect if students choose. | Weaver runs. Goal is self-recognition, not product. |
| 1:00–1:15 | Reading Pipeline: Introduce U7 (The Picture of Dorian Gray). "Day 1–2 by next Arms Room." Note: this is a shorter book; use the lighter load to consolidate timeline discipline from U6. | Forge Coach holds the line. Text Coach answers reading-guide questions. |
| 1:15–1:20 | Celebration: One public recognition. Name + reason. No grades. | Forge Coach or Weaver announces. |
Homework to check
U7 Day 1–2 reading begins tonight.
WEEKS 17–19 · 31
Week 20
WEEK 20 · ARMS ROOM
Week 20: U7 — Arms Room
SESSION TYPE: INVESTIGATE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: INDEPENDENT — FORGE COACH OUTSIDE CIRCLE, EMERGENCY ONLY
Pre-class setup
Confirm reading guide Day 1–2 (Chapters I–V) was due tonight.
Prepare Q1 hook materials: one slip of paper per student.
Print Evidence Map templates and extra blank ballots.
Have Q1 debate text ready to display or read aloud.
Reading check (top of class)
• Cold-call one student: "Dorian sees the finished portrait in Chapter II and makes a wish. What does he wish for, and who hears him make it?" (Correct: Dorian wishes the portrait would age while he stays young; he says he would give everything; Basil and Lord Henry hear him.)
• Ask one focus question from Day 1 or Day 2 to confirm depth, not just completion.
Hook
Each student writes down: have you ever created something that later hurt someone? (A photo, a drawing, a text, a post, anything.) Write one sentence. No details, no names. Collect. Then: does the creator bear responsibility for what the creation becomes?
Minute by minute
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:05 | Arrival. Reading check. | Forge Coach asks the plot-anchor question. Text Coach reviews evidence quickly. |
| 0:05–0:25 | Document Study discussion | Students arrive having pre-read from the Document Study Reader. A student moderator runs the close-read questions; mentors fade to emergency-only support. |
| 0:25–0:30 | Hook: Q1 Artist's Complicity prompt. Students write and share one sentence. | Weaver runs. Forge Coach listens for energy. |
| 0:30–0:50 | Evidence Forge: Mine quotes for both sides of Q1. Require at least 3 quotes per side before pair check. | Text Coach circulates. Verify source claims (especially Ch. II portrait scene and Ch. XI murder). |
| 0:50–1:00 | Argument Sharpen: Pair check. Each pair states the strongest counterclaim they can answer. | Weaver listens for students who can't name the other side's best point. |
| 1:00–1:10 | Role assignment. Whisper-card ready; moderator assigns roles. | Forge Coach assigns roles. Confirm 48-hour Evidence Map deadline for Jury. |
| 1:10–1:15 | State prep deadline and next reading. | Forge Coach: "Day 3–4 of The Picture of Dorian Gray by next week. Evidence Maps due 48 hours before the Forge. Hard deadline." |
Homework to check
Day 3–4 reading (Chapters VI–XI) before next Arms Room check.
Jury: Evidence Map with 2 quotes per side + 1 sentence each, submitted 48 hours before Forge.
WEEKS 20–22 · 32
Week 21
WEEK 21 · FORGE
Week 21: U7 — Forge
SESSION TYPE: DEBATE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: INDEPENDENT — FORGE COACH OUTSIDE CIRCLE, EMERGENCY ONLY
Pre-class setup
Confirm moderator role assigned and timer checked.
Prepare Q3 hook materials: mock contracts printed, one per student.
Print ballots; confirm jury Evidence Maps received.
Have Q1 and Q3 debate texts ready.
Preview Q2 with your co-mentor if you plan to use it as the warm-up; keep the framing textual, not modern-psychological.
Reading check (top of class)
• Confirm Day 3–4 (Chapters VI–XI) complete. If multiple students are behind, run a 2-minute catch-up huddle before proceeding; do not cancel the debate.
Hook
Hand out a mock contract: "I agree to eternal youth. I understand my soul will be stored elsewhere. I understand there will be no visible consequences for my actions." Students check yes or no, and write one sentence why. Collect. Reveal the class breakdown. That is the debate's starting position.
Minute by minute
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:05 | Arrival. Evidence packets out. Prep deadline confirmed. | Forge Coach: nod or stare. Text Coach reviews packets quickly. |
| 0:05–0:15 | Hook: Q3 Form. Reveal yes/no breakdown. | Weaver runs. Forge Coach keeps it moving. |
| 0:15–0:25 | Pre-debate. Moderator checks timer and reads Q1 stakes. | Forge Coach in the corner. Whisper-card available. Narrate what the moderator is doing if needed. |
| 0:25–0:30 | Break | |
| 0:30–1:05 | Oxford Debate: Pre-vote → Openings → Rebuttals → Closings → Jury questions → Post-vote. 35 minutes. | Forge Coach monitors clock, not content. Text Coach fact-checks only if a source is clearly fabricated. Weaver watches room dynamics. |
| 1:05–1:20 | Forge Reflection: Moderator tallies ballots (passed at post-vote) and announces once: "X minds changed. That is the point." No public scoreboard. Then each role writes analytically about the argument. Moderator: "What was the turning point?" Debater: "What argument stuck with me?" Researcher: "What surprised me about evidence?" Jury: "What moved me / why they failed." Moderator hands the tally sheet, and jurors their reflections, to the Weaver before this block ends. | Weaver reminds students to keep it in their Forge Journal; collects tally sheet + reflections for the Reveal. |
| 1:20–1:30 | The Reveal: Weaver reads one anonymized line from the collected written reflections aloud. "Someone changed their mind. That is the point." | Weaver reads. No commentary. |
| 1:30–1:40 | "Hold the Tension" minute: Weaver asks: "What did the winning side leave out? What did the text say that didn't fit either position?" 60 seconds. | Weaver asks. No scoring. Just noticing. |
Students moralize instead of argue. Re-read the Q1 Position A/B text aloud. The question is not whether vanity is bad; it is who bears responsibility under the text. Ask students to argue Lord Henry's side for 60 seconds without endorsing it. If they can't, they are moralizing.
Homework to check
Day 5 reading (Chapters XII–XIII) before next week.
Story Layer paragraph: "What did this unit cost you? What shifted?" (This is replaced by Forge Workshop 3 next week; still useful as a short journal entry.)
WEEKS 20–22 · 33
Week 22
WEEK 22 · TAVERN
Week 22: U7 — Tavern
SESSION TYPE: BRIDGE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: INDEPENDENT — WEAVER RUNS THE ROOM
Pre-class setup
Have Forge Record updated with U7 roles, votes, shifts.
Prepare Skill Layer: how to hold a position you find distasteful, the U7 signature failure.
Prepare Forge Workshop 3: draft intensive + peer review. Students bring their Anvil draft-in-progress.
Have U8 reading guide (A Good Man Is Hard to Find) ready to distribute.
Prepare Celebration: one name, one reason.
Minute by minute
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:10 | Arrival & Retro: "What worked? What faltered?" Students speak. Mentors listen. Call on the student who spoke least during the Forge. | Weaver facilitates. Forge Coach notes procedural wins/failures if present. Text Coach notes evidence mistakes worth correcting. |
| 0:10–0:30 | Skill Layer: Teach arguing without endorsing. Example: "Lord Henry is wrong" is moralizing; "Lord Henry gave Dorian a vocabulary for desires Dorian already had" is arguing. Use Q2 evidence as the case. | Text Coach teaches. Weaver and Forge Coach observe. |
| 0:30–0:35 | Break | |
| 0:35–1:00 | Forge Workshop 3: Draft intensive + peer review. In pairs: one student reads the other's Anvil draft and asks, "What's your thesis, and where's the evidence?" No line-editing. | Weaver + Text Coach run. Goal is one clear thesis + evidence trail, not a polished draft. |
| 1:00–1:15 | Reading Pipeline: Introduce U8 (A Good Man Is Hard to Find). "Day 1–2 by next Arms Room." Note the U8 spoiler embargo: do not reveal the ending in print. | Forge Coach holds the line. Text Coach answers reading-guide questions. |
| 1:15–1:20 | Celebration: One public recognition. Name + reason. No grades. | Weaver announces. |
Homework to check
U8 Day 1–2 reading begins tonight.
WEEKS 20–22 · 34
Week 23
WEEK 23 · ARMS ROOM
Week 23: U8 — Arms Room
SESSION TYPE: INVESTIGATE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: INDEPENDENT — FORGE COACH OUTSIDE CIRCLE, EMERGENCY ONLY
Pre-class setup
Confirm reading guide Day 1–2 was due tonight.
Prepare Q1 hook materials: one slip of paper per student.
Print Evidence Map templates and extra blank ballots.
Have Q1 debate text ready to display or read aloud.
Reading check (top of class)
• Cold-call one student: "At The Tower, Red Sammy says something that becomes the story's title. What does he say, and what has just happened to him?" (Correct: "A good man is hard to find"; two fellers charged gas and never paid.)
• Ask one focus question from Day 1 or Day 2 to confirm depth, not just completion.
Hook
Each student writes one sentence: the last thing you would say to someone who was about to hurt you. Not what you should say, what you would actually say. Collect (optional: read one aloud). Then: is moral courage what you say when you have nothing left to lose, or what you do when you still have everything to lose?
Minute by minute
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:05 | Arrival. Reading check. | Forge Coach asks the plot-anchor question. Text Coach reviews evidence quickly. |
| 0:05–0:25 | Document Study discussion | Students arrive having pre-read from the Document Study Reader. A student moderator runs the close-read questions; mentors fade to emergency-only support. |
| 0:25–0:30 | Hook: Q1 Last Word prompt. Students write and share one sentence. | Weaver runs. Forge Coach listens for energy. |
| 0:30–0:50 | Evidence Forge: Mine quotes for both sides of Q1. Require at least 3 quotes per side before pair check. | Text Coach circulates. Verify source claims (especially the final scene and The Misfit's account of himself). |
| 0:50–1:00 | Argument Sharpen: Pair check. Each pair states the strongest counterclaim they can answer. | Weaver listens for students who can't name the other side's best point. |
| 1:00–1:10 | Role assignment. Whisper-card ready; moderator assigns roles. | Forge Coach assigns roles. Confirm 48-hour Evidence Map deadline for Jury. |
| 1:10–1:15 | State prep deadline and next reading. | Forge Coach: "Day 3–4 of A Good Man Is Hard to Find by next week. Evidence Maps due 48 hours before the Forge. Hard deadline." |
Homework to check
Day 3–4 reading before next Arms Room check.
Jury: Evidence Map with 2 quotes per side + 1 sentence each, submitted 48 hours before Forge.
WEEKS 23–25 · 35
Week 24
WEEK 24 · FORGE
Week 24: U8 — Forge
SESSION TYPE: DEBATE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: INDEPENDENT — FORGE COACH OUTSIDE CIRCLE, EMERGENCY ONLY
Pre-class setup
Confirm moderator role assigned and timer checked.
Prepare Q3 hook: no materials needed, but rehearse the scene read-aloud.
Print ballots; confirm jury Evidence Maps received.
Have Q1 and Q3 debate texts ready.
Preview Q2 with your co-mentor if you plan to use it as the warm-up; keep the framing textual, moral seriousness, not a defense of murder.
Reading check (top of class)
• Confirm Day 3–4 complete. If multiple students are behind, run a 2-minute catch-up huddle before proceeding; do not cancel the debate.
Hook
Students close their eyes. The moderator reads the final encounter: The Misfit's voice is about to crack; the grandmother sees his face twisted close to hers. She reaches out. Students keep eyes closed. Then: raise your hand if you would have reached out. Count. Open eyes. That is the debate's starting position.
Minute by minute
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:05 | Arrival. Evidence packets out. Prep deadline confirmed. | Forge Coach: nod or stare. Text Coach reviews packets quickly. |
| 0:05–0:15 | Hook: Q3 Touch. Count hands. Do not discuss yet. | Weaver runs. Forge Coach keeps it moving. |
| 0:15–0:25 | Pre-debate. Moderator checks timer and reads Q1 stakes. | Forge Coach in the corner. Whisper-card available. Narrate what the moderator is doing if needed. |
| 0:25–0:30 | Break | |
| 0:30–1:05 | Oxford Debate: Pre-vote → Openings → Rebuttals → Closings → Jury questions → Post-vote. 35 minutes. | Forge Coach monitors clock, not content. Text Coach fact-checks only if a source is clearly fabricated. Weaver watches room dynamics. |
| 1:05–1:20 | Forge Reflection: Moderator tallies ballots (passed at post-vote) and announces once: "X minds changed. That is the point." No public scoreboard. Then each role writes analytically about the argument. Moderator: "What was the turning point?" Debater: "What argument stuck with me?" Researcher: "What surprised me about evidence?" Jury: "What moved me / why they failed." Moderator hands the tally sheet, and jurors their reflections, to the Weaver before this block ends. | Weaver reminds students to keep it in their Forge Journal; collects tally sheet + reflections for the Reveal. |
| 1:20–1:30 | The Reveal: Weaver reads one anonymized line from the collected written reflections aloud. "Someone changed their mind. That is the point." | Weaver reads. No commentary. |
| 1:30–1:40 | "Hold the Tension" minute: Weaver asks: "What did the winning side leave out? What did the text say that didn't fit either position?" 60 seconds. | Weaver asks. No scoring. Just noticing. |
Students moralize instead of argue. Re-read the Q1 Position A/B text aloud. The question is not whether the grandmother is a good person; it is whether her final act is continuous with her earlier manipulation or structurally different. Ask students to argue the "panic" side for 60 seconds without calling her evil. If they can't, they are moralizing.
Homework to check
Day 5 reading before next week.
Story Layer paragraph: "What did this unit cost you? What shifted?"
WEEKS 23–25 · 36
Week 25
WEEK 25 · TAVERN
Week 25: U8 — Tavern
SESSION TYPE: BRIDGE · MENTOR VISIBILITY: INDEPENDENT — WEAVER RUNS THE ROOM
Pre-class setup
Have Forge Record updated with U8 roles, votes, shifts.
Prepare Skill Layer: the U8 signature failure, students read the story once and think they're done.
Prepare Story Forge prompt (spoiler-aware): "Write the version where recognition comes early enough to act."
Prepare Celebration: one name, one reason.
Minute by minute
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:10 | Arrival & Retro: "What worked? What faltered?" Students speak. Mentors listen. Call on the student who spoke least during the Forge. | Weaver facilitates. Forge Coach notes procedural wins/failures. Text Coach notes evidence mistakes worth correcting. |
| 0:10–0:30 | Skill Layer: Teach excavation reading. Example: "The grandmother is selfish" is a first-pass conclusion; "the grandmother is selfish except when she holds the baby" is a second-pass observation that the ending asks you to weigh. Use Day 1 or Day 5 evidence to model rereading. | Text Coach teaches. Weaver and Forge Coach observe. |
| 0:30–0:35 | Break | |
| 0:35–1:00 | Story Forge: Prompt: "Rewrite the moment: write the scene in which the grandmother recognizes The Misfit's humanity early enough to act, before the family is led into the woods. Do not describe the original ending; describe the version where moral courage arrives in time." | Weaver runs. Goal is self-recognition, not product. Keep the prompt live and spoiler-free. |
| 1:00–1:05 | Final Forge Pipeline: No new reading over Spring Break. Bring your Anvil draft-in-progress when we return Apr 13. | Forge Coach holds the line. |
| 1:05–1:10 | Celebration: One public recognition. Name + reason. No grades. | Weaver announces. |
Homework to check
No new reading over break. Bring Anvil draft-in-progress to Week 26 (Apr 13).
WEEKS 23–25 · 37