Placemat Consensus

Placemat Consensus

In Placemat consensus, students generate their own answers to a question posed and then come to consensus as a team on their answers.

The AVID advisor picks up the materials for their placemat and places it in the middle of your desk.

The Leader reads the question in the middle, and leads the round robin.

The Success Checker keeps track of time and makes sure the question is being answered.

Writes and presents the final consensus to the rest of the class.

round robin

What does the speaker think about God at the beginning of the poem?

I doubt not God is good, well-meaning, kind, And did He stoop to quibble could tell why The little buried mole continues blind, Why flesh that mirrors Him must some day die, Make plain the reason tortured Tantalus Is baited by the fickle fruit, declare If merely brute caprice dooms Sisyphus To struggle up a never-ending stair. Inscrutable His ways are, and immune To catechism by a mind too strewn With petty cares to slightly understand What awful brain compels His awful hand. Yet do I marvel at this curious thing: To make a poet black, and bid him sing! By: Countee Cullen

What does the speaker mean when he says God is “immune / To catechism”?

I doubt not God is good, well-meaning, kind, And did He stoop to quibble could tell why The little buried mole continues blind, Why flesh that mirrors Him must some day die, Make plain the reason tortured Tantalus Is baited by the fickle fruit, declare If merely brute caprice dooms Sisyphus To struggle up a never-ending stair. Inscrutable His ways are, and immune To catechism by a mind too strewn With petty cares to slightly understand What awful brain compels His awful hand. Yet do I marvel at this curious thing: To make a poet black, and bid him sing! By: Countee Cullen

According to the poem, why can’t he understand God’s will and work?

I doubt not God is good, well-meaning, kind, And did He stoop to quibble could tell why The little buried mole continues blind, Why flesh that mirrors Him must some day die, Make plain the reason tortured Tantalus Is baited by the fickle fruit, declare If merely brute caprice dooms Sisyphus To struggle up a never-ending stair. Inscrutable His ways are, and immune To catechism by a mind too strewn With petty cares to slightly understand What awful brain compels His awful hand. Yet do I marvel at this curious thing: To make a poet black, and bid him sing! By: Countee Cullen

What difficult challenges do you think the speaker might face as an African American poet during the Harlem Renaissance?

I doubt not God is good, well-meaning, kind, And did He stoop to quibble could tell why The little buried mole continues blind, Why flesh that mirrors Him must some day die, Make plain the reason tortured Tantalus Is baited by the fickle fruit, declare If merely brute caprice dooms Sisyphus To struggle up a never-ending stair. Inscrutable His ways are, and immune To catechism by a mind too strewn With petty cares to slightly understand What awful brain compels His awful hand. Yet do I marvel at this curious thing: To make a poet black, and bid him sing! By: Countee Cullen

Tentalus

Sisyphus

Tentalus

Tentalus

Tentalus

Sisyphus

Sisyphus

Round Robin

Students take turns stating responses of solutions.

Sisyphus