Happy Holidays to everyone. Enjoy your time away from school.
BUT...once the holidays are over, and if you chose to wait until after break to present or debate, make sure to spend some time preparing for those presentations and debates.
Honors students: if you chose to hand your paper in after break, remember it is due Monday, January 5.
Standard students: you should have a polished rough draft in class on Monday, January 5.
Until next year...
Friday, December 19, 2014
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Final Drafts Tomorrow...Maybe
Honors: After talking about transitions and doing a little more editing and revising today, you have the option of turning in the final copy of the author's craft essay either Friday, December 19, 2014 or Monday, January 5, 2015. No penalty either way. Just have a hard copy printed off the day you are going to submit it. Look over the rubric one more time (or a dozen) to be sure your paper is as strong as it can be.
Standard: We talked about introductions today. I want everyone to write an introduction that opens with a hook, offers a brief synopsis and then finishes with the claim. This is not the only way to write an introduction but it is the only way I want you to write this introduction. Tomorrow you should have a complete dog draft in class for examination. Some of you have a bit of work to do tonight. The more you have prepared for editing tomorrow, the better off you will be.
One more day and then you can rest a bit.
Until next time...
Standard: We talked about introductions today. I want everyone to write an introduction that opens with a hook, offers a brief synopsis and then finishes with the claim. This is not the only way to write an introduction but it is the only way I want you to write this introduction. Tomorrow you should have a complete dog draft in class for examination. Some of you have a bit of work to do tonight. The more you have prepared for editing tomorrow, the better off you will be.
One more day and then you can rest a bit.
Until next time...
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Two Days To Go
Honors: Keep polishing. You looked more closely at the rough drafts today with a little peer editing. Tonight you should be reexamining, refining, and revising the author's craft essays. Make them as strong as can be. Tomorrow we will talk about transitions, have a little more editing/writing time and be ready to polish up our drafts tomorrow evening.
Standard: Keep writing. You should have three full body paragraphs typed up once you enter school tomorrow. I'll go over the introduction expectations tomorrow in class. You'll also have a little more writing time to put those instructions into practice. Be ready to have a complete dog draft in class by Friday.
Until next time...
Standard: Keep writing. You should have three full body paragraphs typed up once you enter school tomorrow. I'll go over the introduction expectations tomorrow in class. You'll also have a little more writing time to put those instructions into practice. Be ready to have a complete dog draft in class by Friday.
Until next time...
Monday, December 15, 2014
A Couple Helpful Links
Here is the rubric for the Author's Craft Essay.
Here is the link to the Author's Craft Sample Page
Today we worked on claims in the standard class and conclusions in the honors class.
The standard class learned that the claim should have the title, author, technique and goal mentioned in it.
The honors were reminded that the conclusion should restate the claim, remind the reader of the key arguments and then end with a cohesive ending or a jolt or a call to action or a surprising twist or a clever ending or a thoughtful statement or some other creative and effective form of closure.
The homework for the standard class consists of writing a claim and then writing one body paragraph.
The homework for the honors class consists of having a complete rough draft ready to be edited tomorrow in class.
Four more days!
Until next time...
Here is the link to the Author's Craft Sample Page
Today we worked on claims in the standard class and conclusions in the honors class.
The standard class learned that the claim should have the title, author, technique and goal mentioned in it.
The honors were reminded that the conclusion should restate the claim, remind the reader of the key arguments and then end with a cohesive ending or a jolt or a call to action or a surprising twist or a clever ending or a thoughtful statement or some other creative and effective form of closure.
The homework for the standard class consists of writing a claim and then writing one body paragraph.
The homework for the honors class consists of having a complete rough draft ready to be edited tomorrow in class.
Four more days!
Until next time...
Friday, December 12, 2014
Author Craft Progress...Slow
We need block scheduling!
There. I said it. Hopefully something will be changed next week. If not, we'll have to deal with the status quo for a bit longer.
Until then, we'll continue packing our days with presentations/debates, lessons, writing, conferring, sharing and discussing.
Today we did many of those in the honors classes. Our main focus was on sharing claims, writing introductions and discussing the process of writing and revisions. Our claims sounded pretty strong for the most part. For the introductions you need to be thinking about
The Hook
The Context
The Claim
I showed you a few examples of my own which is where the discussion of writing and revision came in.
This weekend be sure to polish those body paragraphs and write an introduction (or three). We'll have a complete draft in class for Tuesday.
In the standard classes our focus is still on exploring the stories for worthwhile topics to write about. remember, you need to write about a technique the author uses AND THEN EXPLAIN why he used it. What was the purpose of his decision to use that technique?
This weekend I want you to write 1-2 more pages on a specific craft move and the way the author uses it and how you see it developed in the story. You are still exploring and not essaying, but you should be narrowing your focus. On Monday we will identify claims for our papers and start writing the complete essays.
Until next time...
There. I said it. Hopefully something will be changed next week. If not, we'll have to deal with the status quo for a bit longer.
Until then, we'll continue packing our days with presentations/debates, lessons, writing, conferring, sharing and discussing.
Today we did many of those in the honors classes. Our main focus was on sharing claims, writing introductions and discussing the process of writing and revisions. Our claims sounded pretty strong for the most part. For the introductions you need to be thinking about
The Hook
The Context
The Claim
I showed you a few examples of my own which is where the discussion of writing and revision came in.
This weekend be sure to polish those body paragraphs and write an introduction (or three). We'll have a complete draft in class for Tuesday.
In the standard classes our focus is still on exploring the stories for worthwhile topics to write about. remember, you need to write about a technique the author uses AND THEN EXPLAIN why he used it. What was the purpose of his decision to use that technique?
This weekend I want you to write 1-2 more pages on a specific craft move and the way the author uses it and how you see it developed in the story. You are still exploring and not essaying, but you should be narrowing your focus. On Monday we will identify claims for our papers and start writing the complete essays.
Until next time...
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Claims and Dog Drafts
Time slipped away quickly today due to all the little things we had to take care of so we only scratched the surface of the planned lesson. Nevertheless, we did have some good student led discussion on what we saw in a couple dog draft paragraphs. We'll explore these and the claims a little more closely tomorrow.
Homework for the honors classes:
1) Prepare for the presentation/debate tomorrow
2) Write an additional body paragraph or two for tomorrow's class
We started looking at craft and goal ideas today. We had a large variety of connections, but then I showed you an example of a more focused exploration paragraph. Here's an example we discussed in class. That's what I want you to do tonight. Narrow the scope. Focus on one idea for a page and develop it well.
Homework for the standard classes:
1) Prepare for the presentation/debate tomorrow
2) Write 2 pages on potential topics. Write about one craft move/technique and the reason the author is using it for one page. Then choose a different craft move/technique and the reason the author is using it for a second page.
Until next time...
Homework for the honors classes:
1) Prepare for the presentation/debate tomorrow
2) Write an additional body paragraph or two for tomorrow's class
We started looking at craft and goal ideas today. We had a large variety of connections, but then I showed you an example of a more focused exploration paragraph. Here's an example we discussed in class. That's what I want you to do tonight. Narrow the scope. Focus on one idea for a page and develop it well.
Homework for the standard classes:
1) Prepare for the presentation/debate tomorrow
2) Write 2 pages on potential topics. Write about one craft move/technique and the reason the author is using it for one page. Then choose a different craft move/technique and the reason the author is using it for a second page.
Until next time...
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Acuity Today, Author's Craft Tomorrow
Today was acuity testing. I'm looking forward to reviewing the results and seeing the areas we need to focus on for the rest of the year. As a predictor for the upcoming ISTEP, the importance of the Acuity test has been significantly increased.
Honors students should be working on identifying some possible claims for their author's craft essay tonight. In addition, at least two body paragraphs should be attempted. These are dog draft quality but they should demonstrate where you are in the process at this moment. If I were you, I'd start typing my paragraphs. We're moving beyond exploring into essaying. It will be easier to read, share, edit, revise and discuss from this point forward if the work is typed.
Standard students should be writing two pages in their writer's notebooks tonight. You are just starting to explore so consider the following: What craft moves do you see your authors using? What patterns do you see developing with those craft moves? What reasons do you see for why the authors made the decisions they did? This is more stream of consciousness writing, but it should be focused on the craft moves and goals of your short story's author.
In addition, those that have not yet presented should be working diligently on their presentations or debates.
Until next time...
Honors students should be working on identifying some possible claims for their author's craft essay tonight. In addition, at least two body paragraphs should be attempted. These are dog draft quality but they should demonstrate where you are in the process at this moment. If I were you, I'd start typing my paragraphs. We're moving beyond exploring into essaying. It will be easier to read, share, edit, revise and discuss from this point forward if the work is typed.
Standard students should be writing two pages in their writer's notebooks tonight. You are just starting to explore so consider the following: What craft moves do you see your authors using? What patterns do you see developing with those craft moves? What reasons do you see for why the authors made the decisions they did? This is more stream of consciousness writing, but it should be focused on the craft moves and goals of your short story's author.
In addition, those that have not yet presented should be working diligently on their presentations or debates.
Until next time...
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Acuity Tomorrow!
The title says it all. Be ready to acuitize (let's just pretend it's a real word) to the best of your ability tomorrow.
The honors classes are pushing themselves to find the most powerful craft moves their authors have used so that they can write the best author's craft essay they can. Don't settle for something that anyone reading the story can identify easily. Look a little deeper for craft that demonstrates a depth of thought, an insight. You know symbolism is my favorite and there are plenty of examples out there in your stories, but there are plenty of other ways to get deep as well.
For Thursday have one or two or five claims written for your topic. Try to have two-three body paragraphs written out as well. We are in dog draft stage so there is no need to worry too much about nailing everything perfectly. But these paragraphs should be essaying. Our exploring days should be finished for a while.
In the standard class we went over the two charts of craft moves/techniques and the goals of those techniques. Here's a link to the pictured charts. Tonight and tomorrow night you should be exploring the possibilities your stories hold. Write two pages in your writer's notebook about the craft moves you see and the ways the author is using them. Remember, just identifying the craft moves will not be enough. You need to understand why the author uses the moves when he does.
All classes...prepare those debates and presentations.
Until next time...
The honors classes are pushing themselves to find the most powerful craft moves their authors have used so that they can write the best author's craft essay they can. Don't settle for something that anyone reading the story can identify easily. Look a little deeper for craft that demonstrates a depth of thought, an insight. You know symbolism is my favorite and there are plenty of examples out there in your stories, but there are plenty of other ways to get deep as well.
For Thursday have one or two or five claims written for your topic. Try to have two-three body paragraphs written out as well. We are in dog draft stage so there is no need to worry too much about nailing everything perfectly. But these paragraphs should be essaying. Our exploring days should be finished for a while.
In the standard class we went over the two charts of craft moves/techniques and the goals of those techniques. Here's a link to the pictured charts. Tonight and tomorrow night you should be exploring the possibilities your stories hold. Write two pages in your writer's notebook about the craft moves you see and the ways the author is using them. Remember, just identifying the craft moves will not be enough. You need to understand why the author uses the moves when he does.
All classes...prepare those debates and presentations.
Until next time...
Monday, December 8, 2014
Exploring Author's Craft Take II
Two weeks to go before break and there is a lot on our plates.
We all will be taking our 2nd quarter ACUITY test on Wednesday. Review those notes.
We are making our debates and presentations. Go for depth and insight on your arguments. Remember that two to three well developed arguments are much better than 5-7 that scratch the surface. You are given two minutes to argue...use every second of them!
We are making headway with our author's craft essay (a little faster in the honors classes). In the honor's classes you need to be writing 2-3 pages tonight. You are still exploring potential author's craft moves and thinking about why the author is doing what he/she is doing. You are not writing a formal essay. You are just exploring ideas, like the examples I shared with you in class. Here's a link to them. By writing about them, you'll start to see if you have something to work with or not. You should also start thinking about claims!
In the standard class you need to be completing the reflections over the theme essays that were handed back today. If you reflect seriously you will learn, seriously. Here are the prompts.
Standard will jump headfirst into the author's craft essay tomorrow after presentations, and the honors classes will be identifying powerful craft moves and staking claims after their presentations.
Until next time...
We all will be taking our 2nd quarter ACUITY test on Wednesday. Review those notes.
We are making our debates and presentations. Go for depth and insight on your arguments. Remember that two to three well developed arguments are much better than 5-7 that scratch the surface. You are given two minutes to argue...use every second of them!
We are making headway with our author's craft essay (a little faster in the honors classes). In the honor's classes you need to be writing 2-3 pages tonight. You are still exploring potential author's craft moves and thinking about why the author is doing what he/she is doing. You are not writing a formal essay. You are just exploring ideas, like the examples I shared with you in class. Here's a link to them. By writing about them, you'll start to see if you have something to work with or not. You should also start thinking about claims!
In the standard class you need to be completing the reflections over the theme essays that were handed back today. If you reflect seriously you will learn, seriously. Here are the prompts.
Standard will jump headfirst into the author's craft essay tomorrow after presentations, and the honors classes will be identifying powerful craft moves and staking claims after their presentations.
Until next time...
Friday, December 5, 2014
Exploring the Author's Craft Essay
In the honors we had our first presentations today. They came off pretty well over all. A couple of points to improve but overall...success!
Homework tonight for the honors:
Continue to prepare for the debate/presentation if you haven't gone yet. Even though we have selected our Monday presenters, everyone needs to be prepared to go on Monday.
Satire is due Monday. I collected several today. Looking good!
You need to do some writing this weekend. This is not polished-intro-body-conclusion-essay writing. Instead you are doing some exploring. Some stream of consciousness writing. You are exploring your story for possible author's craft topics. Remember you need to select a craft move and then offer a reason why the author chose to use it. As a reminder here is a link to the charts we looked at in class. Remember they are not all-inclusive. Write two pages in your writer's notebook. Good luck.
In the standard classes we looked at a couple sample presentations. They were a little rough so we changed the plan for today and decided to add additional presentation work time. We are going live on Monday and we all need to be ready.
Until next time...
Homework tonight for the honors:
Continue to prepare for the debate/presentation if you haven't gone yet. Even though we have selected our Monday presenters, everyone needs to be prepared to go on Monday.
Satire is due Monday. I collected several today. Looking good!
You need to do some writing this weekend. This is not polished-intro-body-conclusion-essay writing. Instead you are doing some exploring. Some stream of consciousness writing. You are exploring your story for possible author's craft topics. Remember you need to select a craft move and then offer a reason why the author chose to use it. As a reminder here is a link to the charts we looked at in class. Remember they are not all-inclusive. Write two pages in your writer's notebook. Good luck.
In the standard classes we looked at a couple sample presentations. They were a little rough so we changed the plan for today and decided to add additional presentation work time. We are going live on Monday and we all need to be ready.
Until next time...
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Surprise!
Well, the best laid plans...
I was supposed to have a substitute today, but a sub shortage nipped that in the bud at 8:15 this morning. Due to the sudden switch, you had a work day. Quality time was spent working on the presentation and debate along with the satire assignment (due 12-8-2014) in the honors classes.
Tomorrow we begin our presentations. I can't wait to see what we have.
We'll also identify presentation dates for the rest of us...at least for Monday.
Once that is over we will shift to our Author's Craft Essay. More fun writing coming your way.
Until next time...
I was supposed to have a substitute today, but a sub shortage nipped that in the bud at 8:15 this morning. Due to the sudden switch, you had a work day. Quality time was spent working on the presentation and debate along with the satire assignment (due 12-8-2014) in the honors classes.
Tomorrow we begin our presentations. I can't wait to see what we have.
We'll also identify presentation dates for the rest of us...at least for Monday.
Once that is over we will shift to our Author's Craft Essay. More fun writing coming your way.
Until next time...
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Reflection Questions
Honors: Here are the reflection questions. Scroll down to the second group of questions.
Quick Recap:
We talked about the upcoming debate/presentation. It starts Friday, December 5. We have our volunteers from each class. We all need to be ready for Monday. Look on the blog for directions and hand-outs.
Our satire assignment is due Monday, December 8. Guidelines and the rubric are available on the blog.
We started talking about our author's craft essay today. We didn't get as far as I had hoped, and I am going to be at meetings for the next two days, so it will be Friday before we dive in headfirst. Can't wait.
Standard: After a bit of review with Acuity questions, we had the rest of the time to work on our presentations and debates. We have our volunteers and are looking forward to beginning the presentations on Friday, December 5.
Do not have text intensive slides.
Do not read your presentation.
Do have quotes from the book you read to support your arguments.
Do have at least one counterclaim that you refute after sharing.
Do bring passion and strong presentation skills on the day of the event.
Do have notes to help you (just don't read them).
Do prepare. This is worth 50 points.
Until next time...
Quick Recap:
We talked about the upcoming debate/presentation. It starts Friday, December 5. We have our volunteers from each class. We all need to be ready for Monday. Look on the blog for directions and hand-outs.
Our satire assignment is due Monday, December 8. Guidelines and the rubric are available on the blog.
We started talking about our author's craft essay today. We didn't get as far as I had hoped, and I am going to be at meetings for the next two days, so it will be Friday before we dive in headfirst. Can't wait.
Standard: After a bit of review with Acuity questions, we had the rest of the time to work on our presentations and debates. We have our volunteers and are looking forward to beginning the presentations on Friday, December 5.
A few debate/presentation tips for all students:
Do not read your presentation.
Do have quotes from the book you read to support your arguments.
Do have at least one counterclaim that you refute after sharing.
Do bring passion and strong presentation skills on the day of the event.
Do have notes to help you (just don't read them).
Do prepare. This is worth 50 points.
Until next time...
Monday, December 1, 2014
Paper Returns and Debate/Presentation Rubrics
In the first period honors class, we had only 12 students due to the band field trip. We pushed so those of you that were absent will need to get the notes from your peers and complete a bit of work outside of class.
Due to the number of usage errors in the theme papers, we started the honors class with a semi-colon refresher. We discussed independent clauses, coordinating conjunctions, conjunctive adverbs and went through several student examples. If any of this sounds foreign to you, you should be sure to ask questions tomorrow.
We then discussed the theme papers and highlighted a strong one. It wasn't flawless but it demonstrated deep insight into the theme and offered a strong set of insightful arguments.
I returned the papers and the students began their reflections. The reflection is where the real learning takes place because it allows the writer to become more strategic and intentional on future writings. We didn't complete these reflections today so we will start with them tomorrow.
We ran out of time to go over the rubrics for the debates and presentations. I've included a link or them here. You can look them over here and come with any questions tomorrow. Debates/Presentations will begin on Friday, December 5.
Satire assignment will be due Monday, December 8.
We will be starting our Author Essay tomorrow.
In the standard class we reviewed several techniques that authors use to convey a stronger message in their stories. It will be important for you to understand what these techniques are if you are to write an effective author essay. We will be starting our Author Essay tomorrow.
We then went over the rubrics for the debates and presentations. You can find a link to them here. Afterwards, you had time to work with your partner on the debate/presentation. Use your time wisely over the next few days. Our first debate/presentation will be made on Friday, December 5.
See me with questions.
Until next time...
Due to the number of usage errors in the theme papers, we started the honors class with a semi-colon refresher. We discussed independent clauses, coordinating conjunctions, conjunctive adverbs and went through several student examples. If any of this sounds foreign to you, you should be sure to ask questions tomorrow.
We then discussed the theme papers and highlighted a strong one. It wasn't flawless but it demonstrated deep insight into the theme and offered a strong set of insightful arguments.
I returned the papers and the students began their reflections. The reflection is where the real learning takes place because it allows the writer to become more strategic and intentional on future writings. We didn't complete these reflections today so we will start with them tomorrow.
We ran out of time to go over the rubrics for the debates and presentations. I've included a link or them here. You can look them over here and come with any questions tomorrow. Debates/Presentations will begin on Friday, December 5.
Satire assignment will be due Monday, December 8.
We will be starting our Author Essay tomorrow.
In the standard class we reviewed several techniques that authors use to convey a stronger message in their stories. It will be important for you to understand what these techniques are if you are to write an effective author essay. We will be starting our Author Essay tomorrow.
We then went over the rubrics for the debates and presentations. You can find a link to them here. Afterwards, you had time to work with your partner on the debate/presentation. Use your time wisely over the next few days. Our first debate/presentation will be made on Friday, December 5.
See me with questions.
Until next time...
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