WEEK 8 AGENDA: OCTOBER 22-26

FOCUS: Mapping the Short Story

Upcoming Short Story Unit: Students will read a variety of short stories and respond to literary prompts. Classroom discussion and activities will focus on the question: What makes a good short story? Unit will culminate in a student written short story.

Parent Teacher Conferences are November 6th and 7th.

Student Dance is October 26 - this date is going to change.

Final First Quarter Homework Assignment:
Select one assignment from the Short Story Unit Tic Tac Toe.
Submit your typed response by Wednesday, October 31st.

MONDAY
Finish conferencing for narratives
Finish typing final drafts

TUESDAY
Final narrative draft due - turn in two copies
WNB #6 - Student Prompt
Vocabulary List #2

WEDNESDAY
Narrative Unit Quiz
Share Narratives

THURSDAY
Finish sharing narratives
Mapping the Short Story & Short Story Terminology
Begin "Landlady"


FRIDAY
Finish "Landlady"
WNB #6 - New Ending for "Landlady"
Grammar in Context:
Reviewing dialogue punctuation and the dash
Commas and comma splices

WEEK SEVEN AGENDA: OCTOBER 15-19

Foci: Narrative Structure and Essentials of a Story


Weekly Homework: Complete Daybook pages 39-45. Annotate and complete the assignments for “Journey to Topaz” and “The Witch of Blackbird Pond.” This assignment is due on Friday.

MONDAY AND TUESDAY:

Continue drafting Narratives
Rough Draft due at the end of class on Tuesday

WEDNESDAY

Peer Editing x 2
Complete checklist and response sheets for two peers

THURSDAY AND FRIDAY

Continue working on Narrative - final draft due at the end of class on Monday
Daybook Homework due on Friday

Narrative Topics

This is a space for you to share what you are writing your narrative piece about. Simply post your topic under the 'comments' link and make sure to put your name at the bottom. It will be fun for everyone to find out what others are writing on...have fun!!!

WEEK SIX AGENDA: OCTOBER 8-12

Over the next two weeks you will be creating a narrative essay.
A narrative essay is a recollection of an experience. The essay shows how one experience has shaped or formed a part of you. A good narrative essay is focused on a meaningful incident or event. The reader should see, smell taste and feel what happened. A strong narrative has an individual voice that suggests the importance this event has had on you. Usually a narrative utilizes a first person point of view, and uses honest and realistic dialogue where it fits. For the next two weeks, spend one hour per week improving, revising or adding to the writing time provided in class. Time spent interviewing parents or others is a valuable use of this time.

Foci: Narratives & Punctuating Dialogue

Weekly Homework - due on Friday:
I. Read "What's the Worst that Could Happen?" by Bruce Coville
Task: Highlight all the places you find figurative language (imagery, similes, metaphors, onomatopoetic words, sensory details, personification, etc.)
Respond: How does figurative language improve the story?
You need to use two quotes from the text to support your argument. Remember to INTRODUCE YOUR QUOTES AND CITE THE PAGE NUMBERS IN PARENTHESES!!!

II. WNB's due on Friday: Entries 3-5: Bully Sketch, Letter to Kyle Walker, Narrative Pre-writing

Notes:
There is no school on Monday - district wide inservice for teachers


TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY:
Begin Drafting Narratives
1) Finish your pre-writing - WNB#5
2) Begin Typing - 12 point font, double space

Header format:
Name
Period number
Date

You need a title, and page numbers with your last name.

THURSDAY:
Grammar Mini-Lesson: Commas, the dash, and punctuating dialogue

FRIDAY:
WNB's due
Response to "What's the Worst that Could Happen?" due

Keep Typing

WEEK FIVE AGENDA

Foci: Literature and Life & MLA Format

Weekly Homework:

Daybook Pages 15-22 - due Friday
"The Man in the Casket" Responses - Re-do's are due on Friday

NOTES:

We will be MAP testing on October 2nd. Make sure to bring your SSR book to class on these days in case you finish early.

MONDAY:

Review CD, CM, topic and concluding sentences
How to Write a Better Paragraph
Literary Terms, cont.

TUESDAY:

MAP testing
*Bring your SSR book to class*


WEDNESDAY:

Literary Terms Bingo
Vocabulary

THURSDAY:

Expand on definition of narrative
Read sample narratives in Base Groups:
1) Determine what makes them good.
2) Come up with a list of common criteria for strong narratives.

FRIDAY:

Turn in Daybooks
Turn in reworked Casket Responses
MLA Format: Parenthetical References Powerpoint & Thesis Sentence
Narrative Pre-Writing

Nuggets from Miracle Boy Discussion

Scars stay forever…you can’t take them away.

A message could be many things.

The color yellow symbolizes change – maybe that’s why Miracle Boy wears yellow at the end of the story.

I thought of the telephone wire as a timeline for the story.

Miracle Boy seems to become more innocent after his feet are cut off.

The shoes are a symbol of both guilt and forgiveness.

It was interesting that the seasons changed from before the accident to afterward.

You don’t have to relate to the story literally to understand its message.

Guilt and pity have a lot to do with each other.

I think the cigarette hanging from Miracle Boy’s dad’s mouth symbolized his burning hatred for Lizard.

Violence doesn’t solve anything; it just creates more anger.

Maybe the old shoes symbolized Miracle Boy’s old self; cutting them down from the wire revealed his new self.

Sometimes flashbacks interrupt a story.

Miracle Boy seems to be going through a kind of mental puberty.

WEEK FOUR AGENDA

September 24-28

Weekend Homework: Write 10 pieces of commentary on "Miracle Boy." USE YOUR NOTES FROM THE TEXT. You need to write in complete sentences. This is due at the beginning of class on Monday.

Foci: Talking about Literature and Life, Vivid Verbs and Active Voice

Week Three Homework:
Read “The Man In The Casket", a short narrative essay. Create a well-written two-chunk paragraph in response to the following prompt: Describe the narrator’s changing tone in “The Man in the Casket.” (Tone is defined as the author’s attitude towards his or her subject.) You must complete the shaping sheet and a final copy OR a rough draft and final copy. This assignment is due on Friday, September 28th. Type!

Notes

*Thanks for attending Back to School Night!!!

*Each quarter, I expect that you are reading at least three novels or books independently. Record your efforts in the Reading Log in your WNB.

Monday
Turn in 10 pieces of commentary on MB from last Friday.
Explain HW and review "chunks".
Do discussion questions in Base Groups for MB.
Prepare for Graded Discussion on MB.

Tuesday
Graded Discussion on Miracle Boy - double fishbowl
Self Evaluations

Wednesday
Read "Hole". Write 10 CM's as we read. Focus on:
1) use of flashback and memory; 2) The difference between details and confusion vs. the "truth".
WNB#4: Write a letter to Kyle Walker as if you are the main character in “Hole.” Vividly explain exactly what happened that day. Use active verbs.

Thursday
Grammar Mini-Lesson:
Vivid Verbs - Cooking and Sports
Vocabulary Derby - Create and compile VOCABULARY LIST 1.

Friday
Submit "Man in the Casket" Response
WNB#5: (Student written prompt) Write a short biography about the person to your left. Use vivid verbs.
Review Daybooks