Thursday, 3/8/2012

Creative Writing

When You Come In

1.      Sign in.

2.     Grab your folder off the back table.

3.     Put your Simile Creation handout in the drawer AFTER you make sure your name is on it.  Turn it in, even if you haven’t finished it, because at least you will get some credit.

4.     Please help pass out papers.

5.     You do NOT need an iBook!  J

6.     Start working right away on your Portfolio and Revision Thinking sheet (inside your folder).  You need to finish it in the first five minutes of class.

Big Ideas for the Week

·       Showing, Not Just Telling

·       Diction—Have that Vocabulary Variety sheet out every day!  J

·       Days Remaining in Term 3 = 7 (not including last two days for finals)

Review—Quickety-Quick!  Open Your Books! (Five minutes)

1.      Difference between “literal” and “figurative” language (p. 52)

2.     Diction (Sandra Cisneros; p. 52)

3.     Vocabulary Variety—We took this page out and put it at the first of the new section of our textbook--we'll be using it a lot with this unit!

4.      Imagery (Emily Bronte)--page 53

5.     Imagery (Hot Chocolate Sentence)--page 54

6.     Similes (p. 54)

Writing Lesson:  Literal versus Figurative Language (Ten minutes)

·       Discuss your answers for the Answerless Questions.

Sharing and Commenting:  Autobio Poems (Twenty minutes)

·       Absolute respect

·       No sarcasm—none

·       Polite attentiveness—look, lean and listen

·       Fill out your sheet carefully!  (daily grade)

WRITING WORKSHOP—You need iBooks! 

Revision:  Simile Poem

1.      Get out your rough draft of this poem (in your manila folder).

2.     Review requirements and rubric for the Simile Poem (handout).

3.     Read over ALL the SIMILE SUGGESTIONS you got from people (Simile Creation Sheet).

4.     How and why do these similes work?  And do they need more detail?

5.     Create your SECOND DRAFT of this poem, which I will read.

6.     Fill out the rubric.

Turn In:  staple as follows, then put in the drawer:

1.      Completed rubric (on top)

2.     Final draft

3.     Rough Draft

4.     Brainstorm List (on bottom)

Conference With Me at My Desk

1.      Portfolio and Revision Thinking Sheet (yellow)

2.     Read me your Ghosts, Monsters, and Bullies poem, if you haven’t yet.

·       What I Have:

o   WWYLN?

o   Possibly Journal #6

o   Three Fifty-Word Stories (1^st Block Only)

·       Pieces We’re Still Going to Write and Create Final Drafts Of (Next Five Days)

o   Simile Poem (second then final drafts)

o   Perfect Moment Memoir (one-two paragraphs)

·       Paper pass-back

·       Folder log in

Advanced Creative Writing

When You Come In

1.      Please sign in.

2.     Please get out your kids’ story envelope.

3.     Circle up the desks!

·       Days Remaining in Term 3 = 6 (not including last two days for finals)

Status Checks

·       Four pages, typed rough draft (short story)—no, we have not abandoned this story!  Tomorrow, you will do an intensive PEER CONFERENCE over your four-page rough draft.

·       Point of View

·       Character

·       Setting

Children’s Story Discussion

1.      Share comments and concerns about yesterday.

2.     Share one illustration from yesterday

3.     Review the rubric for this assignment.

4.     Take stock of where we are in the process.

5.     Go over the work plan for today.  Add and delete as needed.

Date Due for Sharing with Buddies:  Friday, 3/17/2012

Children's Story Work—WE NEED TO MAKE A LOT OF CONCRETE PROGRESS TODAY—that means, you have a lot of physical stuff to show at the end of the block today.

1.      Spend a few minutes reading one or more of your children's books (on top of the bookshelf), to remind yourself of what you are about to create.

2.     Scan any and all pages from your book that are complete.

a.     Maddie and Tiffany (trainee)

b.     Continual rotation (Ryan,

3.     Start typing your story.

4.     Create any other illustrations you need.

5.     If you need something from your buddies, write it on the board, so I can e-mail Mrs. Murphy.

At 12:57:  Print, Trade, Read and Comment!

1.      Print your children’s story.  Make sure it has a title.

2.     Re-read the rubric (fuschia sheet), so you know how (and where) to focus your comments for people.

3.     Trade with anyone!

a.     Leave two comments that would help the writer revise (based on rubric, and your own brain).

b.     Edit as needed.

c.     Sign the story.

4.     Trade it with someone new (2^nd time).

a.     Repeat.

Homework

1.      Kids’ Story:  Revise your children’s story, using the comments you got from your two trades, to a SECOND draft.  Make at least ten changes to make the story stronger.

2.     Your Story:  Make sure you have at least four pages of YOUR short story to peer conference over tomorrow

You will have five minutes at the start of class tomorrow to print both!  Thanks!