Monday, 6th June

Final Project: Writers are to create and publish an illustrated book for adults in the style of a children's book.

Writers examined models of this project, and the class discussed what is and is not appropriate for school. Writers began drafting ideas.

Class on Monday and Tuesday will be time to draft, write, conference, illustrate, etc.

The final project is due at the beginning of the finals period.

Tuesday, 21 May

Class began with a prompt about "moments of discovery."

Next the class analyzed illustrated books for children created by previous writers in the class. These books were compared to the list of attributes we have developed by analyzing professional models.

Next writers submitted for approval a proposal for their project. The proposal included:
Intended audience
(whether to be read to or by the child)
The utility of the book
the protagonist and conflict
a description of the mood or tone of the book.

Class on Thursday will be focused on drafting and revising; Mr. Zartler will demonstrate some ways to bind books.

Monday 20 May

Review of Illustrated Childrens' Book Assignment:

Full text due 28 May

Completed, bound, illustrated book due by the end of class, Thursday 30 May.

Attributes of Childrens' Books:

Illustrated; have a purpose, lesson, or utility for an adult; simple language; few words; repetitive; child or child like characters; often have personified animals as characters; positive resolutions; colorful.

In class today we focused on memories of food and eating as children.

We reviewed the fact that every book for children is written for a specific audience (age), and is specifically written to either be read by a child or to a child.

Due tomorrow, Tuesday, 21 May:

A specific audience and a specific lesson or utility for the book that you are to write.

This is the assignment for class on Monday, 5 May.

Peer Edit for Nano-, Micro, and Short-Short Fiction

You should have two stories with you today. I would be surprised if after receiving quality constructive criticism from your conferencing team you are not able to improve each of them. After reviewing the questions you will need to answer about your work, discuss the questions with your conferencing partners. Then take turns sharing your current draft and discussing each of the questions with your group. When you are done discussing you may revise your piece and then finish the assignment described below. This assignment is due AT THE START OF CLASS on Tuesday, 7 May.

Nano-Fiction is a story of exactly 58 words. Micro Fiction is a story of between 88 and 100 words. Short-Short Fiction is a story of 250 words or fewer (but more than 175). You are two have two stories, and each of the two must be a different type of story.

Conference Partner 1 ____________________________________________________ (print legibly)

Conference Partner 2 ____________________________________________________ (print legibly)

A) On a separate piece of paper, using complete sentences, paragraphs, etc. answer the following questions about your first very short fiction form:

What form did you choose to submit? Why did you choose this form?

State what you like about your story. Use an example or examples from your text.

State what you think would make your story better (using a quote is nice).

Does your story have an ironic twist? Why or why not? What is your ironic twist? On a scale of 1-10 or other scale of your choosing how much of a twist is it?

What did you do as an author to make the twist not be “out of the blue” but instead something that makes sense once it happens in the story? (Or, how will you revise your story so that the twist does not “come out of the blue” if it currently does?

What other changes will you make as a result of your conferencing? Why will you make these changes, or why will you not make any changes?

State what grade you think you should earn. State reasons for this being an appropriate grade.

B) On a separate piece of paper, using complete sentences, paragraphs, etc. answer the same questions about your second piece:

C) On a separate piece of paper of paper please write a short essay that explains I your own words:

How very short fiction is similar to other kinds of stories and how it is different.

What is it like to write very short fiction for you? Is it easier, harder, different (how?)?

What if anything you learned from this unit on very short fiction?

When complete, assemble your work in this order:

This sheet; first story (shortest piece) then appropriate self evaluation; second story then 2^nd self evaluation; Assignment C.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 29 April - 2 May

Two pieces of short, short fiction are due on Tuesday, 7 May.  Writers are to choose two from the three types we have studied: Nano-Fiction (exactly 58 words); Micro-Fiction between 88 and 100 words; Short Short Fiction fewer than 250 words.

Tuesday and Thursday Junior will be completing their state writing assessment; seniors will have time to revise their short short fiction and their thesis rough drafts. Juniors will receive rough drafts on the 7th. All students will have at least one week from return of their rough drafts to the time their final is due.

Ms. Margolis will guest teach on Thursday and Monday of next week.

Tuesday, April 16th

Today the class generated a list of "stock characters" and a list of modifiers.

Writer's combined one of each and used this character as a prompt.

After sharing, the class returned to the analysis of micro-fiction.

The class was divided into teams; each team was assigned three stories. Each team read and discussed the stories focusing on developing an evaluation for a presentation to the class. Teams discussed Which of their stories were good? Which was best? How each story provided a "twist"?.

We began but did not complete the presentations.

Juniors also rotated to appointments with their counselors for forecasting.

Monday, April 15th

Writers were reminded about their poetry projects. Some have still not completed their self-evaluation of the work; this needs to be done.

The class generated a series of settings:

musty laundromat

messy dorm room

damp basement

sweaty gym

moldy beach house

bland motel room

deserted street corner at noon

moist swamp

abandoned apartment

dark alley

bloody bedroom

vacant gas station

spotless mansion

after an arena rock concert

spooky train stop

Each writer choose one of these locations as a prompt; after writing the class shared.

Next writers received a new set of short, short fiction. The stories were read and discussed.

Rough drafts of the thesis are due on Thursday.

Tuesday, April 9th

Note Change in Due Date: Rough Draft of the Thesis is now due on Tuesday, April 16th!

Writers got back their model sections back today, and they turned in completed outlines. Outlines will be returned on Thursday, April 11th.  All students should bring thesis materials to class on Thursday; juniors will be spending a large part of class time completing ACT Registration.

Mr. Zartler gave a lesson on several common problems students had in making writing their model sections. Writers had time during class to practice fixes to these issues and to conference with Mr. Zartler about them.

Thursday, 4 April

Many writers got there model section back today. The rest will be returned on Tuesday of next week (Monday is a PM block schedule, we will not have class).

Mr. Zartler located the missing writing, if he thought he had misplaced yours you do NOT need to email a copy.

Class today was built around developing the outline for the thesis. The outline is to be turned in on Tuesday. It should include all the notes for the thesis.

Mr. Zartler gave these notes many notes and examples including the following:

How to: It is pretty easy to create the outline for your thesis IF you have completed note cards. If you have 50-75 note cards you are in good shape.

To figure out what your outline will be you will take your note cards and sort them. Begin with your “Working Hypothesis” card. Put this at the top of a large desk or table. Then begin sorting your cards into stacks. Each stack should be on one major theme, topic, or idea that will help support and explain your hypothesis (there should also be a stack off to the side for cards that you are not going to use). You will probably make 2-5 useful stacks at this stage. Each of these main stacks will be a section of your paper.

Once you are done with the first sorting you should decide what order you will present the sections you have created. Put your stacks in the order you will put them in your paper from left to right. Next you should number each and every card in every stack. Take all the cards from the first section that will be in your paper and mark each of these cards with a Roman Numeral “II;” put this number on the far left of the top line of every card in the stack. (Roman Numeral I will be for the introduction to your thesis.) Take the cards for the second section of your thesis and mark all of these cards with a Roman Numeral III. Repeat this until you have written a roman numeral in the upper left corner of EVERY note card you are going to use.

After you have numbered every card according to the section it is going to be, begin the next process of sorting your cards. Take all of the “II” stack and see if you have a card that represents the thesis for this section. If you do not then create a new card that has the thesis for the first section. Add a “A.” to the card just after the “I” (e.g. II. A.). Next, take all of the cards in the stack and sort them into related piles. Depending on the breadth or complexity of this particular section you are either creating piles that represent paragraphs in a section, or you may be creating 2-3 subsections to a section.

Once all of the cards in the section have been sorted into piles, each stack needs receive a capital letter. Cards that will be in the introduction to the section will receive the letter “A.”, cards for the first body section will be labeled I.B., the second body section I.C., etc. If your section has subsections, and not just paragraphs that the capital letters will represent the sub-sections. Cards in subsections will need to be sorted into stacks to create paragraphs.  If a section has sub-sections then paragraphs will receive an arabic number after the capital letter, e.g. II.B.1, II.B.2, etc. Each time you create a stack of cards that is a sub-section, you should create a card that states the thesis of that sub-section. This card will always be the letter “A” that follows the roman numeral. Each time you create a stack of cards that represent a paragraph (generally a stack of 2-5 cards would be appropriate for a paragraph) create a Topic Sentence card for that paragraph. Keep this card on the top of each stack of cards that represents a paragraph.

Repeat the process of sorting cards within each section and subsection until you have labeled every card with a Section, (Sub-section -- if applicable), and paragraph Number or letter.

You may be wondering what all this sorting has accomplished; in short you have created your entire outline by sorting your cards!

Monday and Tuesday, 1 -2 April

There were no April Fool's lessons this year.

Ms. Margolis guest taught and the class read and analyzed several related forms of short fiction.

Writers should get handouts from Mr. Zartler, as writers will be required to write and submit some of these short forms.

Class began with a prompt built around hail and sleet. After writing and sharing the class worked on the model section that is due today.

The rest of class was devoted to checking the model section that was due today. We checked for the following:
Name/ Date/ Period

Appropriate title for the section

Section has a thesis
Introduction relates to thesis working hypothesis.
Introduction mentions the topic of each body paragraph.

Each paragraph has a topic sentence. Each topic sentence connects via a key word to the section thesis.

We labeled the evidence used in the section, then checked that the appropriate "quote pattern" was used to embed and cite the source of the information.
Introduction of quote, " the quote" (citation).
The introduction was checked to ensure it made clear from whom or where the evidence was borrowed.

The explanation following each piece of evidence was checked to ensure that there was a clear connection (through repetition of key words) to the topic sentence of the paragraph.

Students who had model sections with few edits required turned them in. Students who needed to make substantial edits will turn in todays draft along with a revised draft tomorrow at the field trip.

Ms. Margolis will be guest teacher on Monday and Tuesday after break.

Through 19 March, 2013

Sorry for missing a couple of posts. Here's what you need to know!

First: In school "field trip" a Town Hall discussion of Agriculture Policy with Congressman Earl Blumenauer this Friday, March 22nd from 9:25 until 10:25 in the library.

Next, the last couple of classes have focused on thesis work. This Thursday, students have due a "model section" of their thesis. In order to help with that:
Writer's should have turned in 25 completed notes and had their working hypothesis checked and ok'd by Mr. Zartler.

Class has had lessons about sorting note cards into sections, and sorting the cards for a section into paragraphs. The following diagrams help explain this process.  By adding a note to each stack explaining what the cards in the stack explain, the model section that is due on Thursday is practically written!

See you Thursday, and then again on Friday!

Through 19 March, 2012

Sorry -- looks like I skipped some entries.

Class is working on the thesis.
Writer's should have turned in 25 completed notes and had their working hypothesis checked and ok'd by Mr. Zartler.

Class has had lessons about sorting note cards into sections, and sorting the cards for a section into paragraphs. The following diagrams help explain this process.  By adding a note to each stack explaining what the cards in the stack explain, the model section that is due on Thursday is practically written!

Tuesday, 12 March

The class heard a lecture about the difference between most research (based on others research) and making new knowledge by interpreting data for the first time.

The class worked in groups in order to analyze various primary resources in order to create new analyses and new knowledge.

Groups will have additional time on Thursday to complete their analysis, prepare a presentation, and present to the class.

After these presentations there will be some research time available while Mr. Zartler meets with students to check on the 25 notes and working hypothesis that are due.

Thursday, 7 March

Class was spent in the library doing research using online databases. Mr. Zartler checked that each writer had twenty-five questions to research and a research question.

Tuesday, 5 March

Writers began class writing about what intrigues them about the topic of their thesis research.

Next Mr. Zartler gave everyone present a copy of this important guide to the thesis. This packet includes plenty of helpful instructions, warnings, and major due dates including:

Research Topic 5 March

25 Thesis Questions and 50 Note Cards 7 March

25 Notes & Working Hypothesis 14 March

One Section (“Model” Section) 21 March

Complete Outline 8 April

Rough Drafts Due 15 April

Final Draft 6 May (Miss this date and risk failure!)

After reviewing the instructions, Mr. Zartler gave instruction about developing questions for the thesis.

Writers then submitted their research topics to Mr. Zartler for approval and began developing their main research question and other questions to research.

The class will meet in the library on Thursday, 7 March to begin research using online databases.

All students should have a stack of blank note cards, and twenty-five (25) questions to research at the beginning of class.

Monday, 4 March

Writers received instruction from Ms. Battle on "Efficient; Effective; and Ethical Research Strategies." On Thursday of this week, the class will put these skills into practice conducting research for the thesis using online databases in the library.

Writers were reminded that they will need to submit a research topic for approval on Tuesday, 5 March.

Tuesday, 26 February

We began class using fortune cookies as prompts.

Then each writer shared one of the poems that they completed for today.

After sharing and receiving feedback on that poem writers completed a self-evaluation that responds to the following:

1) Describe what you wanted to "say" or express in this poem.

2) What poetic elements or devices and styles did you focus on using and why did you choose these?

3) In what ways is your poem successful? Quote or provide specific examples and references.

4) In what ways could your poem be improved?

5) What changes did you make through the various drafts of your poem, whey did you make these?

6) Write a summary evaluation of your poem.

Writers turned in their poems and drafts.

On Thursday writers will read their second poem, and write a self-evaluation on that piece.

Thursday, 21 February

Class began listing memorable scenes or sights. After discussing cliches writerss had time to free write.

Writers were reminded of up coming due dates:
Monday: at least 2 of the six rough drafts revised and improved.
Tuesday: the six rough drafts; the two additional revised drafts; two final drafts.

Much of class was spent conferencing and revising writing. Mr. Zartler checked that writers had brought six rough drafts.

Tuesday, 19 Febraury

Six rough draft poems are due on Thursday, 21 February.

Two final draft (and four rough draft) poems are due on Tuesday, 26 February.

Class began with making lists of memorable sounds. Writers then chose one of these sounds as a prompt.

We later read "Poetry" by Pablo Neruda, and then used the poem as a prompt for our own writing.

Last semesters final projects were passed out for review by the authors, then collected for portfolios.

Writers had time to conference.

Writers made a list of people and things they loved. Choosing something from this list they then wrote about it for the opening prompt.

Mr. Zartler shared a variety of love poems with the class, and writers then tried emulating one of these poems for a subject of their own love (or hate).

Mr. Zartler reviewed the requirement of having six rough drafts of poems by the 21st. Two final drafts will be due on the 26th (this is an extension to the original due dates).

Monday/ Tuesday 11-12 February

On Monday writers studied and emulated the poem "9th and Hennepin" by Tom Waits.

On Tuesday the prompt was "I am not...."

Then writers read and discussed the poem "Hands." The class considered sound, metaphor, and the structure of the poem.

Writer's then tried to write a poem in the format of a negative statement.

Mr. Zartler retaught a lesson on the structure of feature magazine articles; any writer who did not yet receive credit for annotating the structure of a feature magazine article should bring that to class on Thursday.

1st semester final projects will be returned on Thursday.

February, 4,5, 7

Class this week had two goals.

1) To continue analysis of feature magazines for content and style, and to analyze these articles to better understand the kinds of question that lead to the writing of the article.

2) To begin a poetry unit. The poetry unit will require writers to submit during the week of February 19^th drafts on approximately six assigned poems, plus two revised Final Versions of poems.

On Monday

Class began  with the prompt: “My passion is…”

Writers read and discussed Anne Lamott’s “Brocolli”

Writers read and studied Komunyakaa’s “Slam, dunk, & Hook” 

then writers looked at the writing they did for the prompt today searching for lines that were poetic or inspiring in order to attempt to write a poem in a similar form to "Slam, dunk, & Hook"

On Tuesday

Prompt: “I remember….”

Students received a handout on poetry, please see Mr. Zartler for a copy.

Then

Poetry model for Tuesday “Venus-flytraps” by Komunyakaa

Writers then  read, discussed, and compared the formating  to his “Slam, Dunk, & Hook”

The writers tried to write a poem in the format “I am… formatted poem like Venus-flytraps”

On Thursday the class worked together to annotate an article called "How Chicken Conquered the World". Then using their own feature magazine article were to annotate that article as homework due Monday. Writers who missed this class should come to Tutorial Period on Tuesday the 12th.

The poetry models for the day are available on youtube

Blink Your Eyes Sekou Sundiata

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b6ydMA3tAM

A modern “love” poem (prep for one F-bomb)

"Shallow Thoughts" - Spoken Word Poetry - Pierre Marc Paras

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAoV0YZrBSI

“Verselandia PPS Poetry Slam Winning Poet”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ-sdQzaxLQ

here is another one of Lauren Steele’s work

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMdHBeF6DAA

UPSET Rally Lauren Steele Spoken Word

Writers then tried to write Spoken Word poems.

Thursday, 17 January, 2013

There was a musical prompt about sunshine to begin class.

Next writers worked with peers to identify a "key scene" in their story draft. 

Each writer then had to change one aspect of this scene and revise the scene to see how this change would change the story.

These changes are due on Tuesday.

Tuesday, 14 January, 2013

HOMEWORK:
A complete rough draft of a piece of fiction, or creative non-fiction (possibly humorous) is due on Thursday. 

In class writers wrote to the prompt: "My father doesn't know...."

After sharing the class finished discussing "Chiasmus".

Next students read the piece "Writing About What Haunts Us."

After reading the piece writers wrote a personal response addressing their personal reaction as well as insight into writing that the piece offers.

Writers discussed the piece first in small groups, then we discussed as a whole class.

Monday, 14 January

Reminder: Rough drafts of a semester final project are due on Thursday.

The prompt for beginning class was, "I think I am adopted...."

Writers shared something they had written recently.

Then we read and analyzed the short story "Chiasmus" by Fan Li.

Thursday, 10 January, 2013

Class began with a discussion of the Dave Barry essay "How I Write." From the essay and from other discussions in class we generated a list of kinds of humor:
deprecation; self-deprecation; absurd; close focus / magnification ; exaggeration; taboo; sarcasm iron; melodrama; mis-matching; parody; irony; satire.

The writing prompt for the day was, "That's not funny...."

The class then viewed and analyzed  this comedy routine featuring some famous contemporary comics.

We then viewed a clip of the great comedians Bud Abbot and Lou Costello doing the piece as they did it generations ago.

Next we examined some of the satire of The Onion.

Man Has Alarming Level Of Pride In Institution That Left Him $50,000 In Debt, Inadequately Prepared For Job Market

and a piece based on a very sensitive contemporary issue. Gorilla Sales Skyrocket

Tuesday, 8 January, 2013

Writers began with the prompt: "It was the worst fight ever."

The class then discussed the homework from yesterday, and the story ideas that writers had.

Homework: Read Dave Barry's "How I Write." Write an brief analysis saying whether or not you think the piece is funny, and why or why not.

Monday, 7 January 2013

The opening prompt today was: "Family is...."

Class discussed the story "Garage Sales People".

During discussions today we generated these questions:

A) What makes a story true? and What makes fiction true?

B) What's more important the family you are born with or the family you choose?

C) What kind of stuff is valuable? and What kind of stuff is not valuable?

For homework writers are to write at least one paragraph for each of two of three of the sets of questions. Then, after rereading these paragraphs identify conflicts or other ideas to identify five different possible stories. Bring this to class tomorrow.

College / scholarship personal essays were returned with grades and general comments.

Thursday, 3 January, 2013

Class began with a prompt:

First writers made a column labeled "Who Am I?" Then they created a parallel chart labeled "Who Will  I Be?" This two column chart was the prompt.

Next class did a back writing exercise. Writers randomly choose a picture of a person; first they wrote "Who is this person," then they wrote "Who this person will be." This exercise was repeated with another random photo / character.

Writers are to choose another photo and follow the same process for another character as homework.

Writers received a copy of "Garage Sale People" by Oregon writer Juan Armando Epple, a Chilean immigrant. All writers should have read the story by Monday.

Today's writing prompt was:
"What's new" or "What's new?" or What's new: or What's old: ....

After sharing the prompt, Mr. Zartler reminded writers that their college essays were due before break.

Then he assigned the last major project for 2nd semester. Writers will have to turn in a finished piece of creative fiction or creative non-fiction on January 24. A rough draft of this piece is due January 17th.

Next Mr. Zartler introduced the thesis. All students are responsible for a thesis in Grant English classes. In Creative Writing these research papers are modeled on feature magazine articles. Feature magazines are magazines like National Geographic; Smithsonian, Bon Appetit, Popular Science; Popular Mechanics, etc.

Mr. Zartler promised students that if they followed his procedures for researching and writing their thesis that they would pass. We will begin the thesis in early February.

HOMEWORK: Everyone is to bring one feature magazine to class on Tuesday, January 8th.

HOMEWORK: A list of 20 things that you want to know.