Wednesday / Thursday 18 / 19 January

ROUGH DRAFTS of finals should be brought to class on Monday/Tuesday 23/24 January!

Writers wrote to various prompts to begin class: "I remember..." and "I don't remember" chief among them.

Writers were introduced to the "Carrying Poem".

Writers had time to draft.

Writers have their final projects due on the 25th / 26th of January.

Friday, 13 January, 2012 / Tuesday 17 January.

Class today began with announcing the final project for the semester.

Writers are to choose a type of creative writing to complete. They may write a short story, personal essay, play, songs, poem or collection of poem. Pieces should represent the author's best (and concerted) work. All pieces are due on the 25th & 26th of January. Writers will have to share their pieces with the class.

Writers were presented with a variety of photographic and written prompts to help generate ideas and material for the writers.

Wednesday / Thursday 11 / 12 January

Writers in 5th and 6th periods did a SOAPS analysis of an interview with author and Ambassador for Young People's Literature Walter Dean Meyers.

Writers submitted their personal essays. Each writer was asked to read on of their essays aloud.

Tuesday 10 January 2012

The class listened to an interview with author Walter Dean Myers. Writers did a SOAPS analysis of the interview, discussed the interview, and used the previous activities as a prompt.

Writers were reminded of Thursday, 12 January's due date for the personal essay(s).

The class brainstormed writing prompts.

The Final Exam for the semester was introduced. Writers will be required to share a piece of writing that they have not yet shared with the class. These pieces will be due beginning 26 January.

Monday / Tuesday 9 / 10 January

Personal Essay Final Drafts are due Wednesday / Thursday!

In class writers conferenced on their drafts and revised.

There were two writing prompts; one was to choose to choose a different personal essay topic. The second prompt was: "What if someone knew something that no one else knew?"

Thursday / Friday 5 / 6 January

Class began with a discussion of metaphors for life; then we wrote metaphors for ourselves.

The writers analyzed a personal essay called "Burning in Heaven".

Mr. Zartler offered 5 rules for good personal essays:
Find a Lead (unexpected -- but not outrageous)
Say something; "I like puppies," is NOT something.
Provide INSIGHT into yourself or into your world view (which is insight into you)
Reveal something, but NOT that you steal from the blind (show a conviction or a core belief.)
Close; have an end, but don't repeat. Leave an image.

We reviewed a number of ledes.

Finally, writers highlighted the strong lines, and vivid images in their draft(s).

These lines became the prompt for or the skeleton of their next draft.

Tuesday / Wednesday 3 / 4 January 2012

Class began on Tuesday with creating personal time lines for the future. The timeline was used as a prompt; what does this timeline of dreams show about me as a person? This activity culminated in creating a checklist of things to do in order to achieve the goals.

The next part of class was a review of the qualities of good personal essays. The following due dates were established for personal essays: Rough drafts due Thursday and Friday 5/6 January, 2012.

Final drafts due 11/ 12 January, 2012. Writers will write one 250-500 word essay from the list of Common Application Questions, or two (2) 150 word essays from the OSAC Application list.