Thursday, November 5, 2009
5 November
Writer's who missed Karen's class on Tuesday were assigned a work group for Karen's next class.
Mr. Zartler announced that he would be out Monday and Tuesday of next week.
Writer's shared stories.
7th period met with author Lydia Davis
Writer's reviewed two deadlines for the next unit:
Toast: 19 November
Spirals: 1 December
Resteraunt Review: 17 December
3 November, Karen Karbo
The focusing theme for this lesson was Anger. Each class made a list of things that made them angry.
Karen read a short memoir/ essay piece called "Tar Baby" from Reading, Writing, Rising Up and asked to writers to notice the various kinds of evidence that the author, a former Jefferson H.S. student had used.
Types of evidence included: Personal Experience; Friends' Experience; Stuff that Happened at School; Newspapers; Internet; Movies; Books; the experience of the "Flaneur" (one who walks around philosophizing).
Writers eventually picked, or were assigned to a group. Writer's homework assignment was to search for evidence about why their topic would make them angry, using the suggested sources above, or others.
Writer's who missed Tuesday will be assigned a group in class on Thursday.
2 November
Ms. Davis will be visiting Grant on Thursday, 5 November during 7th period. All writers are invited.
Writers should bring questions for Ms. Davis.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tuesday, 27 October
Reed College Class of 2010(it's half way down the page, the name is above the essay).
Karen pointed out how the essay was a series of anecdotes that kept referring back to one main idea; this is a form memoir can take.
Next the class brainstormed a three column chart: People/Places/Things that are importnat to them. After the brainstorm each writer took on peerson, one place, and one thing to write a sentence about their life. "My Uncle Tony took me on my first trip fishing on the Deschutes River, and I have been a fishing addict ever since. " This sentence then became the starting point for a page of memoir writing.
People: My mom, sisters, 13th cousin of my step father, celbrities, friends, teachers, bad teachers, Zartler, Malone, cousins, Ms. Peoples, counselors, "A turkey", stranger, "frenemies", best friend, ex best friend
Places: School, the streets, house/ home, skate park, Deshutes River, timberline, ampitherater plaground, E.r. Room, doctor's office, o.r. room, California, Sun Valley ID, coffee shopes, Milo's, Turkey, Sauvie Island, hot tub, Starbucks, casino, Rose Garden, sea side
Things: Fishing, skateboarding, chewing gum, rain , car, paper, thai food, shots, Trkey, concerts, poker, cats, shotgun, jeans, pants that are too short, nikes, patches, Popeye's, broccolli, chicken, mashed potatoes, skiing, horses
Morbid Fiction: Final instructions and reminders.
1) Morbid Fiction is due Thursday, 29 October the moment class begins.
2) Most stories will be four or more pages long (but you can write a good story that has fewer pages).
3) Switching tense is a common error that you can avoid.
4) Stories have titles.
5) Your Name (two of them); date; and period MUST be in the upper left hand corner of your paper
6) It’s really due at the beginning of class. If you must print at school, arrive early!
Special Note: School computers are old, and janky. You need to have your story in “.doc” or “.pdf” (or “.rtf”) format to print them from your email. (“.pdf” will print anywhere, but you can’t edit that kind of file.)
If your computer makes .wps or some other kind of file use the “Save As….” command to choose one of the formats that will print here at Grant. You can also get a “.pdf” through the “Print” command.
Monday, 26 October
Friday, October 23, 2009
Friday, 23 October
Key points:
• Each time the speaker changes there is a new paragraph.
• Each new paragraph is indented.
• Quotation marks are used. A comma separates the quote from a tag (he said, Tony replied, etc.)
Morbid Fiction will NOT be accepted with incorrectly presente dialogue.
Writer's worked on their pieces.
Morbid Fiction is due 29 October.
Thursday, 22 October
Writers were given this syllabus for first semester, including major due dates.
Writers showed their drafts to the teacher, and discussed what they were working on revising in their drafts based on their conferences from Monday.
There were mini-lessons on tense, and other issues depending on the class.
Writers were reminded that stories are about things that happend, so are almost always in Past Tense.
