Writing 1 Class Notes -- October 27 (Week 9)

Greetings!

We had a good and productive class this week.  My hope is that our Fall Break refreshed everyone.

I shared with the class my personal dislike for Halloween.  Even as a little kid I didn't like the masks, trick or treating, etc. that are associated with this day.  I also don't give much attention to the present cultural fascination for zombies, vampires, or werewolves.  (I've got better things to set my mind upon.)

That said, I took my Quick Write idea from the list of suggestions from the class:  What has been your scariest moment?  Their responses included carnival rides, fears of certain rooms when they were little, and situations outside in the dark.  

Our Words of the Day:

icon -- fr. Greek, eikon, likeness, image -- a picture or image; a person or thing that is revered or idolized

idee fixe -- fr. French, "fixed idea" -- an obsession or idea that you can't get out of your head

id est -- fr. Latin, "that is" -- that is to say, in other words -- commonly abbreviated i.e.

exempli gratia -- fr. Latin "for the sake of example" -- for example, such as -- commonly abbreviated e.g.

idiot savant -- fr, French, "learned idiot" -- a person with learning disabilities who has exceptional skills in a particular area

The class has settled into a good routine; while we may not spend the same amount of time on each area from week to week, we almost always have the same agenda.  Following our beginning of class activities, we go through any of the homework that I passed back while they were busily writing their Quick Writes.  If necessary, we go over any homework, especially grammar, that might have cause any problems.

Students handed in the rough drafts of their Examples/Illustrations Essays. They also handed in with these their Pre-Writes.  If for any reason a student can't hand these in at class, he/she can e-mail it to me. I will hand them back next week and the Final Drafts are due November 10.

We learned about Adverbs during our Parts of Speech presentation this week.  Our three teachers had a good video that they had put together.  We heard about Adverbiology and Adverbs, Inc.  They also had two worksheets that the students were able to finish in class.  (The video will be posted on the blog.)

We are starting a new book -- Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol (ACC). Some students have already read this book, and many have seen some kind of performance.  As part of the introduction, we discussed the literary terms allegory and episodic narrative.  They were given a handout with introductory information, a study guide, and a list of vocabulary words.  Like our work with Animal Farm, students can choose from a list of critical thinking questions with each reading assignment.  Unlike Animal Farm, rather than finding their own vocabulary words, students have a list of words to choose from.  Also, instead of a worksheet to fill out, they are to put their vocabulary words on the same sheet that they answer the study guide questions.

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Read Stave One of ACC

-- Read the Introduction handout

-- Answer 3 Study Guide questions

-- Write out definitions for 4 Vocabulary words

-- No Grammar -- finished in class

-- No Writing

Links for this Week

Class Notes

Adverbs Video

Introduction to A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol Study Questions

A Christmas Carol Vocabulary

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs. Prichard

A Christmas Carol Vocabulary

Choose 4 words from each Stave to define (and find any Latin or Greek roots, naturally!) 

Note:  You may choose up to 5 extra words to do for extra credit.

Stave 1	Stave 2	Stave 3	Stave 4	Stave 5
Unhallowed Entreaty Impropriety Multitude Executor Trifle Resolute Tremulous Legatee Implore Lunatic Rapture Garret Covetous Replenish Credentials Congeal Misanthropic Solitary Intimation Ominous Caustic	Plaque Reclamation Expend Tumult Recumbent Jocund Transition Capacious Tunic Instantaneous Loath Deftly Brigands Lustrous Latent Condescension Corroborate Pillaged Conducive Laden Decanter Aspiration	Consolation Glee Subsequently Withered Seething Demurely Prematurely Goblets Demeanor Conspicuous Shabby Exulted Grog Compulsion Swarthy Ubiquitous Blithe Abyss Intricate Bilious Ensued Dismal	Repute Flaunting Beseech Inexorable Disgorge Repent Relents Replete Reek Scanty Faltered Foreshadow Repulse Slipshod Revered Essence Intercede Dwindle Beetling Avarice Tarry Strive	Gruel Recompense Jiffy Hearty Peals Portly Feign Sealingwax Jovial Pang Waistcoat Illustrious Extravagance Loitered Sidled Endeavor Amends Giddy Poulterer Array Borough Dispelled

A Christmas Carol Study Questions

Stave One Questions ~

1. What is the simile in the second paragraph?

2. Why does the narrator make such a point of Marley’s being dead?

3. Why doesn’t the weather affect Scrooge?

4. How is Scrooge’s nephew different from Scrooge?

5. What do the “portly gentlemen” who come in after Scrooge’s nephew leave want?

6. How does the knocker change?

7. Why does Scrooge like the darkness?

8. What has Marley’s ghost been doing since his death?

9. What is the warning that Marley gives Scrooge?

10. Why are the phantoms upset?

Stave Two Questions ~

1. What was the strangest thing about the way the spirit looked?

2. What is Scrooge’s initial attitude toward the spirit?

3. What is different about Scrooge when he says “Remember it? I could walk it with a blindfold?”

4. Who is Scrooge talking about when he says “Poor boy!”

5. What does it tell us about Scrooge when Dickens observes“a rapidity of transition very foreign to his usual character.”?

6. When Fan comes to pick Scrooge up, we learn a reason why Scrooge may have turned out the way he did. What is this reason?

7. What kind of people are the Fezziwigs?

8. Who is Belle and why was she important to Scrooge?

10. How does Scrooge try to "extinguish the light"? Does he succeed? What is the light a symbol of?

Stave Three Questions

1. How is what Scrooge is thinking as he lies in bed waiting to see if the spirit appears different from the previous chapter?

2. What does the spirit look like?

3. What is this ghost’s personality like?

4. How has Scrooge’s attitude toward his being

6. What are three significant things we learn about the Cratchit’s?

7. How is Scrooge affected by seeing the family?

Stave Four Questions ~

1. What does the spirit of Christmas future look like?

2. What is this spirit’s personality like?

3. How does Scrooge feel about this spirit?

5. What are some of the words Dickens uses to create the mood of the paragraphs that follow?  What is this mood?

6. When Scrooge asks the phantom to let him "see some tenderness connected with a death,” What does the ghost show him?

7. What is the lesson Scrooge learns in this stave that he had not learned before? Why is this stave needed when Scrooge’s attitude had already changed so much.

Stave Five Questions ~

1.        Describe Scrooge when he first awoke on Christmas morning.

2.       Whom does Scrooge encounter?  How does he act?

3.       Compare Scrooge’s interactions from Stave 1 and his interactions in Stave 2.

4.       Explain the role of empathy in Scrooge’s conversion.

5.       How were the three spirits similar?  How are they different?

Introduction to A Christmas Carol

  

            A Christmas Carol is a fairly straightforward allegory built on an episodic narrative structure in which each of the main passages has a fixed, obvious symbolic meaning. The book is divided into five sections (Dickens labels them Staves in reference to the musical notation staff--a Christmas carol, after all, is a song), with each of the middle three Staves revolving around a visitation by one of the three famous spirits. The three spirit-guides, along with each of their tales, carry out a thematic function--the Ghost of Christmas Past, with his glowing head, represents memory; the Ghost of Christmas Present represents charity, empathy, and the Christmas spirit; and the reaper-like Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come represents the fear of death. Scrooge, with his Bah! Humbug! attitude, embodies all that dampens Christmas spirit--greed, selfishness, indifference, and a lack of consideration for one's fellow man.

from Victorian Age

http://www.guidanceassociates.com/victorianage.html

            The Victorian Age is a very elastic term used to denote an extremely dynamic period. Although the Victorian Age roughly spans most of the 19th century (from 1832 to 1900), it is not totally confined within these dates. The rumblings of change to come were felt for some time before 1832, and changes did not stop occurring as soon as Queen Victoria died in 1901. However, lifestyles did change more dramatically during this period than ever before in English history. England was suddenly pulled together by the railways, the penny post, and the rest of the newly constructed apparatus of fast, cheap communication. The country became unified in a way never before possible.

            Prior to the middle of the 19th century, education had been reserved for the nobility and those who could afford to send their children to exclusive private schools. Even if the poor had been able to enter their children in these schools, they would not have done so. A child of six was expected to start bringing home money to help support his entire family; he would be put to work as soon as possible. In those days work meant twelve to sixteen hours a day of grueling, hard labor in conditions that would today be considered totally unacceptable. There was no time spare for education. However, with the appearance of the modern public school system it became fashionable and necessary for the children of the lower classes to at least learn the rudiments of the 3 R’s. With these assets, they could go on to vocational apprenticeships in one of the trades.

            Great nationalistic spirit developed during the Victorian Age, and England struggled to place herself at the top of the international scene. At the time of the Great Exhibition of 1851, England was influential in many countries. By the end of the Victorian Age, the British Empire had reached the high point of its development.

            During this period the extreme poverty of the lower working classes was pointed up by the increasingly congested living conditions of city life. While the nobility still hung onto its money and its social barriers, and an individual’s birthright tended to be the deciding factor of his future, the rapidly expanding middle classes made steady inroads. The middle-class novelist, Charles Dickens, did more than any writer before or since to expose the sufferings of the working class. His books found their way into the drawing rooms of the titled and wealthy, and social consciousness began to rise. Emancipation of women and the rights of children became popular cases for the previously sheltered nobility. They brought their money and influence to bear in demanding better working conditions and broader education for the working class. A kind of feverish sentimentality of guilt gripped everyone.  The debt owed to Charles Dickens for the many reforms of the Victorian Age is certainly not a small one.

Adverbs Video -- Adverb, Inc.

Below is the video presented by the Adverbs group for our Parts of Speech presentations.  Good work!

Writing 1 Class Notes -- Week 8 (October 13)

Greetings!

Can you believe that we're halfway through the fall semester?  Where does the time go?  So far, I feel that we've had a productive class, and I'm enjoying this group of students.

I had overheard students talking about having lots of homework and looking forward to the fall break.  So, for the Quick Write, I asked them to either write about their favorite stress-relief strategy or to tell what they do to keep from getting stressed.  Music, food, exercise, naps, and prayer were key points of their coping strategies.

Our Words of the Day were words that might be considered "red herrings," words that don't really mean what they might first appear to mean.  Apparently, the origin of the phrase is connected to training hunting dogs.  (Check this Wikipedia article.)

Potatory -- fr. Latin, potatorius, drinkable -- of, relating to, or given to drinking

Gyrovague -- fr. Latin gyro , circle + vagus, wandering about -- a vagrant monk who wandered from monastery to monastery 

Discommode -- fr. French dis, "un" + commoder, convenience -- to inconvenience, disturb, trouble  (None of the students knew any meanings of commode, i.e. a small cupboard or a portable toilet, so they didn't see how this was a red herring)

Friable -- fr. Latin friabilis, to crumble -- easily crumbled or reduced to powder

I handed back the Final Drafts of the Personal History essays today.  They did a great job on these.  They are currently working on their Extended Definition essays.  A couple of students mentioned having trouble coming up with a good topic, so we discussed this.  Below are a couple of online resources that might be helpful.  The pre-writing part of this paper was to be done this week, but is not to be handed in until next week.   Because the essays are getting more complicated, this extra week gives students time for brainstorming, organizing, and researching.  The rough drafts are to be handed in on October 27, the week following our break.

We had a good presentation about Adjectives this week from Zoe, Dillon, Sofia, and David.  They had a video, an activity, and a worksheet for the students.  We even came up with a new word: articladjectives.  All articles (a, an, the) are also adjectives because they help describe and explain nouns.

We finished our time together this week with a Final Test for the book Animal Farm. Most of the students finished the test before leaving.  It was a fairly straightforward multiple choice test.  When we meet again in two weeks we will start our next book, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

Assignments for Next Week:

-- No reading

-- No grammar (we did it in class)

-- Rough Draft of Extended Definition Essay

Links for this Week

Class Notes

60 Writing Topics for an Extended Definition

Extended Definition Instructions

Have a great 2 weeks!

Blessings,

Mrs. Prichard

Writing 1 Class Notes -- Week 7 (October 6)

Belated Greetings!

Best case scenario the Class Notes get sent out Thursday evening.  Worst case scenario they don't get sent out at all.  This week, we're somewhere in the middle.

This week for the Quick Write I asked the students to give me some ideas for future Quick Writes.  I often choose our weekly beginning of class writing with something that is current or somehow related to the date.  Or I may hear something fascinating on the radio on the drive to class.  I was sure that the students had some great ideas lurking in those wonderful brains of theirs.  I'll put together a list from their suggestions and pull from that list throughout the year.

Our Words of the Day:

Caftan -- fr. Persian qaftan -- a long garment having long sleeves and tied at the waist by a belt, worn under a coat in the Middle East.

En clair -- fr. French, en clair, in clear -- in ordinary language; clearly spoken

Ça m'est égal -- fr. French meaning "That's equal to me" -- It doesn't matter; "Whatever"

Students handed in the Final Drafts of their Personal Essays, which means that it's time to start the next round of essays.  This next essay is an Examples/Illustration Essay.  We took some time to brainstorm what this essay might look like, especially how to develop a thesis statement.  As I've told the students many times, writing the thesis statement for an essay can often be the hardest part.  When a student has a good thesis statement, the organization and direction for the paper fall nicely into place.  

This paper also marks the shift from a two-step process in writing to a three-step process -- I'm adding an additional step, Pre-writing.  The essays are becoming more complicated, so students need to take more time to gather information and to organize.  The pre-write can look like an outline, mind map, brainstorming list, etc.  This is also a week to do any research for their topics.  NOTE:  The pre-write homework should be done this week but doesn't need to be handed in until the following week when they hand in the rough drafts.

We had a great presentation this week about Pronouns from a well-prepared group of students.  They had a poster board, group activity, and homework.  I really enjoy watching and listening to students giving presentations.  Next week, the Adjectives group will be presenting.

We've finished reading Animal Farm, and I handed out a quiz for them.  One of the questions that I asked the class had to do with the idea of a sequel for the book.  What would it look like?

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Finish reading Animal Farm -- in class test next week

-- Finish Vocabulary Worksheets, due next week

-- Pre-Write for Examples/Illustration Essay

Links for this Week:

Class Notes (with pictures!)

Examples/Illustrations Essay

Have a great week!

Blessings,

Mrs. Prichard

Example/Illustration Essay

Definition

In an Example or Illustration Essay, the writer uses examples or illustrations to develop a general idea or prove a general statement.  While the general idea may be abstract, intangible, or theoretical, the examples and illustrations should be specific and concrete.  To clarify, an illustration is an extended, developed example.

            Examples help readers understand and see more clearly abstract ideas or unfamiliar situations.  Illustrations paint an even more detailed picture.  Examples are also more memorable.

Organization of an Example/Illustration Essay

Example/ Illustration Essays begin with the general or abstract idea, which is then explained and supported using individual examples.  Each paragraph should be a specific example or illustration that explains, describes, or clarifies your main idea.  You may choose to use several short examples or one long illustration.  (Note:  Parables are illustrations of spiritual principles.)

Thesis Statements

The thesis statement is the general statement that the examples or illustration are intended to support or illustrate.  For example, the thesis “My father is a generous man” would lead the writer to give specific details about specific instances of generosity.

Tips on Writing

– Decide on the general statement or idea you would like to support or illustrate; formulate a tentative thesis or main idea statement.

– Decide whether you will use several short examples or one (or more) longer illustrations.

– If using several examples, determine which order will be most effective (chronological or by importance).  Making a list helps.

– If using one or more longer illustrations, give as much detail as possible.

– Avoid giving disconnected examples that do not tie directly into your thesis.

Essay Guidelines

– Due dates:  Pre-Write is due October 13; Rough Draft due October 27; Final Draft due November 10

– Essay length:  400 - 700 words (1 – 2 pages)

– Rough drafts can be typed or hand-written, but must be double-spaced.

– Final draft format:

– Typed (if this is not possible, please let me know)

– 1 inch margins

– Name and date on the upper right hand corner

– Number the pages on the lower right hand corner

– Title centered above the text of the essay

Writing 1 Class Notes -- Week 6 (September 29)

Greetings!

Happy October 1!  Fall is definitely here!

This Thursday was National Coffee Day, and since coffee is one of may favorite "comfort foods," I asked the students to write about their "comfy and cozy" place for the Quick Write.  They shared what that place looked like and felt like. Being comfortable and cozy also included choice foods, beverages, books, and/or TV.

Our Words of the Day were chosen from my foreign phrases book, with the exception of a word that a student brought in:

Braggadocious -- literally, this word means excessive and obnoxious sniffing; figuratively it describes arrogant and boastful behavior

Caldera -- fr. Latin, caldaria, a cauldron -- a large, basin-like crater on a volcano

Minyan -- fr. Hebrew minyan, number -- traditionally, the minimum number of males (10) required to conduct a religious service

Following our beginning of class activities, we discussed the Rough Drafts that were handed back.  I asked students to look at their own essays and find the first error/mistake that was marked.  We used these as a starting point to discuss matters of grammar, usage, and writing.  Going forward, I plan to use their own writing to teach about sentences and writing strategies.  They should keep all of the homework for this class until the end of the year.  (Note:  Remember to hand in your rough draft along with the Final Draft of your Personal Essay.)

We are now off and running with the student-led presentations about the Parts of Speech.  This week the Nouns group gave us a good explanation and some in class activities.  We learned about proper, common, concrete, abstract, singular, and plural nouns. The group assigned some homework that we were able to finish in class, which the presenters will correct and hand back.  Great job, Nouns Group!  Next Week -- Pronouns:  Linnea, Jade, Christanna.

Finally, we ended our class time with a discussion of our book, Animal Farm.  During these discussions, I like to ask those critical thinking types of questions that start with "Why" and "How."  This week we talked about why the "Beasts of England" song had been forbidden and how the motivations had changed.  We also highlighted examples of lies presented as truths and how that could even happen.  For next week, students are to pick one of the primary characters and give 7 specific traits.  This can be in list form with singular words, phrases, or sentences; it does not need to be in essay/paragraph form.

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Read Chapters 9 & 10

-- 3 Vocabulary Words

-- 7 Character Traits

-- Grammar:  none

-- Final Draft of Personal Essay

-- Continue working on Presentations

Links for This Week:

Class Notes (with pictures from this week's presentation)

It's a beautiful weekend.  Enjoy!

Blessings,

Mrs. Prichard