Writing 1 Class Notes -- Week 5 (February 13)

Greetings!

We covered a lot of material this morning in class. We started with a Quick Write, which was to be a "Literary Love Letter." This is a traditional assignment for the class around Valentine's Day.  They could choose a part of speech, some punctuation, an author, or anything else literature of writing related. I like to post these on the blog, so students could let me know if they would like theirs published. (There are links below with "love letters" written in past Writing 1 classes.)

Our Words of the Day included 2 choices from the students and one from me.  

hoc monumentum posuit -- Latin,  hoc monumentum posuit, "this monument built/erected" -- The abbreviation H.M.P. is often added at the base of a statue or monument denoting who built it or who commissioned the building.

larmoyant -- French, larmoyant, "tearful" -- tearful, maudlin, sentimental

eponym -- Greek, epi, "called after," nym, "named"   -- a person after whom a discovery, invention, place, etc., is named or thought to be named.  Examples:  Kleenex, chapstick, sandwich, cardigan.

Students handed in the final drafts of their Narrative Essays.  As soon as we finish one Writing assignment, we start the next essay.  Their next essay is probably the hardest one of the year.  This next assignment is to write a literary analysis essay either about a theme or a character from our book The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  We discussed themes and characters in the book and did some brainstorming about possible ways to organize an essay of this type.  Students find this essay hard because they don't get to choose the topic and because they might not have enjoyed the book.  As students were reading the book they were to be filling in charts for a theme or a character.  This in a sense was to be their research for this paper.

Following this discussion/explanation, we did some good Grammar work.  We're working on sentence structures, and one difficulty that I feel students have is isolating the subject nouns, predicate nouns, direct objects, and indirect objects; prepositional phrases with their objects often confuse students.  With this in mind, we spent last week and this week reading sentences and pulling out the prepositional phrases.  After some work on prepositional phrases, we looked at N-LV-N and N-LV-Adj sentences.

Next week we have a break from CHAT classes, so the assignments listed below are for February 27.

Have a great two weeks!

Mrs. Prichard

Assignments for February 27

-- Read Chapters 9 & 10 (This finishes the book)

-- 4 Study Guide Questions

-- Pre-Write for Themes or Character essay

-- 2 Sentence Patterns Worksheets (N-LV-N and N-LV-Adj)

Links for This Week

Class Notes

Writing 1 Spring Google Drive folder

Writing 1 Spring Words of the Day

Character Essay

Themes Essay

Sentence Patterns -- N-LV-Adj

Sentence Patterns -- N-LV-N

Theme Essay

Definition

The theme is the major idea the author is trying to “get across.”  The themes of a literary work are the underlying key ideas or the generalizations it communicates about life. At times, the author’s theme may not agree with your own beliefs, but even then, if it is skillfully written, the work will still have a theme that illuminates some aspects of true human experience.  A Theme Essay explores these ideas and helps the reader gain a greater understanding of the book as a whole.   

Remember that there may be various themes in any one piece of literature.  The following are ways by which a theme may be revealed:  direct statements of the author, direct statements by the characters, dramatic statements by characters, imagery, characters representing ideas, and the entire work representing ideas.

The body of the essay will center on your objective, which is (1) to define the idea, and (2) show its importance in the work.” 

Questions for Theme Analysis

–  What important idea or theme does this literary work convey? Think about the topics of some of your journal entries. What questions do the journal prompts raise about human nature?

–  What do characters do that helps illustrate this idea?

–  What do characters say that helps to illustrate this idea?

–  What events take place in the work that help to illustrate this idea?

–  Are there any recurrent images or clusters of images? Do these images support the idea or theme that you find in the work?

–  What does the narrator say that helps to illustrate this idea?

Writing your Essay

            First, pick one theme to write your analysis.  Next, you need to form your thesis statement. After deciding on a thesis, you need to form a rough outline using the provided example. You will need to provide a number of examples from the book to illustrate the theme, which will be the components of your three body paragraphs. You will need three quotes per body paragraph, so nine quotes all together. Don’t rely on the quotes to explain themselves. You need to lead into the quote, and also comment on the quote after you quote it. You need to effectively show how the quote helps to prove your point.

Essay Guidelines

– Due dates:  Pre-Write due February 27; Rough Draft due March 5; Final Draft due March 19.

– Essay length:  600 – 800 words (between 3 and 5 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

Character Essay

 Definition

            The purpose of a character analysis is to provide information and understanding about a character from a piece of literatures.  Writers use supporting details from the book to back up their opinions and evaluations about the character.        

Thesis Development

            Your thesis should state a stand or opinion about the character you have chosen.  Your thesis can be concerned with the character’s weaknesses or strengths, primary motivations, inner qualities, interactions with others,

Organization

            Your essay should follow the standard structure with an introduction, body, and conclusion.  In the body, the paragraphs should cover the points that you will use to support your thesis.

Tips on Prewriting

·         Survey all the details you have collected and group them in clusters that reveal some similar qualities.

·         In a single sentence, sum up what the character is like.  This summary can be the thesis or controlling idea for your entire essay.

·         Select the details that help support, explain, and illustrate your thesis.

·         Pull from your chart with material you’ve collected.  Use effective quotes and examples.

·         Plan your introduction and conclusion.

Tips on Writing the Introduction

·         The opening paragraph of your essay should introduce who this character is, briefly explaining what his/her role is in the story and why you have chosen to analyze this personality. 

·         Define your character in terms of whether he is the protagonist (hero), antagonist (villain), supporting player or a catalyst.  A catalyst character often does not participate directly in any of the action, but instead fulfills the role of inspiring the lead character.

·         Possible information to include in your introduction:

–   Make some general comments about the subject matter of the thesis.  Give background information.

–   Mention personal experiences and attitudes you and your readers might share about the character.  Do you think other people have the same opinion about this person.

–   Include thoughts about the author.  Does his life give any clues to this character?

–   Write a few general sentences about the story.

Using Quotations

·         This type of paper requires that you use quotations from the story to support your points.  Be sure that you quote accurately and that your reason for quoting is clear.  Be careful not to use long quotes for your essay will merely repeat the words of the story.

  

Writing the Conclusion

·         The final paragraph should not introduce a new idea because it cannot be developed.  The conclusion should smoothly bring the reader back to the thesis of the essay.  It is the final comment you make and is your last chance to drive home your main idea

Essay Guidelines

– Due dates:  Pre-Write February 27; Rough Draft due March 5; Final Draft due March 19.

– Essay length:  600 – 900 words (between 3 and 5 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

Sentence Patterns -- N-LV-N

NAME:  ________________________________

The Equation for a Sentence:

     Subject (Noun)

     Verb

+   Complete Thought

     SENTENCE

Every complete sentence (independent clause) must have these components.  Additionally, all sentences start with capital letters and have an end punctuation mark. (i.e. period, question mark, exclamation mark.)

Predicate Nouns Sentence Pattern:  N-LV-N

This sentence pattern uses a linking verb (LV) with the subject noun to a noun in the predicate.  The linking verb acts as an equal sign (=) between the subject and the noun in the predicate.

Exercise #1:

In the chart below, fill in the boxes with a subject noun and a predicate noun.  The two nouns should be different words/expressions for the same idea/item.  Put a single word in each box.

Subject Noun	Predicate Noun
EX:  book	dictionary
EX:  season	summer
1.
2.
3.

Using your subject nouns and a predicate nouns from the chart above, build a sentence by adding a linking verb.  You can add adjectives if you like.  Below your sentence, write an equation with the subject and the predicate noun.  Do not add any more subject nouns, direct objects, or verbs.

EX:  The big book was a dictionary.                                       My favorite season is summer.

         Book = dictionary                                                           season = summer

1.

2.

3.

Exercise #2:

In the chart below, fill in the boxes with a subject noun and a predicate noun.  The two nouns should be different words/expressions for the same idea/item.  Put a single word or phrase in each box.

Subject Noun	Predicate Noun
EX:  class	Basic Composition
1.
2.

Using your subject nouns and a predicate nouns from the chart above, build a sentence by adding a linking verb.  Add adjectives and prepositional phrases.  Below your sentence, write an equation with the subject and the predicate noun.  Do not add any more subject nouns, direct objects, or verbs.

EX.  My favorite class on Wednesday is Basic Composition.

            Class = Basic Composition

1.

2.

Exercise #3:

In the chart below, fill in the boxes with a subject nouns and a predicate nouns.  The two nouns should be different words/expressions for the same idea/item.  Put more than one word if the box is labelled “Compound” and put a single word if the box is labelled “Simple.” 

Compound Subject Nouns	Simple Predicate Nouns (plural)
EX:  squirrels, rabbits	animals
1.
Simple Subject Nouns (plural)	Compound Predicate Nouns
EX: cars	Honda, Toyota
2.

Using your subject nouns and a predicate nouns from the chart above, build a sentence by adding a linking verb.  Add adjectives and prepositional phrases.  Below your sentence, write an equation with the subject and the predicate noun.  Do not add any more subject nouns, direct objects, or verbs.

EX.  The happy little squirrels and rabbits are animals in my backyard.

The new cars on the lot were the Honda and the Toyota. 1.

2.

Sentence Patterns -- N-LV-Adj

NAME:  ________________________________

The Equation for a Sentence:

     Subject (Noun)

     Verb

+   Complete Thought

     SENTENCE

Every complete sentence (independent clause) must have these components.  Additionally, all sentences start with capital letters and have an end punctuation mark. (i.e. period, question mark, exclamation mark.)

Predicate Nouns Sentence Pattern:  N-LV-ADJ

This sentence pattern uses a linking verb (LV) with the subject noun to an adjective in the predicate.  The linking verb acts as an equal sign (=) between the subject and the adjective in the predicate.

Exercise #1:

In the chart below, fill in the boxes with a subject noun and a predicate noun.  The two nouns should be different words/expressions for the same idea/item.  Put a single word in each box.

Subject Noun	Predicate Adjective
EX:  book	boring
EX:  movie	exciting
1.
2.
3.

Using your subject nouns and predicate adjectives from the chart above, build a sentence by adding a linking verb.  You can add adjectives if you like.  Below your sentence, write an equation with the subject and the predicate noun.  Do not add any more subject nouns, direct objects, or verbs.

EX:  The big book was boring.                                    The movie seems exciting.

         Book = boring                                                    movie = exciting

1.

2.

3.

Exercise #2:

In the chart below, fill in the boxes with a subject noun and a predicate adjective.  The adjectives should describe the noun in the box.  Put a single word or phrase in each box.

Subject Noun	Predicate Adjective
EX:  dinner	delicious
1.
2.

Using your subject nouns and predicate adjectives from the chart above, build a sentence by adding a linking verb.  Add adjectives and prepositional phrases.  Below your sentence, write an equation with the subject and the predicate noun.  Do not add any more subject nouns, direct objects, or verbs.

EX.  My dinner is delicious.

            Dinner = delicious

1.

2.

Exercise #3:

In the chart below, fill in the boxes with a subject nouns and a predicate nouns.  The two nouns should be different words/expressions for the same idea/item.  Put more than one word if the box is labelled “Compound” and put a single word if the box is labelled “Simple.” 

Compound Subject Nouns (plural)	Simple Predicate Adjective
EX:  squirrels, rabbits	frisky
1.
Simple Subject Noun	Compound Predicate Adjectives (plural)
EX: car	new, economical
2.

Using your subject nouns and a predicate nouns from the chart above, build a sentence by adding a linking verb.  Add adjectives and prepositional phrases.  Below your sentence, write an equation with the subject and the predicate noun.  Do not add any more subject nouns, direct objects, or verbs.

EX.  The happy little squirrels and rabbits seem frisky in the spring.

The cars on the lot were new and economical. 1.

2.

Writing 1 Class Notes -- Week 4 (February 6)

Greetings!

We had a full day in class, and it was made better by the sun shining in the windows.  (We've had a number of weeks when the room feels darker because the sun is hiding behind clouds..)

I chose our Quick Write today, and used the National Days Calendar for the prompts.  Today is National Frozen Yogurt Day, so students could express opinions about frozen desserts; tomorrow is National Send a Friend a Card day, and students could write a letter.  Because writing letters is becoming a lost art, I've offered an incentive for them to actually send a letter.  I had envelopes ready, and any student who brings it back next week addressed with a letter sealed in it will get extra credit points.  (Note:  Students can also mail it from their homes or hand deliver it, but they need to take a picture of it as proof.)

I also chose our Words of the Day.  Today's selection were words words.

acronym -- fr. Greek, akron, "or tip" -- an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word (e.g. NASA, SCUBA)

aptronym -- fr. Latin, aptus, "fitting" -- a person's name that is regarded as amusingly appropriate to their occupation (e.g. a florist named Katie Gardener)

capitonym -- fr. Latin caput, "head" -- a word that changes its meaning (and sometimes pronunciation) when it is capitalized.  (e.g. Concord/ concord; Polish/polish)

homonym -- fr. Greek homos, "same" -- a word spelled and pronounced like another but has a different origin and meaning  (e.g. the small flying bat and the baseball bat.)  Homophones are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings, e.g. sea and see.

pseudonym -- fr. Greek pseudos, "false"-- having or using a false name, a pen name, or an alias.  For example, Mark Twain was a pseudonym for Samuel Clemens.

I handed back the rough drafts of the Narrative Essays and went over common errors.  A very common mistake to make with Narrative essays is to mix up verb tenses.  Students often start with past tense verbs, but some where along the way they switch of present tense.  We also discussed parallel structure, punctuating quotations, comma splice sentences, indenting paragraphs, and correct pronoun cases.  

We are about halfway through with The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  For this week's discussion, I had students choose one of four offered themes that they felt was most prevalent in the book.  They gathered in small groups to discuss where they had encountered those themes so far in their reading.  When they break into small groups, I pay close attention to the quality of the comments and the interchange of ideas.  Learning to have strong academic discussions is an important for academic success.

At the end of class, we started on the Grammar homework for the week.  This week, we are focusing on prepositional phrases.  In the simple sentences worksheets that we had done for the previous week, many students chose nouns from prepositional phrases as the subjects of the sentences, so it's important to do some review about these phrases.  Students have 2 worksheets and should do both sides.

Have a great weekend!

Blessings,

Mrs. Prichard

Assignments for Next Week

-- Read Chapters 7 & 8

-- No Study Guide questions

-- Narrative Essay Final Draft

-- 2 Grammar Worksheets (front and back)

Links for This Week

Class Notes

Spring Words of the Day

National Days Calendar

Spring Writing 1 Google Drive folder

Writing 1 Class Notes -- Week 3 (January 30)

Greetings and Happy February!

The prompts for this week's Quick Writes came from the student list: 1)  If you could live anywhere in the world for one year, where would that be, and 2) "National No Work Day."  As usual, I also encourage the students to write about anything else that is on their minds.

Our Words of the Day:

farci -- fr. French, farcir, "to stuff"   -- a food stuffed with finely ground, seasoned meat and vegetables

diktat -- fr.German, diktat, "something dictated; fr. Latin dictare, "to dictate" -- an authoritative decree or statement

limbo -- fr. Latin limbus, "border, edge"-- an intermediate, transitional, midway place.

Students handed in their rough drafts and pre-writes for their Narrative Essays.  And I'm looking forward to reading their Narratives!  If students did not bring their essays to class, they can email them or share them as a Google Doc.  If the essay is not done, a student should contact me to discuss an appropriate extension.  I know that some weeks or some assignments are more challenging, so I want to give extra time if needed, and students are more likely to give themselves that extra push if they have a specific deadline. 

For our in class discussion of our book, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I divided the class into small groups of 3 or 4, and we used the Triangle Strategy:  one student asked the study guide question, the second answered, and the third agreed, disagreed, or added to the response.  When that question was satisfactorily discussed, the students rotated the triangle and their roles changed.  (See the attached document for clarification.)  I heard lots of good talk, and this strategy ensures that everyone gets involved in the discussion.  

For grammar this semester, we are working on sentence structures, building from the simplest sentences to more complex ones.  We worked partially through some worksheets in class that involved finding the subject nouns and predicate verbs for sentences.  Their homework is to finish the worksheets.

Have a great weekend!  Enjoy the sunshine!

Mrs. Prichard

Assignments for Next Week

-- Read Chapters 5 & 6

-- 4 Study Guide Questions

-- 2 Simple Sentences worksheets (front and back)

Links for This Week

Class Notes

Words of the Day

Triangle Talk-Square Talk

Writing 1 Spring Google Drive Folder