Thoughts on Grading

Dear Writing 1 Class,

I've just finished calculating the grades for this first semester.  As tutors, these are suggested grades for you as homeschooling families to consider.

 

Before I send them, let me share my thoughts on grades.  As I homeschooled, I didn't give my children grades.  I felt that grades were far too subjective.  I taught my own children for mastery.  We didn't proceed with a topic until they were ready no matter how long that took. 

 

Letter grades are a funny thing.  For some students, it becomes the only motivation for doing well.  For some, it becomes a measure of their worth as a person or as an academic learner.  I personally don't like these "side effects" of the grading system.  On the other hand, grades can be a valid reward for working hard, being diligent, and understanding the materials.

 

When teaching students to be good writers, I give a lot of consideration for growth and improvement. Each student has a starting place; over time I look for him or her to learn the mechanics of grammar, good writing techniques, and analytical thinking skills.

 

For this class, I gave points for attendance, participation, short assignments and longer papers.  I also offered a few extra credit opportunities.  I tend to be an "easy grader" and like to see my students encouraged to do their best.

 

Each student (and parents) will get an e-mail with percentages and suggested grades for this semester. 

 

Blessings,

Tammy Prichard

 

PS.  I will be gone to England and without internet options from December 28 to January 9.  Feel free to contact me after that date if you have any questions about the scores.

Writing 1 Spring Semester Initial Syllabus

Writing 1 Syllabus

Semester 2

Tammy Prichard (tamprichard@gmail.com)

Resources:

·         A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court  (Mark Twain)  Dover Publications

·         Great Short Poems (Philip Smith, ed.)  Dover Publications

Objectives:

Literature

            As we read Mark Twain’s classic, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (ACY), we will specifically study the character development, themes, and humorous language of the book.  Not only is this book an entertaining story, it is well-crafted and artful.

Writing

            The students will write 4 papers for this class.  Since Mark Twain was a reporter, it seems fitting to do some journalistic writing.  The first assignment will require some research, while the second one will utilize some persuasion techniques.  The third papers will be an analytical response to our literature.  All of these papers will follow the 3-step process (pre-writing to rough draft to final copy).  The final paper will be a re-write of any of the papers that they’ve written this year.  “There is no such thing as good writing, only good rewriting.” (Louis D. Brandeis)

Grammar

            We will continue to study grammar, paying special attention to building strong, clear, accurate sentences.  Again, the open spaces on the syllabus leave room to work on weak areas.

Initial Draft – Subject to change

Week	Literature	Writing	Grammar
1	Introduction to A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (ACY)		Sentence construction review
2	ACY:  Intro; Ch. 1 – 4	News Story Pre-Write	Correcting weak sentences
3	ACY:  Ch. 5 – 9	News Story Rough Draft
4	ACY:  Ch. 10 – 14		Review common errors in rough drafts
5	ACY:  Ch. 15 – 19	News Story Final Copy
6	ACY:  Ch. 20 – 24	Editorial Pre-Write
7	ACY:  Ch. 25 – 29	Editorial Rough Draft
8	ACY:  Ch. 30 – 34		Review common errors in rough drafts
9	ACY:  Ch. 35 – 38; Final PS	Editorial Final Copy
10	ACY:  Presentations	Theme & Character Pre-Write
11	ACY:  Baseball	Theme & Character Rough Draft
12	American Poetry		Review common errors in rough drafts
13	American Poetry	Theme & Character Final Copy
14	American Poetry & Poetry Presentations	Re-Write #1
15	Poetry Presentations & Final Exam	Re-Write #2

Word Search for A Christmas Carol

Here is an original word search to use in conjunction with the reading or studying of Charles Dickens' classic story, "A Christmas Carol."

The word list is from vocabulary generated in the first and second section of the story.

J X P X M G K Y Z B P X V L U R Y D V K
L B Z F K I D H U F J E C U S V C A B X
Z M Q I G J H Y F H J D O L O S S O D U
J D X D T B O G D B E T N I N H W O S D
C U Q Z B M L Y F W A C G N C Y S N W B
O Q S B I M P R O P R I E T Y B X E H U
R B C N F I Z L O E R T A I J D Q C Q Y
D M O L E S L V D L D S L M N H T C T L
B U X M V A O E K X W U W A D K I A Y S
S R B L H N N L G N N A T T P N E R E S
D F S N S T P A I A Q C C I I R K T J X
S Z U D I H R F T T T S U O T E V O C C
D H O A N R L I R Z A E H N A L Q G F L
A F L C E O C J F N C R E S O L U T E Q
T S U T L P V E T L L O Y X S X X M Y Q
I H M B P I U Q P S E L F O K Y Y D I H
V B E X E C U T O R A P T U R E H P O C
R H R H R A W T Z V A M D Q S A F E A W
R W T U C N C B O S E I A K H L R L J R
Q Q U V G T R U Y N L O P U A S R E H Y

Word List:
CAUSTIC
CONGEAL
COVETOUS
CREDENTIALS
ENTREATY
EXECUTOR
GARRET
IMPLORE
IMPROPRIETY
INTIMATION
LEGATEE
LUNATIC
MISANTHROPIC
MULTITUDE
OMINOUS
RAPTURE
REPLENISH
RESOLUTE
SOLITARY
TREMULOUS
TRIFLE
UNHALLOWED

Writing 1 Class Notes -- December 6

Greetings!

We are in Week 14 of our Fall term!  Next week will be our last week of classes before Christmas break.  The students have worked hard this fall.

I used a Story Starter book for the Quick Write.  With his eyes closed, a student randomly chose pages that read:  "I've never seen this before," said the kangaroo as he/she turned on the flashlight.  As always, the students were creative; we even had a poem.

For our Vocabulary Practice we did a rhyming exercise.  Often at our dinner table we will take turns rhyming our sentences.  We did the same in class today.  Again, the students were creative in constructing rhyming sentences with "-en" and "-end" words.

I gave the students a quiz for A Christmas Carol.  It was labeled "Final Exam," but it was really was a simple multiple choice exercise that I had the students do together. I'm not a big fan of multiple choice tests because they test a students surface knowledge of a topic and not the depth to which they understand the material.  However,surface knowledge is a part of knowing a topic.  In addition to the quiz, I gave the students a vocabulary Word Search to do next week for Extra Credit.

I handed back the rough drafts of their Biography Essays.  The students chose a rich variety of topics:  e.g. Elvis, Herman Cain, Michael Jackson and Michael Jordan.  We discussed common mistakes found in their essays.  Commas continue to be challenging.  Another problem was with pronoun, verb, and noun agreement.  The final copies are due next week.

Assignments for Next week:
-- Read Stave Five of A Christmas Carol
-- Write 3 "Final Exam" questions for us to use in class
-- Write Final Copy of Biography Essay.
-- Extra Credit:  Word Search for vocabulary words (which can be found on Dropbox)

Next week we'll have a "final" for A Christmas Carol and play some word/writing/literature -related games.  Students can bring treats if they want.

Have a great week!
Mrs. Prichard

Writing 1 Class Notes -- November 29

Greetings!

A quick recap of this week's class:
Our Quick Write required them to write about Thanksgiving from the perspective of an inanimate object.  We had a story about a shredded napkin and a turkey gone to heaven. 

I used our Vocabulary Building time to review words from our book, A Christmas Carol.  I made a matching exercise using the words and 3 synonyms for each.  I allowed them to work together.  I enjoyed listening to their diligent conversations about the meanings of the words.

The students handed in their rough drafts for their Biographical Essays.  They had few questions which leads me to think that they're growing in their understanding of developing thesis statements and organizing content.  I look forward to reading them this week.  We did discuss some grammar topics, especially my personal pet peeve regarding sentences using "there is/are/was/were" etc. 

We are at Stave Three in our Dickens book.  This section features the Spirit of Christmas Present.  We found some of our vocabulary words from our earlier exercise which helped us have fuller understandings of the words when found in context.  We read portions aloud and discussed Dickens's use of contrasts and use of time to teach his lessons.

Assignments for Next Week:
-- Read Stave Four of A Christmas Carol.
-- Answer 7 of the study questions for this stave
-- Define and find roots for half of the vocabulary words.

Have a great week!
Mrs. Prichard

Writing 1 Class Notes -- November 15

Greetings!

We had a great class yesterday.  I really enjoy that they stay so well-engaged for a 90 minute class.

Our Quick Write for today was created with their help.  Using my husband's storytelling abilities as inspiration, I asked them to give me four first names, four animals, and four adjectives.  With that information, they wrote stories about a cumbersome squirrel, named Samuel and a mawkish unicorn named Nate.

Our Vocabulary Activity was a mix of "Scrabble," "Bananagrams," and their literature assignments.  We built a Scrabble-like form from words on our Christmas Carol vocabulary list.

We discussed Stave 2 of our book, A Christmas Carol.  After reading more of the book, the students are more comfortable with the language and sentence styles.  We came across many of our vocabulary words as we read sections out loud.  We watched a two clips from my favorite version of this story, A Muppets Christmas Carol.

I handed back the final copies of their History Essays.  The whole class did a wonderful job writing these essays.  I think I'm a pretty easy grader -- my primary goal is that the students learn by writing and learn from their mistakes.  Our next assignment is a Biographical Essay in which they develop and support a thesis statement.

CHAT doesn't have classes next week due to Thanksgiving.  That means only three weeks left in our semester:  November 29, December 6 and December 13.

Next Assignments:
-- Read Stave 3 of A Christmas Carol
-- Answer 7 questions and write up 10 vocabulary words
-- Rough draft of Biographical Essay

Have a great week and a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Mrs. Prichard

Introduction to A Christmas Carol

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.

Writing 1 Class Notes -- November 8

Greetings!

What a great group of students!  I especially enjoy the measure of cohesiveness and collegiality they've come to.  We have good, insightful discussions.  Occasionally they interrupt because they have something important they can't wait to contribute to the class or chat too much between themselves.  If you ever walk by my room and hear single, double, or triple claps, it's because I'm doing something I learned from a director of a grade school.  When the students were gathered for all-school gatherings, she would quietly stand at the front and say, "If you can hear my voice clap once ... if you can hear my voice clap twice ... clap three times."  Without raising her voice, she got the attention and then quieted 180 kids.

For some reason, the students found the Quick Write a bit difficult.  Entitled "Mama's Soup Surprise," they were required to write 12 sentences about food -- 4 facts, 4 opinions, 4 lies.  Here's a link to the Nancy Cassidy song:  Mama's Soup Surprise

No Vocabulary Words this week.  I have a fun activity for next week, though!

I handed back the Take-Home portion of the final for Animal Farm.  This was an open book test, and the students could give as many examples and write as much as they wanted.  Here's how I scored the papers: 
0 pt = Wrong answer
1/2 pt = one-word answers
2 pt = full sentence answers
1 pt = per extra sentence to elaborate or explain a point.

The test had 4 questions concerning the themes.  The lowest possible score (they had to give at least 2 examples) was 4 pt.  The highest score given was 58 pt.  I explained to the students that sometimes a grade or score isn't a matter of how smart you are but of how much effort you put into an assignment.  (FYI, I found no wrong answers on any of the tests.)

Our next writing assignment is a Biographical Essay.  We took a long time to go over the difference between a report and an essay.  We worked through a couple of examples and especially went over how to develop a thesis statement.  Here's the "equation" that I gave them:

    main topic/subject
+  position/stand/opinion
_____________________
    thesis statement

A couple of students wrote essays that were more biographical than historical for the last assignment.  I wrote notes to them and said that they could count that essay as the biography and that they should write a history essay for this assignment.

We spent the last 30 minutes of class discussing Charles Dickens and A Christmas Carol.  We have some mixed feelings in the class about this book partly due to the challenge of Victorian language.  Hopefully, by the end of the book they will find this classic as delightful as I do.  I found some interesting websites:  Videos and pictures of Dickens' England, a map of London, a brief article about Victorian England.  I also gave them a hand-out with some background information on the book and England.  This is on Dropbox and a blog post.

Assignments for Next Week:
-- Read Stave 2 of A Christmas Carol
-- Choose 10 Vocabulary Words for the list:  write definitions and word roots.
-- Answer 5 of the 10 questions from the study guide
-- Extra Credit #1:  more vocabulary words and more study guide questions
-- Extra Credit #2:  bring in information about Dickens's London/England
-- Pre-writing for Biographical Essay.  Have something to hand in!  (outline, brainstorming, lists, chart, etc.)


Have a great week!

A Christmas Carol Study Guide

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?

9. Why does Scrooge say “Remove me.”

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

Stave Three Questions

First Half ~

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 escorted by a ghost changed?

5. What is the point of the long description beginning “The house fronts looked black enough, and the windows blacker …” and continuing on for several pages until, “But soon the steeples called good people all, to church and chapel, and away they came, flocking through the streets in their best clothes, and with their gayest faces.”

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

7. How is Scrooge affected by seeing the family?

Second Half ~

1.What does the Spirit mean when he says But they Know me. See!”

2. What is the point of going to the lighthouse? to the ship?

3. What is the great surprise to Scrooge in the next paragraph (96)?

4. What would Fred think would be a positive outcome of his Christmas invitation to Scrooge?  What happens to Scrooge’s mood as the party goes on? Why do you think this happens?

6. Describe the game called “Yes and No” Scrooge witnesses at his nephew’s Christmas party.

7. What does it mean to say the boy and the girl (Ignorance and Want) are “Man’s children”?

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?

4. What is the point of the long discussion between Joe and Mrs. Dilber?

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.

A Christmas Carol Vocabulary

A Christmas Carol Vocabulary

Choose 10 words from each Stave to define (and find any Latin or Greek roots, naturally!)

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 Sealing wax Jovial Pang Waistcoat Illustrious Extravagance Loitered Sidled Endeavor Amends Giddy Poulterer Array Borough Dispelled

Final Exam Grades

Below are the percentages, grades, and occurrences of scores for the exam the students took in class.  The test had 45 questions, and I readjusted the score to 43.5 points since we had 3 questions which were not directly discussed in class.

# students with these scores	Score	Percentage	Grade
	45	103%	A+
1	44	101%
1	43	99%
	42	97%	A
2	41	94%
5	40	92%	A-
	39	90%
2	38	87%	B+
2	37	85%	B
1	36	83%
	35	80%	B-
	34	78%	C+
	33	76%	C
1	32	74%
	31	71%	C-
	30	69%	D+

Writing 1 Class Notes -- November 1

Greetings!

A brief recap of today's class --

Quick Write:  Write sentences with alliteration (repetition of beginning sounds)
Vocabulary Words: 
-- Onomatopoeia (Thanks, Elizabeth, for bringing this word into class) which is a word that imitates the sound it represents. Bang, buzz, crash!
-- e.g. is a Latin abbreviation for exempli gratia which means "for the sake of example."  It is used to clarify a preceding statement with an example.
-- i.e. is a Latin abbreviation for id est which means "that is" and is used when you want to restate an idea more clearly.
-- etc. is another Latin abbreviation for et cetera which means "and other things" and is used to delete the logical continuation of some sort of series of descriptions.
The students may come across these Latin terms in dictionaries and other resource and references.  It's helpful knowing and not guessing about what you're reading.

Animal Farm Final Exam
I collected the take home tests from the students and handed back the tests they took last week.  We discussed the difference between grading on a curve and grading by percentage.; these were graded on a percentage.  I had adjusted the scores to account for 3 questions that we had only indirectly discussed.  The students knew their books and were able to argue some fine points about the test.  I was really pleased with how the students responded to the book.

A personal note regarding grades
I'll get on my soapbox about grades at the end of this term.  For now, let me just say that a grade, percentage, or score is only a small indicator of a student's learning.  Learning happens by degrees and sometimes a test or assignment is more of a tool than an assessment.  (I'll include the grade guidelines on the blog.)

History Rough Drafts
I handed back the rough drafts with corrections and suggestions. As is my way, we discuss common problems found in the papers.  Some notable items:
-- numbers:  write out in words numbers 100 or under; use figures for larger numbers, dollar amounts, decimals, or to be consistent in form
-- 1 inch paragraphs and indent 1/2 inch for first lines of the paragraphs
-- parallel constructions (see link 1 or link 2)
-- avoid using the generic word "things;" find a more accurate word
-- no contractions
-- commas with dates
-- the difference between then (an adverb) and than (a conjunction used in comparisons)
-- conclusions:  sum up and reassert the thesis in the conclusion; don't add extra information
-- introductions:  lead your readers into your topic, state your opinion about the topic, give a road map for the body

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
We're starting our second book for this term.  This book is a classic and an easy introduction to Dickens.  I handed out 2 worksheets: a vocabulary list and a study guide for the staves (chapters).  Both are on Dropbox.

Assignments for Next Week:
-- Read Stave One of A Christmas Carol
-- Write the definitions and roots for 10 of the words on the vocabulary list for Stave One
     -- more can be done for extra credit
-- Answer 3 questions from the study guide
     -- more can be done for extra credit
-- Prepare the final copy of the History essay
-- Extra Credit:  Bring in some biographical information about Charles Dickens

They say it might snow this weekend.  Time to find that box of boots, hats, and mittens.
Mrs. Prichard 

Writing 2 Class Notes -- October 25

Greetings!

The class began, as always, with a Quick Write and Mystery Words.  Syd chose our Quick Write:  Write a TV commercial for some new product that people can't do without.  Samuel chose our words for today for an etymological dictionary that I have:  scorzonera, puncheon, pettitoes, sprocket, and subsist.  The students were to either to tell what the word means if they know.  If they didn't, I encouraged them to come up with a creative definition.

We're completing our work with Animal Farm with a 2-part exam.  The first part, a multiple choice and matching test, was completed yesterday during class.  The second part is a take-home essay exam.  We discussed the first half of the essay portion in small groups.  The second half is to be done with an open book.  (This document is available on Dropbox as either a Word doc, or as a pdf file.)  The students may write up as many examples as they can.  The more information, the more points. 

I handed out A Christmas Carol, our next book.  Next week I'll introduce the book and give some background information on Charles Dickens.

The students handed in their rough drafts of their history essays.  I'll go over these and hand them back next week.  I'm delighted to see them working so hard and improving with each essay.

Assignments for Next Week:
-- Finish the second half of the Take Home Exam.
     -- Fill in as much as you can for each theme mentioned.


Have a great week.  It seems we have a couple more nice days before cold weather sets in.
Mrs. Prichard

Writing 1 Class Notes -- October 18

Greetings!

This morning we engaged in a lot of discussion, some of which was done in small groups.  We did our best to keep the noise down because the wall separating our room from Mrs. Nelson's math class wasn't properly put together.

For our Quick Write, the students wrote a first person account of themselves as either a 1-year old or a 100-year old.  One student entertained us with a great "old lady" voice.  Our Vocabulary Words study was an exercise in thinking of derivatives of the following Latin words:  delecto (to delight or please), dignitas (importance, honor, prestige), familaris (friend, relative), fugio (to run away).  We encountered an interesting word, "subterfuge," which we decoded using Latin roots.  Sub = under; ter = ground; fuge = runaway.  (subter also means secret)  Subterfuge means "deception by artifice or strategem in order to conceal, escape, or evade."

We've finished reading Animal Farm, and the students were to bring to class specific points of characterization about one of the characters in the book. I set up the students for group discussions so that they could share with one another their insights.  We then discussed the character as a whole class.  These students have been very insightful and have presented some very clear, analytical thoughts.  Next week I'll give them a final exam on the book.

I handed back most of the final copies of their narrative essays.  I'm afraid that a couple were still on my computer and a couple were left at home.  (Our family had to make a quick, unexpected trip to Iowa for a family funeral.  I was a little unorganized with my paperwork.)  This week's writing assignment was pre-writing for their history essays.  The students didn't seem to have any questions about this assignment.  Please have them contact me if they are running into trouble.

Next Week's Assignments:
--  Rough Draft of History Essay
--  Review the plot, characters and themes pertaining to the book in preparation for the test.

It seems like the warm fall weather may be leaving.  Make sure you "bundle up."
Mrs. Prichard

Thesis Statements

During Writing 1 this week, we discussed the difference between a report and an essay.  The key difference concerns developing a thesis statement and supporting it with details.

The Purdue website is very helpful with all things writing.  This link explains how to develop and write a thesis statement.

Writing 1 Class Notes -- October 11

Greetings!

Again, I had another enjoyable time with this class.  It's a pleasure teaching students eager to learn.  Our Quick Write was to discuss what person (real, famous, or fictional) with whom they'd like to have lunch.  They could include what they might eat, where they might go, and anything else they might do.

I called our word building activity "Vocabulary Fun."  I listed 5 Latin words and their meanings; from these we discussed derivatives.  [circum (around), corona (garland, wreath, crown), defendere (to defend), diabolus (devil), dominus (master)]  You might be interested to know that "coroner," the person we know to be a medical examiner after a death, comes from corona (crown) because this person was responsible for the well-being in life and death of the royalty in Norman England.

The students handed in their Final Copies of their Narrative Essays.  A few students were planning to hand in their essays via e-mail.  Our next essay is a History Essay.  We discussed at length the difference between a report and an essay.  In a report, they restate facts and details they've discovered about a topic.  In an essay, they write a thesis in which they take a position or take a stand.  The rest of the essay contains information that supports the assertions of the thesis.  This assignment will be completed in 3 parts:  pre-writing, rough draft, and final copy.  During the pre-writing stage, the students will brainstorm, organize, and research their topic.  Pre-writing information is due next week; rough drafts are due the following week.

We've reached the end of our book, Animal Farm.  We discussed what we liked, didn't like, or were surprised by in the book.  We were saddened, disappointed, and frustrated with the various responses of the animals.  Next week we'll focus on characteristics of individual animals.  The following week we'll test our knowledge of the book before reading Dickens's A Christmas Carol.

Next week I'll have "midterm" point values for the students.  Grades are only suggestions.  I'll have a further discussion about my perspective regarding grades at the end of the term.


Next Week's Assignments:
--  Pre-writing for History Essay
--  Choose one character from the book:
     --  Decide whether the character is good, bad, or neutral.
     --  Find 7 examples from the reading that illustrate this characters traits.  Give a brief word or two and the page number from the book.

Writing 1 Class Notes -- October 4

Greetings!

Yesterday's class went well.  We were productive, creative, and thoughtful.  Our Quick Write was to write 2 long paragraphs which were as wordy and as long-winded as they could make them.  I have a Daily Sparks book that gives short writing assignments.  One of the students picked this exercise from the book.  A lot of writing teachers feel it's helpful to get the bad writing out of the system.  Hopefully we did some of that yesterday.  I chose 4 words from the SAT Prep book for our Mystery Words. I don't necessarily believe the students will remember all of the words that we discuss, but they'll have an appreciation for new words and for word roots.

I handed back the rough drafts of the narrative essays.  We spent a good part of the class time going over common grammar problems found in the papers.  I'll list and discuss some of these on the blog.

I had sent around an e-mail hinting that that I might give a "pop quiz" for our reading of Animal Farm.  The students have done a good job keeping up to date with their reading, but I wanted to check for their comprehension.  We answered the questions as a group, and I included more discussion in between the students' answers.

Next week's Assignments:
--  Read Chapters IX & X.  (Read the discussion questions before reading the chapters, student's are not required to write out any answers.)
--  Final copy of Narrative Essay

Enjoy this beautiful weather!
Mrs. Prichard

Rough Draft Notes

As the students write their essays, they find out what grammar they know and what they don't know.  Writing is really a better test of their knowledge than quizzes or exercises.  Most of the students in this class have a good foundation in the basics of grammar.
Below is a list of some of the topics that have come up with these rough drafts:

-  parallel constructions
- sentences that are too long and have too many ideas and clauses
- sentences with "there is/are ...
- using contractions (not good for essays)
- consistent verb tenses, especially when telly about events in the past
- writing out numbers as words
- commas and coordinate adjectives
- hyphens and adjectives
- punctuating prepositional phrases at the beginning of the sentences
- using quotations for setting apart words that are being defined
- using italics for foreign or scientific words
- matching pronouns with their antecedent
- punctuating dialogue
- punctuating names and dates
- language use for essays (avoiding non-standard and colloquial expressions)
- capitalizing names of relatives
- using the right prepositions
- proper use of parentheses and dashes
- using the same word multiple times


Over time, the students will be experts at these more complicated grammar situations

Writing 1 Class Notes -- September 27

Greetings!

We had a productive class today. But then, this is always an enjoyable group of students.

Our Quick Write was to use the title as "The Worst Pet Ever" as a starting point for their writing. For our Vocabulary Exercises we listed various verbs that could be used for a persons movement, e.g. walking, prancing, jumping, jogging, spinning, etc. I discussed the value of finding more sophisticated words for their essays. I also brought out one of my copies of Roget's Thesaurus and listed about 25 words related to "traveling on foot." Our English language is so wonderfully diverse and colorful. The students have one extra credit option related to our word study: find the definition and word roots for "peregrinate."

We completed a worksheet dealing with correct placement of prepositional phrases. We also looked at parallel structures.

I handed back the students' final copies of their personal essays. They all did a wonderful job. I grade them in three areas: content & organization & mechanics. For these papers, each section was worth 10 points for a total of 30 possible points for the essay. They handed in rough drafts today of their narrative essays.

We had a wonderful discussion about the book, Animal Farm, talking about government structures, balance of power, and the value of checks and balances. My primary question for the students was, "What have you found surprising so far?" We had many great responses.

As always, if you have any questions about the class and the assignments, feel free to to contact me.

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Extra Credit option: find the meaning and roots for the word "peregrinate."

-- Read Chapters VII and VIII.

-- Answer 4 of the 5 questions in the section from the study guide.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Prichard

PS. I'm missing some worksheets that someone may have accidentally picked up. If anyone has them, please bring them to class next week.

Narrative Essay Information

NARRATIVE ESSAY

In a personal narrative, you re-create an incident that happened to you over a short period of time.  This incident could be an emotional experience, a silly or serious event, or a frightening encounter.  Narrative writing requires students to think clearly about the details of an event as if it was a plot.  A narrative:

· Presents a story with a distinct plot.  The plot includes an internal or external conflict.  It has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

· Has a setting of some sort

· Presented in a specific point of view, usually spoken in the voice of a narrator or character

Optional Narrative prompts:

· Write about a time when you faced a challenge and what the outcome was.Be sure to narrate the series of events and include specific details.

· Write a story about when you taught someone something.  It can be anything that you know better than someone else.

· Think about an event in your life that taught you an important lesson. Write a narrative in which you tell what happened and how you learned a lesson.

· Write a narrative about a person or character who overcomes a difficult situation.  The character must be a person from history or from literature, movies or television.

Guidelines for Essay

· 350 – 500 words long or longer

· 1” margins and double-spaced

· Title

· Name, date and type of essay in the corner

· Page numbers in the bottom right corner