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