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