Monday, March 30, 2015

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Happy April!  

Scribble:  Kali P.

Write about your favorite season of the year  and what you love about it. 


Next time: No one is signed up.

Today:  Lab 211 -- Work on your Children's books.
Friday, Lab 223 -- Work on your Children's book.

Create them on google drive and share them with
cdorsey@alpinedistrict.org

I will email to you the pictures I took of you and the first graders.

You will create an About the Author to add to the end of our book.



Samples:

About the Authors

       Tate _______ and Drake ______ are Seventh graders at American Fork Junior High. Tate and Drake both enjoy hunting. We each got to go hunting this year for deer! We each got a deer! When it comes to writing we like to write mystery and fiction stories. What is most challenging for us is to write about is poetry. When we get older we hope to be hunting guides. Our advice for young writers is to have fun in your writing. We enjoyed writing this book for Mady.


About the author :  
Hello, my name’s Tishelle and I had a great time writing this little story just for you.  I'm a seventh grader at American Fork Junior High. 
I really like superheros and watching movies.  My favorite letter is T and what I want to be when I’m older is a singer or actress (possibly both).  My favorite color is yellow and my favorite animal is a Cheetah.  
A food that I loathe would be brussel sprouts and  cucumbers.  My favorite number is 4 and I have one sister and 0 brothers.  My favorite prince and princess would be Beast from Beauty and the Beast and  Princess Tiana.  I also love every candy possible.  


Your books are tentatively due (depending on when we can get into computer labs) on April 20.




Monday, March 30, 2015

Today, March 30, 2015, is Utah Vietnam Veterans' Day

Thank you to our Vietnam Veterans!


Announcements:

Today  we will go on a field trip to Legacy to interview first graders so we can create 

individualized books for them.


1.   Prepare your interview paper with your assigned child's name and your name.
      Take it with you!  Take a pencil or pen, too. 

2. Walk quietly through the halls, out through back doors of the school, across the playing fields, and to Legacy.  We will walk quietly through the Legacy halls to Ms. Galbraith's classroom.

3. You will interview your child.  If you finish early, ask the child to pick a book from his or her classroom and the child can read to you, or you can read to the child.

4.  When we have finished, we will QUIETLY walk through the school halls, and back to our our school where you will QUIETLY walk through the school halls back to our classroom.

5.
 Scribble:  Miriam F.  ----   Poem from Shel Silverstein 




6. Time to brainstorm story ideas for your child's book.  

Friday, March 27, 2015

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Picture Prompts










Thursday, March 26, 2015

If you were not here today, see the assignments below for you to complete.


Announcements:

On March 30 we will go on a field trip to Legacy to interview first graders so we can create 

individualized books for them.

1. Scribble: Megan H.    --  Decide what it is -- a paper creation!  

What could it be used for?  

What could it represent?



Next Time:  Miriam F. 



Begin Love That Dog  and Imitating Famous Poems -- Inspired By. . . . 

2. Respond to this picture prompt with a poem, story, description, explanation, commentary, or whatever you wish.  
For a header use today's date and "Dogs."




3. Write a silly rhyme "inspired by" a real nursery rhyme.
Here is an example:
(You DO NOT have to try to copy meaning as I did in the example.)

The Original
The "Inspired By" Nursery Rhyme
Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep,
And doesn't know where to find them.
Leave thm alone,
And they'll come home,
Bringing their tails behind them.

[The main character has lost something.]
[The main character has a problem and is given advice about what to do.]
[I tried to copy the pattern of  the rhymes and repetition.]
My best friend Jack has lost his backpack,
And doesn't know where to find it.
Just ask Jim Blair,
It's under his chair.
He's busted for trying to hide it.

[The main character has lost something.]
[The main character has a problem and is given advice about what to do.]
[I tried to copy the pattern of  the rhymes and repetition.]


Here are some examples from poet Bruce Lansky's books Mary Had a Little Jam and Peter, Peter, Pizza-Eater:


Peter, Peter, pizza-eater,
How I wish that you were neater.
Half the pizza’s on your shirt.
Clean the mess, or no dessert.


Mary had a little jam;
she spread it on a waffle.
And if she hadn’t eaten ten,
she wouldn’t feel so awful.

Here is one written by Ms. D.

My best friend Jack
Has lost his backpack
and doesn't know where to find it.
Just ask Jim Blair --
It's under his chair.
He's busted for trying
to hide it!


Now write your own nursery rhyme imitation.



4. What do you notice about the nursery rhymes?
What makes them poetry? What POETIC DEVICES do they use? 




5. Poems in Love That Dog  and writing Inspired By poems

Read the poems, then for each, write an imitation.














Poem #1 


The Red Wheelbarrow
William Carlos Williams, 1883 - 1963
so much depends
upon
a red wheel barrow
glazed with rain water

beside the white chickens.


Sample Imitations:

The Assignment by Ms. Dorsey

so much depends
upon

a sheet of lined paper

resting in a wire basket

upon the teacher's 
desk.





Hall Pass by Ms. Dorsey
so much depends
upon
a paper hall
pass
signed by
the teacher
as I squirm


And from students a few years ago:

So much depends
upon
the pigskin ball
with leather all over
beside the wide receiver.
          --Zac Smith

The Bumblebee
So much depends
upon
a small bumble
bee
striped with yellow and
black
sitting upon a yellow
flower
 --  Brennan Davis



Now write your own imitation of the So Much Depends poem.
You need to write only one stanza. 

Poem #2: 

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Whose woods these are I think I know.   
His house is in the village though;   
He will not see me stopping here   
To watch his woods fill up with snow.   

My little horse must think it queer   
To stop without a farmhouse near   
Between the woods and frozen lake   
The darkest evening of the year.   

He gives his harness bells a shake   
To ask if there is some mistake.   
The only other sound’s the sweep   
Of easy wind and downy flake.   

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   
But I have promises to keep,   
And miles to go before I sleep,   
And miles to go before I sleep.




Poems by Ms. Dorsey inspired by Mr. Robert Frost:

Whose books these are I think I know.
She has gone to math class though;
I'll read one whether or not I oughter,
After all, it's Harry Potter.


Whose poem this is, 
I do not know.
I'd like to find that student though.
It's excellent and should be shared,
So if it's you,
Please let me know.



Now write your imitation of the Snowy Woods poem.
You need to write only one stanza. 






To here -- 3-26-15




The Disruptive Students
by Ms. Dorsey (Inspired by William Blake)

Students, students
talking on
Even though the bell has rung
Who can hear you? Everyone!
So teacher will cut short your fun.

Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright






More Love That Dog and poetry
  1. The Red Wheelbarrow
  2. Stopping By Woods (1 Stanza)
  3. The Tiger (2 or more lines) 
  4. Read both The Tiger and The Lamb
  5. Dog by Valerie Worth 
  6. The Pasture by Robert Frost 
You Come Too
I'm going out to watch the sunset, 
and linger, maybe, to watch the stars come out.
I'll take a chair and blanket to keep warm. 
I'd gladly carry two,
Because what would make it better 
Would be if you came too.  
 --  Ms. Dorsey 
  1. Street Music by Arnolf Adoff   

    Street Music” by Arnold Adoff - GallagherLanguageArts

    8.  The Apple   Page back to see more visual poetry. 



Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Contest

I can now access the information for you to log into Utah Compose -- in case you'd like to write the Duct Tape Essay for the Writing Lab Contest.

utahcompose.com

Contest Open from March 13 - April 24.

Entries cannot exceed 2500 words in length.

Found Poetry -- Example in The Atlantic


http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/04/found-poetry-from-times-100-most-influential-people-list/390705/

Monday, March 23, 2015

Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright




THE TYGER (from Songs Of Experience)

By William Blake

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright 
In the forests of the night, 
What immortal hand or eye 
Could frame thy fearful symmetry? 
In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare sieze the fire?
And what shoulder, & what art.
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Creative Stuff!



Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Announcements:
Soon we will go on a fieldtrip to Legacy to interview first graders so we can create individualized books for them.

Scribble: Kylie J. -- Write a short story, beginning with the words "If only. . . . "

Next Time:  Megan H.



About Children's Books
Make a list of  the children's books you remember reading -- books for second grade and younger.

http://time.com/3422868/40-classic-childrens-books-even-adults-love/


 Books We Remember

Berenstein Bears
Cows That Type
A Very Hungry Caterpillar
Junie B. Jones
Dr. Seuss
Magic Treehouse
The Paper Bag Princess
No, David
Pinkalicous
Fancy Nancy
The Little Mouse With the Red Ripe Strawberry
The Big Hungry Bear
Chicka-Chicka-Boom-Boom
The Rainbow Fish
A Bad Case of Stripes
Arthur
Little Critter
Clifford
Giving Tree
Curious George
Babar
The Rough-Faced Girl
Ferdinand
Purple Polka Dots
Harold's Purple Crayon
Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No-Good Very Bad Day
Paddington
The Velveteen Rabbit
Corduroy
Bill Peet
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Winnie the Pooh
Strawberry Shortcake
Dora
Mother Goose
Fairy Tales
Tall Tales
Little Bear
Dragon
Dinosaur







 What makes a great children's book?

cute
illustrations, pictures -- bright colors
kids can read it to themselves
books someone else can read to them
interactive
kid humor
subjects kids are interested in
kid protagonist
rhyme
rhythm
repetition
building on previous phrases
alliteration
worms -- gross
superheros --
princesses
simple story line -- sometimes
fairies
magic
hero
wizard
robots

Your books MUST be carefully revised and edited.


Practice Interviewing -- Practice great listening.




Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Friday, March 20, 2015

We will go on our field trip to Legacy on April 1.  


1. Bring a scribble to trade!



2. Writing a monologue.
Monologue:  http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/monologue
Soliloquy: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/soliloquy?s=t

  • Listening to monologues --
  • Writing your own -- 
    • 1. Write a monologue from the point of view of a fairy tale character who is NOT the hero or heroine!  
    • 2.  If you have extra time, write a monologue from a realistic teenage character.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJGJ8cFd3SY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTb8MVevWbE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHgtLPpWy7E

Samples:
_________________________________________

THE BEANSTALK
http://www.tarameddaugh.com/monologues.html
Male monologue
Comedic (dramatic) monologue

After climbing up a giant beanstalk for hours, Jack is lost and anxious. He finally sees another life, a black crow, and discusses his options for getting off the beanstalk.


JACK


Please don’t poke my eyes out! Wait—don’t leave! I mean, unless that’s what you were going to do, poke my eyes out—were you? But otherwise, just, just stay. I—I—I mean, you understand my worrying about that, right? But—well, you don’t seem like those birds. Right? And, even if you are, I’m not like those girls. So. It’s just—I really am happy to see you. I’m getting a little, well, maybe a little anxious. I don’t know if you can tell, but, I’m kind of a little bit stuck up here.

See, I didn’t…really…think that I’d make it this far up. I didn’t really think it through at all. My mom keeps telling me that’s my problem, and I guess it is. I just…saw it, and I’ve always been a bit of a climber, my mom said. When I was nine months old, she found me sitting on top of the brown cow in the barn one morning. I guess we all have our strengths. I’ve never really considered myself afraid of heights before, but, it’s not really the climbing up that scares me. It’s the getting down, Black Crow. It seemed so easy getting here—just put one foot on the branch—if you can call it a branch. They sure don’t seem like branches now—looking down. Oh, and, I’ve tried going down already. I put my foot on a branch, but it seems slippery now. See? It’s like the sludge at the bottom of the pig trough. And you do not want be climbing down from the clouds on pig sludge! I’m not a bright boy. They all tell me that, but that is one thing I do know.

And see, that’s why this is so, so, kind of tough to swallow. Maybe I was proving something. Maybe I was running away. I don’t know. But I was doing something. You know? Climbing up something. Something that wasn’t there before, but then suddenly was, and it made me feel powerful and strong and, and, smart. And I liked that feeling. So I kept on going, because the feeling kept on going. And, I’d never felt that way before. I mean, strong maybe, but—not smart.

But now I’m here. And I don’t feel very smart. Because a smart person would know how to get down. I can’t gain any footing on the sludge branch. I tried sliding down, but the few feet I did it, well, it hurts an awful lot, and I’m not even sure I wouldn’t fly off of it and land down there in a broken bone pile. And, then everyone would just say, Well, that’s Jack. He doesn’t know how to climb down, poor slow boy. And I guess they’d be right. So.

(pause)

The other thing I could do…and this probably would show I’m just as slow of a boy. Because it sure doesn’t seem like a smart idea. But it’s all I can think of to not kill myself falling.

(pause)

See, I’m starting to hear voices. And not like voices in my head. I haven’t turned silly yet. These are low voices. Really low. Booming voices, but not too loud yet. If you know what I mean. Like, a low rumble, sort like a bull when he sees his mate. So the idea, Black Crow, is just to…keep climbing up. And maybe there’s someone up there, one of the voices, who can help me, who can show me how to get down, or take me down. I’d be ok if someone else carried me down. I’d just ask them to do it at night, so no one in town would see. And I’d keep my eyes closed, so I’d remember it less. And then I could still sort of feel a little powerful. A little smart. So see? I’ve got it thought out now. At least a little bit. That’s a step, right? So. I guess maybe I’ll see you up there. If that’s where you’re going too.

(pause, starts going up)

It really doesn’t feel like sludge when you’re going up the stalk.
_________________________


I AM A SHARK

Male or female monologue
Dramatic monologue
Children's, teen or adult monologue

Jaime can be as young as 10 years old and as old as 20 (or higher).



JAMIE
Sometimes, when I stand on the beach and look out at the ocean, I imagine I’m a shark. My feet are hot, so hot they’re burning. Burning so much, I start to not feel the pain anymore. I take several deep breaths, and I breathe out the heat through my nose. I can feel it leaving me. My feet are tingling. A little numb. But I feel no pain. I am a shark. I’m swimming through the water and you can cut me with your knives, but my skin is hard and I am tough. And I feel no pain. A boy, this boy I know, but wish I didn’t, runs out of the ocean and past me. I feel the cold water he’s brought in on my legs. He’s tossed sand on me too and it’s sticking to me. I reach my hand down to feel the roughness on my legs. It’s like sandpaper. His friend runs out of the water too, chasing him, and he bumps into me. Pushes past me. My body turns with him, but my feet stay grounded. Like a rooted flower blowing in the wind. I don’t fall over. He yells something. Freak…Try again..Knock…but I can’t make out these words. I can’t understand them. My head is under water. Sound is muted down here. I am swimming fast. I am a shark. As two bodies now run past me, run into me, there is the sound of laughter. My roots were not deep enough. My face is burning hot against the floor of the beach. My hands push my body up and I taste sand in my mouth. It’s rough in my mouth now. Like my legs, my arms, my chest. I feel a kick to my side, but it is nothing to me. I am strong. My skin is tough. I feel nothing. I am a shark.

______________________________________


Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

If you were absent:
Next time, bring a scribble to trade with someone else.


2015 Semester 2 -- Kidblog Link 
http://kidblog.org/DorseyCreativeWriting72015S2/



You might be interested:  http://writingforcharity.blogspot.com/

Announcements and Reminders:  Friday was the last day to hand in late or revised work for Term 3, unless you do it quickly and talk me into taking it!.

The term ends on Friday, March 20.

Reminder of assignments that are due: On your Kidblog write a very short story.   We will use a plot map, work on creating  great characters and clear settings, using a variety of sentences, using figurative language, and choosing exact words.   Tell your story in what would equal one to two single-spaced pages.   Publish it even if you are not finished.

If you haven't yet written a limerick on Google Drive, do that as soon as you can.  Make sure you follow the pattern provided.   Limericks 2015.doc

Pick up your valentines to take with you.


Scribble: Meghan H.  (Moved from last time) -- Not here. 

So we scribbled to music.  


Punctuation!









Outside -- if weather permits   --

1. Listen -- write down everything you hear for five minutes -- timed 

then   In a Circle

12 points for outstanding description    8 points for okay description   5 or less for less than okay



Our Group Story:  (two words at a time)

Once upon a time there was a dragon who liked to eat cheese and meat. He was a silver 


florescent, gorgeous 

dragon.  One day the dragon ate the cheese and meat while searching for popcorn and 

more cheese because he was a hungry dragon.

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Monday, March 16, 2015

2015 Semester 2 -- Kidblog Link 
http://kidblog.org/DorseyCreativeWriting72015S2/



You might be interested:  http://writingforcharity.blogspot.com/

Announcements and Reminders:  Friday was the last day to hand in late or revised work for Term 3, unless you do it quickly and talk me into taking it!.

The term ends on Friday, March 20.

Reminder of assignments that are due: On your Kidblog write a very short story.   We will use a plot map, work on creating  great characters and clear settings, using a variety of sentences, using figurative language, and choosing exact words.   Tell your story in what would equal one to two single-spaced pages.   Publish it even if you are not finished.

If you haven't yet written a limerick on Google Drive, do that as soon as you can.  Make sure you follow the pattern provided.   Limericks 2015.doc

Pick up your valentines to take with you.


Scribble: Meghan H.  (Moved to next time)




Scribble from Kaitlyn M.




Punctuation


Dear John


In your notebook, list every punctuation mark you can think of, and what it does.  http://www.nationalpunctuationday.com/
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/punctuation.aspx

   

The History of a Few Punctuation Marks with thanks to Nancie Atwell.
   -- Quotations marks were originally lip-shaped marks to show that someone else was speaking.

  -- The exclamation mark started out as the word "Io" which like saying "Wow!"  It was shortened to Io, then to an I with a dot behind it, then the dot was moved under the I and that evolved to our current mark !
 -- The period came from "peri" which meant round and when the writer had finished writing a sentence he had completely gone around what he was trying to express.  It was written as a circle, which became the dot we use now.
-- The comma comes from "komma" which means "little knife/to cut off" so the symbol was of a little knife, and evolved into our comma (,).  This teacher is also using info from Nancie Atwell: http://msmcclure.com/?page_id=6448    


Create new punctuation!  

Punctuation Marks We Should Be Using