2014/2015 School Year -- Supplies

2014/2015 School Year -- Supplies

 Welcome!  If you've enrolled in Creative Writing class, look forward to doing lots of writing!  

Needed Supplies:

For Ms. Dorsey's Creative Writing class, you will need a composition book, not a spiral bound notebook, but one of the cardboard (or plastic) covered composition books.

See this link about Your Composition Book.

You'll need plenty of pens and pencils.  You're expected to come each day with your own.

You'll also need to bring loose-leaf paper.

A three-ring binder (which could be used for more than one class) will help you stay organized.

A thumb drive is very helpful for saving and transporting work from one computer to another.  The thumb drive could be used for other classes, too.

Click here for Classroom Rules.

This post was originally published in  July, 2010, and revised in July 2011,  and again in June of 2012, and again in January and July of 2013 and July of 2014 and January of 2015.

I Am From Poem

Rubric for Typed Poem – “I Am From” Poem
Score 6 Score 5 Score 4
Ideas/Details 6= The poem is intriguing. It is full of memorable sensory images. 5= The poem is interesting. There are some memorable images. 4= Poem is somewhat interesting, but it lacks sensory images.
Word choice 6= The poet carefully selected the most vivid and exact words. No dead words here! 5= There are a few vivid and exact words. 4= The poet needs to spend more time looking at word choice, finding exact, vivid words.
Conventions 6= The poet has carefully followed the required format of this type of poem 5= There are one or two problems with following the format. 4= There are several problems with following the format.
Presentation 6= It’s ready to post for the public. 5= One problem must be fixed before posting. 4= More than one problem must be fixed before posting.

Example of an I Am From Poem:

I am from
Hamburger pie and whole wheat bread
Grandma's ladybug tree
Pumpkin carving contests and
The high school turkey toss.

I am from
Spiders and "The Hook" in the cellar
Dark Valley and Pleasant Creek
Gophers we trap for two bits each and
My cousin Gary who burps in my ear.

I am
Apple juice from the gas station at Schofield
Elk jerky from Springfield Meats
Buttery popcorn on rainy Saturdays and
Long dirt roads that take me home.
by Bubba Boyd

Pattern:

I am from
[four lines]

I am from
[four lines]

I am
[four lines]

Monday, January 12, 2015

Turn in your hall passes if you have not yet done that.

for Monday --
Scribble #4  -- Jeff
You look behind you and see your worst nightmare.







Focus Free-writing --
red






rain





roots






last


Scribble #5  --
You find yourself at the elementary school.  You are in first grade.  However you remember being in seventh grade, and all that you have learned and experienced.  What is first grade like for someone who looks six year old but is actually twelve or thirteen?


Scribble #6 -- There was a dark shadow in the corner and it disappeared with a blink of an eye.



Grammar Punk

5.  Play Grammar Punk, if time.

The teacher will roll the sets of dice to determine qualifications for the sentences you will write. 

Subject of the sentence

Use words that begin with a certain letter -- How many?

Use a particular part of speech

Use a particular punctuation mark

Subject: animals

Letter: I 

# words that begin with the letter: 2

Part of speech: Interjection 



Subject: sports

Letter:  o

# words that begin with the letter: 3

Part of speech:   adverb 

Subject:  any

Letter:  f

# words that begin with the letter:  two

Part of speech: interjection

Subject: food

Letter:  t

# words that begin with the letter:  two

Part of speech:  conjunction

Keep calm and keep on writing!

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Hand in your hall passes if you are done with them.


Fieldtrip to Legacy

Scribble #1  -- Rome
There was a dark shape in the corner.


Scribble #2  -- Emily
If you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do today?


Scribble #3  -- Chiara
corn


for Monday --
Scribble #4  -- Jeff
You look behind you and see your worst nightmare.


Scribble #5  --
You find yourself at the elementary school.  You are in first grade.  However you remember being in seventh grade, and all that you have learned and experienced.  What is first grade like for someone who looks six year old but is actually twelve or thirteen?


Scribble #6 -- There was a dark shadow in the corner and it disappeared with a blink of an eye.



Grammar Punk

5.  Play Grammar Punk, if time.

The teacher will roll the sets of dice to determine qualifications for the sentences you will write. 

Subject of the sentence

Use words that begin with a certain letter -- How many?

Use a particular part of speech

Use a particular punctuation mark

More of Hailey's Poem

Lush green forests
rippling like an endless ocean
as the sun hangs suspended
in a sky of light blue hues
shining upon this seething mass
of trees


Dark and light the shades

seem to meld together in

a blend of leaves

shivering in the wind as

a cool breeze rattles the 

treetops

Clouds cover the sun

The sky seems liek an

eternal path of grey

as the heavens battle

looking from below

an angry tempest

Then all at once

a shaft of bright

light pierces the clouds

like a blade and the 

storm is in full

retreat

and the lush green forests

now rippling gently

as if to flash their

beautiful colors to

all the sky

softly waving branches

in this endless sea of 

green

Tuesday, January 6, 2014

Announcements and Reminders:
We will go to Legacy next time to deliver the books.  Dress accordingly.


Scribble today:   Drake C.   You realize it's not a dream.
Next Time: Emily C.



Class Activities:
Have you seen Into the Woods?  How about Malificent?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pjy5MK1X70
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6Yz5BRMGIQ


1. Prompt:  Briefly rewrite a classic story from the point of view of the "bad guy/antagonist/villain."  

This could be from a fairy tale, legend, myth, etc.

Here is an example:

  

 Snow White from the point of view of the Queen

            I’d been a single woman for far too long when I met Stephan.   Oh, I was known as a great beauty – the fairest of them all (successful careers in acting and modeling) and I’d dated a lot of men, but none of them swept me off my feet  like he did.  After all, he was handsome and kind and King!

  His daughter Snow White – he doted on her – Yes I did feel a little jealous, but I loved the child as a daughter  except she could certainly be irritating

always singing into  wells – you know that echoing sound – grates on the nerves

and when you have a lot of birds gathering around --  you know what birds leave behind

After Stephen died,  I tried to be the best mother I could to little Snow White – didn’t want her growing up a spoiled princess – had her do some chores around the house –

She did grow more and more beautiful with each passing year –

Had huntsman take her for a healthy outing in the woods – apparently when I told him it would be good for her heart – he thought I’d said to cut out her heart – how can a man be so stupid?

she ran away –

It was because I’d provided opportunities for her to clean and cook in the castle that she was able to get a job working for the seven dwarves.

Duh. . . I said "good for her heart,
"not "cut out her heart"!

I knew that men aren’t all that good at grocery shopping, and they never remember to get fruits and vegetables, so I decided to take her some apples which were just ripe. . .

I figured she would still be frightened of me because of the heart misunderstanding, 

so I dressed in a disguise – an old-woman costume from my acting days.

She ate so fast she choked. I tried the Heimlich maneuver. It didn’t work, but when that prince came along and kissed her, she gasped.  I would have too if he’d kissed me --and the piece came loose.

Computer Lab 223:  on the Kidblog

2.  Put yourself into a fairy tale.  Are you one of the characters already in the story, or are you putting yourself as your real self into the story?   (Have you ever wished you could step into a book or movie or television show and help the characters solve their problems -- perhaps by telling them something they ought to know?)

Whichever you choose to be, tell part of the tale from your point of view.  Make this the best you can.

If needed:

1. Prompt:  Something is hiding behind this tree. What is it and why is it hiding?

Something is hiding behind this tree. What is it and why is it hiding?

Charity Games

Schedule for Charity Games
December 18th and 19th
 No backpacks in the gym.
 Take care of personal needs before entering the gym. Once you are in the gym you are NOT to leave until the end of the game.
 NO saving seats. Sit close, no feet on the bleacher below, we need every inch.
 Students may only attend their grade’s game.
 Students are required to pay $1 each time they enter the gym for a period.
 NO CAVE Time on Thursday 12/18 or Friday 12/19.
 ALL proceeds from the games will be given to AFJH families who could use some extra help during this holiday season.

Teachers will wait for the announcement from the office before sending  students to the boy’s gym.

Thursday, December 18th
A1 8:35-9:35 – 7th grade students only
A2 10:05-11:10 – 8th grade students only
NO GAMES DURING 3RD period – regular lunch schedule
A4 1:40-2:40 – 9th grade students only
**A4 will be the 9th grade girls against the women staff/faculty

Friday, December 19th
B1 8:35-9:35 – 7th grade students only
B2 10:05-11:10 – 8th grade students only
NO GAMES DURING 3RD period – regular lunch schedule
B4 1:40-2:40 – 9th grade students only
**B4 will be the 9th grade boys against the men staff/faculty