January 30, 2008

January 30, 2008
Read the tape-in poem: "Moon Mission: To-Do List"
Tape it on the back of page 17. Write on page 18. Follow the direction.

If you haven't, finish your "Rules" and "If I Were in Charge of the World."

Go to the computer lab to type up "Creativity Collage" assignments and (if time) type up "If I Were in Charge of the World" and "To-Do List."

The Cowardly Lion sang, "If I were the king of the forest!"

Do we have more picture collages to share?

January 28, 2008

Monday, January 28, 2008
Ms. Dorsey is at a teacher's training session today. She is doing a presentation, and will try to do it creatively!

Today you're going to consider being in charge.
Who is in charge of you?
Self-Starter: Receive a copy of the poem "Time Somebody Told Me" by Quantedius Hall -- Follow the directions on the same page, writing about what the poem brings to mind, and borrowing lines to write about.

Would you like to be in charge of the world?
Activity 1: Write a poem, using the pattern for "If I Were In Charge of the World."

If you were in charge, what rules would you make?
Activity 2: List three or four rules you would enforce if you could. These could be serious or silly, but make sure they're "school-appropriate." You might have a message you'd like to get across, or you might want to just make people laugh. Select your favorite and create an 8 1/2 by 11 inch poster proclaiming that rule. We'll hang them in the hall outside the classroom. You may use crayons, colored pencils, or markers to illustrate your "poster." Make the lettering large enough so people can read it from a few feet away.

By the end of class you should have your response to the poem in your notebook, your "If I Were in Charge of the World" poem written on the handout for it, and one rule poster created and ready to hang.

See you next time!

January 24, 2008

January 24, 2008
Poem Starter: Students read a poem to guess what it was about: "A Slice of Life."
They received a tape-in for the back of page 15 in their notebooks, and followed the directions on the tape-in to write on page 16.

We shared the "About Me" collages.

If time, we practiced some prewriting techniques. (page 10) These are also useful for breaking writer's block.

January 22, 2008

January 22, 2008 --
Hand in your collage of pictures and illustrations that tell us about you.

You'll see examples of some of your options for your other assignments in the Collage of Creativity.

Mini-lesson: Creating pictures in your reader's mind.

Working on the Bio-poems -- We will go into the Computer Writing Lab to type these.

Don't forget to hand in your disclosure signature sheets and filled-out VIP forms!

January 17, 2008

January 17, 2008
The self-starter was a tape-in used as a guide to write about your own writing process on page 13 in your writer's notebook.
Here are the questions asked to spark thinking about what your own individual writing process is like:
Thinking-Starter Questions:
Prewriting -- Do you use prewriting? What kinds of prewriting do you use?
Drafting -- How and where do you like to draft? Where do you write? Do you like to use a certain type of pen or pencil or paper?
Quirkiness -- Do you have any writing quirks? (Examples of quirks: One writer says he does his best writing in a warm bath. Another has to have a large bag of M ‘n M’s by her side as she writes.
Revising -- What kinds of revision do you use the most? How many drafts do you usually go through to produce a quality piece of writing? Do you ask other people to read a draft and make suggestions for revision?
Editing -- How comfortable are you with editing? Do you get help editing your papers?
Publishing -- What types of publishing have you done? (in class? on the Internet? in a newspaper? Other?)
What is your greatest writing weakness? What is your greatest writing strength?

We read and discussed a poem: "A Little Girl's Poem" by Gwendolyn Brooks.

We viewed/listened to a video of a "special guest speaker" -- Gish Jen, and took double-entry notes. Students divided page 14 of their notebooks in half (vertically), and on the left half took notes on what she said about writing. On the other side, they wrote their own responses, connections, etc.

The teacher shared brief examples of some of the choices for the Creativity assignment.

Students are working on their collages for the "Collage of Creativity" assignment.

Collage of Creativity -- About Me!

Here is the assignment that students received on January 15, 2008.
(All work except the picture collage will end up typed or neatly written in black ink.) The following due dates require a neatly written, clearly legible, draft. We will have an opportunity to type them later.
I. Make a title page for your entire assignment with a creative title, and with your name, class, and the date.
II. Create an 8 1/2" x 11" collage of pictures and or other illustrations that represent you and your interests. Due Tuesday, January 22
III. + Write bio-poems based on two of the patterns you are given. Due Thursday, January 24
IV. + Choose three out of the following ten choices. Title each assignment. (Use complete, correct sentences in your writing.) Due January 28, 30, February 4
(The 30th is our first computer lab day to type the bio-poems and your first two choices of the three.)
 1. Top Ten -- Create a top ten best and worst list (ten best and ten worst) of things that have happened to you so far in your life. You must be specific, detailed, and creative. Don't say –
1. Born 2. Moved, etc. Each item should be at least two creative sentences long. Have a title for your lists -- not "My Top Ten." Be more creative. (Use complete, correct sentences in your writing.)

 2. Junior High Hang-Ups Poem or Essay -- Write a poem or informal essay about a theme that is important to junior high school students. For example, friendship, conformity, originality, education, family, finding talents, being yourself, staying away from drugs or other addictions, self-esteem, honor, popularity, careers, status symbols, sports, band, etc. or your own idea. Use poetry techniques -- metaphors, power words, alliterations, symbols, figurative language, etc. Don't rhyme. Your poem must be at least twenty lines long. The essay must be a page, double-spaced. Have a creative title.
(Page lengths refer to typed pieces. Handwritten will be longer.)
 3. How to Survive in Junior High -- Make a list of twenty specific and truly valuable pieces of advice you would like to give new seventh graders. Your list may be humorous but must contain "true" wisdom and be appropriate. Have a creative title.

 4. Me and My Shadow -- Do you have someone you are with constantly -- a shadow? Write at least a half page, double-spaced about how you are alike and yet different. Why do you make a good pair? Have a good title.

 5. What if. . . What if. . . is a big question. Make a list of twenty what if's. Be specific and creative.

 6. My Family -- Write at least a half a page, double-spaced, about how you have affected your family. What would your family be like without you? What do you add? Have a title.

 7. Celebrations of Education -- Write at least two or three sentences celebrating -- notice the word is "celebrate" not "desecrate" each year of your public education. Be sure to include the grade, teacher, and school. Be specific. Have a title.

 8. Honoring Me -- Design a certificate with a border and a graphic that honors you for some specific but perhaps hidden talent. Make this a talent of character rather than ability. Be specific and creative -- not just "Good Friend."

 9. My Golden Rules -- Make a list of ten very specific and original-to-you rules to live by. What wisdom and advice do you have to offer the world gleaned from your own experience. Have a title.

 10. Fifteen Minutes of Fame -- Someone once said, "Everyone will experience fifteen minutes of fame in his or her lifetime." What will your fifteen minutes be? You may write in short story form -- narrative -- or explanatory style. This must be at least a half of a page, double spaced. Have a creative title. (Dorsey, 1-17-06, updated 1/15/08Adapted from materials presented by Brenda Burr and Launa Strong)

January 15, 2008

January 15, 2008
Students received the disclosure document and took an open-text, open-neighbor quiz on it.
Two very clever and quick students led us in correcting it.

Students set up their Writers' Notebooks.*

Students received the "Collage of Creativity" Assignment. See the post here containing that assignment.

*Directions for the Writer’s Notebook:
You need an 8 1/2 x 11” notebook (One is provided for you.)
1. Write your name on the back and front of the notebook.
2. Leave the first two pages for a Table of Contents.
Write Table of Contents at the top of those first two pages.
(Use only the front of each page.) (Don’t number these pages.)
3. Start numbering with the third page -- #1.
Number the pages in the upper right hand corner.
Number and write on one side only, though you may
tape handouts on the back of a page.
4. Label the next page (page #1) My Proofreading List.
(Record this on your Table of Contents)
5. Label the next four pages (#2-#5) as Writing Territories.
(Record this on your Table of Contents)
6. Label the two pages after that (#6- #7) Wonderful Words.
(Record this on your Table of Contents)
7. Label the two pages after that (#8 - #9) Quotable Quotes
(Record this on your Table of Contents)
8. Label the three pages after that (#10, #11. #12) Prewriting Practice.
(Record this on your Table of Contents)
9. Make a large title on page #13, Lessons and Drafts and Other Stuff
(Record this on your Table of Contents)