Monday, June 11, 2012

Good Morning!

As you can see, I am on a field trip today. Please catch up by doing the following:

If you have not completed your portfolio, please do so today!
If you handed it in but it could use improvements, please do so today!
If you owe any missing work, please complete it today!
All caught up? Write a creative piece for extra credit!
Please do something productive in the lab today!

Here is an assignment you can work on if you don't have any extra credit ideas:

Creative Writing Project: The House on Mango Street

As Sandra Cisneros tells us in The House on Mango Street, “You can’t erase what you know. You can’t forget who you are.”  Through her writing, we learn about Cisneros intimately because of her detailed, personal writing. Choose one (or more of the topics below to write about!)  

The topics that you choose to write about will parallel those in The House on Mango Street.  You will choose from the following topics:

 Your name
 Your neighborhood
 Extended Metaphor: You as a plant
 What’s expected of males and females in our society
 Game/ Toy from childhood
 Time you got in trouble
 Time you saw someone else get in trouble
 Advice from an adult
 Your dreams versus your reality
 A time you made fun of someone and now regret
 Positive school story
 Negative school story
 Born _____ (You fill in the blank!)
 Your first job
 A holiday or birthday memory
 A tattoo you’d get and why

Have fun!

Monday, May 21, 2012

New You Can Use!

1. Please finish reading The Bluest Eye by Thursday, May 24th
2. Quiz/Mini Test on the remainder of the novel (pg.132-end) will be in class on Thursday!
3. Finish a rough draft of your short story by Wednesday, May 23rd (beginning of class)
4. You should use 4th period on Wednesday to peer edit.
5. Stories will be due at the end of class on Thursday (or before!) *You will need to turn in your peer edited rough draft with your final copy.
6. You also need your rough drafts of your qualities complete by Wednesday, May 23rd... Keep the work for both classes organized!
7. 'Quality' books will be due Wednesday, May 30th. ( Get your pages for the class book to me as soon as they are done!)

Questions? Please ask!

Monday, May 14, 2012

Good Morning!

Please spend 4th period working on your short story and/or newsletter.

Don't forget your deadlines: 5/16 for the newsletter and 5/24 for the story!

Do not forget to turn in all study guide questions as well.

Have a great/productive day!

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Themes

Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.
Your Task:

1. Choose a theme addressed in The Bluest Eye.
2. Find a quote in the novel that demonstrates the theme you chose.
3. Write your own unique 4-6 page story addressing your theme choice.

Potential Themes:

Race
Appearances
Standard of Beauty
Seeing vs. Being Seen
Love
Innocence
Society and Class
Jealousy
Women and Femininity
Nature
Economic Discrimination
Psychological Stereotyping

(and the list goes on...)

Monday, May 7, 2012

Good Morning!

Please type your responses to the following questions by the end of class. Do not forget to hand them in before you leave today! If you do not finish, please hand in the questions you answered and complete the rest for homework!

The Bluest Eye

pg.5-6 The Second Opening

1.  Who is the narrator of the italicized section that begins, “Quiet as it’s kept”?  Who is keeping what quiet? You should have some answers to these questions before you reach the end of this section.

2. What happened to Pecola?  How might her baby’s death connect to the withered seeds the narrator describes?

3. Why does Morrison “give away” Pecola’s fate so early on in this novel?  That is, what is her narrative’s message, and how is it enhanced by giving her unsuspecting readers the harsh facts right up front?  Be prepared to free write on this topic in class.

4. What might the “failed seeds” of this second opening symbolize—come up with 2-3 ideas.

Autumn
5. Note how we learn this narrator’s name on p.11. What is Morrison trying to show us?


6. After this rather harsh flashback to her childhood, Claudia ends with these words on p.12:

And in the night, when my coughing was dry and tough, feet padded into the room, hands repinned the flannel, readjusted the quilt, and rested a moment on my forehead. So when I think of autumn, I think of somebody with hands who does not want me to die.

Why does Morrison include these two sentences here?  How does it change the tone of all that Claudia has told us prior to this moment?

7. Given all the clues Morrison has handed us, when do you think this novel is set?



8. What connections do you see between Claudia’s attitude towards blue-eyed, blond-haired dolls and Pecola’s fascination with Shirley Temple’s image on the tea cup (p.23)?

9. Re-read the ending of this section on p.32 (“How do you get someone to love you?”) Can you connect it to the passage above in question 2?

pg.33-80

10. First section: Why does Morrison use the word “no” over 12 times in her description of the Breedlove’s home pp.36-37?

11. Given the way they live, how is the family’s name ironic?

12. Consider the dynamics of the parents’ relationship: why does Mrs. Breedlove need Cholly and why does Cholly need his wife? Note the origin of his hatred (see text detailing an early sexual experience).  Do we see this kind of displaced hatred and anger in our culture today?  Explain.

13. Why does Pecola wonder at the chapter’s final conclusion—“Were they real?”

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Penfield Poetry Contest

Homework! Due this Thursday!
Choose your best poem of the year.

Submissions Accepted
March 1 – April 30, 2012
For students in grades 6-12 who live in or attend school in Monroe County

THE RULES
Each contestant may submit one poem.
The poem must be the contestant’s original work.
To submit your poem via email:

The poem must be submitted as a Word document or a PDF. The contestant’s name should not appear on the same page as the poem. A separate page with the contestant’s name, grade, school, home address, and phone number must be included. Please send the poem as an attachment to lgrills@libraryweb.org. Please enter "Poetry Contest" in the subject line of the email. You will receive a confirmation reply email within a few days.

Poems must be received by Monday, April 30, 2012. Winners will be announced in mid- May.


THE PRIZES: Furnished by the Friends of the Penfield Public Library, the prizes are First Place -- $50, Second Place -- $35, and Third Place -- $25, in each of three Divisions: High School (Grades 9-12); 7th and 8th Grade; and 6th Grade.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Crossing the Line Activity

Bullying is any mean word, look, sign, or act that hurts a person's body, feeling or things. 


"Leadership is practiced not so much in words as n attitude and in actions." ~Harold Green

Please type a 1-2 page  (double spaced) response to the activity you participated in today. You can write about anything that captured your interest. Here are some ideas if you are stuck:


  • How did you feel during the activity?
  • What do you think about the issue of bullying?
  • Do you think bullying a is a serious issue at our school?
  • Has bullying ever impacted your life or the life of someone you care about?
  • Do you believe it is your responsibility to step in when you see someone who is being bullied?
  • What did you think of the presentation overall?
  • Was the college information helpful?
  • Did any of your views change after the presentation?
Remember, these questions are just suggestions. You may write about whatever you wish.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

If you haven't joined http://www.figment.com/ please do so today.

I have created a class group called SOTA Creative Writing 2012.

Please join our class group and share your work there (magazine content.)

This assignment is due Friday.

We will be using this class group to submit work in the future, so bookmark the page!

Friday, March 23, 2012

More Online Publishing

Great job yesterday!

I know some of you had trouble using www.wordpress.com. This is a great professional site, so I would still like you to explore it.

That being said, if you were more comfortable with the user/kid friendly http://www.figment.com/ you may use that website for your assignment.

You are responsible for the following:
1. Explore one of the sites provided by Ms. Perez and Ms. Gamzon
2. Choose one to join
3. Publish your magazine online!

If you have trouble joining a site or finding a template, ask for help!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Online Publishing!

1. Please go to http://www.wordpress.com/ and sign up for a free blog.

2. Take your magazine content and plug it into the online format.

3. You may need to alter your content in order to make it work for the web.

4. Each person should have their own blog and own magazine concept.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Haiku Contest Guidelines

Submissions: Each haiku must be in three separate 3X5 cards. The haiku must appear on the front of each card.

On the other side, include the following:
Your name, address, age, grade level, and school and school address, which is 45 Prince Street, Rochester, NY

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Exploring New Genres

Genres of literature are important to learn about. The two main categories separating the different genres of literature are fiction and nonfiction. There are several genres of literature that fall under both categories. We are going to start by exploring fiction. 


Your Task: 
Choose a genre of fiction that you have not tried this year. Find information on the Internet, read books/stories, and learn as much as you can about your genre. Write a short story (3-5 pages) in that genre. Due dates for your magazine project and this assignment are forthcoming.


Genres of Fiction
The genre of Fiction can be defined as narrative literary works whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact. In fiction something is feigned, invented, or imagined; a made-up story. A brief explanation of some genres of fiction you may consider are listed below. You are not limited to these choices if you have a different idea.



Drama is the genre of literature that’s subject for compositions is dramatic art in the way it is represented. This genre is stories composed in verse or prose, usually for theatrical performance, where conflicts and emotion are expressed through dialogue and action.


Fantasy is the forming of mental images with strange or other worldly settings or characters; fiction which invites suspension of reality.

Humor is the faculty of perceiving what is amusing or comical. Fiction full of fun, fancy, and excitement which meant to entertain. This genre of literature can actually be seen and contained within all genres.

Fable is a story about supernatural or extraordinary people Usually in the form of narration that demonstrates a useful truth. In Fables, animals often speak as humans that are legendary and supernatural tales.

Fairy Tales or wonder tales are a kind of folktale or fable. Sometimes the stories are about fairies or other magical creatures, usually for children.

Science Fiction is a story based on impact of potential science, either actual or imagined. Science fiction is one of the genres of literature that is set in the future or on other planets.

Realistic Fiction is a story that can actually happen and is true to real life.

Folklore are songs, stories, myths, and proverbs of a person of “folk” that was handed down by word of mouth. Folklore is a genre of literature that is widely held, but false and based on unsubstantiated beliefs.

Historical Fiction is a story with fictional characters and events in a historical setting.

Horror is an overwhelming and painful feeling caused by literature that is frightfully shocking, terrifying, or revolting. Fiction in which events evoke a feeling of dread in both the characters and the reader.

Tall Tale is a humorous story with blatant exaggerations, swaggering heroes who do the impossible with an here of nonchalance.

Legend is a story that sometimes of a national or folk hero. Legend is based on fact but also includes imaginative material.

Mystery is a genre of fiction that deals with the solution of a crime or the unraveling of secrets. Anything that is kept secret or remains unexplained or unknown.

Mythology is a type of legend or traditional narrative. This is often based in part on historical events, that reveals human behavior and natural phenomena by its symbolism; often pertaining to the actions of the gods. A body of myths, as that of a particular people or that relating to a particular person.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Magazine Brainstorming

Please type up the following by the end of class:

1. Who is in your group
2. What is the main topic of your magazine?
3. What are the subtopics you plan to address in your magazine?
4. Assign a subtopic to each person in your group.
5. Brainstorm as many ideas possible for your magazine.

Finished early? Begin your magazine content!

Don't forget you have a homework assignment due at the beginning of class tomorrow!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Steel Magnolias

Please read the study guide provided and answer the given questions in complete sentences. Remember to highlight and take notes. You will be responsible for the information and terminology given.

Study Guide Questions are due Wednesday, 1/29/12


Test: Tuesday, 3/6/12

Friday, February 17, 2012

Extra Credit Assignment

Telling Stories

Inspiration for stories often can come directly from experiences that have a profound effect on people’s lives.

Reginald Rose, who wrote Twelve Angry Men, was deeply moved by his own experience of jury duty in a manslaughter case in New York City. At first, he had been reluctant to serve on a jury, but he wrote, “The moment I walked into the courtroom … and found myself facing a strange man whose fate was suddenly more or less in my hands, my entire attitude changed.” Rose was greatly impressed by the seriousness of the situation, the somber activity of the court and the “absolute finality” of the decision that he and his fellow jurors would have to make. He also thought that since no one other than a jury had any idea of what went on in a jury room, “a play taking place entirely within a jury room might be an exciting and possibly moving experience for an audience.”

In Cold Blood, the book written by Truman Capote, details the slaying of Herbert Clutter, a wealthy farmer from Holcomb, Kansas, his wife and two children. When
Capote learned of the quadruple murder before the killers, Richard Hitkock and
Perry Smith, were captured, he decided to travel to Kansas with friend and fellow author, Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird). Together they interviewed local residents and investigators, taking thousands of pages of notes. Truman Capote spent six years working on the book.

The film, The Runaways, is a 2010 American biography about the 1970’s all girl hard rock band of the same name. The film was written and directed by Floria Sigismondi, who based her screenplay on the book Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway by the band’s original vocalist, Cherie Currie. The film depicts the formation of the band in 1975 and focuses on the relationship between Cheryl Currie and rhythm guitarist/vocalist Joan Jett until Currie’s departure from the band.


Your Task:

Everyone has a story to tell from his or her own personal experiences.
Write your own story based on an event that made a strong impression and impacted your life. For this assignment, there are no wrong ideas, only possibilities. Personal stories can be written in the first person, or they may be inspired from a personal occurrence and adapted accordingly.

Uploading Your iMovie Digital Poetry Project

You should be at a place to finish and upload you iMovie digital poetry movie project. 

To upload, follow this tutorial:

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B1015hZr-WuROTY2ZjJhMWUtMjEzNi00NGVlLTk0N2EtZTg3NTVlZTgzZmRl&hl=en


Once you have uploaded your video project, please copy and paste the link on this post as a comment.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Extra Credit

If you are interested in exchanging letters with an Italian student, this is a great extra credit opportunity.

Please write your first letter by Thursday, February, 9th! Here are some tips:

  1. Be sure they know who the letter is from and why you are writing it. The clearer you are, the better.
  2. Tell them your nickname or first name, age, gender and the country you live in.
  3. Let your potential pen pal know your hobbies and interests. This opens the flood gates to communication and lets them see if you have similar interests.
  4. Be specific. Don't say you like to read. Tell them what you like to read.
  5. Ask them questions!
  6. Never, never, never demand that your pen pal write you back. That is not friendly and very rude. Invite them to write you back instead. For example, "Looking forward to hearing from you", "I can't wait to hear all about your camping trip", etc.  
  7. Remember to keep the language simple. These students are in the process of learning English!
Pleased do not write a pen pal letter if you are not interested in writing back! Thank you for considering this opportunity!

Deadlines

Monday, February 6th: Act One of 12 Angry Men should be read.

Tuesday, February 7th: Annabel Lee assignment due at the beginning of class (if not handed in last Friday.)

Wednesday, February 8th: Come to class having read the packet and Act Two. Study Guide Question are also due at the beginning of class!

Thursday, February 9th: Robert Frost assignment due at the beginning of class (if not handed in Tuesday, 2/7.) Rough draft of iMovie due at the end of 4th period.

Friday, February 10th: Act Two Study Guide Questions due at the beginning of class.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Monday, February 13th: Act Three of 12 Angry Men and Study Guide Questions are due at the beginning of class.

Tuesday, February 14th: Early Deadline for One Act Play (extra credit!)

Wednesday, February 15th: Nothing due as of now! Work on iMovie!

Thursday, February 16th: Final Deadline for One Act Play (NO LATE WORK ACCEPTED!)

Friday, February 17th: iMovie should be complete! We will work on uploading after break.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Please make sure all of the work listed above is done before February Recess! I will not accept any late work this marking period.

Friday, February 3, 2012

iMovie Tutorial

If you are still struggling with iMovie, try some of these links:

Don't find what you are looking for? Do your own search! That is what I have been encouraging you to do from the beginning. It is very important to have effective research skills. If you find a useful video that may help the class, please share it as a response!

iMovie Tutorial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YbA-g1meCg&feature=related

iMovie for Beginners
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CasdFU_t80Q&feature=related&noredirect=1

iMovie Tips and Tricks: Photos and Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHBORc6ioAk

Advanced iMovie Tips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgGeV4suwiM&feature=related

iMovie in Under 5 Minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J79_0h3ozS0&feature=related

Adding Background Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unZCxLtdo_M&feature=related

Mac 101: iMovie
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2479

eHow
http://www.ehow.com/how_4838996_use-imovie-apple.html

Now look back to Wednesday's post for this class. I suggested you do this search on your own. Please get in the habit of reading the blog and following instructions. I should not have had to do this research for you.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Writing a One Act Play

Introduction
A one act can have as few as one character or as many as fifteen. It can be set in any time, cover any theme, be in any language and tell any type of story. The only real definable feature is that a one act play simply has only that, one act. It is like a short story told only with dialogue.

Assignment
Your assignment


Guidelines
  • Your play should be 7-10 pages long
  • 12 pt. font
  • Follows proper dramatic format (see handout)

I will provide a handout in class to help with getting started and following the proper format.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

iMovie Help

Many of you have been asking questions about iMovie. Here is a link to a helpful tutorial.

http://itc.gsu.edu/tutorials/imovie.pdf

I have also found that searching your specific question on youtube.com and ehow.com is a great way to get concise answers.

Still have questions? Please ask!

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

One-Minute Play Activity

During 4th period, please break into groups of two.

1. With your partner choose a setting for your one-minute play.

2. Using your setting, think of a character who might be found in this location (or an interesting contrasting character who doesn't really belong in this setting--your choice). DO NOT TELL YOUR PARTNER WHO YOUR CHARACTER IS.

3. Taking turns at ONE COMPUTER, open a word document file and put your group members names on the heading.

DO NOT SPEAK TO YOUR PARTNERS VERBALLY ABOUT WHAT YOUR CHARACTER SAYS. LEAVE THIS FOR THE PLAY.

4. One writer will start. Write the setting and location on the top of the page. The first writer will type his/her character's name, and write that character a line of dialogue.
NOTE: a line of dialogue might be one word, a sentence, or several paragraphs in length.

After the line of dialogue, allow a second writer to respond to what the first character said. Have that writer write their line. Continue this until you have about 1 or 2 pages of dialogue going.

5. Find a way after coming to the bottom of the page or when on the second page to finish your conversation.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Welcome to Semester Two!

For the sake of a fresh start I decided to start a new blog for our second sememster classes. Please bookmark this address so you are set up for success! The address is: http://www.sota2012.blogspot.com/.

Today is our first day in Writing for Publication. I am looking forward to this class and think you will enjoy the projects you are assigned.

iMovie Project (Due Thursday, 2/9/12)
  1. Each student will choose a poem from the Poetry 180 website. Then you will create a visual poetry movie of the poem. This will include images and music to go along with the text of the poem you choose. 
  2. First try to find a poem that interests you. Click HERE to go to the Poetry 180 website. Try to remember that the poem you choose will have to be put to music and images so try to choose one that will allow you to do that. 
  3. If you are unfamiliar with iMovie please go through the tutorial beginning your project.                 
  4. If you would like to more examples of student work just ask!