Writing 2 Class Notes -- January 31

Greetings!

We had another good class today.  The students were bright, alert, and engaged.  The Quick Write was titled "For the Cause."  I asked the students to think about a cause about which they were passionate (or to make up one) and to write what they would do to further that cause.  (Our family had just watched The Help and was touched by the message of the movie.)

For our Vocabulary Exercises, the students looked up synonyms for the word "investigate" since that is what Sherlock Holmes does best.  We also discussed antonyms and came up with a variety of options. 

The students were assigned 2 more stories about Sherlock Holmes.  Judging from the lively discussion, the students are enjoying these stories.  We discussed the plot with its twists and turns.  We also discussed the concept of "story" and "plot" and how important are the events that happen outside of the written story.  We'll read the last 2 stories for next week.  For one of the stories, I'd like the students to keep track of clues that they find in the story.

The students handed in their rough drafts of their Cause/Effect or Problem/Solution Essays. I look forward to reading them.  They continue to grow as thinkers and writers.

We discussed some of the finer points of punctuation during our writing discussion.  I've told them that I'm on a mission to make them pros at using commas, etc.

Assignments for Next Week:
-- Read "Final Problem" and "The Adventure of the Empty House."
-- For one of the stories, underline or make a list of the clues which Sherlock Holmes will need to solve the case.
-- Make a list of 10 specific character descriptions of Sherlock Holmes found in the short stories.

Another blog entry with web resources.
Have a great week!
Mrs. Prichard

Interesting Mark Twain Resources

Mark Twain was a fascinating writer and humorist.  He's a "landmark" for our nation.  The internet has so many resources for our study.  Check out these websites:

Mark Twain quotes

More Quotes

Biography Information

More Biographical Information

A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court movie

Have fun learning about this semester's book.

Study Questions for The Speckled Band and The Engineer's Thumb

THE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BAND

Answer 4 of the following questions on a separate piece of paper.

1.    Why has Helen Stoner decided to visit to Sherlock Holmes at that particular time?

2.    Why is Helen Stoner afraid when she comes to see Holmes in “The Adventure of the Speckled Band”?

3.    Why does Holmes quickly suspect that Dr. Roylott is the criminal?

4.    What, if any, significance does Dr. Roylott’s interest in Indian animals have as evidence in solving the mystery?

5.    What does the following statement in “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” mean?

Violence does, in truth, recoil upon the violent, and the schemer falls into the pit which he digs for another. 

6.    Explain which relevant clues you were able to identify in “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” and which false clues may have led you astray. Did you know how the crime was committed before Holmes explained it in the end? Why or why not?

7.    Which of the five senses (touch, taste, sound, smell, and sight) are used by Sherlock Holmes to solve the mystery of the speckled band? Give details from “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” to support an analysis of the ways in which Holmes uses his sensory abilities to assist him.

THE ADVENTURE OF THE ENGINEER’S THUMB

Answer 3 of the following questions on a separate piece of paper.

1.    What details make the mood of the story spooky?  Find five details that contribute to the mood.  

2.    Do you think that the engineer in this story should have know something illegal was going on at Colonel Stark’s home?  What clues might have led him to this conclusion?

3.    If he did suspect an illegal operation before he agreed to take the job, would that make the engineer at least partly guilty of a crime himself for agreeing to repair the press?

4.    If you had been the engineer at the beginning of the story, needing a job desperately but offered such unusual conditions, what would you have done?

5.    Watson begins the tale by noting that this is not a typical case, for it gives Holmes few opportunities to use his deductive methods of reasoning.  Does the story still meet the requirements of a good detective story?  Why or why not?

VOCABULARY WORK

For each book:

Select 8 words from each short story that are unfamiliar to you.  List them (along with the page number), give any roots, and give a definition that fits with the meaning used in the story.

Writing 2 Class Notes -- January 24

Greetings!

We had an enjoyable and productive class today.  We began with a Quick Write in which the students were to tell what food and what beverage they would take with them for 2 weeks on a remote island.  They were very creative.  Our Vocabulary Words were from the Sherlock Holmes stories.  I put the words on the white board and the students took turns looking them up.

We talked at length about our Conan Doyle short detective stories.  Most students are aware of Sherlock Holmes, but have never read any of the stories.  We talked about the plots, the crimes and the way in which the clues were given.  I handed out 2 worksheets.  On one I gave the students information about detective stories in general.  On the the back of that sheet was some information and background about the characterization of Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr. Watson.  The other handout was a list of study questions for the two stores assignment for next week.

Our first writing assignment this semester is a 2-part paper that I introduced last week.  The students can choose to write a Cause/Effect or Problem/Solution essay.  The pre-writing was to be done this week.  As with other essays, the process of preparing a paper can be simplified into three steps:  1) Choosing a subject; 2) Gathering details; and 3) Bringing focus to the details. 

We looked at some visual graphic helps for organizing the papers.  A "t" chart works well with the Cause/ Effect paper.  With this type of paper, it's important to be clear and establish sound, logical relationships between the main points.  We looked at a different kind of chart for the Problem/Solution essay.  It's important to look at a problem from a variety of perspectives.  Firstly, the problem should be defined and explained.  Then explore the causes of the problem and future implications of the problem.  Following a discussion of the problem, possible solutions are presented.

Assignments for Next Week:
-- Read "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" and "The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb."
-- Answer questions from the worksheet.
-- Rough Draft.

This Week's blog entry.

Have a great week!
Mrs. Prichard

Writing 2 Class Notes -- January 17

Greetings!

We've started a new year with fresh reading and writing assignments.  I'm glad to be back in the class and working with the students.

We'll again start the classes with Quick Writes and some Vocabulary work.  Our Quick Write for today was "Freaky Friday on Tuesday."  The students were to imagine what it would be like if they woke up as someone else (either a parent or an older sibling.)  For our "Mystery Words" I shared with the students some words I encountered while on my trip to England after Christmas:  bailey, motte, barbican, and parsonage.  For Extra Credit I asked them to tell me what they knew of the Magna Carta (I got to see it at the Lincoln Gaol!)

I handed out a fresh syllabus for this semester.  These are also attached, on Dropbox, and on the blog (literature and writing)  I briefly introduced the books that we'll be using this semester:  Sir Conan Doyle's Six Great Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Great Short, Short Stories (Dover Publications), and 101 Great American Poems (Dover Publications).  My goal is to use the literature to connect to encourage critical thinking skills and to connect to the students own writing processes.

As for writing, the students will write 3 new essays this semester (a 2-part Cause/Effect or Problem/Solution essay, an Evaluation Essay, and an Argument/Persuasive Essay).  I've also assigned one essay "re-write."  Being a good writer is an exercise in producing original work AND editing and improving already written pieces. 

For their first writing assignment, the students can choose to write either a Cause/Effect essay or a Problem/Solution essay.  These are 2-part essays, and we spent some time brainstorming with a variety of topics.  For next week they are to brainstorm, outline and do some research for this paper.

The students are to read 2 of the Sherlock Holmes stories and fill out the worksheets for "The Red-headed League."  I'm using a study guide from the Core Knowledge series for some of the questions related to these stories.  You can find the entire guide at this website.


Assignments for Next Week:
-- Read “A Scandal in Bohemia” & “The Red-Headed League”
-- Fill out the worksheet
-- Extra Credit:  give definitions for vocabulary words
-- Pre-Writing for Cause/Effect or Problem/Solution essay (brainstorming, outlining & research)

This week's blog entries:  Literature Syllabus, Writing & Grammar Syllabus, Sherlock Holmes Quotes, Class Notes

Looking forward to next week.  Keep warm!
Mrs. Prichard

Spring Syllabus -- Writing & Grammar

	Writing		Grammar
	Assignment Due this Week	Writing Discussion	Discussion & Assignment
Week 1 1/17		Levels of thinking	Mastering the comma
Week 2 1/25	Problem/Solution OR Cause/Effect Pre-Write	Word choices; transition words	Mastering the comma
Week 3 1/31	Problem/Solution OR Cause/Effect Rough Draft	Introduction/ conclusion strategies	Mastering the comma
Week 4 2/7		Paragraph organization	Mastering the comma
Week 5 2/14	Problem/Solution OR Cause/Effect Final Copy	Subjective/objective points of view; audience appeal	Building better sentences
Week 6 2/21	Evaluation Essay Pre-Write	Revision strategies, part1	Building better sentences
Week 7 3/6	Evaluation Essay Rough Draft	Revision strategies, part 2	Building better sentences
2/28
Week 8 3/13		Logical thinking, part 1	Common usage errors
Week 9 3/20	Evaluation Essay Final Copy	Logical thinking, part 2	Common usage errors
Week 10 3/27	Argument Essay Pre-Write	Developing your own style, part 1	Common usage errors
4/3
Week 11 4/10	Argument Essay Rough Draft	Developing your own style, part 1	Review
Week 12 4/17		Research & plagiarism; primary & secondary sources	Review
Week 13 4/24	Argument Essay Final Copy		Review
Week 14 5/1	Re-Write #1		Review
Week 15 5/8

Sherlock Holmes Quotes

Below are some quotes from the stories we'll be reading:

“A Scandal in Bohemia”

·         You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear.

·         It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.

·         To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name.

“The Red-Headed League”

·         I know, my dear Watson, that you share my love of all that is bizarre and outside the conventions and humdrum routine of everyday life.

·         It is quite a three pipe problem, and I beg that you won't speak to me for fifty minutes.

 “The Five Orange Pips”

·         A man should keep his little brain attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber-room of his library...

·         As Cuvier could correctly describe a whole animal by the contemplation of a single bone, so the observer who has thoroughly understood one link in a series of incidents should be able to accurately state all the other ones, both before and after.

·         It is not so impossible, however, that a man should possess all knowledge which is likely to be useful to him in his work, and this, I have endeavoured in my case to do.

·         A man should keep his little brain attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber-room of his library, where he can get it if he wants it.

“The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle”

·         My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people don't know.

·         On the contrary, Watson, you can see everything. You fail, however, to reason from what you see. You are too timid in drawing your inferences.

·         My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people don't know.

“The Adventure of the Speckled Band”

·         "You are Holmes, the meddler."
My friend smiled.
"Holmes, the busybody!"
His smile broadened.
"Holmes, the Scotland Yard Jack-in-office!"
Holmes chuckled heartily.

·         "When a doctor does go wrong, he is the first of criminals. He has the nerve and he has the knowledge."

·         Violence does, in truth, recoil upon the violent, and the schemer falls into the pit which he digs for another.

“The Adventure of the Copper Beeches”

·         "Data! Data! Data!" he cried impatiently. "I can't make bricks without clay."

·         The lowest and vilest alleys in London do not present a more dreadful record of sin than does the smiling and beautiful countryside.

·         "I am glad of all details," remarked my friend, "whether they seem to you to be relevant or not."

·         "Do you know, Watson," said he, "that it is one of the curses of a mind with a turn like mine that I must look at everything with reference to my own special subject. You look at these scattered houses, and you are impressed by their beauty. I look at them, and the only thought which comes to me is a feeling of their isolation and of the impunity with which crime may be committed there."

Spring Syllabus -- Writing & Grammar

	Writing		Grammar
	Assignment Due this Week	Writing Discussion	Discussion & Assignment
Week 1 1/17		Levels of thinking	Mastering the comma
Week 2 1/25	Problem/Solution OR Cause/Effect Pre-Write	Word choices; transition words	Mastering the comma
Week 3 1/31	Problem/Solution OR Cause/Effect Rough Draft	Introduction/ conclusion strategies	Mastering the comma
Week 4 2/7		Paragraph organization	Mastering the comma
Week 5 2/14	Problem/Solution OR Cause/Effect Final Copy	Subjective/objective points of view; audience appeal	Building better sentences
Week 6 2/21	Evaluation Essay Pre-Write	Revision strategies, part1	Building better sentences
Week 7 3/6	Evaluation Essay Rough Draft	Revision strategies, part 2	Building better sentences
2/28
Week 8 3/13		Logical thinking, part 1	Common usage errors
Week 9 3/20	Evaluation Essay Final Copy	Logical thinking, part 2	Common usage errors
Week 10 3/27	Argument Essay Pre-Write	Developing your own style, part 1	Common usage errors
4/3
Week 11 4/10	Argument Essay Rough Draft	Developing your own style, part 1	Review
Week 12 4/17		Research & plagiarism; primary & secondary sources	Review
Week 13 4/24	Argument Essay Final Copy		Review
Week 14 5/1	Re-Write #1		Review
Week 15 5/8