My apologies for the later-than-usual class notes. Some weeks just seem to be busier than others
The theme for our Quick Write for this week was "Super Powers." I donned an apron and had a wooden spoon in hand to demonstrate what my family thinks are my super powers .... running the house and keeping everyone in line. The students could choose either "Super Mom" or "My Super Powers" as the title for their Quick Writes. Often, what I intend to be a 5 minute exercise goes much longer once their creative juices start flowing and they are enjoying the writing process.
As is my practice, we use the Rough Drafts for our grammar discussion. I've found over the years that students tend to make the same common mistakes in their writing. And often, they repeat those mistakes throughout the course of the class. This pattern reinforces my thoughts regarding grammar. It should be taught as rules and with practice exercises, but it really doesn't sink in to our heads until we start writing (or learning a foreign language). I also encouraged the students to be careful as they edit and correct their rough drafts; the rough drafts are as much a teaching tool as any grammar worksheet I could give them. Final Copies are due at class time on Wednesday. A couple of students mentioned being out of town this weekend. If a paper can't be handed in at class time, I would like it by Sunday. I also want the students to have on a separate piece of paper their thesis statements from this essay.
We are most of the way through our book, My Antonia. In the section read for this week, we discover that Antonia (Tony) has a passion for dancing and is strong-willed enough to do what she wants regardless of how it appears to others. Though this book doesn't have a specific plot that pushes the story forward, the changes and maturation of the primary characters leads the novel from one episode to the next. We discussed the odd nature of the marriage between the devious Wick Cutter and his cantankerous wife. While they are not main characters, they serve as catalysts with Jim and Antonia.
Next week I will be giving a Grammar Quiz. I've given the students handouts each week that we've discussed in class. This quiz will cover those (Weeks 1 - 6) and some of the topics from our rough draft discussions. It won't be difficult, but they should review the weekly handouts. If one of the grammar topics is especially puzzling, the videos that I sent out last week might be helpful.
Assignments for Next Week:
-- Final Copies of the Process Analysis Essay along with the thesis paper on a separate piece of paper.
-- Read My Antonia, Book III, (up to page 140)
-- Prepare for Grammar Quiz
Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Prichard
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