Writing 2 Class Notes -- January 23 (Week 2)

Greetings!

We had a good class this week.  Even though they wanted to play "Funglish" again, we began the class with a Quick Write.  The writing prompt was "If I could have a role on a TV program, I would be on ______ because ______ ."  Also, as part of our beginning of class activities, I'm also introducing well-known Latin words and phrases.  I've done this in the past, but haven't done it yet this year.  This week's Latin words were deus ex machina (God out of the machine -- a literary technique that employs impossible solutions so that stories end well), Deus vobiscum (God be with you) and Deus Misereatur (May God have mercy -- the title for Psalm 67)

Regarding Grammar, since my aim is that we become masters of the comma this semester, we discussed Restrictive (Essential) and Nonrestrictive (Nonessential) clauses.  Commas are used for nonrestrictive clauses or phrases which are groups of words that can be omitted from a sentence and not change the basic meaning. The students were given a worksheet with practice sentences for their homework.  

Because we are reading about Sherlock Holmes, I wanted to test their observation skills. Before class began, I asked another student, Inga, to come in and give me an important note (which actually was a blank piece of paper).  We spoke a few words, and she left.  At the start of our literature discussion, I quizzed the students on how much they observed. Because is was an out-of-the-ordinary situation, they had been close attention.  Turning our attention to our two short stories for today, "A Scandal in Bohemia" and "The Red-Headed League," we discussed the characterization of Sherlock Holmes as given by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Part of the writing discussion this semester will center on "style."  The basic building blocks of good essays are well-constructed sentences.  We'll talk about word choices and various ways to form sentences for different effects.  To get us to think a little harder this week, we "unpacked" a quote from Gertrude Stein, "Why should a sequence of words be anything but a pleasure?"  We discussed various ways to re-write that sentence and how rewriting it slightly changed the nuances of its meaning.

The students are to be working on their rough drafts for the Problem/Solution Essays.  They should be prepared to hand in their prewrites along with the rough drafts next week.

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Read "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" & "The Engineer's Thumb"

-- From the Study Guide, answer 3 questions for each story.  

-- From the 2 stories, choose a total of 8 vocabulary words.  Give the word origins and definitions.

-- Complete the worksheet on Restrictive/Nonrestrictive Clauses

-- Rough draft of the Problem/Solution Essay

Blogs for this week:

-- Study Guide for "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" & "The Engineer's Thumb"

-- Sherlock Holmes Resources

-- Class Notes

Have a great week!

Mrs. Prichard

Sherlock Holmes Resources

The Sherlock Holmes stories don't require a lot of background information in order to understand them.  Taken as a whole, a reader will find common themes and characteristics.  However, one by one they are puzzles that are solved as we read.

Below are some sites that might be interesting.

The Wikipedia site has helpful information.

Mystery Net has text for a number of the stories

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes as an audiobook.

Week 2 Sherlock Holmes Story Study Guide

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.

Problem/Solution Essay

Problem/Solution Essay

Definition

            In a problem-solution essay, you analyze a problem and propose a method for solving it. The problem you choose to analyze should be one that offers some challenges but is still possible to resolve. A

problem-solution essay should have the following characteristics:

• a problem that needs to be solved

• a thesis statement that identifies the problem and points toward the solution

• identification of several possible solutions

• specific facts, details, examples, and reasons indicating why one solution is best

• an analytical tone       

Thesis Development

            Your thesis may vary depending on what your topic is, who your audience is, and how much information you have.  Your thesis will state clearly what you perceive as the problem and your suggested solution to the problem.           

Organization

            The simplest way to organize a problem-solution essay is to begin by identifying the problem in the first paragraph, leading up to your thesis statement.  Present the solution that you think works best, explaining why it is the most promising one.

            The simplest way to organize a problem-solution essay is to begin by identifying the problem in the first paragraph, leading up to your thesis statement. Present the solution that you think works best, explaining why it is the most promising one.           

Tips on Writing

–   Make sure you clearly explain the problem.  The “hows” and “whys” of the issue should be accurately clarified.

–   Include information about the cause of the problem, especially as it relates to the solution you intend to put forth.

–   Alternate solutions can be mentioned; if they are failed ideas, it will further strengthen your argument.

–    

Essay Guidelines

–   Due dates:  Pre-Write due January 23; Rough Draft due January 30; Final Draft due February 13

–   Essay length:  500 – 700 words (between 2 and 4 pages)

–   Rough drafts can be typed or hand-written, but must be double-spaced.

–   Final draft format:

–   Typed (if this is not possible, please let me know)

–   1 inch margins

–   Name and date on the upper right hand corner

–   Number the pages on the lower right hand corner

–   Title centered above the text of the essay

Grammar Worksheets -- Commas (Week 1)

Week 1 Grammar Worksheets

1.1 – Compound Sentences

Insert the comma in the proper place.

1.       I am going to bed and I am planning on reading this book.

2.       She did not eat the cookies nor did she eat the candy.

3.       Paul is going to the movie and John is going but Sally is not going.

4.       Did Mom go to the concert or did Dad go alone?

5.       Debbie was upset for she wanted to go on that trip but her mother was sick.

6.       Melissa was sick so she left the party early.

7.       It was midnight but it did not seem so late so we went out for dinner.

8.       Cathy caught the heel of one of her shoes in a crack on the sidewalk and the heel broke off.

9.       Susan thought the lemonade was good yet it was a bit too sweet.

10.   Michael threw a fit for he was upset with the dog that had eaten his shoes.

11.   Did Paul go to the movie with Michael or did Michael ask John to go?

12.   Cathy had forgotten to set her alarm so she was late for work.

1.2 – Complex Sentences

Either remove the unnecessary comma or add one where it is needed.

1.       She did not eat the cookies, nor did she chew the gum that Jane made for her.

2.       I am going to bed to read the book, that Elizabeth wrote.

3.       Paul is going to the movie, and may not come home until late.

4.       Did Mary go along, with her parents to the game?

Put the complete sentence in parentheses and underline the fragment.

5.       George could not find his son’s bat or his glove.

6.       Julia ate half of her sandwich and left the other half on the plate.

7.       I was tired of doing homework and went to bed early.

8.       Did the students bring their books or leave them at home.

1.3 – Compound/Complex Sentences

Insert commas where needed.

1.       She wanted to go to bed and read her new book but she didn’t realize that it had fallen behind the sofa.

2.       Jack is going to the movie about World War II so he may be home late because it a three hour long movie.

3.       Denise was upset that she could not go to London but she chose to save her money in order to pay for college.

4.       I told her not to eat the fresh bread but she didn’t pay attention because she was so hungry.

Put the complete sentence in parentheses and underline the fragment.  Add the necessary commas.

5.       Chris had tried to find his puppy but it had run around the house and hid under a bush.

6.       My father told me that he was proud that I had improved my  grades and I celebrated with pizza.

7.       Peter found a part-time job around the corner so it was easy for him to get to work.

8.       I am planning to take the children to the park so that we can have a picnic because their father has the day off.

9.       We took warm clothes with us on the trip because it was supposed to be cold but we didn’t take them out of the suitcase.

Grammar Lesson -- Commas (1.1 - 1.3)

WEEK 1

1.1 – Compound Sentences

Two or more sentences held together with coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) form a compound sentence.  A comma must be used before the conjunction.

1.2 – Complex Sentences

Complex sentences contain on complete sentence and at least one fragment of a sentence.  Do not separate these parts with a comma.

1.3 – Compound/Complex Sentences

A compound/complex sentence contains two or more complete thoughts joined with coordinating conjunctions along with at least one sentence fragment.  Compound sentences require commas before the conjunctions.

Characterization in Sherlock Holmes stories

Characterization

            Even people who have never read the Sherlock Holmes stories often know something

about his character.  If nothing else, they will associate the line, “Elementary, my dear Watson,” with him, although the literary Holmes never actually put these words together – only his film counterparts say them.  Although Conan Doyle named Holmes for one of his favorite authors, Oliver Wendell Holmes, he imagined Dr. Joseph Bell’s appearance for his hero: around six feet tall, with a thin “razor-like” face, a large nose, like a hawk, and small, sharp eyes.  Interestingly, Conan Doyle said the pictures of Holmes usually depict him as handsomer than he imagined him himself.  Holmes wears dressing gowns inside and a cape with a deerstalker hat outside, and he usually appears with a pipe or a magnifying glass in his hand.  

            Entirely unemotional, Holmes remains aloof, coolly rational, and arrogant.  He is often irritable and he possesses several idiosyncrasies that try the patience of even his longsuffering best friend, Watson.  He clutters his rooms with paperwork from his cases and paraphernalia from his numerous scientific experiments.  Watson complains that he keeps his cigars in the coalscuttle, his tobacco in one of his slippers, and his unanswered letters transfixed to the mantle with a jackknife.  He can play the violin well when he wishes to, but Holmes more often scrapes annoyingly and tunelessly on the strings.  He uses the walls of his home for target practice.  Moody and plagued by boredom when no case demands his attention, he injects a 7% solution of cocaine, a habit that his concerned friend finally helps him break.   

            Holmes possesses exceptional gifts and an encyclopedic knowledge of some areas, but remains willingly ignorant of many others, declaring he would rather not clutter his mind with facts that cannot help him solve his cases, even whether or not the earth travels around the sun.  He is respectful and polite to women, but he insists he would never let himself fall in love and marry, as Watson does.  In some ways Holmes resembles a Romantic hero, standing apart from society and even breaking its laws on occasion to obtain the clues he desires.  He will even allow a proven criminal to go free, insisting that he is not, after all, a policeman.  Holmes also can give the impression that his motives for solving his cases have less to do with combating crime or doing good than with amusing himself or impressing others.   

            In “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” when he finds what he supposes is the dead body of

his client, he cries out in rage and grief – at the black mark now on his reputation: “In order to have my case well rounded and complete,” he exclaims to Watson, “ I have thrown away the life of my client.  It is the greatest blow which has befallen me in my career.”  Interestingly, when Joseph Bell learned of his former student’s claim that he was the great detective’s inspiration, he admitted to only a slight resemblance, writing back to Doyle, “You are yourself Sherlock Holmes.”   Conan Doyle confessed, “…A man cannot spin a character out of his own inner consciousness and make it really life-like unless he has some possibilities of that character within him – which is a dangerous admission for one who has drawn so many villains as I.”

            In appearance at least, Conan Doyle seemed to share more with Dr. John Watson, whom he named after a friend, Dr. James Elmwood Watson, than he did with Holmes.  Like Doyle, Watson is a large, athletic man, wearing a bushy mustache.  Like Doyle, Watson studied medicine at Edinburgh University, and he served his country during wartime also.  He loves sports and has an eye for an attractive lady, and like Doyle, he marries more than once.  Watson is as even-tempered and genial as Holmes is moody and aloof.  Their temperaments make them opposites, but the most striking contrast between Holmes and Watson comes when they work together on a case.  Watson consistently fails when he tries to use his friend’s methods of deduction, and he often complains about how foolish Holmes makes him feel.  In “The Hound of the Baskervilles” Holmes tells Watson, “It may be that you are not yourself luminous, but you are a conductor of light.  Some people without possessing genius have a remarkable power of stimulating it.”  Yet Watson recognizes that for all his friend’s arrogance, Holmes needs him, and not just to record his history.  

            In “The Adventure of the Creeping Man” Watson notes, “He was a man of habits, narrow and concentrated habits, and I had become one of them.  As an institution I was like the violin, the shag tobacco, the old black pipe, the index books, and others perhaps less excusable.  When it was a case of active work and a comrade was needed upon whose nerve he could place some reliance, my role was obvious.  But apart from this I had uses.  I was a whetstone for his mind.  I stimulated him.  He liked to think aloud in my presence.  …If I irritated him by a certain methodical slowness in my mentality, that irritation served only to make his own flame-like intuitions and impressions flash up the more vividly and swiftly.  Such was my humble role in our alliance.”  Watson clearly foils Holmes; he is certainly less brilliant, less able, less confident.  But he might be more human, as Doyle himself suggested.

Characteristics of a Detective Story

Characteristics of a Detective Story

C. Hugh Holman’s A Handbook to Literature defines a detective story as “a novel or

short story in which a crime, usually a murder – the identity of the perpetrator unknown –

is solved by a detective through a logical assembling and interpretation of palpable

evidence, known as clues.”

            The first detective stories were written by Edgar Allan Poe, and Conan Doyle acknowledged their influence on his writing.  A good detective story generally follows six “unwritten rules.”  

First, the crime must be significant, worthy of the attention it receives.  Most stories involve murder, though Conan Doyle tied the majority of his crimes to greed and theft. 

Second, the detective must be in some way a memorable character.  He or she must be very intelligent, of course, unusually clever and observant, but also quirky, possessing perhaps some odd idiosyncrasies that distinguish him or her.  Kojak’s lollipop, Columbo’s crumpled raincoat, James Bond’s unruffled cool and high-tech gadgets, all of these things make the hero somehow distinct.  

Third, along with an exceptional detective, there must be an outstanding opponent, a criminal clever enough to be a match for the hero.  Solving the crime can’t be too easy. 

Fourth, because a large part of the attraction of a detective story is the opportunity for the reader to try to figure out the solution along with the detective, all suspects of the crime must be introduced early in the story, and

Fifth, all clues the detective discovers must be made available to the reader also. 

Finally, at the end of the story, the solution must seem obvious, logical, possible.  The crime must not have resulted from accident or supernatural intervention, and the detective must be able to explain all aspects of the case in a reasonable way.  A fine detective story should meet each one of these standards.

Spring Semester Syllabus

Writing 2 Spring Semester Syllabus

Week/Date	Literature	Assign. Due	Writing	Grammar
Week 1 (1/17)	Holmes:  “A Scandal in Bohemia” & “The Red-Headed League”			Mastering the Comma & Worksheet
Week 2 (1/23)	Holmes: “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” & “The Engineer’s Thumb”	Short Writing Assignment	Problem/ Solution Pre-Write & College Essay	Mastering the Comma & Worksheet
Week 3 (1/30)	Holmes:  “The Final Problem” & “The Adventure of the Empty House"		Problem/ Solution Rough Draft	Mastering the Comma & Worksheet
Week 4 (2/6)	Pushkin (p. 162); Tosltoy (p. 169); Chekhov (p. 26)	Short Story Worksheet for each story		Mastering the Comma & Worksheet
Week 5 (2/13)	Dickens (p. 45); Wilde (p. 189); Kipling (p.101); Munro (p. 140)	Short Story Worksheet for each story	Problem Solution Final Draft	Mastering the Comma & Worksheet
Week 6 (2/20)	Hawthorne (p. 73); Bierce (p. 10); Poe (p. 156)	Short Story Worksheet for each story	Cause/Effect Pre-Write & College Essay	Mastering the Comma & Worksheet
No CHAT (2/28)
Week 7 (3/6)	Harte (p. 64); Twain (p. 175) Jewett (p. 87); Crane (p. 34)	Short Story Worksheet for each story	Cause/Effect Rough Draft	The Period & Worksheet
Week 8 (3/13)	Chopin (p. 30); London (p. 122); Mansfield (p. 130); Gilman (p. 50)	Short Story Worksheet for each story		The Period & Worksheet
Week 9 (3/20)	Pirandello (p. 149); de Maupassant (p. 134); Henry  (extra handout)	Short Story Worksheet for each story	Cause/Effect Final Draft	The Period & Worksheet
No CHAT (3/28)
Week 10 (4/3)	Larsen (p. 110); Anderson (p. 1); Hardy (p. 56)	Short Story Worksheet for each story	Evaluation Pre-Write & College Essay	The Semicolon & Worksheet
Week 11 (4/10)	Bradstreet (p. 1); Wheatley (p. 1); Holmes (p. 21); Emerson (p. 4, 5); Longfellow (p. 6 – 10)	Poetry worksheet for 3 of the poets.	Evaluation Rough Draft	The Colon & Worksheet
Week 12 (4/17)	Whitman (p. 22 – 26); Dickinson (p. 29 – 32); Wilcox (p. 33); Thayer (p. 34; Dunbar (p. 41 – 43)	Poetry worksheet for 3 of the poets. Presentation of poetry recitations.		Quotation Marks & Worksheet
Week 13 (4/24)	Frost (p. 44 – 50); Sandburg (p.53 – 54); Williams (p. 60 – 61); Teasdale (p. 62); Hughes  (p. 75 – 78)	Poetry worksheet for 3 of the poets. Presentation of poetry recitations.	Evaluation Final Draft	Misc. Punctuation  & Worksheet
Week 14 (5/1)	Poetry Presentation		Re-Write
Week 15 (5/8)	Final Exam