Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 3 (September 12)

Greetings!

The weather has turned, and it really is beginning to feel like fall.  Sometimes I think it's hard to settle down to school when it feels like a hot summer day.

The theme for our Quick Write this week was "Let's Cook," and I asked the students to write about a favorite food or menu or about anything that had to do with cooking. Our Words of the Day were "repartee"  (a conversation filled with quick, witty responses) and "ombudsman" (a government official who investigates complaints ab out other government officials.)  

We spent a larger block of time discussing the book, My Antonia, since we had not done so the week before.  In the chapters we read, we've gotten to know Jim Burden and his grandparents and  Antonia Shimerda and her family.  We looked at some of the challenges of the cultural clashes that occur when immigrant of various nationalities live in the same area.  We also talked about the differences in some of the characters and about a defining moment for Jim when he killed a "grand-daddy" of snakes.

I handed back the rough drafts of the Personal Commentary Essays with notes and corrections.  I always learn so much from the topics that my students choose to write about.  Usually, our Grammar discussion for the day when rough drafts are returned is spent on common errors found in their essays.  Most best writing practices happen as student write.  And most grammar rules tend to "stick" when encountered while writing.

When students hand in their Final Drafts of a paper, I also want them to hand in the Rough Draft.  That allows me to see what changes they have made.  I also want them on a separate piece of paper explain the reasons behind 5 corrections they made between the rough drafts and the final drafts.  For example, if a contraction was used, the reason and correction could look like this:

1.  Changed can't to can not because contractions are not used in formal essays.

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Read p. 47 - 69 of My Antonia.  No writing assignment for the literature this week.

-- Write the Final Draft of the Personal Commentary Essay.

     -- Along with the Final Draft, students should hand in their rough drafts.

-- Write out the reasons for 5 corrections.

Enjoy the beautiful Fall weekend!

Mrs. Prichard