Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 9 (October 24)

Greetings!

Another great week at CHAT.  What can I say?  These are great kids who work hard and engage well in the class.  Our Quick Write for this week was titled "Harvest Time."  As I drive to school in the morning from Northfield, I see those corn and bean fields being harvested one row at a time.  I'm a small-town Iowa girl, so I've always loved farms and gardening.  I asked the students if they could plant any kind of seed that would grow anything they wanted, what would it be?  We had gold and money trees, and even a book tree.

Our Words for the Day were 2 that I chose:

lollygag -- to loiter aimlessly; 

dillydally -- to waste time, especially by indecision

(Note: These words were not given as subtle hints about their work ethics.  They came up in another setting, and I thought they were fun words.)

The students handed in the rough drafts of their Extended Definitions or Classification Essays.  I had asked them to pay special attention to their introductions and conclusions.  I'm looking forward to reading them.

We've finished our book, My Antonia by Willa Cather.  I could tell that some students enjoyed the book, and others found it less interesting.  The book is an episodic novel and doesn't have much of a driving plot with some great conflict that needs resolving.  We talked at length about Jim's relationship with Antonia, his marriage, Antonia's marriage, and the ending of the book.  For part of the class we broke into small groups for discussions.  Next week:  Presentations and Final Exam

I ended the last few minutes with some Grammar discussion. We looked at the differences between prepositions/prepositional phrases and subordinating conjunctions/ dependent clauses.  Some words that we might quickly pick out as prepositions are really functioning in the sentence to introduce a dependent clause.  For their homework, they are to write a sentence for each of the subordinating conjunctions below (14 sentences):

while, whether, until, once, although, because, even if, if, since, so that, unless, whenever, before, after.

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Presentations on My Antonia

-- 14 sentences with subordinating conjunctions and dependent clause

This Week's Blogs

-- Helpful Links to more about Subordinating Conjunctions

-- Class Notes

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Prichard

Helpful Links about Subordinating Conjunctions

Most of the students in class tracked with the discussion comparing prepositions and subordinating conjunctions.  For those who would like to read more (or for parents who've forgotten their high school grammar) below are some links that also explain subordinating conjunctions:

Grammar Clubs page on Subordinating Conjunctions and Dependent Clauses

A Yahoo Answers page

The Tongue Untied page

Zane Education page

The ChompChomp site (which also has a lot of worksheets)

Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 8 (October 17)

Greetings!

We had a good, full class today.  I had a lot of papers to hand back and discuss in addition to discussing our next writing assignment and My Antonia.

I used a game that I had purchased in England for our Quick Write.  The game, Give Me 5, is very similar to Scattegories, but for the Quick Writes the students were to use the categories as topics to include in their writing.  It was interesting to hear how the students connected the odd mix of topics.

Our Words of the Day were:

anathema -- Greek:  a person or thing despised or that which inspires loathing.

habitue -- French:  a frequent or habitual visitor to a place

Following our beginning-of-class activities, we discussed the Grammar Quizzes that were taken during class last week.  The test was part fill in the blank, some sentence corrections, a few prepositional phrases identification, and 7 sentence building activities.  I've found that many students have an instinctive knowledge of grammar usage, but they don't always know the terms.  We'll continue to work on grammar topics throughout the year.  

I handed back their Final Drafts of their Process Essays.  I used the rubric that I had used for the last essay.  Most students are firmly in the "proficient" category and are working towards the "exceptional" kind of essay.  The rubric is to be used not only for evaluation but as a learning tool.

We discussed out next writing assignment.  The students may choose between a Classification Essay or an Extended Definition Essay.  In order to demonstrate how an essay must answer enough questions to make a topic clear, we played a short game of "20 Questions."  Especially as they write the Extended Definition, they will need to be able to explain what the topic is or is not.

We also discussed a handout on Introductions and Conclusions.  For this next essay, I'd like them to pay special attention as they write the introductions and conclusions.  

Next week we will finish our book, My Antonia.  The following week we'll have presentations by the students.  They are preparing to discuss some aspect of the setting, a character, a theme, or the structure of the novel.  For next week, we'll read the last section of the book, but no discussion questions are assigned.

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Write the Rough Draft of the Classification or Extended Definition essays

     -- Pay special attention to the writing of your introduction or conclusion

-- Read p. 154 - 175 of My Antonia  (NO DISCUSSION QUESTIONS!)

-- Prepare for the presentations for My Antonia 

This week's blog posts:

Class Notes

Introductions and Conclusions

Writing Introductions & Conclusions

WRITING INTRODUCTIONS & CONCLUSIONS

First and last impressions are important in any part of life, especially in writing. This is why the introduction and conclusion of any paper - whether it be a simple essay or a long research paper - are essential. Introductions and conclusions are just as important as the body of your paper. The introduction is what makes the reader want to continue reading your paper. The conclusion is what makes your paper stick in the reader's mind.

These are some of the questions that you may ask yourself as you write. Choose the style that fits your paper’s purpose and personality best.

INTRODUCTIONS

Suppose you are introducing a friend to your brother Joe. Would you say "Hey, Joe, this is Tina," and then walk away leaving them there together? Of course not! You would tell Joe a little about Tina's background: where she's from, where she went to school, where she works, and any other important information that will make Joe want to get to know Tina better, right? Well, introducing your paper to your reader is the exact same thing. You want the reader to want to know more about your paper. You want to get the reader interested in what you might have to say.

There are several ways to write a good introduction or opening to your paper.

Thesis Statement Opening

This is the traditional style of opening a paper. This is a "mini-summary" of your paper.

Opening with a Story (Anecdote)

A good way of catching your reader's attention is by sharing a story that sets up your paper. Sharing a story gives a paper a more personal feel and helps make your reader comfortable.

Specific Detail Opening

Giving specific details about your subject appeals to your reader's curiosity and helps establish a visual picture of what your paper is about.

Open with a Quotation

Another method of writing an introduction is to open with a quotation. This method makes your introduction more interactive and more appealing to your reader.

Open with an Interesting Statistic

Statistics that grab the reader help to make an effective introduction.

Question Openings

Possibly the easiest opening is one that presents one or more questions to be answered in the paper. This is effective because questions are usually what the reader has in mind when he or she sees your topic.

CONCLUSIONS

The conclusion to any paper is the final impression that can be made. It is the last opportunity to get your point across to the reader and leave the reader feeling as if he or she learned something. Leaving a paper "dangling" without a proper conclusion can seriously devalue what was said in the body itself. Here are a few effective ways to conclude or close your paper.

Summary Closing

Many times conclusions are simple re-statements of the thesis. Many times these conclusions are much like their introductions (see Thesis Statement Opening).

Close with a Logical Conclusion

This is a good closing for argumentative or opinion papers that present two or more sides of an issue. The conclusion drawn as a result of the research is presented here in the final paragraphs.

Real or Rhetorical Question Closings

This method of concluding a paper is one step short of giving a logical conclusion. Rather than handing the conclusion over, you can leave the reader with a question that causes him or her to draw his own conclusions.

Close with a Speculation or Opinion

This is a good style for instances when the writer was unable to come up with an answer or a clear decision about whatever it was he or she was researching.

Close with a Recommendation

A good conclusion is when the writer suggests that the reader do something in the way of support for a cause or a plea for them to take action.

Week 7 Grammar Quiz

Grammar Quiz

Fill in the blank (28 points):

1.       The “equation” for a sentence is ___________ + ______________ + ________________ .

2.       A sentence must also begin with a ______________   _______________ and have an ending _______________________ .

3.       A ____________________ sentence is two or more sentences improperly joined by wrong punctuation, no punctuation, or some conjunction that needs help from some kind of punctuation.

4.       Two main clauses can be joined with a comma and a ______________ conjunction which we call “fanboys.”

5.       List the 8 parts of speech:

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

6.       A _________________ is an action word, state of being word, linking word, or group of words that is the action or the link to the subject of the sentence.

7.       Words or phrases that name a person, place, or thing are called ____________________.

8.       A _______________ is a word used in place of a noun. 

9.       An _______________ is a word, phrase, or clause that modifies (changes, limits, describes, transforms, qualifies) a noun or pronoun.

10.   An _______________ is a word, phrase, or clause that modifies (changes, limits, describes, transforms, qualifies) a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

11.   List the coordinating conjunctions:

_______________      _______________      _______________      _______________ 

_______________      _______________      _______________       

In the following sentences, fix the ones that are incorrect (3 points/sentence). 

12.   Because F. Scott Fitzgerald had to return the publisher’s advance for The Great Gatsby.

 13.   Angie Park, strolling down Madison Avenue, near the exclusive store where she used to shop.

 14.   While Brett served as a lookout and Matt rifled the teacher’s desk looking for the answers to the test.

Prepositional Phrases  (12 phrases)

In the following sentences, put each of the prepositional phrases in parentheses.

15.   Behind the elm tree near the theater, Jeremy discovered a purse filled with money.

16.   Throughout her college career, Marcus dazzled his professors with his accomplishments.

17.   During the exhibition at the local school, certain ruffians scattered litter all over the parking lot.

18.   Whenever I think about my writing classes, I go into a frenzy of fear that I will never be able to write well for my teacher.

Write sentences with the following requirements.  (2 points/sentence.)  (Use a blank sheet of paper.)

1.       Write a sentence with an independent clause and a dependent clause.

2.       Write a sentence with 3 prepositional phrases.

3.       Write a run-on sentence and then correct it.

4.       Write a compound sentence.

5.       Write a sentence with a compound verb, but that is not a compound sentence.

6.       Write a sentence that has 6 adjectives.

7.      Write a sentence that has 3 adverbs.

Extended Definition Essay

Extended Definition Essay

Definition

            In an essay of definition, you clarify a complex concept, an abstract idea, or a complicated ideal. (Ex.:  inflation, hope, democracy) As a writer, you will put boundaries around a term, concept, or idea.  To develop and extend a definition, you can give a dictionary definition, make a comparison, provide a fitting quotation, offer a negative definition (tell what it is not), and so on.  The effectiveness of your essay depends upon your ability to understand your subject, to know what really sets it apart from all other members (related ideas) in its class.  In an extended definition, your explanation will limit, distinguish, or clarify a topic.

Thesis Development

            The thesis statement names the subject of the definition and makes it apparent that the term will be defined.  Sometimes a thesis names the class to which the subject belongs and gives the particular features or categories that sets it apart.  In addition, a thesis may reflect the writer’s purpose or attitude forward the term, concept, idea, or ideal.

Organization

            In your introduction, you will set up the order for your paper.  In your brainstorming and pre-writing, you should come up with distinguishing characteristics for your topic.  Do these fall neatly into categories?  Consider giving examples or opinions (quotes) by experts.  The extended definition essay does not require a specific organizational structure.  You may find yourself incorporating a variety of organizational patterns.

Tips on Writing

– Consider giving examples, including those of what your subject is not.  Is it similar but different to something else?

– Can your find concrete ways to explain abstract ideas?  Analogies or object lessons work well.

Pitfalls to Avoid

Avoid giving only the dictionary definition.  Consider including the denotations (objective perceptions) and the connotations (emotional associations) with your subject.  These can be both positive and negative.

Avoid circular definitions.  Don’t use the term to define it.  For example, you wouldn’t define a mystery novel as something mysterious.

Avoid oversimplification.  Dig deep into your topic.

Essay Guidelines

– Due dates:  Pre-Write due October 17; Rough Draft due October 24; Final due November 7

– Essay length:  700 – 900 words (about 2 – 3 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

Classification Essay

Classification Essay

Definition

            Classification has to do with sorting things into groups.  When you classify, you generally break a subject down into the most meaningful parts.  Think categories or varieties.  You may also classify a subject by explaining how it fits into a larger category or grouping.  When writing an essay of classification, your goal is to help readers better understand the whole (your topic) by presenting the parts.  Your goal may also be to show how your subject fits into the larger scheme of things. 

Thesis Development

            The thesis statement should name the subject (what is being classified), the mode of classification (classify, group, kinds), and the categories.  The thesis often includes the differentiating characteristics.

            Examples:

– Electricians are classified as foremen, journeymen, and apprentices based on their education experience, and salary.

– Nurses can be classified as registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, or nurse assistants.  These nurses can be differentiated based on their education, salary, and duties.

– Tennis enthusiasts are aware of the three types of racquets:  wood, graphite, and steel.  These racquets differ in price, flexibility, size, and durability.

Organization

            Classification is a rather easy pattern to use because it is so structured. Once you’ve decided on your topic, its categories, and their differentiating characteristics, it is a matter of plugging in the differentiating characteristics in the same order for each category.  You must be careful to keep everything in the same order that you listed in your thesis.  When you do this, the essay almost writes itself.

            Classification essays are structured first by category (classes or types you have divided your subject into), and then by differentiating characteristics (the ways your categories can be distinguished from one another).

            Examples:

I. Introduction with Topic Sentence or Thesis

II.  Category #1

            A.  Characteristic #1

            B.  Characteristic #2

            C.  Characteristic ##

            D.  Characteristic #4

III.  Category #2

            A.  Characteristic #1

            B.  Characteristic #2

            C.  Characteristic ##

            D.  Characteristic #4

IV.  Category #3

            A.  Characteristic #1

            B.  Characteristic #2

            C.  Characteristic ##

            D.  Characteristic #4

V.  Conclusion

Tips on Writing

– Determine the purpose of your classification.  Are you intending to inform your reader about the differences or to persuade him that on category is superior to the rest?

– Determine the categories of your classification, making sure that there is no overlap in the categories.

– Determine the differentiating characteristics.

– Outline your essay and make sure you present the characteristics in the same order.

Pitfalls to Avoid

– Avoid oversimplification, stereotypes, or misrepresentation.

– Avoid overlapping categories.  Make sure the categories are clearly different from each other and that your types fit into only one category.

– Avoid missing categories.  Make sure your categories account for all the types in your subject.

Essay Guidelines

– Due dates:  Pre-Write due October 17; Rough Draft due October 24; Final due November 7

– Essay length:  700 – 900 words (about 2 – 3 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

My Antonia Resources

Below are some links to some helpful resources for the students as they put together their presentations for October 31.

Sparks Notes:  My Antonia Character Traits

Sparks Notes:  My Antonia Themes

Shmoop Study Guides:  My Antonia

Novel Explorer Study Guides:  My Antonia


Just a note -- I've read through these and am familiar with the information from each study guide.  I'll notice if any copying & pasting is going on.

Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 7 (October 10)

Greetings!

It was full day in Writing 2 today.  Our day started with our Quick Write, titled “Magic Mailbox.”  The students were to imagine a mail box that could send a letter to anyone, any where, in any time period.  The letter would get to that person, and that person could reply.  We had letters to Jesus, Bach, and a football player. 

Our Words for the Day were: 

Cloche – French – literally, a bell; any bell-shaped enclosure to cover and protect plants; also, a small woman’s hat

Herr – German – the title “Mr.” or “Sir.”

Following the Quick Write and vocabulary words, I had three important points on the agenda for the day:  the grammar quiz, the explanation of the next essay assignment, and discussion of our book, My Antonia.  I let the students choose which they wanted to do first.  It was an unanimous decision to take the grammar quiz first.

The Grammar Quiz was worth 70 points and was 1/3 fill in the blank, 1/3 sentence correction, and 1/3 writing.  I gave a similar quiz last year that was 100 points and almost brought students to tears.  I pared this one down, and the students worked diligently to finish it.  I’ll have them graded and ready to hand back next week.

We took a longer time to discuss Jim Burden (the narrator in My Antonia) and his place in the social structure of his home town.  The students had some great insights about popularity, reputation, and solitude.  We also discussed one of the hired girls, Lena, who also moves out of Black Hawk to Lincoln, NE.  We will finish the book in two weeks, and in three weeks I could like each student to give a short presentation to the class about some aspect of the book.  They can choose from the following categories:

-- Setting

-- A specific Character

-- A specific Theme

-- The general structure of the novel.

We made a list of possible themes that can be considered:  coming of age, man & nature, human relationships, man & his past (memories), immigration, the frontier, education, the American dream, family, reputation, solitude. 

The next essay assignment is to write either a Classification Essay or an Extended Definition Essay.  The class was given handouts for each type of essay.  They should re-read them and decide which one would work best.  This essay will be done in 3 steps:  pre-writing (which includes making lists, brainstorming, outlining, and researching), writing a rough draft, and finishing a final draft.  The pre-writing is due next week.  I will check to make sure the work was done, but they can keep their pre-writing work and hand it in with the rough drafts. 

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Read p. 141 – 153 in My Antonia

          -- Answer 2 questions from the Study Guide

-- Begin work on the Presentation for the end of the book

-- Classification or Extended Definition Essay Pre-Write

This week’s blogs

Class Notes

Analysis of My Antonia

Classification Essay

Extended Definition Essay

Grammar Quiz

Have a great weekend!  The weather should be stunning!

Mrs. Prichard

Common Errors in Rough Drafts

• Writing numbers --- write out numbers under 100
• No “there is/are” sentences
• No contractions
• Run-on, fused, or comma splice sentences
• Titles of books – capitalize, italics
• Parallel construction
• Using “too”  -- use a comma
• Handwritten rough drafts – clear lower case and capital letters
• Verb tenses
• Correct preposition use
• There – they’re – their
• Noun & pronoun agreement
• Introductory phrases and commas
• Indent first line of a paragraph
• No spaces between paragraphs
• Avoid beginning sentences with conjunctions
• Avoid using “things”
• God – he or He
• Pronouns and antecedent agreement
• Split infinitives
• Using first person
• Unclear – awkward – expand
• Commas & compound sentences
• Parentheses, ellipses, dashes
• Sentences too long
• A lot – two words
• Exclamation points
• Essay titles
• Name of Organization (NoO)
• Paragraph constructions
• “So” and “then” overuse
• “The reason is because …”
• Using questions
• Informal language
• Expanding introductions and conclusions

Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 6 (October 3)

Greetings!

Can you believe that it is October already.  I had a beautiful drive to school this morning, seeing the dried stalks of corn and some pumpkin patches.  I don't know about you, but I love Fall.

After praying for our class, we had our Quick Write.  Our family has a favorite game, Man Bites Dog, in which the players are dealt cards with nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and a few prepositions.  The object of the game is to come up with a newspaper headline and to get the highest score by adding up the numbers on the cards.  For the Quick Write, I had the students not only come up with the headline, but write a story to go with it.  By virtue of the random collection of cards, we had some funny headlines.

Our Words of the Day, chosen by 3 class members:

oublieete -- French -- A dungeon with a trapdoor in the ceiling as its only means of entrance or exit.

heimweh -- German "home' & "woe" -- more specifically, homesickness

Noli me tangere -- Latin -- "touch me not"  (also attributed to the words Jesus spoke to Mary Magdeline after He'd risen.)

I handed back to the students some graded assignments, including their Rough Drafts of their Process Essay.  As with all rough drafts, students should expect to see a number marks on their papers since rough drafts are learning experiences.  I had them engage in a cooperative learning experience.  In other words, they did a group exercise.  Looking at their papers and a list errors common to rough drafts, they were to work as a group to determine which ones they thought would be important for the class to discuss.  With 2 suggestions from each group, we had a good discussion.

The Final Drafts of their Process Essays are due next week.  Along with the finished paper, I would like them to include a list of 5 changes/corrections/improvements that they have made and their reasons for the changes.

We took some time at the end of the class to discuss My Antonia.  As part of their homework for next week, they are to write a brief answer (1 - 2 paragraphs) to the following questions:  Where is Jim in the social structures of Black Hawk?  We discussed what is meant by "social structures" and what aspects of a person's life contribute to their social standing in a community.

Next week, we will have a Grammar Quiz .... more on that later.

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Read p. 119 - 140 in My Antonia.

-- Answer in 1 - 2 paragraphs the question mentioned above

-- Write the Final Draft of the Process Essay

-- List 5 changes made along with reasons for making them.

This week's blog post

Class Notes

Common Errors in Rough Drafts

Have a great weekend,

Mrs. Prichard