Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 6 (February 19)

Greetings

It was a great day at CHAT today.  Students were were attentive and engaged with our discussion.  I'm always impressed with how they can stay focused for the 90 minute classes.

We just celebrated President's Day and February 22 is George Washington's birthday.  According to General Henry Lee, Washington was "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen."  I used these details for our Quick Write and had the students write to any of our country's past presidents and ask 5 questions. 

I shared with the class about a speaker, Bob Goff, whom I heard share about his children who wrote letters to world leaders.  (You can read a review of this section of his book in this review or see an excerpt on the blog.)  As a follow up assignment, I asked the class to write a letter with three questions to some world or business leader, not a sports or Hollywood personality.

Note:  Please read this review of Bob Goff's book and his letter writing adventure with his children.

Our Latin Roots of the Day:

equi -- L. same, equal -- English derivatives:  equal, equality, equilibrium, equitable, equity

equus -- L.  horse -- English derivatives:  equine, equestrian

ex -- out; out of -- English derivatives:  exit, excavate, exclude, extract

exter/extra -- L. out; outermost -- English derivatives:  extraterrestrial, exterior, extremity, external

I handed back their mystery stories. They wrote such wonderful stories, and I had a great time reading them.  I think it was good to have a change from the regular essays.  I have some on the class website; if a student has not sent  a copy of his/her story to include, there's still time.  My plan is to have the printed copy by Spring Break. 

Our next writing assignment is either a Problem/Solution or Cause/Effect Essay. We didn't take time to discuss it; the Pre-Writes were to be done today and the Rough Drafts are due at the next class. 

We spent some talking about our Short Story selections.  The Kipling story, "Wee Willie Winkie" was liked by most, while we had mixed responses to the Dickens story, "Nobody's Story."  We discussed what makes up a writer's style:  word choice, mood, dialogue, descriptions, etc.  We all agreed that Munro's story, "The Open Window" was clever and enjoyable.

We covered more comma exercises at the end of the class.  The students have a worksheet that deals with compound sentences, interrupters, and introductory elements.  We did some of the sentences in class.  The rest of the worksheet can be done as homework.

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Write a letter to a world leader that includes 3 questions

-- Read the following authors:  Hawthorne (p. 73), Bierce (p. 101), Poe (p. 156)

-- Fill out the Short Story worksheet for one of the stories

-- Finish the Grammar Worksheet (13-4 and 13-5)

-- Rough Draft of the Problem/Solution or Cause/Effect Essay

This Week's Links

Class Notes

Be Secretly Incredible (about Bob Goff's letter writing adventure)

Literary Love Letters (from last week's Quick Writes)

Dr. Heidigger's Experiment audio version

The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge audio version

The Cask of Amontillado audio version with text

The Cask of Amontillado Librivox version

NOTE:  We do not have class next week on February 26.  We will meet again on March 5.

Have a great two weeks!

Mrs. Prichard

Literary Love Letters

Each year, just before Valentine's Day, I assign Quick Writes in which the students write "love letters" for something writing or literature related.  Below are some samples for our last Quick Writes:

Dear Apostrophe,

You are so beautiful the way you show ownership.  The way you fit between the owner and the "s" is amazing.  You can make nouns into adjectives, and you make my heart to mushy stuff.

Love,

A Student

Dear Lovely Series Comma,

You have caused much strife and have sparked many arguments with your controversial relationship.  And is very attached to you and luckily you two are often forced together.  However, I, the Delete Button, want you more than And could ever.  I long to be with you in the world of non-existence.  You and I could run through the fields of digital codes and never end up before the AND again.

Love,

The Delete Button

Dearest Pencil,

I love you, pencil.  You allow me to write my thoughts on my other dear friend, paper.  I am forever grateful that I have you pencil.  And no, I am not cheating on you with pen or Sharpie.

Sincerely yours,

A Student

P.S.  We are over.  I am breaking with you. I bet you did not see that coming ....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Microsoft Word,

 I cannot live without you.  All your different fonts and colors are too beautiful to comprehend.  I do not know which font of yours I love most.  Your background and layouts amaze me.

Forever yours,

The key board

Oh my pencil!  How my heart was crushed by sorrow

when you passed from me to another owner.

However, my intentions are not to grieve over you,

but to plead that you might come back to me, the joy of my life.

You are everything that I love.  The radiance of my heart.

You fitteth in my hand so well as if our hearts were infinitely bound to one another.

A peaceful meadowlark singing is the calmness you cover my heart with. 

A perfect sunset over the deep, blue ocean is the beauty of your heart. 

The thrill of diving into calm water on a burning morning is the relaxation you give me.

My deepest joys are ignited when the familiar feel of

your perfect pencilness rests in the nook of my  hand. 

Oh, my pencil, how I love you and yearn for you.

A Poem
Writing papers
It is not for me anymore
I am sorry

Dear Ticonderoga,

I'm sorry that our lovely relationship had to end so soon.  Mechanical is just so much nicer though, and while you are away at the Sharpener, Mechanical just requires the push on a button.  Shame on you for seeing the Sharpener.

Love,
A Student

Another Poem

Shall I compare they to a midsummer's day.
No, because then I've be playing out side

I am forced to stay inside, not play

Dear School, I'm afraid we are done
A few months and then you are gone
Don't cry, I'll see you next year
In fact you don't even deserve this song
But because Mrs. Prichard says this letter is for love,
Dear School, you must come from above.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Backspace,

I don't know what I would do without you.  You have changed the world of writing for me.  I no longer need to worry about spelling or grammatical errors because you make it easy to fix.  I still remember the first time I was allowed to use that button of yours.  You allow me moments of joy such as holding down letters and being able to get rid of them without the embarrassment of having to send that to someone.

Love,
Your writer and user.

Dear Pencil,
I write this letter with sadness but confidence,.  I'm afraid your love has been fading for some time now, but I've been afraid to let go.  I smile at the memories of our first day, when we worked together to write my name on that kindergarten note book.  There was a spark that day, but the spark is gone.  My eyes have been wandering to more elegant, efficient, and stylish utensils.  I now this hurts, but I'm actually writing this letter with my current love, a beautiful blue pen.  Her ink glides across the page with far less effort than your graphite ever did.  I'm sorry, but you're old news.  Goodbye, Pencil.
With loving memories,
A Student

Dear Comma,
You have saved many a life for when I say, "Let's eat, Grandpa," without you, we would all be forced to eat our beloved elder.  For this, I thank you on behalf of all Grandfathers everywhere.
Love,
A Student



Dear Period,
Without you, I feel as though I have no end.  As if I was incomplete.  I know you were worried about the comma coming in between our relationship, but I tell you it is not.  You are my Omega, and I am your Alpha.
Yours truly,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Laptop,
Thank you for always being there for me when I need to write an essay or mystery story.  You make my life better.
Love,
A Student

Dear Books,
We need to talk.  I hate you.  I hate the way you steal my time.  You give me dark circles under my eyes in the morning.  I waste my money on you, and my peace of mind.  You make me cry; you make me weep.  My friends  hate you.  You're the only think I talk about.  but what I hate about you most is the way I don't hate.  I love you, and I hate that I love you.  Dear books, we need to talk.
Yours truly,
A Student

Dearly beloved #2 Pencil,
You are my favorite point of the day.  I love the way you've helped me erase my mistakes.  You've led me to heights I never thought were possible.
Love,
A Student

To my beloved Pencil,
You have always stuck with me.  Even when you break, you come back to me.  For years you've led my thoughts to my paper.  I'm forever grateful.  Your time is fading away because the stylus family is taking your place.  I want you to know that I will never forget you. 
With love,
The hand that controls you

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Eraser,
You are my savior.  You help me to erase my mistakes.  You are so forgiving.  If I mess up, you are there for me.  You never keep a grudge.  No matter how many times I mess up, you are always right there to help me.  I do not know what I would do without you.  If I did not have you, my writing papers would be a mess.  Thank you  for always being there for me.  I love you.
Love,
A Student

Dear Laptop,
You are my one true love on Valentine's Day!  When my hand aches and cramps from writing stories, I always have you to turn to.  I share all my deepest thoughts and memories with you, knowing you will keep them all safe on your hard drive.  You are the total package:  dictionary, encyclopedia, spell check and search engines.  My writing couldn't make it in this world without you.  I take you everywhere with me:  the coffee shop, school, the park, and the community college.  Oh Laptop, I need you al the time. If I had a choice, I would be typing this Quick Write on Word.
Love,
A Student.

Dear Grammar,
We have been through a lot together, ups and downs.  Well, mostly downs.  Your strict rules are just too hard for me to follow.  I just can't keep living my life to them.  Every time I talk, you correct me.  I bet you have your little red pen out right now and are scribbling all over this, making it bleed.  We can't keep doing this ......
Good bye!
A Student


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Haiku Series


Five syllables here
Seven syllables are there
Amazing Haiku.


Do you love Haikus
I love you Haiku, tis true
I'll grow old with you


Together we are
Forever my love, amen
Til death do us part


Haiku died.  I died.
Tragedy is upon us
I loved till the end.

Dear Exclamation Point,
I am sorry.  We are breaking up.  You truly are a great guy, but ... have you seen Apostrophe?  I'm sorry, But I was questioning your ping.
Yours truly,
Comma








Dear Pen,
You are astoundingly beautiful.  Your body flows with such elegance, and the way you put it down is amazing.  Your intricate workings are wonderful, and I can always pick you up where I left you at.  You "click" so well, and are always ready to have fun with me.  I may be picky regarding my choice of pen, but you, my dear, are absolutely perfect -- the Pilot G-2 .07.

Dear Paper,
Without you, the world would be a much less expressive place.  There would be much less kindling for the fire, too, but that is not the point. Also, the introverts of the world would be unable to express their feelings and thus, explode.  So, for all those lonely introverts, I thank you.  Thank you for saving lives.
Yours truly,
A Student.

Audio Recordings for Week 6 Stories

Class,

Below are links to audio recordings of the short stories assigned for this week.

The Sphinx without a Secret (Wilde)

     Librivox recording

Nobody's Story (Dickens)

Wee Willie Winkie (Kipling)

The Open Window (Munro)

Mrs. Prichard

Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 5 (February 12)

Greetings!

I had another great week with all of my CHAT classes.  I'm so blessed by their hard work and vibrant personalities.

Because we were approaching Valentine's Day, the Quick Write assignment was to write a love letter to something writing or grammar related.  Some of them are willing for me to put them on the blog.  Until I get those entered, here are some from a previous year:  Literary Love Letters.

Our Words of the Day, are the following Latin roots:

bene -- L. good, well -- English derivatives:  benefit, benefactor, beneficial, benediction

brevi -- L. brief, shirt -- English derivatives:  brevity, brief, abbreviate, abbreviation

Following our beginning of class activities, we discussed the homework that was handed back.  I covered some of the common mistakes found in the comma worksheets.  We reviewed compound sentences, complex sentences (including subordinating conjunctions & dependent clauses), and series commas.  Our next unit is working with appositives and parenthetical phrases.  As I told the students as began our adventures into commas, you must learn a lot of other grammar details in order to understand some of the comma rules.

Another piece of homework that was handed back were the Final Exams for the Sherlock Holmes unit.  This take home exam focused on why or why not Holmes could be considered a hero.  As part of our discussion, we talked about the differences between objective and subjective points of view.  As I told the students, I read through their essays looking for specific, unique points that addressed the definition of a hero, Holmes's qualifications, and examples from the stories.  I had a base score of 50 points for this. All of the students scored much higher than this minimum requirement.  

Students handed in their final drafts of their Mystery Stories.  As I've said in earlier e-mails, these were amazing stories, and I've started putting them on the blog.  I'll send out links to these as I get more entered on the blog.  I will also put them together as a booklet.  

In my writing classes, I have a quick turnaround with essays.  As soon as one round is done, the next essay is assigned.  For the next essay, the students can choose between a Cause/Effect Essay or a Problem/Solution Essay.  These guidelines for these essays are pretty straightforward.  The Pre-Write should be done for next week.

We talked briefly about our three Short Stories from our new book These were all written by Russian authors.  The next group of essays are written by British writers.  Students were given a worksheet to use for one of the stories.

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Read the following stories by these authors:

     -- Dickens (p. 45)

     -- Wilde (p. 189)

     -- Kipling (p, 101)

     -- Munro (p. 140)

-- Appositives/Parenthetical Phrases Worksheet

-- Cause/Effect or Problem/Solution Pre-Writes

This Week's Links:

Class Notes

Cause/Effect Essay

Problem/Solution Essay

Appositives/Parenthetical Phrases Worksheet

Have a great week!

Mrs. Prichard

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 February 19; Rough Draft due March 5; Final Draft due March 19

– 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

Cause/Effect Essay

Definition

            A cause and effect essay focuses on why things happen and what their results or consequences are.  Causes are the reasons why something happened.  Effects are the direct results or consequences of an event.  The study of causes and effects are central to many disciplines:  science, history, sociology, psychology, etc.         

Choosing a Subject

            Consider recent experiences, conversations, and headlines for possible ideas.  It can focus on current events, political or social events, or developments in medicine or technology.  It can also focus on every day events.  For example, what happens when you procrastinate?  Or, what are the effects of eating too much junk food?

Thesis Development

            A thesis statement in a cause and effect essay usually focuses on causes or effects but not on both.  The thesis statement should offer your opinion or stand about a cause or an effect.  Remember, a good thesis statement should be short and to the point, contain one clear main idea, and take a stand or express your opinion.     

Organization

            Cause/effect essays generally focus on the causes of the effects of an event, problem, or phenomenon.  Some essays examine both causes and effects.  The thesis announces whether the cause or the effects will be examined, and the supporting sentences or paragraphs develop those causes or effects.           

Tips on Writing

– Before you start writing, determine whether you will be covering the cause, effects, or both.

– List all of the causes and effects you can think of for the situation.

– Examine each cause or effect to determine whether it is a direct cause or effect of your event.  Keep in mind the difference between direct and indirect causes and effects.

– When examining causes and effects, decide the value and importance of each item.

– Clearly establish the relationships between the cause and the effect.

– Avoid mistaking coincidence for cause and effect.

– Avoid oversimplification.  

– Don’t confuse affect for effect

– Affect is a verb meaning “to influence.”

– Effect is usually used as a noun meaning “result.”

– When used as a verb, effect means “to make or to cause to happen.”

Essay Guidelines

– Due dates:  Pre-Write due February 19; Rough Draft due March 5;  Final Draft due March 19

– Essay length:  700 – 900 words (between 3 and 6 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

Comma Worksheet -- Appositives & Parenthetical Comments

1.6 – Appositives

An appositive renames the noun or pronoun it follows.  If omitting the appositive would change the meaning of the sentence, then do not set it apart with commas.  If the “renaming” does not change the meaning, then use commas.

1.7 – Parenthetical Comments

Parenthetical comments are those which can be left out but are included to add color or personality to the sentence.

Exercises:

Insert the commas for the appositives.

1.       Pride and Prejudice a book by Jane Austen is one of my favorite novels.

2.       Houston the largest city in Texas was named after Sam Houston.

3.       The speaker who had risen from his chair to begin his talk fell off the platform.

4.       The athletes for whom the party was given broke into singing the school song.

5.       The dog that ran under the chair was the one who had eaten her shoe.

6.       The truck that changed around the corner finally broke down across the street.

Insert commas for the parenthetical phrases.

1.       Believe it or not I haven’t been home a single night this week.

2.       I know Susan was at the party I spoke with her myself bu she may have left early.

3.       Then I thought oh dear I’ve lost my wallet.

4.       I have an idea let’s call Robert and Jill and take them out for dinner.

5.       Your mother called an oh yes she said you left your history book at home.

Misc. Sentences

1.       The clock which had been ticking very loudly burst a spring and flew off the wall.

2.       Down in the valley where the grass is greener than it is anywhere else you can see the men on tractors and other equipment.

3.       My friends Hannah and Rebecca whom I haven’t seen for six years are coming to visit me this week.

4.       The old car that sat in the driveway all winter was finally hauled away.

5.       The man who broke into our house while we were away was arrested.

Short Stories Worksheet (5 Questions)

Short Stories Worksheet

Story Title:  _______________________________

Author:  ___________________________________

As you read, jot down 5 questions that come to mind.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 4 (February 5)

Greetings!

We had a good class this week.  The students continue to work hard on their writing, literature, and grammar topics.

Our Quick Write this week was in recognition of Charles Lindbergh's birthday, whose birthday was February 4, and his solo, trans-Atlantic flight.  This flight took 33 1/2 hours.  I asked the students to write what and whom they would take with them to survive such a long road trip.  They responded with a variety of snack ideas, activities, and companions.

Our Latin Roots for the day:

dicta/dictum -- L. to say; speak -- English derivatives:  dictionary, diction, dictator, Dictaphone

dorm/dormio -- L. to sleep -- English derivatives:  dorm room, dormitory, dormant, dormancy

duco/duct -- L. to lead -- English derivatives:  duct, abduct, conductor, introduce  (No, "duck" is not from this root!)

Our first order of business, following our beginning of class activities, was to go over the rough drafts of the Mystery Stories.  I have to say that reading/correcting these has been the most enjoyable "homework" that I've ever had.  This is an amazing group of writers.  Rather than going through a long list of grammar topics related to the rough drafts, I covered grammar topics more related to fiction writing.  Punctuation with dialogue, indenting dialogue and paragraphs, and consistent verb tenses in storytelling was discussed.

As we continue learning about Comma Usage, our topic for the day was restrictive (essential) and non-restrictive (non-essential).  The biggest guideline to remember:

Restrictive/Essential Clauses -- NO COMMA

Non-restrictive/Non-essential -- USE A COMMA

Since we've finished the Sherlock Holmes book, we're ready to start the next book, Great, Great Short Stories.  We will be using this book until we switch to our final poetry book.  The first set of stories were written by Russian authors.  For some of the stories, I've found online audio versions that might be helpful for the students.  If a student wants to use these, I encourage that he/she reads along with the book in hand.

They have a work sheet to go with this first set of stories.  They are assigned 3 stories; the worksheet is to go with 2 of the 3 stories.

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Read the following stories:

     The Three Hermits (Tolstoy, p. 169)

     A Malefactor  (Pushkin, p. 162)

     The Coffin-Maker (Chekhov, p. 26)

-- Final Draft of the Narrative Essay

Links for this Week

Class Notes

The Three Hermits (audio)

A Malefactor (audio)

Restrictive & Non-restrictive Clauses

Grammar Practice:  Restrictive Clauses

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Prichard