Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 2 (January 29)

Greetings!

We had great discussions this week about our Writing, Literature, and Grammar.

The prompt we started with for the Quick Write was "Clothes make the man."  According to the Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, the phrase was found recorded in the early 15th century, but it comes from an earlier saying in classical Greek, "the man is his clothing."  In essence, clothing can both reveal and determine status.  I asked the students to write about one particular piece of clothing -- their shoes.

For the Words of the Day, I chose words from the book A Word A Day by Anu Garg.  (I may also continue to use SAT words, but they seemed a bit common place and not as fun.) Our words this week were collective nouns used for groups of animals.  Did you know that a group of ducks swimming together is a "paddling," while a group of ducks flying is called a "team?"

sounder -- a group of wild boars

nide -- a nest or group of pheasants

skein -- a flock of geese, ducks or other similar birds in flight; a ball of yarn

skulk -- a pack of foxes

bevy -- a group of birds or animals; a group or collection of any kind; an abbreviation for a beverage (used in the UK)

We had a quick check in with our current writing assignment.  The Pre-Writes for the Mystery Story was to be done today.  (While it was due this week, they don't need to hand it in until next week when they hand in their rough drafts.)  We talked about how it was going and especially the challenges in writing fiction.  We had a variety of "thumbs up" and "thumbs down" and "thumbs side-ways."  They need to think a little differently for this kind of writing.  The sticking points seem to be incorporating clues, coming up with motives, and avoiding sounding stupid.  I have great faith in this creative group.

We then dove into our reading selections, "Scandal in Bohemian" and "The Red-Headed League."  We read the first portion of the first story and compiled a list of qualities for Sherlock Holmes.  In the second story, we especially noted his powers of observations.  

And finally, we closed out the class with a Grammar discussion.  Phrases and clauses are the focuses for this semester, and we started with Prepositional phrases.  Prepositional phrases are used either as adjective phrases describing nouns or as adverb phrases describing verbs. I've attached two links at the bottom to instructional videos about Prepositional phrases from EDpuzzle.

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Read "The Speckled Band" and "The Engineer's Thumb"

-- 4 Study Guide Questions

-- Mystery Story Rough Draft

-- Grammar Worksheets:  6.1, 6.2, 6.3 (but not Exercise B)

Links for This Week:

Blog Posts:

-- Class Notes

-- The Prepositional Phrase and Objects

-- Prepositional Phrases as Adjectives and Adverbs

From EDpuzzle:

Objects of Prepositions

The Prepositional Phrase

Prepositional Phrases as Adjectives

Prepositional Phrases as Adverbs

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Prichard

Prepositional Phrases as Adjectives and Adverbs

Prepositional Phrases as Adjectives

Prepositional Phrases as Adverbs

Prepositional Phrases and Objects

Objects of Prepositions

Prepositional Phrases

Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 1 (January 21)

Greetings!

It's great to be back at CHAT again.  Students were lively and alert, and I have good material planned for this semester that I'm excited to teach.

We began the day, as usual, with a Quick Write.  In Bulgaria, January 20 is "Babin Den," which is "Grandmother's Day."  Tradition says that when the grandmothers hold their newborn grandchildren, they pass on their wisdom.  I asked the students to write about their own grandmothers.

Our Words of the Day this semester will taken from a selection of SAT Word flashcards.  I let students pick four words from the deck.  (We won't have a test on the words this semester, but I still like to help students expand their vocabularies.)  Our words this week were:

choreographer -- n. a person who creates dance compositions

covet -- v.  to desire jealously

cicadas -- n.a large insect, similar to a locust

estrange -- v. to make hostile or alienate

The next item on my agenda for class was "New Stuff."  I handed out the Syllabus for the semester and gave a concise overview of our Writing, Grammar, and Literature units.  I'm trying something new this semester.  I gave each student an Individual Assignment Log.  This chart has the assignments for the semester and places to either check off or put in scores for assignments.  I feel this will be helpful for students who like to know ahead of time what assignments are coming up and who like to check items off a list.  If this is not a helpful tool, students don't need to do it.

We begin the semester reading Sherlock Holmes Stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  I love mysteries, and most students enjoy these reading assignments.  We talked about key characteristics of detective literature and some specific detectives that we know.  Students were given a handout with background information and also a study guide for the short stories.

The first writing assignment for this term is a bit of a shift from our regular essay writing.  Last year, students asked if we could do some creative writing.  So, I changed my coursework a bit to include that.  Since we're reading about Sherlock Holmes, I've assigned the students to write a Mystery Story.  Some students will find this to be great fun, while others may have a harder time.  The Pre-Write is due next week.  For some inspiration, students can check out the stories on the blog from last year's students.  (Check the right hand sidebar for the story pages.)

Last semester, we focused on the 8 parts of speech for our Grammar.  This semester, we will focus on phrases and clauses.  Careful writers use these groups of words to liven and "bedazzle" the sentences and paragraphs of our essays.  We started this week with 2 worksheets on Misplaced Modifiers and Dangling Modifiers.

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Read A Scandal in Bohemia and The Red-Headed League

-- Answer 4 Study Guide questions for either or both of the stories

-- Mystery Story Pre-Write

-- 1 Grammar Worksheets

     -- 5.4 (# 1 - 15)

     -- 5.5 (# 1 - 10)

Links for This Week

Class Notes

Spring Syllabus

Sherlock Holmes Study Guide

Characterization in Sherlock Holmes

Characteristics of Detective Stories

Sherlock Holmes Quotes

Mystery Story

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Prichard

Writing 2 -- Spring Syllabus, 2016

Week/Date	Literature	Assign. Due	Writing Due	Grammar Topic
Week 1 (1/21)	Introduction to Sherlock Holmes			Modifiers
Week 2 (1/28)	Holmes:  “A Scandal in Bohemia” & “The Red-Headed League”	Answer 4 Questions for “The Red-Headed League”	Mystery Story Pre-Write	Prepositional Phrases Adj/Adv Phrases
Week 3 (2/4)	Holmes: “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” & “The Engineer’s Thumb”	Answer 4 questions for one of the two stories	Mystery Story Rough Draft	Participles/Gerunds
Week 4 (2/11)	Holmes:  “The Final Problem” & “The Adventure of the Empty House"	Holmes Final Exam		Appositives & Infinitives
Week 5 (2/18)	Short Stories: Pushkin (p. 162); Tolstoy (p. 169); Chekhov (p. 26)	2 Short Story Worksheets	Mystery Story Final Draft	Clauses: Adjective, Adverb, Noun
February 25 – No CHAT
Week 6 (3/3)	Short Stories: Dickens (p. 45); Wilde (p. 189); Kipling (p.101); Munro (p. 140)	2 Short Story Worksheets	Cause/Effect OR Problem/ Solution Pre-Write	Identifying Subject & Predicate
Week 7 (3/10)	Short Stories: Hawthorne (p. 73); Bierce (p. 10); Poe (p. 156)	2 Short Story Worksheets	Cause/Effect OR Problem/ Solution Rough Draft	Compound Sentence & Complements
Week 8 (3/17)	Short Stories: Harte (p. 64); Twain (p. 175) Jewett (p. 87); Crane (p. 34)	2 Short Story Worksheets		Direct & Indirect Objects
Week 9 (3/24)	Short Stories: Chopin (p. 30); London (p. 122); Mansfield (p. 130); Gilman (p. 50)	2 Short Story Worksheets	Cause/Effect OR Problem/ Solution Final Draft	Linking Verb Complements
March 30 – No CHAT
Week 10 (4/7)	Short Stories: Pirandello (p. 149); de Maupassant (p. 134);	2 Short Story Worksheets	Evaluation Pre-Write	Simple & Compound Sentences Indep/Subord Clauses
Week 11 (4/14)	Short Stories: Larsen (p. 110); Anderson (p. 1); Hardy (p. 56)	2 Short Story Worksheets	Evaluation Rough Draft	Indep/Subord Clauses
Week 12 (4/21)	Poetry: Holmes (p. 21); Emerson (p. 4, 5); Longfellow (p. 6 – 10); Whitman (p. 22 – 26); Dickinson (p. 29 – 32)	2 Poetry Worksheets.		Sentence Structures
Week 13 (4/28)	Poetry:Wilcox (p. 33); Thayer (p. 34); Dunbar (p. 41 – 43); Frost (p. 44 – 50); Sandburg (p.53 – 54); Williams (p. 60 – 61); Hughes  (p. 75 – 78)	2 Poetry Worksheets	Evaluation Final Draft	Review
Week 14 (5/5)	Poetry Presentation		Re-Write	Grammar Test
Week 15 (5/12)	Poetry Presentation		Final Exam

Mystery Story

Write your own Holmes mystery

Using what you have learned about characteristics of a Sherlock Holmes mystery, write your own. It can be a significant mystery (someone stole my car!) or a small one (why do my socks go astray in the dryer?).  It can be funny or serious in tone. As a reminder, include some of the following: 

a. Retelling of an action sequence 
b. Holmes using deductive reasoning 
c. Holmes taking justice into his own hands 
d. Character from a foreign land with a dark past 
e. Holmes unable to solve the case 
f. Exotic murder weapon 
g. Young woman about to be married 
h. Grotesque details 
i. Crime committed

Story Guidelines

– Due dates:  Pre-Write due January 28; Rough Draft due February 4;  Final Draft due February 11

– Essay length:  500 – 900 words (between 2 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

Characterization of Sherlock Holmes

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

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. 

Sherlock Holmes Quotes

“A Scandal in Bohemia”

·         You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear.

·         It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.

·         To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name.

“The Red-Headed League”

·         I know, my dear Watson, that you share my love of all that is bizarre and outside the conventions and humdrum routine of everyday life.

·         It is quite a three pipe problem, and I beg that you won't speak to me for fifty minutes.

 “The Five Orange Pips”

·         A man should keep his little brain attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber-room of his library...

·         As Cuvier could correctly describe a whole animal by the contemplation of a single bone, so the observer who has thoroughly understood one link in a series of incidents should be able to accurately state all the other ones, both before and after.

·         It is not so impossible, however, that a man should possess all knowledge which is likely to be useful to him in his work, and this, I have endeavoured in my case to do.

·         A man should keep his little brain attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber-room of his library, where he can get it if he wants it.

“The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle”

·         My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people don't know.

·         On the contrary, Watson, you can see everything. You fail, however, to reason from what you see. You are too timid in drawing your inferences.

·         My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people don't know.

“The Adventure of the Speckled Band”

·         "You are Holmes, the meddler."
My friend smiled.
"Holmes, the busybody!"
His smile broadened.
"Holmes, the Scotland Yard Jack-in-office!"
Holmes chuckled heartily.

·         "When a doctor does go wrong, he is the first of criminals. He has the nerve and he has the knowledge."

·         Violence does, in truth, recoil upon the violent, and the schemer falls into the pit which he digs for another.

“The Adventure of the Copper Beeches”

·         "Data! Data! Data!" he cried impatiently. "I can't make bricks without clay."

·         The lowest and vilest alleys in London do not present a more dreadful record of sin than does the smiling and beautiful countryside.

·         "I am glad of all details," remarked my friend, "whether they seem to you to be relevant or not."

·         "Do you know, Watson," said he, "that it is one of the curses of a mind with a turn like mine that I must look at everything with reference to my own special subject. You look at these scattered houses, and you are impressed by their beauty. I look at them, and the only thought which comes to me is a feeling of their isolation and of the impunity with which crime may be committed there."

Study Questions for Sherlock Holmes Stories

“A Scandal in Bohemia”

1.       What does Sherlock Holmes think of Iren Adler?

2.       Describe Holmes’ and Watson’s situation in the beginning of the story.

3.       How does Holmes prove his intelligence?

4.       Who is the client? How does Holmes know who he is and how does he treat the client?

5.       What was Watson’s job for when they get Irene Adler’s house?

6.       How did Irene Adler outsmart Holmes?

“The Red-Headed League”

1.       Holmes lists the “obvious facts” that he deduces from Mr. Wilson’s appearance. What are they and how did Homes know?

2.       What is the only requirement needed to apply for a vacancy in the Red-Headed League? What are the benefits?

3.       Describe the work Mr. Wilson must do for the League. What exactly is it? When must he do it? What is supposedly the purpose? What happens if he leaves the office during working hours?

4.       Holmes begins to question Mr. Wilson about his assistant. List here some of the things that he learns.

5.       What detail suggests that Holmes already knows who this man is? Why does Holmes pretend to be lost and ask the way of Mr. Wilson’s assistant? What other odd thing does he do in front of Mr. Wilson’s place of business?

6.       Who are Mr. Jones and Mr. Merryweather? Who is John Clay?

“The Adventure of the Speckled Band”

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

5.    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.

6.    Which of the five senses are used by Sherlock Holmes to solve the mystery of the speckled band?

“The Engineer’s Thumb”

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 known something illegal was going on at Colonel Stark’s home?  What clues might have led him to this conclusion?

3.    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?

“The Final Problem”

1.       What is the significance of the title?

2.       Describe Prof. Moriarty’s criminal activity.  How is he the “Napoleon of crime?”

3.       How do Watson and Holmes outwit Moriarty on the train?

4.       Why does Watson refuse to let Holmes travel alone?

5.       Describe the scene between Holmes and Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls.

“The Adventure of the Empty House”

1.       How does Sherlock Holmes reveal himself to Watson?

2.       How did Sherlock Holmes fill his time while he was “dead?”

3.       Describe the new mystery that Holmes and Watson are go solve?

4.       What previous knowledge of the situation does Holmes have?

5.       What clues are given?

6.       What unusual twist occurs and foils the murderer’s plot to kill Holmes?