Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 9 (March 30)

Greetings!

We covered a lot of ground today in class, and I appreciated the class's involvement.

For the Quick Write, I asked the students to convince me of something.  They could try to convince me to eat a certain food, read a book, listen to some music, take part in some activity, etc.  For this, they should consider the audience, give specific reasons, and think about what would be appealing.  I look forward to reading their persuasive Quick Writes.

Our Words of the Day (aka Latin Roots of the Day):

magnus -- Latin, great/large -- magnum, magnanimity, magnanimous, magnitude, magnet, magnificent. magnify, electromagnetic, manganese

male -- bad/evil -- malnourished, Maleficent, malefactor, malice, malicious, dismal, malady, malignant

manus -- Latin, hand -- manuscript, manual, manufacture, manage, manacle, maintain, emancipate, manifest

migr -- Latin, wander -- migraine, migration, migrate, immigrate, migratory, transmigration

I handed back their homework, which included the Final Drafts of the Problem/Solution or Cause/Effect papers.  They worked hard on these.  Their next writing assignment is an Evaluation Essay, and the rough draft for that is due the week after our break.  If students have any missing work, this upcoming break might be a good time to get caught up.

We started discussing our Short Stories.  After some initial comments, I divided the students into two groups to discuss each story and to come up with comments for the following literary elements:  characters, plots, and themes.  Also, if they found a "gem" in the story, they could add that.  Following their discussions, they wrote their comments on the white board.  Many times students have great thoughts that they don't necessarily want to talk about with the whole class, but a small group is just the right size.

We still have more stories left to read, but I handed out the next book, a selection of American poems, so that they have it when we are ready.

We reviewed our comma rules during the Grammar portion and made a list as a class:

• Lists
• Dates
• FANBOYS and compound sentences
• Complex sentences:  Independent clauses and Dependent/Subordinate clauses
• Appositives
• Interjections & Interrupters
• Introductory elements
• Addresses
• Direct address

For their homework, they are to write 2 sentences for each rule, appropriately inserting the correct commas.

Note:  For those of you interested in checking out My Gradebook, I didn't realize the the Spring version of the class was given a fresh code, which is writing2spring17.  I will have all of the current scores entered in by the end of next week.  Let me know of you are having difficulties accessing your account.

Assignments for April 13:

-- Read stories by Larsen (p. 110); Anderson (p. 1); Hardy (p. 56)

-- Fill out one worksheet (front and back)

-- Comma review -- Write 2 example sentences for each bullet point.

-- Evaluation Essay Rough Draft

Links for this week:

Class Notes

Have a great break!

Mrs. Prichard

Evaluation Essay

Definition

            In an essay of evaluation, a writer acts like a roving critic, exploring the significance of your topic.  The purpose of an evaluation essay is to demonstrate the overall quality (or lack thereof) of a particular product, business, place, service, or program.  To develop an essay of this type, think in terms of a subject’s value, impact, and significance; its strengths and weaknesses; its place in the scheme of things.

Choosing a Subject

            An Evaluation Essay explores a particular event, a current trend, an extended project, a recent decision, a new product, and so on.  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.

Thesis Development

While any evaluation involves injecting some form of opinion, if an evaluation is done properly, it should not come across as opinionated.  Instead, the evaluation should seem reasoned and unbiased. 

Organization

In order to give a clear representation and reasonable, unbiased discussion of your topic keep the following elements in mind:

• Critera – This refers to the elements or qualities that demonstrate an ideal for any similar situation.  Having clear criteria establishes your paper with facts and details so that it does not appear to be only an opinion.  For example, if evaluating a restaurant, you would choose the common characteristics of menu items, cleanliness, staff, prices, etc. 
• Judgment – This establishes whether or not your topic meets the appropriate criteria that you’ve chosen to consider in your evaluation.  Using the example of a restaurant, if you’ve chosen as criteria the quality of food, the judgment states whether or not the particular restaurant offers food that meets or exceeds this stated quality.
• Evidence – These are the details that support your judgment of the criteria.  Again, in the restaurant example, if you have determined that the quality does not meet a certain standard, give an explanation that serves as evidence.

Generally, each body paragraph of an evaluation essay is going to focus on one specific criterion, which should be fully explained, followed by the judgment and a variety of evidence offered as support.  Because of this, it is important that any evaluation contains several different criteria, judgments, and evidence.

Essay Guidelines

– Due dates:  Pre-Write due March 30; Rough Draft due April 13;  Final Draft due April 27

– Essay length:  800 – 1000 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

Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 8 (March 16)

Greetings!

Just a quick note this week.

Students could choose one of three options for the Quick Write:  1)  March 17 is St. Patrick Day, and students could write about their family heritage; 2)  March 15 was the Ides of March, and students could write about appropriate ways to oppose the government; 3) students could write about their favorite breakfasts.

Words of the Day:

ign -- Latin, "fire/burn" -- ignite, ignition, igneous

inter -- Latin, "between/among" -- interact, interject, interjection, intercool, intermediary, intercollegiate, intermission, intersection

ject/jug -- Latin, "cast/throw" -- interject, interjection, deject, subject, reject, object, project, projectile, trajectory, eject, 

junct -- Latin, "join/unite" -- junction, conjunction, adjunct, join, injunction, subjunctive

Rough Draft discussion:

Students did a great job with these essays.  I know that they were hard to write.  We went over some common mistakes that I encountered while going over the rough drafts.

Short Story discussion:

I divided the class into small groups to discuss the assigned short stories.  As I listened, they had some good insights.  However, I did hear some honest confessions that not all of the students had read all of the stories.  With that in mind, don't be surprised if I throw in a pop quiz now and then to see if students have done their reading.

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Read Chopin (p. 30); London (p. 122); Mansfield (p. 130); Gilman (p. 50)

-- Either fill out two short story worksheets OR write two summaries for two of the stories

-- Final Drafts Cause/Effect or Problem/Solution essay

Links for this week

Class Notes

Character/Short Story

Theme/Setting

Have a good week!

Mrs. Prichard

Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 7 (March 9)

Greetings!

We had a good day in class this week.  Even thought it was cold out, the sun was shining, and I think we're all feeling that Spring is right around the corner.  (Which reminds me, Daylight Savings Time is this weekend.  Remember to "spring forward.")

Students had two options for the Quick Write this week.  Firstly, March 7, 1876 was the day that Alexander Graham Bell received his patent for the the telephone, and I asked students to list methods/ways that we communicate.  Secondly, yesterday, March 9, is National Barbie day to commemorate the day in 1959 that this doll was introduced at a toy fair in New York.  Students could write about their experiences or opinions of this toy.

We composed a wonderful list of ways that we communicate that include both types and methods.  (See the attached picture)

Our Words of the Day:

grav -- Latin, "heavy/serious" -- grave, gravity, gravitate, gravitational, grief, aggravate, aggrieve

grad/gress - Latin, "walk/step" -- grade, gradual, graduation, degree, degrade, progress, congress, regress, centigrade

gel -- Latin, "freeze/ice cold" -- congeal, gelatin, gelato, gelee, jelly, Jell-O

greg -- Latin, "flock/herd" -- congregation, congregate, gregarious, aggregate, segregate, desegregate

Usually, right after these beginning of class activities, we do a quick check in with homework.  I don't penalize for late work, but it's always much better to get work in on time because getting behind can be very frustrating for the student.  Additionally, if a student knows that he/she will be gone, it helps to know that in advance so that I can get homework out in advance of the absence.

Before we discussed the Short Stories, we talked through the idea of good vs. evil.  In many stories, good is better understood when contrasted with something bad.  Good presented by itself, in a vacuum, often seems shallow; meanwhile, evil/bad alone is hopeless and depressing.  The three stories that were read for today all had darker sides and even sad endings.  As Christians and learners, we have eternity in us and can hold that up to other world views.

During our Grammar section of the class, we continued with commas but added some end punctuation for variety.  The two worksheets for this week included practice punctuating dates and addresses.  We also did come practice as a group with compound and complex sentences.  I'm seeing from the worksheets that have been assigned that we are not all completely confident in with those.

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Short Stories: Harte (p. 64); Twain (p. 175); Jewett (p. 87); Crane (p. 34)

-- Fill out both sides of the 2 short story worksheets.

-- Two Grammar worksheets:

     13. 1 -- End Marks

     13.6 -- Dates & Addresses

Links for this week

Class Notes

Luck of Roaring Camp audio

A White Heron

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

Worksheet 13.6

Worksheet 13.1

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs. Prichard

Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 6 (March 2)

Greetings!

Just the highlights this week:

Quick Write:

March 2 was National Banana Creme Pie Day and National Read Across America Day AND March 1 was National Peanut Butter Day.  Write about your favorite pie, a book that would "do good," or your favorite sandwich.

Words of the Day

fin -- Latin, "end, complete" -- finish, final, define, definite, definitions, finite, infinite finesse

flu/fluct/flux -- Latin, "flow, wave" -- influx, influence, fluctuate, influential, influenza, flush, fluent

fort -- Latin, "strong" -- fort, fortitude, effort, forte, fortress

fug/fugit -- Latin, "flee, fly" -- centrifuge, fugitive, refuge, refugee, fugal, fugue

Homework was handed back and discussed.  Every 3 - 4 weeks I am handing out missing homework lists.  If students have any questions, they can contact me.

Our next essay is either a Problem/Solution essay or a Cause/Effect essay; the rough draft is due next week.

We are now reading short stories and discussed two by Russian authors and one by a British author.  Next week, early American authors.

Commas again!  We continue to review what we've learned and then add new comma rules.  This week we discussed commas with compound sentences, complex sentences, and interrupters.

Assignments for Next Week

-- Short Stories: Hawthorne (p. 73); Bierce (p. 10); Poe (p. 156)

-- Problem/Solution or Cause/Effect rough draft

-- Comma worksheets:  13.5

Links for this week:

Class Notes

News Alert Quick Writes

Literary Love Letters Quick Writes

Worksheet 13.5 -- Interrupters & Phrases

Have a blessed week!

Mrs. Prichard