Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 6 (February 27)

Greetings!

Even though the students enjoyed their break, it always feels good to get back to the routine of school.  For our Quick Write this week students chose from the list we developed last semester:  1) Secular and non-secular music; 2) If you could have one animal trait, what would it be? 3) What food are you craving right now?  As always, many of the students share the ideas that they had written about.

Our Words of the Day were also chosen by the students:

nekhedonia -- fr. Greek, Nike, the godess of victory, and  hedone, "pleasure"  -- the excitement and exultation of an anticipated victory

mambo-- fr. Haitian Creole, "to talk" -- a Latin American dance, similar to a rumba or cha cha.

kitsch-- fr. German "gaudy, trash" -- something that has popular or sentimental value but not of great artistic quality

I checked in with the class on the progress of their current writing assignment, which is to write either a Cause/Effect or a Problem /Solution paper.  This two-part paper might require them to do some research that they will then include in their papers.  We discussed a little bit this week and will talk more next week about how to do in text citations and a Works Cited page according to MLA guidelines.

For this week, the class read Short Stories by British authors.  They were divided into groups and directed to discuss the plots, characters, and deeper meanings of the stories.  By this time of year, I find that students start to lag behind in some of their assignments.  (I think impending spring has something to do with this!)  That said, for next week students do not have to fill out any worksheets, but there WILL BE A QUIZ.

We are continuing to work on commas for the Grammar section of the class.  This week, our comma-related topic was restrictive and non-restrictive phrases and clauses.  (We have some Rocketbook notes that might help with homework.)

Have a great weekend.  The weather should be nice, and spring is just around the corner!

Blessings,

Mrs. Prichard

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Read "Dr. Heidigger's Experiment" (Hawthorne), "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" (Bierce) and The Cask of Amontillado" (Poe)

     -- No Worksheet, but be ready for the Quiz

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

-- Restrictive and Non-Restrictive Phrases & Clauses (2 worksheets)

Links for this Week

Class Notes

Rocket Book Notes

Writing 2 Spring Google Drive folder

Writing 2 Spring Words of the Day

Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 5 (February 13)

Greetings!

We covered a lot of material this morning in class. We started with a Quick Write, which was to be a "Literary Love Letter." This is a traditional assignment for the class around Valentine's Day.  They could choose a part of speech, some punctuation, an author, or anything else literature of writing related. I like to post these on the blog, so students could let me know if they would like theirs published. (There are links below with "love letters" written in past Writing 1 classes.)

Our Words of the Day included 2 choices from the students and one from me.  

coup de main -- French, coup de main, "stroke of hand" -- a sudden surprise attack

xertz-- Urban Dictionary -- to eat or drink extremely quickly, heartily, enthusiastically

eponym -- Greek, epi, "called after," nym, "named"   -- a person after whom a discovery, invention, place, etc., is named or thought to be named.  Examples:  Kleenex, chapstick, sandwich, cardigan.

plagiarism -- Latin, plagiarius, "kidnapper" -- a group of pirates known to kidnap children -- to take someone else's writing as their own

Students handed in the final drafts of their Mystery Stories.  I really enjoyed their writing, and look forward to grading the final drafts.  Over the years I've been putting the final drafts of the stories on my blog (see the sidebar on the right hand side.)  If they would like their story included, they should send me a Google or Word document that I could copy and paste into the blog format.  (Apple Pages or PDFs won't work for this)

As soon as we finish one Writing assignment, we start the next essay.  They have a choice of two essays:  a Cause/Effect Essay or a Problem/Solution Essay.  They can choose one type of essay, but some asked if they could do more than one, or if they could combine them.  If they do two essays, they will get double credit.  If the combine the types (i.e. certain causes lead to a result, which is a problem, and students propose a solution.)  Students can write that kind of essay, and if it is long enough and has enough detail, they could get credit for 1 1/2 essays.

We've started our Short Stories book, and briefly discussed two of the stories:  "The Three Hermits" by Tolstoy and "The Coffin Maker" by Pushkin.  We used a whole group Triangle Talk strategy, wherein one person makes a comment, the next agrees or disagrees and explains, and another person adds more information.

No Grammar for this week.  Enjoy the break!

Next week we have a break from CHAT classes, so the assignments listed below are for February 27.

Have a great two weeks!

Mrs. Prichard

Assignments for February 27

-- Short Stories: Dickens (p. 45); Wilde (p. 189); Kipling (p.101); Munro (p. 140)

-- 2 Short Story worksheets:  one worksheet for one story and one for another

-- Pre-Write for Cause/Effect or Problem/Solution essay

Links for This Week

Class Notes

Writing 2 Spring Google Drive folder

Writing 2 Spring Words of the Day

Problem/Solution Essay

Cause/Effect Essay

Writing 1 2017 Literary Love Letters

Writing 2 2017 Literary Love Letters

Writing 2 2016 Literary Love Letters

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 27; 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

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 27; 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

Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 4 (February 6)

Greetings!

We had a full day in class, and it was made better by the sun shining in the windows.  (We've had a number of weeks when the room feels darker because the sun is hiding behind clouds..)

I chose our Quick Write today, and used the National Days Calendar for the prompts.  Today is National Frozen Yogurt Day, so students could express opinions about frozen desserts; tomorrow is National Send a Friend a Card day, and students could write a letter.  Because writing letters is becoming a lost art, I've offered an incentive for them to actually send a letter.  I had envelopes ready, and any student who brings it back next week addressed with a letter sealed in it will get extra credit points.  (Note:  Students can also mail it from their homes or hand deliver it, but they need to take a picture of it as proof.)

I also chose our Words of the Day.  Today's selection were words words.

acronym -- fr. Greek, akron, "or tip" -- an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word (e.g. NASA, SCUBA)

aptronym -- fr. Latin, aptus, "fitting" -- a person's name that is regarded as amusingly appropriate to their occupation (e.g. a florist named Katie Gardener)

capitonym -- fr. Latin caput, "head" -- a word that changes its meaning (and sometimes pronunciation) when it is capitalized.  (e.g. Concord/ concord; Polish/polish)

homonym -- fr. Greek homos, "same" -- a word spelled and pronounced like another but has a different origin and meaning  (e.g. the small flying bat and the baseball bat.)  Homophones are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings, e.g. sea and see.

pseudonym -- fr. Greek pseudos, "false"-- having or using a false name, a pen name, or an alias.  For example, Mark Twain was a pseudonym for Samuel Clemens.

I handed back the rough drafts of the Mystery Stories.  These were delightful to read! We went over common errors, which consisted of verb tenses, punctuating dialogue, and paragraph divisions. In writing stories, it is to mix up verb tenses.  Students often start with past tense verbs, but some where along the way they switch of present tense.  I also talked about MLA page format.

We have finished all of the assigned Sherlock Holmes stories, and for their final exam, students were supposed to write whether Holmes was a hero or not.  In class, we had a mini debate over the topic.  This year, all but three students thought Holmes was a hero.  In past years, the class has been more evenly divided.  However, after hearing strong points on each side, some of the students changed their minds and felt that Holmes was not a true hero.

We are done with Sherlock Holmes and are starting a new book:  Great Short, Short Stories.  This book has a collection of short stories from Russian, British, Italian, and American authors.  They are to read the 3 stories by the Russian authors (Pushkin, Tolstoy, and Chekhov).  They have one worksheet; they should choose one of the stories and fill in both sides.

At the end of class, we started on the Grammar homework for the week.  This week the Grammar topic is the comma the separates introductory phrases that are at the beginning of sentences.  This includes dependent clauses, interjections, and longer prepositional phrases.  One worksheet also incorporates the serial/Oxford comma.  This is the comma that precedes the coordinating conjunction in a list of two or more items.

Have a great weekend!

Blessings,

Mrs. Prichard

Assignments for Next Week

-- Read the stories by Pushkin, Tolstoy, Chekhov

-- Fill in the charts on the Short Story Worksheet

-- Mystery Story Final Draft

-- 2 Grammar Worksheets (front and back)

Links for This Week

Class Notes

Student Notes -- Week 4 (February 6)

Spring Words of the Day

National Days Calendar

Spring Writing 2 Google Drive folder

Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 3 (January 30)

Greetings and Happy February!

The prompts for this week's Quick Writes came from the student list: 1)  Describe your favorite smells, and 2) If you could see Jesus face to face, what would you say and/or do.  As usual, I also encourage the students to write about anything else that is on their minds.

Our Words of the Day:

zenana-- fr. Hindi, zan, "wife"   -- a part of a house in which women and girls are secluded; harem

caddy -- fr.French, cadet, "chief, captain"; fr. Latin capitellum, "small head" -- a rack, container, or device for storing small items; i.e. a tea caddy; also a person who carries a golf players equipment

triskaidekaphobia -- fr. Greek, triskaideka, "thirteen"-- a fear of the number 13.

Students handed in their rough drafts and pre-writes for their Mystery Stories.  And I'm really looking forward to reading them!  If students did not bring their essays to class, they can email them or share them as a Google Doc.  If the essay is not done, a student should contact me to discuss an appropriate extension.  I know that some weeks or some assignments are more challenging, so I want to give extra time if needed, and students are more likely to give themselves that extra push if they have a specific deadline. 

For our in class discussion of our stories from the book, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, I divided the class into small groups of 3 or 4, and we used the Triangle/Square Strategy:  one student asked the study guide question, the second answered, and the third and fourth agreed, disagreed, or added to the response.  When that question was satisfactorily discussed, the students rotated the triangle and their roles changed.  (See the attached document for clarification.)  I heard lots of good talk, and this strategy ensures that everyone gets involved in the discussion.  

Students have been assigned a Final Essay Exam for this Sherlock Holmes unit.  Most college classes will incorporate this type of testing, so it is important to have some experience composing an essay exam.  For the exam, they must answer the question, "Is Holmes a Hero?"  To do this, they first need to define "hero" and then explain how Holmes fits or doesn't fit their definition.  The essay needs to be written in paragraph form (not lists or diagrams), and I will award points for distinct points for their hero definition and their supporting details/evidence.  Using a somewhat unconventional method of grading, I will award 5 points per individual point/evidence, expecting a base score of 50 points but with the opportunity to receive more than that.  In other words, the more thorough a student is, the higher the score.  I will be grading on content and form (intro, body, conclusion, organization); I will not be grading on grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.

For Grammar this semester, we are working on commas, starting with commas used in compound sentences and complex sentences.  These commas separate the 2 independent clauses of a compound sentence, and they separate an introductory dependent clause from the independent clause.  One student asked why we even needed to write complex sentences if a compound one would work. What students often don't realize is that they think in complex sentences all of the time, so it's important to be able to get their writing to reflect the thinking that they are already doing.

Have a great weekend!  Enjoy the sunshine!

Mrs. Prichard

Assignments for Next Week

-- Read "The Blue Carbuncle" and "The Man with the Twisted Lip."

-- No Study Guide Questions

-- No new worksheets; finish or re-do the ones from last week.

Links for This Week

Class Notes

Words of the Day  

Triangle Talk-Square Talk

Writing 2 Spring Google Drive Folder