Name(s): _______________________________________ School: _________ Section: _________
I. H. S. Writing Guide: Expository Writing Outline: _________ Persuasive Writing Outline: ___________
TOPIC:_________________________________________________________________________
I. Introduction
A. Attention getter and short background: ______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
B. Thesis & Blueprint____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
II. Transition and TOPIC SENTENCE A: First supporting argument, illustration or piece of evidence in support of your thesis
Supporting details: Provide specifics about the paragraph A topic. (include a cited passage)
1.
2.
3.
4.
III. Transition and TOPIC SENTENCE B: Second supporting argument, illustration or piece of evidence in support of your thesis
Supporting details: Provide specifics about the paragraph B topic. (include a cited passage)
1.
2.
3.
4.
IV. Transition and TOPIC SENTENCE C: Third supporting argument, illustration or piece of evidence in support of your thesis
Supporting details: Provide specifics about the paragraph C topic. (include a cited passage)
1.
2.
3.
4.
V. Conclusion: Write a thoughtful, original, creative summary, rewording, or review of your thesis. Be careful to avoid introducing any new ideas as this is a restatement of what you have already proven!
A. Transition and echo of thesis____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
B. Remind reader of three main points______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
C. End interestingly with an application for your reader_________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
VI. TITLE: The last thing you need to do is create a title. An example of a title for an expository essay:
Love and Loyalty on the Homefront: A Comparison of Penelope in The Odyssey
and Penny in O’ Brother, Where Art Thou?
Or, if you are writing a persuasive essay:
The Romans: Why Military Expansion Led to Their Downfall
Your Title
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The focus of this paper may be on one or more of the following writing conventions,
_____ Introduction (writing "hooks" as part of the introduction)
_____ Writing conclusions (do new ideas ever fit here?)
_____ Thesis development (the key to any writing)
_____ Citations (the when, where, and how of citing in MLA style)
_____ Integrating quotes (provide clear signal phrases that include author’s name)
_____ How to paraphrase (retelling information in roughly the same number of words)
_____ Voice: writing for the proper audience (writing “voice” changes based on your audience)
_____ Writing effective titles (sets the tone. Your reader’s first impression is formed)
_____ Rewriting and editing (the importance of proof-reading and fixing mistakes)
_____ Conventions: Grammar and syntax (the key to your paper making sense)
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Lord of the Flies Masks
…what was a face? What was anything?
Part One: Do one of the following two options……
Freudian faces
Divide your partners face into 3 sectors. Think of them as Id, Ego, Super Ego.
Paint symbols from the book and from your own life to represent our divided consciousness as Golding represents this in the novel. Make sure to include elements of the story that would convey your message.
OR
Themes
Portray, on your partner’s face, an important theme from the novel through the creative use of artistic elements
The face should contain recognizable elements of the story that work to convey the stated theme.
Tips
∑ Don’t choose colors until you have an idea of what you want your face to look like (I suggest a sketch first). Do not “freeform” your art; you may not like what you end up with.
∑ A little paint goes a long way. Make sure you have used all of it before asking for more.
Part Two: Written explanation
The visual art will be accompanied, next class, by a typed paper that gives a complete description and explanation of the face design.
The writing should show the creative process involved in designing the mask with specific references to incidents and characters in the novel.
The mask you have created will then be presented explained orally next class using a photograph I will take today.
Total Points:__________/30
Part One: Do one of the following two options……
Freudian faces
Divide your partners face into 3 sectors. Think of them as Id, Ego, Super Ego.
Paint symbols from the book and from your own life to represent our divided consciousness as Golding represents this in the novel. Make sure to include elements of the story that would convey your message.
OR
Themes
Portray, on your partner’s face, an important theme from the novel through the creative use of artistic elements
The face should contain recognizable elements of the story that work to convey the stated theme.
Tips
∑ Don’t choose colors until you have an idea of what you want your face to look like (I suggest a sketch first). Do not “freeform” your art; you may not like what you end up with.
∑ A little paint goes a long way. Make sure you have used all of it before asking for more.
Part Two: Written explanation
The visual art will be accompanied, next class, by a typed paper that gives a complete description and explanation of the face design.
The writing should show the creative process involved in designing the mask with specific references to incidents and characters in the novel.
The mask you have created will then be presented explained orally next class using a photograph I will take today.
Total Points:__________/30
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Group discussion of chapters 5-8 if you were absent
Lord of the Flies Characters and Irony Discussion
Response to Chapters 5-8
Part 1, Group Discussion in response to characters.
Rules for this discussion:
1. Everyone speaks
2. Everyone is heard
3. No one who has read ahead or seen the movie reveals what happens later in the story.
4. Please use your books in the discussion. Start out by opening them to the page of the statement (see below), so you can see the context in which it was said.
Instructions: In groups of 3 people, please decide if your group agrees or disagrees with each of the following statements from main characters in Lord of the Flies, and why or why not. See if your group can come to a consensus (an answer to which everyone agrees), or if you must split your answer. After each statement, please record your group’s final response, in one or two complete sentences (we agree because…. Or we disagree because…). Please rotate note-taking responsibilities so that a different person in your group writes the response to each of the three questions. Please sign the response that you record.
1. From Simon: “’Maybe,’ he said hesitantly, ‘maybe there is a beast.’…. ‘what I mean is…maybe it’s only us’” (Golding 89; ch 5).
2. From Jack: “’The thing is—fear can’t hurt you any more than a dream’” (Golding 82; ch. 5).
3. From Piggy: “’Life,” said Piggy expansively, “is scientific, that’s what it is” (Golding 84; ch 5).
Part 2. Examining text.
Instructions: Please reread the first three pages of Chapter Six: Beast from the Air (where the twins scramble away – stop at the spacebreak). You may have someone read aloud to the group, or choose to reread it yourself, as individuals. Then please answer these three questions. Again, rotate recorders and sign the response you record. I understand that two group members will record twice.
1. As a group, discuss what you think has landed on the mountain. Please write down, in one complete sentence, what you think it is, literally speaking, and why you think so.
2. Writer’s Inc defines a symbol as “A concrete object used to represent an idea” (Writers Inc 126). Imagining the thing that landed on the mountain (your answer to number 2), has not only literal, but also figurative, meaning, what do you think it could symbolize? Please give your answer in one complete sentence.
3. The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory defines dramatic irony as “When the audience understand the implication and meaning of a situation on stage, or what is being said, but the characters do not,” or “when a character’s words ‘recoil’ upon him.” (Cuddon 237). Remembering Ralph and Piggy’s conversation at the end of chapter 5, how does the opening to chapter 6 demonstrate dramatic irony? Write one or two complete sentences.
4. In Chapter 8, we follow the boys on a hunt where they brutally kill a sow. How have the hunters changed since their first hunt and what is the significance of leaving the pigs head in the clearing? What does “sharpen a stick at both ends” mean?
5. “I’m warning you. I’m going to get angry. D’you see? You’re not wanted. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island! So don’t try it on, you poor misguided boy, or else---“ We are introduced to the Lord of the Flies in chapter 8. He talks to Simon on two occasions. Reread these interactions. What does the head tell Simon? Why is it called the Lord of the Flies? How does the authors voice and syntax (syntax is the author’s use of punctuation to emphasize a point) change in these sections?
Scoring Guide
Names: ____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Answered each question (1 point per question): /8
Wrote in complete sentences (1 point per question): /8
Rotated recorders: /4
Total: /20
Response to Chapters 5-8
Part 1, Group Discussion in response to characters.
Rules for this discussion:
1. Everyone speaks
2. Everyone is heard
3. No one who has read ahead or seen the movie reveals what happens later in the story.
4. Please use your books in the discussion. Start out by opening them to the page of the statement (see below), so you can see the context in which it was said.
Instructions: In groups of 3 people, please decide if your group agrees or disagrees with each of the following statements from main characters in Lord of the Flies, and why or why not. See if your group can come to a consensus (an answer to which everyone agrees), or if you must split your answer. After each statement, please record your group’s final response, in one or two complete sentences (we agree because…. Or we disagree because…). Please rotate note-taking responsibilities so that a different person in your group writes the response to each of the three questions. Please sign the response that you record.
1. From Simon: “’Maybe,’ he said hesitantly, ‘maybe there is a beast.’…. ‘what I mean is…maybe it’s only us’” (Golding 89; ch 5).
2. From Jack: “’The thing is—fear can’t hurt you any more than a dream’” (Golding 82; ch. 5).
3. From Piggy: “’Life,” said Piggy expansively, “is scientific, that’s what it is” (Golding 84; ch 5).
Part 2. Examining text.
Instructions: Please reread the first three pages of Chapter Six: Beast from the Air (where the twins scramble away – stop at the spacebreak). You may have someone read aloud to the group, or choose to reread it yourself, as individuals. Then please answer these three questions. Again, rotate recorders and sign the response you record. I understand that two group members will record twice.
1. As a group, discuss what you think has landed on the mountain. Please write down, in one complete sentence, what you think it is, literally speaking, and why you think so.
2. Writer’s Inc defines a symbol as “A concrete object used to represent an idea” (Writers Inc 126). Imagining the thing that landed on the mountain (your answer to number 2), has not only literal, but also figurative, meaning, what do you think it could symbolize? Please give your answer in one complete sentence.
3. The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory defines dramatic irony as “When the audience understand the implication and meaning of a situation on stage, or what is being said, but the characters do not,” or “when a character’s words ‘recoil’ upon him.” (Cuddon 237). Remembering Ralph and Piggy’s conversation at the end of chapter 5, how does the opening to chapter 6 demonstrate dramatic irony? Write one or two complete sentences.
4. In Chapter 8, we follow the boys on a hunt where they brutally kill a sow. How have the hunters changed since their first hunt and what is the significance of leaving the pigs head in the clearing? What does “sharpen a stick at both ends” mean?
5. “I’m warning you. I’m going to get angry. D’you see? You’re not wanted. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island! So don’t try it on, you poor misguided boy, or else---“ We are introduced to the Lord of the Flies in chapter 8. He talks to Simon on two occasions. Reread these interactions. What does the head tell Simon? Why is it called the Lord of the Flies? How does the authors voice and syntax (syntax is the author’s use of punctuation to emphasize a point) change in these sections?
Scoring Guide
Names: ____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Answered each question (1 point per question): /8
Wrote in complete sentences (1 point per question): /8
Rotated recorders: /4
Total: /20
Lord of Flies Characterization
Literature and the Arts Name: __________________________
Introduction to Civilizations Date Due: _______________________
Lord of the Flies
by
William Golding
Assignment #2: CHARACTERS
Authors use a variety of techniques to show us the nature of their characters, making them realistic and “whole” so we can picture them clearly and identify or respond to them. These techniques can be summarized as follows:
(1) Physical description (using adjectives, similes, metaphors, etc.)
(2) Dialog and thoughts of the character
(3) Actions and gestures of the character
(4) Thoughts and words of other characters about the character
Complete the four steps below to examine two of Golding’s main characters: Ralph and Jack.
Step 1: Use the left-hand column on back to copy words, phrases, and passages you find in the first six chapters of Lord of the Flies that describe Ralph and Jack. Write at least four entries for Ralph and four for Jack (a minimum of ten entries total). For each entry, identify in the right-hand column what characterization technique(s) Golding is using. Include an example of each of the characterization techniques listed above for each of the two characters. Be sure to choose descriptions that fully convey what these two main characters are like; you will use them to complete Step 4 below. Don’t forget to cite page numbers!
(5 points)
Step 2: Attach a separate piece of paper with a paragraph (100-150 words) that responds analytically to Jack or Ralph or both. Use one of these “starters” or come up with your own:
∑ The differences between these two main characters are important to the novel because…
∑ These characters can be interpreted as symbols of…
∑ The author’s use of (dialog; actions and gestures; physical description…) is especially effective in making these characters realistic because…
(5 points)
Step 3: On the same attached paper, write (or type) a paragraph (100-150 words) that connects personally to these two characters. Use one of these suggestions, or develop your own topic sentence:
∑ (Jack/Ralph) reminds me of a character in another novel I’ve read…
∑ (Jack/Ralph) remind me of things I’ve learned in (psychology, biology, history…)
∑ I identify strongly with (Jack/Ralph) because…
∑ I knew/know someone who is very much like (Jack/Ralph)…
(5 points)
Passages
(Be sure to include the page number in parentheses following the quote.)
Passages
Characterization Technique
(Physical description, dialog and thoughts, actions and gestures, other characters’ reactions)
Characterization Technique
Introduction to Civilizations Date Due: _______________________
Lord of the Flies
by
William Golding
Assignment #2: CHARACTERS
Authors use a variety of techniques to show us the nature of their characters, making them realistic and “whole” so we can picture them clearly and identify or respond to them. These techniques can be summarized as follows:
(1) Physical description (using adjectives, similes, metaphors, etc.)
(2) Dialog and thoughts of the character
(3) Actions and gestures of the character
(4) Thoughts and words of other characters about the character
Complete the four steps below to examine two of Golding’s main characters: Ralph and Jack.
Step 1: Use the left-hand column on back to copy words, phrases, and passages you find in the first six chapters of Lord of the Flies that describe Ralph and Jack. Write at least four entries for Ralph and four for Jack (a minimum of ten entries total). For each entry, identify in the right-hand column what characterization technique(s) Golding is using. Include an example of each of the characterization techniques listed above for each of the two characters. Be sure to choose descriptions that fully convey what these two main characters are like; you will use them to complete Step 4 below. Don’t forget to cite page numbers!
(5 points)
Step 2: Attach a separate piece of paper with a paragraph (100-150 words) that responds analytically to Jack or Ralph or both. Use one of these “starters” or come up with your own:
∑ The differences between these two main characters are important to the novel because…
∑ These characters can be interpreted as symbols of…
∑ The author’s use of (dialog; actions and gestures; physical description…) is especially effective in making these characters realistic because…
(5 points)
Step 3: On the same attached paper, write (or type) a paragraph (100-150 words) that connects personally to these two characters. Use one of these suggestions, or develop your own topic sentence:
∑ (Jack/Ralph) reminds me of a character in another novel I’ve read…
∑ (Jack/Ralph) remind me of things I’ve learned in (psychology, biology, history…)
∑ I identify strongly with (Jack/Ralph) because…
∑ I knew/know someone who is very much like (Jack/Ralph)…
(5 points)
Passages
(Be sure to include the page number in parentheses following the quote.)
Passages
Characterization Technique
(Physical description, dialog and thoughts, actions and gestures, other characters’ reactions)
Characterization Technique
Monday, September 17, 2007
Power Struggle Story
Power Struggle Stories Name:_____________________
Narrative/Imaginative Writing
IHS Literature and the Arts
The Struggle
For your first major writing assignment for 10th grade you will write a 500-word story about a power struggle. This will be a short story (approximately 2 pages), and so it will require you to limit yourself in a few important ways. First, you may have only one or two characters. Second, you may write only one or two main scenes (ie, your main character will be in only one or two places). Third, please limit your plot elements. This is a story of a single power struggle, that reflects a single internal and a single external conflict. However, it must have both an internal and an external conflict, as follows:
Required Plot elements: The story must have both an external and an internal conflict. An external conflict means that things happen to your main character or main characters, and he or she has to respond to them. In this case, your narrator will be in a power struggle, and the external conflict will be the actions of the other person in the power struggle that trigger your main character’s responses. However, if your main character’s power struggle is with himself or herself, then the external conflict will be the outside forces that trigger this internal power struggle to surface. In Lord of the Flies, external conflicts include the lack of a protein source other than pigs on the island, the fact that the boys are crashed on the island, etc. For the character of Ralph particularly, external conflicts include the things other characters, especially Jack and Piggy, do and say. These things add stress to Ralph’s internal conflicts.
An internal conflict is a conflict within the main character. For example, in Lord of the Flies, Ralph is conflicted between his desire to have fun and his growing sense of responsibility. Also, Ralph is conflicted between acting in an intelligent way and acting in a way that gains the approval of others. One of the reasons that Ralph is the main character of Lord of the Flies is that he is the character whose internal conflict is the most pronounced. Piggy and Jack conflict most openly with each other, but they both are certain who they are. It is precisely Ralph’s lack of certainty, his indecision, that makes him the character to whom most audiences can relate. Your character’s inner conflict needs to grow as the external conflict increases stress on it. The resolution of your plot should rely on a shift in your main character’s internal conflict. Your story may be resolved when the main character recognizes that the conflict exists, and so understands himself or herself more clearly. It may happen when the inner conflict is only partly resolved, or it may happen when the inner conflict is entirely resolved. This shift in your character’s understanding of himself or herself should also be what brings about a shift in the external conflict.
Another way to understand internal and external conflict is to think about the situation vs. the story. Memoirist Vivian Gornick distinguishes between the situation a narrator is in and the inner shift that the narrator is working toward. A final way to understand internal and external conflict is to think about the classic hero’s journey. In the classic hero’s journey, the main character experiences a change in himself or herself after facing the abyss or losing hope, and it is this change that leads him or her to victory and allows him or her to return home.
The beginning: the story should start with a vivid scene that both introduces the characters and the conflict.
Building tension: As the tension in the story builds, the narrator’s internal conflict should become more and more pronounced. Often, it will become pronounced to the extent that the main character gives up hope.
The Climax: At the climax of your piece, your main character should shift in terms of his or her internal conflict, which should bring about a shift in the external conflict.
The ending: The ending should bring about resolution in which there is an outcome regarding the internal if not also the external conflict.
What this story is not: This story is not a travel narrative. DO NOT TURN IN ANY PART OF YOUR FRESHMAN YEAR TRAVEL NARRATIVE FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT.
Standards: This story will be graded and evaluated for your CIM narrative. Your scores will be based on:
1. Organization – a beginning, rising tension to a point of resolution, and an ending.
2. Vivid Imagery. Show, don’t tell. Write scenes so that your audience feels present in them.
3. Sentence Fluency- This particularly relates to verb tenses and character introductions – do I know what is happening, when? Can I follow the story, as a reader? This also relates to extra words. If you have extra words, sentences, and clauses in your work that only serve to confuse your point, cut them.
4. Word Choice: Chose words that mean precisely what you want them to mean. Do not just use a thesaurus to find synonyms. Look words up in the dictionary also, to find out their individual nuances, and gain control of the meaning of your words.
5. Syntax: this includes grammar, paragraphing, the order of words, etc. Do you have control over the meaning of punctuation? Do you use commas, semicolons, periods, sentences, dialogue, etc. to say what you mean them to say?
6. Length: Your story should end up 500 words. This is short. Make sure to cut words you do not need, and you write a story that is designed to be short.Power Struggle Stories Name:_____________________
Narrative/Imaginative Writing
IHS Literature and the Arts
The Struggle
For your first major writing assignment for 10th grade you will write a 500-word story about a power struggle. This will be a short story (approximately 2 pages), and so it will require you to limit yourself in a few important ways. First, you may have only one or two characters. Second, you may write only one or two main scenes (ie, your main character will be in only one or two places). Third, please limit your plot elements. This is a story of a single power struggle, that reflects a single internal and a single external conflict. However, it must have both an internal and an external conflict, as follows:
Required Plot elements: The story must have both an external and an internal conflict. An external conflict means that things happen to your main character or main characters, and he or she has to respond to them. In this case, your narrator will be in a power struggle, and the external conflict will be the actions of the other person in the power struggle that trigger your main character’s responses. However, if your main character’s power struggle is with himself or herself, then the external conflict will be the outside forces that trigger this internal power struggle to surface. In Lord of the Flies, external conflicts include the lack of a protein source other than pigs on the island, the fact that the boys are crashed on the island, etc. For the character of Ralph particularly, external conflicts include the things other characters, especially Jack and Piggy, do and say. These things add stress to Ralph’s internal conflicts.
An internal conflict is a conflict within the main character. For example, in Lord of the Flies, Ralph is conflicted between his desire to have fun and his growing sense of responsibility. Also, Ralph is conflicted between acting in an intelligent way and acting in a way that gains the approval of others. One of the reasons that Ralph is the main character of Lord of the Flies is that he is the character whose internal conflict is the most pronounced. Piggy and Jack conflict most openly with each other, but they both are certain who they are. It is precisely Ralph’s lack of certainty, his indecision, that makes him the character to whom most audiences can relate. Your character’s inner conflict needs to grow as the external conflict increases stress on it. The resolution of your plot should rely on a shift in your main character’s internal conflict. Your story may be resolved when the main character recognizes that the conflict exists, and so understands himself or herself more clearly. It may happen when the inner conflict is only partly resolved, or it may happen when the inner conflict is entirely resolved. This shift in your character’s understanding of himself or herself should also be what brings about a shift in the external conflict.
Another way to understand internal and external conflict is to think about the situation vs. the story. Memoirist Vivian Gornick distinguishes between the situation a narrator is in and the inner shift that the narrator is working toward. A final way to understand internal and external conflict is to think about the classic hero’s journey. In the classic hero’s journey, the main character experiences a change in himself or herself after facing the abyss or losing hope, and it is this change that leads him or her to victory and allows him or her to return home.
The beginning: the story should start with a vivid scene that both introduces the characters and the conflict.
Building tension: As the tension in the story builds, the narrator’s internal conflict should become more and more pronounced. Often, it will become pronounced to the extent that the main character gives up hope.
The Climax: At the climax of your piece, your main character should shift in terms of his or her internal conflict, which should bring about a shift in the external conflict.
The ending: The ending should bring about resolution in which there is an outcome regarding the internal if not also the external conflict.
What this story is not: This story is not a travel narrative. DO NOT TURN IN ANY PART OF YOUR FRESHMAN YEAR TRAVEL NARRATIVE FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT.
Standards: This story will be graded and evaluated for your CIM narrative. Your scores will be based on:
1. Organization – a beginning, rising tension to a point of resolution, and an ending.
2. Vivid Imagery. Show, don’t tell. Write scenes so that your audience feels present in them.
3. Sentence Fluency- This particularly relates to verb tenses and character introductions – do I know what is happening, when? Can I follow the story, as a reader? This also relates to extra words. If you have extra words, sentences, and clauses in your work that only serve to confuse your point, cut them.
4. Word Choice: Chose words that mean precisely what you want them to mean. Do not just use a thesaurus to find synonyms. Look words up in the dictionary also, to find out their individual nuances, and gain control of the meaning of your words.
5. Syntax: this includes grammar, paragraphing, the order of words, etc. Do you have control over the meaning of punctuation? Do you use commas, semicolons, periods, sentences, dialogue, etc. to say what you mean them to say?
6. Length: Your story should end up 500 words. This is short. Make sure to cut words you do not need, and you write a story that is designed to be short.
FIVE IDEAS AND THREE BEGINNINGS DUE: _____________
ROUGH DRAFT DUE:_____________
FINAL DRAFT DUE:_________________
FIVE IDEAS AND THREE BEGINNINGS DUE: _____________
ROUGH DRAFT DUE:_____________
FINAL DRAFT DUE:_________________
Narrative/Imaginative Writing
IHS Literature and the Arts
The Struggle
For your first major writing assignment for 10th grade you will write a 500-word story about a power struggle. This will be a short story (approximately 2 pages), and so it will require you to limit yourself in a few important ways. First, you may have only one or two characters. Second, you may write only one or two main scenes (ie, your main character will be in only one or two places). Third, please limit your plot elements. This is a story of a single power struggle, that reflects a single internal and a single external conflict. However, it must have both an internal and an external conflict, as follows:
Required Plot elements: The story must have both an external and an internal conflict. An external conflict means that things happen to your main character or main characters, and he or she has to respond to them. In this case, your narrator will be in a power struggle, and the external conflict will be the actions of the other person in the power struggle that trigger your main character’s responses. However, if your main character’s power struggle is with himself or herself, then the external conflict will be the outside forces that trigger this internal power struggle to surface. In Lord of the Flies, external conflicts include the lack of a protein source other than pigs on the island, the fact that the boys are crashed on the island, etc. For the character of Ralph particularly, external conflicts include the things other characters, especially Jack and Piggy, do and say. These things add stress to Ralph’s internal conflicts.
An internal conflict is a conflict within the main character. For example, in Lord of the Flies, Ralph is conflicted between his desire to have fun and his growing sense of responsibility. Also, Ralph is conflicted between acting in an intelligent way and acting in a way that gains the approval of others. One of the reasons that Ralph is the main character of Lord of the Flies is that he is the character whose internal conflict is the most pronounced. Piggy and Jack conflict most openly with each other, but they both are certain who they are. It is precisely Ralph’s lack of certainty, his indecision, that makes him the character to whom most audiences can relate. Your character’s inner conflict needs to grow as the external conflict increases stress on it. The resolution of your plot should rely on a shift in your main character’s internal conflict. Your story may be resolved when the main character recognizes that the conflict exists, and so understands himself or herself more clearly. It may happen when the inner conflict is only partly resolved, or it may happen when the inner conflict is entirely resolved. This shift in your character’s understanding of himself or herself should also be what brings about a shift in the external conflict.
Another way to understand internal and external conflict is to think about the situation vs. the story. Memoirist Vivian Gornick distinguishes between the situation a narrator is in and the inner shift that the narrator is working toward. A final way to understand internal and external conflict is to think about the classic hero’s journey. In the classic hero’s journey, the main character experiences a change in himself or herself after facing the abyss or losing hope, and it is this change that leads him or her to victory and allows him or her to return home.
The beginning: the story should start with a vivid scene that both introduces the characters and the conflict.
Building tension: As the tension in the story builds, the narrator’s internal conflict should become more and more pronounced. Often, it will become pronounced to the extent that the main character gives up hope.
The Climax: At the climax of your piece, your main character should shift in terms of his or her internal conflict, which should bring about a shift in the external conflict.
The ending: The ending should bring about resolution in which there is an outcome regarding the internal if not also the external conflict.
What this story is not: This story is not a travel narrative. DO NOT TURN IN ANY PART OF YOUR FRESHMAN YEAR TRAVEL NARRATIVE FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT.
Standards: This story will be graded and evaluated for your CIM narrative. Your scores will be based on:
1. Organization – a beginning, rising tension to a point of resolution, and an ending.
2. Vivid Imagery. Show, don’t tell. Write scenes so that your audience feels present in them.
3. Sentence Fluency- This particularly relates to verb tenses and character introductions – do I know what is happening, when? Can I follow the story, as a reader? This also relates to extra words. If you have extra words, sentences, and clauses in your work that only serve to confuse your point, cut them.
4. Word Choice: Chose words that mean precisely what you want them to mean. Do not just use a thesaurus to find synonyms. Look words up in the dictionary also, to find out their individual nuances, and gain control of the meaning of your words.
5. Syntax: this includes grammar, paragraphing, the order of words, etc. Do you have control over the meaning of punctuation? Do you use commas, semicolons, periods, sentences, dialogue, etc. to say what you mean them to say?
6. Length: Your story should end up 500 words. This is short. Make sure to cut words you do not need, and you write a story that is designed to be short.Power Struggle Stories Name:_____________________
Narrative/Imaginative Writing
IHS Literature and the Arts
The Struggle
For your first major writing assignment for 10th grade you will write a 500-word story about a power struggle. This will be a short story (approximately 2 pages), and so it will require you to limit yourself in a few important ways. First, you may have only one or two characters. Second, you may write only one or two main scenes (ie, your main character will be in only one or two places). Third, please limit your plot elements. This is a story of a single power struggle, that reflects a single internal and a single external conflict. However, it must have both an internal and an external conflict, as follows:
Required Plot elements: The story must have both an external and an internal conflict. An external conflict means that things happen to your main character or main characters, and he or she has to respond to them. In this case, your narrator will be in a power struggle, and the external conflict will be the actions of the other person in the power struggle that trigger your main character’s responses. However, if your main character’s power struggle is with himself or herself, then the external conflict will be the outside forces that trigger this internal power struggle to surface. In Lord of the Flies, external conflicts include the lack of a protein source other than pigs on the island, the fact that the boys are crashed on the island, etc. For the character of Ralph particularly, external conflicts include the things other characters, especially Jack and Piggy, do and say. These things add stress to Ralph’s internal conflicts.
An internal conflict is a conflict within the main character. For example, in Lord of the Flies, Ralph is conflicted between his desire to have fun and his growing sense of responsibility. Also, Ralph is conflicted between acting in an intelligent way and acting in a way that gains the approval of others. One of the reasons that Ralph is the main character of Lord of the Flies is that he is the character whose internal conflict is the most pronounced. Piggy and Jack conflict most openly with each other, but they both are certain who they are. It is precisely Ralph’s lack of certainty, his indecision, that makes him the character to whom most audiences can relate. Your character’s inner conflict needs to grow as the external conflict increases stress on it. The resolution of your plot should rely on a shift in your main character’s internal conflict. Your story may be resolved when the main character recognizes that the conflict exists, and so understands himself or herself more clearly. It may happen when the inner conflict is only partly resolved, or it may happen when the inner conflict is entirely resolved. This shift in your character’s understanding of himself or herself should also be what brings about a shift in the external conflict.
Another way to understand internal and external conflict is to think about the situation vs. the story. Memoirist Vivian Gornick distinguishes between the situation a narrator is in and the inner shift that the narrator is working toward. A final way to understand internal and external conflict is to think about the classic hero’s journey. In the classic hero’s journey, the main character experiences a change in himself or herself after facing the abyss or losing hope, and it is this change that leads him or her to victory and allows him or her to return home.
The beginning: the story should start with a vivid scene that both introduces the characters and the conflict.
Building tension: As the tension in the story builds, the narrator’s internal conflict should become more and more pronounced. Often, it will become pronounced to the extent that the main character gives up hope.
The Climax: At the climax of your piece, your main character should shift in terms of his or her internal conflict, which should bring about a shift in the external conflict.
The ending: The ending should bring about resolution in which there is an outcome regarding the internal if not also the external conflict.
What this story is not: This story is not a travel narrative. DO NOT TURN IN ANY PART OF YOUR FRESHMAN YEAR TRAVEL NARRATIVE FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT.
Standards: This story will be graded and evaluated for your CIM narrative. Your scores will be based on:
1. Organization – a beginning, rising tension to a point of resolution, and an ending.
2. Vivid Imagery. Show, don’t tell. Write scenes so that your audience feels present in them.
3. Sentence Fluency- This particularly relates to verb tenses and character introductions – do I know what is happening, when? Can I follow the story, as a reader? This also relates to extra words. If you have extra words, sentences, and clauses in your work that only serve to confuse your point, cut them.
4. Word Choice: Chose words that mean precisely what you want them to mean. Do not just use a thesaurus to find synonyms. Look words up in the dictionary also, to find out their individual nuances, and gain control of the meaning of your words.
5. Syntax: this includes grammar, paragraphing, the order of words, etc. Do you have control over the meaning of punctuation? Do you use commas, semicolons, periods, sentences, dialogue, etc. to say what you mean them to say?
6. Length: Your story should end up 500 words. This is short. Make sure to cut words you do not need, and you write a story that is designed to be short.
FIVE IDEAS AND THREE BEGINNINGS DUE: _____________
ROUGH DRAFT DUE:_____________
FINAL DRAFT DUE:_________________
FIVE IDEAS AND THREE BEGINNINGS DUE: _____________
ROUGH DRAFT DUE:_____________
FINAL DRAFT DUE:_________________
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Setting quotes assignment
Literature and the Arts Name: __________________________
Introduction to Civilizations Date Due: _______________________
Lord of the Flies
by
William Golding
Assignment #1: SETTING
The SETTING of a story is the place and time of the action. William Golding’s classic novel is set on an unnamed island at an unspecified time, though the author hints that it is a time of war in the mid-1900s. Golding paints a vivid picture of this island using imagery (description based on sensory details: sight, sound, smell, touch, taste).
Step 1: In the left column below (on the bottom and back of this paper) copy at least five passages you find in the first three chapters of Lord of the Flies that describe this setting. Don’t forget to cite the page number where the description appears. In the right-hand column, identify which sense(s) the author is appealing to: sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste. Try to find at least one passage for each of the five senses. (5 points)
Step 2: Attach a separate piece of paper with a paragraph of 100-150 words that responds analytically to the setting. Be sure to give your paragraph a clear topic sentence and specific supporting details. Use one of the following paragraph starters, or design your own:
∑ This setting could be symbolic of…
∑ The author’s imagery establishes a _______________ mood because…
∑ The author is using imagery effectively (or not effectively)…
(5 points)
Step 3: On that same attached paper, write (or type) a second paragraph (100-150 words) that makes a personal connection to the setting. Again, be sure your paragraph has a clear topic sentence and specific supporting details. You can use one of these starters for your topic sentence, or come up with your own:
∑ This setting reminds me of a place I’ve been…
∑ This setting reminds of a setting in another novel I’ve read…
∑ These setting descriptions make me feel…
(5 points)
Passages
(Be sure to include the page number in parentheses following the quote.)
Imagery
(Sight, Sound, Smell, Touch, Taste)
Passages
(with page number)
Imagery
(Which sense?)
Introduction to Civilizations Date Due: _______________________
Lord of the Flies
by
William Golding
Assignment #1: SETTING
The SETTING of a story is the place and time of the action. William Golding’s classic novel is set on an unnamed island at an unspecified time, though the author hints that it is a time of war in the mid-1900s. Golding paints a vivid picture of this island using imagery (description based on sensory details: sight, sound, smell, touch, taste).
Step 1: In the left column below (on the bottom and back of this paper) copy at least five passages you find in the first three chapters of Lord of the Flies that describe this setting. Don’t forget to cite the page number where the description appears. In the right-hand column, identify which sense(s) the author is appealing to: sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste. Try to find at least one passage for each of the five senses. (5 points)
Step 2: Attach a separate piece of paper with a paragraph of 100-150 words that responds analytically to the setting. Be sure to give your paragraph a clear topic sentence and specific supporting details. Use one of the following paragraph starters, or design your own:
∑ This setting could be symbolic of…
∑ The author’s imagery establishes a _______________ mood because…
∑ The author is using imagery effectively (or not effectively)…
(5 points)
Step 3: On that same attached paper, write (or type) a second paragraph (100-150 words) that makes a personal connection to the setting. Again, be sure your paragraph has a clear topic sentence and specific supporting details. You can use one of these starters for your topic sentence, or come up with your own:
∑ This setting reminds me of a place I’ve been…
∑ This setting reminds of a setting in another novel I’ve read…
∑ These setting descriptions make me feel…
(5 points)
Passages
(Be sure to include the page number in parentheses following the quote.)
Imagery
(Sight, Sound, Smell, Touch, Taste)
Passages
(with page number)
Imagery
(Which sense?)
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Drawing the setting assignment
Create a drawing of the setting of this novel on a half piece of blank paper. The drawing should be in color, reflect the description given in the book, and should fill almost the entire half sheet. You will be graded on neatness, effort, and how well your art reflects the author’s description. Worth 20 points.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Parent Survey
Dear Parent(s)/ Guardian(s),
Please answer the questions below and sign at the bottom, indicating that you have read this course description with your student. Students should return this sheet for class credit.
Thank you,
Caleb Kostechka, 10th grade Literature and the Arts teacher
1. What do you feel your student’s strengths are in oral and written communication? What are his or her weaknesses?
2. What do you feel your student’s strengths and weaknesses are in the area of reading?
3. Which of these activities does your family spend more time participating in: reading, writing, or storytelling? Please describe some of these activities.
4. Should your student wear glasses?
5. What else would you like me to know about your student for this year?
6. If you have an email address where I can send information about school, please print it below:
I have read the course description with my student.
____________________________ _________________________________
Student Name (Please print legibly) Parent or guardian name (Please print legibly)
________________________________________
Parent or guardian signature
Please answer the questions below and sign at the bottom, indicating that you have read this course description with your student. Students should return this sheet for class credit.
Thank you,
Caleb Kostechka, 10th grade Literature and the Arts teacher
1. What do you feel your student’s strengths are in oral and written communication? What are his or her weaknesses?
2. What do you feel your student’s strengths and weaknesses are in the area of reading?
3. Which of these activities does your family spend more time participating in: reading, writing, or storytelling? Please describe some of these activities.
4. Should your student wear glasses?
5. What else would you like me to know about your student for this year?
6. If you have an email address where I can send information about school, please print it below:
I have read the course description with my student.
____________________________ _________________________________
Student Name (Please print legibly) Parent or guardian name (Please print legibly)
________________________________________
Parent or guardian signature
Lord of the Flies Discussion Homework #1
Notes for Lord of the Flies Discussions Name:_____________________
For your Lord of the Flies Reading Assignment, please record the following:
A passage from the chapter that you think is of key importance for establishing setting, character or plot elements. These may include elements of mood, tone, style, character development, foreshadowing, building tension, offering resolution, or establishing, reinforcing or offering critical insight into a major theme.
Passage (1 point):
Page # (1 point): ________
Reason for importance, or what the passage shows or establishes (2 points):
A discussion question. This question will be graded for relating to a specific passage or series of events or ideas in the reading, including the page number or numbers for the passage or series of events, and being open-ended enough to generate discussion (3 points)*:
How this reading assignment connects with an important theme from your Values and Beliefs or History class (3 points total):
Theme (1 point)
Connection (2 points)
Total: /10
For your Lord of the Flies Reading Assignment, please record the following:
A passage from the chapter that you think is of key importance for establishing setting, character or plot elements. These may include elements of mood, tone, style, character development, foreshadowing, building tension, offering resolution, or establishing, reinforcing or offering critical insight into a major theme.
Passage (1 point):
Page # (1 point): ________
Reason for importance, or what the passage shows or establishes (2 points):
A discussion question. This question will be graded for relating to a specific passage or series of events or ideas in the reading, including the page number or numbers for the passage or series of events, and being open-ended enough to generate discussion (3 points)*:
How this reading assignment connects with an important theme from your Values and Beliefs or History class (3 points total):
Theme (1 point)
Connection (2 points)
Total: /10
Literature and the Arts Syllabus
Literature & the Arts
2007-2008
Dear Students, Parents, Guardians,
Welcome to Literature & the Arts. This language arts course introduces literature and art from various regions around the world. The foundation of this course is based on the belief that good communication skills – reading, writing, speaking, and listening – are essential for addressing universal issues in the global setting. The literature units will parallel the areas studied in Global History and Values and Beliefs. These areas will include Europe, the Middle East, India, and China. Woven into these units will be the study of writing, vocabulary, grammar, and speaking skills. In addition to these skills we will also have opportunities to study and explore performance and visual art from these regions.
Goals:
*to encourage independent, self-reliant readers and writers who use language and literature to enrich their lives.
*to appreciate and understand the contributions of various cultural groups
*to develop critical and creative thinking and writing skills
*to increase vocabulary and improve language skills
*to establish and maintain a comfortable learning environment based on respect
*to develop an awareness and direction for our roles as global citizens
Themes:
*What are the universal and unique aspects of this culture?
*How do the members of this culture live today?
*What is this culture’s view of nature?
*What social roles and conventions are expected of members of this culture?
*How is the individual in the society regarded?
*What is the place of women and children in this society? What are their families like?
*What are the spiritual values of the culture? What are their customs and traditions?
*What is the response of this culture to change?
Materials: Students are expected to come to class each day with plenty of loose-leaf, college-ruled paper in a three ring binder, a pencil, a student planner to record assignments/due dates, blue or black pens, and highlighters. Other materials and resources that are essential for the successful completion of the course are colored pencils, a dictionary and thesaurus at home.
Assignments and grading:
The quality of discussions and class work is dependent upon student participation. Students should generally expect one hour of homework per class period. Homework should be completed by the beginning of class on the day it is due. Late work will receive reduced credit (10% reduction the first quarter, 50% the following quarters). I will not accept work that is more than one week late, after that assignment has been returned, or there has been an exam on that material. Academic honesty is absolutely expected. Dishonesty will result in reduced credit and possible failure. Grades will be recorded as percentages using a point system. Grades will include group work and discussion, tests and quizzes, written work, presentations, art assignments, participation, and classroom citizenship (including behavior).
Reasonable accommodations and adjustments to curriculum and grading policies will be made for students who have IEP and 504 plans.
Attendance and tardies:
Roll will be taken at the beginning of class and tardies will be recorded. Community service can be assigned after three unexcused tardies or absences, and the participation grade will be affected. If you have been absent due to illness or other legitimate reasons, always check the class blog before you return to class: http://mrks10thgradelit20072008.blogspot.com/
If unclear about the assignment, come see me during office hours, not during class time, to discuss makeup work. If you are absent for a number of days or are anxious about getting the work promptly, it is recommended that you contact me by phone during my office hours or email me (before 9 pm). Work is due the day following your return to school. A late work slip must accompany any late assignment or makeup work.
Rules:
1. Be kind
2. Be honest
3. Be responsible
4. Think
5. Work hard
6. Open your mind
7. Contribute
And just to be clear …….
8. No cell phones, pagers, personal music, devices, food, gum, or drink (except water) in the classroom.
Please note:
The International High School is an alternative program. We will be reading material that will contain difficult themes. Through various types of literature, we will explore other cultures and comes to realize how they are similar and different from our own. We ask that you approach Literature & the Arts with an open mind and suspend judgment of cultural differences in the reading you encounter. In this classroom we will resist apathy, show empathy, creativity, respect, kindness, conviction, determination, and curiosity.
Communication:
Please feel free to call or e-mail me with questions or concerns so that I can address them right away.
I am looking forward to a year full of discovery, excitement, challenge, fun, and friendship! I am here for you. Talk to me if you have concerns, frustrations, or joys to share about this class, school, or life in general!
Caleb Kostechka, Global Literature teacher.
E-mail: kostechka_c@4j.lane.edu
Office: 687-3438 (Churchill Campus)
687-3171 (Sheldon Campus)
Office hours by appointment
Website: http://mrks10thgradelit20072008.blogspot.com/
Please Detach and Return
Parents/Guardian
Please sign this after you have read this course description with your student. Students should return it for class credit by the next Literature & the Arts meeting.
__________________________ __________________________
Student name (print legibly) Parent or guardian signature
2007-2008
Dear Students, Parents, Guardians,
Welcome to Literature & the Arts. This language arts course introduces literature and art from various regions around the world. The foundation of this course is based on the belief that good communication skills – reading, writing, speaking, and listening – are essential for addressing universal issues in the global setting. The literature units will parallel the areas studied in Global History and Values and Beliefs. These areas will include Europe, the Middle East, India, and China. Woven into these units will be the study of writing, vocabulary, grammar, and speaking skills. In addition to these skills we will also have opportunities to study and explore performance and visual art from these regions.
Goals:
*to encourage independent, self-reliant readers and writers who use language and literature to enrich their lives.
*to appreciate and understand the contributions of various cultural groups
*to develop critical and creative thinking and writing skills
*to increase vocabulary and improve language skills
*to establish and maintain a comfortable learning environment based on respect
*to develop an awareness and direction for our roles as global citizens
Themes:
*What are the universal and unique aspects of this culture?
*How do the members of this culture live today?
*What is this culture’s view of nature?
*What social roles and conventions are expected of members of this culture?
*How is the individual in the society regarded?
*What is the place of women and children in this society? What are their families like?
*What are the spiritual values of the culture? What are their customs and traditions?
*What is the response of this culture to change?
Materials: Students are expected to come to class each day with plenty of loose-leaf, college-ruled paper in a three ring binder, a pencil, a student planner to record assignments/due dates, blue or black pens, and highlighters. Other materials and resources that are essential for the successful completion of the course are colored pencils, a dictionary and thesaurus at home.
Assignments and grading:
The quality of discussions and class work is dependent upon student participation. Students should generally expect one hour of homework per class period. Homework should be completed by the beginning of class on the day it is due. Late work will receive reduced credit (10% reduction the first quarter, 50% the following quarters). I will not accept work that is more than one week late, after that assignment has been returned, or there has been an exam on that material. Academic honesty is absolutely expected. Dishonesty will result in reduced credit and possible failure. Grades will be recorded as percentages using a point system. Grades will include group work and discussion, tests and quizzes, written work, presentations, art assignments, participation, and classroom citizenship (including behavior).
Reasonable accommodations and adjustments to curriculum and grading policies will be made for students who have IEP and 504 plans.
Attendance and tardies:
Roll will be taken at the beginning of class and tardies will be recorded. Community service can be assigned after three unexcused tardies or absences, and the participation grade will be affected. If you have been absent due to illness or other legitimate reasons, always check the class blog before you return to class: http://mrks10thgradelit20072008.blogspot.com/
If unclear about the assignment, come see me during office hours, not during class time, to discuss makeup work. If you are absent for a number of days or are anxious about getting the work promptly, it is recommended that you contact me by phone during my office hours or email me (before 9 pm). Work is due the day following your return to school. A late work slip must accompany any late assignment or makeup work.
Rules:
1. Be kind
2. Be honest
3. Be responsible
4. Think
5. Work hard
6. Open your mind
7. Contribute
And just to be clear …….
8. No cell phones, pagers, personal music, devices, food, gum, or drink (except water) in the classroom.
Please note:
The International High School is an alternative program. We will be reading material that will contain difficult themes. Through various types of literature, we will explore other cultures and comes to realize how they are similar and different from our own. We ask that you approach Literature & the Arts with an open mind and suspend judgment of cultural differences in the reading you encounter. In this classroom we will resist apathy, show empathy, creativity, respect, kindness, conviction, determination, and curiosity.
Communication:
Please feel free to call or e-mail me with questions or concerns so that I can address them right away.
I am looking forward to a year full of discovery, excitement, challenge, fun, and friendship! I am here for you. Talk to me if you have concerns, frustrations, or joys to share about this class, school, or life in general!
Caleb Kostechka, Global Literature teacher.
E-mail: kostechka_c@4j.lane.edu
Office: 687-3438 (Churchill Campus)
687-3171 (Sheldon Campus)
Office hours by appointment
Website: http://mrks10thgradelit20072008.blogspot.com/
Please Detach and Return
Parents/Guardian
Please sign this after you have read this course description with your student. Students should return it for class credit by the next Literature & the Arts meeting.
__________________________ __________________________
Student name (print legibly) Parent or guardian signature
Student Survey and setting assignment
Kostechka—Global Lit. and Arts Name:
Date:
Who the Heck Are You, Anyway???
These questions are designed to let me know more about who you are, so please be honest. I can help you best if I know exactly where you’re coming from.
1. Where did you grow up/spend your childhood/etc.?
2. What is your favorite thing in the whole wide world to do? (examples: playing Frisbee golf, picking your toe jam, watching Teletubbies, etc.)
3. How do you feel about literature? How about other forms of art?
4. Do you have any concerns about this class? Do you have any special needs I should be aware of (specific place you need to sit, distraction issues, health problems, etc.)?
5. Do you have any questions for me?
Last Question—the BIG one!
In order for me to get to know you all a bit better as well as getting to know your writing style, I’d like you to do a little writing assignment for me. Think of a significant event from your summer. Using as much vivid detail as you can, write a 1-2 paragraph description of the setting of this event. Remember that a setting is the place in which a story happens. You do not need to write about the event itself, just describe the place where it happened. Try to give a sense in your choice of details of how the place makes you feel without saying: “This place makes me feel sad…” or something like that. Show me, don’t tell me, how it feels to be there.
For example, if I were to do this assignment based on my summer, I would write a paragraph describing the rays of sun first hitting Machu Picchu this summer. I might start it something like this:
“The peaks in the east stretch and crack through the earth like giant fingers pleading with the sky. They are cold and grey and my own fingertips echo this sensation as I sit on the stone Incan walls. Only my fingers point downward, tapping. Waiting. I can see a grey light but the sun has not risen yet. My mind is clouded from four days of breathing the thin air and from the final hike that began, flashlight lit, hours ago in the middle of the night. Now I sit before the ancient city, Machu Picchu, curling around the base of a mountain like a panther waiting to catch the first beams of the sun. My breath, hitting the cold misty morning, freezes in the air in small grey puffs. Waiting. Not wanting to escape completely from this sacred Incan space. The mountain fingers light up orange from behind and the once dark crags no longer look like fingers, but candles. Birthday candles, as if this city, at this moment, is being born. The tops of each peak starting to flicker as the sun creeps over and lights the top of each one, shooting beams toward the sun temple of Machu Picchu. Birthday candles that tell me I was born. I am alive. The warmth streams down and finally illuminates my face.”
Use this space to write your own description of a significant setting from your summer. Make sure to use complete sentences and LOTS of detail! Good luck!
Date:
Who the Heck Are You, Anyway???
These questions are designed to let me know more about who you are, so please be honest. I can help you best if I know exactly where you’re coming from.
1. Where did you grow up/spend your childhood/etc.?
2. What is your favorite thing in the whole wide world to do? (examples: playing Frisbee golf, picking your toe jam, watching Teletubbies, etc.)
3. How do you feel about literature? How about other forms of art?
4. Do you have any concerns about this class? Do you have any special needs I should be aware of (specific place you need to sit, distraction issues, health problems, etc.)?
5. Do you have any questions for me?
Last Question—the BIG one!
In order for me to get to know you all a bit better as well as getting to know your writing style, I’d like you to do a little writing assignment for me. Think of a significant event from your summer. Using as much vivid detail as you can, write a 1-2 paragraph description of the setting of this event. Remember that a setting is the place in which a story happens. You do not need to write about the event itself, just describe the place where it happened. Try to give a sense in your choice of details of how the place makes you feel without saying: “This place makes me feel sad…” or something like that. Show me, don’t tell me, how it feels to be there.
For example, if I were to do this assignment based on my summer, I would write a paragraph describing the rays of sun first hitting Machu Picchu this summer. I might start it something like this:
“The peaks in the east stretch and crack through the earth like giant fingers pleading with the sky. They are cold and grey and my own fingertips echo this sensation as I sit on the stone Incan walls. Only my fingers point downward, tapping. Waiting. I can see a grey light but the sun has not risen yet. My mind is clouded from four days of breathing the thin air and from the final hike that began, flashlight lit, hours ago in the middle of the night. Now I sit before the ancient city, Machu Picchu, curling around the base of a mountain like a panther waiting to catch the first beams of the sun. My breath, hitting the cold misty morning, freezes in the air in small grey puffs. Waiting. Not wanting to escape completely from this sacred Incan space. The mountain fingers light up orange from behind and the once dark crags no longer look like fingers, but candles. Birthday candles, as if this city, at this moment, is being born. The tops of each peak starting to flicker as the sun creeps over and lights the top of each one, shooting beams toward the sun temple of Machu Picchu. Birthday candles that tell me I was born. I am alive. The warmth streams down and finally illuminates my face.”
Use this space to write your own description of a significant setting from your summer. Make sure to use complete sentences and LOTS of detail! Good luck!
Basmati Letter
Dear Parent and Guardians,
In addition to posting my assignments and lessons on-line, I will now be offering the ability for you and your student to check grades and turned in work on-line. This is accomplished through the South Eugene High School server using a program called “Basmati”. To access these grades please go to:
https://basmati.esd189.org/eugene4j/login.php
Please bookmark this website on your server. You will be required to enter your students ID number and a password that is going home with this letter. You may also find a link to this website at the South Eugene High School home page (http://www.sehs.lane.edu/) or at my blog (http://mrks10thgradelit20072008.blogspot.com/).
Although there may be some turn around for writing assignment grades, you will always be able to check if your student has all their work in. The code “mi” indicates that I have not received this assignment. The code “cr” means that I have received the assignment but have not yet entered a grade. The code “*” indicates that I have not yet checked off which students have completed this assignment.
I hope that with the blog and the on-line grade book we can work together to help your student have a successful transition to the ninth grade. Please feel free to email with any questions.
Sincerely,
Caleb Kostechka
email: kostechka_c@4j.lane.edu
Student ID #:____________________________
Password:_______________________________
Please detach and return with a copy of your grade print out for credit
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
________________________________ ____________________________________
Student name (Please print) Parent signature
In addition to posting my assignments and lessons on-line, I will now be offering the ability for you and your student to check grades and turned in work on-line. This is accomplished through the South Eugene High School server using a program called “Basmati”. To access these grades please go to:
https://basmati.esd189.org/eugene4j/login.php
Please bookmark this website on your server. You will be required to enter your students ID number and a password that is going home with this letter. You may also find a link to this website at the South Eugene High School home page (http://www.sehs.lane.edu/) or at my blog (http://mrks10thgradelit20072008.blogspot.com/).
Although there may be some turn around for writing assignment grades, you will always be able to check if your student has all their work in. The code “mi” indicates that I have not received this assignment. The code “cr” means that I have received the assignment but have not yet entered a grade. The code “*” indicates that I have not yet checked off which students have completed this assignment.
I hope that with the blog and the on-line grade book we can work together to help your student have a successful transition to the ninth grade. Please feel free to email with any questions.
Sincerely,
Caleb Kostechka
email: kostechka_c@4j.lane.edu
Student ID #:____________________________
Password:_______________________________
Please detach and return with a copy of your grade print out for credit
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
________________________________ ____________________________________
Student name (Please print) Parent signature
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