Agenda, March 21

Due Yesterday: Pre-writes 1-7

Due at the end of class Today: Freewrites 1-7; Pre-write 8

1. Freewrite #7: "In Spring ..." or "March ..."
2. Pre-write #8: Sensory Details and Mood: Pick a mood; list as many details of each of the five sense as you can that fit the mood.
3. How do I make my writing better? Sound, Specificity, Surprise, Honesty
4. Peer Review / Work Time
5. 10 minutes of silence

Partial Model of Pre-Write #7

            In this section of The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, by Heidi Durrow, the mood is disturbed. [Two sentences of summary here]. When she sees her brother in her nightmare, he has “black hair like matted yarn and big black eyes (not green)” (30). The image of his hair like matted yarn shows me that something is simply not right about Robbie. The phrase “big black eyes” does a couple of different things. Those two “b” sounds are hard and unpleasant, kind of like spitting. She also changes the color of his eyes from their normal color to a more disturbing image. [Do it again with another quotation]. The disturbed mood makes me feel sorry for Rachel and hope things get better for her in the future.

Agenda, March 20

Due Now: Personal reading book

Due at the end of class Today: Pre-writes 1-7

Due at the end of class Wednesday: Freewrites 1-7

1. 50 good words
2. Sharing your mood paragraph.
3. Reading time: Pay attention to mood
4. Pre-write #7: The mood in my book is ...
5. Peer Review
6. 10 minutes of silence

Do you have 50 good words?

Trimet is sponsoring a pretty awesome public art project. They're looking for lines of "original, short, poetic text" for an art installation associated with the new orange line, which will run from Portland to Milwaukie.

Click here if you want more info.

Agenda, March 19

Due Tuesday: Personal reading book

Due by the end of class today: Rough Draft of two poems or two pages of prose.

Due at the end of class Tuesday: Pre-writes 1-7

Due at the end of class Wednesday: Freewrites 1-8

1. Freewrite #6: "At the Goodwill ..."
2. Pre-write #6: Mood
3. How to Peer Review
4. 10 minutes of silence
5. Work Time

Agenda, March 16

Due Tuesday: Personal reading book

Due by the end of class on Monday: Rough Draft of two poems or two pages of prose.

1. Freewrite #5: "Beware..."
2. A Poem Kline Doesn't Understand But Likes Anyway
3. Pre-write #5: Repetition
4. 10 minutes of silence
5. Work Time

Pre-write #4: Extended Metaphor

Extended Metaphor

1. Pick a noun from List 1.

2. Pick a noun from List 2 as a metaphor for the first noun.

3. Brainstorm ways that they are alike (sound, sight, smells, movement, action, effect, etc.)

4. Compose a poem or paragraph in which you compare your two unalike objects without using like or as.

5. You may use literary devices other than metaphor.

LIST 1:

war

gangs

drugs

love

driving

school

any sport

advertising

any vehicle

ocean

birth

death

joy

fear

hate

loneliness

YOUR OWN IDEA

LIST 2:

hurricane

earthquake

thunderstorm

flood

tornado

fireworks

sunset

blizzard

windstorm

a specific animal

fire

YOUR OWN IDEA

Agenda, March 15

Due Now: Personal reading book

1. Can you finish a draft by next Thursday?
2. Reading time! Look for literary devices.
3. Freewrite #4: "I have never ..." OR "No one noticed ..."
4. Four poems
5. Pre-write #4: Extended Metaphor
6. 10 minutes of silence
7. Work Time

Agenda, March 14

Due Now: Bull Durham Credo

Due Tomorrow: Bring a personal reading book.

1. Bull Durham Credo Sharing
2. Freewrite #3: Write about something or someone that got away.
3. The Writer's Toolbox
4. Pre-write #3: Synaesthesia practice; a fib with synaesthesia (if time allows)

Bull Durham Credo

Use the following "fill in the blanks" format as a model for a poem:


BULL DURHAM CREDO

I believe in the _________________________
the____________________________________
the____________________________________
the____________________________________
the____________________________________
_______________,_______________,_________________

But (something you don't believe in, i.e. ("but the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, over-rated")

I believe in____________________________
I believe in____________________________
I believe in____________________________
______________,________________,_________________

And I believe in_________________________________(longest)

Agenda, March 13

Due Thursday: Bring a personal reading book.

1. What to do when yer absent.
2. Freewrite #2: "I've lost ..."
3. The Writer's Toolbox
4. "River" with a Partner
5. "River" on the Smartboard
6. Pre-write#2: Bull Durham Credo

Agenda, March 12

Due Thursday: Bring a personal reading book.

1. Freewrite #1: "They say ..."
2. Class Rules
3. The Writer's Quizbox in Groups of 3
4. The Writer's Toolbox
5. Pre-write #1: The Fib- introduce yourself with a 6-line poem. Put 1 syllable in the first line, 1 in the 2nd, 2 in the 3rd, 3 in the 4th, 5 in the 5th, and 8 syllables in the last line. Your poem should include your name and a fib.