Agenda, April 1

Unit One: Figurative Language, Word Choice, Mood, and Setting 

• Due at the end of class on today: Pre-writes 1-10
• Due at the BEGINNING of class on Monday: Completed rough draft of two poems or at least two pages of fiction for packet one. This should be a document separate from your freewrites and pre-writes.
• OCPoWriMo starts today! Send me a poem and I'll publish it here.
  

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can develop the seed of an idea into a rough draft.

Agenda:

1. Pre-write #10: Exploding the moment
2. Drafting Time

Agenda, March 31

Unit One: Figurative Language, Word Choice, Mood, and Setting 

• Last chance: Poetry Term Poster
• Due at the end of class on Friday: Pre-writes 1-10
• Due at the beginning of class on Monday: Completed rough draft of two poems or at least two pages of fiction for packet one. This should be a document separate from your freewrites and pre-writes. 
  

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can use a freewrite to generate ideas.
• I can find elements of poetry in a poem.
• I can use a poem as a prompt.
• I can share my work with my peers.

Agenda:

1. Freewrite #9: "Because everything ached ..." OR Three nouns: ghost, lion, planet
2. "Fifteen," by William Stafford
3. Pre-write #9: Fifteen

Agenda, March 30

Unit One: Figurative Language, Word Choice, Mood, and Setting 
Last chance: Freewrites 1-5 
Late: Poetry Term Poster
Due Friday: Pre-writes 1-? 

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can use a freewrite to generate ideas.
• I can develop a prompt into a poem or a story.
• I can share my work with my peers.

Agenda:

1. Freewrite #8: "Everywhere we looked ..." OR "I stand for ..."
2. Pre-write #8: Fortune Cookie Prompts

Agenda, March 29

Unit One: Figurative Language, Word Choice, Mood, and Setting 

Late: Freewrites 1-5  
Late: Poetry Term Poster 
 
Today's Learning Targets:

• I can use a freewrite to generate ideas.
• I can work with a group to generate ideas.
• I can create a poem from a list.
• I can share my work with my peers.

Agenda:

1. Freewrite #7: "Beneath the surface ..." OR "Starting now ..."
2. A Little Handiwork with the Writer's Toolbox
3. Pre-write #7: List poems

Poetry Term Poster Requirements

Pick any hand tool or power tool you like.

 

Your poster must include:

your term in large, easy to read letters

the definition

three original examples

a color illustration that is appropriate for your example

Spelling counts! Originality counts!

The best poster for each term

earns extra credit!

fame and fortune and eternal admiration

Agenda, March 28

Unit One: Figurative Language, Word Choice, Mood, and Setting  
 
Late: Freewrites 1-5 (What's the late work policy?)
Due Today: Poetry Term Poster 

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can use a freewrite to generate ideas.
• I can identify the qualities of an extended metaphor.
• I can create an original example of an extended metaphor.
• I can share my work with my peers.

Agenda:

1. Freewrite #6: "In seven days ..." OR "A strange wailing sound ..."
2. Extended Metaphor Examples
3. Pre-write #6: The Metaphor Machine

Agenda, March 18

Unit One: Figurative Language, Word Choice, Mood, and Setting  

Due Today: Freewrites 1-5
 
Today's Learning Targets:

• I can use a freewrite to generate ideas.
• I can create original examples of literary devices.

Agenda:

1. Freewrite #5: "The first thing I noticed ..." OR "In the middle of the city ..."
2. Poetry Term Poster

Agenda, March 17

Unit One: Figurative Language, Word Choice, Mood, and Setting
  Due Tomorrow: Freewrites 1-5
  Today's Learning Targets:

• I can use a freewrite to generate ideas.
• I can use a variety of interesting words.

Agenda:

1. Freewrite #4: "It's been a long time ..." OR Three nouns: pasta, moth, coffin
2. Pre-write #4: Shades of Meaning (good, bad, beautiful)
3. Pre-write #5: Vivid Verbs

Agenda, March 16

Unit One: Figurative Language, Word Choice, Mood, and Setting
 
Due Friday: Freewrites 1-5
 
Today's Learning Targets:

• I can use a freewrite to generate ideas.
• I can prioritize my learning goals.
• I can reinvigorate tired language.
• I can share my writing with my classmates.

Agenda:

1. Freewrite #3: "My best advice ..." OR "The trail wasn't steep, but ..."
2. Share your best ...
3. The Writer's Toolbox: Pick 3
4. Pre-write #3: Cliche Busting

Agenda, March 15

Unit One: Figurative Language, Word Choice, Mood, and Setting
Today's Learning Targets:

• I can use a freewrite to generate ideas.
• I can recall the definition of familiar literary devices.
• I can capture my personality in a poem.
• I can share my writing with my classmates.

Agenda:

1. Freewrite #2: "There are three ways ..." OR "She was looking forward to ..."
2. Share your best ...
3. The Writer's Toolbox
4. Pre-write #2: Bull Durham Credo
5. Pre-write #3: Cliche Busting

Agenda, March 14

Unit One: Figurative Language, Word Choice, Mood, and Setting

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can use a freewrite to generate ideas.
• I can identify good writing.
• I can capture my personality in a poem.
• I can share my writing with my classmates.

Agenda:

1. Freewrite #1: "I've been waiting all [day, year] for ..." OR "Most people don't know"
2. Share your best ...
3. Class rules
4. Pre-write #1: A Pi-em (3.14159)
5. Pre-write #2: Bull Durham Credo

 

Agenda, March 8

Unit 4: Dialogue (I can create believable dialogue; I can properly punctuate dialogue in a variety of formats) 

Coming Thursday: Sharing Day!  
Work that arrives after noon on Wednesday will not be graded.
 
Today's Learning Targets:

• I can use technology to improve my writing.

Agenda:

1. Typing Time: Submit your final draft in this order: Green cover sheet, final draft, rough draft, dialogue revision exercise, communicating subtext through action
2. When you're done, consider submitting one or more of your pieces to Lit Mag.

Agenda, March 7

Unit 4: Dialogue (I can create believable dialogue; I can properly punctuate dialogue in a variety of formats)   
 
Late: Pre-writes #36 - 50.      
Due Now: Rough draft of Packet 4 - two poems or two pages that include dialogue.    
Coming Tomorrow: Laptops for final drafts. 
Coming Thursday: Sharing Day!
Work that arrives after noon on Wednesday will not be graded.

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can communicate subtext through action.
• I can evaluate the quality of my dialogue.
• I can draw inferences from characters' names.

Agenda:

1. Packet 4 Targets
2. Subtext and Action
3. Dialogue Revision Activities
4. Ella's Name Game

Agenda, March 4

Unit 4: Dialogue (I can create believable dialogue; I can properly punctuate dialogue in a variety of formats)   

Due today: Pre-writes #36 - 50.    
Due today at the END of class (we'll draft in class): Rough draft of Packet 4 - two poems or two pages that include dialogue.  
Coming Tuesday: Laptops for final drafts. 

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can develop an idea into a draft.
• I can write believable dialogue.
• I can connect dialogue, character, and setting.
• I can write dialogue that includes subtext.

Agenda:

1. Packet 4 Targets
2. Drafting Time: As you draft, be sure to consider your characters' motivations, tactics, personalities, setting, and the role other characters can play in developing the conflict.
3. When you're done drafting, have me check it off as complete. After that, your time is your own, but no phones.

Agenda, March 3

Unit 4: Dialogue (I can create believable dialogue; I can properly punctuate dialogue in a variety of formats)  

Due Friday: Pre-writes #36 - 50.  
Due Friday at the END of class (we'll draft in class): Rough draft of Packet 4 - two poems or two pages that include dialogue.
Coming Tuesday: Laptops for final drafts.
  Today's Learning Targets:

• I can use a freewrite to generate ideas.
• I can define the qualities of believable dialogue.
• I can connect dialogue, character, and setting.
• I can write dialogue that includes subtext.

Agenda:

1. Freewrite #43: Write about a character who just quit his job and is telling his spouse OR Write about a fight between two best friends.
2. Pre-write #49: Qualities of Believable Dialogue
3. Pre-write #50: Allowance

Agenda, March 2

Unit 4: Dialogue (I can create believable dialogue; I can properly punctuate dialogue in a variety of formats)
 
Due Friday: Pre-writes #36 - ?.  
Due Friday at the END of class (we'll draft in class): Rough draft of Packet 4 - two poems or two pages that include dialogue.
 
Today's Learning Targets:

• I can use a freewrite to generate ideas.
• I can edit improperly punctuated dialogue.
• I can connect dialogue, character, and setting.

Agenda:

1. Freewrite #42: "I walked away like nothing happened ..." OR "It's a good day to ..."
2. Pre-write #48: Dialgoue Slideshow Editing

Agenda, March 1

Unit 4: Dialogue (I can create believable dialogue; I can properly punctuate dialogue in a variety of formats)

Late: Freewrites 26-39
Due Friday: Pre-writes #36 - ?.
Due Friday at the END of class (we'll draft in class): Rough draft of Packet 4 - two poems or two pages that include dialogue.
 
Today's Learning Targets:

• I can use a freewrite to generate ideas.
• I can create believable subtext.
• I can connect dialogue, character, and setting.

Agenda:

1. Freewrite #41: Build your own freewrite
2. Pre-write #46: Intention and Subtext
3. Pre-write #47: Fill in the Bubble Dialogue