Revision Work:
This week, most of your writing work revolves around revising your college essay. This does NOT mean you can take the week off if you have the word count. You should follow this process:
1. Ask your partner 2-3 questions about the piece. Note those questions in Google Drive.
2. You should have 3-4 responses from your partner throughout the essay. If you didn't receive feedback, please let me know.
3. Review the college essay rubric to see if there are any areas which you would like help.
4. Revise your essay.
5. Turn into Google Drive with rubric attached on Friday.
The Kite Runner pre-reading work will happen in class. You will be expected to complete the work during the period. I'll post the work here each day, if people need it.
Afghanistan Overview
Monday, September 30, 2013
Monday, September 23, 2013
Homework for week of 9/23
Monday and Tuesday:
Write or revise draft of college essay. See questions for Common Application essay. Draft now due on Monday, September 30th.
Due block day.
2. Also, college essay journals are due Friday, 9/27. Make sure you have developed each entry, according to guidelines. See journal rubric for guidelines: journal rubric
Block day:
1. College essay journals are due Friday. See comments from Monday and Tuesday.
Friday:
Write or revise draft of college essay. See questions for Common Application essay. Draft due on Monday. Length: 500-650 words.
Write or revise draft of college essay. See questions for Common Application essay. Draft now due on Monday, September 30th.
Due block day.
2. Also, college essay journals are due Friday, 9/27. Make sure you have developed each entry, according to guidelines. See journal rubric for guidelines: journal rubric
Block day:
1. College essay journals are due Friday. See comments from Monday and Tuesday.
Friday:
Write or revise draft of college essay. See questions for Common Application essay. Draft due on Monday. Length: 500-650 words.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Homework for week of 9/15
Monday: Review Costello assignment. Begin drafting Rock Around the Clock essay. Due block day.
Have 12 hours and the respective songs chosen for Tuesday.
See exemplar essay here, for ideas. You will be graded on the following criteria:
75 points for voice: I want to be able to “hear” you through your diction and tone.
15 points for mechanics and clarity: no grammar/spelling issues, and writing is “smooth”
10 points for structure: At least twelve “entries” or time markers are present, woven into the narrative and each recommends at least one piece of music.
Note: You will submit in Google docs, so you may want to compose there.
Tuesday: Finish drafting Rocking Around the clock essay. Due block day.
Block day: Revise your Rock Around the Clock essay. Due Friday.
Friday: Complete journal #4 and revise other journals. Journals due on Monday.
Amherst College essay link: Exemplar essays
Consider these questions:
What is the writer's strengths? How does the writer utilize VOICE? Example?
Which is your favorite essay? Why?
What would an admissions officer infer about this candidate? How are you making your decision?
Have 12 hours and the respective songs chosen for Tuesday.
See exemplar essay here, for ideas. You will be graded on the following criteria:
75 points for voice: I want to be able to “hear” you through your diction and tone.
15 points for mechanics and clarity: no grammar/spelling issues, and writing is “smooth”
10 points for structure: At least twelve “entries” or time markers are present, woven into the narrative and each recommends at least one piece of music.
Note: You will submit in Google docs, so you may want to compose there.
Tuesday: Finish drafting Rocking Around the clock essay. Due block day.
Block day: Revise your Rock Around the Clock essay. Due Friday.
Friday: Complete journal #4 and revise other journals. Journals due on Monday.
Amherst College essay link: Exemplar essays
Consider these questions:
What is the writer's strengths? How does the writer utilize VOICE? Example?
Which is your favorite essay? Why?
What would an admissions officer infer about this candidate? How are you making your decision?
Monday, September 9, 2013
College essay journals
Expectations for journals:
Journals are a place to write a bit more informally about the ideas of a unit or novel. It's a chance to develop your voice. However, these journals are not sloppy. Although you may write down your ideas as fast as you can initially, I expect them to be edited for punctuation, spelling and clarity by the time you turn them in. I give you time in class for these journals because I think this type of writing is an important muscle in your development as a writer.
Here are the specifics:
What is your creed, or belief? Write a poem or a paragraph which clearly states your beliefs. For now, don't worry about offending anyone, just say what you believe as clearly as you are able.
You could use the repetition of "I believe...", as Meg Kearney did in her poem I read in class.
Journal #2: What is your legacy? Using "Portraits of Grief" from the New York Times as a model, write a snapshot that someone might use to represent your life. Write in third person. You can make up quotes, imagining what someone might say about you. Try to bring yourself into focus and avoid cliches if you can. It should be between 200-300 words.
Portraits of Grief link: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/us/sept-11-reckoning/portraits-of-grief.html#/portraits-of-grief/0
Journal #3:
This should include five mini "flash fiction" pieces based on the snippets of songs you heard in class. Each mini entry should have the emotion or mood each piece of music evoked in you (melancholy, calm, jaunty et al) followed by a description of a scene which this music could serve as the appropriate soundtrack.
Journal #4:
Complete each sentence of sensory detail power point.
Then, choose one and write a descriptive paragraph about that moment in your life. Make sure to include both your self at that age AND a reflective voice which gives us what you think about that kid, now that you have had some time to grow up. REMEMBER: Balance the external small details with your reflection and meditations.
Journal #5:
Think about the "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros. Then write your own reflection (It can be called "Eleven (or Twelve or Fourteen)" Choose a moment when you stepped into adulthood from childhood and focus in on both the small details as well as the feelings you felt in that moment.
I want you to think about language as well as small, sensory details. You may want to write this journal in the following format:
Paragraph #1: What they don't understand about _________________ and what they never tell you is that when you are ______________,
Para #2 Scene from this age that says something specific, both about you and about this time period of life for many people.
Para #3: I'm _____________ today. I wish________________
End with image that shows how you felt ("like a runaway balloon, like a tiny o in the sky, so tiny-tiny you have to close your eyes to see it.
Journals are a place to write a bit more informally about the ideas of a unit or novel. It's a chance to develop your voice. However, these journals are not sloppy. Although you may write down your ideas as fast as you can initially, I expect them to be edited for punctuation, spelling and clarity by the time you turn them in. I give you time in class for these journals because I think this type of writing is an important muscle in your development as a writer.
Here are the specifics:
- You are expected to write during the time allotted, not check your email or surf the internet. If you need more time to finish the journal (the expectation is one page, double-spaced per journal), you need to complete that work at home. I collect the journals in batches, usually after five.
- I may check individual journals for completion beforehand.
- The due date for these journals: Friday, September 27.
- Here is the rubric for these journals: journal rubric
What is your creed, or belief? Write a poem or a paragraph which clearly states your beliefs. For now, don't worry about offending anyone, just say what you believe as clearly as you are able.
You could use the repetition of "I believe...", as Meg Kearney did in her poem I read in class.
Journal #2: What is your legacy? Using "Portraits of Grief" from the New York Times as a model, write a snapshot that someone might use to represent your life. Write in third person. You can make up quotes, imagining what someone might say about you. Try to bring yourself into focus and avoid cliches if you can. It should be between 200-300 words.
Portraits of Grief link: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/us/sept-11-reckoning/portraits-of-grief.html#/portraits-of-grief/0
Journal #3:
This should include five mini "flash fiction" pieces based on the snippets of songs you heard in class. Each mini entry should have the emotion or mood each piece of music evoked in you (melancholy, calm, jaunty et al) followed by a description of a scene which this music could serve as the appropriate soundtrack.
Journal #4:
Complete each sentence of sensory detail power point.
Then, choose one and write a descriptive paragraph about that moment in your life. Make sure to include both your self at that age AND a reflective voice which gives us what you think about that kid, now that you have had some time to grow up. REMEMBER: Balance the external small details with your reflection and meditations.
Journal #5:
Think about the "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros. Then write your own reflection (It can be called "Eleven (or Twelve or Fourteen)" Choose a moment when you stepped into adulthood from childhood and focus in on both the small details as well as the feelings you felt in that moment.
I want you to think about language as well as small, sensory details. You may want to write this journal in the following format:
Paragraph #1: What they don't understand about _________________ and what they never tell you is that when you are ______________,
Para #2 Scene from this age that says something specific, both about you and about this time period of life for many people.
Para #3: I'm _____________ today. I wish________________
End with image that shows how you felt ("like a runaway balloon, like a tiny o in the sky, so tiny-tiny you have to close your eyes to see it.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Homework for the week of 9/9
Monday:
Complete journal #1. See guidelines above.
Tuesday:
Complete journal #1. See guidelines above.
Tuesday:
1. Read “A Pure High Note of Anguish” by Barbara Kingsolver. Underline lines that you agree or disagree with
AND write notes in the margins to show your thinking. We'll discuss in class. Due block day.
This clip may provide context for the dancing children reference in Kingsolver's essay. It was taken from a news clip on the day the Towers fell: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrM0dAFsZ8k
2. Revise your "I am From" poem for block day. I am looking for sensory detail and clear, original voice.
Due block day.
Due block day.
Block day:
1. Read "Killing Chickens" (in packet I gave you on Tuesday). Think about the following questions and annotate or write your reflections on a separate piece of paper:
How does the writer draw you into the experience in the first few sentences? What is she doing specifically in terms of writing "moves"?
What images do you notice? How does her imagery change with each chicken? Why does she do this?
What is this essay about, besides killing chickens?
In the end, what have we learned about the writer and the human condition she is considering?
2. Finish journal #2, if you didn't already in class.
Friday:
Read and annotate Elvis Costello's "Rocking Around the Clock".
Underline and comment upon lines which show Costello's voice most clearly. Where is his voice most compelling? What is revealed about Costello through his words? Underline his best verbs. How does the structure of the hours change as it gets later in the day? Why? Due Monday, 9/16.
1. Read "Killing Chickens" (in packet I gave you on Tuesday). Think about the following questions and annotate or write your reflections on a separate piece of paper:
How does the writer draw you into the experience in the first few sentences? What is she doing specifically in terms of writing "moves"?
What images do you notice? How does her imagery change with each chicken? Why does she do this?
What is this essay about, besides killing chickens?
In the end, what have we learned about the writer and the human condition she is considering?
2. Finish journal #2, if you didn't already in class.
Friday:
Read and annotate Elvis Costello's "Rocking Around the Clock".
Underline and comment upon lines which show Costello's voice most clearly. Where is his voice most compelling? What is revealed about Costello through his words? Underline his best verbs. How does the structure of the hours change as it gets later in the day? Why? Due Monday, 9/16.
Monday, September 2, 2013
Homework for week of 9/3
Tuesday:
1. Bring picture of yourself and six-word memoir (see last week's post for details and sample memoirs).
2. Review summer book, looking for examples of courage. You can write notes and bring those along. if it would be helpful. In-class essay on block day.
Both assignments are due block day.
Block day: Complete a draft of "I am from" poem, minimum 15 lines. Due Friday. Here is a sample: sample I am from poem
Friday:
Revise "I am From" poems: due block day next week.
For Monday:
Read the following essays:
http://thisibelieve.org/essay/25569/
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94566019
http://thisibelieve.org/essay/11056/
Choose two lines which you feel are effective in showing the writer's voice. Either annotate in margins or on separate sheet of paper, explaining why you find them effective.
1. Bring picture of yourself and six-word memoir (see last week's post for details and sample memoirs).
2. Review summer book, looking for examples of courage. You can write notes and bring those along. if it would be helpful. In-class essay on block day.
Both assignments are due block day.
Block day: Complete a draft of "I am from" poem, minimum 15 lines. Due Friday. Here is a sample: sample I am from poem
Friday:
Revise "I am From" poems: due block day next week.
For Monday:
Read the following essays:
http://thisibelieve.org/essay/25569/
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94566019
http://thisibelieve.org/essay/11056/
Choose two lines which you feel are effective in showing the writer's voice. Either annotate in margins or on separate sheet of paper, explaining why you find them effective.
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