W. Scott Smoot ~ Teacher, Writer, Composer

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Archive of Writing Workshop
Latest weeks, first. Scroll down to see weeks earlier in this semester. Below the double line, see a countdown of weeks 18-1 of the first semester.
Quarter Four, Weeks Five and Six: Conflict and Reconciliation

Lessons in class and on "Word Workout #3" using a page of P.T.Barnum's memoir (1842) for questions of grammar, word attack, and substance.
We write essays (no stories allowed, this time) that pertain to theme of "conflict" and "reconciliation." First drafts due Tuesday, April 24.
Next: Begin work on "student's choice." Be it fiction or essay, this last work is to be a self-challenge to do something different and better - developed than any other piece of the year.
Particular emphasis on "development" by sensory description, examples, quotes from experts, anecdotes, statistics from research, and exceptions that help to illustrate the rule.
Coming up this quarter: Family Epic: the concluding chapter (involving technology of the late 19th century and intersecting with other writers' chapters!)

Quarter Four, Weeks Three and Four: Subjects and Objects
Completed compare/contrast essays have due dates of April 13, 16, 17, and 18, depending on when you handed in your first draft. Don't wait to hand yours in! The due date is too late to find out that you need corrections!
Lessons in class and on a "Word Workout #2" relate especially to nouns and pronouns as SUBJECTS and as OBJECTS. The "Word Workout" uses a text from Alexis DeTocqueville for questions of grammar, word attack, and substance.
We include with the Word Workout a reflection on the question, "Was the Civil War worth it?" Writers are graded according to how they "develop" their ideas from experiences on the field trip to the Atlanta History Center. (Those who didn't go had an alternative question.)
We brainstorm subjects that pertain to theme of "conflict" and "reconciliation." First drafts due Tuesday, April 24.
Coming up this quarter: Writing of your choice. . . Family Epic: the concluding chapter (involving technology of the early 20th century and intersecting with other writers' chapters!)

Weeks One and Two: Compare and Contrast
Compare/contrast essays can change your life! Example of student Sam Ward's comparison of English Class to Basketball Practice. We quickly write a different compare/contrast essay during different classes this week, and learn from each other's successes in small groups. We develop one of these to a perfect conclusion.
Some topics we generated: school systems, products, teams, animals, processes (e.g., writing on paper v. writing on screen), yourself at different ages.
p. 189 in our grammar text gives tips on alternative ways to organize compare/contrast
Review of Tips for writing quickly: Brainstorm: what must I cover? what will most people cover? what special insight do I have? Build the essay to the special insight!
Begin a series of Word Workouts: Quick analysis of given texts for exercise of word attack skills and grammatical analysis, followed by writing. ("Take apart" and "put back together"). We will use the grammar text as a reference for this part of the class.
Preparation for the first lesson: "Today, Grammar: Learn will we! How happy are we!" ...The word "predicate" from Latin grammar, and how we use it... Cave painting of cave dweller and some object: what connects them? ALL OF GRAMMAR COMES FROM THAT PICTURE -- and ALL grammar developed to modify the simple subject and the simple predicate!

Coming up this quarter: Writing of your choice. . . Writing on theme of conflict / reconciliation (echoing theme in Literature and US History class)... Family Epic: the concluding chapter (involving technology of the early 20th century and intersecting with other writers' chapters!)

Week Nine: Polish and Publish
Students have until Wednesday to put finishing touches on their family epics. (See weeksn seven and eight below for more information.)
An "exploratory," writing based on research into a topic of interest, had its own deadline depending on when the writer received comments for the first draft. That, too, should be finished by now.
For Thursday, students earn ten points for bringing to class a printed copy of both the exploratory essay and the family epic. Small groups will read and discuss these pieces before the general class gets to enjoy them.

Weeks Seven and Eight: Revision and Epic, Chapter 3

Final drafts of "exploratory" writing due. From the time that students receive 10 points and comments on the first drafts of their "exploratory" writing, they have one "letter week" to complete the work according to the teacher's instructions. Students are encouraged to revise early and often! Instructions may require development of an idea, more research, or simple corrections. Work that has not been completed to mutual satisfaction by the deadline will not receive the full 10 points that go to "complete" works. For an explanation of the entire project, see Exploration Writing Handout and Survey

We have covered the essentials of sentence construction and essay - writing, but we'll review those materials through corrections of writing. The rest of our book focuses on parts of speech. We'll use an independent study approach to covering those chapters, doing work independently on sample questions, and getting individual instruction where answers show the need.
Students have already done research through a textbook, a map, and the internet to prepare to writ Chapter three of the continuing Family Epic, updating the story to America in the early 1800s, with overland travel being a key element in the plot. Due date to be arranged with the class.

Weeks Five and Six: Writing to Explore

First draft due by Thursday Feb. 16Students are expected to "explore" something of concern to the writer, something about which the writer is not already an expert. Students have already brainstormed questions and sought answers through research. Summaries of their research should be in by February 7. Students may explore the different options or perspectives through an essay or through fiction, or a combination. For example, speculation on "What would my future be if I tried to become a professional athlete?" might consider scenarios like an essay, but have the feel of a story. Exploration Writing Handout and Survey

We have covered the essentials of sentence construction and essay - writing, but we'll review those materials through corrections of writing. The rest of our book focuses on parts of speech. We'll use an independent study approach to covering those chapters, doing work independently on sample questions, and getting individual instruction where answers show the need.
Coming up: Chapter three of the continuing Family Epic, updating the story to America in the early 1800s, with overland travel being a key element in the plot. We will begin this on Thursday, with an exercise using information about transportation in the 1800s and a map. Friday, you'll do research in the Computer Lab.

Weeks Three and Four: Writing for Contest, Performance

For submission to a writing contest sponsored by the National Writing Project's chapter at KSU, each student continues to work on a personal essay about the meaning of a certain place. A personal essay should probablyinclude elements of storytelling, instances of speculation, and even poetic devices such as metaphor. A good first draft due by Friday January 20.
For possible use by actors who will perform students' poetry during February's celebration of the Arts at Walker, students work on poetry. Students are advised, "Show your work!" because a poem will not be graded on its own. Rather, the writer should demonstrate to the teacher how a large swath of experience and thought has been compressed into the brevity of a poem, using sound, pattern, and metaphor to say "most with least." To be discussed with teacher before Friday, 27 January.
Students are also free to begin work on writing that relates to two major themes from their American History class studies of the years 1800-1850: growth and exploration.

"Growth" may concern adolescence, or the story of personal growth that we thought about during our introduction to poetry last week.
Students are expected to "explore" something of concern to the writer, something about which the writer is not already an expert. Exploration Writing Handout and Survey

Review of vocabulary roots, with new ones, all related to the Constitution of the United States.
During these two weeks, or perhaps the next, we'll have an exercise in writing summaries, using Grammar for Writing pp. 118-121.

Weeks One and Two: Your Basic Expository Essay

Students review the objectives for the course and respond to the teacher in a letter, for a two - point "formative assessment" grade.
We study John Gast's painting "American Progress" (1872) for what it tells us about the painter's vision of the first half-century in the life and growth of the United States. This serves as an exercise in observation and reasoning. What we discuss will be the basis for an essay later this week or next.
(This item updated, 01/04/2012)We study instructions for writing the kind of "expository" paragraph often required in school, detailed in our textbook Grammar for Writing, chapter four, p 115. We referred to examples on pp. 97-98 for "main idea," p. 100 for "supporting details," andp. 109 for "transitional words and phrases."
We write about the painting, using tips from the grammar book's chapter four.
Review of vocabulary roots, with new ones. Postponed.
Introduction to Poetry. A volunteer in each class told a personal experience of a "moment of growth," and answered our questions about the sensations of that moment, the background, and lasting effects. In small groups, students then tried to capture the entire experience in "42 syllables or less." Ideas shared and combined. Only then did we mention that this is what poets do, to say the most with the least. Here's a sample:
The ice skate queen's smile
like a cold blade
cuts you from your friends.
Ignore her.
From now on you
skate alone.

Brainstorming for an essay on place, to be completed for submission to the Leslie Walker's Memorial Essay Contest for the Kennesaw Mountain Writing Project.

First Semester counts down from weeks seventeen to week one, below

Weeks Sixteen and Seventeen: Persuasion and Final Drafts

Homework: Final drafts of "Family Epic, Chapter II" due in the next week. Individual students have been given individual deadlines, usually December 13 or 14. Drafts should come in early, in case there are still corrections to be made by the deadline.
Homework: Students have developed a favorite topic or story for a final draft.
We work on "sentence combining" in our Grammar book. We do p. 85 on paper (odds only, at first) and the chapter review, p. 93.
Teams prepare and perform persuasive essays for the class, and also write a rebuttal to another team's presentation. Credit awarded for using rhetorical devices exemplified in Patrick Henry's famous speech. See archive for more on that speech.
We share the epics and essays.

Week Fifteen: Family Epic, Chapter II, with letter to the reader

Homework: Stories drafted before Thanksgiving are due, typed, by email, by Wednesday. Penalties for lateness: two points, first day, two points, second day; limit five points. Two point bonus for being early, can be applied to a late grade another time.
In class, students will write a "letter to the reader" explaining the historical facts behind their stories, and giving credit to the sources that they used.
We work on "sentence combining" in our Grammar book. We'll do pp. 80-83 aloud, and p. 85 on paper (odds only, at first). Update: Partly done. Will complete the next week.
We study a famously persuasive essay by Patrick Henry, his speech to the House of Burgesses in 1774, ending, "Give me Liberty, or Give me Death!"
Read it here: http://www.law.ou.edu/ushistory/henry.shtml
See a video performance of it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_JvvURKElo&feature=related

Weeks Thirteen and Fourteen: Quoting and Citing Sources to Support an Argument, continued

Research into the life of a signer of the Declaration, for use in the second chapter of the "Family Epic." Research in the lab, focused on the years 1761-1771, before the famous person became famous! This is a challenge.
Students type up first drafts on topics that they've been brainstorming during class. Students write their second chapter.
We move into chapter 3 of the textbook. After a look at the example on p. 66, we will read pp. 72-73 and do the exercises there, 1 and 2. We will reinforce with the "Grammar Ghost" game.
We read primary sources from life in the American colonies, 1760 -1770, including a European's view of "this new breed, the American." Students answered questions about unfamiliar words from context, and explained the content in "Document Based Questions." We also looked at how he "develops" his idea in his essay, and, for a hands-on experience of what "development" means, we packed his idea into hand-made "envelopes" that we then "de-veloped."
To expand our idea of "research," we examined art by Stuart Copley, prominent portraitist of the colonial era, looking at clothing, and clues to life then.
Writing tip: We looked at Jesse Bayne's untitled piece about the last ten seconds of a basketball game. Is it a story? a poem? an essay? It uses techniques of storytelling and poetry - writing to persuade a reader that there's much more to M.S. basketball than just running and throwing. Essays are much more than "reports."

Weeks Eleven and Twelve: Quoting and Citing Sources to Support an Argument

Students complete "briefs" for prosecution and defense of a student, quoting relevant parts of the school's rules and honor code.
We move into chapter 3 of the textbook. After a look at the example on p. 66, we will read pp. 72-73 and do the exercises there, 1 and 2. We will reinforce with the "Grammar Ghost" game. Did not get to this.
Vocabulary: We review what we've learned so far, and use it all to read a tough historical document. We will respond to questions about the document, quoting as we did with the handbook.
We take a day to read each other's family epic stories.

Week Nine: Revision of Family Epics, Review of the Quarter

Students have homework this week, to revise their first drafts of family epic, chapter one, according to the teacher's comments.
Students, hand in the draft as soon as you can, for comments back. I should have seen at least one draft between now and Tuesday, October 11, the last day of the quarter. Your second draft will not earn a grade until it's perfect. When it's perfect, my comment will read simply, "Finished!" Until then, my comments will say, "unfinished" and "almost ready." When only a few little errors of spelling or punctuation remain, it'll be "ready."

Students write a "letter to the reader" to go with their stories, authenticating the historical background to their stories.
Students receive printouts of the teacher's comments during class. These comments will also be posted on Power School, where the score for first draft is colored blue. Click on the score to see a copy of my requirements for revision.
Students will have class time in the library's computer lab to do additional research or revision, as required.
Vocabulary "word attack" skills, working with the Latin roots "pose, pone," "fice, fact, fect, fy" and "vers, vert."
In the textbook Grammar for Writing, we finish chapter two with sections about wordy sentences, about word connotations. For a grade, we will take the chapter review quiz.

Weeks Seven and Eight (a three day week): History Research + Literature = Family Epic!

Impromptu timed writing from last week is handed back. Students unhappy with their score may write another essay on one of the other topics, timed, at home.
Students hear the story of Mr. Smoot's ancestor, the Japanese actor Ito. Students take an inventory of what they already know about the world in 1600. Then, students begin to prewrite a story about how a remarkable artifact comes into the possession of a family in a certain town somewhere in the world around the year 1600.
Tips on researching every day life in 1600, using the Internet and a class edition of a history textbook.
Time off to celebrate the essays finished last week. We read each other's works, and our "author's notes." People left positive reactions and any questions. These first papers may be developed later in the semester.

Week Five: Gathering Facts and Impressions in Savannah

We begin the week learning about Savannah from all the teachers who will be accompanying you there.
As you travel, you'll be filling out a booklet with notes about things you see, hear, and feel throughout the week. Next week, you'll be referring to this booklet as you answer essay questions. This will be our first exercise in "test essay" writing.

Week Six: Typing First Finished Drafts; Timed Writing

We start the week with VERBAL OLYMPICS. Use your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary to figure out some tough questions for M+Ms!
Students meet in the computer lab to type up their revised first drafts. These will be graded on completion, and marked for possible revision, should the student choose to continue with that particular piece.
Tips on taking a timed essay. These are covered in our textbook's very last chapter! We'll look at some tips to impress a teacher, and we'll "insta-grade" essays about Savannah.
We write a timed essay from a prompt given in the Savannah souvenir book. That book also serves as a resource for reminders about what we did and what we learned last week.
In chapter three of our textbook, we work on "parallel structure." Teams of students took props and worked out circus tricks they could do with rope, rubber balls, a skull, boas, and Japanese fans. Then they wrote a list of actions. They will revise the list to be parallel.

Week Four: Revising Sentences, Shaping the Ideas

We examine the short essays that groups created on the spot last class period from the topic "a new world." We discuss order and examples. A printout also marks some common errors to watch for, including unclear use of the word "you."
Mini - lesson: When should we begin a new paragraph? Not done. Save for later.
Grammar for Writing:
pp. 29-30 "Chapter One review" A
p. 29 Ex. A, and special attention to the side bars
p.33, Ex. 1
P. 33-34, Ex. 2, 1 - 15 to hand in.
Go over p. 33-34 in class.
Lesson 2.2 about run-on sentences, and how to use one of four strategies to fix them. Do Exercise 1.

In small groups, read classmates' papers to suggest revision by answering these two questions, only:
Q. What was the best part of the piece for you, and why?
Q. How does the author prepare the reader well for that best part? If there are no sentences that lead the reader towards the best part, see p. 109 in our text for words that help a writer to make a transition from one topic to another.
Use editing marks (review page 18) to make two corrections to one classmate's paper.

Week Three: Generating Ideas, Writing Sentences

Write a draft based on your pre-writing from last week. Move on to another topic or two, this week. Next week, we'll choose one to revise.
Mini - lesson: Wide focus or micro-focus? Example of student essay, "On the Line." Keep notes on writing tips inside your folder.
Grammar for Writing:
What is a clause? What is a sentence? When is a clause not a sentence? (Handout)
We made up a three word sentence about someone in class. We enlarged that sentence by hanging "dependent" clauses, using relative pronouns ("Price, who sits in the front row...") and subordinate conjunctions ("when the teacher said to be quiet...").

Summary Time: Students make a scene during class, and the witnesses write their summaries of what they saw. Whose summary gives a reader the clearest understanding of what happened, in fewest words? What techniques of combining sentences helped?
Students summarized the events using combinations of quotations, verbal phrases, and dependent clauses. For example, "Jack drew a mean picture of Jill, who had bullied him before school. When Mr. Smoot told the students to settle their fight later, Jill threw the picture at Jack."

Group exercise on extemporaneous development of an assigned topic. This one will come from current work in Literature and History classes.
Group-written essays earn M+Ms for effective lead - ins, good organization, surprising angles, and specific examples.

Week Two: Topics and Themes for the Year

Continue with teacher's presentation on Word Attack. Begin a "Word Skills" section of your binder, for Word Attack and Grammar handouts.
Use text book, chapter one, pp. 9 and 10, to create a list of topics that you will be interested to write about during the next few weeks and the rest of the year. This list will go inside your "sloppy" folders.
We took a look at pictures of Columbus meeting natives, and thought about theme from your classes in American History and Literature:
A population encounters travelers who speak a different language, have a different appearance and dress, a different religion, and superior technology. Friendly at first, the strangers become rulers who restrict the original people. Where have you heard this story before?

Week One: It's a week of introductions.

Introduction to critical thinking: analyzing an image and synthesizing what we find. Bring your own paper and dark writing utensils to class from now on!
Introduction to written reflection, introduction to the "interview" technique: the teacher "interviews" the students about what they learned.
Updated, 8/10: Develop ideas by asking three questions:
What must you tell your audience about the topic?
What would everyone else say about the topic?
What special thing(s) can you offer about the topic? (A personal experience, a reversal of what people expect, a comparison to something you really love to talk about...)

Introduction to Word Attack: The teacher uses pages from his own novel-in-progress Tweenlight (about tween-age vampires) to introduce ideas of vocabulary that we'll use throughout the year.

Close this window.	Archive of Writing Workshop Latest weeks, first. Scroll down to see weeks earlier in this semester. Below the double line, see a countdown of weeks 18-1 of the first semester. Quarter Four, Weeks Five and Six: Conflict and Reconciliation Lessons in class and on "Word Workout #3" using a page of P.T.Barnum's memoir (1842) for questions of grammar, word attack, and substance. We write essays (no stories allowed, this time) that pertain to theme of "conflict" and "reconciliation." First drafts due Tuesday, April 24. Next: Begin work on "student's choice." Be it fiction or essay, this last work is to be a self-challenge to do something different and better - developed than any other piece of the year. Particular emphasis on "development" by sensory description, examples, quotes from experts, anecdotes, statistics from research, and exceptions that help to illustrate the rule. Coming up this quarter: Family Epic: the concluding chapter (involving technology of the late 19th century and intersecting with other writers' chapters!) Quarter Four, Weeks Three and Four: Subjects and Objects Completed compare/contrast essays have due dates of April 13, 16, 17, and 18, depending on when you handed in your first draft. Don't wait to hand yours in! The due date is too late to find out that you need corrections! Lessons in class and on a "Word Workout #2" relate especially to nouns and pronouns as SUBJECTS and as OBJECTS. The "Word Workout" uses a text from Alexis DeTocqueville for questions of grammar, word attack, and substance. We include with the Word Workout a reflection on the question, "Was the Civil War worth it?" Writers are graded according to how they "develop" their ideas from experiences on the field trip to the Atlanta History Center. (Those who didn't go had an alternative question.) We brainstorm subjects that pertain to theme of "conflict" and "reconciliation." First drafts due Tuesday, April 24. Coming up this quarter: Writing of your choice. . . Family Epic: the concluding chapter (involving technology of the early 20th century and intersecting with other writers' chapters!) Weeks One and Two: Compare and Contrast Compare/contrast essays can change your life! Example of student Sam Ward's comparison of English Class to Basketball Practice. We quickly write a different compare/contrast essay during different classes this week, and learn from each other's successes in small groups. We develop one of these to a perfect conclusion. Some topics we generated: school systems, products, teams, animals, processes (e.g., writing on paper v. writing on screen), yourself at different ages. p. 189 in our grammar text gives tips on alternative ways to organize compare/contrast Review of Tips for writing quickly: Brainstorm: what must I cover? what will most people cover? what special insight do I have? Build the essay to the special insight! Begin a series of Word Workouts: Quick analysis of given texts for exercise of word attack skills and grammatical analysis, followed by writing. ("Take apart" and "put back together"). We will use the grammar text as a reference for this part of the class. Preparation for the first lesson: "Today, Grammar: Learn will we! How happy are we!" ...The word "predicate" from Latin grammar, and how we use it... Cave painting of cave dweller and some object: what connects them? ALL OF GRAMMAR COMES FROM THAT PICTURE -- and ALL grammar developed to modify the simple subject and the simple predicate! Coming up this quarter: Writing of your choice. . . Writing on theme of conflict / reconciliation (echoing theme in Literature and US History class)... Family Epic: the concluding chapter (involving technology of the early 20th century and intersecting with other writers' chapters!) Week Nine: Polish and Publish Students have until Wednesday to put finishing touches on their family epics. (See weeksn seven and eight below for more information.) An "exploratory," writing based on research into a topic of interest, had its own deadline depending on when the writer received comments for the first draft. That, too, should be finished by now. For Thursday, students earn ten points for bringing to class a printed copy of both the exploratory essay and the family epic. Small groups will read and discuss these pieces before the general class gets to enjoy them. Weeks Seven and Eight: Revision and Epic, Chapter 3 Final drafts of "exploratory" writing due. From the time that students receive 10 points and comments on the first drafts of their "exploratory" writing, they have one "letter week" to complete the work according to the teacher's instructions. Students are encouraged to revise early and often! Instructions may require development of an idea, more research, or simple corrections. Work that has not been completed to mutual satisfaction by the deadline will not receive the full 10 points that go to "complete" works. For an explanation of the entire project, see Exploration Writing Handout and Survey We have covered the essentials of sentence construction and essay - writing, but we'll review those materials through corrections of writing. The rest of our book focuses on parts of speech. We'll use an independent study approach to covering those chapters, doing work independently on sample questions, and getting individual instruction where answers show the need. Students have already done research through a textbook, a map, and the internet to prepare to writ Chapter three of the continuing Family Epic, updating the story to America in the early 1800s, with overland travel being a key element in the plot. Due date to be arranged with the class. Weeks Five and Six: Writing to Explore First draft due by Thursday Feb. 16Students are expected to "explore" something of concern to the writer, something about which the writer is not already an expert. Students have already brainstormed questions and sought answers through research. Summaries of their research should be in by February 7. Students may explore the different options or perspectives through an essay or through fiction, or a combination. For example, speculation on "What would my future be if I tried to become a professional athlete?" might consider scenarios like an essay, but have the feel of a story. Exploration Writing Handout and Survey We have covered the essentials of sentence construction and essay - writing, but we'll review those materials through corrections of writing. The rest of our book focuses on parts of speech. We'll use an independent study approach to covering those chapters, doing work independently on sample questions, and getting individual instruction where answers show the need. Coming up: Chapter three of the continuing Family Epic, updating the story to America in the early 1800s, with overland travel being a key element in the plot. We will begin this on Thursday, with an exercise using information about transportation in the 1800s and a map. Friday, you'll do research in the Computer Lab. Weeks Three and Four: Writing for Contest, Performance For submission to a writing contest sponsored by the National Writing Project's chapter at KSU, each student continues to work on a personal essay about the meaning of a certain place. A personal essay should probablyinclude elements of storytelling, instances of speculation, and even poetic devices such as metaphor. A good first draft due by Friday January 20. For possible use by actors who will perform students' poetry during February's celebration of the Arts at Walker, students work on poetry. Students are advised, "Show your work!" because a poem will not be graded on its own. Rather, the writer should demonstrate to the teacher how a large swath of experience and thought has been compressed into the brevity of a poem, using sound, pattern, and metaphor to say "most with least." To be discussed with teacher before Friday, 27 January. Students are also free to begin work on writing that relates to two major themes from their American History class studies of the years 1800-1850: growth and exploration. "Growth" may concern adolescence, or the story of personal growth that we thought about during our introduction to poetry last week. Students are expected to "explore" something of concern to the writer, something about which the writer is not already an expert. Exploration Writing Handout and Survey Review of vocabulary roots, with new ones, all related to the Constitution of the United States. During these two weeks, or perhaps the next, we'll have an exercise in writing summaries, using Grammar for Writing pp. 118-121. Weeks One and Two: Your Basic Expository Essay Students review the objectives for the course and respond to the teacher in a letter, for a two - point "formative assessment" grade. We study John Gast's painting "American Progress" (1872) for what it tells us about the painter's vision of the first half-century in the life and growth of the United States. This serves as an exercise in observation and reasoning. What we discuss will be the basis for an essay later this week or next. (This item updated, 01/04/2012)We study instructions for writing the kind of "expository" paragraph often required in school, detailed in our textbook Grammar for Writing, chapter four, p 115. We referred to examples on pp. 97-98 for "main idea," p. 100 for "supporting details," andp. 109 for "transitional words and phrases." We write about the painting, using tips from the grammar book's chapter four. Review of vocabulary roots, with new ones. Postponed. Introduction to Poetry. A volunteer in each class told a personal experience of a "moment of growth," and answered our questions about the sensations of that moment, the background, and lasting effects. In small groups, students then tried to capture the entire experience in "42 syllables or less." Ideas shared and combined. Only then did we mention that this is what poets do, to say the most with the least. Here's a sample: The ice skate queen's smile like a cold blade cuts you from your friends. Ignore her. From now on you skate alone. Brainstorming for an essay on place, to be completed for submission to the Leslie Walker's Memorial Essay Contest for the Kennesaw Mountain Writing Project. First Semester counts down from weeks seventeen to week one, below Weeks Sixteen and Seventeen: Persuasion and Final Drafts Homework: Final drafts of "Family Epic, Chapter II" due in the next week. Individual students have been given individual deadlines, usually December 13 or 14. Drafts should come in early, in case there are still corrections to be made by the deadline. Homework: Students have developed a favorite topic or story for a final draft. We work on "sentence combining" in our Grammar book. We do p. 85 on paper (odds only, at first) and the chapter review, p. 93. Teams prepare and perform persuasive essays for the class, and also write a rebuttal to another team's presentation. Credit awarded for using rhetorical devices exemplified in Patrick Henry's famous speech. See archive for more on that speech. We share the epics and essays. Week Fifteen: Family Epic, Chapter II, with letter to the reader Homework: Stories drafted before Thanksgiving are due, typed, by email, by Wednesday. Penalties for lateness: two points, first day, two points, second day; limit five points. Two point bonus for being early, can be applied to a late grade another time. In class, students will write a "letter to the reader" explaining the historical facts behind their stories, and giving credit to the sources that they used. We work on "sentence combining" in our Grammar book. We'll do pp. 80-83 aloud, and p. 85 on paper (odds only, at first). Update: Partly done. Will complete the next week. We study a famously persuasive essay by Patrick Henry, his speech to the House of Burgesses in 1774, ending, "Give me Liberty, or Give me Death!" Read it here: http://www.law.ou.edu/ushistory/henry.shtml See a video performance of it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_JvvURKElo&feature=related Weeks Thirteen and Fourteen: Quoting and Citing Sources to Support an Argument, continued Research into the life of a signer of the Declaration, for use in the second chapter of the "Family Epic." Research in the lab, focused on the years 1761-1771, before the famous person became famous! This is a challenge. Students type up first drafts on topics that they've been brainstorming during class. Students write their second chapter. We move into chapter 3 of the textbook. After a look at the example on p. 66, we will read pp. 72-73 and do the exercises there, 1 and 2. We will reinforce with the "Grammar Ghost" game. We read primary sources from life in the American colonies, 1760 -1770, including a European's view of "this new breed, the American." Students answered questions about unfamiliar words from context, and explained the content in "Document Based Questions." We also looked at how he "develops" his idea in his essay, and, for a hands-on experience of what "development" means, we packed his idea into hand-made "envelopes" that we then "de-veloped." To expand our idea of "research," we examined art by Stuart Copley, prominent portraitist of the colonial era, looking at clothing, and clues to life then. Writing tip: We looked at Jesse Bayne's untitled piece about the last ten seconds of a basketball game. Is it a story? a poem? an essay? It uses techniques of storytelling and poetry - writing to persuade a reader that there's much more to M.S. basketball than just running and throwing. Essays are much more than "reports." Weeks Eleven and Twelve: Quoting and Citing Sources to Support an Argument Students complete "briefs" for prosecution and defense of a student, quoting relevant parts of the school's rules and honor code. We move into chapter 3 of the textbook. After a look at the example on p. 66, we will read pp. 72-73 and do the exercises there, 1 and 2. We will reinforce with the "Grammar Ghost" game. Did not get to this. Vocabulary: We review what we've learned so far, and use it all to read a tough historical document. We will respond to questions about the document, quoting as we did with the handbook. We take a day to read each other's family epic stories. Week Nine: Revision of Family Epics, Review of the Quarter Students have homework this week, to revise their first drafts of family epic, chapter one, according to the teacher's comments. Students, hand in the draft as soon as you can, for comments back. I should have seen at least one draft between now and Tuesday, October 11, the last day of the quarter. Your second draft will not earn a grade until it's perfect. When it's perfect, my comment will read simply, "Finished!" Until then, my comments will say, "unfinished" and "almost ready." When only a few little errors of spelling or punctuation remain, it'll be "ready." Students write a "letter to the reader" to go with their stories, authenticating the historical background to their stories. Students receive printouts of the teacher's comments during class. These comments will also be posted on Power School, where the score for first draft is colored blue. Click on the score to see a copy of my requirements for revision. Students will have class time in the library's computer lab to do additional research or revision, as required. Vocabulary "word attack" skills, working with the Latin roots "pose, pone," "fice, fact, fect, fy" and "vers, vert." In the textbook Grammar for Writing, we finish chapter two with sections about wordy sentences, about word connotations. For a grade, we will take the chapter review quiz. Weeks Seven and Eight (a three day week): History Research + Literature = Family Epic! Impromptu timed writing from last week is handed back. Students unhappy with their score may write another essay on one of the other topics, timed, at home. Students hear the story of Mr. Smoot's ancestor, the Japanese actor Ito. Students take an inventory of what they already know about the world in 1600. Then, students begin to prewrite a story about how a remarkable artifact comes into the possession of a family in a certain town somewhere in the world around the year 1600. Tips on researching every day life in 1600, using the Internet and a class edition of a history textbook. Time off to celebrate the essays finished last week. We read each other's works, and our "author's notes." People left positive reactions and any questions. These first papers may be developed later in the semester. Week Five: Gathering Facts and Impressions in Savannah We begin the week learning about Savannah from all the teachers who will be accompanying you there. As you travel, you'll be filling out a booklet with notes about things you see, hear, and feel throughout the week. Next week, you'll be referring to this booklet as you answer essay questions. This will be our first exercise in "test essay" writing. Week Six: Typing First Finished Drafts; Timed Writing We start the week with VERBAL OLYMPICS. Use your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary to figure out some tough questions for M+Ms! Students meet in the computer lab to type up their revised first drafts. These will be graded on completion, and marked for possible revision, should the student choose to continue with that particular piece. Tips on taking a timed essay. These are covered in our textbook's very last chapter! We'll look at some tips to impress a teacher, and we'll "insta-grade" essays about Savannah. We write a timed essay from a prompt given in the Savannah souvenir book. That book also serves as a resource for reminders about what we did and what we learned last week. In chapter three of our textbook, we work on "parallel structure." Teams of students took props and worked out circus tricks they could do with rope, rubber balls, a skull, boas, and Japanese fans. Then they wrote a list of actions. They will revise the list to be parallel. Week Four: Revising Sentences, Shaping the Ideas We examine the short essays that groups created on the spot last class period from the topic "a new world." We discuss order and examples. A printout also marks some common errors to watch for, including unclear use of the word "you." Mini - lesson: When should we begin a new paragraph? Not done. Save for later. Grammar for Writing: pp. 29-30 "Chapter One review" A p. 29 Ex. A, and special attention to the side bars p.33, Ex. 1 P. 33-34, Ex. 2, 1 - 15 to hand in. Go over p. 33-34 in class. Lesson 2.2 about run-on sentences, and how to use one of four strategies to fix them. Do Exercise 1. In small groups, read classmates' papers to suggest revision by answering these two questions, only: Q. What was the best part of the piece for you, and why? Q. How does the author prepare the reader well for that best part? If there are no sentences that lead the reader towards the best part, see p. 109 in our text for words that help a writer to make a transition from one topic to another. Use editing marks (review page 18) to make two corrections to one classmate's paper. Week Three: Generating Ideas, Writing Sentences Write a draft based on your pre-writing from last week. Move on to another topic or two, this week. Next week, we'll choose one to revise. Mini - lesson: Wide focus or micro-focus? Example of student essay, "On the Line." Keep notes on writing tips inside your folder. Grammar for Writing: What is a clause? What is a sentence? When is a clause not a sentence? (Handout) We made up a three word sentence about someone in class. We enlarged that sentence by hanging "dependent" clauses, using relative pronouns ("Price, who sits in the front row...") and subordinate conjunctions ("when the teacher said to be quiet..."). Summary Time: Students make a scene during class, and the witnesses write their summaries of what they saw. Whose summary gives a reader the clearest understanding of what happened, in fewest words? What techniques of combining sentences helped? Students summarized the events using combinations of quotations, verbal phrases, and dependent clauses. For example, "Jack drew a mean picture of Jill, who had bullied him before school. When Mr. Smoot told the students to settle their fight later, Jill threw the picture at Jack." Group exercise on extemporaneous development of an assigned topic. This one will come from current work in Literature and History classes. Group-written essays earn M+Ms for effective lead - ins, good organization, surprising angles, and specific examples. Week Two: Topics and Themes for the Year Continue with teacher's presentation on Word Attack. Begin a "Word Skills" section of your binder, for Word Attack and Grammar handouts. Use text book, chapter one, pp. 9 and 10, to create a list of topics that you will be interested to write about during the next few weeks and the rest of the year. This list will go inside your "sloppy" folders. We took a look at pictures of Columbus meeting natives, and thought about theme from your classes in American History and Literature: A population encounters travelers who speak a different language, have a different appearance and dress, a different religion, and superior technology. Friendly at first, the strangers become rulers who restrict the original people. Where have you heard this story before? Week One: It's a week of introductions. Introduction to critical thinking: analyzing an image and synthesizing what we find. Bring your own paper and dark writing utensils to class from now on! Introduction to written reflection, introduction to the "interview" technique: the teacher "interviews" the students about what they learned. Updated, 8/10: Develop ideas by asking three questions: What must you tell your audience about the topic? What would everyone else say about the topic? What special thing(s) can you offer about the topic? (A personal experience, a reversal of what people expect, a comparison to something you really love to talk about...) Introduction to Word Attack: The teacher uses pages from his own novel-in-progress Tweenlight (about tween-age vampires) to introduce ideas of vocabulary that we'll use throughout the year.

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