Agenda

1. Pass back assignments
2. Expectations for work
3. Grammar- What you need to know.
4. Writing time!

Montana Assignment

Directions
The prologue of Montana 1948 includes images from one year of David Hayden's life. These images form a literary montage- an artistic composition made up of several different kinds of elements. Notice the imagery Larry Watson incorporates to weave the events together. For example, he writes, "The windows are open, and Mother's lace curtains blow into the room." and "Insects clutter around the light fixtures, and the pleading quality in my father's voice reminds me of those insects."

Think back to a significant time in your life. Recapture that time in the form of a highlight reel. This time could be a week, a month, or a year. Choose images and events from that time and weave them together using vivid words and a creative order.

Length Requirement: 15-20 Sentences

Brainstorming (Do this before the writing assignment.)
Directions: Answer the following questions to assist you in recapturing a time in your life.

1. What has been your favorite age? Why?

2. What has been your least favorite age? Why?

3. List some of the best things that have ever happened to you.

4. List some of the worst things that have ever happened to you.

5. Is there a time in your life that has made you learn something about yourself? Explain.

6. Is there a time in your life that has confused you? Explain.

*Now begin the writing assignment.*

Homework

For Thursday 9/27:

• Please read through page 54 of Montana 1948. You should have gotten to page 30 in class.

• Answer the following questions and be prepared to discuss the novel in class.

1. On page 15, David introduces the setting promised in the title. What are the

important facts, figures and details of this description? What kind of place is

Mercer County?

2.Why is it significant that David and his family live "in the middle of town"?
(page 23) What does this positioning suggest?

3. On page 34, we get a glimpse into David's father's prejudice against

Indians. What do you make of David's explanation? Does he defend his

father? Try to rationalize his racism?

4. On the bottom of 43, David says, "I couldn't figure out why my mother
seemed so angry." Why is she angry? What are her allegiances?

5. Is it true, as David says on the bottom of 54, that his father "knew [his

uncle] was guilty"? If so, how would he know? What new wrinkle does this add

to the tale?

Agenda

1. "Business"

• Do you have any work to hand in?
• Passing back assignments 

3. Quiz!

When you finish your quiz, please go http://www.larry-watson.com/ to and check out Larry Watson's website. He is the author of Montana 1948, our first novel of the year!

4. Library

• Pick up Montana 1948
• Quiet reading time in the library

Good morning. As you can see, I'm out sick today. Please do the following for credit:

Naomi Shihab Nye (1952 - present)
Naomi Shihab Nye is a poet and songwriter born in 1952 to a Palestinian father and American mother. She grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, Jerusalem, and San Antonio, Texas. Both roots and sense of place are major themes in her body of work.

Half-And-Half by Naomi Shihab Nye

You can't be, says a Palestinian Christian
on the first feast day after Ramadan.
So, half-and-half and half-and-half.
He sells glass. He knows about broken bits,
chips. If you love Jesus you can't love
anyone else. Says he.

At his stall of blue pitchers on the Via Dolorosa,
he's sweeping. The rubbed stones
feel holy. Dusting of powdered sugar
across faces of date-stuffed mamool.

This morning we lit the slim white candles
which bend over at the waist by noon.
For once the priests weren't fighting
in the church for the best spots to stand.
As a boy, my father listened to them fight.
This is partly why he prays in no language
but his own. Why I press my lips
to every exception.

A woman opens a window—here and here and here—
placing a vase of blue flowers
on an orange cloth. I follow her.
She is making a soup from what she had left
in the bowl, the shriveled garlic and bent bean.
She is leaving nothing out.

Hidden by Naomi Shihab Nye

If you place a fern
under a stone
the next day it will be
nearly invisible
as if the stone has
swallowed it.

If you tuck the name of a loved one
under your tongue too long
without speaking it
it becomes blood
sigh
the little sucked-in breath of air
hiding everywhere
beneath your words.

No one sees
the fuel that feeds you.

Poem Activity #1:

After reading Half-and-Half, in a poem, discuss two aspects of yourself (or your personality, belief, culture) that seem on the surface at odds with one another. Describe this topic through a short narrative (story) poem. Embed dialogue in your poem where appropriate.

Poem Activity #2:

After reading Hidden, start a poem with the subordinating conjunction “If…” You may use an “If…then…” statement, if you’d like. Start with a stanza describing a literal or concrete event or fact from nature. Naomi Shihab Nye uses the description of a fern placed under a stone. Your second stanza should be more metaphorical, as Naomi Shihab Nye’s second stanza is as she describes the transubstantiation of a loved one’s name into blood. Finally, end your poem with a wise observation that connects both stanzas.

Poem Activity #3:

Write a poem made up of snatches of conversations you have overheard. For this exercise, you may wish to bring your journal around to lunch period or throughout the day and record what you overhear.

If you finish early, you can peer edit your work. Please hand in everything by the end of the block. We will have our quiz on Tuesday.

Grammar/Writing Practice

Step 1

Eight Parts of Speech

Noun: a person, place, thing or idea (chicken, dancehall, ocean, belief)
Pronoun: replaces a noun (he, she, it, her, them, who, which)
Adjective: describes a noun or Pronoun (lovely, tattered, obese, violet)
Verb: an action word (ransack, stir, rejuvenate, are)
Adverb: modifies or describes an adjective, verb, or other adverb (gladly, helpfully, subtly, slowly)
Preposition: links nouns and pronouns to phrases (over, under, in, near)
Conjunction: links lists, phrases, and clauses (and, but, or, when)
Interjection: conveys emotion (wow, what, ouch, man)

Writing practice:Write four sentences in which you use all eight parts of speech. The catch? You can't use any part of speech more than once in each sentence.


Step 2

Creating a Word Bank for Poetry
Go to the following website:

http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180

Read poems #1-7. As you read, choose 3 words from EACH poem and make a list. (The best way to do this is either in your journal – where you will get credit; or you may keep a word document open and minimized on the bottom of your screen to collect the words).
Choose interesting or “powerful” words—words that draw YOUR attention; the best 3 single words in the poem. Avoid phrases.

Once you have a list with 21 words, use your word bank to create a poem of your own.
• You DO NOT have to use all 21 words in your poem.
• Your poem should make sense. Try to avoid sentence fragments. (Consider your character, setting, theme, conflict, etc. to help write a story...yes, even poetry has a story.)
• You may include as many OTHER words as you’d like.

HOMEWORK

Due Wednesday:

1. Revise your story, which was due today.
2. Bring in your updated draft and your peer edited copy for a grade.
3. If you did not do the work, look back at the blog to make sure you understood what the assignment was and COMPLETE the assignment (at least 3 pages!)

*If you were not prepared today, you are responsible for getting caught up! This includes the editing and revising!

3 Steps to Peer Editing

There are three important steps to remember when you are peer editing another student’s writing.

Step 1 – Overview of the paper’s strengths
Step 2 – Suggestions

Step 3 – Corrections 　

 STEP 1: Overview of the paper’s strengths

•

The first rule of peer editing is to BE CONSTRUCTIVE.

•

Remember, you are helping to change someone else’s work. Consider the tone of your commentary and make specific but practical suggestions. Understand that this is a working draft and offer your advice accordingly.

• Always start your peer editing by mentioning the paper’s particular strengths.

•

Tell the writer what you think he or she did well:

STEP 2: Suggestions

•

Making suggestions means giving the author some specific ideas about how to improve their writing.

•

Remember – stay positive and be specific in your comments. Make them from the point of view of a reader, so that you communicate where the problem is for their audience. It’s also a very good idea to phrase your comments as questions you are asking them to answer – to show them where they need to go further in their explanation, in their use of evidence, or where the logic of their argument is unclear. Also, by phrasing your comments from a reader’s point of view, you don’t make absolute claims and don’t run the risk of hurt feelings. Hurt feelings rarely have a positive effect on a person’s desire to change the way they do things – they are more likely to react negatively and aggressively to suggestions.

•

Instead of, "It doesn’t make sense," say something like: "Develop your ideas here. Right now I’m having trouble understanding what you mean but if you explain it more fully it might become clear."

•

Instead of, "Your word choice was boring or inaccurate," say something like: "I find the repetition of terms distracting; consider revising here," or "I’m not following this; can you be more specific in your use of terms?"

Here are some areas that you may want to make suggestions about:

1. Organization – Can you understand what the author is trying to say? Is it in the correct sequence?
2. Using details or evidence
3. Topic – Does the author stick to the topic or talk about other things that don’t really fit?
4. Word choice – Did the author choose appropriate and academic words?
5. Sentences/Fluency – Are the sentences too long or too short?

　

STEP 3: Corrections

•

The third step in the peer editing process is making corrections.

•

Corrections means checking your peer’s paper for:

1. Spelling mistakes
2. Grammar mistakes
3. Missing punctuation
4. Incomplete or run-on sentence

Things to Remember:

Be constructive – Try to make suggestions and corrections in a positive way. Be specific – Give the author specific ideas on how to improve his or her writing.
Complete all 3 steps – compliments, suggestions, and corrections.

Assignments

Here is what you owe so far:

1. Course Criteria Sheet (Due: 9/7)
2. Join blog and post- classwork: (Due 9/7)
3. Dear Me Letter- 1.5-2 pages minimum (Due: 9/11- accepted on 9/13 because of Rights and Responsibilities assembly)
3. Creative Writing Prompt response- no less than 3 pages typed, double spaced (Due: 9/17- THIS COMING MONDAY!)

STAY ORGANIZED AND REVIEW YOUR NOTES! I MAY GIVE A SHORT QUIZ ON MONDAY. IF NOT, THERE WILL DEFINITELY BE ONE NEXT WEEK.

Creative Writing Prompts

Please use one (or more) of the prompts provided to begin a creative piece of writing. I would like you to bring a polished copy of your writing to class on Monday.

No less than 3 pages please!

Prompts for Your Writing Adventures

By Chris Dunmire

Remember when your teacher would write a topic sentence on the blackboard and then make you expand on it in your notebook or journal? Well, that's the idea behind these prompts. I give you a topic or idea to write about, and you take it from there!

These prompts are especially useful for journaling or blogging, and can also be used as visual art prompts. Ready to get started?
Try It! Get-you-started Writing Prompts:

* If you could be any person in the world, who would you be, and why?

* Describe a place you remember from your childhood.

* How did you meet your closest friend?

* Write a list of 25 (or just 5!) things you want to do in your life.

* What is something you do well?

* What would have happened if you didn't leave the house this morning?

* If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?

* What are your hobbies? Why do you like them?

* What sets you apart from the crowd?

* What do you want to be remembered for?

* What is the nicest thing you have done for someone?

* What is the greatest lesson you've learned so far in your life?

* If you could invent anything new, what would it be?

* Tell your life story from someone else's point of view.

* If you could have three wishes, what would they be?

* How would you spend a found $20 bill?

* What is the most exciting thing that ever happened to you?

* What is your favorite day of the week?

* How old would you be if you didn't know your real age?

* Name some things you are thankful for.

* What was your favorite childhood toy?

Word Prompts:

Ability | Age | Animal | Autumn | Average

Bandwagon | Beauty | Body | Book

Cage | Camping | Cartoon | Chain | Chance

Clover | Coincidence | Color | Creative

Develop | Destiny | Desire

Environment | Esteem | Experience

Fade | Flower | Food | Forest | Friend

Generous | Group | Grow

Honesty | Help | Honor

Idea | Image | Incentive | Innovative | Internet

Joy | Kindness | Kindred Spirit

Ladybug | Learn | Light | Love

Mature | Memory | Metal | Modest | Mood | Mountains

Museum | Music | Myself | Mystery

New | Novel | Night Dreams

Ocean | Opera

Peace | Picture | Privacy

Quest | Quiet

Rainbow | Remember | Realize

Shape | Snowflake | Sun

Time | Truth

Waterfall | Wellness

Youth

The NEXT Creative Step...

Be on a quest today to find other things to inspire or prompt your writing projects. List 10 other resources besides the Internet where you can find writing inspiration.

If you liked this project and want to explore more writing prompt resources, visit Creativity Portal's Writing Prompts section.

Welcome to Creative Grammar and Style

This is our class blog! You will be using this blog a lot over the semester so please bookmark it and check it everyday! I would also like you to join the blog and comment on this post for homework. You will be graded on this simple activity. Please do not forget to participate!

Please spend your time in the computer lab today writing yourself a letter. The guidelines will be provided at the beginning of class. Please remember:

• This is your chance to show that you are a true writer.
• Develop your ideas
• Use paragraphs
• Add details
• Be authentic

This assignment is class work and should be completed today!