After devotional text and prayer, Mr. Stone shared from his experiences at creative writing workshops and discussed the importance of providing both praise and suggestions to a fellow writer's work.
Students used Mr. Stone's flash fiction grading rubric and the tips from the last class period's video to guide them in their critique.
Students needed to get three other students to critique their piece of flash fiction. Each peer critic needed to provide three specific praises and three suggestions for improving the piece. Each critic was to write in a different color.
Homework: Revise rough draft of flash fiction piece using peer critics advice. (Remember that not all advice should be taken. Ultimately the quality of the writing is determined by the writer's choices.)
Do not forget to bring to the next class your rough draft with critics' marks and signatures for credit.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Monday, September 16, 2013
How to Write Flash Fiction
Monday 16 September 2013 for Periods 5 & 6, Tuesday 17 September 2013 for Periods 1 & 2, and Wednesday 18 September 2013 for Period 7
Devotional Text: Proverbs 16:3
Students viewed "How To Write Flash Fiction," reviewed the grading rubric for the assignment, and discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the video in contrast.
Mr. Stone demonstrated the basics of MLA document format.
Students were given four prompts, plus the option to write an original story from their own ideas. They had time to begin drafting in class.
Homework: Complete a typed rough draft of a flash fiction piece 400-500 words long.
Devotional Text: Proverbs 16:3
Students viewed "How To Write Flash Fiction," reviewed the grading rubric for the assignment, and discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the video in contrast.
Mr. Stone demonstrated the basics of MLA document format.
Students were given four prompts, plus the option to write an original story from their own ideas. They had time to begin drafting in class.
Homework: Complete a typed rough draft of a flash fiction piece 400-500 words long.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Character and Plot Test
Thursday 12 September 2013 for Periods 5 & 6 and Friday 13 September 2013 for Periods 1, 2 & 7
After prayer, students took the Character and Plot Test.
Students read Sholeh Wolpé's "My Brother at the Canadian Border."
Mr. Stone said students should read samples of flash fiction from the blog for homework; however, he changed his mind.
No Homework!
After prayer, students took the Character and Plot Test.
Students read Sholeh Wolpé's "My Brother at the Canadian Border."
Mr. Stone said students should read samples of flash fiction from the blog for homework; however, he changed his mind.
No Homework!
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Remembering September 11
Devotional Text: Proverbs 11:1
The class discussed Kamila Shamsie's "Our Dead, Your Dead," noting the stories use of British English, geographical and historical setting, central conflicts, and themes.
Students shared their memories of the earliest national crisis they could remember.
Mr. Stone distributed a hard copy of the review sheet and discussed the format of the test.
Homework: Study for the Character and Plot Test
The class discussed Kamila Shamsie's "Our Dead, Your Dead," noting the stories use of British English, geographical and historical setting, central conflicts, and themes.
Students shared their memories of the earliest national crisis they could remember.
Mr. Stone distributed a hard copy of the review sheet and discussed the format of the test.
Homework: Study for the Character and Plot Test
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Character & Plot Test Review
Students may begin studying for the Character and Plot Test using the study guide link listed under "Short Stories" on the right-hand side of this blog. A revised version of the review sheet will be posted on Wednesday. (Look for it to say 2013 version.) Mr. Stone will go through the test review in class the day before the test.
Students should add Kamila Shamsie's "Our Dead, Your Dead" to the list of authors and titles. They will be responsible for the content of Shamsie's story as well.
Vocabulary for this test will be limited those listed on the three vocabulary sheets completed so far in class.
Students should also be able to list the five basic elements of a short story: character, plot, setting, point of view, and theme.
Students should add Kamila Shamsie's "Our Dead, Your Dead" to the list of authors and titles. They will be responsible for the content of Shamsie's story as well.
Vocabulary for this test will be limited those listed on the three vocabulary sheets completed so far in class.
Students should also be able to list the five basic elements of a short story: character, plot, setting, point of view, and theme.
More on Character
Devotional Text: Proverbs 10:1
Quiz: "The Scarlet Ibis"
Students completed a literary analysis worksheet using quotes from "Blues Ain't No Mockin' Bird" to practice identifying the use of direct versus indirect characterization. Immediate feedback was provided.
Students took more notes on character: flat characters, round characters, static characters, dynamic characters, and a trait.
Students also received a list of common character traits.
Time was given to finish vocabulary worksheets began last week.
Mr. Stone announced a test over plot and character (Periods 5 & 6 on Thursday and Periods 1, 2, & 7 on Friday).
Homework: Read Kamila Shamsie's "Our Dead, Your Dead"
Quiz: "The Scarlet Ibis"
Students completed a literary analysis worksheet using quotes from "Blues Ain't No Mockin' Bird" to practice identifying the use of direct versus indirect characterization. Immediate feedback was provided.
Students took more notes on character: flat characters, round characters, static characters, dynamic characters, and a trait.
Students also received a list of common character traits.
Time was given to finish vocabulary worksheets began last week.
Mr. Stone announced a test over plot and character (Periods 5 & 6 on Thursday and Periods 1, 2, & 7 on Friday).
Homework: Read Kamila Shamsie's "Our Dead, Your Dead"
Monday, September 9, 2013
Character
Devotional Text: Proverbs 9:8-9
Quizzes: "The Red-headed League" and "Blues Ain't No Mockin'bird"
Students took notes on character and definition.
Homework: Read "The Scarlet Ibis" (554-564).
Quizzes: "The Red-headed League" and "Blues Ain't No Mockin'bird"
Students took notes on character and definition.
Homework: Read "The Scarlet Ibis" (554-564).
Thursday, September 5, 2013
The Red-headed League
Thursday 5 September 2013 for periods 5, 6, & 7 and Friday 6 September 2013 for periods 1 & 2
Devotional text: Proverbs 5:1-2
Mr. Stone reviewed with students the information he covered with parents during Back to School Night.
Students had time to finish reading the last half of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Red-headed League" (107-116).
Mr. Stone checked students notebooks. They received five points for having a three-ringed binder and five additional points for having each of the following items in order in their binder: short story genre sheet (green), Cornell-style notes, The Most Dangerous Game Analyzing the Sequence of Events worksheet, "The Most Dangerous Game" plot line.
Homework: Read "Blues Ain't No Mockin'bird" (570-576).
Note: there will be a quiz over "The Red-headed League" and "Blues Ain't No Mockin'bird" at the beginning of the first class next week.
Devotional text: Proverbs 5:1-2
Mr. Stone reviewed with students the information he covered with parents during Back to School Night.
Students had time to finish reading the last half of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Red-headed League" (107-116).
Mr. Stone checked students notebooks. They received five points for having a three-ringed binder and five additional points for having each of the following items in order in their binder: short story genre sheet (green), Cornell-style notes, The Most Dangerous Game Analyzing the Sequence of Events worksheet, "The Most Dangerous Game" plot line.
Homework: Read "Blues Ain't No Mockin'bird" (570-576).
Note: there will be a quiz over "The Red-headed League" and "Blues Ain't No Mockin'bird" at the beginning of the first class next week.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Building Vocabulary
Wednesday 4 September 2013 for periods 7, 5 & 6 and Thursday 5 September 2013 for periods 1 & 2
Devotional Text: Proverbs 4:7
Quiz: "One Ordinary Day, With Peanuts"
Mr. Stone over-viewed the format of vocabulary worksheets for the class and discussed three spelling strategies, prefixes, roots, suffixes, and infixes.
Students studied the Latin root -dol- and determined the meaning of multiple words using their understanding of the root meaning "pain" and context clues in the sentence.
Students also practiced using their understanding of the meaning of familiar words to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.
Students were to complete three worksheets covering selected words from "The Most Dangerous Game," "The Interlopers," and "One Ordinary Day, With Peanuts."
Homework: Read the first half of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Red-headed League" (97-106).
Devotional Text: Proverbs 4:7
Quiz: "One Ordinary Day, With Peanuts"
Mr. Stone over-viewed the format of vocabulary worksheets for the class and discussed three spelling strategies, prefixes, roots, suffixes, and infixes.
Students studied the Latin root -dol- and determined the meaning of multiple words using their understanding of the root meaning "pain" and context clues in the sentence.
Students also practiced using their understanding of the meaning of familiar words to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.
Students were to complete three worksheets covering selected words from "The Most Dangerous Game," "The Interlopers," and "One Ordinary Day, With Peanuts."
Homework: Read the first half of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Red-headed League" (97-106).
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Conflict & Plot in "The Interlopers"
Tuesday 3 September 2013 for periods 2, 5, 6 & 7 and Wednesday 4 September 2013 for period 1
Devotional text: Proverbs 3:5-6
Students worked with Mr. Stone to label and arrange nearly thirty sheets of paper across the front board to illustrate the overlapping plot lines of the human v. human and human v. nature conflicts in Saki's "The Interlopers." Students drew and labeled the two plot lines on their own paper using a black pen for the human v. human plot line and green for the human v. nature plot line.
Journal Entry: Mind Games
Describe a time when for entertainment you played tricks on others or when others played tricks on you.
Homework: Read Shirley Jackson's "One Ordinary Day, With Peanuts" (420-430).
Devotional text: Proverbs 3:5-6
Students worked with Mr. Stone to label and arrange nearly thirty sheets of paper across the front board to illustrate the overlapping plot lines of the human v. human and human v. nature conflicts in Saki's "The Interlopers." Students drew and labeled the two plot lines on their own paper using a black pen for the human v. human plot line and green for the human v. nature plot line.
Journal Entry: Mind Games
Describe a time when for entertainment you played tricks on others or when others played tricks on you.
Homework: Read Shirley Jackson's "One Ordinary Day, With Peanuts" (420-430).
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