Poetic Form 7: Backwards Poetry

irony (n.) the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning

oxymoron (n.) a figure of speech in which contradictory terms are combined

Today's poetic form is inspired by our work with Holes by Louis Sachar. As a novel, Holes contains quite a bit of implied irony, primarily through Sachar's use of extended oxymorons (Camp Green Lake, anyone?). A Backwards poem is one which contains oxymoron as a means of communicating a level of irony.

Here's some easy-to-follow-steps to getting started:

1. Write four or five interesting adjectives.

2. For each adjective choose a noun which you would NOT normally associate with it

3. Draft four ironic word pairings and use them in a rhyming poem of no less than two stanzas, four lines per stanza, and four words per line.

a.) If you are having a difficult time, please use this "Irony Maker" generator, as shown in class.

4. Carefully review your word combinations and try to tell a story or silly situation using the "oxymoronic" pharses.

5. Draft a single poem consisting of at least 2 stanzas (4 lines per stanza/4 words per line). Your final poems should be no less than three lines in length.

This is a challengin form, so do your best!

Read Up and Write On!

Huh? What's "Humanities?"

humanitities (n.) those academic disciplines which study the human condition. A scholar of the humanities studies, among other things, history and literature with the intention of providing intellectual skills, in addition to general knowdlege.

Occasionally during English Language Arts class, students will wonder aloud, "Why are we doing this in LA class?" Equally common is the concern among students that they are being asked to (GASP!) write in Social Studies class! Should your student express this concern to you... it's all true--skills necessary for academic success in ALL classes are being focused upon in Social Studies and Language Arts classes, and this approach is intentional. This approach is commonly referred to as Humanities.

In most cases, the themes and reading selections considered in LA class align with the historical context that is being studied in Social Studies class. The thought is that by aligning this material, students can gain a greater appreciation for the context of fictional and non-fiction reading selections. Additionally, by reading selections from a historical setting, or thematic relation, to Social Studies content, history is more likely to "come alive," or become even more relatable.

Sometimes, the difference between the two classes becomes even more grey. For example, next week students will be taking their second Data Based Question (DBQ) practice for the Social Studies New York State assessment in Language Arts class. Keep checking our blog for more information regarding the DBQ over the next few days...

Read Up and Write On!

Homework for December 13

Red Class

1. Where the Red Fern Grows Mutiple Choice Test in-class Monday.
2. Bring 40 blank index cards to be used in making ELA 8 Test Prep Sort Cards.

Yellow Class

1. Where the Red Fern Grows (WRFG) Take Home Assessment due tomorrow.
2. WRFG Mutiple Choice Test in-class tomorrow.
3. Bring 40 blank index cards to be used in making ELA 8 Test Prep Sort Cards.

Blue Class

1. Where the Red Fern Grows (WRFG) Take Home Assessment due tomorrow.
2. WRFG Mutiple Choice Test in-class tomorrow.
3. Bring 40 blank index cards to be used in making ELA 8 Test Prep Sort Cards.

Read Up and Write On!

Kudos!

ku·dos[koo-dohz] (noun) honor; glory; acclaim; a statement of praise or approval; accolade; compliment: She received kudos from everyone on her performance.

With the 5-week point of the first marking period (just) in the rear view mirror, and a new novel on the horizon, it seems like a great time to acknowledge some students who have been doing an exemplary job thus far in Language Arts class.

This year students will continue to be recognized for their effort in Language Arts class with a certificate on our "Good Work" wall, as well as, being recognized during class. Students have the opportunity to be recognized in one of two areas: students who are currently excelling in our class (Excellent Effort), or those who are demonstrating significant improvement (Improving Performance).

And here they are...

Red Class
Excellent Effort: Nicole Bini,Natalie Burgeson, Tyler Duryee, Jessica Marron, Sarah Morton, Kristina Schiffhauer, Jonathan Wasilewski
Improving Performance: Leila Bocanegra, Brian Williams

Yellow Class
Excellent Effort: Liz Borelli, Ian Cumming, Ian Maffet, Brittany Ward
Improving Performance: Alexis Hawkins, Steven Raetz

Green Class
Excellent Effort: Emily Baker, Matt Iorio, Ehrich Rosen
Improving Performance: Sydney Berger, Nick Magnanti, Megan Murray

Blue Class
Excellent Effort: Becky Carrozzi, Kevin Federation, Ryan Muchard, Courtney O'Gorman, Amanda Pignato, Chelsea Touchstone
Improving Performance: Stephanie Lues, Sean Porrata

Additionally, three of our students submitted essays in this past weeks Red Ribbon Week Essay Contest and each had their efforts acknowledged last week during the school announcements. Students who submitted essay, and received extra credit for Language Arts class were: Sarah Morton (Second Place), Laura Camera (Honorable Mention) and Alexis Hawkins (Honorable Mention). Great job, ladies!

Congratulations to all of our House 1 Eighth graders, we are all on our way to a successful school year... keep it up!

Read Up and Write On!