Student Chapbook Project!

During the month of April, which also happens to be “National Poetry Month”, you have been drafting poetry in a variety of poetic forms ranging from the traditional (haiku and cinquain) to the unusual (Nash-ing and Backwards) in your Writer’s Journal. Your final task in this series of poetry lessons is to make what is called a chapbook. A chapbook is a collection of (primarily) your poetry made into an artistic, self-published booklet.

Your final grade for this project will reflect both the Content and Quality of your work. For more details on the expectations, click here.

The due dates are dependent on which "color" class you're in:

Red and Green: Wednesday, May 7

Blue and Yellow: Thursday, May 8

I am looking very forward to having the opportunities to review your final products and having you share it with others!

Read Up and Write On!

Poetic Format 1: Biographical Poem

As we begin to prepare for National Poetry Month, students will be drafting a variety of pieces using different "poetic formats." The intent is for students to write their drafts in the Writing Journal, where they will be stored for future revision and, eventually, publication. All poems will be evaluated using a previously discussed Poetry Rubric. (which is also taped inside your student's Writing Journal).

The first assigned format should be familiar to our students as it was also employed as a means of analyzing the character of Sarney in Gary Paulsen's Nightjohn. This time, though, the subject of the poem is not a historical figure or fictional character, but the student them self!

Biographical Poem Template

FIRST STANZA
I am (two special characteristics that you have)
I wonder (something you are actually curious about)
I hear (an imaginary sound)
I see (an imaginary sight)
I want (an actual desire)
I am (the first line of the poem repeated)

SECOND STANZA
I pretend (something you actually pretend to do)
I feel (a feeling about something imaginary)
I touch (an imaginary touch)
I worry (something that really bothers you)
I cry (something that makes you very sad)

THIRD STANZA
I understand (something you know is true)
I say (something you believe in)
I dream (something you actually dream about)
I try (something you really make an effort about)
I hope (something you actually hope for)
I am (the first line of the poem repeated)

Read Up and Write On!

Transactional Journal Entries

After completing three reading assignments, and the corresponding Reading Journal Entry), students have been writing Transactional Journal Entries. The second of these is due Monday or Tuesday (only if they are in the "Green" class.

Below are just a few examples of some of the very nice work I received (along with the prompt option which elicited them) from a few of our students:

Prompt 2, Personal Reaction: "Create a piece of writing that describes and explains a personal reaction to a character, place or event in the text." Personal Reaction Student Sample

Prompt 4, Five Star Quote: React, respond and explicate a “five star quote” of your choice. A “five star quote” is a quote that “jumps off the page” at you for any number of reasons. It may be aphoristic, profound, humorous, universal, or any reason you choose. For clarity, you must include the entire quote somewhere in the entry. Five Star Quote Student Sample

Prompt 5, Original Writing Student: "Create an original piece of writing that is inspired by the novel; it may be a poem, short story, short drama or section of dialogue, advertisement, review, etc. (only one of this type of entry is allowed)." Original Student Writing Student Sample

Ask your student this weekend: "Is what you've prepared to turn in next weekend on par with those on the blog?"

Read Up and Write On!

Homework for December 7

Green Class

1. No Homework, except for
2. EXTRA CREDIT! Complete Where the Red Fern Grows Chapter XIX and XX questions on loose-leaf.

Red Class

1. Complete preparation of a visual aide (PowerPoint slides or poster) for use in sharing your myth/folktale. If you opt to make a PowerPoint, be sure to print of slides for submission.

Read Up and Write On!

Myth-ter Scott's Projects Roll On...(with Example!)

Work continued in the Athena Middle School Library yesterday, on the Unit 2 Library Project. Students completed their review of authentic Native American Myths, and in doing so, worked on the skills of identifying the authors' purpose, as well as, determining whether or not they felt the author accomplished their intended purpose.

By looking at existing Native American myths and folktales, students gained some insight into 1) successfully selecting and working within a defined purpose (entertainment, persuasion or informing) when writing and 2) assessing what elements are necessary in a myth/folktale to successfully meet that intended purpose. Students should arrive to class today (Thursday and Friday) with their myths to review.

With the first of their "products" completed, students will then move on to working on developing a visual aide for use in sharing their myth/folktale. The visual aide expectation fro this activity can be met a number of different ways. Some suggestions inlcude: a brief (2-3) series of Power Point slides, puppets, a storyboard, comic strip or a poster, which can used by the student in sharing their myth or folktale with the class. A PowerPoint model based on "The Legend of the Red Fern," from our novel, will be shared with students in class and they will then have the opportunity to work independently with the time remaining in class.

Here's the example that I shared with the class today in school:
The Legend of the Red Fern

Read Up and Write On!

Homework for December 6

Yellow Class

1. Complete preparation of a visual aide (PowerPoint slides or poster) for use in sharing your myth/folktale. If you opt to make a PowerPoint, be sure to print of slides for submission.

Blue Class

1. Complete preparation of a visual aide (PowerPoint slides or poster) for use in sharing your myth/folktale. If you opt to make a PowerPoint, be sure to print of slides for submission.

Green Class

1. Read Chapter XX of Where the Red Fern Grows.

Read Up and Write On!