April 25, 2017 - Tuesday

Class Work

1. Print a paper copy of your "war" essay and give it to me. Feel free to take the next 5-10 minutes to go into the hall and use other computers and printers. Thanks!

2. Something new!
Getting ready to write a memoir. 

• Define "memoir"
•   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b10Q2pc_pl4 (Ten tips) or https://theamericanscholar.org/how-to-write-a-memoir/#.WAhZ-48rKUk (Voice of an expert author)
• http://www.barbaradoyen.com/writing-nonfiction/what-is-a-memoir-what-makes-a-memoir-different-from-an-autobiography-or-biography (Good tips!)
• Take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLHkuSpJxPs (Video)
• Working with the other students at your table, create a definition of "memoir" as it applies to writing. Post your definition on the board. 
• Read and analyze three samples:
• "Working Cattle - We'd Hate to Love It" by Kevin Hoogendoornor http://english-iv-honors-e-block.sutton.hs.schoolfusion.us/modules/locker/files/get_group_file.phtml?gid=4440989&fid=26275658 
• "Fish Cheeks" by Amy Tan and http://www.mpsaz.org/rmhs/staff/dmsokol/101/files/amy_tan_fish_cheeks_.pdf
• ·         "Chariots of My People" by Rick Bragg http://www.southernliving.com/culture/rick-bragg-truck-make-model?xid=sl_socialflow_facebook
  ·          
  ·         "A Charmed Life" by Wade Rouse (Handout only)
  ·         "If Only"by Paul Monahan https://arielstess.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/narration-longman.pd
  ·          
  o    Look at the check list for writing narratives. A memoir is a type of narrative.
  
  

Narrative
Language
Voice
Lesson learned.

Homework (60 points)

Start thinking about an event from your life that you could use to write a memoir. Bring in a paper copy of three possible ideas. Also post in CANVAS. 
For each - 
1. Briefly relay the story. Just start writing for five minutes - that's five minutes for each idea.
2. Identify the people involved
3. State the "lesson learned."

April 20, 2017 - Thursday

Class Work

1. The ending . . . (class activity)  Print essay. You will need the entire essay for the second activity.
A. You will meet with a partner - just one - and complete the following:

    

Questions for the Conclusion

Listen to your partner read. Then react to the conclusion. Did your partner do any of the following?

1.      Propose a plan of action? If so, what does your partner want you to do?

Is it cost and/or time effective? _____

2.      Answer, "What's the point?" Do you know what, if anything you are supposed to know or care about, or do as a result of the essay? Explain.

3.      Did the conclusion leave you knowing that it was the conclusion? How did you know?

4.      Were there any powerful words, phrases, sentences, or ideas? Note them. 

You will collect the reactions from two partners.

Personal Editing - In-text citations

1. Take out or call up your entire essay.  Using a highlighter, note all quotations that you borrowed word for word. These should be in quotation marks followed by ( Name, page # ). Or, you might be using the name of the source within the sentence. Both are correct. 

Examples: 

http://www.lcc.edu/library/help/citation/mla-in-text.pdf

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/2/

2. Use a different color to highlight any paraphrased information. You do not place this information in quotation marks, but you do give credit to the source. 

http://libguides.lmu.edu/c.php?g=324079&p=2174130

Take a look at the highlighted segments. There should be a balance of your original thoughts and the words and thoughts you borrow from others. Your words and thoughts, the part that is NOT highlighted, should make up most of your essay. The experts are just there to back up your powerful message.

3. Make sure that all cited sources in your essay appear on the Works Cited page - no extras!  

Required:  Three to five sources

Now, make sure the Works Cited page is in the correct form. Remember, EasyBib is your friend IF you click the links to create a Word document.

A. Alphabetized

B. Hanging indents

C. Proper punctuation

D. Double-spaced only

E. Regular font that matches the rest of your essay.

Samples: 

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/05/

https://www.google.com/search?q=mla+8+works+cited+page+example&espv=2&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwj98L6Js7PTAhXJlFQKHbk6CZUQsAQILw&biw=1920&bih=950#imgrc=2dpzhZKdACw57M:

Homework

Revise and post your essay in Canvas by the beginning o

Reminders;
1. MLA 8 formatting

2. Title page

3. In-text citations

4. Works Cited page

5. Double spaced throughout - no bold print

6. Header

7. Title centered

6. Three to five pages - not including the Works Cited page or the Title page

April 18, 2017 - Tuesday

Class Work

1. Copy/paste/print your introduction. Write your name on the back of the print-out. Do not put your name on the front. Give the introduction to me.

2. You will be reading five introductions Rate each. Share with the owner before moving on to the next introduction.

3. By the end of the activity, you should hear from 3-5 readers. Use the information to polish your work.

4. Conclusions:
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/conclusions/

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L7aeO9fBzE

5. Looking at sentences/sentence variety! https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/573/01/

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/engagement/2/2/60/

So What game: http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/conclusions/

Natural Reader is an app for smart phones that will read your essay to you. This allows you to follow along and make changes! 

Homework

Write the rest of your essay.

Use MLA style - See last Thursday' s blog for links.

Include in-text citations. The link to the sample papers is on last Thursday's blog. 

April 13, 2017 - Thursday

Class Work

1. At your table, share your graphic organizer. Explain what you hope to prove with your essay. What is your message?

2.For homework, you will be writing the draft. This of this as an essay in three parts.

A. Introduction - your goal is to capture the attention of the audience. As a class, let's brainstorm ways to accomplish that! http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/intros.htm

B. Body - you need at least three strong examples that prove your point. Include art, music, literature, news, personal examples, interviews, movies, strong quotations, etc. All of this amounts to powerful evidence. Today, you will interview two classmates and find out what they know about your topic. 

     - Create five strong questions.

     - Ask for the correct spelling of the name.

     -Ask permission to use their statements in your essay, if you decide that the information would enhance your writing.

     - Take notes. Post your notes in CANVAS.

C. Conclusion - What do you want the readers to know and to do once they have read your essay? What techniques can you use to make sure that this happens? http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/endings.htm

In addition, you need to include in-text citations and a Works Cited page. 

https://depts.washington.edu/owrc/Handouts/Hacker-Sample%20MLA%20Formatted%20Paper.pdf

A little more about war . . . 

Viewing; 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td1uPq9K--E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lmn3Ihrzffo

Readings: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/45392

Audio; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhWgG42NhLU

April 11, 2017 - Tuesday

Class Work

1. Looking at art - in-class activity -
2.
What's next? See handout.

The Impact of War

What is your topic?  How does war impact civilians? How does war impact soldiers? What is the aftermath of battle? What topics can be generated that relate to the topic? What topic did you select?

What is worth the cost of life?

How do we honor our soldiers? This could be a study of homecomings over time. You could also research military cemeteries or burial sites. Consider the tomb of the unknown  soldier for example.  Why do societies honor those whose identities are not known? Why are swords/crosses in military battle fields? What animals have played a powerful role in war?

You must have:

1.       An art selection

2.       Research from at least three respected sites

3.       One  interview with a  family member, friend, or classmate

4.       A quotation from literature or music or other famous source

5.       A news link (old or new)

6.       Reference to a play, movie, or television show

Possible topics

1.       The music of war

2.       Honoring those who died – final resting places

3.       War in art

4.       War in the movies or on stage

5.       Those left behind

6.       Preparing for battle

7.       Why We Fight

8.       Unlikely Heroes

9.       Dogs in combat
   Horses in combat
Weapons of war
  Prisoners of war
Other . . .

You need to decide how to organize your essay. What pattern of organization works best for your topic? For homework, create a graphic organizer that will guide the writing of your essay. Listen in class for examples. Take notes.

1.       Comparison/Contrast 2.       Classification 3.       Definition 4.       Cause/Effect 5.       Problem/Solution 6.       Argument/Position

7.Chronological Order 8. News style/ Who, What, When, Where, Why, How? 9. Narrative 10.  Description 11. Question & Answer 12 Explanation and analysis

Samples:

https://valenciacollege.edu/wp/cssc/documents/OrganizationalPatternsinAcademicWriting.pdf

https://www.google.com/search?q=patterns+of+organization+worksheet&espv=2&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi7vKPejJ3TAhWKxFQKHW5JDXAQsAQIdg&biw=1920&bih=950&dpr=1

Homework: Create and fill in a graphic organizer for your war essay. At the top, clearly state your topic and the pattern you have selected. Post in CANVAS by Thursday, April 13, 2017. 

No Class on Thursday, April 6, 2017

We will NOT be meeting today.

Finish the War and Art assignment. It will count as a work in progress. The art you select must relate to the war topic you have chosen.

This is the assignment. Answer the questions and post in CANVAS. Also, post a URL link to  your art or post a copy of the art.

Looking at Art -

• What is the title of the work? How does the title help you to understand the message? What is the message?
• What is the most obvious image in the work. To where is your eye drawn?
• Look at the colors. Are they symbolic? Would the message be different if the colors were different? Explain.
• Study the shading and shadowing. How do these elements impact the overall message?
• Who is the artist? When was the work created? Is the artist's message about a specific event in the history of war? What was going on in the world when the work was created? Is the art universal - speaks to people of all times and in all places in all wars, or is it limited to the audience for whom it was created?
• How does the work relate war  in the 20th and 21^st centuries?      

Let me know if you have questions.

Enjoy the gift of time!

Tuesday

This was the homework:
Begin "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien. You need to make a list of the things carried by each character. Some carry actual objects. Others carry emotional burdens. Some carry both. Post your lists on Canvas. Clearly list what each carried. Also, write two sentences explaining what you know about the characters as a result of the things that they carried.

http://pages.uoregon.edu/eherman/teaching/texts/OBrien_TheThingsTheyCarried.pdf 

Class Work
1. You will be asked to work with one or two others to note the things that they carried in the story. Some of the things are physical. Some are mental. Make a list of the physical things they all carried. Note the weight and total it. 
2. Make a list of the mental/emotional things carried by some. How did the soldiers deal with the emotional/mental weight?

3. Compare and contrast the things carried. Explain which was heavier. (Emotional/Physical) Group Activity

4. At your table, make a list of 10 possible topics for writing about "war". List on the board.

5. Select five of the topics and determine who needs to know about each. Explain. Why would the information be useful? 

This activity will be done on Thursday! Individual Activity: Locate a work of art related to war. Answer the following:

Looking at Art -

• What is the title of the work? How does the title help you to understand the message? What is the message?
• What is the most obvious image in the work. To where is your eye drawn?
• Look at the colors. Are they symbolic? Would the message be different if the colors were different? Explain.
• Study the shading and shadowing. How do these elements impact the overall message?
• Who is the artist? When was the work created? Is the artist's message about a specific event in the history of war? What was going on in the world when the work was created? Is the art universal - speaks to people of all times and in all places in all wars, or is it limited to the audience for whom it was created?
• How does the work relate war  in the 20th and 21^st centuries? 
•  
• Finish for homework.

Homework

Determine a topic. The topic may deal with emotional or physical aspects of war. 

Identify your audience. Explain who belongs to that audience and explain why the members of that audience need to know about your topic.

Begin your research. Locate three articles related to your topic. List three to five pieces of information that you might include in your essay. Post the URL, article title, and the information.