Writing Craft Techniques: Participles - Leads - Figurative Language

Word Level - Addding adjectives like professionsal writers

Paragraph level - Craft moves to create openings

Language - Adding figurative techniques

Writer's Craft TECHNIQUES

Final draft  - Make a copy of this file and drop it into the RLA folder

Which craft moves will you have in your piece?

Adding symbolism to writing

Planning a Scene

TRi Time Toolkit - This is for my HB. There are lots of resources on here for your Tritime.

Lesson Recap

Scene planning - You need to finish your scene plan for class tomorrow. Your graphic organizer MUST be filled in.

Exemplary Paper - How will yours compare?

Title of Story: Draw on Iron Bars

The water splashes my face and wakes me up to a dreary day. It’s identical to the dreary days that came before and the dreary days that will come after. Luckily, the sink is only a few steps away from my bed, as I’m already not able to walk around the white compound by myself. It doesn’t bother me too much, for I’ve never been one to love wandering a boring white hospital amongst worried visitors and identically clad patients. The stench of fear, misery, vomit and generously dispersed disinfectant is enough to drive anyone away. Instead, I spend most of my free time watching the television. I reach for a paper towel and dry my hands.

My parents swear they try to visit. Whenever they repeatedly apologize over the phone, I want to hate them for their absence. That’s always followed by guilt. After all, it is my body’s fault for the fresh lines on their face and the extra holes in their shirts. They can pretend the holes doesn’t exist. We all know they do.

That hurts. To know that the thrifty fashionista my mom used to be, gives up the sales and night markets to doll up a ticking time bomb. That my father calls everyday on his way to work, as if hugging and protecting the cold orb will stop its foreboding ticking. Anyone in their right mind, would throw a bomb as far away as possible. I know this, while I watch them in their painfully happy facade. But I’m not stupid. Fifteen days turned to twenty-eight. Twenty-eight to thirty-five, and the money is still draining down a bottomless pit.

I glance at myself one last time in the mirror. Dark circles under my eyes. A dull, empty look. Pale complexion. Rashes. A bald head. I used to wear a wig, an expensive, glossy and elegant wig, back when I cared. Back when I believed my appearance mattered more than the itchy, sweaty feeling. But, what’s the point of decorating a prison cell? I turn away from the sink with a surprisingly smooth motion. Today was a good day. My mind wasn’t as blurry and hazy, and my train of thought was surprisingly fluid. Ish. Maybe I’d actually finish a few episodes of the Big Bang Theory without forgetting halfway the plot halfway through. I really have my priorities straight.

I rush back to my bed with my turtle pace and slight nausea. I know the steps by heart, and I keep my eyes straight ahead at the rows and rows of identical white beds, matching the white walls, white doors and white labcoats. For the past few days, I haven’t really thought about too much. Maybe it’s hard to think with so many tubes and annoying machines around you, or maybe it’s hard to think when you’re locked in your own jail of a body with the execution date labeled on your forehead. I sluggishly lay back in my pillow-lined coffin and watch as a nurse hurriedly buzzes towards me, hooking me back up to some leukemia-related machine.

Closing my weary eyes, I try to drift away. Suddenly, something pokes me in the arm. I groan with an incredible amount of annoyance for a girl who knew very well she wouldn’t have fallen asleep. The eight year old boy who usually occupies the bed to my left is standing over my body. He’s only just been admitted into the hospital, and I usually just ignore him and his restlessness.

“Hi. Um, I know I don’t really know you, the nurse said that your mommy said that you can draw really well.” I stared at him in confusion, I hadn’t drawn in years. As he shifted from side to side, I didn’t even attempt to save him. “Yeah, so, my mommy wants me to make friends, and I really like drawing,” He glances sheepishly at the floor, before procuring an object from behind his back.

“This is for you.” I glanced dumbfounded at the new notebook in his hand. Optimus Prime was staring valiantly back up at me from the front page. Feeling a little awkward and confused, I smiled and accepted the Transformers book. I don’t know what he’d say if I told him right now that I’d never watched the Transformer movies.

“Thank you so much,” I say instead. My tone sounds forced even through my own ears.

“I have an idea,” he pulls out his own Bumblebee notebook, “I think we should draw pictures to put up on the walls and you know, make this place happier. We can draw cars or robots or ponies,” he pulled a face and I tried not to giggle, “We can fill up this entire wall with collages,” his eyes brightened, “Oooh, and maybe, we can draw portraits of other people for money.” His wild gesturing stopped and he cautiously flipped to a page in his own barely used book. “I already drew one of you, you don’t have to pay me or anything, I know it’s bad, but maybe you could also teach me?”

I was staring back at a mirror image, well sort of, of me. A bald stickman with googly eyes and a wide, wide smile. Instead of faded blue uniforms, I was clothed in an outfit I wouldn’t exactly choose myself. A flowery skirt and a baggy yellow shirt. I covered my mouth, but this time, the laugh rang loud and clear. My gaze shifted to the boy next to me. The boy with bright eyes and a wide, wide smile.

A dam broke inside of me. Nearly toppling out of my bed and ignoring the sharp pain in my side, I reached out and tightly hugged the confused boy. We may be in a jail cell, but we can always draw on the iron bars and paint over the emptiness. Nothing’s to stop us, from singing, laughing and drawing.

“I’d love to teach you!”

Who's got the power?

Recap - Ways authors show power in stories!

What will your outline be like?

Be prepared to share your outline in class on the Monday we return from Spring Break

Make sure you finish your next book (the book you are reading for inspiration for your RF -social issues story) over Spring Break

Outlining and Character Building

Capturing the Heart of your piece

Lesson Recap

Weaving in our social issue to create meaningful writing

C/D and E/F class tomorrow - BOOK CLUB Summative Talks - These talks will be video taped.

See this sample from last year

Lesson Recap - Absolutes

E/F and C/D - Your book club talk should be ready for Tuesday

Remember - notebook inspections this week

All Classes

You should have collected and completed your research on your course  of study by Wed.   (This is the topic you are planning to write your realsitic fiction social issue paper  about) You must be able to talk about what you have learned about your topic and how you plan to use that information in your piece. Make sure you have a way of collecting your research

 You must have notes (for inspection) that shows your research on your social issue  topic

Example: 

Choose a social issue video to watch and begin creating your course of study. Next week you will read fiction and nonfiction text about your social issue and WRITE many short scenes realted to your fiction story. Monday will be a RESEARCH day. You need to be reading as much about your topic BEFORE you write your story.

Social Issues Topics


Best claims for today

Intertextuality - Build a Course of Study

Sentence Fluency RETAKE OF RETAKE

Make one copy of this file as a book club: http://padlet.com/rbuxton1/oj1m08505pnp

Use this link for today's class: Intertextuality Practice

H/W - Bring one link  that relates in some way to a big idea in your book club text. This can be a song, poem, video clip, magazine article, poster. In Thursday's class, you will work as a book club on your second summative assessment using these links. Do not let your team down by forgetting to bring something in!  - DUE FRI  -  G/H - DUE MONDAY - 

All teams must have a padlet for inspection - responsibility grade given. Remember the SAS database as an option - only try to think out of the box when choosing your sources

Enjoy a recap of the POScars 2017 champion performance

Course of Study - For next week

LENS OF RACE:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/26/education/black-at-stuyvesant-high-one-girls- experience.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/education/at-explore-charter-school-a-portrait-of- segregated-education.html?pagewanted=all
https://www.newsela.com/articles/teachers-diversity/id/3846/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/01/19/scholastic-pulls- childrens-book-starring-george-washingtons-happy-slaves/
LENS OF CLASS:
https://www.newsela.com/articles/homeless-kids/id/27/
http://www.citylimits.org/news/articles/4936/class-in-the-classroom-the-income-gap-and-nyc-s- schools#.U2vyPK1dWuo
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/inside-a-divided-upper-east-side-public-school-6428826
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/majority-of-us-public-school-students-are-in- poverty/2015/01/15/df7171d0-9ce9-11e4-a7ee-526210d665b4_story.html
LENS OF GENDER:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/magazine/02sex3-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&emc=eta1
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/14/are-toys-too-gender-specific/ http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/08/07/3468380/gender-roles-health-risks/
http://sociology.about.com/od/Current-Events-in-Sociological-Context/fl/Full-Transcript-of- Emma-Watsons-Speech-on-Gender-Equality-at-the-UN.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/07/education/edlife/in-oakland-building-boys-into-men.html
LENS OF IMMIGRATION:
http://indykids.org/main/2014/09/the-child-migrant-crisis/
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2015/09/10/immigration-demagogues-like-donald- trump-are-hurting-children
Duplicate with permission only
Please contact permissions@readingandwritingproject.com DRAFT 2016-2017 ©

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Teachers College Reading and Writing Project Reading Curricular Calendar, Sixth Grade, 2016-2017 Social Issues Book Clubs: Developing Critical Literacies
http://www.kidsdiscover.com/shop/issues/immigration-for-kids/ http://time.com/4050914/1965-immigration-act-pew/
http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2016/04/03/new-app-helps-undocumented-immigrants-find-college- scholarships
LENS OF RELIGION:
http://indykids.org/main/2016/03/salam-i-come-in-peace-muslims-stand-up-against- islamophobia/
http://www.tolerance.org/sites/default/files/general/tt_debunking_misconceptions_0.pdf http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-43-spring-2013/religion-locker-room
http://www.colorlines.com/articles/study-trump-effect-gives-children-color-alarming-level-fear- and-anxiety
LENS OF LANGUAGE:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/dual-language-classes-for-kids-grow-in-popularity-1459535318
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/bilingual-education-nyc-set-big-expansion- article-1.2587215
https://www.ted.com/talks/jamila_lyiscott_3_ways_to_speak_english?language=en
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/28/travel/making-language-immersion-fun-for-the- kids.html?_r=0 

Role of Supporting Characters

Lesson Recap 

No H/W - Read! - Your 2nd book must be finished by Friday

Reminder: If you wish to retake the grammar test this Thursday during ASK THIS IS THE LAST CHANCE , then you must provide evidence of further studying before this day.

Hint - Learn the rules of compound and complex sentences!

Practice exercises

Sentence Fluency: Test Practice Exercises -

http://www.csus.edu/owl/index/sent/clause_quiz.htm

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/language_arts/goforgold/content_builder/dswmedia/g4c26/nadia.htm

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/sensort/index_pre.html

http://itech.pjc.edu/writinglab/senpat.htm types of sentences

http://eslbee.com/cgi-bin/quiztest.cgi?helenkeller

http://webschool.wash.k12.ut.us/language/lessons/compoundsentences.html

http://www.quia.com/pop/37751.html

http://www.quia.com/quiz/242899.html?AP_rand=1383585617

http://www.quia.com/quiz/299540.html (ignore question 13 and 16)

http://www.quia.com/rr/126726.html

Some of the questions on this exercise, we have not covered yet...but we will. Try it for fun!

http://www.quia.com/quiz/815621.html?AP_rand=60951870

TEST PRACTICE: ASK the Teacher sheet

Social Issues Writing - Generating Ideas

Reminder: If you wish to retake the grammar test this Thursday during ASK THIS IS THE LAST CHANCE , then you must provide evidence of further studying before this day.

Today's Recap - Writing scenes that indirectly hint at a social issue

Generating Ideas:  Humans of New York

Social issue videos

H/W - ALL CLASSES

Read this scene. Write a comment at the end of the post saying what the author has done to show the social issue

Mentor Sample - What moves has this writer made? How will yours compare?

Title of Story: Draw on Iron Bars

The water splashes my face and wakes me up to a dreary day. It’s identical to the dreary days that came before and the dreary days that will come after. Luckily, the sink is only a few steps away from my bed, as I’m already not able to walk around the white compound by myself. It doesn’t bother me too much, for I’ve never been one to love wandering a boring white hospital amongst worried visitors and identically clad patients. The stench of fear, misery, vomit and generously dispersed disinfectant is enough to drive anyone away. Instead, I spend most of my free time watching the television. I reach for a paper towel and dry my hands.

My parents swear they try to visit. Whenever they repeatedly apologize over the phone, I want to hate them for their absence. That’s always followed by guilt. After all, it is my body’s fault for the fresh lines on their face and the extra holes in their shirts. They can pretend the holes doesn’t exist. We all know they do.

That hurts. To know that the thrifty fashionista my mom used to be, gives up the sales and night markets to doll up a ticking time bomb. That my father calls everyday on his way to work, as if hugging and protecting the cold orb will stop its foreboding ticking. Anyone in their right mind, would throw a bomb as far away as possible. I know this, while I watch them in their painfully happy facade. But I’m not stupid. Fifteen days turned to twenty-eight. Twenty-eight to thirty-five, and the money is still draining down a bottomless pit.

I glance at myself one last time in the mirror. Dark circles under my eyes. A dull, empty look. Pale complexion. Rashes. A bald head. I used to wear a wig, an expensive, glossy and elegant wig, back when I cared. Back when I believed my appearance mattered more than the itchy, sweaty feeling. But, what’s the point of decorating a prison cell? I turn away from the sink with a surprisingly smooth motion. Today was a good day. My mind wasn’t as blurry and hazy, and my train of thought was surprisingly fluid. Ish. Maybe I’d actually finish a few episodes of the Big Bang Theory without forgetting halfway the plot halfway through. I really have my priorities straight.

I rush back to my bed with my turtle pace and slight nausea. I know the steps by heart, and I keep my eyes straight ahead at the rows and rows of identical white beds, matching the white walls, white doors and white labcoats. For the past few days, I haven’t really thought about too much. Maybe it’s hard to think with so many tubes and annoying machines around you, or maybe it’s hard to think when you’re locked in your own jail of a body with the execution date labeled on your forehead. I sluggishly lay back in my pillow-lined coffin and watch as a nurse hurriedly buzzes towards me, hooking me back up to some leukemia-related machine.

Closing my weary eyes, I try to drift away. Suddenly, something pokes me in the arm. I groan with an incredible amount of annoyance for a girl who knew very well she wouldn’t have fallen asleep. The eight year old boy who usually occupies the bed to my left is standing over my body. He’s only just been admitted into the hospital, and I usually just ignore him and his restlessness.

“Hi. Um, I know I don’t really know you, the nurse said that your mommy said that you can draw really well.” I stared at him in confusion, I hadn’t drawn in years. As he shifted from side to side, I didn’t even attempt to save him. “Yeah, so, my mommy wants me to make friends, and I really like drawing,” He glances sheepishly at the floor, before procuring an object from behind his back.

“This is for you.” I glanced dumbfounded at the new notebook in his hand. Optimus Prime was staring valiantly back up at me from the front page. Feeling a little awkward and confused, I smiled and accepted the Transformers book. I don’t know what he’d say if I told him right now that I’d never watched the Transformer movies.

“Thank you so much,” I say instead. My tone sounds forced even through my own ears.

“I have an idea,” he pulls out his own Bumblebee notebook, “I think we should draw pictures to put up on the walls and you know, make this place happier. We can draw cars or robots or ponies,” he pulled a face and I tried not to giggle, “We can fill up this entire wall with collages,” his eyes brightened, “Oooh, and maybe, we can draw portraits of other people for money.” His wild gesturing stopped and he cautiously flipped to a page in his own barely used book. “I already drew one of you, you don’t have to pay me or anything, I know it’s bad, but maybe you could also teach me?”

I was staring back at a mirror image, well sort of, of me. A bald stickman with googly eyes and a wide, wide smile. Instead of faded blue uniforms, I was clothed in an outfit I wouldn’t exactly choose myself. A flowery skirt and a baggy yellow shirt. I covered my mouth, but this time, the laugh rang loud and clear. My gaze shifted to the boy next to me. The boy with bright eyes and a wide, wide smile.

A dam broke inside of me. Nearly toppling out of my bed and ignoring the sharp pain in my side, I reached out and tightly hugged the confused boy. We may be in a jail cell, but we can always draw on the iron bars and paint over the emptiness. Nothing’s to stop us, from singing, laughing and drawing. “I’d love to teach you!”

Connecting Research to Reading about Social Issues

Lesson Recap

You will have 15mins of Monday's class to turn in your finished piece.

Internal/External Conflcit

Next week you will be assessed on your 'BEST' reading notebook page - How good will yours be?

We all have pressure - knowing when, where, and how to realize the pressure if often how best to discuss character change or growth.

Membean test tomorrow.

Reading from different perspectives

Sentence Clauses RETAKE TEST

Reminder: If you wish to retake the grammar test this Thursday during ASK, then you must provide evidence of further studying before this day.

This is a MEMBEAN week - You will have your Membean test FRIDAY

HB - Reminder from today's chat...


Lesson Recap

Reminder: If you wish to retake the grammar test this Thursday during ASK, then you must provide evidence of further studying before this day.

This is a MEMBEAN week - You will have your Membean test FRIDAY

Lesson Recap

POSCARS Voting Link

Lesson Recap

How author's develop social issues

Lesson Recap

Read your book club books. No other H/W. ' Make  your thinking visible


You will be asked to write a sticky at some stage in class tomorrow that shows your best thinking.

Sentence Fluency Test

You may refer to the cards on the desk (FANBOYS or AAWWIBBUSS)

H/W - Just enjoy your reading tonight.  You have been working hard recently! Agree as a book club what page to read to.

If your Top 10 is not in Seesaw AS A VIDEO - by the end of the day WEDNESDAY - it is considered late. Make sure your final poem is at the end of it.

Summative

For all of those who regularly check my blog, you now have an advantage! This is a poem that you must interpret for your summative in Monday's class. I am giving it in advance, so you have more time to do your thinking. You cannot discuss this poem with a parent or classmate. You can look at ANY of your poetry notes. All answers will be written in class on pencil and paper on MONDAY. Any notes you make before class, can be used in class.

Discuss how a PART of the poem (word, image, phrase, line, or stanza) plays a role in creating the WHOLE poem. Be sure to talk about HOW the part develops the larger IDEA/MEANING of the poem. Use everything you know about close reading and analyzing literature as you show your thinking and support it.

To Look at Anything

John Moffitt

To look at anything,

If you would know that thing,

You must look at it long:

To look at this green and say,

“I have seen spring in these

Woods,” will not do – you must

Be the thing you see:

You must be the dark snakes of

Stems and ferny plumes of leaves,

You must enter in

To the small silences between

The leaves,

You must take your time

And touch the very peace

They issue from.


Rubric
Two grades - one for ideas, one for use of evidence

SHINE....

End of Poetry Unit: Expectations

These are the final ADAPTED instructions for your independent work going forward
This sentence fluency grammar test is postponed until next Wednesday to give you more time to study the links on the blog!

ALL CLASSES
1) Create your final poem and author's note  (Really should be ready by end of class Friday) 
This is your best written poem (new or second/third version) of a previous poem. This poem will go on your poetry top 10 as your last slide (slide 11)

2) Create your Poetry top 10 - DUE DATE EXTENED til - END OF CLASS Tuesday

3. Write using sentence fluency an explanation of each slide (Due Tuesday)

e.g. Metric Verse 

There are 5 types of Poetic feet, and you can see that in the picture above. These each represent the amount of unstressed and stressed syllables in a section or number there are since that is very important for the rhythm of the poem. Also there number of feet per line. For example, If an Iambic, 1 unstressed and one stressed syllable, showed up in a line 5 times, it would be called Iambic Pentameter.

4) Memorize the poem you want to use in the POscars (Due Monday) - You will be graded on PIPES SUMMATIVE for your performance and invited or NOT to the POSCars!