Week of September 10-14
Revised Syllabus
Personal Essays/Elements of Writing - Beginnings
Monday, September 10
Review New Syllabus
Review 6-Traits Writing
Peer edit personal essays using 6-Traits rubric
Revise
Tuesday:
Genres in creative writing:
Essays, historical
fiction, science fiction, memoir, fiction, plays, poetry.
Elements of Writing: #1) Beginnings
Read examples together and take Cornell Notes
Question: What methods did author use to grab the reader's attention?
Refer to 6 Traits of Writing
Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin, p. 276
Skin Hunger by Kathleen Duey p. 8
Write a great beginning for your own short story or chapter from novel
Share
Wednesday:
Dialogue
How is dialogue used?
Conventions of dialogue
Read examples of good and bad dialogue
How to Write a Dam Good Novel by James N. Frey
Write dialogue that reveals character.
Share
Friday:
Final revisions on Personal Essays in lab
Update blogs and post essay and 2-voice poems
New Syllabus
Course
Description:
This
one-semester course will explore the elements of good writing through the Six
Trait Assessment Model. (See below for text.) The six traits we will refer to are: ideas, organization, voice, word
choice, sentence fluency, and conventions. We will learn to distinguish between different genre’s
including, non-fiction: personal essay, memoir, historical fiction, science
fiction, fiction, short story, plays, and poetry. Elements to be studied
include: characterization, dialogue, premise, viewpoint, pacing, plot, and
poetic forms. Attention to basic conventions; i.e. grammar, spelling,
punctuation, etc. will be inherent in all writing. Specific readings (handouts
by me) will be used for modeling and analysis.
Schedule:
August/September: Personal Essay. This I Believe.
Learn
to recognize various genres in the creative writing venue: Essays, historical
fiction, science fiction, memoir, fiction, plays, poetry.
October: Learn to recognize
the elements of writing in short assignments, including characterization,
dialogue, premise, viewpoint, pacing, plot, and poetic forms, as they relate to
student’s individual projects. Appropriate readings will be provided.
November: Apply elements above to final
piece of writing; i.e. short story, first three chapters of novel. Final piece
will be posted on student-created personal blog.
December: Poetic forms: Folk Ballad, Haiku,
Limerick, Sonnet, Sestina
Materials to
Bring to Class:
Bring
daily:
- 3-ring binder with dividers:
Current Work; Vocabulary; Graded Work; Procedures
- journal: a composition book or
dedicated spiral notebook
- planner
- notebook paper
- pens—blue or black ink only
- texts/handouts as assigned
We will write in our journals regularly to a variety of
prompts that will inspire us to utilize the writing elements studied. The
guidelines for journaling include filling the time, filling the page, and
writing beyond the point where we think we have nothing left to say.
Proper Format for
Papers:
We will use MLA (Modern Language
Association) format for headings, essays and documentation of research sources.
Completed work may be typed or handwritten neatly in blue or black ink.
Heading—in upper left-hand corner of
the paper:
Student’s first and last name
Instructor’s name: Ms. Boochever
Class name: Honors/American Literature
Date:
In-Class/Out-of-Class Assigned
Work: Most of the writing will be done in-class, however; some
will be assigned to be done outside of class. It is extremely important that
you keep up with the assignments. We have a limited amount of time to cover a
lot of material. We can't possibly do it all in-class. If you get behind, it
will be difficult to catch up. STAY ON TOP OF YOUR ASSIGNMENTS, and engage in
the class discussions, and your reward will be a fun and interesting class AND
a good grade.
Alaska State Standards
English/Language
Arts
This course will be taught to district standards
which are available for review using the Juneau School District website under
the District Information: Core Content
Standards menu item: http://www.jsd.k12.ak.us
Assessment:
Peer editing will be utilized along
with one-on-one-conferencing with instructor. Students will create a ‘blog’
that will serve as a sharing venue. Please note that grades are cumulative
throughout the semester, per Juneau School District Board of Education Policy
(#5420R).
For grading purposes, assessments will be based on the
6-Traits Writing Rubric with corresponding points assigned to each trait.
A = 90%-100%
B = 80% - 89%
C = 70% - 79%
B = 80% - 89%
C = 70% - 79%
D = 60% - 69%
F = 0% - 59%
“INC” = Incomplete
Assignment categories are weighted: Every assignment serves
a significant and specific purpose. While the point value of a homework
assignment or activity may seem negligible, the practice is essential to
develop skills.
40% - Unit assessments, including final writing projects,
essays, writing process activities.
35% - Homework, in-class skills practice
25% - Participation, notes, presentations and cooperative
learning activities (peer editing).
