Fun Friday and Assignment check-in

To be graded this weekend:

4 Journal entries-- description here
6 word memoir--picture and blog post
I am poem
25 words story
Brown bag activity 
List of Firsts
Number poem
Nature experiences with personification 

Thursday, 1.28--significant person

Significant person....

Read this article here

1.27: Memoir: Significant place

Today, we are looking at a significant place

Agenda:
Read Monkey Garden in class and highlight descriptive words and phrases.
Look back at journal entry for descriptive words

Tuesday, 1.26: Nature memoir writing

Link for reading in class today: Blackie

Link for directions for class on Wednesday: HERE

• Do: journal entry
• Do: List of nature experiences with personification

Poetry Monday: Pick a Number!

Today's poem:

I will give you a number between 1-17. Write a poem about something (or more than one thing) that happened to you at that age. For example, if I had the number 7, I could write about moving to a new school. Or if I had the number 12, I could write about starting middle school, and having a huge crush on a guy named Brett. You may need to be creative with what you write about, especially if your memories are fuzzy like mine.

Details:

• You MUST have TWO other people read your poem and make suggestions
• Post a copy to your blog by MIDNIGHT tonight
• Poem should be at least 10 lines
• Follow any format you like for a poem

Wednesday, 1.20: Memoir Characteristics

Memoir characteristics to remember for the next couple weeks:

• Reflective
• In-depth look at an incident/series
• New understanding/insight
•  Non-fiction
• Usually told in past tense
• Written in 1st person
• Conversational tone

Tuesday, 1.19: Firsts

Our first unit will be a memoir. We'll look at some examples, then write one at the end of the unit.

 Click here to read My First Conk by Malcolm X. (A conk is derived from congolene, a hair straightener gel made from lye) was a hairstyle popular among African-Americanmen from the 1920s to the 1960s. This hairstyle called for a man with naturally "kinky" hair to have it chemically straightened using a relaxer (sometimes the pure corrosive chemical lye), so that the newly straightened hair could be styled in specific ways) 

Take 15 minutes to read the article and identify key things that make this a good memoir, then we'll talk about it briefly.

After reading, take some time to answer these FIRST questions. Not all of them will apply to you, so skip those ones. Pick 10-15 to jot down a couple sentences/thoughts explaining the first. POST THESE TO YOUR BLOG WITH THE HEADING "FIRSTS"

First Kiss

First crush

First broken bone

First broken ego

First fight

First time I stood up for something in, even though I stood alone...

First time I experienced loneliness

First time I was outnumbered

First time I lost trust in someone or something

First regret

First thank you that you really meant

First jaw dropping moment

First time you felt like a grown up

First physical makeover (glasses, braces, etc.)

First proud moment

First embarrassing moment

First big purchase

First job

First pet

First funeral

First thrill seeking experience (skydiving, etc.)

First movie

First visit to the hospital

First “ah ha” moment/awakening moment

First time in trouble (as a child)

First time you let someone down

First time you were let down

First experience with spirituality

First experience with death

First experience with life

First time you overcame a fear

First time you experienced an injustice

Friday, 1.15 Agenda: Brown Bag activity

Fun Friday!!

Today, you were to come with an item from your house in a brown bag.

Thursday, 1.14: 6 word Memoirs

Assignment: 

• Create a 6 word memoir based on your life (not 5, not 7, but 6 words)  
• Write a paragraph description on your blog explaining your 6 word memoir.  Label it 

Details:

• 6 word memoir CAN NOT be a clique, come from a movie or already be a quote. Be original.  THINK about your life. 
• Using any photo editing app you'd like, make your picture. 
• Put your 6 word memoir on the picture with your name somewhere, and upload to Google Classroom.

Due:

• Picture and paragraph due by end of the day Friday.

Homework: bring an item from your house that you love. Should be small enough to fit in your brown paper bag and not alive. You will have to share your item eventually, so don't bring something you'd be embarrassed to share. 

Wednesday, 1.13: Agenda: 25 words

Today, we will go through this 25 words assignment. 

Post your story to your blog with the title "25 words"as a post.

Tuesday, 1.12: Setting up your blog

Instead of keeping a notebook in the classroom for your writing, you will be setting up your own blog (like this one!)  We will talk later about the expectations and requirements of this journal writing, but for now, you need to set one up!

1. Log on to Blogger and create a profile using your student email address.
    If you have a blog for another class, don't use that one; start a new one.

2. Give your blog a name...preferably your name, or some form of your name

3. Play around with themes. You can always change these things later.
4. Go to  this link to send Higgins your URL ASAP. 

5. Play around with adding pictures, adding widgets, changing the font and colors, etc. Customize it and make it your own!
6. Add a page at the top that is labeled "Journals" to add journal entries as we go this semester
7. You must "turn on" this journal page at the beginning. I'll walk you through how to do this.
7. Add your "I am" poem from yesterday as your first post.  Title should be 'I am', and you MUST put a label of #poetrymonday if you want it to be graded.


Today, play around with the different features, etc. and make your blog reflect your personality!

Monday, 1.11: Poetry Monday!

Mondays will be Poetry Monday!
Details:

• I will give the assignment at the beginning of the hour. You will the majority of class to write a rough draft. 
• You MUST have TWO other people read your poem and make suggestions
• You will bring a final copy to class tomorrow. 

Today's poem is "I am"--a formula poem, just to get started. Below is the formula.

I am           (two special characteristics)

I wonder     (something curious about)

I hear       (an imaginary sound)

I see    (an imaginary sight)

I want       (an actual desire)

I am           (first line again)

I pretend    (something you pretend to do)

I feel  (a feeling about smtg imaginary)

I embrace  (something you embrace)

I worry       (something that bothers you)

I cry  (something that makes you sad)

I am     (first line again)

I understand   (something you know is true)

I say      (something you believe in)

I dream       (something you dream about)

I try    (something you make an effort to do)

I hope       (something you hope for)

I am          (first line again)

Friday, 1.8: Agenda: Creativity Activity

Welcome to Fun Friday!

Today we're going to focus on being creative...thinking outside the box.

With the people at your table, rename things around the room that are listed on the board. You have until _____ to do this. Then we'll look at all the suggestions and vote!

Welcome to Creative Writing!

Welcome to a fun semester in Creative Writing!

First, a little paperwork:

1.  If you have a Twitter account, please follow @LN_EaglesView, the newspaper Twitter account and @KNET_News, the broadcasting account

3. Please go to this link and complete the form regarding the syllabus.

 

4. Please go to  this link and complete the form regarding YOU.

5. Join Google Classroom. Code is 58d8fp .

5. Bookmark this site! We will use it just about everyday.

 You’re all set for a semester in Creative Writing! Let me know when you've finished these steps.

1st assignment: I AM....

For your first assignment, you need to create an "I am" presentation to share with the class on THURSDAY.

Options to choose from:
1. iMovie
2. Smore
3. Tackk
4. Prezi
5. Powtoon
6. Or anything else digitally you'd like to use. NO Word documents, Powerpoints, Google Slides, etc.

Requirements to include:
1. Your name
2. Hobbies
3. Favorite song
4.  Sports/clubs/organizations involved with
5. Something you did this winter break
6. Favorite quote/saying; who said it? Why do you like it?
7. Pets? Don't just a stock pic of a generic pet; must be YOUR PET.
8. Somewhere you want to visit; why?

Be creative! Don't just say, "my favorite song is..." That's boring!

When finished, use this URL to turn in your assignment. MUST BE TURNED IN BY THURSDAY  BEFORE CLASS. If you choose Powtoon or iMovie, make sure you export to You Tube in order to get a URL. Let me know if you need help with this.