Monday, September 30, 2013

Revising your draft

Before you turn in your final draft:
1. Replace your old hook with a new hook that you wrote (and have possibly revised) in class.
2. Write a new/updated thesis (last 1-2 sentences of intro paragraph).  Note: perhaps circle the keywords of the quote and essay questions that you answered in order to write your thesis.
3.  Write/check for a topic sentence in every body paragraph.  Basically, IQA.
4.  Add in any transitions that you had added on transitions day.
5.  Rewrite/revise your conclusion.



Waving Your Magic Wand

  • Is the title representative of your topic and is it intriguing?
  • Is your opening sentence a “grabber” that uses a strong hook?
  • Are your opinions credible and backed up with support?
  • Have you wordsmithed thoroughly?  Have you chosen the best nouns, verbs, and adjectives?
  • Have you varied the length and structure of your sentences and paragraphs?
  • Are there sentence fragments and run-ons?
  • Have you capitalized all the proper nouns?
  • Have you checked all your commonly misspelled words: there/their/they're, your/you're, to/too/two, its/it's, good/well?
  • Have you shown more than you’ve told?
  • Have you provided sufficient description?
  • Have you provided TOO MUCH description?
  • Is the finished product something of which you are proud?

Sentencing



Review Games

Commonly Misspelled Words
Types of Sentences
More Types of Sentences
Conjunctions
The Conclusion Paragraph
Transitions and Conclusions
Transitions
Parts of Speech

Writing You Tube Videos



Friday, September 27, 2013

Writing Unit Study Guide



Study Guide: Writing Unit Assessment
Wednesday, October 2
Format:
Multiple Choice (definitions, purpose, identifying elements and examples of different terms, choosing the correct word that plugs into the sentence)
Writing in paragraphs (story is written, you fill in necessary elements)

Hooks:
·        Definition
·        What’s the point?
·        What are the eight types?
Conclusions:
·        Definition
·        What’s the point?
·        What are the four new styles?
Thesis statement:
·        Where does it go?
·        What does it do?
Commonly Misspelled Words: What are the differences?  When are they used?
·        Good/well
·        To/too/two
·        Its/it’s
·        You’re/your
·        There/there/their
·        Then/than
·        Who/which/that
Transitions:
·        What are some different categories?
·        Can you name a few from each category?
·        What’s the point of a transition?
Parts of Speech:
1) Nouns
a)  Common
b) Proper
c)  Concrete
d) abstract
2) Verbs
a)  Action
b) Linking/state of being
3) Adjectives
Sentences:
·        What is a complete sentence?
·        Independent clause
·        dependent clause
·        Complex sentence
·        Compound sentence
**Check the blog for review games, review videos.**
**Handouts from the writing unit (stored in your writing folder) are all helpful to study.

Parts of Speech


Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Essay Topic

Final draft: typed, 1.5 spaced


Freedom of Self-Expression and Education
Essay Writing


DIRECTIONS: Read the following quote.  Miep Gies states this when she meets with the students from Wilson High School.  After reading the quote, write a five (5) paragraph essay answering the three (3) questions listed below (each question will be a body paragraph).  Write for the entire class period (practice using the full amount of time).  After completing the essay today, place your essay and this worksheet in your writing folders.  Your essay will receive a final writing grade after revising, editing, and enhancing your writing throughout the unit. 


"I am not a hero.  No.  I did what I had to do because it was the right thing to do.  That is all.  We are all ordinary people.  But even an ordinary secretary, or a housewife, or a teenager can, within their own small ways turn on a small light in a dark room."

Write a five (5) paragraph essay answering the three questions (each question will be a body paragraph):

1.       What is the meaning of Miep's response/quote?
2.      How can this quote relate to “Freedom Writers” and “War of the Wall”?
3.      Why is freedom of self-expression and the right to an education so important in our world today?  Use evidence from BOTH “Freedom Writers” and “War of the Wall.”

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Do Now Rubric (five entries checked on Friday)



Do Now Rubric: Each entry is worth one point.  Each is scored as follows:
0
Missing
.5
Response reflects at least two of these:
-written in a way that seems rushed and/or incomplete
-not written in complete sentences
-illegible and/or difficult to read
1
Response is complete:
-labeled with date
-written in complete sentences
-directly related to the topic/question