Blog Archives

Wednesday, Oct. 16th

10/16/2019

Goals:

I can analyze the nuances of word/phrase meanings used in different contexts.
I can reflect on my growth as a writer of creative writing, using a digital portfolio to publish my work.

Teddy says:

Read your choice book to your reading goal by next Monday
Join the Skyline bookclub! We will be reading The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson. The meeting is Tuesday, November 12th during both lunches in the main office conference room.
Article of the Week Due on Friday!
Open Mic on Friday: be prepared to present your work!
Creative Writing Portfolio due on Friday

1. Creative Writing Portfolio (Mastery)

Discuss process
- Mini-goals:
  - Finish making website and revising pieces to publish on the website.
  - Begin work on the self-assessment document. Use evidence from your writing to show how you have used the skills and grown as a writer.

Tuesday, Oct. 15th

10/14/2019

Goals:

I can analyze the nuances of word/phrase meanings used in different contexts.
I can reflect on my growth as a writer of creative writing, using a digital portfolio to publish my work.

Teddy says:

Read your choice book to your reading goal by next Monday
Join the Skyline bookclub! We will be reading The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson. The meeting is Tuesday, November 12th during both lunches in the main office conference room.
Article of the Week Due on Friday!
Open Mic on Friday: be prepared to present your work!
Creative Writing Portfolio due on Friday!

1. Reading & Close Reading Question

2. Creative Writing Portfolio (Mastery)

Discuss process
- Mini-goal: Make website and revise pieces to publish on the website.

Thursday, October 10th

10/9/2019

Goals:

I can notice and name the writing moves in a Moth story.
I can use those effective brainstorming techniques to develop my own ideas for a Moth story.

Announcements:

Have a rough draft of your Moth story done by Thursday--We will meet with writing groups.
Read your choice book to your reading goal by next Monday
Join the Skyline bookclub! We will be reading Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia. The first meeting is Tuesday, October 8th during both lunches in the main office conference room.
Graph of the Week: Response due on Friday.
Please turn in Moth worksheet to Google Classroom.

1. Reading/Writing Workshop Time

2. Writing Groups

Writers: What is your purpose
One specific detail that we think helps that purpose
One specific suggestion to make that purpose more clear.

If you were absent or do not have a draft today, you must submit your piece to writing center.

Wednesday, October 9th

10/8/2019

Goals:

I can notice and name the writing moves in a Moth story.
I can use those effective brainstorming techniques to develop my own ideas for a Moth story.

Announcements:

Have a rough draft of your Moth story done by Thursday--We will meet with writing groups.
Read your choice book to your reading goal by next Monday
Join the Skyline bookclub! We will be reading Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia. The first meeting is Tuesday, October 8th during both lunches in the main office conference room.
Graph of the Week: Response due on Friday.
Please turn in Moth worksheet to Google Classroom.

1. Reading

2. Mini-Lesson: Controlling Time

How do author's control time?:
Zoom in and zoom past
Storyboarding

3. Write your Moth Story

Tuesday, October 8th

10/8/2019

Goals:

I can notice and name the writing moves in a Moth story.
I can use those effective brainstorming techniques to develop my own ideas for a Moth story.

Announcements:

Have a rough draft of your Moth story done by Thursday--We will meet with writing groups.
Read your choice book to your reading goal by next Monday
Join the Skyline bookclub! We will be reading Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia. The first meeting is Tuesday, October 8th during both lunches in the main office conference room.
Graph of the Week: Response due on Friday.
Please turn in Moth worksheet to Google Classroom.

1. Reading

2. What makes a good Moth story?

Anchor Chart

3. Writer's Notebook #11: Brainstorm for a Moth story in your Writer's Notebook.

Try a story map
Free Write
Use Writing Territories

4. Begin Drafting Moth Story

Monday, October 7th

10/7/2019

Goals:

I can notice and name the writing moves in a Moth story.
I can use those effective brainstorming techniques to develop my own ideas for a Moth story.

Announcements:

Have a rough draft of your Moth story done by Thursday--We will meet with writing groups.
Read your choice book to your reading goal by next Monday
Join the Skyline bookclub! We will be reading Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia. The first meeting is Tuesday, October 8th during both lunches in the main office conference room.
Graph of the Week: Response due on Friday.

1. Reading

2. Go over Participles Quiz

3. Moth stories

Listen/deconstruct--what makes a good Moth story?

4. Writer's Notebook #11 :Brainstorm for a Moth story in your Writer's Notebook.

Try a story map

Friday, Oct. 4th

10/4/2019

Goals:

I can notice and name the writing moves in a vignette.
I can use those effective writing moves to create my own vignette.

Announcements:

Read your choice book to your reading goal by next Monday
Join the Skyline bookclub! We will be reading Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia. The first meeting is Tuesday, October 8th during both lunches in the main office conference room.

1. Participles Quiz

2. Reading

Finish/turn in vignette
Respond to Survey

3. Discuss article of the week and turn in

4. Moth stories

Listen/deconstruct--what makes a good Moth story?

Thursday, Oct. 3rd

10/3/2019

Goals:

I can notice and name the writing moves in a vignette.
I can use those effective writing moves to create my own vignette.

Announcements:

Read your choice book to your reading goal by next Monday
Join the Skyline bookclub! We will be reading Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia. The first meeting is Tuesday, October 8th during both lunches in the main office conference room.
For Friday, read and annotate the Article of the Week
Friday, we will take a quiz on participles & out-of-order adjectives (plus FANBOYS and sentence errors)

1. Reading & Book Talk

2. Participle Practice

3. Group Time

Meet with writing groups.
- Step Two: Share your vignette with everyone in the group.
- Step Three: Decide who is going to go first. All read same vignette at the same time and talk about the piece together:
  - Praise details/parts of the text that are really vivid/interesting/unique
  - Suggest places where the author could add more detail/imagery/show not tell.

4. Writing Workshop Time

Use feedback from your group to revise your vignette, finding at least one place to add detail. Mark that spot with a comment.
Find one place where you used imagery most effectively. Mark that spot with a comment and explain why do you think it is effective imagery.
- Turn your vignette into Google Classroom.

Wednesday, Oct. 2nd

10/2/2019

Goals:

I can notice and name the writing moves in a vignette.
I can use those effective writing moves to create my own vignette.

Announcements:

Read your choice book to your reading goal by next Monday
Join the Skyline bookclub! We will be reading Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia. The first meeting is Tuesday, October 8th during both lunches in the main office conference room.
For Friday, read and annotate the Article of the Week
Friday, we will take a quiz on participles & out-of-order adjectives (plus FANBOYS and sentence errors)

1. Reading & Book Talk

2. Group Time

Meet with writing groups.
- Step One: Make norms for your group.
- Step Two: Share your vignette with everyone in the group.
- Step Three: Decide who is going to go first. All read same vignette at the same time and talk about the piece together:
  - Praise details/parts of the text that are really vivid/interesting/unique
  - Suggest places where the author could add more detail/imagery/show not tell.

3. Writing Workshop Time

Use feedback from your group to revise your vignette, finding at least one place to add detail. Mark that spot with a comment.
Find one place where you used imagery most effectively. Mark that spot with a comment and explain why do you think it is effective imagery.
- Turn your vignette into Google Classroom.

Tuesday, October 1st

10/1/2019

Goals:

I can notice and name the writing moves in a vignette.
I can use those effective writing moves to create my own vignette.

Announcements:

Read your choice book to your reading goal by next Monday
Join the Skyline bookclub! We will be reading Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia. The first meeting is Tuesday, October 8th during both lunches in the main office conference room.
For Friday, read and annotate the Article of the Week
Friday, we will take a quiz on participles & out-of-order adjectives (plus FANBOYS and sentence errors)

1. Reading & Book Talk

2. Participles or Not?

3. Mini-Lesson: Imagery

Pick a picture and describe it using lots of detail and imagery.
Underline what you consider to be effective imagery. See if you can find the original picture.

4. Writing Workshop time

Meet with writing groups.
- Praise details/parts of the text that are really vivid/interesting/unique
- Suggest places where the author could add more detail/imagery/show not tell.
Highlight one place where you used imagery effectively. Why do you think it was effective?
- Turn your vignette into Google Classroom.