The third-person narrator is a voice that tells the story, but never appears as a character in the story. It can be the author, or an outside narrator. Remember, he/she is all-knowing, meaning that he/she knows everything about all the characters, and lets readers gain insight into the characters by revealing their thoughts/feelings, actions, and speech.
We worked on drafting Chapter 1 using third-person narration. Please finish that Chapter by Monday.
We will begin to draft all chapters on Monday, choosing to narrate in first-person or third-person.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
First-Person Narrator
The first-person narrator tells the story from their own perspective. The narrator MUST be a character in the story, whether they be the protagonist or a secondary character. The writer uses words such as "I", "me", "my" and "mine" when writing in the first-person narrator voice.
All students should complete Chapter 1 of their stories today - written in first-person narration.
A reminder: work time in class is work time, not social time. Please limit your talking and keep it on task. Whatever work is not completed in class must be completed at home.
By now you should have...
1. Devised a plot map that has an introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement.
2. Reordered your plot map so that it is in the sequence (order) you will write the story.
3. Created at least 5 scenes, representing the parts of the plot map.
4. Created Chapter 1 (from Scene 1), using first-person narration.
If any of the above steps are not complete, please complete them at home.
Tomorrow we will learn about another narrative technique - third-person narrator. We will rewrite Chapter 1 using this narrator, and then compare the quality of the chapters.
All students should complete Chapter 1 of their stories today - written in first-person narration.
A reminder: work time in class is work time, not social time. Please limit your talking and keep it on task. Whatever work is not completed in class must be completed at home.
By now you should have...
1. Devised a plot map that has an introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement.
2. Reordered your plot map so that it is in the sequence (order) you will write the story.
3. Created at least 5 scenes, representing the parts of the plot map.
4. Created Chapter 1 (from Scene 1), using first-person narration.
If any of the above steps are not complete, please complete them at home.
Tomorrow we will learn about another narrative technique - third-person narrator. We will rewrite Chapter 1 using this narrator, and then compare the quality of the chapters.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Building Scenes
731 should complete all scenes (at least one for each stage of the plot map) according to directions by tomorrow. Please bring your plot maps and scenes to class everyday.
702 should have at least 3 scenes completed. We will complete the rest tomorrow.
Format:
Scene # + Plot Map label
Title of scene
Characters who appear in scene
Summary (main idea) of scene
5 adjectives that describe the mood and/or emotions character(s) are feeling in the scene.
Tomorrow:
We will begin a read-aloud of a very cool realistic fiction (mystery/social issue) book.
We will discuss narrators for your stories. You will try out writing Scene 1 from various narrators' points-of-view.
702 should have at least 3 scenes completed. We will complete the rest tomorrow.
Format:
Scene # + Plot Map label
Title of scene
Characters who appear in scene
Summary (main idea) of scene
5 adjectives that describe the mood and/or emotions character(s) are feeling in the scene.
Tomorrow:
We will begin a read-aloud of a very cool realistic fiction (mystery/social issue) book.
We will discuss narrators for your stories. You will try out writing Scene 1 from various narrators' points-of-view.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Preparing for Crafting
Let's rename the next writing stage "crafting" instead of drafting. We are truly building complicated characters, realistic plots (some with twists), and we will next work on mood, building scenes, and creating realistic settings. As we draft, remember to use your classmates as "sounding boards" for your ideas. As you sit with others who are working in the same sub-genre (social issues, psychological, mystery, or adventure), you can share ideas and give each other guidance/suggestions.
Continue to read realistic fiction books - they are the best models for your writing.
A reminder about ePortfolios - continue to gather all of your digital work using GoogleDocs. Mrs. Marks' advisory will be in the pub lab on Thursday uploading our work/reflections.
Continue to read realistic fiction books - they are the best models for your writing.
A reminder about ePortfolios - continue to gather all of your digital work using GoogleDocs. Mrs. Marks' advisory will be in the pub lab on Thursday uploading our work/reflections.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Channel One
Interesting Channel One today...you can watch it online. They did a piece on IS 238 and discuss the death of Assistant Principal Mitchell Wiener.
http://www.channelone.com/onair/
http://www.channelone.com/onair/
Books I'm Reading This Week...
I have just finished As Simple As Snow (Gregory Galloway), upon recommendation from Lauren J. - it was terrific. It tracks the relationship between a boy and a very mysterious girl, Anna, whose hobby is to write obituaries for all the people in her town. When she mysteriously disappears, clues pile up and leave the boy - and the town - wondering what happened.
Began reading Project 17 (Laurie Faria Stolarz) last night, couldn't put it down. It's about a teenage filmmaker wannabe who enlists a strange crew of high school classmates to star in his reality short film - to be created over the course of one night at a local mental hospital that's set to shut down soon.
I also happened upon a series that would appeal to boys who like horror/mystery called Darkside (Becker).
Also picked up Wintergirls (Laurie Halse Anderson) and will tackle that next. It examines teen anorexia.
Began reading Project 17 (Laurie Faria Stolarz) last night, couldn't put it down. It's about a teenage filmmaker wannabe who enlists a strange crew of high school classmates to star in his reality short film - to be created over the course of one night at a local mental hospital that's set to shut down soon.
I also happened upon a series that would appeal to boys who like horror/mystery called Darkside (Becker).
Also picked up Wintergirls (Laurie Halse Anderson) and will tackle that next. It examines teen anorexia.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Learn at Home - Grade 7
Use this link in addition to the work described below to fill your week - and your mind - until we get back.
http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/learnathome/grade7.htm
This is the same link sent in a Teacherease e-mail from the administration to you and your parents.
http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/learnathome/grade7.htm
This is the same link sent in a Teacherease e-mail from the administration to you and your parents.
Feedback
Feel free to email your scenes (see directions below) to me or Mrs. Moreno if you'd like feedback. Remember, everyone is expected to have the scenes written by Tuesday, so we can move on in the drafting process and lose as little classroom work time as possible.
You can send your scenes as Word attachments or in the body of the e-mail to:
SMarks4@schools.nyc.gov
or
MMoreno8@schools.nyc.gov
You can send your scenes as Word attachments or in the body of the e-mail to:
SMarks4@schools.nyc.gov
or
MMoreno8@schools.nyc.gov
Sunday, May 17, 2009
To Do This Week...
Mrs. Schneider would like everyone to have a productive week at home.
Read....and reflect on your reading each night. Make particular note of how your realistic fiction books conform to the genre. If you don't have a book, visit the library. Consult the list of author web sites and recommended books to the left of the post.
Write: While most of you will have probably left your Writer's Sourcebooks in your lockers, you can still lay out a plan for your stories. Create scenes (like we did for our small moment narratives).
Number each scene and identify the setting and characters involved. Then write a short description of what will happen in each scene. Attach at least 3 descriptive words and/or phrases that describe how the protagonist and/or secondary character feel(s) in each scene.
Example:
Setting: Classroom 884, I.S. 67, Bayside, NY, 11:30 AM, Monday morning.
Characters: Dylan (protagonist) and Johnny (secondary character)
Main idea of the scene: Johnny and Dylan are hard at work on their laptops. While Johnny is dilligently working on the class WebQuest, Dylan is posting a nasty message and picture on a social networking site, The Buzz. The picture shows Johnny crying and has the label "wimp" on it. Giggles emerge from several laptop stations across the room. The news is out. Only Dylan doesn't know it.
Descriptive words for the way Dylan is feeling: oblivious, will be upset/embarrassed soon.
Descriptive words for the way Johnny is feeling: powerful, bullying, vengeful.
Post to the blog with ideas and give each other feedback. When we return to school, we will be drafting from these scenes you have created this week.
Read....and reflect on your reading each night. Make particular note of how your realistic fiction books conform to the genre. If you don't have a book, visit the library. Consult the list of author web sites and recommended books to the left of the post.
Write: While most of you will have probably left your Writer's Sourcebooks in your lockers, you can still lay out a plan for your stories. Create scenes (like we did for our small moment narratives).
Number each scene and identify the setting and characters involved. Then write a short description of what will happen in each scene. Attach at least 3 descriptive words and/or phrases that describe how the protagonist and/or secondary character feel(s) in each scene.
Example:
Setting: Classroom 884, I.S. 67, Bayside, NY, 11:30 AM, Monday morning.
Characters: Dylan (protagonist) and Johnny (secondary character)
Main idea of the scene: Johnny and Dylan are hard at work on their laptops. While Johnny is dilligently working on the class WebQuest, Dylan is posting a nasty message and picture on a social networking site, The Buzz. The picture shows Johnny crying and has the label "wimp" on it. Giggles emerge from several laptop stations across the room. The news is out. Only Dylan doesn't know it.
Descriptive words for the way Dylan is feeling: oblivious, will be upset/embarrassed soon.
Descriptive words for the way Johnny is feeling: powerful, bullying, vengeful.
Post to the blog with ideas and give each other feedback. When we return to school, we will be drafting from these scenes you have created this week.
School Closed This Week
NOTE: I.S. 25 (and therefore WJPS) will be closed this week because of some minor reports of swine flu. We are set to return Tuesday (after Memorial Day). The building will be sanitized this week.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Character Study
Mrs. Moreno and I are impressed with the quality of work you are doing in building characters, but please remember that class work time is for just that - work. Do not waste time chatting unaccountably (off topic)...and any work not completed in class should be completed at home for homework.
A reminder: Please bring loose leaf paper each day with you, or contribute a stack to the class and keep it in the room. We are moving out of our sourcebooks for drafting, but you will still need them each day for the mini-lesson and notes.
Both classes will begin the drafting process tomorrow. We will revisit the plot maps and see if any revisions to our original ideas are necessary. Then, we will figure out the sequence, the order in which we want to unfold the story to the reader. The plot map is an essential tool -- so
please bring this with you to class each day.
A reminder: Please bring loose leaf paper each day with you, or contribute a stack to the class and keep it in the room. We are moving out of our sourcebooks for drafting, but you will still need them each day for the mini-lesson and notes.
Both classes will begin the drafting process tomorrow. We will revisit the plot maps and see if any revisions to our original ideas are necessary. Then, we will figure out the sequence, the order in which we want to unfold the story to the reader. The plot map is an essential tool -- so
please bring this with you to class each day.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Reader's Sourcebooks, Character Building, Submitting work to Teen Ink
Reader's Sourcebooks will be collected Thursday, May 11 for grading. Mrs. Moreno and I will be looking for evidence of reading, planning, taking notes, and reflecting on lit circles books.
702 did an amazing job of building characters today. 731 will start the process on Wed.
Tomorrow, 702 will look at what we know vs. what we think about people we know. Then we will assign our characters names, speech, and relationships.
Remember, you can post original work (poems, stories, etc.) to Teenink.com. Register on the site and upload. There have been many many great pieces written in room 302 - let's share them.
702 did an amazing job of building characters today. 731 will start the process on Wed.
Tomorrow, 702 will look at what we know vs. what we think about people we know. Then we will assign our characters names, speech, and relationships.
Remember, you can post original work (poems, stories, etc.) to Teenink.com. Register on the site and upload. There have been many many great pieces written in room 302 - let's share them.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Recommended Books...
Hi, it's Rita. Here are some books that you might like to read, some are even on the ULTIMATE TEEN READING LIST.
~THE KITE RUNNER by Khaled Hosseini
~THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE by Avi
~TWISTED by Laurie Halse Anderson
~A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madelene L'Engle
~I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader by Kieran Scott
~Teen Idol by Meg Cabot
~Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson
~All-American Girl by Meg Cabot
~Talent by Zoey Dean
~Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
~Saving Juliet by Suzanne Selfors
~The Lacemaker and the Princess by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
~Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach
~The Iris House by Joan Fitzgerald
~The Doll in the Garden: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn (not that scary)
~The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
~Class Favorite by Taylor Morris
~13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
~The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison
~Jinx by Meg Cabot
~Art Geeks and Prom Queens: A Novel by Alyson Noel
~Avalon High by Meg Cabot
~Princess Ben by Catherine Murdock
~Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley
~I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
~Daughter of Venice by Donna Jo Napoli
~The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
If there is a title that interests you, I can tell you a brief description of that book. Also, i own some of these books, just ask me, and i will tell you if i have it or not, so you can borrow it.
~RITA =)
~THE KITE RUNNER by Khaled Hosseini
~THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE by Avi
~TWISTED by Laurie Halse Anderson
~A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madelene L'Engle
~I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader by Kieran Scott
~Teen Idol by Meg Cabot
~Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson
~All-American Girl by Meg Cabot
~Talent by Zoey Dean
~Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
~Saving Juliet by Suzanne Selfors
~The Lacemaker and the Princess by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
~Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach
~The Iris House by Joan Fitzgerald
~The Doll in the Garden: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn (not that scary)
~The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
~Class Favorite by Taylor Morris
~13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
~The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison
~Jinx by Meg Cabot
~Art Geeks and Prom Queens: A Novel by Alyson Noel
~Avalon High by Meg Cabot
~Princess Ben by Catherine Murdock
~Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley
~I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
~Daughter of Venice by Donna Jo Napoli
~The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
If there is a title that interests you, I can tell you a brief description of that book. Also, i own some of these books, just ask me, and i will tell you if i have it or not, so you can borrow it.
~RITA =)
Friday, May 8, 2009
WebQuest Complete....On to Writing!
We have successfully finished the WebQuest. 731 must complete any work that did not get done in class, at home over the weekend.
702 began to map out their plots today. 731 will begin the process on Monday.
Next week's activities:
Creating a cast of characters that are realistic in terms of how they look (we will "sketch" them); how they act (we will load their "backpacks"); what they say; what they feel/think; and their relationships (we will create a character "network").
Mrs. Moreno and I are still working to find a date for our Poetry Slam next week. More info to come soon.
Have a great weekend!
702 began to map out their plots today. 731 will begin the process on Monday.
Next week's activities:
Creating a cast of characters that are realistic in terms of how they look (we will "sketch" them); how they act (we will load their "backpacks"); what they say; what they feel/think; and their relationships (we will create a character "network").
Mrs. Moreno and I are still working to find a date for our Poetry Slam next week. More info to come soon.
Have a great weekend!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
WebQuest, Day 2
Today 702 completed all tasks (if you didn't, please complete for homework, as we will not have laptops tomorrow).
731 will use the laptops for one more period tomorrow. Whatever is not completed should be done over the weekend.
Tasks we worked on today:
#2: Visit http://www.teachersnetwork.org/dcs/cyberenglish/outdoorpath3.htm
Read, modify and copy prompts into writer's sourcebook. Complete prompts. Generate a list of story ideas that you gathered from completing the prompts
#3: Read at least two published realistic fiction pieces from one or both of the following sites:
http://www.teachingmatters.org/ezine/category?cat=Realistic%20Fiction
and/or
http://www.teenink.com/Fiction
Read two stories that interest you. Record the titles, authors, brief summary (main idea of the story) and the ways in which the stories fit the realistic fiction genre.
#4: Reflect on a realistic fiction book you've read recently. Write a short summary of the book, including the author and title.
Visit either http://amazon.com or http://www.bn.com or http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/teenreading/trw/trw2005/fiction.cfm
and search for teen fiction. Find three realistic fiction titles that you have not read, but want to. Record the titles, authors, and a brief summary of the books. If visiting the ALA website, you will not get a detailed book summary. You will need to then visit Amazon or BN to obtain this info.
#5: Select an idea for your story.
#6: Write a 1- to 2-paragraph summary of your story idea that reflects your understanding of the genre and the task.
731 will use the laptops for one more period tomorrow. Whatever is not completed should be done over the weekend.
Tasks we worked on today:
#2: Visit http://www.teachersnetwork.org/dcs/cyberenglish/outdoorpath3.htm
Read, modify and copy prompts into writer's sourcebook. Complete prompts. Generate a list of story ideas that you gathered from completing the prompts
#3: Read at least two published realistic fiction pieces from one or both of the following sites:
http://www.teachingmatters.org/ezine/category?cat=Realistic%20Fiction
and/or
http://www.teenink.com/Fiction
Read two stories that interest you. Record the titles, authors, brief summary (main idea of the story) and the ways in which the stories fit the realistic fiction genre.
#4: Reflect on a realistic fiction book you've read recently. Write a short summary of the book, including the author and title.
Visit either http://amazon.com or http://www.bn.com or http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/teenreading/trw/trw2005/fiction.cfm
and search for teen fiction. Find three realistic fiction titles that you have not read, but want to. Record the titles, authors, and a brief summary of the books. If visiting the ALA website, you will not get a detailed book summary. You will need to then visit Amazon or BN to obtain this info.
#5: Select an idea for your story.
#6: Write a 1- to 2-paragraph summary of your story idea that reflects your understanding of the genre and the task.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
WebQuest, Day 1
Today we embarked on an interesting journey...through the Internet....to learn more about realistic fiction writing, generate story ideas, and read model stories written by students just like you around country.
Our first stop: http://www.southernct.edu/~brownm/Grea.html
We identified various sub-genres in realistic fiction, took notes in writer's sourcebooks, and created a list of story ideas.
Since you worked at your own pace and comfort level, some students proceeded to the second stop: http://teachersnetwork.org/dcs/cyberenglish/outdoorpath3.htm
At this stop, you answered (making changes when necessary) several prompts. These helped you generate story ideas based on your interests, experiences, relationships, etc.
We will continue our WebQuest tomorrow.
Please note: Our Poetry Slam will be rescheduled from this Friday to a day next week. The auditorium is being used all day Friday for high school testing. More details to come.
Our first stop: http://www.southernct.edu/~brownm/Grea.html
We identified various sub-genres in realistic fiction, took notes in writer's sourcebooks, and created a list of story ideas.
Since you worked at your own pace and comfort level, some students proceeded to the second stop: http://teachersnetwork.org/dcs/cyberenglish/outdoorpath3.htm
At this stop, you answered (making changes when necessary) several prompts. These helped you generate story ideas based on your interests, experiences, relationships, etc.
We will continue our WebQuest tomorrow.
Please note: Our Poetry Slam will be rescheduled from this Friday to a day next week. The auditorium is being used all day Friday for high school testing. More details to come.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Tuesday's Lineup
702 has completed performances and will begin the short fiction writing unit. We will begin with a pre-unit assessment, as I will ask you to reflect on what you know about fiction in your sourcebooks. We will then have a short lesson on realistic fiction (the first genre) as well as some components of the style. On Thursday, you will hunt for clues and learn more about the genre through a WebQuest that I designed during my time in graduate school. Should be a lot of fun.
731 will perform their poems tomorrow. Please practice. You will be assessed on a variety of levels, including eye contact with your audience, volume of your voice, and emotion/feeling during reading.
Wed. is our 7th-grade class trip. Please do not forget to bring in signed permission slips!
731 will perform their poems tomorrow. Please practice. You will be assessed on a variety of levels, including eye contact with your audience, volume of your voice, and emotion/feeling during reading.
Wed. is our 7th-grade class trip. Please do not forget to bring in signed permission slips!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Poets Perform
Poetry performances are beginning tomorrow. Please memorize your poems and practice your public speaking. This will count as its own grade.
Mrs. Moreno and I are thinking Friday for our Poetry Slam party. Details to follow.
On Tuesday, we will begin writing short fiction. We have a really fun WebQuest planned for you....to introduce the first genre, realistic fiction. The other choices are fantasy and mystery. These will be decided by a class vote.
Mrs. Moreno and I are thinking Friday for our Poetry Slam party. Details to follow.
On Tuesday, we will begin writing short fiction. We have a really fun WebQuest planned for you....to introduce the first genre, realistic fiction. The other choices are fantasy and mystery. These will be decided by a class vote.
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