Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Reminder - Materials, Publication Dates

Please bring in materials to create and bind your poetry books Friday. All four final drafts plus any rough drafts and brainstorms are due on Friday at the close of ELA class. There are no extensions.

A note about writing memory poems: Remember poets show rather than tell. Though your memory poem is narrative (you are telling a story) you have to paint a picture and use poetic tools.

We look forward to reading and hearing you perform these amazing poems we've watched you create and revise.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Lit Cricles....Haikus....Publication Dates

702 had some great lit circle discussions today. I liked "listening in" on your conversations about themes and characters. I want to remind you all that lit circles are a group effort. Everyone must read the assigned pages and plan so that ALL discussions can be successful.
731 will discuss tomorrow.
Upcoming lit circle discussions:
702 - Thurs. 4/30, Mon. 5/4, Thurs. 5/8
731: Tues. 4/28, Fri. 5/1, Tues. 5/5

Haikus
Both classes began writing City Haikus today. These are sensory poems that express the poet's perspective on the city (can be NYC or antother big city you've visited). 17 total syllables and usually three lines of 5, 7, 5 syllables each. Don't waste words...avoid using "the", "a" and words such as those, and replace them with colorful, vivid adjectives and adverbs.

Poetry Publication
Poems will be due at the end of the ELA period on Friday, May 1. We will continue to revise all week. No poems are "published" yet....you will return to the four genres you've created so far and revise for word choice and edit for grammar, line breaks, etc. You may type your poems Thursday evening if you wish. We will create poetry books on Friday during class.
Materials needed:
Loose leaf paper
Construction paper
Printer paper (white, unlined)
Markers
Ribbon
Yarn
Glitter
Stickers
Any other interesting decorations

Please begin to bring in supplies tomorrow. Thanks!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

The week ahead

731 - please take time tonight to reflect on the feedback Mrs. Moreno and I gave you today regarding your self-portrait poems. Review the strategies we have learned and use them when they work.
Please bring your lit circle books with you. We will discuss/read tomorrow.
702: We will discuss lit circle books on Monday. Please be prepared. If your group needs a new book, please let me know by tomorrow.

Next week we will:
1. Revisit Memory poem genre by analyzing poems and revising our own
2. Begin City Haiku genre
3. Discuss lit circle books
4. Publish and create poetry books

A look ahead to May:
We will write short fiction!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Uncovering hidden poetry

Both classes did excellent work today - delving into what makes items, places, and people mysterious, beautiful, baffling, and enticing. We used imagery, the senses, and detailed writing to "show" the reader our thoughts and feelings.
Tomorrow we will begin to revise poems we've written - self-portrait, memory, and poetry hides -- using line and stanza breaks.

You can use the blog to post drafts of various poems....and get online feedback.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Poetry Hides

We are officially into our third genre of poetry - Poetry Hides - in which we as poets explore beauty in unexpected places. This genre prompts us to look deeply into things, people, and places, and find the beauty within (intrinsic), rather than focus on the beauty without (extrinsic).
We brainstormed places in which poetry may hide, and tomorrow we will begin drafting.

Lit Circles will continue as some groups finish dicsussions on current books and some move on to new books.

Remember, school trip to see The Iliad is on Thursday. No student will be allowed on the trip without a permission slip. If you need a slip, please see Mrs. Marks.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Teen Ink Fiction Contest

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=76094094771

Check this out! If you can't access the link (I got an invite through Facebook), you can either join the group on Facebook (search "Teen Ink") or visit the web site at www.teenink.com.
Budding writers, take a chance. You could win a subscription the magazine and be considered for publication! You must be 13 to enter. Deadline is May 8.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Miserable @ Home

I miss everyone. I am home with a really bad sinus infection, and will probably be out tomorrow (Wed.) as well.

I heard both classes were very productive with Mrs. Moreno yesterday. I am glad 702 began the lit circle discussions, and shared what was easy and tough about the process. Remember to read over the break. Our next dicussions for 702 will be the Monday we return from break; 731 will discuss for a second time the Tuesday we return.

You are working on memory poems. These poems are sensory - meaning that they use the five senses to show the reader the story, rather than use common words to tell the story. SHOW NOT TELL!
Experiment with using all the strategies we have learned so far. Use them where they apply. Don't force them.

If you have any questions about the poetry or the lit circle reading, you can email me @ SMarks4@schools.nyc.gov.

Speak with you soon!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Lit Circles....Self-Portrait Poems

Lit circles are in full swing. Every student received a book to read with a partner or with a group. Please remember to read and prepare for the first lit circle discussions.
The schedule:
702 will discuss, then plan and read each Monday and Thursday. First discussion is Monday, April 6.
731 will discuss, then plan and read each Tuesday and Friday. First discussion is Tuesday, April
7.
Refer to your reader's sourcebook for ways in which you can prepare for discussion. EVERY group member is responsible for coming up with one solid and detailed discussion topic. Please read carefully and critically (not just literally -- think about what you are reading).
If you or your group members have author suggestions for the second round of reading, please see Mrs. Marks or Mrs. Moreno.
Once the first round of reading is complete, each student will write a review of the book they have just finished. You can use all of your persuasive techniques to either recommend other students read (or stay away from) the title.

POETRY: Students in 702 and 731 will complete (for now) one version of the self-portrait poem Friday. On Monday, we will move on to memory poems (details to follow).

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