Wed Jan 27th - You should be working on...

1) Editing AWAKE DREAM for Content & Mechanics.
Content - Does my writing get straight to the point and stay focused? (no jumping around)
Mechanics -
a) Choose a consistent verb tense (present or past)
I walk, I look, I see
I walked, I looked, I saw
b) Check for RUN-ON SENTENCES (too many verbs) & SENTENCE FRAGMENTS (no verb)
c) Check punctuation, especially in dialog. Rules for quotation marks etc.:
http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/writingexercises/qt/punctuation.htm

2) Drafting quality poetry on the subject of FEAR - You will eventually need at least 4 different poems in 3 or more formats. **Minimum 2 poems due Friday**
Sol poetry magazine gives you guidelines for 45 possible formats including Haiku, Diamante, Found, Free Verse, Wave, Limerick and Cinquain at:
http://pages.prodigy.net/sol.magazine/pl01form.htm

You can also try TWITTER POETRY - Free verse poetry using no more than 140 characters (use the Word Count function in the Tools menu of Microsoft Word)

TWIHAIKU - Same as above, but 5 syllables / 7 syllables / 5 syllables
http://twitter.com/HAIKU


3) Spelling List 8 Sentences & Definitions. (Due next Wednesday, Feb 3rd)
http://www.askoxford.com/


4) Begin working on a suspenseful short story.


DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START?? WORDS THAT YOU SAID EVOKE FEAR: Snakes, Clowns, Light at the end of the tunnel, Spiders, Monsters, Loneliness, Being buried alive, Dogs, Axe-Murderers, Blood, Spirits/Poltergeists, Pigs, Insects, Ventriloquist Dummies, Toe Jam and more...

LIST 8 SPELLING AND VOCABULARY

For each word list provide
a) the part of speech (ex. noun, verb, adverb, adjective)
b) a definition that you understand
c) a sentence

1.hoping 2.hopping 3.writing 4.creepy 5.petrified 6.goblin 7.warlock
8.horrifying 9.frightening 10.cadaver

Spelling Test Friday. 40 words, no definitions.

Graded List: reason, perfect, friend, getting, nearly, desire, arrange, written, search, popular, interest, pleasant, therefore, folks, celebration, minute, divide, necessary, height, reference, career, character, separate, committee, annual, principle, immense, judg(e)ment, acquaintance, discipline, lieutenant
Term 1 Review: Session, parallel, physician, pneumonia, existence, thwart, typify, onomatopoeia, banshee, kerosene.

Monday Jan 18th - Computer Lab!

FEAR is a rich territory for writers. Over the next weeks we'll be working on an ANTHOLOGY that will bring together different forms of writing and visual art tied into the topic of FEAR.

You will be expected to:
* come up with original ideas for poetry, stories and artistic responses
* write using vivid language that evokes the 5 senses
* provide useful feedback to your classmates to help them revise their writing
* use editing and proofreading skills
* publish your work in an attractive format using fonts, layout and graphics effectively

(We will return to your FEAR IN THE MEDIA brainstorming using SmartIdeas in late February or early March. Make sure you do not lose your brainstorm as you will have to do it over again.)


TODAY: You have a choice of 2 activities.

1) Type up your AWAKE DREAM

2) Draft some poetry on the subject of FEAR - You will eventually need at least 4 different poems in 3 or more formats.

Sol poetry magazine gives you guidelines for 45 possible formats including Haiku, Diamante, Found, Free Verse, Wave, Limerick and Cinquain at:
http://pages.prodigy.net/sol.magazine/pl01form.htm


Need a new idea for 2010?? -
TWITTER POETRY - Free verse poetry using no more than 140 characters (use the Word Count function in the Tools menu of Microsoft Word)

TWIHAIKU - Same as above, but 5 syllables / 7 syllables / 5 syllables
http://twitter.com/HAIKU

TWO BONUS POINT OPPORTUNITIES

Interested in some bonus points for Term 2 reading?

Read Canadian fiction and non-fiction.

What do you need to do? Read Red Maple books and post a reaction to the Red Maple website. http://winonaredmaple.pbworks.com/

2% Bonus per book read and posted on the blog before Friday Feb 12th (up to a maximum of 10%). No blog post = No points. Deadline is final.

Happy Reading!


Interested in bonus points for WRITING?
Come play Scrabble, Wednesdays at lunch in Room 11.
Up to 5% bonus based on attendance up to Feb 10th.

Happy Scrabs!

Awake Dream - Rough Draft due Thursday Jan 14th.

In December we did a visualization and writing exercise based on FEAR. The exercise was to listen to the following paragraph in a dark, dark room, and write whatever comes to mind. The writing should be highly evocative (evoking sights, sounds, smells, emotions...).

The air is hot and stuffy and I can see absolutely nothing. The blackness surrounds me and tries to steal all of the air from my breathing body. I don't like the darkness because it feels like someone could sneak up on me at anytime. I want to call out to see if someone else is in the room but I'm afraid. It feels like someone has their hand over my mouth. I try to struggle away from them because their hand is stinky and doesn't really make me feel very good. But really there's no hand, so I'm ok. I see a red light in the distance. It is tiny. I move towards it because I don't like the dark. It smells. I can hear only a little bit of static and I wonder where it is coming from. I reach the door and...

Schedule for Creative Presentations (updated)

Wednesday Jan 6th - Nathan, Brian, Jacob, Quinn, Winnie,

Thursday Jan 7th (in the Library) - Sarah, Geneva, Elijah, Jane

Friday Jan 8th - Camille, Aidan, Kier, Ethan, John, Mark, Hayley,

Speeches and monologues should be memorized. Visual art pieces should be completely finished.

Please arrive prepared!