Thursday, 4/27/17

Due on Tuesday, 5/2/17

1) The April Reading Log is due, signed by a parent, on Tuesday.

2) Visit this website and watch the poetry recitations of the following four young students:

* Jackson Hille reciting "Forgetfulness"

* Sophia Elena Soberon reciting "Bilingual/Bilingue"

* Shawntay A. Henry reciting "Frederick Douglass"

* William Farley reciting "Danse Russe"

3)  Practice, practice, practice reciting your memorized poem!!  You will not simply be evaluated on how solid your memorization is (as you were for your verses), but you will also be evaluated on your delivery of it.  How expressive were you?  Dynamic?  Interesting?  Practice reciting it slowly, with expression,  for your parents, your siblings, your friends, in front of the mirror, filming yourself and watching it, etc.  Don't let yourself feel goofy or silly or shy or embarrassed.  Just be good at it! 

4) Continue your theme story. You will receive your graded D2 back on Tuesday, for you to incorporate the needed revisions into your story. You should continue writing your story this weekend with the following schedule in mind:

EXTRA CREDIT for EARLY COMPLETION
In order to encourage you not to procrastinate or wait until the last minute, I will offer the following:

* Turn in your well-proofed, corrected final draft (D3) next Thursday, 5/4: +4 points to your D3 grade
* Turn in your well-proofed, corrected final draft (D3) on Tuesday, 5/9: +2 points to your D3 grade
* Turn in your well-proofed, corrected final draft (D3) on Thursday, 5/11: no extra credit; that's when it's due!

Your final draft of your theme story must fall between 10-15 pages.

OPENING (Bible verse and prayer):

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For Tu, 5/4: Logan (CWA); Gabrielle (CWB)

Also, daily:

+ Read your (approved) reading log book for pleasure, aiming for at least 30 minutes daily. Mark the number of minutes on your Reading Log calendar (in multiples of five, rounded down) as you go along.

+ Write in your gratitude journal daily, listing at least three things you are thankful for each day. When you have done so, place a small check mark in the top corner of your Reading Log calendar for that day.

+ Review one of your Scripture memory verses each day, such that you keep all of them fresh in your memory at all times and each verse gets reviewed at least once per week. You should be ready to recite any of the three verses you've memorized at any time.

NOTE: The May Reading Log will be due, signed by a parent, on Tuesday, 5/23/17.

HW from Tuesday, 4/25/17 (NO CLASS)

Due on Thursday, 4/27/17

1) The April Reading Log is due, signed by a parent, on Thursday.

2) Your D2 (the first five pages) of your theme story was due today (Tuesday, 4/25). You will turn it in on Thursday, 4/27. Please take advantage of the opportunity to look it over some more, have someone else proofread it, add some more pages, etc. See previous blog entries for details and expectations.

You will turn in—at minimum—your D1 (edited by me), your D2 (proofread by both you and an adult), and your beautiful printed D2 on Thursday, 4/27. If you make any further changes, turn in all edited copies.

3) Visit the video of our church Variety Show a few weeks ago (See link below.) My son, Philip, was home from college and took advantage of the chance to participate. Begin the video at 25:45 (hit the play button, then slide the marker on the progress bar to 25:45) to watch just Philip's poetry recitation.

He is delivering the poem "Jabberwocky," a nonsense poem by Lewis Carroll (also the author of Alice's Adevntures in Wonderland). Nonsense poems are those that use made-up words to convey meaning, and "Jabberwocky" is considered by many to be the greatest nonsense poem of all time. (In fact, the English words "galumph" and "chortle" are now considered perfectly acceptable words and appear in standard dictionaries, gifts from Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky" poem.) The words to the poem appear below. Read it, even though it will be tricky to understand. Remember, most of those words you don't know are made up! They could mean any number of things.

Jabberwocky

Related Poem Content Details

BY LEWIS CARROLL

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves 

      Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: 

All mimsy were the borogoves, 

      And the mome raths outgrabe. 

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son! 

      The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! 

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun 

      The frumious Bandersnatch!” 

He took his vorpal sword in hand; 

      Long time the manxome foe he sought— 

So rested he by the Tumtum tree 

      And stood awhile in thought. 

And, as in uffish thought he stood, 

      The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, 

Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, 

      And burbled as it came! 

One, two! One, two! And through and through 

      The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! 

He left it dead, and with its head 

      He went galumphing back. 

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? 

      Come to my arms, my beamish boy! 

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!” 

      He chortled in his joy. 

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves 

      Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: 

All mimsy were the borogoves, 

      And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Jabberwocky" is the poem Philip memorized and delivered to his Creative Writing class almost ten years ago for this same poetry recitation assignment. As you watch the video  (from 25:45 to 29:15) take note of how Philip's delivery of the poem helps make the meaning clear, even though the words are nonsensical. Notice also that he took about three minutes to deliver this 7-stanza poem.

4) After you have watched the video, look at the poem (printed above) and decide what the rhyme scheme is. Also scan the poem and decide which meter you think it uses. Write this information down and bring it to class with you on Thursday, along with a list of your ten favorite nonsense words used in the poem and what you think they may mean.

5) Practice reciting the poem you've memorized!  You should have the entire poem memorized by this Thursday. You will be reciting the poems in class beginning next week. You certainly don't have to act it out the way Philip did with "Jabberwocky," but you do need to deliver it with boldness and confidence. Practice!

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OPENING (Bible verse and prayer):

For Th, 4/27: Josh (CWA); Katie (CWB)

Also, daily:

+ Read your (approved) reading log book for pleasure, aiming for at least 30 minutes daily. Mark the number of minutes on your Reading Log calendar (in multiples of five, rounded down) as you go along.

+ Write in your gratitude journal daily, listing at least three things you are thankful for each day. When you have done so, place a small check mark in the top corner of your Reading Log calendar for that day.

+ Review one of your Scripture memory verses each day, such that you keep all of them fresh in your memory at all times and each verse gets reviewed at least once per week. You should be ready to recite any of the three verses you've memorized at any time.

NOTE: The April Reading Log will be due, signed by a parent, on Thursday, 4/27/17.

HW from Thursday, 4/20/17

Due on Tuesday, 4/25/17

1) Using the assessment sheet and the copy of your theme story I returned to you, make all suggested corrections to the format and the content of your theme story.

2) Using your Theme Planning Worksheet, continue your story. Be sure you are including your plans for demonstrating your theme as you continue to write descriptively and advance your plot. 

PLEASE NOTE: Your final theme story must be between 10-15 pages in length. This is a change from what I had previously said. Please plan and space your story accordingly.

3) You should write at least five full pages. (It is fine if you write more than that as long as I gave you an okay to continue your story without significant revisions.) Please complete the five or more pages (calling it D2), proofread them carefully, print them, and have an adult proofread (and sign) them for you. 

4) Make the adult's suggested corrections and print a beautiful copy. You will turn in all three copies (the edited D1, your proofread D2, and your beautiful D2) on Tuesday, 4/25.

5) Continue to memorize the poem you selected.  You should have the entire poem memorized by next Thursday, 4/27.

6) You should be ready to recite any of the three Bible verses you've memorized at any time. Keep reviewing the memory daily. (See below.) 

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OPENING (Bible verse and prayer):

For Tu, 4/25: Josh (CWA); Katie (CWB)

Also, daily:

+ Read your (approved) reading log book for pleasure, aiming for at least 30 minutes daily. Mark the number of minutes on your Reading Log calendar (in multiples of five, rounded down) as you go along.

+ Write in your gratitude journal daily, listing at least three things you are thankful for each day. When you have done so, place a small check mark in the top corner of your Reading Log calendar for that day.

+ Review one of your Scripture memory verses each day, such that you keep all of them fresh in your memory at all times and each verse gets reviewed at least once per week. You should be ready to recite any of the three verses you've memorized at any time.

NOTE: The April Reading Log will be due, signed by a parent, on Thursday, 4/27/17.

HW from Tuesday, 4/18/17

Due on Thursday, 4/20/17

1) You will NOT do anything yet with the "poetry packet" I gave you at the end of class today. (This is a six-page stapled pack of poems, all printed only on the front of the page, beginning with "A Baby's Feet" and ending with "Little Brother's Secret.") Just leave this packet in your notebook for now.

2) Read over the four handouts that I gave you in class today in their entirety. (There are four sheets of paper, stapled together, with three of them printed on both the front and the back.) 
NOTE: This includes reading the four poems included in those pages—"Daffodils," "The Tiger," "A Visit from Saint Nicholas," and "The Charge of the Light Brigade"—in their entirety.)

3) Scan the first two stanzas of each poem. Mark the syllables above the lines directly on the handout using the ictus (the little slash mark) for stressed syllables and the breve (the little "u") for unstressed syllables. (Again, be sure that you mark them. Don't just do it in your head!)

4) After having marked the stressed ("long") and unstressed ("short") syllables, determine if you think the poems have a pattern to the stress marks: iambic (S-L), trochaic (L-S), anapestic (S-S-L), or dactylic (L-S-S). HINT: There's one poem of each type.

5) Continue to memorize the poem you selected.  Be prepared to turn in your good printed copy and make sure you have at least two of your stanzas memorized on Thursday.

6) You should be ready to recite any of the three Bible verses you've memorized at any time. Keep reviewing the memory daily. (See below.) 

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OPENING (Bible verse and prayer):

We have gotten out of the habit of this. Please remind me at the start of class on Thursday!
For Th, 4/20: John (CWA); Caleb (CWB)
For Tu, 4/25: Josh (CWA); Katie (CWB)

Also, daily:

+ Read your (approved) reading log book for pleasure, aiming for at least 30 minutes daily. Mark the number of minutes on your Reading Log calendar (in multiples of five, rounded down) as you go along.

+ Write in your gratitude journal daily, listing at least three things you are thankful for each day. When you have done so, place a small check mark in the top corner of your Reading Log calendar for that day.

+ Review one of your Scripture memory verses each day, such that you keep all of them fresh in your memory at all times and each verse gets reviewed at least once per week. You should be ready to recite any of the three verses you've memorized at any time.

NOTE: The April Reading Log will be due, signed by a parent, on Thursday, 4/27/17.

HW from Thursday, 4/13/17

Due BEFORE Tuesday, 4/18/17

1) Before you begin your theme story, format your document as follows:

* Create a 3-line header, formatted as follows:
Your Name, CWA/B
Theme Story, Your Future Title Here (don't choose yet)
D?, 4/?/17, ?? words

* Create a footer, designed to automatically put the page number at the bottom of each page.

* Be sure your document is formatted to include 1-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman font, and automatic double spacing. Remove the extra line before/after paragraphs.

2) Bearing in mind what we discussed in class today about combining setting, character, and plot—and modeling the examples from the Mitford series that we read together in class—begin your story. (Don't forget to also use your completed handout entitled "Theme Story Planning" if that is helpful.)

3) Once you have written the first few paragraphs (i.e. you've typed at least one full page and gone onto the second page), proofread it and make sure you think it's perfect, then email the document as an attachment to my MarkUp address. (NOTE: I would like you to send this as early as possible—BEFORE the weekend!—because it is Easter weekend and it will be difficult for me to read it over and get it back to you once my son arrives home Saturday morning.)

4) I will return your formatted, <1-page-and-a-little-more> theme story document back to you, with comments, before class on Tuesday. Please print this MarkUp copy and bring it with you to class on Tuesday, 4/18/17.

5) Now that you've finalized your decision about the next poem you will memorize for recitation, memorize it!  Be prepared to turn in your good printed copy on Tuesday, 4/18/17. Make sure you have at least two of your stanzas memorized by next Thursday, 4/20.

6) You should be ready to recite any of the three verses you've memorized at any time. Keep reviewing the memory daily. (See below.) 

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OPENING (Bible verse and prayer):
For Tu, 4/18: John (CWA); Caleb (CWB)
For Th, 4/20: Josh (CWA); Katie (CWB)
For Tu, 4/25: TBA

Also, daily:

+ Read your (approved) reading log book for pleasure, aiming for at least 30 minutes daily. Mark the number of minutes on your Reading Log calendar (in multiples of five, rounded down) as you go along.

+ Write in your gratitude journal daily, listing at least three things you are thankful for each day. When you have done so, place a small check mark in the top corner of your Reading Log calendar for that day.

+ Review one of your Scripture memory verses each day, such that you keep all of them fresh in your memory at all times and each verse gets reviewed at least once per week. You should be ready to recite any of the three verses you've memorized at any time.

NOTE: The April Reading Log will be due, signed by a parent, on Thursday, 4/27/17.

HW from Tuesday, 4/11/17

Due on Thursday, 4/13/17

1) Be sure I have your corrected poems (printed and turned in and also emailed) and your signed report card. See previous blog posts for details.

2) Complete the handout entitled "Theme Story Planning," which I have just emailed to you. Print it out and handwrite your answers to each of the questions. Planning is essential to a good writing experience! Give all these things some real thought, and write down the details of what you're planning to do in your story. REMEMBER: Your theme does not have to be listed on that handout I gave you. Those are just some theme ideas to get you started thinking. Choose whatever theme you would like to illustrate in your final story. The one you write on this handout and turn in on Thursday will be the one I will look for in your story.

3) Finalize your decision about the next poem you want to memorize for recitation. Print a good copy of the poem—complete with title, author, and poem itself—to turn in on Thursday. You may begin to memorize the poem as soon as you've settled on it.

4) You should be ready to recite any of the three verses you've memorized at any time. 

Below appear three videos I made during class today. The first two are of CWA and contain the entire lesson on "theme" and the two conventional ways of starting a story. The third one is of part of CWB (before I ran out of memory part-way through the lessons). It does contain, however, the grammar lesson that is missing from the two CWA videos, since in that class we did the grammar lesson earlier in the class, after the opening. If you missed class today, please make sure you watch all three. 

CWA Part 1

CWA Part 2

CWB

Also, daily:

+ Read your (approved) reading log book for pleasure, aiming for at least 30 minutes daily. Mark the number of minutes on your Reading Log calendar (in multiples of five, rounded down) as you go along.

+ Write in your gratitude journal daily, aiming for three things but listing at least one thing you are thankful for each day. When you have done so, place a small check mark in the top corner of your Reading Log calendar for that day.

+ Review one of your Scripture memory verses each day, such that you keep all of them fresh in your memory at all times and each verse gets reviewed at least once per week. You should be ready to recite any of the three verses you've memorized at any time.

NOTE: The April Reading Log will be due, signed by a parent, on Thursday, 4/27/17.

HW from Thursday, 4/6/17

Due on (and before!) Tuesday, 4/11/17

1) Correct any mistakes on the poems I gave back to you in class yesterday (one gerund poem and three cinquains). Retype them and print beautiful copies (two separate documents) for your writing folder. Staple the old, graded copy behind the beautiful one. Please also email the two documents to me at my regular email address so that I can copy and paste the poems onto the blog.

2) Read over the handouts I gave you yesterday in class about "Theme." (These are compiled from a website, not composed by me. They are mostly talking about how to figure out the theme in a piece of literature you're reading, but it will help you get a good idea of what a "theme" is and how it differs from just a subject.)

3) You will be working a theme into your final story of the year, which we will begin next week. After looking over the list of theme ideas in the handouts, decide what theme you would like to illustrate in your final story. Send this information to me in a text or email before class next Tuesday, 4/11. (Don't send it to Markup.)

4) Continue to look over the next poem you've chosen to memorize for recitation. Read it a few times and make sure you really do like it enough to want to commit it to memory. Take a few initial stabs at starting to memorize it. You have until next Tuesday to make a final decision and turn in your printed copy of the poem. (I gave extra credit to those of you who had your printed poems yesterday in class.) If you decide to change your mind at this point, that's fine. Tuesday you will turn it in and the decision will be final. See the last blog post for guidelines about choosing your poem. (Do not forget to include the title and author in the copy you print to turn in!)

5) Be giving some thought to your final story. What setting will you use? Who will some of your characters be? What plot will you use to illustrate the theme you've chosen? We will begin working on this story on Tuesday, and you will be well served if you have given some thought to these things beforehand. Use your weekend downtime to "scheme and dream" about your story! 😊

6) If you have not already done so, finish reading The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of Mark Rodriguez. (This was to be completed by the end of Spring Break, but I have extended a "grace deadline" to those of you who have taken longer to read it. You must finish it before class next Tuesday, 4/11.) Send me an email at my regular email address to let me know as soon as you have finished it.

7) You should be ready to recite any of the three verses you've memorized at any time. 

Also, daily:

+ Read your (approved) reading log book for pleasure, aiming for at least 30 minutes daily. Mark the number of minutes on your Reading Log calendar (in multiples of five, rounded down) as you go along.

+ Write in your gratitude journal daily, aiming for three things but listing at least one thing you are thankful for each day. When you have done so, place a small check mark in the top corner of your Reading Log calendar for that day.

+ Review one of your Scripture memory verses each day, such that you keep all of them fresh in your memory at all times and each verse gets reviewed at least once per week. You should be ready to recite any of the three verses you've memorized at any time.

NOTE: The April Reading Log will be due, signed by a parent, on Thursday, 4/27/17.

HW from Tuesday, 4/4/17

Due on Thursday, 4/6/17

1) If you have not already done so, finish reading The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of Mark Rodriguez. (This was to be completed by the end of Spring Break, but I have extended a "grace deadline" to those of you who have taken longer to read it. You must finish it before class next Tuesday, 4/11.) Send me an email at my regular email address to let me know as soon as you have finished it.

2) Clean out and re-organize your class notebook. Take care of any loose papers that you've neglected to file, make sure your notes are clear and organized, and make sure all parts of your mystery story were turned in (in your manilla envelope). If you find some you missed, bring them to me on Thursday. You will receive a homework grade for your notebook organization.

3) Bring all of your Scripture memory cards to class.  (Bring the three you have already made, but also make a review card for the fourth verse—the one you did not have to memorize.) You will receive a homework grade for having these four memory cards created and present with you in class tomorrow.

4) You should be ready to recite any of the three verses you've memorized at any time. You will recite the third memory verse (whichever one you chose) beginning tomorrow.

5) Choose the next poem you would like to memorize for recitation. You can find one online, of course, but I would recommend a trip to the library (or your family bookshelf!) to look through some books of high-quality poetry. This poem should reflect a nice theme of some sort and be worth the time and energy needed to commit it to memory. (You did a great job with the "fun" poems you memorized earlier, but now you will choose a more serious, meaningful poem.)

The length of the poem you choose to memorize is up to you; however, your highest possible grade will be based on the number of stanzas in your poem. Your recitation grade (the equivalent of a test grade) will be calculated as follows:

[   ] 1 stanza = base grade of 60, max grade of 65

[   ] 2 stanzas = base grade of 70, max grade of 75

[   ] 3 stanzas = base grade of 80, max grade of 85

[   ] 4 stanzas = base grade of 90, max grade of 95

[   ] 5+ stanzas = base grade of 95, max grade of 100

You will start with the "base grade" for your poem, and you will add or lose points from there based on your recitation of your poem, using the guidelines indicated below:

You had an introduction to your poem that included the title and the author.

Your memorization was rock solid and your recitation word-perfect.  

You were bold and confident in your demeanor as you recited.

You used dynamic expression appropriate to the tone and theme of the poem. 

You engaged your entire audience with eye contact. 

Your posture indicated confidence and security in the task at hand. 

Duplicate the poem (type it out or cut and paste it into a document and then print it, make a copy on your printer/scanner, etc.) and bring it with you to class on Thursday, 4/6.

Also, daily:

+ Read your (approved) reading log book for pleasure, aiming for at least 30 minutes daily. Mark the number of minutes on your Reading Log calendar (in multiples of five, rounded down) as you go along.

+ Write in your gratitude journal daily, aiming for three things but listing at least one thing you are thankful for each day. When you have done so, place a small check mark in the top corner of your Reading Log calendar for that day.

+ Review one of your Scripture memory verses each day, such that you keep all of them fresh in your memory at all times and each verse gets reviewed at least once per week.

NOTE: The April Reading Log will be due, signed by a parent, on Thursday, 4/27/17.