HW from Thursday, 9/28/17

Due on Tuesday, 10/3/17

1) Decide on the place about which you'd like to write your descriptive paper. Think about it in terms of your five senses, and for each sense, write three descriptive sentences. You do not have to write sentences for “taste” if your place doesn't lend itself to that, but please do try to think of ways that it might, and do it if you can.

NOTE: You don’t need to use the words for the five senses in your sentences! It’s okay if you happen to, but don’t try to! Just write descriptive sentences while thinking of each of those areas so that you include sensory details in your descriptive sentences.

Some example sentences:

LOOK: The sunlight filters through the clouds and casts a magical, golden hue on the pine straw floor.

SMELL: The pungent scent of pine and earth wafts through the air, deepening with each step I take into the forest.

TASTE (though not mandatory): The smell of manure and mulch is so strong that it lingers in my mouth as an earthy taste.

SOUND: All sorts of chirps and tweets and rattles and rustles rise from the trees with each passing step.

FEEL: The tickle of pine needles brushing against my skin causes the hair on my arms to stand straight on end, and I look down to see tiny dots of sticky sap all over my wrist and fingers.

Have fun! I can’t wait to read what you come up with!

2) After you have written all of your sentences on your sideways-notebook-paper chart, type them up into a Word document as follows: type the name of the sense that you were focused on, then number each of the three sentences beneath it that you wrote for that sense. Repeat for all five senses, in the exact order that we learned them. Attach your handwritten chart to the back of your typed copy and prepare to turn both in on Tuesday.

3) Click here to print your October Reading Log. Put your name on it and begin to record your minutes as you read. If you read tonight, tomorrow, or over the weekend, you will need to mark those minutes in the blank squares at the bottom of the calendar. Just put the September date in the box and write the minutes there.

Also, daily:

+ Read your (approved) book for pleasure, aiming for 30 minutes daily. Mark the number of minutes on your Reading Log as you go along—in multiples of five, rounded down—and have a parent initial it in the box each day. The October Reading Log will be due on Tuesday, 10/31/17. 

+ Make your bed! :)

HW from Tuesday, 9/26/17

Due on Thursday, 9/28/17

1) Using the "Writing Techniques" and "Writing Terms" sections of your Writer's Inc book, look up the following eight terms and copy the definitions: 

* simile

* metaphor

* personification

* sensory details

* figurative language

* hyperbole

* exaggeration

* idiom

2) Visit this web page and watch the video. Write a paragraph reacting to what Admiral McCraven claims in the video. What benefits does he say will be derived from this daily activity? Do you agree or disagree? Do you think his words will shape your behavior in the future? Be prepared to turn in this paragraph on Thursday. (And maybe go do what he suggested!)

3) Your September Reading Log is due on Thursday. Be sure your name is on it and that your parent has initialed each day's entry and signed the entire calendar to indicate that you kept an accurate daily count of your minutes read.

Also, daily:

+ Read your (approved) book for pleasure, aiming for 30 minutes daily. Mark the number of minutes on your Reading Log as you go along—in multiples of five, rounded down—and have a parent initial it in the box each day. The September Reading Log is due on Thursday, 9/28/17.

HW from Thursday, 9/21/17

Due on and before Tuesday, 9/26/17

1) Make a list of at least five idioms that you think of on your own—do not use a parent, a friend, or the internet!—and type them into a Word document. Email me the document as an attachment to the email address on this blog. Be sure your name is in the subject line of your email and is also on the top of the paper that is your attachment. Send me this email before the weekend.

2) In your Writer's Inc. book, read the following pages. As you read, jot down a few notes about anything that strikes you as important or useful on that page:
p. 1 – Why Write?
p. 3 – Writing Is A Process
p. 45 – Freewriting Tips (Think about writing in your writer's notebook as you read this.)
p. 85 – Writing Sentences
pp. 87-88 – Writing Complete Sentences
p. 95 – Combining Sentences

For p. 95, don't worry at all about learning or memorizing the names of the techniques they say you can use to combine sentences. Just carefully read each of the examples sentences they give about tornados, noting the different ways they were able to say things differently by combining the ideas from the choppy, little sentences at the top into the nicer, longer ones at the bottom.

3) Locate a written passage—from a book or a magazine, but not online—that describes either a place or a weather event. Make a copy. (Please scan and print it if at all possible. If not, you may type or write it out as long as you give all the copyright information about the source—including the title and author—and your parent double-checks that you made no errors in your transcription.) Bring it to class on Tuesday.

4) Be prepared for a quiz at any time on everything we've discussed so far in class. Pay particular attention to our writing lessons, where we've discussed six ways to enhance description in your writing, (We've started to add a seventh—use figurative language—but you are not yet responsible for that one.)

Also, daily:

+ Read your (approved) book for pleasure, aiming for 30 minutes daily. Mark the number of minutes on your Reading Log as you go along—in multiples of five, rounded down—and have a parent initial it in the box each day. The September Reading Log is due on Thursday, 9/28/17.

HW from Tuesday, 9/19/17

Due on Thursday, 9/21/17

1) Complete Copywork #3. Copy the poem exactly as it appears on the paper. If the author indents, you indent. If the author skips a line, you skip a line. Don't forget the attribution!

2) Visit the following web links to listen to the School House Rock songs for nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs. As you listen to each song, write down the definition of each part of speech (according to the song) and give as many examples of that part of speech as you can from the song itself. (Often, there are twenty or thirty or more specific examples of each part of speech listed out in the songs!)

Use a new sheet of paper for each part of speech/song!

* NOUN A Noun Is a Person, Place, or Thing
* ADJECTIVE Unpack Your Adjectives
* VERB Verb: That's What's Happening
* ADVERB Lolly Lolly Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here

3) Be prepared for a quiz at any time on everything we've discussed so far in class. Pay particular attention to our writing lessons, where we've discussed six ways to enhance description in your writing. (We've started to add a seventh—adding figurative language—but you are not yet responsible for that one.)

Also, daily:
+ Read your (approved) book for pleasure, aiming for 30 minutes daily. Mark the number of minutes on your Reading Log as you go along—in multiples of five, rounded down—and have a parent initial it in the box each day. The September Reading log is due on Thursday, September 28.

HW from Thursday, 9/14/17

Due on Tuesday, 9/19/17

1) Continue chanting your memorized list of the five senses (in this order and using these words):
LOOK
SMELL
TASTE
SOUND
FEEL
Practice saying it several times so you don't forget them—in this exact order, using these exact words.

2) Make sure your CW binder is in order. Get the five tabs labeled and placed in your binder in the correct order with the correct pages filed into each section:

1 – Homework 
2 – Writing Lessons
3 – Grammar Lessons
4 – Copywork / Memory Work
5 – Quizzes / Tests / Reading Logs

3) Complete Copywork #2 according to the directions on the handout.

4) Review your notes about the five ways to enhance description in your writing. You will have a quiz at any time about the things that we are learning.

Also, daily:
+ Read your (approved) book for pleasure, aiming for 30 minutes daily. Mark the number of minutes on your Reading Log as you go along—in multiples of five, rounded down—and have a parent initial it in the box each day. The September Reading log is due on Thursday, September 28.

HW from Tuesday, 9/12/17

Due Thursday, 9/14/17

As always, please call, text, or email me if you have any questions or concerns about how to do anything on this blog! My suggestion is always that you print it out so you can check off each item as you complete it.

1) Memorize this list of your five senses (in this exact order and using these exact words):
LOOK
SMELL
TASTE
SOUND
FEEL

Practice saying it several times so you don't forget them—in this order, using these words.

2) Read all of p.141 in your Writer's Inc. book—the sections entitled #4 ("Hooking Your Reader") and #5 ("Keeping the Reader Interested"), including the boxes containing the sections "Use sensory details," "Use specific action," and "Use dialogue."

3) Read p. 143, entitled "Sample Personal Narrative" (called "The Game").

[NOTE: In the old edition of Writer's Inc. (the gold one), this material isn't exactly the same, but you can at least read the "Sample Personal Narrative" (called "The Game") on pp. 148-149. Please borrow a green edition of the book to read the other sections if at all possible, or I'd be happy to meet you early before KEYS on Thursday so that you can read it then. I'll be there by 8:00 a.m. Call or text to let me know if you're planning to meet me early on Thursday.]

4) Write a good, descriptive sentence to take the place of the dull sentence, "The man walked." (This is like what we did in class today using "The child cried," which became, "The sad toddler sobbed because he couldn't have a cookie.") Use some of the five ways we talked about (to enhance description in your writing) to write a good, descriptive sentence. Identify for me each of the ways to enhance description that you used in your new sentence, and use at least four of the five we discussed.

NOTE: I'd like you to navigate to our class website by clicking on the link entitled "Creative Writing Home Page" at the top of the column to the right. Once there, scroll down and click on "Topics of Study ~ Quarter 1" on the left, and link in to see some review notes at the top about what we talked about today. If you didn't take good notes today, you may supplement them with the information you see on this web page.

Also, daily:
+ Read your (approved) book for pleasure, aiming for 30 minutes daily. Mark the number of minutes on your Reading Log as you go along—in multiples of five, rounded down—and have a parent initial it in the box each day. The September Reading log is due on Thursday, September 28.

HW from Thursday, 9/7/17

Due on Tuesday, 9/12/17

1) If you added our class late or didn't get the emails I sent out—and therefore you didn't turn in everything that was due today, 9/7—please complete it and turn it in on Tuesday. However, please email the prayer-request homework ASAP.

2) Be sure you have your composition book for Tuesday.

3) Complete Copywork #1 according to the directions on the handout. Use loose leaf paper.

4) Select your first Reading Log book, if you haven't already, and begin recording your reading on the Reading Log. You are aiming for an average of 30 minutes per week day. Remember, you must record your reading in round multiples of five (rounded down), and your parent must initial each day to indicate that you did it and recorded it accurately.

5) Check to be sure you have the correct Writer's Inc. book and bring it to class on Tuesday. You should have the one with the green lettering, not the orange/gold one. Check the ISBN on the KEYS or Creative Writing websites if you're not sure.

6) Please subscribe to the Homework Blog by entering your email in the right column. You will then receive an emailed copy of each entry after it has been published.

HW from Monday, 9/4/17

Due BEFORE Thursday, 9/7/17

Hello, and welcome to the Creative Writing class at KEYS!

This is your first homework assignment, and it is designed to help you navigate your way to this homework blog so that you're sure to know how to use it once class starts on Thursday, 9/7.

DO NOT BE OVERWHELMED! I know this seems like a lot right now, but you'll get the hang of it very soon!

(NOTE: Please always read the homework assignments carefully and be sure you have done all that is required of you!)

Each year, throughout the school year, I pray for each of my students by name.  I pray for you whenever the Lord brings you to mind, but I also pray for you systematically, one each on a particular day of each month throughout the year.  I make a list of things you have asked me to pray for you, and I do so regularly.

Your first assignment is as follows:
As soon as is practical, please email me with a list of things you'd like me to pray for you over the course of this year. This list can include specific requests, but I would also like you to spend some time thinking of general things you'd like the Lord to do for you this school year that I can be praying for you each month. (You may click on the link in the right sidebar to email me, or type my email address into the address line yourself. Either way will work.) 

A sample list of the kinds of things you might send me appears below. (These are actual examples from previous student prayer emails I have received.)

* Pray that I would love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.
* Pray that I would stand firm in righteousness. I especially need strength to be honest all the time.
* Pray that I wouldn't be too concerned about my appearance.
* Pray that I would stop yelling at my siblings when I get angry at them. 
* Pray that I would be diligent in my school work and keep a good schedule.
* Pray that I would sleep better at night. 
* Pray that my dad would get the new job he applied for.
* Pray for my grandma (Joan) who has thyroid cancer and doesn't know the Lord, that she would get saved and be healed.

Please don't copy this list.  This is just an example to get you thinking.  Think of particular things that you would like prayer for and send me those.  Your list should contain at least five (5) items.

I will cut-and-paste the list you give me into a prayer partner app I use on my iPad, and I will pray faithfully each month for the things you've asked me to pray for you. (The app is private and protected, so no one else will see your requests except me.) Of course, you may feel free to email me at any time to ask me to pray for other things as the school year goes along.

I look forward to sharing this school year with you!
LS

PLEASE NOTE: 
For our first day of class on 9/7, please also print out the documents that were emailed to you and your parents. Read everything and follow all instructions contained in those pages. Place those that will not be turned in, into your notebook as instructed. Place the others (all sheets that required signatures and need to be turned in), in one of the pockets in your notebook.

Print, 3-hole punch (or put in sheet protector), and put in your notebook:
– Welcome Letter 2017 ("Dear parents and students")
– Course Expectations and Information
– Class Supply List
– Signature Form (including fees)
– Required Reading Log (discuss with parents and choose your first book)
– Homework Guidelines (requires signatures – print two copies, one for notebook and one to turn in)

Print, sign, and put in pocket of notebook, to turn in upon arrival Thursday:
– Student Information Sheet
– Signature Page
– Signed copy of Homework Guidelines