Telling your Tale

Often times in our lives, certain events, people, or moments have defined who we are as individuals. Your task today is to write a narrative story about a moment in your life that helped make you who you are.

Your story is going to be written in NARRATIVE form, so it should be told like a story NOT a letter.

Requirements for your story:

1. 3 – 5 paragraphs long
2. Story includes a beginning, middle, and end
3. Use 3 – 5 words from Context Clues
4. Use Subject-Verb Agreement
5. Tell the story about something, sometime, or someone that influenced you!

Rubric for Story:

Proficient – 4+ paragraphs, identify the major points of your life (events, people, etc), is written in narrative form, written in clear, logical sentences, student utilizes at least 3 new words
Non-Proficient – less than 4 paragraphs, not written in narrative form, writing is not clear or logical

Defining your Voice

As many of you know, with today’s economy many of us face hard, challenging decisions every single day. Often times, young adults can feel completely helpless and “mute” with concerns to important issues.

Read the article below and notice how teens are taking their own issues into their own hands. Prepare to discuss some of your issues.

“Dear Mayor” – Click Here

Now that you have read the article, write a blog post in which you discuss an issue that you have with “the way the world works.” It could be the lack of drinking water across the globe, the inequalities between the lives of the wealthy and the poor, segregations role in our society, etc. As you write the entry, please consider:

1. What is the issue?
2. Why is it an issue and why should others care about it?
3. What are some possible ways to fix this solution?
4. Are there articles online that discuss this issue? If so, post links!

Rubric:

Proficient – 2 – 3 paragraphs about an issue that you see in today’s world/society. In these paragraphs, students discuss the importance of the issue and ways to prevent/stop this issue. All writing is clear, logical, and makes use of rhetorical devices to enhance overall effect.

Non-Proficient – less than 2 paragraphs an issue, students do not discuss the issue at length, nor why others should take interest in it, writing is unclear, illogical, and does not make use of rhetorical devices.

Context Clues and Your Reading

This week we have been talking about using context clues to figure out unfamiliar words and confusing passages while you’re reading.

Today, your task is to answer the questions:

1. Why is it important to identify and understand words you didn’t know?
2. How does increasing your vocabulary help your understanding of the world around you?
3. List 3 (or more) words from your PCR book that you used context clues to give meaning to, and explain how that helped you understand the book more completely.
4. What do you think this mean – “You can never use a new word until you ‘own’ it.”

Blog entry Rubric:
Proficient – 2 paragraphs entered in class blog about their this week using context clues consciously, during their entry students must utilize at least 3 new words that they learned from reading this week
Non- Proficient – less than 2 paragraphs entered in class blog, students use less than 3 new words that they learned this week from reading

**Once your blog entry is completed, read this short selection. **

Using Tone in Your Writing

We have been working with tone for the last few weeks in class, and it is time to start utilizing tone in your writing.

Before we begin, please recall that tone is the overall “attitude” or “feel” of a writing piece. Tone is made up of three main components: 1) Diction 2) Imagery 3) Figurative language. So, as you complete the task listed below be sure to utilize these three writing strategies.

Your Task Today:
Compose a blog entry in which you utilize tone. Describe a time you and a friend went to a sporting event that started off really fun, but quickly turned sour. Write two paragraphs. The first paragraph should be in a “happy” tone and the second in a “negative” or “upset tone.” Use Diction, Imagery, and Figurative Language to create the tone.

(Note: If you cannot think of a time when you and your friends went to a sporting event, make one up!)

Rubric for Writing in Tone:
Proficient – 2 paragraphs entered in class blog about their experience in a sports event, the 1st paragraph is composed in a happy tone, the second in a sad tone – students should utilize words, images, and fig language to create a specific tone, each paragraph is a least 5 sentences.

Non- Proficient – less than 2 paragraphs, paragraphs do not differ in tone, and students do not use words, images, and fig language to their advantage, each paragraph is less than 5 sentences.