Class,
I forgot to collect journals yesterday morning, so I'll check this week's next week. If you missed, get it done by next week, and you will get full credit. For this coming week, you have a free-write assignment. I will check for 2 journal entries on Feb. 25 class. Leave your journals at the front table when you arrive on Thursday.
For vocabulary, you will not be tested on last week's list; you will only be tested on this week's vocabulary list (see list below).
Here is your prompt for this week's writing assignment. Because we just did the King Papers field trip, and while it's fresh in our minds, I'm moving that essay up to Feb. 24. Your short story will be due March 4. This will allow us more time to work on your short story during the Feb. 24 class.
One of the quotes that touched me during the field trip was the following from MLK: "The time is always right to do what is right." Using that as a basis, you will write a 5-paragraph essay reflecting how you determine what right is? Include in your essay what you believe MLK used as his basis for determining what right was when it came to civil liberties and social justice in the 1950s and 1960s.
I also want you to listen to his "I have a dream" speech from Washington, D.C., in 1963. You can follow the link below to listen to it.
Your essay should include the proper header (name, date, title of essay: King. Your essay should be no longer than 1 1/2 pages, be in 12-point type, have 1-inch margins, be set in Times Roman or like font.
The "I have a dream" link:
Here is this week's vocabulary words. Write 10 sentences using 10 of the words that you choose.
candid
censure
diligent
fortuitous
garble
jocular
judicious
lampoon
meticulous
nonchalant
onus
perceptive
refute
sage
tactful
That's it.
Mr. Mead
Friday, February 19, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
For Feb. 18 class
Class,
Reminder that for our next class on Feb. 18, we are going on the field trip to Stanford. We meet at the Friends Church at 9 a.m., and not 9:30. See the note from the previous post for all the details. Mrs. Diehl and I will be driving.
Journals are due at the beginning of class, Feb. 18. Write 1 page about any ol' thing you want to write about.
Writing assignment
The current short story essay (fiction) assignment has two parts. The final, 3-4 page essay is due Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. I am finishing up the prompt, which I will send out as an e-mail and put up on the blog later. I will send an e-mail later that includes the 4-page handout from class; it will be in a PDF file, so make sure you scroll down and see all four pages. Disregard the last half page on the lyric poem.
The part that is due on Feb. 17 at 10 a.m. is your prewrite, filling out the following information. Describe the main characters, setting, plot, conflict, narrator, if any, themes, climax and resolution. The details do not have to perfectly match your essay, and some of the above will change as you write and rewrite. The idea is to spend the first week thinking about your short story and writing down notes. If you have questions, email me or call me.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary is changing slightly. This week, there will be 15 definitions you will need to turn in by Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 10 a.m. In addition, you will choose 10 of the words and write sentences. You may change the form of the word; e.g., use it in past tense, but you must use the definition you include for the word.
Here are this week's words:
camaraderie
candid
deteriorate
dilemma
frugal
jargon
jeopardize
mandatory
mundane
negligence
oblivious
paradox
quandary
ramble
scrutinize
That's it. Write often, write thoughtfully, write well.
Mr. Mead
Reminder that for our next class on Feb. 18, we are going on the field trip to Stanford. We meet at the Friends Church at 9 a.m., and not 9:30. See the note from the previous post for all the details. Mrs. Diehl and I will be driving.
Journals are due at the beginning of class, Feb. 18. Write 1 page about any ol' thing you want to write about.
Writing assignment
The current short story essay (fiction) assignment has two parts. The final, 3-4 page essay is due Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. I am finishing up the prompt, which I will send out as an e-mail and put up on the blog later. I will send an e-mail later that includes the 4-page handout from class; it will be in a PDF file, so make sure you scroll down and see all four pages. Disregard the last half page on the lyric poem.
The part that is due on Feb. 17 at 10 a.m. is your prewrite, filling out the following information. Describe the main characters, setting, plot, conflict, narrator, if any, themes, climax and resolution. The details do not have to perfectly match your essay, and some of the above will change as you write and rewrite. The idea is to spend the first week thinking about your short story and writing down notes. If you have questions, email me or call me.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary is changing slightly. This week, there will be 15 definitions you will need to turn in by Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 10 a.m. In addition, you will choose 10 of the words and write sentences. You may change the form of the word; e.g., use it in past tense, but you must use the definition you include for the word.
Here are this week's words:
camaraderie
candid
deteriorate
dilemma
frugal
jargon
jeopardize
mandatory
mundane
negligence
oblivious
paradox
quandary
ramble
scrutinize
That's it. Write often, write thoughtfully, write well.
Mr. Mead
Friday, February 5, 2010
For Feb. 11 class
Writing
Feb. 5, 2010
Character Sketch Essay
Due: Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 10 a.m.
Your Character Sketch essay is to be 4 paragraphs long, but no longer than a page. It should include the usual header at the top of the page, be double spaced, in 12-point Times Roman or like font, with 1-inch margins. The essay itself is worth 30 points, and a brief prewrite is worth 5 points and due on Thursday, Feb. 11 in class. If you are late, you lose 2 points.
For your essay, you should observe someone briefly, write down your observations, then sketch them with your pen, so to speak. Do not do a classmate. You may write about a friend, neighbor, relative or someone you meet out in public,such as a grocery clerk, a waitress or someone you meet on the street.
Read the two handouts to get tips on writing the essay. An example of a character sketch is included in the attached PDF files. You are not simply describing the person with adjectives or descriptive terms, but rather, you are describing them by telling about their speech, their mannerisms,etc. You decide which qualities you want to emphasize in the sketch. Make your character come alive through his words, actions, thoughts (or someone else's comments) or a combination of these. Try not to use stereotypes for your character. Do not combine two characters into one.
For those of you who missed class, view the accompanying photo on the blog of Mrs. Thomas Gage, circa 1771 (in the post above this). First, write down as many adjectives or descriptive terms you can, then write a paragraph about her,using some of your observations. Email that back to me by Monday, Feb. 8 at 10 a.m. It is worth 5 points.
Vocabulary
The following vocabulary terms are due on Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 10 a.m. The vocabulary quiz will be on Thursday, Feb. 11.
bilk
bombast
burgeon
byline
cacophony
deplore
depravity
deprecate
deride
desecrate
despondent
falter
fanaticism
fastidious
flustered
forfeit
Intransigent
intrepid
intuitive
irony
Field trip
The field trip to Stanford to view the Martin Luther King Papers is on for Thursday, Feb. 18. To give us a little more cushion time-wise, we will meet at 8:45 at the church and leave at 9 a.m. I anticipate getting back between 2:30 and 3. Here are the key details:
Mrs. Diehl and are planning to drive, and we can get 13 combined in our two cars. There are 12 kids and two adults. If one kid is sick, we're ok. If everybody goes, we'll need another driver. That week, we will be keeping a close head count of who is going.
Cost is $5 per student, which covers gas,tolls and parking. Bring a sack lunch and a drink, which we will eat there on campus together. I am trying to arrange with a friend to give us a short tour of the campus, as Stanford is one of the most picturesque campuses, as well as one of the foremost learning institutes in the world.
Here is the web site link:
http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php
Holler if you have questions.
Feb. 5, 2010
Character Sketch Essay
Due: Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 10 a.m.
Your Character Sketch essay is to be 4 paragraphs long, but no longer than a page. It should include the usual header at the top of the page, be double spaced, in 12-point Times Roman or like font, with 1-inch margins. The essay itself is worth 30 points, and a brief prewrite is worth 5 points and due on Thursday, Feb. 11 in class. If you are late, you lose 2 points.
For your essay, you should observe someone briefly, write down your observations, then sketch them with your pen, so to speak. Do not do a classmate. You may write about a friend, neighbor, relative or someone you meet out in public,such as a grocery clerk, a waitress or someone you meet on the street.
Read the two handouts to get tips on writing the essay. An example of a character sketch is included in the attached PDF files. You are not simply describing the person with adjectives or descriptive terms, but rather, you are describing them by telling about their speech, their mannerisms,etc. You decide which qualities you want to emphasize in the sketch. Make your character come alive through his words, actions, thoughts (or someone else's comments) or a combination of these. Try not to use stereotypes for your character. Do not combine two characters into one.
For those of you who missed class, view the accompanying photo on the blog of Mrs. Thomas Gage, circa 1771 (in the post above this). First, write down as many adjectives or descriptive terms you can, then write a paragraph about her,using some of your observations. Email that back to me by Monday, Feb. 8 at 10 a.m. It is worth 5 points.
Vocabulary
The following vocabulary terms are due on Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 10 a.m. The vocabulary quiz will be on Thursday, Feb. 11.
bilk
bombast
burgeon
byline
cacophony
deplore
depravity
deprecate
deride
desecrate
despondent
falter
fanaticism
fastidious
flustered
forfeit
Intransigent
intrepid
intuitive
irony
Field trip
The field trip to Stanford to view the Martin Luther King Papers is on for Thursday, Feb. 18. To give us a little more cushion time-wise, we will meet at 8:45 at the church and leave at 9 a.m. I anticipate getting back between 2:30 and 3. Here are the key details:
Mrs. Diehl and are planning to drive, and we can get 13 combined in our two cars. There are 12 kids and two adults. If one kid is sick, we're ok. If everybody goes, we'll need another driver. That week, we will be keeping a close head count of who is going.
Cost is $5 per student, which covers gas,tolls and parking. Bring a sack lunch and a drink, which we will eat there on campus together. I am trying to arrange with a friend to give us a short tour of the campus, as Stanford is one of the most picturesque campuses, as well as one of the foremost learning institutes in the world.
Here is the web site link:
http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php
Holler if you have questions.
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