Writing (Imaginative Arts Week)

 Writing (November IA Week)

1. You should have finished the book already!  If not, get it finished.

2. Write this paragraph from the book in your nicest handwriting. Try practicing your best print and your best italics or cursive.

Many hours later she buried him in the snow. The totem of Amaroq was in her pocket. Her fingers ran over it but she did not take it out. She sang to the spirit of Amaroq in her best English:

The seals are scarce and the whales are almost gone. 

The spirits of the animals are passing away. 

Amaroq, Amaroq, you are my adopted father.

My feet dance because of you.

My eyes see because of you.

My mind thinks because of you. 

And it thinks, on this thundering night, 

That the hour of the wolf and the Eskimo is over.

Julie pointed her boots toward Kapugen.

(Part 3, Page 170)

While the opening passage of a novel sets the tone, the final passage creates the impression the reader will take away. An unsatisfying ending can make a reader reevaluate all that came before, while a profound ending can elevate the reader’s experience of a book. The ending is an opportunity for the author to reinforce or deepen the main character’s development or invite speculation about what will happen next. 

3. Your paper should be all finished and edited.  If you didn't get to have a mentor read it last week, please have a parent read it and make corrections for you.  Make sure it has a title! Does it have an ending that is satisfying to the reader?  Finish your final draft and send it to me at tasha.eagar@gmail.com. I will post them for all to read!  I read some really great stories and I would love for others to see all the creativity!

4. Study ALL of the spelling words from Julie of the Wolves.  You may want to skim through the book and study some other words in case we get to that point again!

5. We are going to shift the work load, so there is not as much to do on History and Eureka week.  So... We are going to start the next paper this week.  Because you have the whole Christmas break to work on it, you should have time to get it done.  It will be due on Leadership week on January 7th.  You might want to get most of it done before the break!

We will be doing a research project. (This could double as a speech for speech and debate!)

There are a wide range of research topics.  I found these statements helpful. I want you to consider these as you decide what to research.

Your Level of Interest: Research papers are time-consuming; you will be spending countless hours researching the topic and related topics, developing several primary and secondary sources, and putting everything together into a paper that is coherent and accomplishes your objectives. If you do not choose a topic you are passionate about, the process will be far more tedious, and the finished product may suffer as a result.

Your Level of Experience: Being interested in a topic is great, but it is even more helpful if you already know something about it. If you can find a topic that you already have some personal and/or professional experience with, it will vastly reduce the amount of research needed and make the whole process much easier.

Available Information on the Topic: Be sure to choose a topic that is not only interesting but also one that has numerous sources available from which to compile your research. A researchable topic with several potential sources gives you access to the level of information you need to become an authority on the subject.

Your Audience: An interesting topic to you may not necessarily be interesting to your audience or whoever is reading your research paper. Before you begin, consider the level of interest of the person(s) who will be reading it. If you are writing a persuasive or argumentative essay, also consider their point of view on the subject matter.

There are different types of research papers that include:

• Argumentative Research Papers; where you research 2 sides of a topic and present both sides and then tell us why you believe in one side or the other.
• Persuasive Research Papers; where you persuade someone that what you are telling them is the absolute best!  Kind of like they do in advertising.
• Education Research Papers; Where you educate someone on a topic, lots of factual information.
• Analytical Research Papers; Where you analyze a topic and figure out what all the perspectives are. Perhaps analyzing a song and what it means.
• Informative Research Papers; Where you inform the reader about what you have researched. 

Informative papers are probably the easiest type, but you are welcome to choose any of the above.  Here is a website with a list of possible topics to choose from. Some of the topics are very controversial, but maybe you are interested in arguing one of those topics.  There is also a teen section on this website.

https://www.myspeechclass.com/good-and-interesting-research-paper-topics.html

You could also choose something as simple as researching about your favorite animal, but I want to know everything there is to know about it, and make it interesting!

Come to class prepared with your topic of research and the type of paper you will be presenting.  Also come with an outline.  Your outline will be similar to that of your narrative.  It should look something like this. Research Paper Outline You may print this and use it, or just use this as an idea and type it up. The major points may change along the way as you do your research, but you should have 3 points that you want to research.  The introduction, obviously will introduce us to your topic.  Right now, you just need to know what you are researching.  The introduction paragraph will become apparent as you start writing.  The thesis will tell us about the 3 major points you will be introducing and have a strong statement about the research. Your conclusion will wrap up everything you have researched.  Remember, we are just getting started.  You will research each of your major points in the coming weeks. Keep a record of the sources you use.  We will learn how to site sources next week.

Writing (October Leadership)

 Writing (Leadership week)

1. Finish reading Julie of the Wolves.

2. Write this passage from the book in your notebooks.  Use your best handwriting and copy out the punctuation exactly how it is written.

The snow turned red with blood from his shoulder. Miyax rolled under the barrel.

The air exploded and she stared up into the belly of the plane. Bolts, doors, wheels, red, white, silver, and black, the plane flashed before her eyes. In that instant she saw great cities, bridges, radios, school books. She saw the pink room, long highways, TV sets, telephones, and electric lights. Black exhaust enveloped her, and civilization became this monster that snarled across the sky.

The plane shrank before her eyes, then turned and grew big again. Tornait flew to the top of the barrel, screaming his alarm cry and beating his wings.

Kapu tried to get up.

“Don’t move,” Miyax whispered. “They’re coming for Amaroq.” Knowing Kapu did not understand, she reached out and softly stroked him, singing: “Lie still. Lie still.” She watched him slump back in the snow without a sound.

(Part 3, Page 141) 

This passage is charged with emotion. Reread this section and see if you can pick up on words or phrases that increase the intensity of the tone.  How many words can you find that contribute to the emotion of this passage? Write down the words that you find.

3. Write 2 more pages in your handwriting books.  Bring your books to class!  I'll be looking for improvement from last time.  Make sure you are actually writing within the lines!

4. Now that you have your story written and it's been read by a friend in class, it's time to make corrections.  Make sure you have clear punctuated sentences and paragraphs.  Make sure your dialogue is written out correctly, (a new line for each new person speaking.) Make sure your story flows and is easy to understand.  Print it out and bring it to class.  The mentors will now read your stories and give their feedback.

5. Spelling Words!

possessions - the state of having, owning, or controlling something.

infinity - the state or quality of being infinite. never ending.

kayak - a canoe of a type used originally by the Inuit, made of a light frame with a watertight covering having a small opening in the top to sit in.

through - moving in one side and out of the other side of (an opening, channel, or location).

though - despite the fact that; although

thought - an idea or opinion produced by thinking, or occurring suddenly in the mind.

taught - show or explain to (someone) how to do something.

tough - (of a substance or object) strong enough to withstand adverse conditions or rough or careless handling.

trough - a long, narrow open container for animals to eat or drink out of.

throughout - in every part of (a place or object).

thorough - complete with regard to every detail; not superficial or partial.

celebration - the action of marking one's pleasure at an important event or occasion by engaging in enjoyable, typically social, activity.

language - a system of communication used by a particular country or community.

immediately - at once; instantly.

miraculous - occurring through divine or supernatural intervention, or manifesting such power.

campaigning - work in an organized and active way toward a particular goal, typically a political or social one.

tombstones - a large, flat inscribed stone standing or laid over a grave.

audience - the assembled spectators or listeners at a public event, such as a play, movie, concert, or meeting.

realized - become fully aware of (something) as a fact; understand clearly.

constellations - a group of stars forming a recognizable pattern that is traditionally named after its apparent form or identified with a mythological figure.

 possessions  infinity

kayak  


through though

thought taught

tough trough

thorough throughout

celebrationlanguage

immediately miraculous

campaigningtombstones

audiencerealized

constellations  

Writing October (Eureka Week)

 Writing (Eureka Week)

1. Read Part 2, Miyax, the girl, of Julie of the Wolves.

2. Write these paragraphs in your notebook in your best handwriting.  

“The theater,” she whispered, “and the Golden Gate Bridge.” That night she slept with the letter under her cheek.

In the evening of the following day Miyax hastily put on her clothes and crawled up the frost heave. Like a good puppy she got down on her stomach.

“Amaroq,” she called. “I’m ready to go when you are!”

The wind blew across the wolf den, shattering the heads of the cotton grass and shooting their seedlets south with the birds. No one answered. The wolves

were gone.

(This is on page 70 of part 1)

Dialogue has a special set of punctuation rules that change based on language and country. If you read a mixture of books published in England and the United States, for example, you are used to seeing dialogue punctuation written in different ways.

This passage includes prose alongside dialogue, which affords you practice in opening and closing quotations, as well as indenting to begin a new paragraph or open a new line of dialogue.

When you write the words that someone said, you use quotation marks to show where their words begin and end.  The verb that introduces the spoken words (say, said, ask, whisper and so on) can go first, last, or in the middle.  Here is an example of how the punctuation should be in each case. Question marks and exclamation points have different rules.

1.  If the verb is first: use two capital letters: one at the start of the sentence, and one where the spoken words start.  He said, "They've found the way out."  Use a comma at the end of the introduction, before the quotation marks.  Use a period before the quotation marks.
2. If the verb is last: use one capital letter only. "They've found the way out," he said. Use a comma after the spoken words, before the quotation marks.  Don't put a period until the very end of the sentence
3. If the verb is in the middle: use a comma within the quotation marks. "From what I can see," he said, peering into the binoculars, "they've found the way out." Use a comma before the quotation marks and one period at the end, before the quotation marks.

I hope this is clear, we will talk more about it in class.  I'd love to see some quotes and written dialogue in your stories.

3. Do 2 more pages in your writing book.  You should be to a point where you are writing the fun quotes.  Memorize the quote or trivia and be prepared to share it in class.  If your book doesn't have quotes or trivia, find an inspirational quote to memorize and share with us.  It could be from conference!

4. Work on your narrative!  Bring a full rough draft to class.  This means that you should have your story written and printed.  It does not need to be perfect.  That's why it's called a rough draft.  It should have a beginning, a middle; with setting, plot and characters, and an ending.  

5. Spelling words!

whispered - speak very softly using one's breath without one's vocal cords, especially for the sake of privacy.

hastily - with excessive speed or urgency; hurriedly.

stomach - the internal organ in which the major part of the digestion of food occurs, being (in humans and many mammals) a pear-shaped enlargement of the alimentary canal linking the esophagus to the small intestine.

answered - say or write something to deal with or as a reaction to someone or something.

evening - the period of time at the end of the day, usually from about 6 p.m. to bedtime.

to, too, two - 3 different words, to = a preposition, too = also, or excess, two = a number 2

desert - a dry, barren area of land, especially one covered with sand, that is characteristically desolate, waterless, and without vegetation.

dessert - the sweet course eaten at the end of a meal.

sandpipers -  wading bird with a long bill and typically long legs, nesting on the ground near water and frequenting coastal areas on migration.

grieving - cause great distress to (someone).

beautiful - pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically. of a very high standard; excellent.

occasionally - at infrequent or irregular intervals; now and then.

listening - give one's attention to a sound.

explained - make (an idea, situation, or problem) clear to someone by describing it in more detail or revealing relevant facts or ideas.

laughter - the action or sound of laughing.

successful - accomplishing an aim or purpose.

temperatures - the degree or intensity of heat present in a substance or object, especially as expressed according to a comparative scale and shown by a thermometer or perceived by touch.

comparison - the act or instance of comparing.

exchange - an act of giving one thing and receiving another (especially of the same type or value) in return.

encyclopedia - a book or set of books giving information on many subjects or on many aspects of one subject

whispered  hastily 

stomach answered 

evening

to/too/two 

desert  dessert 

sandpipers grieving

beautiful occasionally 

listening  explained 

laughtersuccessful 

temperaturescomparison 

exchange  encyclopedia