Waxing Poetic...

Since you have just written some excellent poems of your own, this week's blog is about poetry.

Please answer these questions in complete sentences:
1) Have you ever read any poetry for enjoyment (not as an assignment), or have you ever had to read a poem for an assignment, but actually found you enjoyed it? What was the poem or what was it about?

2) If you had to spend some time reading poetry, what style would you prefer to read, and why? For example, do you like the silly rhyming style, the more serious tear-jerker poems, the free verse (like our small moment poems), the long poems that are more like a story, or another style?

3) What did you think of the poem you came up with for your last assignment? Was it better/worse than you expected? Was it difficult to do?

Small Moments

We have been talking about how even "small moments" can make entertaining ideas to write about for short writing pieces. They can also be important to add balance to a longer work. So, as your read your book, look for some "small moments" that the author incorporates into his/her writing. Answer the following questions:

1. List some of the specific "small moments" the author writes about.

2. Why do you think the author chose these moments to use?

3. What would happen if the author left all of these moments out of their writing?

Got Voice?

We have been exploring the idea of VOICE in writing lately. How exactly does the author in your book go about creating strong voice in his/her writing? Remember, good voice is:
-having your own style, tone, and flavor

-how the writer connects with the reader

-when the piece reaches out and "pulls in" the reader

Explain how your author does this!

Oh, Those Wonderful Words

We have been talking a lot about word choice lately, and how it can make your writing much more effective. As you are reading today, look for specific examples of how the author uses his/her words effectively. Today's blog response has two parts:

1. Tell what is effective about the author's word choice. Specifically! For example... uses strong verbs, uses unexpected but appropriate words, is not over the top, but not too boring either, uses detailed sentences without stacked modifiers, etc.

2. Give an example of a specific sentence in which the author uses a strong verb instead of a weaker one, or where the text is made colorful by word choice.

Great Expectations, technologically speaking that is...

With the new 1-to-1 laptops set to roll out next August, it is a very exciting time for learning at Valley. Here are a few questions for you to respond to about the new technology access coming your way:
1) What do you think is going to be the most beneficial part about having your own laptop for the school year?
2) How do you think it will affect your writing?
3) What software/program do you think you will use the most?
4) Are there any downloads/installations that you would like to see on all student laptops -- Office for Mac, GoogleEarth, etc. will be on them, what else do you need?
Please answer all!

"Pay It Forward"

We have been recently focusing on the serial reciprocity concept in the movie "Pay It Forward" and several folk tales from various geographic regions. Think about something you might do to "pay it forward" in some way in the next week or two before school is out. It does not have to be "something big" like it is in the movie, but simply something that helps someone else without expecting anything in return. Tell us about it and how you would specifically go about doing it.

Let's Review...

Write a review of the most recent book you have completed. Use the following as guidelines:

Be honest: Give your review personality and remember that people want to know what you REALLY think.

Be detailed: Tell us exactly what you liked or didn't. Was it a story you couldn't put down? Were the characters just like people you know? What made it special or not so special?

Be accurate: Be sure to get the title, author, and character names right, plus double-check your spelling and grammar. Nobody wants to read something that doesn't make sense or has the wrong information.

The Not-so-bad Guy

We mostly relate to the protagonist in a book, but it is usually a different story when it comes to the antagonist. We like to imagine ourselves as the "good guy", but think of an example where you could also relate to the "bad guy"? Good writers give even the antagonist some redeeming characteristics to make them seem more real and believable. After all, in real life, the good guy and the bad guy are not always clearly defined. Tell about an antagonist that you can relate to.

@#%$! Blog

I am sure all of you have read books that have had at least a few choice cuss words in them. So, that brings up the question, "When is it acceptable to swear or use vulgar language in writing?" Would the crime novel you are reading be as effective if the criminal said, "No thank you, officer, I would not like to go to jail" instead of dropping a few f-bombs along with some other colorful insults? Does it depend on the targeted audience? Where do you draw the line? Is there a line? Explain under what circumstances you think swearing is necessary in writing.

Planning Makes All the Difference

What can you, personally, do to make sure you meet deadlines for reading/writing assignments?
When it is your responsibility to complete work on time, what measures can you take before the due date to make sure you are on track for timely completion?
Do you set steps that you want to have achieved by a certain date?
Do you try to complete the project a day or two ahead of time to give yourself last-minute recovery time if something goes wrong?
Or, if you do procrastinate and do not currently use good time management, what can you start doing to prepare yourself better for assignments in college and the workplace?

How do you keep it together?

You have recently been doing a lot of research for your US History papers. When reading for information like that, it is sometimes difficult to keep all of your information and sources straight. What tips or tricks do you use to help keep it all together? Note cards? Some sort of graphic organizer? KWL?

Do you judge a book by its cover?

What is your process when picking out a book to read? Do you choose strictly by recommendation? Do you stick with only books of a certain genre? Do you read the dust jacket blurb or the first or last few pages before selecting a book? Do you browse through the library and pick something out that "looks good"? Explain your criteria for picking out a book to read (for enjoyment--not talking about required reading here).

Setting You Up

How the author introduces the reader to the setting in a book is often overlooked, but it is one of the most important ways to draw the reader into a story. If the setting is not believable or integral to the story, the reader often loses interest or does not relate to the character as well. How does the author in the book you are currently reading introduce and describe the setting? Is it explained to you in detail from the character's perspective, gleaned from the character's observations or actions, presented to you by a narrator, or something completely different? Remember the setting includes not only the place, time, and surroundings, but also the emotional climate as well. Be specific and include your book title.

Making the Connection

Your reading is closely connected to your writing. The more you read, the better your understanding of how to write. When students write compositions in my classes, I often have them write a TPAPT or a RAFT for each piece prior to writing. The TPAPT is an acronym for a basic roadmap to writing consisting of: Topic, Purpose, Audience, Point of View, and Tone. RAFT is the same thing, just a different acronym (Role, Audience, Format, Topic). Connect this concept to your reading by doing a TPAPT or RAFT for the book you are currently reading (if you are far enough into it), or for the last book you have completed if you are not far enough into your current book. Be sure to include your book's title and author.

Good Catch . . . or . . . Catch and Release?

With the recent passing of author J.D. Salinger, I am reminded of the mixed reaction that his book The Catcher in the Rye has had with many of my students. It seems that anyone that has read that book either REALLY loved it or REALLY didn't. It is interesting to me how some books can bring such different reactions to their readers. I know we usually talk about books that you like, but let's switch things up a bit and talk about a book you really didn't like for some reason. Make sure you include why you think you didn't like it so much. Be truthful, but fair.

Some seriously cool people...

I have to admit, I have never really been a big fan of biography/autobiography books. I guess most of the time when I read, I read for the appeal of escaping my "normal" life, so reading about someone else's life didn't seem too exciting. What I didn't realize, though, was that looking at the world through someone else's eyes is a way of escaping one's daily grind after all, and can also prove to be quite inspirational. I remember reading a biography when I was in high school that really resonated with me because of the dedication of this woman. . . Marie Curie, chemist from the late 19th century. I remember it blew my mind how this woman jumped into what was definitely a man's area at the time, and made a pretty huge splash, winning 2, count them, 2 Nobel Prizes in the process. What person have you read about that turned out to be interesting or motivating for you. Why do you think this is?

Had a good scare lately?

Have you ever read a book that really scared you? I mean, actually had you afraid to answer the door or walk alone at night? I remember reading Stephen King's Salem's Lot when I was a freshman in high school. For some reason that book really freaked me out. I saw vampire eyes every time I looked out my window at night, and seriously thought about stashing a few wooden stakes under my bed. It was great, though, and I couldn't stop reading. I am sure some of you guys won't actually admit to being scared by a book, but just think about a book that kind of "freaked you out a little" then. What is the scariest book you have ever read, and why do you think it was so scary?

One book just isn't enough?

Lately, the Twilight series has been all the rage, and before that it was the Eragon series. The classic Lord of the Rings series has captured the attention of readers for decades. There are many authors that have created a whole series of wonderful books for us to devour. What is your favorite book series and why?