Example Memoir: "Finding Beauty"

I've included yellow highlighter on my short sentences and id'd two long sentences. You can find my strong verbs and repetitions on your own.

Best of luck everyone. I look forward to reading your work over the holidays. Oops! I gave myself homework for the holidays . . . 

"Finding Beauty"

My Experience with Poetry

Write a 50-word paragraph that refers to your personal experiences with poetry. The experiences do not have to be at school, although they may be if you wish. Be specific please. Post your comment here and remember to bring your printed work to class along with a printed copy of your chosen poem.

To help you find a poem, here are three online sources of quality poetry. Remember that you will need to defend the poem's quality in group work that day, so be sure to choose well.

Poems at Slate.com (each poem is read by the poet; a good way to decide if you like the way it sounds)

Canadian Poetry Online (from the University of Toronto library; a list of poets that links to poems from each one)

Poetry Daily Archive (alphabetical archive of poems by title; here you can look for an interesting title and see if you can find a poem you like)

Responding to "Wag the Dog"

Write about a favourite scene in the movie. Post your response here as a comment. (Maximum 250 words; minimum 150 words) Make a critical comment, modeling your answer on Ebert's writing. Be specific in your description and be clear on whether you think the scene was (or was not) effective. What were the filmmakers trying to say in the scene?

Script (by David Mamet) for the film, Wag the Dog.

Bring your writing to class, word processed, next Wednesday.

Also, please view this video of the "wag the dog" technique being used on the public in 1990 (first Gulf War). 

Congress Testimony of Nayirah (Read the description below the video before you watch.) Note your reaction to this information and bring to class, but do not post it at the blog)

Thesis topics from both classes

Sample 725-Word Essay for Persuasive Essay assignment

What Persuades Us? Responding to TED Lectures and The New York Times Article

Here's a useful definition of persuasion from a psychological perspective:  

According to Perloff (2003), persuasion can be defined as "...a symbolic process in which communicators try to convince other people to change their attitudes or behaviors regarding an issue through the transmission of a message in an atmosphere of free choice."

So, given a"free choice," what have you found most persuasive in the two lectures (Connected, but alone? and Why privacy matters) and one reading, "Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction"? Refer to each lecture and to the reading in your answer. 

Write no more than 200 to 250 words. It is likely easiest to refer to the lectures and reading in separate short paragraphs. If you remain unconvinced by their ideas, please try to persuade us by providing an argument against the ideas. Be sure to say why you find something persuasive (or why not). I will provide a sample this weekend. 

Bring all your writing, word processed and double spaced, to class next Wednesday.

Paragraph Answer for "Ghosts"

Write an answer that is based on information found on the page you have been assigned. Try, as best you can, to connect what happens on that page to events that occur either before or after in the story. Use at least one literary term (setting, conflict, plot, irony etc.) in your answer. Quote the story at least once, but no more than 20 words, maximum, for all quotes. Identify the page number, please, as a heading before your paragraph. See my model answer for more ideas on what to do.

Write between 150 and 200 words. Bring your word processed work to class on Wednesday.

Online copy of the story for quoting.

An Image Presentation: Brad's Sample

Hope you are all having a good Thanksgiving weekend. Here's the photo I will present to you next Wednesday. To see a larger version, click on the photo.

Two benches, a coffee table and a tree in a blue pot (centre background). How can this possibly represent community? First off, this is the front yard of a neighbour's house, not the back. People who live on my street are always welcome to sit (it's a sunny spot) and rest or contemplate. But, more importantly, the tree in the blue pot is in memory of a neighbour of mine, one who had a profound effect on all who live near me. She (I won't name her since I want to preserve my privacy as a teacher.) died last year, suddenly, from cancer. Where I live, I know my neighbours. I've been living on this street for nearly 30 years. The woman who died, a wife and mother, always took the time to have a conversation whenever we met on daily errands. She employed my daughter as a babysitter and her husband and I go back 35 years to when we met while working at a community centre in Vancouver. They moved to my street intentionally, because of the community feeling we share. When she died, my neighbours knew they needed to do something to honour her memory. That's how the tree was added to the benches that were already there. This month, on her birthday, we met together, shared stories, sang and remembered her. It was a short ceremony but a very important moment. To me, community is walking down the street and being greeted by name, catching up on the latest news and, sometimes, sitting down and remembering those who have left us.

Personal Experiences with Disability

What is your personal experience with people who are very different from yourself (for reasons of disability in particular)? Do you feel that society can benefit from a better understanding and acceptance of those who act in ways that are outside of what most of us consider normal? Write a short paragraph of a maximum of 150 words to explain your ideas to the class.

Bring a word-processed copy to class next Wednesday.

A Short Memoir; Using Patrick Lane's First Paragraph as a Model

Use Patrick Lane’s first paragraph (128 words; your paragraph should be the same length exactly) as a model to write about a memory of your own. You may use some of his words; for example, I follow the model of Lane’s first sentence but tell my own story: “Back in the summer of 1974, I was 18 years old, working for the cook and living in a mining exploration camp with 23 men 50 kilometers shy of the Arctic Circle.”

Note how I've used the same number of words (32) and almost the same structure. Do the same, as much as you can. Post to the blog as a “comment”; I will post an example on the weekend. Bring your work, word processed and double spaced, to class that day.

If you would like to read the first draft writing I did in class, these are provided below in Word 2007 format (docx).

Link to the narrative I wrote in English 12 class.

Link to the narrative I wrote in English 11 class.

Here I Am

Post your "Here I Am" here as a comment. No need to double space on line.  Please have this done before you come to class next Wednesday. NOTE: When joining the blog, please provide your real name!

NOTE: Please try to format your work as I have done with spaces between your paragraphs as it makes it easier to read your work. It is fine if you want to repost a comment.

Something New; Something Memorable

Write two paragraphs, one for each topic, one for "something new" and one for "something memorable." You may mention multiple examples or expand on one example. Your paragraphs should be a minimum of 150 words and maximum of 200 words for each topic.

Be specific and detailed in your writing. Use your best sentences and proofread carefully. Work is due before class time on Wednesday, June 5. Post here and bring a copy, properly formatted, to class to hand in that day. Thank you everyone.

My comments will follow yours and will be posted before the end of next week.

Reacting to Charlie Chaplin's "City Lights"

Briefly discuss your reaction to Chaplin’s film, “City Lights.” Has viewing the film changed your opinion about silent (and/or black and white) films? Would you recommend it to a friend to view? Bring your work to class, word processed, next Wednesday. Write between 150 and 200 words.

My Experience with Poetry; Choosing a Poem

Write a 50-word paragraph that refers to your personal experiences with poetry. The experiences do not have to be at school, although they may be if you wish. Be specific please. Bring your printed work to class along with a printed copy of your chosen poem.

You must choose your poem from one of these three online sources of quality poetry. Remember that you will need to defend the poem's quality in group work that day, so be sure to choose well.

Poems at Slate.com (each poem is read by the poet; a good way to decide if you like the way it sounds)

Canadian Poetry Online (from the University of Toronto library; a list of poets that links to poems from each one)

Poetry Daily Archive (alphabetical archive of poems by title; here you can look for an interesting title and see if you can find a poem you like)

Brad's First Half Draft: Examples

I've decided to save my full draft for class on Wednesday. Instead, I will provide a series of examples, including Friday's anecdote to help you with your writing.

Good luck on your drafts, but please do not post them here. Bring them, word processed and ready for discussion on Wednesday.

Homework for "Homework"

Write an answer based on information found on the page you have been assigned. Try, as best you can, to connect what happens on that page to events that occur either before or after in the story. Use at least one literary term (setting, conflict, plot, irony etc.) in your answer. Quote the story at least once, but no more than 20 words, maximum, for all quotes. Identify the page number, please, as a heading before your paragraph. See my model answer for more ideas on what to do.

Write between 150 and 200 words. Bring your word processed work to class on Wednesday.

NOTE: For a page number to do, use the first letter of your first name as a guide. If your name begins with A or B, do page one. C or D, do page two. Go on through the letters in the same way (for example, if your name begins with "M" it would be page seven). Sorry, but Charlotte must not have gotten my second email with these instructions!

Making a Pitch for the Narrative Essay

Write a short (100 to 150 word) pitch for your narrative essay idea. Why would we be interested in the person you chose? What makes this person interesting? What influence have they had on you that is interesting to others?

Please bring a copy of your pitch to class on March 27, word processed and printed.

Answers for the Story, "The Eye"

Put your answer to the question you received in class today as a comment to this post. Please identify which question you are answering first, before your paragraph. A good answer will range from 150 to 200 words and use one or two short quotations. It will be easier if you relate your answer to the overall "gist" of the story (how does the element you discuss fit within the story in other words). I will provide a model answer here by Saturday noon.

Also, remember to annotate your story before coming to class next week. Bring your annotated story and word processed answer to class. Thank you!

Here I Am

Post your "Here I Am" here as a comment. No need to double space online. Please have this done before you come to class next Wednesday. NOTE: When joining the blog, please provide your real name!

If you have trouble joining the blog, here is a document to help you. Also, if you need me, I will be checking my email this weekend for any problems you may have.

Something New; Something Memorable

Write two paragraphs, one for each topic, one for "something new" and one for "something memorable." You may mention multiple examples or expand on one example. Your paragraphs should be a minimum of 150 words and maximum of 200 words for each topic.

Be specific and detailed in your writing. Use your best sentences and proofread carefully. Work is due before class time on Wednesday, January 16. Post here and bring a copy, properly formatted, to class to hand in that day. Thank you everyone.

My comments will follow yours and will be posted before the end of next week.