Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Educational Links 2/5/20

Misconception About Kids With Learning Differences In The Classroom



Educators, Take Note: The Census Is a Very Big Deal



Teachers' Low Expectations for Students of Color Found to Affect Students' Success


Why Taking Risks in the Classroom Pays off for Students—and Teachers


41 Resources, Tools, And Apps To Improve Writing Skills


Why Special Education Is the Absolute Best Teaching Gig


11 Underlying Assumptions Of Digital Literacy


In understanding the shift from literacy to digital literacy–or rather to understand them both in their own native contexts–it may help to take a look at the underlying assumptions of digital literacy.

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Single-Point Rubric Literary Analysis-writing about a novel


Literary Analysis Single-Point Rubric
English 11 P. 1 Taylor
2/8/19 In-Class Final Draft
The Red Badge of Courage

Literary Analysis Single-Point Rubric

English 10 P. 2 Taylor
2/8/19 In-Class Final Draft
Out of the Silent Planet

Literary Analysis Single-Point Rubric
English 9 P. 4 Taylor
2/8/19 In-Class Final Draft
The Old Man and the Sea


Concerns                                Criteria                              Advanced
Clear thesis statement


Quotes from work cited in-text (MLA)
Supporting main points


Usage, sentence structure,
punctuation without error

_____________________________________________________________________________

Monday, February 4, 2019

The Red Badge of Courage Essay Prompts




Student-generated Writing Prompts for
The Red Badge of Courage
Gr. 11 English 11 Taylor

     1.   How did Henry change throughout the novel?
     2.   Find three elements that are used in the novel, and describe them.
     3.  What was the theme of the book?

Friday, December 21, 2018

Final P. 7 Grade 7 12/21/18

Write a 5 paragraph essay based on this short story including three elements of short stories and evidence from the story to validate your analysis. Include notes, and also rough draft (if available.

Papa's Parrot 
by Cynthia Rylant

http://www.sps186.org/downloads/basic/704521/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20Gr4GP1.PreAssmnt_StudBk_17.18FINAL.pdf

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Monday, December 3, 2018

Literary Analysis: SHORT STORY MzT's Single Point Rubric


Ms. Taylor’s Single Point Rubric
Literary Analysis: SHORT STORY
Things we can improve.          I will be assessing        Things that were amazing
                                                   your essay on its
THESIS
The thesis statement is clear,
creative, and consistently
supported by the
following paragraphs
THREE INTERNAL PARAGRAPHS
The internal paragraphs
analyzes three elements of
short stories with examples from the story.
LENGTH
The five paragraphs are well-balanced.
GRAMMAR AND FORMATTING
Appropriate sentence structure, vocabulary,
 and usage.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Grade and comments:

4=  Superior, above grade level
3= Excellent, grade level
2= Approaching grade level
1=Well below grade level

Review for the five paragraph essay
What does a five paragraph essay look like?
The five-paragraph essay is a format of essay having five paragraphs: one introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs with support and development, and one concluding paragraph.
What should the introduction do?
The first paragraph, or introduction, creates interest in the topic and lays out the order the ideas will be discussed. The thesis statement is the last sentence that describes the writer’s viewpoint of the question.
How are the internal paragraphs organized?
The three internal paragraphs elaborate your main points with supporting points and quotes from the text. The last sentence of the internal paragraph should act as a bridge to the next paragraph.
How should I approach writing the internal paragraphs?
A paragraph is a unit of thought, logically covering a main point of your essay.
The first sentence in a paragraph states the paragraph’s main point, should be clear and stand out from the rest of the paragraph to make it easier for readers to grasp the main point. The middle sentences justify, explain, clarify, support, elaborate, give evidence, examples, fill in details, and constitute the body of the paragraph. The bridging sentence loses the paragraph as a unit of thought, reinforces the paragraph’s main point, can assess the significance of what is established in the paragraph. The last sentence leads to the next paragraph’s content.
What about the conclusion?
Your conclusion is your opportunity to wrap up your essay in a tidy package and bring it home for your reader. It is a good idea to recapitulate what you said in your Thesis Statement in order to suggest to your reader that you have accomplished what you set out to accomplish.


Friday, November 30, 2018

Finishing Up NaNoWriMo

Thank you, Chromebooks, for the experience.
Today we complete the month of November--all my English Classes from Grades 7 through 11--have  been writing a novel.

It is amazing. They have been full engaged.

Why? I ask myself.

I have tried to take away the common roadblocks to writing, being a writer myself I know them well.

No laziness. 
No hesitancy to get started. 
No procrastination. 
It's a classroom--I get to boss them into getting going!

The kids look forward to writing. Why?

Strong reading background.
Movies, media, television-lots of stories.
Video games--what? Yes, I think participating in video games is an ongoing story that involves some writing essentials and engagement. The intense focus of extended involvement may have conditioned the kids to writing fiction.

I worked to encouraged the students to imagine and write quickly, less worried about editing.

Liberty to try without the shackles of ELA.
For now

Using what we already know, I kept referring to a plot diagram.

 Write like a real author-everyone has a story.

I am grateful for the tech to do this--we have Chromebooks in the class.  This is great. This makes me happy.






Macbeth: Choose a Writing Prompt

Discuss the transformation of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth from Act 1 to the end of the play.




Is Lady Macbeth a Villain or a Victim? 

 Is Lady Macbeth more responsible than Macbeth for the murder of King Duncan? Is Lady Macbeth a more evil character than her husband and, if so, why?


 Examine Macbeth's mental deterioration throughout the play. 

 
The three witches told Macbeth his fate. Did the events in Macbeth’s life occur because of the witches’ prophesy or because of the choices he made?

What caused Macbeth to fall: Fate or Free Will? Explain the role of free will in the play.  

If Macbeth were put on trial today, would he be innocent of murder  by reason of insanity? How about Lady Macbeth?


A tragic hero is a protagonist, usually of noble birth or high-standing, who brings about his own downfall by a choice brought on by a character flaw. Tragic heroes have several other common features: they undergo meaningful suffering, learn from their mistake somehow, and arouse pity or fear in the audience through their demise. Is Macbeth a tragic hero? Explain why or why not.

Friday, November 9, 2018

Writing a Novel In MzT's Class at VVCS (Victor Valley Christian School)


 Image result for drawing classroom  students writing novel
Writing a Novel
In Ms. Taylor’s English Class
November 2018
Purpose: The purpose of writing a novel during November in class is to allow students the opportunity to use imagination, writing skills, and share camaraderie in the writing experience.  The quick pace of the experience is to create writing flow rather than technical expertise.
Requirements: Students are not required to join the NaNoWriMo site to write during the month of November in class; parental permission is required to join. Students are required to use their assigned VVCS email. Administration and the classroom teacher maintains access to all student writing for Ms. Taylor’s class on school Chromebooks. Student work will be printed out every week for assessment. Students may write at home under the supervision of their parents.
Specifications: Students will write their novel according to the standards of VVCS, that is, encouraging Biblical guidelines and morals. No violence, no sexual situations (implicit or explicit), or explicit or implied considerations of choices opposed to Biblical standards of marriage are allowed. In other words, the stories will be appropriate to age and rated G or PG.
Assessment: Students will receive points toward their English grade in Writing Strategies. Stories will be evaluated by completion of plot from rising action to climax to falling action and resolution; the creation of at least one complex character that changes and learns during the story; effective use of dialogue to advance the characterization and move the plot; a setting that presents an effective environment for the characters; and a recognizable theme for the story reflecting appropriate life lessons according to scripture. Stories will be word processed on the format of the Chromebook.
This activity will last from Thursday, November 1 to Friday, November 30, until the end of the student’s English Class, and ­­­emailed to Ms. Taylor.