12/19

Today we will discuss the difference between plot mapping and digging as a means of approaching a story. I will have a powerpoint for this.  You will then be given time to choose a method and write a scary story.  IF you have no ideas of your own, feel fee to use the following ideas.

1. It was a very dark and stormy night . . .
   
2. I knew there was something funny about that house the minute I stepped foot into it . . .
   
3. She seemed like such a sweet old lady. Who would ever believe that she was really . . .
   
4. It was weird. One day our teacher just . . .
   
5. It looked like a plain, old milkshake to me . . .
   
6. All of the sudden I was trapped!
   
7. If they weren't in such a hurry, they wouldn't have taken that short cut through the cemetery . . .
   
8. No one was ever really sure what was going on down in the new kid's basement . . .
   
9. One night, I looked out the window and I saw the neighbor...
   

10. Sometimes I think my friend has strange powers. Every time he's around... 

11. It was the weirdest thing I have ever experienced! It was a regular old Thursday afternoon. I was walking home from school and as I passed the old abandoned house on the hill, I heard the beating of drums. I knew I should’ve kept walking. I should have gone straight home. But my curiosity got the better of me. I took a deep breath and .....
 

12/17-12/18

We worked on Author posters and on presentations on those stories and what we wish to emulate.  I also collected notebooks on Monday.

12/11

Today we worked on rereading the text we have chosen as the mentor text.  This assignment was explained and the written part started by some.  I collected notebooks and checked not only the IW from last week but also yesterday's work from class.  If you were out, you should plan on turning this in tomorrow.

Monday 12/10

Sorry I am out today.  It's a regular Barf-o-rama at the abode.  Please begin writing in your notebooks with an eye for  a piece of fiction you will focus on bringing to a final draft.  In order to get started click on one of the links below and use the picture as a jumping off point to tell the story behind the picture. You will have 3 independent writes due next Monday and I will collect your notebooks tomorrow.

12/6

Last day of close reading worksheets.  Many of you had the opportunity to pen your only IW for the week.  This will be due on Monday.  Have a great weekend!

12/4

Today I turned back notebooks and then we spent the rest of the period working with short stories.  I handed out close reading worksheets for each of three short stories you have chosen. In your notebooks, you wrote the names of the  short stories you have chosen and the authors of each.

12/3

Today we continued the hunt for short stories--see links on my 11/30 entry.  Tomorrow will be hat last day to hunt, Wednesday you will be given time to complete close reading worksheets and Thursday you will unpack the one text you choose to mimic.
There will be just one independent write due on Monday.