You know what is due.
Get all your work in before break.
Get ahead on what is due after break...
BE PRODUCTIVE!
Monday, December 19, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
I have a very simple task for you to do today. The reason it is so simple is because I want you to take the extra time to get past due work completed!
Please complete one of the following poetry exercises today:
1. David Lehman wrote a poem called “The Difference Between Pepsi and Coke.” Pick a similarly everyday pair – butter and margarine, hot dogs and hamburgers, peanut butter & jelly, etc. Write a poem about the pair.
2. In the poem “Words”, Dana Gioia writes: “The world does not need words. It articulates itself/ in sunlight, leaves, and shadows.” Think of other things that don’t speak, and write a poem about how these things express themselves. How does an apple, or a spoon, or a house communicate, etc? What might it say? Why should we listen?
3. Write a poem where every line of the poem begins with the same word or the same letter.
Please complete one of the following poetry exercises today:
1. David Lehman wrote a poem called “The Difference Between Pepsi and Coke.” Pick a similarly everyday pair – butter and margarine, hot dogs and hamburgers, peanut butter & jelly, etc. Write a poem about the pair.
2. In the poem “Words”, Dana Gioia writes: “The world does not need words. It articulates itself/ in sunlight, leaves, and shadows.” Think of other things that don’t speak, and write a poem about how these things express themselves. How does an apple, or a spoon, or a house communicate, etc? What might it say? Why should we listen?
3. Write a poem where every line of the poem begins with the same word or the same letter.
Monday, December 12, 2011
You will be working on your short story for the next four classes.
Many have asked about page limits and due dates.
It should be 8-12 pages and is due on Wednesday, January 4th.
That gives you a great deal of class time and all of the break to make your stories fabulous.
Please make sure you hand in quality work. Consider this a MAJOR Assignment.
Many have asked about page limits and due dates.
It should be 8-12 pages and is due on Wednesday, January 4th.
That gives you a great deal of class time and all of the break to make your stories fabulous.
Please make sure you hand in quality work. Consider this a MAJOR Assignment.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Please complete your poem and reflection, which were assigned this week.
If you are finished already do something relevant to creative writing. Work on your short story, look up more slam poems, or start to prepare for the poetry slam.
Next week we willl be preparing to enter the Sokol High School Literary contest. You can also get a head start on that.
Let me know if you have questions or need help.
Reminder: Homework- Read through page 52 of Rattlebone. Bring in a one paragraph summary of chapter 3!
If you are finished already do something relevant to creative writing. Work on your short story, look up more slam poems, or start to prepare for the poetry slam.
Next week we willl be preparing to enter the Sokol High School Literary contest. You can also get a head start on that.
Let me know if you have questions or need help.
Reminder: Homework- Read through page 52 of Rattlebone. Bring in a one paragraph summary of chapter 3!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Short Story Assignment
We have read quite a few novels this year. Take time to reflect on the writing styles of the authors.
We have read quite a few novels this year. Take time to reflect on the writing styles of the authors.
- In Montana 1948, Larry Watson used a prologue and epilogue to enhance his work.
- Angela Johnson used the ideas of Then and Now to alternate between different times in The First Part Last.
- In The Bean Trees Barbara Kingsolver uses point of view and writes from the perspectives of more than one character.
- Maxine Clair structured Rattlebone in a unique way as well. She uses short stories that are connected in some way. Each story in this collection focuses on a particular event in Irene Wilson’s childhood. Many of the characters show up in several stories, and their different functions in each story create a seemingly accidental multiperspective picture of each, and Clair leaves us with a deep, wide, rich fabric of the lives in this town.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Performance Poetry
The National Poetry Slam (NPS) is the largest team performance poetry event in the world. Teams from all over North America, and a few from other places converge in a different city every summer for a week of poetry, revelry and competition. (Taken from http://www.poetryslam.com/ )
Please watch the following clips:
Slam Poetry Nationals
Poem #3
After watching the clips and exploring http://www.poetryslam.com/ , please write a full page reacting to what you saw and/or what you learned from exploring the world of performance poetry.
Questions to consider:
- How were the poems delivered?
- How were the poets different from one another? Alike?
- Did you learn anything new?
- Did you get any idea about what you would like to bring to your own work?
- Is there something you would like to be sure to avoid?
This 1 page reflection is due at the end of class. You also had a poem due on Monday. Are you all caught up? Please stay organized!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Please read and take notes on the following information. You will have a quiz on Thursday!
Historical Background-Rattlebone
The Civil Rights Movement in the American South was a struggle for the civil rights in the modern times. It challenged the racism in America and made the country a humane society for all. Some of the popular people who participated in this movement were Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall and The Little Rock Nine. The Civil Rights Movement Timeline discloses the important events in this historical movement
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, (1954),was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students and denying black children equal educational opportunities unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which reinforced segregation. Handed down on May 17, 1954, the Warren Court's unanimous (9–0) decision stated that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." As a result, de jure racial segregation was ruled a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. This ruling paved the way for integration and the civil rights movement
Civil Rights Movement Timeline1954: The American Supreme Court declared the segregation in public schools in Brown v Board of Education of Topeka ruling as unconstitutional.
1955: Rosa Parks, an African-American woman, refused to give her seat to a white person on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Rosa Parks was arrested on December 1st as required by the city ordinance. The bus boycott was launched. The bus segregation ordinance was declared unconstitutional. Segregation on interstate buses and trains was banned by Federal Interstate Commerce Commission.
1956: Coalition of Southern congressmen demanded for massive resistance to Supreme Court desegregation rulings. On 21st December, the Montgomery buses desegregated.
1957: Arkansas governor Orval Rubus used the National Guard to prevent nine black students from attending a Little Rock High School. According to the court order, President Eisenhower sent the federal troops to keep up with the court order to avoid the segregation in schools. Garfield High School became the first Seattle high school having more than 50% nonwhite students.
To continue with the timeline just click on this link: Historical Timeline
To learn about key figures of the civil rights movement click here
Historical Background-Rattlebone
The Civil Rights Movement in the American South was a struggle for the civil rights in the modern times. It challenged the racism in America and made the country a humane society for all. Some of the popular people who participated in this movement were Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall and The Little Rock Nine. The Civil Rights Movement Timeline discloses the important events in this historical movement
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, (1954),was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students and denying black children equal educational opportunities unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which reinforced segregation. Handed down on May 17, 1954, the Warren Court's unanimous (9–0) decision stated that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." As a result, de jure racial segregation was ruled a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. This ruling paved the way for integration and the civil rights movement
Civil Rights Movement Timeline1954: The American Supreme Court declared the segregation in public schools in Brown v Board of Education of Topeka ruling as unconstitutional.
1955: Rosa Parks, an African-American woman, refused to give her seat to a white person on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Rosa Parks was arrested on December 1st as required by the city ordinance. The bus boycott was launched. The bus segregation ordinance was declared unconstitutional. Segregation on interstate buses and trains was banned by Federal Interstate Commerce Commission.
1956: Coalition of Southern congressmen demanded for massive resistance to Supreme Court desegregation rulings. On 21st December, the Montgomery buses desegregated.
1957: Arkansas governor Orval Rubus used the National Guard to prevent nine black students from attending a Little Rock High School. According to the court order, President Eisenhower sent the federal troops to keep up with the court order to avoid the segregation in schools. Garfield High School became the first Seattle high school having more than 50% nonwhite students.
To continue with the timeline just click on this link: Historical Timeline
To learn about key figures of the civil rights movement click here
Monday, December 5, 2011
Today we will begin our unit on slam poetry. Please read the following:
*There are tasks to complete when you finish reading*
A Brief Guide to Slam Poetry
Taken from Poets.org.
"One of the most vital and energetic movements in poetry during the 1990s, slam has revitalized interest in poetry in performance. Poetry began as part of an oral tradition, and movements like the Beats and the poets of Negritude were devoted to the spoken and performed aspects of their poems. This interest was reborn through the rise of poetry slams across America; while many poets in academia found fault with the movement, slam was well received among young poets and poets of diverse backgrounds as a democratizing force. This generation of spoken word poetry is often highly politicized, drawing upon racial, economic, and gender injustices as well as current events for subject manner.
A slam itself is simply a poetry competition in which poets perform original work alone or in teams before an audience, which serves as judge. The work is judged as much on the manner and enthusiasm of its performance as its content or style, and many slam poems are not intended to be read silently from the page. The structure of the traditional slam was started by construction worker and poet Marc Smith in 1986 at a reading series in a Chicago jazz club. The competition quickly spread across the country, finding a notable home in New York City at the Nuyorican Poets Café."
Slam Poetry often uses topics or themes that are politically or emotionally charged. Slam poets often write with a social comment to make or share with an audience.
How can you be a poet for social change?
Brainstorming: Start with your journal. Make a list of things you believe, things that make you mad, or things that you feel go unnoticed by others, things that are important to you. Write for 5 minutes. Try to fill a page or two.
Now, look over your list and choose the topic that you feel may be the most interesting to an audience. Today, write a poem based on this chosen idea. This will be a first draft.
Finished early? Write a second poem. Go back to your first poem draft and add imagery (metaphor, personification, simile, symbol, figurative language, allusion, etc.)
If you still have extra time you can work on memorizing your group performance piece and/or work on typing/marking it up!
*There are tasks to complete when you finish reading*
A Brief Guide to Slam Poetry
Taken from Poets.org.
"One of the most vital and energetic movements in poetry during the 1990s, slam has revitalized interest in poetry in performance. Poetry began as part of an oral tradition, and movements like the Beats and the poets of Negritude were devoted to the spoken and performed aspects of their poems. This interest was reborn through the rise of poetry slams across America; while many poets in academia found fault with the movement, slam was well received among young poets and poets of diverse backgrounds as a democratizing force. This generation of spoken word poetry is often highly politicized, drawing upon racial, economic, and gender injustices as well as current events for subject manner.
A slam itself is simply a poetry competition in which poets perform original work alone or in teams before an audience, which serves as judge. The work is judged as much on the manner and enthusiasm of its performance as its content or style, and many slam poems are not intended to be read silently from the page. The structure of the traditional slam was started by construction worker and poet Marc Smith in 1986 at a reading series in a Chicago jazz club. The competition quickly spread across the country, finding a notable home in New York City at the Nuyorican Poets Café."
Slam Poetry often uses topics or themes that are politically or emotionally charged. Slam poets often write with a social comment to make or share with an audience.
How can you be a poet for social change?
Brainstorming: Start with your journal. Make a list of things you believe, things that make you mad, or things that you feel go unnoticed by others, things that are important to you. Write for 5 minutes. Try to fill a page or two.
Now, look over your list and choose the topic that you feel may be the most interesting to an audience. Today, write a poem based on this chosen idea. This will be a first draft.
Finished early? Write a second poem. Go back to your first poem draft and add imagery (metaphor, personification, simile, symbol, figurative language, allusion, etc.)
If you still have extra time you can work on memorizing your group performance piece and/or work on typing/marking it up!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Welcome back!
Your Bean Trees essays are due at the end of the week. If you lost the assignment here it is:
Your Bean Trees essays are due at the end of the week. If you lost the assignment here it is:
Required Post Reading Activity: Essay
Prompt: This novel has asked you to rethink your definition of “family” and “parenthood.” The four main characters—Taylor, Mattie, Estevan, and Esperanza—take on untraditional roles as “parents.” Use quotations to support how each character has shown his/her commitment as a non-traditional “parent.”
Paragraph #1: Introduction
Focus of essay using information from the prompt
Name of book and author
Paragraph #2: Taylor
Explain how this character takes on the role of an untraditional “parent”
Quote that exemplifies this character’s role as a “parent.”
Analysis: How does this character show commitment to the role of “parent”?
Paragraph #3: Mattie
Explain how this character takes on the role of a non-traditional “parent”
Quote that exemplifies this character’s role as a “parent.”
Analysis: How does this character show commitment to the role of “parent”?
Paragraph #4: Estevan and Esperanza
Explain how these characters take on the roles of non-traditional “parents”
Quote that exemplifies the characters’ role as “parents.”
Analysis: How do these characters show commitment to the role of “parents”?
Paragraph #5: Conclusion
Provide your final interpretation on how well you think the characters lived up to their role as “parents.”
Do not use the pronoun “I”
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
- Please finish your character poem and hand it in by the end of class.
- If you did not turn in your 25 study guide questions, they are past due.
- Over the break please finish reading The Bean Trees and complete the packet (except for the essay.)
- If you have not finished reading Spoon River please do that over break as well.
Enjoy the holiday!
Monday, November 21, 2011
If you have not answered and turned in all 25 of your study guide questions for The Bean Trees please finish them and hand them in today.
If you are done with that, continue reading the novel and working on your packet.
You should complete the novel and the packet over the break. This excludes the essay portion of the packet.
If you are done with that, continue reading the novel and working on your packet.
You should complete the novel and the packet over the break. This excludes the essay portion of the packet.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Did you know the marking period is over in 8 days?
That is 4 days per class!
Please use today to catch up on your missing work. Many of you owe quite a bit of work.
Caught up on all assignments?
Please be productive today. Time is a gift. Don't waste it.
That is 4 days per class!
Please use today to catch up on your missing work. Many of you owe quite a bit of work.
Caught up on all assignments?
- Make sure your notebooks are in order as well.
- Don't forget that your participation grade is also a factor. Have you earned all of your participation points this marking period? Think tardies, skipping, cell phones, behavior, etc.
- The best way to improve that grade is to do extra credit work. Write anything that interests you! Are you a fantasy writer? Do you love suspense? Create a piece of writing that you love and hand it in!
Please be productive today. Time is a gift. Don't waste it.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
- Please type up your Spoon River performance poem.
- You should have signed up for this with Mrs. Moynihan while I was out.
- If you haven't chosen your piece please let me know.
- Once you have typed your piece, print it out and mark it up for performance.
- Please mark up the poem carefully just as you did for your coffee house reading.
- We will perform these poems in class for a major grade.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Good Morning!
As you can see I am not here today and I won't be for the next couple of classes. Therefore, I am leaving all of your work for the next few classes in one post. Remember to stay on task and get each assignment done on the assigned day.
Deadlines: Your character profile is due at the end of class on Monday, November 14th
Read through chapter 4 of The Bean Trees and answer questions 1-15 by Tuesday, November 15th .
Wednesday, November 9th (Performance Word and Text)
In class today, I want you to create a fictional character. We will be using this character for a future assignment, which will be connected to the Spoon River unit. Please read the following article and complete a character profile for your character. This assignment is due at the end of class on Monday, November 14th!
How to Create a Character Profile
One of the most important elements in a novel or short story is characterization: making the characters seem vivid, real, alive. One technique that many writers use with success is to create a character profile for the main characters in the novel. The purpose of a character profile is twofold: to assist the writer in creating a character that is as lifelike as possible and to help with continuity issues in the story. In interviews many famous authors have stated that they came up with the basics of a character's personality and then they found that the character just "came alive" for them and ended up driving the story all on his own. But for the beginning writer, sometimes a more concrete approach is helpful. That is where the character profile comes in -- it is simply a tool for organizing your thoughts about a certain character and keeping track of a particular character's idiosyncrasies and relationships. It can help flesh out a cardboard character and even make you think about facets of his or her personality that you had not considered before. Character profiles are especially helpful for novels which involve several main characters and for stories which use multiple points of view.
Character profiles are useful when writing in any genres. Depending on the genre in which you write, you will create additional sections on the Character Profile Worksheet. For example, fantasy writers can use the character profiles to keep track of factors such as magical abilities, family lineage, spells the character is under, and limitations on the character's power to ensure continuity in the action. For literary and mainstream novels, profiles are especially useful for keeping in mind motivations of the character -- hurts and disappointments in the past which may not be alluded to directly in the dialogue, but which nevertheless color everything the character thinks and feels. For example, someone who was abused as a child will most likely react differently in certain situations than someone who had a happy, loving childhood.
A Character Profile is also of great help during the rewrite stage of your novel. You can use the profile to ensure continuity in the character's actions. For example, if in draft 1 your heroine is just recovering from a nasty divorce and in draft 2 you've decided to make her a happily married mother of three, you will know to check every scene with dialogue about her marital status as well as scenes where the (now non-existent) ex-husband is mentioned. If you change an attribute of your character, be sure to update your Character Profile Worksheet right away. Obviously, a character can develop over the course of the novel. The Worksheet provides a place for you to note that fact so that when you read over your final draft you can see if you achieved your particular character development goal for that character.
A Character Profile is just meant to be a guide where you can list facts and details to help you get to know your characters, especially if you get stuck on one character who doesn't quite seem real. Maybe he needs a new characteristic -- a hidden trauma, a fabulous skill or a deadly secret -- something that will make the character come alive for you. How detailed you want your character worksheets to be just depends on what works best for you. So, next time you're stuck on characterization, pull out the Character Profile Worksheet and get to know someone new.
Character Profile Worksheet
Basic Statistics
Name:
Age:
Nationality:
Socioeconomic Level as a child:
Socioeconomic Level as an adult:
Hometown:
Current Residence:
Occupation:
Income:
Talents/Skills:
Salary:
Birth order:
Siblings (describe relationship):
Spouse (describe relationship):
Children (describe relationship):
Grandparents (describe relationship):
Grandchildren (describe relationship):
Significant Others (describe relationship):
Relationship skills:
Physical Characteristics:
Height:
Weight:
Race:
Eye Color:
Hair Color:
Glasses or contact lenses?
Skin color:
Shape of Face:
Distinguishing features:
How does he/she dress?
Mannerisms:
Habits: (smoking, drinking etc.)
Health:
Hobbies:
Favorite Sayings:
Speech patterns:
Disabilities:
Style (Elegant, shabby etc.):
Greatest flaw:
Best quality:
Intellectual/Mental/Personality Attributes and Attitudes
Educational Background:
Intelligence Level:
Any Mental Illnesses?
Learning Experiences:
Character's short-term goals in life:
Character's long-term goals in life:
How does Character see himself/herself?
How does Character believe he/she is perceived by others?
How self-confident is the character?
Does the character seem ruled by emotion or logic or some combination thereof?
What would most embarass this character?
Emotional Characteristics
Strengths/Weaknesses:
Introvert or Extrovert?
How does the character deal with anger?
With sadness?
With conflict?
With change?
With loss?
What does the character want out of life?
What would the character like to change in his/her life?
What motivates this character?
What frightens this character?
What makes this character happy?
Is the character judgmental of others?
Is the character generous or stingy?
Is the character generally polite or rude?
Spiritual Characteristics
Does the character believe in God?
What are the character's spiritual beliefs?
Is religion or spirituality a part of this character's life?
If so, what role does it play?
Additional Notes on This Character:
Thursday, November 10th (Creative Grammar and Style)
If you haven't done so already, please begin reading Kingsolver's The Bean Trees and begin answering the following questions:
*If you finish early, get a head start on the upcoming questions.
As you can see I am not here today and I won't be for the next couple of classes. Therefore, I am leaving all of your work for the next few classes in one post. Remember to stay on task and get each assignment done on the assigned day.
Deadlines: Your character profile is due at the end of class on Monday, November 14th
Read through chapter 4 of The Bean Trees and answer questions 1-15 by Tuesday, November 15th .
Wednesday, November 9th (Performance Word and Text)
In class today, I want you to create a fictional character. We will be using this character for a future assignment, which will be connected to the Spoon River unit. Please read the following article and complete a character profile for your character. This assignment is due at the end of class on Monday, November 14th!
How to Create a Character Profile
One of the most important elements in a novel or short story is characterization: making the characters seem vivid, real, alive. One technique that many writers use with success is to create a character profile for the main characters in the novel. The purpose of a character profile is twofold: to assist the writer in creating a character that is as lifelike as possible and to help with continuity issues in the story. In interviews many famous authors have stated that they came up with the basics of a character's personality and then they found that the character just "came alive" for them and ended up driving the story all on his own. But for the beginning writer, sometimes a more concrete approach is helpful. That is where the character profile comes in -- it is simply a tool for organizing your thoughts about a certain character and keeping track of a particular character's idiosyncrasies and relationships. It can help flesh out a cardboard character and even make you think about facets of his or her personality that you had not considered before. Character profiles are especially helpful for novels which involve several main characters and for stories which use multiple points of view.
A Character Profile is also of great help during the rewrite stage of your novel. You can use the profile to ensure continuity in the character's actions. For example, if in draft 1 your heroine is just recovering from a nasty divorce and in draft 2 you've decided to make her a happily married mother of three, you will know to check every scene with dialogue about her marital status as well as scenes where the (now non-existent) ex-husband is mentioned. If you change an attribute of your character, be sure to update your Character Profile Worksheet right away. Obviously, a character can develop over the course of the novel. The Worksheet provides a place for you to note that fact so that when you read over your final draft you can see if you achieved your particular character development goal for that character.
A Character Profile is just meant to be a guide where you can list facts and details to help you get to know your characters, especially if you get stuck on one character who doesn't quite seem real. Maybe he needs a new characteristic -- a hidden trauma, a fabulous skill or a deadly secret -- something that will make the character come alive for you. How detailed you want your character worksheets to be just depends on what works best for you. So, next time you're stuck on characterization, pull out the Character Profile Worksheet and get to know someone new.
Basic Statistics
Name:
Age:
Nationality:
Socioeconomic Level as a child:
Socioeconomic Level as an adult:
Hometown:
Current Residence:
Occupation:
Income:
Talents/Skills:
Salary:
Birth order:
Siblings (describe relationship):
Spouse (describe relationship):
Children (describe relationship):
Grandparents (describe relationship):
Grandchildren (describe relationship):
Significant Others (describe relationship):
Relationship skills:
Physical Characteristics:
Height:
Weight:
Race:
Eye Color:
Hair Color:
Glasses or contact lenses?
Skin color:
Shape of Face:
Distinguishing features:
How does he/she dress?
Mannerisms:
Habits: (smoking, drinking etc.)
Health:
Hobbies:
Favorite Sayings:
Speech patterns:
Disabilities:
Style (Elegant, shabby etc.):
Greatest flaw:
Best quality:
Intellectual/Mental/Personality Attributes and Attitudes
Educational Background:
Intelligence Level:
Any Mental Illnesses?
Learning Experiences:
Character's short-term goals in life:
Character's long-term goals in life:
How does Character see himself/herself?
How does Character believe he/she is perceived by others?
How self-confident is the character?
Does the character seem ruled by emotion or logic or some combination thereof?
What would most embarass this character?
Emotional Characteristics
Strengths/Weaknesses:
Introvert or Extrovert?
How does the character deal with anger?
With sadness?
With conflict?
With change?
With loss?
What does the character want out of life?
What would the character like to change in his/her life?
What motivates this character?
What frightens this character?
What makes this character happy?
Is the character judgmental of others?
Is the character generous or stingy?
Is the character generally polite or rude?
Spiritual Characteristics
Does the character believe in God?
What are the character's spiritual beliefs?
Is religion or spirituality a part of this character's life?
If so, what role does it play?
Additional Notes on This Character:
Thursday, November 10th (Creative Grammar and Style)
If you haven't done so already, please begin reading Kingsolver's The Bean Trees and begin answering the following questions:
The Bean Trees Study Guide Questions
1. Describe the "voice" or tone of the narrator.
2. How does Alice Greer compare to/contrast with Mr. Hardbine or Mr. Shanks in terms of parenting skills?
3. Why does Taylor leave Kentucky?
4. Describe Taylor’s reaction to the Cherokee Nation.
5. What is a "home"? How does Taylor’s definition of "home" change in Chapter One? (Think in terms of the comment she made in the letter to her mother about taking her "head rights" with her.)
6. How are women (or girls) treated in Chapter One?
7. Describe the shift in narration in Chapter Two. Who is telling the story now?
8. Why is it relevant that Lou Ann came from Kentucky?
9. How is Lou Ann different from Taylor?
10. Describe Angel.
11. How did Taylor react to Arizona? What made her decide to stay there?
12. Why does Taylor find "Jesus Is Lord Used Tires" and "1-800-THE-LORD" so humorous?
13. Compare/contrast Mattie’s garden to the Garden of Eden.
14. What is Lou Ann’s conflict in Chapter Four? How does she resolve it? What does this say about her character?
15. What does Chapter Four say about the bonds between women?
16. What does the Tug Fork water symbolize?
17. Describe Fei, La-Isha, and Timothy. How are they different from Lou Ann? Why does Taylor choose to live with Lou Ann instead of the others?
18. What does the description of Mattie’s garden in Chapter Six suggest?
19. Describe the attitude toward men on the part of the characters and author in Chapter Six.
20. How is Estevan different from the other male characters we’ve seen?
21. What does Mattie do for people like Estevan and Esperanza? What clues earlier in the story hinted at her activities?
22. What does the "Miracle of Dog Doo Park" refer to?
23. What does Taylor learn about Estevan and Esperanza’s past? How does this affect Taylor?
24. How does Taylor feel about Estevan?
25. How does Lou Ann demonstrate more confidence in herself in Chapters Ten and Eleven?
Deadlines:
Read through chapter 4 of The Bean Trees and answer questions 1-15 by Tuesday, November 15th .
You must have read through Chapter 4 and answered questions 1-15 by next Tuesday, November 15th. Deadlines:
Read through chapter 4 of The Bean Trees and answer questions 1-15 by Tuesday, November 15th .
*If you finish early, get a head start on the upcoming questions.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Good Morning!
Please use your time in the lab today to complete your grammar packet and your short story. They are both due at the end of class today!
If you are finished with both of your assignments please catch up on any missing work. The end of the marking period will be here before you know it.
Still looking for something to do? See me!
Please use your time in the lab today to complete your grammar packet and your short story. They are both due at the end of class today!
If you are finished with both of your assignments please catch up on any missing work. The end of the marking period will be here before you know it.
Still looking for something to do? See me!
Friday, November 4, 2011
Coffee House Response!
Congratulations, Freshmen!
You have successfully completed a public performance. I hope you enjoyed the coffee house and will participate in future ones.
Part of our goal this year is for you to get to know your strengths and weaknesses by completing a myriad of assignments, projects, and performances. Self reflection is an important component to learning. As such, please write a comment on:
How you felt you did last night as a performance. If you had to do it over again, what would you do differently? What did you learn about public speaking by performing your writing last night? What surprised you about the performance? Who's performance did you particularly enjoy? Did you notice anything different between the Freshman performances and the other Creative Writing performances? What did your parents say or think about the performance?
You have successfully completed a public performance. I hope you enjoyed the coffee house and will participate in future ones.
Part of our goal this year is for you to get to know your strengths and weaknesses by completing a myriad of assignments, projects, and performances. Self reflection is an important component to learning. As such, please write a comment on:
How you felt you did last night as a performance. If you had to do it over again, what would you do differently? What did you learn about public speaking by performing your writing last night? What surprised you about the performance? Who's performance did you particularly enjoy? Did you notice anything different between the Freshman performances and the other Creative Writing performances? What did your parents say or think about the performance?
Congratulations again!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Please write a creative short story today. It should be 2-4 pages double spaced.
The purpose of this assignment is to write creatively while focusing on the grammar we have been learning in class.
When you are done writing please choose two things you would like me or a peer editor to focus on while reviewing your story. The first thing should be about the structure of the story (i.e. character development, setting, etc.) The second thing should be focused on grammar (i.e. comma usage, tense, etc.)
This is due on Monday, 11/7/11
The purpose of this assignment is to write creatively while focusing on the grammar we have been learning in class.
When you are done writing please choose two things you would like me or a peer editor to focus on while reviewing your story. The first thing should be about the structure of the story (i.e. character development, setting, etc.) The second thing should be focused on grammar (i.e. comma usage, tense, etc.)
This is due on Monday, 11/7/11
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Your mini projects for The First Part Last are due at the end of class today.
If you finish early please catch up on any missing work you owe. You are also welcome to make improvements to your coffeehouse piece.
Still looking for something to do? Go to http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/ and explore. If you have headphones you can also watch videos done by Grammar Girl. She is an excellent resource and makes grammar accessible to all!
If you finish early please catch up on any missing work you owe. You are also welcome to make improvements to your coffeehouse piece.
Still looking for something to do? Go to http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/ and explore. If you have headphones you can also watch videos done by Grammar Girl. She is an excellent resource and makes grammar accessible to all!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Hopefully after reading your work in the Ensemble Theatre and getting feedback from your classmates you feel better prepared to read this Thursday night.
If you haven't done so already, please take out your headphones and search for videos performances by any of your favorite authors. Don't know where to start? Choose someone we have already discussed in class.
While watching the videos take notes on what choices the authors make. Ask yourself, what does the author do to be effective/reach his or her audience? What can I add to my reading in order to be more effectivce?
After taking notes, please make the appropriate changes to your piece. Feel free to rehearse if you would like.
Finished early? Try your hand at a spooky story for extra credit!
If you haven't done so already, please take out your headphones and search for videos performances by any of your favorite authors. Don't know where to start? Choose someone we have already discussed in class.
While watching the videos take notes on what choices the authors make. Ask yourself, what does the author do to be effective/reach his or her audience? What can I add to my reading in order to be more effectivce?
After taking notes, please make the appropriate changes to your piece. Feel free to rehearse if you would like.
Finished early? Try your hand at a spooky story for extra credit!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Please finish your study guide questions, which were posted on Monday, 10/24. They are due today.
When you finish, please continue to read the novel and/or get started on your next assignment:
Mini Project Choices
Please choose one of the following:
1. Write at least five letters to Nia explaining what is happening with both Bobby and Feather. Be specific!
2. Study the spare, lyrical writing of Angela Johnson and try to write one scene of a story with a similar quality and the same economy of words.
3. Write the dialogue for the scenes that are left "off camera" (like what Nia says when she meets Bobby with a balloon on his birthday).
*This is due next Tuesday, 1/1/11
When you finish, please continue to read the novel and/or get started on your next assignment:
Mini Project Choices
Please choose one of the following:
1. Write at least five letters to Nia explaining what is happening with both Bobby and Feather. Be specific!
2. Study the spare, lyrical writing of Angela Johnson and try to write one scene of a story with a similar quality and the same economy of words.
3. Write the dialogue for the scenes that are left "off camera" (like what Nia says when she meets Bobby with a balloon on his birthday).
*This is due next Tuesday, 1/1/11
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
We are going to continue to reflect on our demonstration speeches today.
Please do the following:
1. Take your answers to the reflection questions given during 3rd period and write a 2 page reflection on how you think your speech went.
2. Please include information on how you plan to improve your performance at the coffeehouse reading on November 3rd at 7:00.
3. Please use specific/concrete information. It is not okay to say, "I think I did a great job!" You need to say exactly what worked and what did not work so that you can make improvements in the future. (i.e. "I did a great job because ______ or when I said ______.")
3. Do not forget to double space your writing and use 12pt. Times New Roman font.
4. Remember, this reflection will help to raise your presentation grade.
HOMEWORK!
If you finish early please continue to prepare your coffeehouse reading selection. You must have this selected and marked up for class on Thursday.
Please do the following:
1. Take your answers to the reflection questions given during 3rd period and write a 2 page reflection on how you think your speech went.
2. Please include information on how you plan to improve your performance at the coffeehouse reading on November 3rd at 7:00.
3. Please use specific/concrete information. It is not okay to say, "I think I did a great job!" You need to say exactly what worked and what did not work so that you can make improvements in the future. (i.e. "I did a great job because ______ or when I said ______.")
3. Do not forget to double space your writing and use 12pt. Times New Roman font.
4. Remember, this reflection will help to raise your presentation grade.
HOMEWORK!
If you finish early please continue to prepare your coffeehouse reading selection. You must have this selected and marked up for class on Thursday.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Please answer the following questions in complete sentences. I would like you to type your responses.
The First Part Last
Discussion Questions:
1. How did Bobby’s parents respond to the news of Nia’s pregnancy (pg. 12)? How did Nia’s parents respond to this (pg. 20)? How would your parents respond to this same announcement?
2. Look at how Bobby’s friends react (pg. 37-40). How would your friends react?
3. What does Bobby mean by saying, “I walk to my room…look around my room and miss me” (pg. 35)?
4. How does Bobby feel about Feather? Would this be different if Nia were awake? (pg 81)
5. What do you think about everyone’s reaction to Bobby and Nia’s decision to put their baby up for adoption?
6. Do you agree with the way Bobby’s parents support (or don’t support) him and Feather?
7. Imagine your room at home. What things would you have to change if you became a full-time parent? What everyday things would you have to do differently?
8. Where do you see these characters five, ten years from now?
The First Part Last
Discussion Questions:
1. How did Bobby’s parents respond to the news of Nia’s pregnancy (pg. 12)? How did Nia’s parents respond to this (pg. 20)? How would your parents respond to this same announcement?
2. Look at how Bobby’s friends react (pg. 37-40). How would your friends react?
3. What does Bobby mean by saying, “I walk to my room…look around my room and miss me” (pg. 35)?
4. How does Bobby feel about Feather? Would this be different if Nia were awake? (pg 81)
5. What do you think about everyone’s reaction to Bobby and Nia’s decision to put their baby up for adoption?
6. Do you agree with the way Bobby’s parents support (or don’t support) him and Feather?
7. Imagine your room at home. What things would you have to change if you became a full-time parent? What everyday things would you have to do differently?
8. Where do you see these characters five, ten years from now?
Friday, October 21, 2011
Coffeehouse Reading!
Your first coffeehouse reading is on Thursday, November 3rd at 7:00!
In preparation for this event please read the following article from poets.org:
Your Task:
1. Please decide what you would like to perform at the coffeehouse on November 3rd at 7:00.
2. Print this selection out and prepare and mark it for performance.
3. Use the notes we have taken in class about effective speech performance. Physically mark where you plan to pause and which words you plan to emphasize.
3. We will be rehearsing our performances and giving one another constructive criticism next week.
In preparation for this event please read the following article from poets.org:
| Read a poem at an open mic | |||
Participating in an open mic reading can be a lot of fun. Some people attend just to listen, others to try out a new poem for an audience, and still others stop by to see if any crazy hijinks will ensue during the reading. It's a great way to meet other writers in your area and find out about your local writing community. Check your local newspaper or library, ask at your local coffee house, or find a writers' group in your area for information. You can also look for events on the Academy's National Events Calendar and National Poetry Map. Even if you drop in just to listen, open mic nights are a great way to celebrate poetry all year long. Here are some general public speaking tips to get you started:
| |||
1. Please decide what you would like to perform at the coffeehouse on November 3rd at 7:00.
2. Print this selection out and prepare and mark it for performance.
3. Use the notes we have taken in class about effective speech performance. Physically mark where you plan to pause and which words you plan to emphasize.
3. We will be rehearsing our performances and giving one another constructive criticism next week.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
The First Part Last
Pre-reading:
How do you think your life would change as a teenager if you suddenly had the
responsibility of raising an infant? Make a schedule of your life as it is now (look at your day planner) and then make a new one based on a life with baby.
Write a one page reflection about this life change and what it would mean for your reality.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Naomi Shihab Nye (1952 - present)
Naomi Shihab Nye is a poet and songwriter born in 1952 to a Palestinian father and American mother. She grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, Jerusalem, and San Antonio, Texas. Both roots and sense of place are major themes in her body of work.
Hidden by Naomi Shihab Nye
Poem Activity #1:
After reading Half-and-Half, in a poem, discuss two aspects of yourself (or your personality, belief, culture) that seem on the surface at odds with one another. Describe this topic through a short narrative (story) poem. Embed dialogue in your poem where appropriate.
Poem Activity #2:
After reading Hidden, start a poem with the subordinating conjunction “If…” You may use an “If…then…” statement, if you’d like. Start with a stanza describing a literal or concrete event or fact from nature. Naomi Shihab Nye uses the description of a fern placed under a stone. Your second stanza should be more metaphorical, as Naomi Shihab Nye’s second stanza is as she describes the transubstantiation of a loved one’s name into blood. Finally, end your poem with a wise observation that connects both stanzas.
Poem Activity #3:
Write a poem made up of snatches of conversations you have overheard. For this exercise, you may wish to bring your journal around to lunch period or throughout the day and record what you overhear.
Naomi Shihab Nye is a poet and songwriter born in 1952 to a Palestinian father and American mother. She grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, Jerusalem, and San Antonio, Texas. Both roots and sense of place are major themes in her body of work.
Half-And-Half by Naomi Shihab Nye
You can't be, says a Palestinian Christian
on the first feast day after Ramadan.
So, half-and-half and half-and-half.
He sells glass. He knows about broken bits,
chips. If you love Jesus you can't love
anyone else. Says he.
At his stall of blue pitchers on the Via Dolorosa,
he's sweeping. The rubbed stones
feel holy. Dusting of powdered sugar
across faces of date-stuffed mamool.
This morning we lit the slim white candles
which bend over at the waist by noon.
For once the priests weren't fighting
in the church for the best spots to stand.
As a boy, my father listened to them fight.
This is partly why he prays in no language
but his own. Why I press my lips
to every exception.
A woman opens a window—here and here and here—
placing a vase of blue flowers
on an orange cloth. I follow her.
She is making a soup from what she had left
in the bowl, the shriveled garlic and bent bean.
She is leaving nothing out.
Hidden by Naomi Shihab Nye
If you place a fern
under a stone
the next day it will be
nearly invisible
as if the stone has
swallowed it.
If you tuck the name of a loved one
under your tongue too long
without speaking it
it becomes blood
sigh
the little sucked-in breath of air
hiding everywhere
beneath your words.
No one sees
the fuel that feeds you.
Poem Activity #1:
After reading Half-and-Half, in a poem, discuss two aspects of yourself (or your personality, belief, culture) that seem on the surface at odds with one another. Describe this topic through a short narrative (story) poem. Embed dialogue in your poem where appropriate.
Poem Activity #2:
After reading Hidden, start a poem with the subordinating conjunction “If…” You may use an “If…then…” statement, if you’d like. Start with a stanza describing a literal or concrete event or fact from nature. Naomi Shihab Nye uses the description of a fern placed under a stone. Your second stanza should be more metaphorical, as Naomi Shihab Nye’s second stanza is as she describes the transubstantiation of a loved one’s name into blood. Finally, end your poem with a wise observation that connects both stanzas.
Poem Activity #3:
Write a poem made up of snatches of conversations you have overheard. For this exercise, you may wish to bring your journal around to lunch period or throughout the day and record what you overhear.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Montana 1948 Essay
Write a formal essay (1-2 pages) on one of the questions below:
1. What does Montana 1948 tell us about growing up?
2. Montana 1948 is a story about the difference between law and justice. Do you agree?
3. What do we learn about power and justice in Montana 1948?
4. In Montana 1948, the Hayden men are torn between justice and family loyalty. How do different men handle this tension?
5. How is racism evident in the behavior of characters in Montana 1948?
Your answers should be written in Standard English and in the style of a formal essay. They could have a clear introduction and conclusion and have three full ideas in paragraphs in between. At the very least your points should be supported by examples from this book. Even better, they should be supported by actual quotations from this book.
1. What does Montana 1948 tell us about growing up?
2. Montana 1948 is a story about the difference between law and justice. Do you agree?
3. What do we learn about power and justice in Montana 1948?
4. In Montana 1948, the Hayden men are torn between justice and family loyalty. How do different men handle this tension?
5. How is racism evident in the behavior of characters in Montana 1948?
Your answers should be written in Standard English and in the style of a formal essay. They could have a clear introduction and conclusion and have three full ideas in paragraphs in between. At the very least your points should be supported by examples from this book. Even better, they should be supported by actual quotations from this book.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Deadlines, Deadlines, Deadlines!
Part II study guide questions are due today!
You have a grammar quiz on Friday, 10/7. Please study!
Grammar notebooks will be collected on Friday, 10/7
Finish reading the entire novel by Tuesday, 10/11/11 (You have Monday off! Please use that time to catch up on missing work.)
You have a grammar quiz on Friday, 10/7. Please study!
Grammar notebooks will be collected on Friday, 10/7
Finish reading the entire novel by Tuesday, 10/11/11 (You have Monday off! Please use that time to catch up on missing work.)
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Outlines are due at the beginning of class on Thursday, 10/6/11!
Demonstrative Speech Outline
Here is a demonstrative speech outline template with the basic tips and points to write your own outline. Use this speech outline for a compelling speech topic to show how to do something, how something is done, how to make something, or how something works or to demonstrate a process using props and visual aids.SPEECH TOPIC: What your demonstrative speech is about, the theme or subject of your talk.
GENERAL PURPOSE: To demonstrate.
SPECIFIC PURPOSE or PURPOSE STATEMENT: This purpose statement is to clearly state your specific goal or purpose. To persuade that ... or to inform on ... Speech outline sample: The purpose of this demonstration speech is to persuade my audience how to pack light for an international backpacking travel trip.
CENTRAL IDEA or THESIS STATEMENT: In the thesis statement your describe in one sentence your purpose and speech topic. In our example: Packing light for an international trip will mean freedom.
THE SUPPORTING MATERIALS: List here in the demonstrative speech outline your sources, bibliography and possible visual aids. In our example: Backpack and supplies.
INTRODUCTION
Get the Attention: Start with a statement that catches the attention of the listeners immediately. For example: Pack and then remove half!
How to Greet Them: If they don't know who you are, and you are not being introduced, then you have to introduce yourself at this point in your presentation. And tell why you are the best person to give this demonstration speech.
Preview the Main Points: Introduce in one sentence the main topics of your demonstrative speech.
Tell What's In It for Them: State why your presentation is useful to your listeners. Offer a benefit. Example: Packing light for an international trip will mean flexibility and can avoid wrinkled clothes.
BODY SECTION
Main Point I: What props, examples, quotes, statistics, reasons, arguments, evidence, visuals can support your main points? Use them to construct your sub points.
Sub point 1
Sub point 2
Sub point 3
Sub point 2
Sub point 3
Main Point II
Sub point 1
Sub point 2
Sub point 3
Sub point 2
Sub point 3
Main Point III
Sub point 1
Sub point 2
Sub point 3
Sub point 2
Sub point 3
CONCLUSION
Summary: Recap the main points, steps or action sequences.
Closer: Try to find a original sentence or eye-opener to help the audience remember your demonstrative speech.
*Don't forget to use transition sentences, word and phrases. Help your listeners to hop fluently from the introduction text to the body part, and from the body to the concluding part of this demonstrative speech outline.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Montana Part II
For those who want to get started on the Part II study guide questions, here they are!
Study Guide, Part II
Montana, 1948, chapter two, pages 57-102
1. As the second chapter begins, we see David Hayden begin to reconstruct
his father's investigation. We are reminded that, in large measure, the story of
what happened that summer in Montana is hearsay and deduction. How
accurate do you suppose are David's conclusions? Do the three deductions
presented on the following pages give us confidence in his ability to ferret out
the truth? Why or why not?
2. Ollie Young Bear
His role in the story is slight. In fact, he virtually disappears after this one scene. Why is he in the story? What is the significance of the fact that he has a white wife?
3. What's important about the scene in the bowling alley on page 59? What
does it show about David, about his father?
4. What's the significance of the weather in the scene on page 63, when
David and his mother are temporarily banished from the house?
5. On page 65, David's mother delivers a short soliloquy on the geography of
Montana, and the geography of her youth. David interprets this as her way of
saying "she wanted a few moments of purity." He also ads that he is "on the trail
of something that [will] lead him out of childhood." Explain.
6. On page 67, en route to the ranch, David's father makes a tentative
suggestion that the family take a trip to Yellowstone, a national park in
Montana and Wyoming. Is this destination arbitrary? And what do you make
of David's observation that "unfortunately, he did not often keep his promises."
7. On page 69, we get to see David's grandfather for the first time. What sort
of figure is he? Does he resemble anyone else in the story, or anyone else
you have seen in the literature and film of the West?
8. On the same subject, what do you make of the Hayden's house on page
68? What does it say about its occupants?
9. On page 71, the subject of Frank's and Gloria's childlessness comes up
just when David, who is eavesdropping, expects his father to tell Grandpa
Hayden about Frank's improper sexual relationships with Indian girls. What do
you make of this juxtaposition? Why do you think David's father is bringing up
the subject now?
10. On the same page, David thinks: "Tell Grandfather. Tell him, and he'll take
care of everything. He'll grab Uncle Frank by the shoulders and shake him so
hard his bones will clatter like castanets. He'll shake him up and shout in
Frank's face that he'd better straighten up and fly right or there'll be hell to
pay. And because it's grandfather, that will be the end of it." What does this
deep faith in his grandfather show about David? And what do you make of the
violence of this vision? Why his grandfather, and not his father?
11. David's grandfather, on the next page, lets slip that his son Frank has
"always been partial to red meat." He is speaking about Indian women, of
course, but the metaphor he chooses is telling. What does it show about him?
How does he seem to feel about his son's improprieties?
12. The novel then moves to flashback, returning us to a distant memory of
Frank's bachelor party. Again., David relays an overheard conversation. Look
to page 75here, his father delivers a drunken speech about the "Hayden
boys," describing them as a kind of fraternity of lawlessness and macho
bravado. "We are the law!" he says. Then he vomits. Explain the connection
between this scene and the statement on page 21 that David's father is a man
"who tried to turn two ways at once" (21).
13. On page 76 we meet David's grandmother. How is she different from the
other women in the novel, especially David's own mother? What is this meant
to show?
14. On page 77, David confesses his erotic attraction for his Aunt Gloria, and
describes a scene when, bedridden, she tended to him. He even pretends to
be asleep, in order that he may enjoy her closeness to him: "as she bent
down to feel my forehead," David confesses, "I could smell her perfume."
Does this arrangement and erotic attraction in the midst of medical care
remind you of anything else in the novel?
15. Subsequently, David overhears a whispered conversation between his
aunt and his uncle, then the squeaking of their bedsprings. What's going on
here? Does this scene change, if briefly, or sense of Uncle Frank the Indian
molester?
16. On page 7980,
David is given an automatic pistol by his grandfather and told to go shoot coyotes. David says of handguns: "They were something not serious, not for bringing down game but for shooting as an activity in and of itself...." How is this gun different from the guns David's father has given him and trained him to use? Is it significant that it comes from his grandfather?
Does it have a symbolic meaning?
17. What is the double meaning of the two paragraphs on page 80 that begin:
"I shot up the entire box of bullets." (Consider that in the scene immediately
preceding, David has experienced powerful erotic sensations at his aunt's
perfume and disgust as well.)
18. Of the magpie that he shoots, David says on page 81, "I hadn't even
known it but I needed to kill something." What is he struggling with? Why must
his anger manifest itself in violence?
19. Continue your interpretation on page 82, with the paragraph that begins "I
felt the way I did when I woke from an especially disturbing and powerful
dream....." Pay particular attention to the lines: "I realized that these strange,
unthought of connections: sex and death, lust and violence, desire and
20. One last point to consider. A heart has chambers, as David says. So does
a gun. What's the symbolic connection?
21. On page 82, David sees his father and uncle talking. What's the first
strange thing he notices? What is the significance of this?
22. Why does David pantomime shooting his uncle? What would his motive
be for murder?
23. As the scene closes on page 84, David notes that "My father and Uncle
Frank walked off together, their broad shoulders almost touching." What are
we meant to think has transpired between them?
24. What's wrong or insufficient about David's father's remarks to his wife on
the return drive (page 85)?
25. What is the significance of Marie's strange remark on page 86? ("He's
hard to see when you look for him.") What's hard to see? What's David been
looking for?
26. On page 87, David says that he "knew, knew immediately what had
happened." What does he know? How does he know it?
27. What's the symbolic significance of the open medical bag on the table on
page 87?
28. On page 88, Uncle Frank suggests a couple of explanations for Marie
Little Soldier's sudden death. David also notes that as he spoke "he stood up
so straight he seemed to be at attention." What's the meaning of this body
language? A soldier is one who stands at attention. Whose orders is he
following?
29. On a related note, speaking of soldiers, what do you make of Marie's last
name?
30. On page 89, Uncle Frank says, "Pneumonia is still a serious disease. Very
serious. We mustn't lose sight of that." What is he asking his audience to do?
And is there a connection an echo between these words and Marie's last
words on page 86?
31. On page 93, Len, who has served as a deputy under both David's father
and grandfather, explains what it means "to be a peace officer in Montana."
What does it mean? Does it mean that still, in this story, in the summer of
1948?
32. Why do you suppose the author, Larry Watson, chose to make Len an
alcoholic? What does this say about the kind of life he has led? Is this a by
product of being "a peace officer in Montana"?
33. David also supposes that Len is, or has been, in love with his mother.
Nothing much comes of this in the novel the matter is simply noted here, then
dropped. Why is it in the story? What does it say about Len, his basic qualities
of character, his loyalties and allegiances?
34. Why do you suppose David chooses not to tell Len what he saw on page
94?
35. After David tells his father what he saw, he notices his father's injured
knee. Go to the paragraph on page 100 that begins "My mother turned on the
lamp beside the bed." What is the connection that David notes between his
father's injured leg and "the pain he felt over his brother"?
36. Closing the chapter, on pages 1012,
David has a dream about all the Indians in Bentrock, on top of Circle Hill. He notes, among other details, that in his dream, they aren't dressed as they are in the movies, but just as they appear in his daily life. How do you interpret this dream, in particular the way they are dressed? examining it for impurities"?
Study Guide, Part II
Montana, 1948, chapter two, pages 57-102
1. As the second chapter begins, we see David Hayden begin to reconstruct
his father's investigation. We are reminded that, in large measure, the story of
what happened that summer in Montana is hearsay and deduction. How
accurate do you suppose are David's conclusions? Do the three deductions
presented on the following pages give us confidence in his ability to ferret out
the truth? Why or why not?
2. Ollie Young Bear
His role in the story is slight. In fact, he virtually disappears after this one scene. Why is he in the story? What is the significance of the fact that he has a white wife?
3. What's important about the scene in the bowling alley on page 59? What
does it show about David, about his father?
4. What's the significance of the weather in the scene on page 63, when
David and his mother are temporarily banished from the house?
5. On page 65, David's mother delivers a short soliloquy on the geography of
Montana, and the geography of her youth. David interprets this as her way of
saying "she wanted a few moments of purity." He also ads that he is "on the trail
of something that [will] lead him out of childhood." Explain.
6. On page 67, en route to the ranch, David's father makes a tentative
suggestion that the family take a trip to Yellowstone, a national park in
Montana and Wyoming. Is this destination arbitrary? And what do you make
of David's observation that "unfortunately, he did not often keep his promises."
7. On page 69, we get to see David's grandfather for the first time. What sort
of figure is he? Does he resemble anyone else in the story, or anyone else
you have seen in the literature and film of the West?
8. On the same subject, what do you make of the Hayden's house on page
68? What does it say about its occupants?
9. On page 71, the subject of Frank's and Gloria's childlessness comes up
just when David, who is eavesdropping, expects his father to tell Grandpa
Hayden about Frank's improper sexual relationships with Indian girls. What do
you make of this juxtaposition? Why do you think David's father is bringing up
the subject now?
10. On the same page, David thinks: "Tell Grandfather. Tell him, and he'll take
care of everything. He'll grab Uncle Frank by the shoulders and shake him so
hard his bones will clatter like castanets. He'll shake him up and shout in
Frank's face that he'd better straighten up and fly right or there'll be hell to
pay. And because it's grandfather, that will be the end of it." What does this
deep faith in his grandfather show about David? And what do you make of the
violence of this vision? Why his grandfather, and not his father?
11. David's grandfather, on the next page, lets slip that his son Frank has
"always been partial to red meat." He is speaking about Indian women, of
course, but the metaphor he chooses is telling. What does it show about him?
How does he seem to feel about his son's improprieties?
12. The novel then moves to flashback, returning us to a distant memory of
Frank's bachelor party. Again., David relays an overheard conversation. Look
to page 75here, his father delivers a drunken speech about the "Hayden
boys," describing them as a kind of fraternity of lawlessness and macho
bravado. "We are the law!" he says. Then he vomits. Explain the connection
between this scene and the statement on page 21 that David's father is a man
"who tried to turn two ways at once" (21).
13. On page 76 we meet David's grandmother. How is she different from the
other women in the novel, especially David's own mother? What is this meant
to show?
14. On page 77, David confesses his erotic attraction for his Aunt Gloria, and
describes a scene when, bedridden, she tended to him. He even pretends to
be asleep, in order that he may enjoy her closeness to him: "as she bent
down to feel my forehead," David confesses, "I could smell her perfume."
Does this arrangement and erotic attraction in the midst of medical care
remind you of anything else in the novel?
15. Subsequently, David overhears a whispered conversation between his
aunt and his uncle, then the squeaking of their bedsprings. What's going on
here? Does this scene change, if briefly, or sense of Uncle Frank the Indian
molester?
16. On page 7980,
David is given an automatic pistol by his grandfather and told to go shoot coyotes. David says of handguns: "They were something not serious, not for bringing down game but for shooting as an activity in and of itself...." How is this gun different from the guns David's father has given him and trained him to use? Is it significant that it comes from his grandfather?
Does it have a symbolic meaning?
17. What is the double meaning of the two paragraphs on page 80 that begin:
"I shot up the entire box of bullets." (Consider that in the scene immediately
preceding, David has experienced powerful erotic sensations at his aunt's
perfume and disgust as well.)
18. Of the magpie that he shoots, David says on page 81, "I hadn't even
known it but I needed to kill something." What is he struggling with? Why must
his anger manifest itself in violence?
19. Continue your interpretation on page 82, with the paragraph that begins "I
felt the way I did when I woke from an especially disturbing and powerful
dream....." Pay particular attention to the lines: "I realized that these strange,
unthought of connections: sex and death, lust and violence, desire and
20. One last point to consider. A heart has chambers, as David says. So does
a gun. What's the symbolic connection?
21. On page 82, David sees his father and uncle talking. What's the first
strange thing he notices? What is the significance of this?
22. Why does David pantomime shooting his uncle? What would his motive
be for murder?
23. As the scene closes on page 84, David notes that "My father and Uncle
Frank walked off together, their broad shoulders almost touching." What are
we meant to think has transpired between them?
24. What's wrong or insufficient about David's father's remarks to his wife on
the return drive (page 85)?
25. What is the significance of Marie's strange remark on page 86? ("He's
hard to see when you look for him.") What's hard to see? What's David been
looking for?
26. On page 87, David says that he "knew, knew immediately what had
happened." What does he know? How does he know it?
27. What's the symbolic significance of the open medical bag on the table on
page 87?
28. On page 88, Uncle Frank suggests a couple of explanations for Marie
Little Soldier's sudden death. David also notes that as he spoke "he stood up
so straight he seemed to be at attention." What's the meaning of this body
language? A soldier is one who stands at attention. Whose orders is he
following?
29. On a related note, speaking of soldiers, what do you make of Marie's last
name?
30. On page 89, Uncle Frank says, "Pneumonia is still a serious disease. Very
serious. We mustn't lose sight of that." What is he asking his audience to do?
And is there a connection an echo between these words and Marie's last
words on page 86?
31. On page 93, Len, who has served as a deputy under both David's father
and grandfather, explains what it means "to be a peace officer in Montana."
What does it mean? Does it mean that still, in this story, in the summer of
1948?
32. Why do you suppose the author, Larry Watson, chose to make Len an
alcoholic? What does this say about the kind of life he has led? Is this a by
product of being "a peace officer in Montana"?
33. David also supposes that Len is, or has been, in love with his mother.
Nothing much comes of this in the novel the matter is simply noted here, then
dropped. Why is it in the story? What does it say about Len, his basic qualities
of character, his loyalties and allegiances?
34. Why do you suppose David chooses not to tell Len what he saw on page
94?
35. After David tells his father what he saw, he notices his father's injured
knee. Go to the paragraph on page 100 that begins "My mother turned on the
lamp beside the bed." What is the connection that David notes between his
father's injured leg and "the pain he felt over his brother"?
36. Closing the chapter, on pages 1012,
David has a dream about all the Indians in Bentrock, on top of Circle Hill. He notes, among other details, that in his dream, they aren't dressed as they are in the movies, but just as they appear in his daily life. How do you interpret this dream, in particular the way they are dressed? examining it for impurities"?
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Creative Grammar & Style Deadlines
Homework: Read up to page 72 in Montana by Thursday 9/29
The blog assignment from today (9/27) is due at the end of class on Thursday 9/29
Past Due Assignments
The blog assignment from today (9/27) is due at the end of class on Thursday 9/29
Past Due Assignments
- Subject-verb agreement worksheets (one for classwork, one for homework)
- Prologue assignment
- Writing prompt
- Themes in Montana assignment
Montana/Parts of Speech Review
Eight Parts of Speech
Noun: a person, place, thing or idea (chicken, dancehall, ocean, belief)
Pronoun: replaces a noun (he, she, it, her, them, who, which)
Adjective: describes a noun or Pronoun (lovely, tattered, obese, violet)
Verb: an action word (ransack, stir, rejuvenate, are)
Adverb: modifies or describes an adjective, verb, or other adverb (gladly, helpfully, subtly, slowly)
Preposition: links nouns and pronouns to phrases (over, under, in, near)
Conjunction: links lists, phrases, and clauses (and, but, or, when)
Interjection: conveys emotion (wow, what, ouch, man)
Writing practice:
Write four sentences in which you use all eight parts of speech. The catch? You can't use any part of speech more than once in each sentence.
Montana discussion questions
19. On pages 32-33, what is the meaning of David's rhetorical question: "Was the sweat hers or mine?"
20. On pag 34, we get a glimpse into David's father's prejudice against Indians. What do you make of David's explanation? Does he defend his father? Try to rationalize his racism?
21. On page 35, David's father calls his brother on the phone. What do you make of his saying, "We've got a sick Indian girl over here, Frank"? What is strange about this?
22. Marie's objection to Frank's visit is personal; she's afraid he will molest her. But the story also raises some more general questions about the role of a white doctor treating a Native American. Is there anything strange, or wrong about this? Ambiguous perhaps? Modern medicine is, after all, a Western science. In what sense might ANY treatment by a white doctor qualify as a kind of rape, metaphorically speaking?
23. Pages 33 to 38 are devoted to discussion of David's uncle Frank. What sort of man does he appear to be? Does his personal resume make him out to be more than an ordinary man?
24. On the same subject, consider the scene in which David's grandfather calls his "son" to speak to the crowd. How are we to interpret the final moment of this scene, when David's father is seen picking up pieces of trash?
25. What happens in Marie's sick room on pages 40-41? What do you make of the shouted "NO!'s"
26. On page 42, David's father says, "They're not going to make it into the 20th Century until they give up their superstitions and old ways." What sort of thinking does this reveal?
27. On the bottom of 43, David says, "I couldn't figure out why my mother seemed so angry." Why is she angry? What are her allegiances?
28. Why are the bees mentioned on the bottom of page 45? What does this have to do with the shocking information that David has just overheard?
29. How would you summarize the debate that ensues on pages 46 to 47? Particularly, why must David's mother be so explicit in describing the "things" that David's uncle has done?
30. Is it true, as David says on the bottom of 54, that his father "knew [his uncle] was guilty"? If so, how would he know? What new wrinkle does this add to the tale?
Noun: a person, place, thing or idea (chicken, dancehall, ocean, belief)
Pronoun: replaces a noun (he, she, it, her, them, who, which)
Adjective: describes a noun or Pronoun (lovely, tattered, obese, violet)
Verb: an action word (ransack, stir, rejuvenate, are)
Adverb: modifies or describes an adjective, verb, or other adverb (gladly, helpfully, subtly, slowly)
Preposition: links nouns and pronouns to phrases (over, under, in, near)
Conjunction: links lists, phrases, and clauses (and, but, or, when)
Interjection: conveys emotion (wow, what, ouch, man)
Writing practice:
Write four sentences in which you use all eight parts of speech. The catch? You can't use any part of speech more than once in each sentence.
Montana discussion questions
19. On pages 32-33, what is the meaning of David's rhetorical question: "Was the sweat hers or mine?"
20. On pag 34, we get a glimpse into David's father's prejudice against Indians. What do you make of David's explanation? Does he defend his father? Try to rationalize his racism?
21. On page 35, David's father calls his brother on the phone. What do you make of his saying, "We've got a sick Indian girl over here, Frank"? What is strange about this?
22. Marie's objection to Frank's visit is personal; she's afraid he will molest her. But the story also raises some more general questions about the role of a white doctor treating a Native American. Is there anything strange, or wrong about this? Ambiguous perhaps? Modern medicine is, after all, a Western science. In what sense might ANY treatment by a white doctor qualify as a kind of rape, metaphorically speaking?
23. Pages 33 to 38 are devoted to discussion of David's uncle Frank. What sort of man does he appear to be? Does his personal resume make him out to be more than an ordinary man?
24. On the same subject, consider the scene in which David's grandfather calls his "son" to speak to the crowd. How are we to interpret the final moment of this scene, when David's father is seen picking up pieces of trash?
25. What happens in Marie's sick room on pages 40-41? What do you make of the shouted "NO!'s"
26. On page 42, David's father says, "They're not going to make it into the 20th Century until they give up their superstitions and old ways." What sort of thinking does this reveal?
27. On the bottom of 43, David says, "I couldn't figure out why my mother seemed so angry." Why is she angry? What are her allegiances?
28. Why are the bees mentioned on the bottom of page 45? What does this have to do with the shocking information that David has just overheard?
29. How would you summarize the debate that ensues on pages 46 to 47? Particularly, why must David's mother be so explicit in describing the "things" that David's uncle has done?
30. Is it true, as David says on the bottom of 54, that his father "knew [his uncle] was guilty"? If so, how would he know? What new wrinkle does this add to the tale?
Monday, September 26, 2011
Poetry Prompt
Go to the following website:
http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180
Read poems #1-7. As you read, choose 3 words from EACH poem and make a list. (The best way to do this is either in your journal – where you will get credit; or you may keep a word document open and minimized on the bottom of your screen to collect the words).
Choose interesting or “powerful” words—words that draw YOUR attention; the best 3 single words in the poem. Avoid phrases.
Once you have a list with 21 words, use your word bank to create a poem of your own.
• You DO NOT have to use all 21 words in your poem.
• Your poem should make sense. Try to avoid sentence fragments. (Consider your character, setting, theme, conflict, etc. to help write a story...yes, even poetry has a story.)
• You may include as many OTHER words as you’d like.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Themes/Ideas
Here are the themes/ideas discussed in class this morning:
- Importance of family
- Abusing power
- Family feuds/disagreements
- Loyalty
- Racism
- Prejudice/discrimination
- Guilt
- Truth/lies/secrecy
- Justice/injustice
- Sexual harassment
- Bravery
- Innocence
- Growing up/adolescence
- Murder
- Suicide
- Deceit
- Trust
- Oppression
- Opinions
- Law and order
- Responsibility
Here is your task:
1. Choose a theme/idea.
2. Find a quote (or two) in Part One of the novel that relates to your theme/idea.
3. Write a brief summary of HOW the quote relates to your theme/idea. Be specific and think about the characters and events in the text.
4. In your paragraph be sure to answer the following:
- Why is the theme/idea important to our understanding of the text?
- Is there a particular character who embodies/represents this idea?
- Why does your chosen quote relate to your chosen theme/idea?
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Montana, 1948, prologue (and section one, pages 11-54)
Study Guide, Part I
Directions: Once you complete your prologue assignment, begin answering the following questions in complete sentences.
1. Before you even begin reading, the novel story announces in its title the importance of its setting. What expectations are established with this title? What do you know about Montana, about 1948, about Montana in 1948? What do you know about novels and stories set in the West?
2. In the prologue, the narrator, David Hayden, explains a few things: how old he was when the story took place, how old he is now, and what has happened since. List this information, and then speculate: why, perhaps, is he telling the story now? What expectations does this establish for the story to come?
3. Also in the prologue, David offers a list of images. What do these images suggest? And what do you make of his insistence, on the following page, that these images, and others like them, be viewed simultaneously, not chronologically?
4. Lastly, David describes himself at the bottom of page 12 as "a witness." What does this word mean? List all its possible meanings.
5. On page 15, David introduces the setting promised in the title. What are the important facts, figures and details of this description? What kind of place is Mercer County?
6. On page 16, he describes that time in his life as "a new, blessedly peaceful era." How so? And how is this related to David's own age? (Why is 12 more peaceful than, say 10, or 15?)
7. On the same subject, what do we already know about Mercer County that tells us to be suspicious of this idyllic description?
8. The following pages are devoted to a description of David's father, in particular his job. In what ways does he defeat our expectations of the typical Western lawman?
9. Along the same lines, a great deal of time is devoted to a description his gun and holster. How does this encapsulate his failure to conform to our image--and David's image-- of a "typical" Western sheriff? How does Dave seem to feel about this?
10. The badge, too, gets some attention, and here David comments on something he later learned about it (page 19). What is the significance of his new, adult understanding of the reason his father never wore a badge?
11. On pages 19-21, we learn that the Hayden family is something of a dynasty in law enforcement. Later, on page 21, David describes his father as a man "who tried to turn two ways at once." Describe this conflict, including in your answer some thoughts on David's reference, in the same paragraph, to his "grandfather's domain."
12. A patriarch is a father figure, one who heads a family. A patriarchy is a society that is ruled by men. If the world of Mercer County is a patriarchy, what values are its principle values? What is the LAW?
13. On page 22, David lays out a second conflict. What is it?
14. Why is it significant that David and his family live "in the middle of town"? (page 23) What does this positioning suggest?
15. Comment intelligently on David's other life--his country life--at his grandfather's ranch. Is he, like his father, a man pulled two ways?
16. What do you make of the story of the toothless Indian woman on page 25? What does it show about Bentrock, and the general attitude of whites toward Indians? And how does this foreshadow the accusations later made against David's uncle?
17. On the following pages, 25 to 29, David descibes Marie Little Soldier and his feelings for her. Comment on two details: the incident, mentioned on 29, in which he accidentally sees her naked (what else in the story does David see that is naked?); and his remark on page 25 that "her body could be ready, at a moment's notice, for sex or work."
18. Why do you think David mentions his own encounter with chicken pox on page 28? Hint: he's speaking of a childhood disease, suffered as an adult.
Directions: Once you complete your prologue assignment, begin answering the following questions in complete sentences.
1. Before you even begin reading, the novel story announces in its title the importance of its setting. What expectations are established with this title? What do you know about Montana, about 1948, about Montana in 1948? What do you know about novels and stories set in the West?
2. In the prologue, the narrator, David Hayden, explains a few things: how old he was when the story took place, how old he is now, and what has happened since. List this information, and then speculate: why, perhaps, is he telling the story now? What expectations does this establish for the story to come?
3. Also in the prologue, David offers a list of images. What do these images suggest? And what do you make of his insistence, on the following page, that these images, and others like them, be viewed simultaneously, not chronologically?
4. Lastly, David describes himself at the bottom of page 12 as "a witness." What does this word mean? List all its possible meanings.
5. On page 15, David introduces the setting promised in the title. What are the important facts, figures and details of this description? What kind of place is Mercer County?
6. On page 16, he describes that time in his life as "a new, blessedly peaceful era." How so? And how is this related to David's own age? (Why is 12 more peaceful than, say 10, or 15?)
7. On the same subject, what do we already know about Mercer County that tells us to be suspicious of this idyllic description?
8. The following pages are devoted to a description of David's father, in particular his job. In what ways does he defeat our expectations of the typical Western lawman?
9. Along the same lines, a great deal of time is devoted to a description his gun and holster. How does this encapsulate his failure to conform to our image--and David's image-- of a "typical" Western sheriff? How does Dave seem to feel about this?
10. The badge, too, gets some attention, and here David comments on something he later learned about it (page 19). What is the significance of his new, adult understanding of the reason his father never wore a badge?
11. On pages 19-21, we learn that the Hayden family is something of a dynasty in law enforcement. Later, on page 21, David describes his father as a man "who tried to turn two ways at once." Describe this conflict, including in your answer some thoughts on David's reference, in the same paragraph, to his "grandfather's domain."
12. A patriarch is a father figure, one who heads a family. A patriarchy is a society that is ruled by men. If the world of Mercer County is a patriarchy, what values are its principle values? What is the LAW?
13. On page 22, David lays out a second conflict. What is it?
14. Why is it significant that David and his family live "in the middle of town"? (page 23) What does this positioning suggest?
15. Comment intelligently on David's other life--his country life--at his grandfather's ranch. Is he, like his father, a man pulled two ways?
16. What do you make of the story of the toothless Indian woman on page 25? What does it show about Bentrock, and the general attitude of whites toward Indians? And how does this foreshadow the accusations later made against David's uncle?
17. On the following pages, 25 to 29, David descibes Marie Little Soldier and his feelings for her. Comment on two details: the incident, mentioned on 29, in which he accidentally sees her naked (what else in the story does David see that is naked?); and his remark on page 25 that "her body could be ready, at a moment's notice, for sex or work."
18. Why do you think David mentions his own encounter with chicken pox on page 28? Hint: he's speaking of a childhood disease, suffered as an adult.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Deadlines and Questions
Reminders
- If you are absent, you are still responsible for staying on the class schedule and adhering to deadlines.
- You see me everyday, please do not wait until something is due to use the "I wasn't here excuse." BE PROACTIVE!
- Your writing prompt is due TODAY!
- The Montana prologue exercise is due at the end of class on Wednesday (9/21)
- Your character exercise from PW&T class is due at the end of class on Thursday (9/22)
- Stay organized and plan ahead. If you are behind, you need to work at home. NO EXCEPTIONS.
- I have created a separate blog for each class, please post a response as to whether or not you would like these blogs to be consolidated.
- Feel free to post other questions about your assignments as well.
- You should have already created a user name and commented on my first post. Please do that!
Montana 1948 Writing Assignment
*Before you get started on your first Montana assignment, please finish up your writing prompts from last week and hand them in.*
Montana Assignment
Directions
The prologue of Montana 1948 includes images from one year of David Hayden's life. These images form a literary montage- an artistic composition made up of several different kinds of elements. Notice the imagery Larry Watson incorporates to weave the events together. For example, he writes, "The windows are open, and Mother's lace curtains blow into the room." and "Insects clutter around the light fixtures, and the pleading quality in my father's voice reminds me of those insects."
Think back to a significant time in your life. Recapture that time in the form of a highlight reel. This time could be a week, a month, or a year. Choose images and events from that time and weave them together using vivid words and a creative order.
Length Requirement: 15-20 Sentences
Brainstorming (Do this before the writing assignment.)
Directions: Answer the following questions to assist you in recapturing a time in your life.
1. What has been your favorite age? Why?
2. What has been your least favorite age? Why?
3. List some of the best things that have ever happened to you.
4. List some of the worst things that have ever happened to you.
5. Is there a time in your life that has made you learn something about yourself? Explain.
6. Is there a time in your life that has confused you? Explain.
*Now begin the writing assignment.*
Montana Assignment
Directions
The prologue of Montana 1948 includes images from one year of David Hayden's life. These images form a literary montage- an artistic composition made up of several different kinds of elements. Notice the imagery Larry Watson incorporates to weave the events together. For example, he writes, "The windows are open, and Mother's lace curtains blow into the room." and "Insects clutter around the light fixtures, and the pleading quality in my father's voice reminds me of those insects."
Think back to a significant time in your life. Recapture that time in the form of a highlight reel. This time could be a week, a month, or a year. Choose images and events from that time and weave them together using vivid words and a creative order.
Length Requirement: 15-20 Sentences
Brainstorming (Do this before the writing assignment.)
Directions: Answer the following questions to assist you in recapturing a time in your life.
1. What has been your favorite age? Why?
2. What has been your least favorite age? Why?
3. List some of the best things that have ever happened to you.
4. List some of the worst things that have ever happened to you.
5. Is there a time in your life that has made you learn something about yourself? Explain.
6. Is there a time in your life that has confused you? Explain.
*Now begin the writing assignment.*
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Welcome to Creative Grammar and Style
Creative Writing Prompts
Prompts for Your Writing Adventures
By Chris Dunmire
Remember when your teacher would write a topic sentence on the blackboard and then make you expand on it in your notebook or journal? Well, that's the idea behind these prompts. I give you a topic or idea to write about, and you take it from there!
These prompts are especially useful for journaling or blogging, and can also be used as visual art prompts. Ready to get started?
Try It! Get-you-started Writing Prompts:
* If you could be any person in the world, who would you be, and why?
* Describe a place you remember from your childhood.
* How did you meet your closest friend?
* Write a list of 25 (or just 5!) things you want to do in your life.
* What is something you do well?
* What would have happened if you didn't leave the house this morning?
* If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
* What are your hobbies? Why do you like them?
* What sets you apart from the crowd?
* What do you want to be remembered for?
* What is the nicest thing you have done for someone?
* What is the greatest lesson you've learned so far in your life?
* If you could invent anything new, what would it be?
* Tell your life story from someone else's point of view.
* If you could have three wishes, what would they be?
* How would you spend a found $20 bill?
* What is the most exciting thing that ever happened to you?
* What is your favorite day of the week?
* How old would you be if you didn't know your real age?
* Name some things you are thankful for.
* What was your favorite childhood toy?
Word Prompts:
Ability | Age | Animal | Autumn | Average
Bandwagon | Beauty | Body | Book
Cage | Camping | Cartoon | Chain | Chance
Clover | Coincidence | Color | Creative
Develop | Destiny | Desire
Environment | Esteem | Experience
Fade | Flower | Food | Forest | Friend
Generous | Group | Grow
Honesty | Help | Honor
Idea | Image | Incentive | Innovative | Internet
Joy | Kindness | Kindred Spirit
Ladybug | Learn | Light | Love
Mature | Memory | Metal | Modest | Mood | Mountains
Museum | Music | Myself | Mystery
New | Novel | Night Dreams
Ocean | Opera
Peace | Picture | Privacy
Quest | Quiet
Rainbow | Remember | Realize
Shape | Snowflake | Sun
Time | Truth
Waterfall | Wellness
Youth
The NEXT Creative Step...
Be on a quest today to find other things to inspire or prompt your writing projects. List 10 other resources besides the Internet where you can find writing inspiration.
If you liked this project and want to explore more writing prompt resources, visit Creativity Portal's Writing Prompts se
By Chris Dunmire
Remember when your teacher would write a topic sentence on the blackboard and then make you expand on it in your notebook or journal? Well, that's the idea behind these prompts. I give you a topic or idea to write about, and you take it from there!
These prompts are especially useful for journaling or blogging, and can also be used as visual art prompts. Ready to get started?
Try It! Get-you-started Writing Prompts:
* If you could be any person in the world, who would you be, and why?
* Describe a place you remember from your childhood.
* How did you meet your closest friend?
* Write a list of 25 (or just 5!) things you want to do in your life.
* What is something you do well?
* What would have happened if you didn't leave the house this morning?
* If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
* What are your hobbies? Why do you like them?
* What sets you apart from the crowd?
* What do you want to be remembered for?
* What is the nicest thing you have done for someone?
* What is the greatest lesson you've learned so far in your life?
* If you could invent anything new, what would it be?
* Tell your life story from someone else's point of view.
* If you could have three wishes, what would they be?
* How would you spend a found $20 bill?
* What is the most exciting thing that ever happened to you?
* What is your favorite day of the week?
* How old would you be if you didn't know your real age?
* Name some things you are thankful for.
* What was your favorite childhood toy?
Word Prompts:
Ability | Age | Animal | Autumn | Average
Bandwagon | Beauty | Body | Book
Cage | Camping | Cartoon | Chain | Chance
Clover | Coincidence | Color | Creative
Develop | Destiny | Desire
Environment | Esteem | Experience
Fade | Flower | Food | Forest | Friend
Generous | Group | Grow
Honesty | Help | Honor
Idea | Image | Incentive | Innovative | Internet
Joy | Kindness | Kindred Spirit
Ladybug | Learn | Light | Love
Mature | Memory | Metal | Modest | Mood | Mountains
Museum | Music | Myself | Mystery
New | Novel | Night Dreams
Ocean | Opera
Peace | Picture | Privacy
Quest | Quiet
Rainbow | Remember | Realize
Shape | Snowflake | Sun
Time | Truth
Waterfall | Wellness
Youth
The NEXT Creative Step...
Be on a quest today to find other things to inspire or prompt your writing projects. List 10 other resources besides the Internet where you can find writing inspiration.
If you liked this project and want to explore more writing prompt resources, visit Creativity Portal's Writing Prompts se
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