Notes for January 4, 2006
Class
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your patience with my sore throat today everyone! Brad
Two Sides of a Topic?
If you are asked to choose a topic from two
sides—house or apartment for example—then only briefly mention
the side you don’t prefer. The other side is where you give all
your details.
Set Up a Working Thesis
After you brainstorm, try to set up three
topics and write a “working thesis” to allow you to work on the
body paragraphs.
Plan
Body Paragraphs Separately
At first, treat each body paragraph as a unit.
Later, when you assemble it together you can decide which
paragraph goes where and provide transitions.
Often, paragraphs follow time order (process)
or priority (least to most) and, if necessary, we may organize
by our best last and then our next best first and our least best
second.
DON’T DO THIS:
Write a beautiful and over long introduction
with specific ideas that should be in the body. Then write a
very nice body 1 and pretty good body 2 and lousy/terrible body
3 and a one-line conclusion.
Brainstorm Ideas:
Yards: flowers, trees, grass, bbq, pets, play
areas, vegetable garden, tree house.
Student Writing Comment:
Cause and effect examples were common. For
example, people mentioned the grass and that it was a nice place
for kids to play or to visit with friends. Or, they mentioned a
barbeque and then how nice the food would be or sharing with
friends again.
Lots of students used the senses very much. We
have our nose, our ears, our eyes, our mouths so use them in
your writing!
I love to look at my flowers. BUT, it is
better to look at my roses or daffodils or tulips. Hydrangea is
a flower in Tien's garden.
Here is a good reason to improve your
vocabulary of common things.
Concluding Sentence Examples (for Body 1):
A yard is a good place to barbeque, visit
friends and get some sun, so I prefer living in a house.
A yard is great because it gives us space for
living and so a house is what I prefer.
Brad’s Rule:
Write the body first and then the conclusion.
After the conclusion, the introduction is pretty easy to write.
Introduce what you know you've done.
Introductions:
Give a general idea of the topic you’ve
chosen. Begin generally, but close to your topic. Avoid overly
general beginnings.
“A house is really a valuable gift for most of
us. Though it costs a lot, they still strive to obtain one. In
the eyes of most people, houses have three main advantages: a
yard, interior space and personal freedom.”
*YES, get the reader’s attention. NO, do not
confuse them.
Be sure not to overstate your argument. Words
like “everyone” and “everybody” are dangerous.
Brad’s Rule (2):
The first sentence can indeed mention the
topic and say something general and interesting to say about it.
Start by stating a statistic or fact of interest to the topic.:
“In 2005, BC houses rose 15% in value. Why are
people so crazy for buying a house these days? Because owning a
house has three big advantages:
“I hate landlords. One time my landlord drank
all my liquor while fixing the furnace. Owning your own house
has some big advantages:
Not only do we have access to a yard when we
own a house, but we also have lots of personal space inside our
home.
Paragraph Hooks (Transitions)
A “paragraph hook” is a sophisticated way to
make the transition from body 1 to 2 and 2 to 3 etc. To use a
hook, mention the former topic before introducing the new topic.
Notes
from Friday, November 25 Class
This week, students defined
the term, "freedom," before reading a poem titled, "Freedom."
Here are their thoughts on freedom.
What does it mean to have freedom?
Group One:
Having freedom is like having power. Freedom is an inside
feeling and may not depend on outside conditions.
Group Two:
To do whatever we want, as long as we don’t harm others.
Group Three:
We can speak and act freely within the law.
Group Four:
Freedom is a naturally given right. It allows us our
independence in action.
What can we
do?
We can move where
we like. We can speak our minds. We can broadcast our
thoughts. We can worship as we wish. We are treated equally,
no matter our sex, our religion, our race. In Canada, these
rights and freedoms are still in process.
Any
restrictions?
Rules and laws
make exceptions. A culture has its own special rules.
Religions each have rules to follow that restrict freedom. My
conscience (my own ideas and morals) may prevent me.
Do some have
more or less? Who and why?
Money allows us
more freedom. Children have to follow more rules than most of
us. Sometimes women have more restrictions. Some citizens of
some countries face more restrictions. Prisoners are not free.
Note
on Using Quotations in Your Writing
Quotation marks
show words that are written by someone else other than you. You
are always free to use anyone’s words in any writing. You,
however, are not free to pretend that you wrote them yourself.
Notes
from Friday, November 18 Class
The notes include character
traits discussion for the story and five rules for using
dialogue in your story.
Words to
Study for Vocabulary Test Next Wednesday
All sentences for
the test will be from student writers
- cultivated
- dominion
- outwit
- torture
- prime
- execute
- enamour
- astonish
- tranquil
- treason
Character:
The Tsar
Traits: snobbish,
sceptical, inventive, imaginative, demanding, tricky, strict,
mean, powerful
A snob is someone
who most often thinks he or she is better than others. A snob is
often shallow. A shallow person is someone who sees everything
very simply.
We see the Tsar is
all-powerful and because of the tests he gives, it is clear he
doesn’t really care too much about what happens to others.
A sceptical person
is not a bad person. Scepticism is something that may protect
us. The Tsar wants proof of the cultivated ways of the maiden
before he believes it.
The father is a
wimp. He doesn’t believe he can solve the tests and weeps
instead. He is a coward, too.
Dialogue
When characters
speak to each other in a story. Any spoken words are dialogue.
Rule One:
Any spoken words
are placed inside quotation marks. ( “ “)
Rule
Two:
Each new person
who speaks gets a new paragraph. However, if you give more
descriptive details, you may continue until the new speaker
speaks.
“Please lend me
your pencil,” Zarmina said to Peter. Peter looked puzzled. He had
no pencil. Perhaps she wants a pen, he thought.
“I think you are
mistaken,” Peter said, “because I have no pencil to lend you!”
“Peter, could
you lend me your pencil?” Zarmina asked.
“No, I’m sorry
but I have no pencil today,” Peter replied.
Secretly, however, Peter
was pleased because he was new in the class and didn’t know
anyone.
The person who
tells us the previous information is called the narrator. The
writer writes the story and usually is the same, but not always.
Rule Three:
If we use a question mark or
exclamation mark before we tell you the speaker then we use NO
comma.
Rule Four:
If we tell you the
speaker in the middle of our sentence, then the first comma is
inside the quotation mark and the second comma is after you tell
us the speaker and before the quotation mark.
Rule Five:
If the speaker speaks a full
sentence and you identify them, the period comes at the end of
the sentence and not before the quotation mark.
Think of Three
“Impossible Tasks.”
From the story,
“The Judge and the Couple,” the first task is to give the
reasons for a divorce in only a few words like a McDonald’s
slogan.
In a folktale,
anything can happen: pigs can talk.
Dig a whole
mountain and remove it.
Swim across the
ocean.
Fill the jar with a
hole in the bottom to the top with water.
Shoot the sun with
an arrow.
Take the moon and
the stars from the sky and put them in your house.
PEARSON
ADULT LEARNING CENTRE
English 10: Folktale
“The Maiden Wiser Than the Tsar”
Worksheet Number Three: Beginning to Write a Folktale
Designing a Main Character:
Write down
some ideas for your main character. Describe the character
physically: big, tall or small etc. Give the character a name.
What about
personality? Name three important traits for your character. How
will the character’s personality help or harm the character in
your story?
Designing a Plot:
What
meaning (theme or message) will be communicated to the readers?
State the meaning in a full sentence. Remember, you may not use
this sentence in your story. The reader must understand it from
the plot you use.
How will
your story begin? (“The Maiden Wiser Than the Tsar” begins with
the father going to beg from the Tsar, for example) Make sure
the event is interesting and helps begin the action in the
story.
What kinds
of conflict will the character face? (difference between
characters or between a character and his or her environment)
What other character will be in conflict with your character?
How will
the character solve the conflict?
Pair
Work:
Share your
ideas with a partner. Help each other by asking questions and
making suggestions.
Homework:
Use your
ideas to write a short folktale of at least 250 words (or more
if you like; “The Maiden Wiser Than the Tsar” is about 1 000
words) Include dialogue (spoken words). Make sure each character
speaks differently!
Read the
first draft of your folktale to a friend or family member and
get advice and suggestions to improve your story.
After you
get some help, write your final copy. Bring it to class on
Wednesday, November 23.
PEARSON
ADULT LEARNING CENTRE
English 10: Folktale
“The Maiden Wiser Than the Tsar”
Worksheet Number Two: Vocabulary and Group Work
Vocabulary:
Today, students will first share
their vocabulary sentences for correction and improvement.
We will look at least three
compound and at least three complex sentences on screen.
Group
Work:
Identify the characters in the
story. What is one important trait of each character?
(Definition of trait: “a particular characteristic or
quality that distinguishes somebody”)
Write down adjective (s) for each
character. Point out places in the story that support your
chosen adjectives. Do not use the same adjectives used by
Idries Shah in her story! Often, a character’s actions or
words help us to find traits.
Character______________
Trait_____________.
Action or words that support this
trait:
Character______________
Trait_____________.
Action or words that support this
trait:
Character______________
Trait_____________.
Action or words that support this
trait:
To write a folktale, we need to
include dialogue between characters. Find the dialogue in the
story together. Write a short list of important grammar and
writing rules for dialogue. (For example, “all dialogue (spoken
words) is enclosed inside quotation marks (“ “) Be sure to
say if your rule is always followed or sometimes followed.
Rule One:
Rule Two:
Rule Three:
Rule Four:
After all
groups have finished their discussions, we will share our
answers together and make notes to take home.
Homework:
Think of
three “impossible” tasks that a character in a folktale might
face. Write them down and bring them to class on Friday. For
example, in the story the maiden must try to empty the sea with
a small glass. Suggest a possible, clever solution for your
task. Have fun!
Today, we
will discuss the classes we have taken so far this term. From
our discussions, we will develop ideas for a standard,
five-paragraph, essay.
Thinking
on Paper:
Take 10
minutes to write down your favourite and least favourite parts
of three different classes we have taken in English 10 this
term.
Group
Work:
Work
together to explain and share your comments. Where do group
members agree? Do you disagree on parts?
Reviewing Essay Structure (Whole Class)
What are
the important elements of a standard essay? We will list and
discuss these elements to be sure everyone knows the
requirements.
Writing
Assignment (First draft due on Friday, November 4, 2005; Final
copy due on Wednesday, November 9, 2005)
REMINDER:
The test on Unit One Vocabulary for Language Exercises Level H
will be given on November 9, 2005.
Using your
notes from today’s class write an essay about what you have
enjoyed (and not enjoyed) about each of three English 10
classes.
q
Each body
paragraph should be from 75 to 100 words. Each paragraph will
discuss one class.
q
Write a short
introduction and conclusion of about 35 to 50 words. Total essay
length will be approximately 300 to 400 words.
PEARSON ADULT LEARNING CENTRE
English 10: Writing
Time to remember a kindly September
September 23, 2005
Today, we will begin writing short descriptive
paragraphs. We will examine Douglas Cornish’s writing for ideas
to make our own writing better.
Looking at the Details
Look at the topic sentences for paragraph 2, 3
and 4. Write them below:
Find specific details that support the ideas
found in the topic sentences. List them below:
What did you notice about the details you
found?
Paired Work: Compare your work with
your partners. Add or change information on your own sheet.
Class Discussion: Share your results
with the class.
Writing about Autumn:
Using the ideas you have found in Douglas
Cornish’s topic sentences, write your own topic sentence about
autumn.
Support your topic sentence with specific
details from your experience living in Vancouver. (better yet,
go for a walk this weekend and observe!)
Write about 125 words. Take your draft home
today. Revise your work. Bring both copies to class next
Wednesday.
Teacher Writing
Sample: Facing the Autumn
Index of Winter 2005 Lessons
Index of Spring 2005 Lessons
Index of Fall 2004 Lessons
Index of
Spring 2004 Lessons
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