Thursday, December 9, 2010

Memoir Leads

LEADS

PURPOSE: The purpose of the lead is to hook the reader’s attention and set up anticipation for the story that follows. Some common narrative leads that might work with a memoir include:

· A Fact that relates to the story.

o Example: “Scientists tell us that human beings only use ten percent of the gray matter that resides in their craniums. Last summer I am pretty certain that I only used 1%.”

· Some Humor – a funny line that hooks or catches the reader’s attention

o Example: “The ironic thing about divorce is that, as painful as it is, you can end up with twice as many the Christmas presents!”

· Some Jeopardy - a moment of extreme stress or tension to launch the story strong

o Example: “I had never known what it felt like to get caught doing something stupid that I would later regret and feel ashamed of… where it tears your heart deep down inside and you feel like you can’t really trust yourself. At least, up until last summer I never had.”

· A Flashforward

o Example: “As my father’s BMW careened into the oncoming traffic, I thought to myself – am I going to die?”

o If you use a Flashforward, you will need to use a transition to go back to the beginning, often as a separate paragraph.

· A Question – asked directly to the reader, a question that is dealt with directly in the story. Must be strong, compelling, and original in the delivery. This is the most overused and trite lead if handled poorly.

o Example: “If you could start all over again, would you choose to have the same friends, live in the same house, or behave the same way as you do now?”

o Bad, BAD Example: “Have you ever ________? Well I have. Here’s my story:”

· A Quotation / Lyric – that gives the following story some context, tone, or theme

o Example: “It is said that to err is to be human, but to forgive is divine. After what happened to me, I kind of wonder what it is when the act of forgiving someone is the error.”

· A Pop Culture or News Reference – keying into a common cultural movie, TV show, music, musical, or event.

o Example: “In the musical Les Miserables, the line that I remember most is “To love another person is to see the face of God.” That’s how it felt the summer my grandfather passed away.”

· Definition – Begin your piece with a definition that is relevant to a thing or an idea within of the story. The word should be unusual or uniquely interconnected with your story.

o Example: “According to Dictionary.com the word “pizazz” means energy, vitality, or vigor. That’s the word we most often used to describe my pet goldfish Archibald.”

· Character Throwing: Begin the story abruptly, immediately introducing a character with little or no warning. This catches the reader’s attention. Later, be sure that you come back to this character. Obviously this character should be important to the story.

o Example: “Teddy Holland was the ugliest, skinniest kid in all of Caseville.”

Questions to ask:

1. Is it boring? If it is, try something different.

2. Is it relevant? Does it connect or relate to my story?

3. Is it clever? Do I show my blazing wit and intelligence in the play of words?

4. Is it original? Does it sound like everyone else’s, or am I expressing my own unique voice?

5. Does it create anticipation? Do you leave the reader wanting more?

6. Do you deliver on that anticipation later on? Don’t make a promise to the reader that you don’t deliver on!

Memoir Leads

LEADS

PURPOSE: The purpose of the lead is to hook the reader’s attention and set up anticipation for the story that follows. Some common narrative leads that might work with a memoir include:

· A Fact that relates to the story.

o Example: “Scientists tell us that human beings only use ten percent of the gray matter that resides in their craniums. Last summer I am pretty certain that I only used 1%.”

· Some Humor – a funny line that hooks or catches the reader’s attention

o Example: “The ironic thing about divorce is that, as painful as it is, you can end up with twice as many the Christmas presents!”

· Some Jeopardy - a moment of extreme stress or tension to launch the story strong

o Example: “I had never known what it felt like to get caught doing something stupid that I would later regret and feel ashamed of… where it tears your heart deep down inside and you feel like you can’t really trust yourself. At least, up until last summer I never had.”

· A Flashforward

o Example: “As my father’s BMW careened into the oncoming traffic, I thought to myself – am I going to die?”

o If you use a Flashforward, you will need to use a transition to go back to the beginning, often as a separate paragraph.

· A Question – asked directly to the reader, a question that is dealt with directly in the story. Must be strong, compelling, and original in the delivery. This is the most overused and trite lead if handled poorly.

o Example: “If you could start all over again, would you choose to have the same friends, live in the same house, or behave the same way as you do now?”

o Bad, BAD Example: “Have you ever ________? Well I have. Here’s my story:”

· A Quotation / Lyric – that gives the following story some context, tone, or theme

o Example: “It is said that to err is to be human, but to forgive is divine. After what happened to me, I kind of wonder what it is when the act of forgiving someone is the error.”

· A Pop Culture or News Reference – keying into a common cultural movie, TV show, music, musical, or event.

o Example: “In the musical Les Miserables, the line that I remember most is “To love another person is to see the face of God.” That’s how it felt the summer my grandfather passed away.”

· Definition – Begin your piece with a definition that is relevant to a thing or an idea within of the story. The word should be unusual or uniquely interconnected with your story.

o Example: “According to Dictionary.com the word “pizazz” means energy, vitality, or vigor. That’s the word we most often used to describe my pet goldfish Archibald.”

· Character Throwing: Begin the story abruptly, immediately introducing a character with little or no warning. This catches the reader’s attention. Later, be sure that you come back to this character. Obviously this character should be important to the story.

o Example: “Teddy Holland was the ugliest, skinniest kid in all of Caseville.”

Questions to ask:

1. Is it boring? If it is, try something different.

2. Is it relevant? Does it connect or relate to my story?

3. Is it clever? Do I show my blazing wit and intelligence in the play of words?

4. Is it original? Does it sound like everyone else’s, or am I expressing my own unique voice?

5. Does it create anticipation? Do you leave the reader wanting more?

6. Do you deliver on that anticipation later on? Don’t make a promise to the reader that you don’t deliver on!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Welcome 2010 - 2011 School Year

The BLOG is BACK!

Here are the links for the common Google Docs shared by my students. These were the ones recently used as a common collaborative note source for Treasure Island:

Chappell - First Hour

Chappell - Second Hour

Chappell - Fourth Hour

Chappell - Fifth Hour

Chappell - Sixth Hour


**********************

Just for fun: Here is a link to one of my favorite sites on being a self-admitted geek.

Here.



Friday, March 26, 2010

























READ THIS FIRST: If you are logging in during the break, you will want to go to the left sidebar and pull up Chapter XIV, where we left off Friday 2/1/2010. This was Friday's home work for the day we left. This will be due on Monday.

I decided to put the future blogs out early for those who are at home and want to work ahead over the break.

This NOT going to be required for when we get back, but will console those eager readers who don't want to lose the scent of the hunt!

You will be expected to continue reading in class and to to turn in your journals at the normal due date.

If you read the other blogs after XIV, there will be SPOILERS!

Enjoy your Spring Break!























Manuscript

Okay, here we go...

__________________________________________________

ASSIGNMENTS

Vocabulary Words:

assuage
inexorable
maudlin
abhorrent
incongruous


Journal: Writing the One Paragraph Essay

You will have two days to complete this journal entry along with it's steps.

You must do each step of the writing yourself before moving on to the next.

DAY ONE

STEP A. Choose one of the following prompts:

EASY DIFFICULTY - How does Agatha Christie use the imagery and the metaphor of humans as animals in her novel And Then There Were None?

- or -

MEDIUM DIFFICULTY - How is the theme of guilt woven into the novel And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie?

- or -

CHALLENGE DIFFICULTY - How is the theme of retribution woven into the novel And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie?


STEP B -
Brainstorm ideas on one page of your journal.


STEP C
- Use this outline (in the exact same format) to organize your ideas on one page. Don't write in full sentences yet, just short blurbs or words for your ideas.

I. Introduction: Topic Sentence ______________________________
II. Body.
A. 4ESSD #1_________________________________
B. 4ESSD #2_________________________________
C. 4ESSD #3_________________________________
III. Conclusion: Restate Topic Sentence _______________________

STEP D - Write the 1 paragraph essay as a rough draft. It should be no more than nine sentences and a single page and a half of your journal.

Now take a break. Let the ideas simmer for 24 hours. When you look at your work with fresh eyes you will be much better off than if you try to cram it all in at once.

__________________________________________________

DAY TWO


STEP E - Now go back and revise, edit, and polish your paragraph

- check spelling, grammar, mechanics

- does each of your 3 4ESSDs fit perfectly? Which one is weakest? Can you replace it with a better idea, or fix it to make it more clear?

- VERY IMPORTANT: Read it out loud to yourself. Did you leave out or insert any words? Sometimes we have a tendency to skip over these things when writing. Or, when we read our words out loud exactly as written (verbatim) we realize that we forgot to add something important.

Are your ideas on the page perfectly clear? Fix them.


STEP F
- Rewrite the paragraph in your BEST handwriting. This is for 50 points so it had better be amazing!





















Epilogue

Okay, here we go...

__________________________________________________

ASSIGNMENTS

Vocabulary Words:

savoury (savory)
scrupulous
vindicative
stolid (-ly)
peritonitis


Journal Questions:

1. THE ELEVENTH VICTIM. Yet another victim ends up dead, beyond the "Indian Island Ten." Who was the eleventh victim? What details do we learn about his or her death? Using your inference skills, why do you think this person was targeted? (one paragraph)

2. THE INCREDIBLE MOVING CHAIR. According to the police report, the chair that Vera stood on, and then kicked out from under herself, was found neatly placed against the wall. What does this important detail tell us about her death and the identity of the murderer? (one paragraph)

3. MAINE AND LEGGE'S CONCLUSIONS. The two investigators draw some interesting conclusions about who the murderer is by shedding light on such details as:

- what happened to Isaac Morris,
- who Elmer Robson was,
- who recorded the gramophone record,
- how the boy scouts were involved,
- the seaweed on the chair,
- and what ever happened to Edward Seton.

Who do they think, then, "dunnit?" (short answer)

4. YEAH, RIGHT... WHATEVER, AGATHA. To make a good mystery work, the author has to sustain the belief of the readers by creating a world that feels entirely plausible, realistic, and full of verisimilitude.

Do you believe that this story stretches credibility to the point of breaking any sense of reality? Or do you believe this story is grounded in reality enough as to feel possible? Explain your answer with several reasons to support your belief. (one paragraph)



























Chapter XVI

Okay, here we go...

__________________________________________________

ASSIGNMENTS

Vocabulary Words:

unheeded
adroit (-ness)
lull
automaton
warily

Journal Questions:

1. FRIZZLE MY SCHIZZLE. In the nursery rhyme, the next victim "got frizzled up" which means to burn. Another word for to burn somebody is to trick somebody, as in "Oooo, burn!"

How does Vera trick Lombard? Also, what will happen to Lombard's corpse if it's left out in the open sun? (one paragraph)


2. VERA SENSES HUGO IN THE ROOM. What two lines of text tell us that Vera believed that Hugo was in her bedroom at the time of her hanging? Do you think he was there? Was anyone there, really? How do you think the noose got there in the room, conveniently waiting for her? (one or two paragraphs)


3. AND THEN THERE WERE... NONE? There are no suspects left. What? That's it? How can that be?

Speculate on who you think was the murderer and how the murderer might have been planned and executed the grand scheme. (at least one big paragraph)


4. EMOTIONAL SOFT SPOTS. Everyone has certain vulnerabilities, or parts of their personalities where they are emotionally sensitive. Clearly Vera had hers. Someone appears to have not only known her weaknesses, but to have manipulated her with them.

What was she sensitive to? What specific manipulations by the killer triggered Vera's descent into madness? In other words, what did U.N. Owen do to get her to go over the edge? (one very detailed paragraph)



























Chapter XV

I decided to put these blogs out early for those who are at home and want to work ahead over the break.

This NOT going to be required for when we get back, but will console those eager readers who don't want to lose the scent of the hunt!

You will be expected to continue reading in class and to to turn in your journals at the normal due date.

Enjoy your Spring Break!

MINI LESSON

WRITING PARAGRAPH RESPONSES - TAKE 2


Just a reminder - I've noticed many of the journals are beginning to sag in the quality of the responses given. A good, solid paragraph response should include:

1. A topic sentence that restates the question as a statement that includes an answer.

2. Several 4ESSDs to support the topic sentence. Remember, 4ESSD is:

Explanation - connect the dots and explain what you mean. You can't assume the reader knows otherwise.

Elaboration - add additional information to "fill in the gaps" and build off of what was said.

Evidence - imagine if this was a court case and you needed evidence to prove your point. Provide the evidence that makes your point completely clear and undeniable.

Examples - from the text that support your topic sentence. They can be direct quotations or just paraphrasing what happened.

and Specific Supporting Details - little, exact moments that definitely demonstrate precisely what you mean.

3. A conclusion that ties the 4ESSDs back to the topic sentence.


Okay, here we go...

__________________________________________________

ASSIGNMENTS

Vocabulary Words:

innocuous
lassitude
quietus
raucous
bunkum


Journal Questions:

1. ZOO LANDERS. What did Vera mean when she said, "We're the zoo." Elaborate, explain and support your point with details. (one paragraph)

2. SIMPLY DIVINE. Vera tells Lombard that his whole situation could be "divine retribution." What is divine retribution? How could the situation be considered to be divine retribution within the context of the story? (one paragraph)

3. THE BLORE CONUNDRUM. How was Blore killed? In your opinion is it possible for either Vera or Lombard to have committed this murder? What conclusions can you draw about the murder at this point in the story? (one paragraph)

4. TWO MORE BODIES. In a double plot twist, two more bodies are found at the end of this chapter. Whose? What was the apparent cause of death for each? How does it fit with the poem? (one paragraph)

5. IF YOU LIKED ATTWN... Suppose you've enjoyed this book so far. Do some research and name at least three other famous Agatha Christie Mystries that you could read if you wanted to. Also, name three other famous mystery genre novelists. (3 titles, 3 authors)




























Chapter XIV

Mini Lesson : What is NOT Theme

Previously we discussed the idea of theme as being a central concept that ties together a narrative, a driving idea about human nature.

It's important to distinguish that is not genre. "Suspense" is a genre. "Adventure" is a genre. These aren't the same a a theme, genre is a certain type of story.

It's important to distinguish that theme is not a moral. "Help Your Neighbors" or "Don't Talk to Strangers" are morals, but not themes. True themes are similar to a moral or message (as described earlier).

The difference is that a moral is more like a direction telling somebody a wise course of action, where a theme is more of universal statement about and idea or value.

To help understand the concept, consider the concept of a "Themelet" (created courtesy of a class discussion in 6th hour.)


"THEME-LETS"

Many people have wanted to use single word as a theme, and indeed they are partially correct in doing so. Words like "Faith," "Love," or "Fear" can be the root ideas of themes, or underdeveloped themes. However, these words by themselves don't make up a true "Thematic Statement" about what the author is saying universally about life.

In ATTWN, some of the correctly identified Themelets in your journals that have come up so far include:

Crime
Retribution
Punishment
Manipulation
Trust
Guilt
Revenge
Justice
Karma


Exploring "Themelets"

The challenge is to take one of these core ideas, and then attempt to expand them into a universal statement, asking yourself a questions like:

(NOTE: These are not journal questions. They are here just to get you thinking.)

Q: "Okay, so if Agatha wrote ATTWN about ________, what is she trying to say about ______?"

Q: "Where and how does _______ play out with different characters development and plot?"

Q: What is the opposite of ________? If so, is there evidence of that opposite in the story?"

Q: "What statement could tie several of the plot lines together under the idea of _________?"

Q: "Is there examples of the theme of _______ being demonstrated in a negative or opposite version of ______?



Okay. This was all pretty abstract and deep, so take it for what it's worth.


Okay, here we go...

__________________________________________________

ASSIGNMENTS

Vocabulary Words:

astute (-ness)
ebonite
farce
sagacity
conjure

Journal Questions

1. THE ORDER OF THE DEATHS. Examine the order of who died. There is a definite pattern.

Part of Agatha Christie’s genius is how the order of the deaths seems to be based upon the severity of the crimes they committed. The victims who were deemed by the killer to be “less severe” were murdered first, and the victims who were deemed “more severe” were killed most recently.

Predict the future death order based upon the severity of the crimes of those four who are remaining alive, explaining in detail your reasoning. In other words, if the pattern holds, who should die next? Who should die last? Provide a justification for your order based upon how the crimes are growing increasingly severe. (four paragraphs, one for each character)


2. BLORE STARTS TO FEEL GUILT. In the beginning Blore barely remembered his alleged murder victim, Landor. Now he can recall every feature of his face and thinks about the man’s wife and daughter. What brought about this change? Would this change have happened if he hadn’t been in the situation he now finds himself? (one paragraph)


3. CASTING CALL. Sometimes it helps to imagine modern, popular actors playing the roles of characters in a book you are reading in order to get beyond just names on a page and to be able see the characters as people.

What actors would you cast for each of the ten, primary characters? Think about the character’s age, gender, personality, and previous roles, as well as the professions of each character.

For example, one student in class today suggested that Lombard could be George Clooney and some else saw him as Jonny Depp. (ten bullets)




























Chapter XIII

Hope you enjoyed the two day break. We've got some catching up to do.

Okay, here we go...

__________________________________________________

ASSIGNMENTS

Vocabulary Words:

tacit
bestial
aeons (or eons)
lithe
pretence (pretense)


Journal Questions:

1. CHAPTER XI - LOMBARD DISSES BLORE. In what way does Lombard insult Blore when he voices his opinion that Blore is not the murderer? What specific qualities does Lombard believe that Blore is lacking? What chances does Lombard give Blore of surviving? (one paragraph)

2. CHAPTER XII - WARGRAVE TAKES ACTION. What two steps does Wargrave want to take to ensure the safety of the five remaining guests? What gets locked up and where? Which two characters were chosen to guard the keys and why? (one paragraph)

3. CHAPTER XIII – PLANTING SEA PLANTS. Who do you think had the opportunity to put seaweed in Vera’s room? What was the point of doing that? What was her reaction? (one paragraph)

4. CHAPTER XIII – DRESSING FOR THE PART. How was Wargrave’s body made up to look like a judge? How does this connect back to the rhyme? (one paragraph)

5. CHAPTER XIII – SOMETHING FISHY GOING ON. In what sense is the term “red herring” from the rhyme used to have a double meaning? (one paragraph)
















Chapter XII

ASSIGNMENTS

Vocabulary Words:

conclave
cumbrous
giddy
suffused
meticulous (-ly)

Journal Questions:

No journal topics tonight out of respect for the religious holiday. However, tomorrow there will be questions on Chapters 11, 12, and 13.

Just for fun... These are some most excellent examples of some creativity courtesy of question number 4 in chapter 10.




Wednesday, March 24, 2010





























Chapter XI

Mini Lesson



Okay, here we go...

__________________________________________________

ASSIGNMENTS

Vocabulary Words:

laconic
penal
ascertain (ed)
affable
congeal


Journal Questions:

No journal questions tonight. Enjoy a night off.


























Chapter X

No Mini Lesson tonight. Have a good weekend!

Okay, here we go...

__________________________________________________

ASSIGNMENTS

Vocabulary Words:

hared
grimace
cliche (-s)
surreptitious (-ly)
tenacious


Journal Questions:

1. MISSING THINGS. What two everyday items come up missing in this chapter? Who notices them? What possible reasons could there be for them being missing? If they were to be used for some evil purpose, how could they be? (two items, one paragraph)


2. BRENT'S GUILTY REVELATION. What evidence is there that Miss Brent feels guilty for Beatrice Taylor's suicide? Describe the evidence and elaborate as to why it is reveals her sense of guilt. (one quote, one paragraph)


3. PREDICTING DISASTER. At this point in the story, according to the nursery rhyme, how will the next victim die? Using that line in the rhyme, take a guess as to who, what, when, where, and how it will go down. (one quote, one paragraph)


4. DISTILLATION OF PLOT.

Enjoy the link here.

Notice how they condensed the entire Napoleon Dynamite movie into 30 seconds. Wow! To do so, they had to isolate important scenes, lines of dialog, sound effects, music, and memorable visual moments.

Now, imagine if angryalien.com hired you as a cartoonist or a writer and wanted you to do something very similar for ATTWN. It would be called:

"And Then There Were None in 30 Seconds (and Re-Enacted by Bunnies)"

The entire novel would need to be told in 30 seconds. What would you include for chapter 10?

You may choose to either:

A. Draw a quick series of boxes to show what you'd include, like in a comic strip including dialog, visuals, music and sound. (3 to five cartoon boxes)

or

B. Write the visuals and dialog, music, and sound within a series of quick bullet points. (3 to five bullet points)

Think about the highlights, important and memorable moments that took place at this point in the story.

Have fun with this one, and don't worry if you're an artist or not. The grading on creative projects like this is very flexible.

Just try your best and be creative!

The more energy you put into it, the more fun you will have.






















Chapter IX

MINI LESSON

Understanding Theme

VERY IMPORTANT - Make sure you understand that theme is not "genre." A mystery, a thriller, suspense are not themes, they are genres.

Here are pictures from our Power Point in class today. You can click on them to expand their size if you want to:































































If you still feel stuck,
take a look at these three links on themes here, here, and here.


Understanding Outlining


You can find in your Language Arts textbook (The Language of Literature) a definition and example of an outline on page R55 (7.6 "Making an Outline").

There are examples on page 323 and page 617.

Also, here is an example of an outline from a previous comment:

I. TOPIC SENTENCE Peanut butter and jelly are the best sandwiches.

IIA. First Point - They are nutritious
IIA1. 4ESSD - Peanut Butter has protein

IIB. Second Point - They are convenient

IIB1. 4ESSD - Stores at room temperature


IIC. Third Point - They taste great
IIC1. 4ESSD - Combination of flavors work together


III. Conclusion - PB&Js are the best thing since sliced bread.


Okay, here we go...

__________________________________________________

ASSIGNMENTS

Vocabulary Words:

reiterate
idiosyncrasy
exonerate )-d)
perjury
heliography (-aphing)

Journal Questions:

1. STAYING INVESTED

One of the biggest challenges when reading an assigned book is staying invested in it. By invested, I mean caring about the story and being genuinely interested in what's happening to the characters.

Some people are already put off by having to read a book that they didn't choose, but go ahead and try to have an open mind about it. Then at some point they either get hooked and actually want to read the book, or they don't. If they don't it can make the remaining work very difficult.

Is it easier to be successful with a book you naturally like? Why? (one paragraph)

Can you realistically expect to like all the books you're being assigned to read? (short answer)

If you don't like the book and lose interest, what is the possible downside for you? (short answer)

Finally, what can you do to prevent that from happening? In other words, how can you get yourself back into the zone of actually being into the book? (one paragraph)


2. LOMBARD FESSES UP

Lombard has been keeping a secret from the others. What is that secret? (one paragraph)

Why do you think Lombard "comes clean" about the nature of the invitation he received to come to the island? What does he stand to gain or lose by disclosing this information? (one paragraph)


3. REFINE YOUR THEME

Yesterday you brainstormed four themes and did a rough outline. Now you've had 24 hours to let the ideas further develop. You may have talked to some friends about it, may have discussed it in class, or maybe you just finally know now what it is you're trying to say.

Revisit the previous entry in your journal. Review what a theme is again. Are you happy with your choice of theme? Do you have a brand new theme that is better? Or maybe you have the same theme, only you have it more narrowed down and more specific.

Write your theme in a single sentence like:

"The central theme for the novel And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is..."
(one sentence)


4. REFINE YOUR OUTLINE

Take what you have learned about outlining and theme and do your outline over again, this time refining it with more clarity and precision.

Apply what you have learned.

This is the skeleton for your future on paragraph short essay, not the essay itself.
(one outline in correct format)






















Chapter VIII

Survey Results:

The question was "For you personally, how challenging is this unit, And Then There Were None, so far overall?"


















__________________________________________________


ASSIGNMENTS

Vocabulary Words:

furtive (-ly)
festoon
admonitory
dubious (-ly)
proxy

Journal Questions:

1. MACARTHUR AT THE BEACH. At the beach MacArthur has a very different perspective about the current situation than Vera does. How does he see their situation? Pick a line of dialogue that MacArthur speaks that captures his thoughts on what is going on. There is one particular line that is very chilling -- see if you can find it. You only need to pick one. (at least on paragraph)

Why do you think he feels this way? What in his past or in his life might motivate him to have this outlook? (at least one paragraph)


2. THEME DEFINITION. Copy down the definition for the literary term "Theme" in your Language Arts textbook (The Language of Literature) on page R164. (just one definition verbatim)


3. THEME BRAINSTORMING. Based on this definition, what do you see as at least four different, possible themes of our novel so far? Focus on the overall story.

Go back to the definition above and recheck if your four themes really can be considered to be "themes." (list of four)


4. THEME OUTLINE
Choose the best theme of the four. Write an outline for a short, one paragraph essay using the following template and prompt:

PROMPT: What is the central theme of the novel And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie?

OUTLINE TEMPLATE:

I. Topic Sentence - Answer the Prompt

IIA. First Major Point
IIA1. Evidence, Example, Explanation, Elaboration, or Specific Supporting Detail

IIB. Second Major Point
IIB1. Evidence, Example, Explanation, Elaboration, or Specific Supporting Detail

IIC. Third Major Point
IIC1. Evidence, Example, Explanation, Elaboration, or Specific Supporting Detail

III. Conclusion - Restate the Topic Sentence


HELPFUL STRATEGIES:
- Fill in the outline with short sentence or words that fit with each part of the outline to explain your ideas.

- Your topic sentence needs to directly answer the prompt.

- The three major points are key ideas that support your topic sentence.

- The 4ESSDs need to support the major point they follow.

- The conclusion should restate the topic sentence without using most of the same words. In other words, restate or rephrase your topic sentence.

This is only an outline, so you don't have to write the actual essay (yet). Just organize your thoughts into a structure that makes sense. (one complete outline)

That's it. Good luck!

Monday, March 22, 2010




























CHAPTER VII



__________________________________________________


ASSIGNMENTS

Vocabulary Words:

placid
spinster
acquiesce
forte
ferret (the verb, not the noun)

Journal Questions:

1. ATTWN - The Soundtrack. Sometimes it helps to listen to "mood music" while reading to help your imagination to really feel the tone of the novel. Listen to the following passage of music here.

Does this fit with the tone and mood of the novel as you see it, or does it feel different to you? How so?

Is there another song that you can think of that better captures the mood to you? If so, what is the title of the music and the composer/performer? Why does this song fit better for you? (one paragraph)


2. A Searching We Will Go. Why do Lombard, Armstrong, and Blore decide to search the house and the island? What do they hope to accomplish? What is their plan and what will they do if they succeed? (one paragraph)


3. Author's use of Imagery. Read the following passage from chapter 7:

"She turned her face to Vera. There was no self-reproach, no uneasiness in those eyes. They were hard and self-righteous. Emily Brent sat on the summit of Indian Island, encased in her own armour of virtue."

Expand on what Agatha Christie is telling us about Brent in this passage. Based upon this description, how would you describe Emily Brent? What kind of person is she? (one paragraph)


4. *Bonus. In Charlotte Doyle there was a particular word used to describe a pointed weapon. In the movie Clue there was another particular word used to describe a knife-like object. In this chapter of ATTWN there is yet another word to describe a knife. The three different words are all synonyms, variations on the same idea.

See if you can name the three different vocabulary words, in order. (3 word list)