Sept. 21/22
Writing Workout #1:
A hero is…
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Write about the characteristics of a hero, in general, or
about a specific hero.
Imitate sentence types 3 and 5 within your entry (see
Syntax Packet).
Write ¾ of a page or more.
Focus on SHOWING more than telling.
Sept. 21/22
DISSECTION DAY
Video Clip: “The Real Meaning of the Word
‘Hero’” by Steve Hartman – CBS News
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-realmeaning-of-the-word-hero/
What is the speaker’s claim? (What is the
thesis of this article?) How does Hartman
determine who deserves the title of hero?
HEROES coming soon to a
classroom near you…
Be thinking about the difference between heroes in
society, superheroes, personal heroes and the heroes
of literature.
Joseph Campbell wrote, “A hero is someone who has given
his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”
Christopher Reeve, the actor who played Superman, said,
“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to
persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”
Is Pi a hero? What about Rama? Is
Siddhartha a hero?
Back to our Peer Revising and Editing Activity
• Revising =
• Proofreading =
SELF Revision
• Check your formatting by following instructions in the online ppt (class
website).
• Draw a box around your THESIS.
• Underline the topic sentence of each paragraph.
• Rate your introduction on a scale of 1 to 10.
• Rate your conclusion on a scale of 1 to 10.
Sample Introductions
The Prompt: Education has long been considered a major force
for American social change, righting the wrongs of our society.
Drawing on the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,
discuss the relationship between education and slavery in 19thcentury America. Consider the following: How did white control
of education reinforce slavery? How did Douglass and other
enslaved African Americans view education while they endured
slavery? And what role did education play in the acquisition of
freedom? Most importantly, consider the degree to which
education was or was not a major force for social change with
regard to slavery.
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Sample Introductions
The Prompt: Education has long been considered a major force
for American social change, righting the wrongs of our society.
Drawing on the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,
discuss the relationship between education and slavery in 19thcentury America. Consider the following: How did white control
of education reinforce slavery? How did Douglass and other
enslaved African Americans view education while they endured
slavery? And what role did education play in the acquisition of
freedom? Most importantly, consider the degree to which
education was or was not a major force for social change with
regard to slavery.
•
Sample Introductions
The Prompt: Education has long been considered a major force
for American social change, righting the wrongs of our society.
Drawing on the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,
discuss the relationship between education and slavery in 19thcentury America. Consider the following: How did white control
of education reinforce slavery? How did Douglass and other
enslaved African Americans view education while they endured
slavery? And what role did education play in the acquisition of
freedom? Most importantly, consider the degree to which
education was or was not a major force for social change with
regard to slavery.
•
Sample Introductions
Since the dawn of man, slavery has been a problem
in human history.
1
Webster’s dictionary defines slavery as “the state of
being a slave,” as “the practice of owning slaves,” and as “a
condition of hard work and subjection.”
2
Slavery was one of the greatest tragedies in
American history. There were many different aspects of
slavery. Each created different kinds of problems for
enslaved people.
2
Sample Introductions
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
Frederick Douglass, an escaped slave who later became
famous as an abolitionist and statesman, wrote that late in his
life. Douglass realized that when a person gained literacy and
could read about the greater world around them, that often
led to dissatisfaction with their present circumstances. In fact,
Douglass wrote that education and slavery were
“incompatible.”
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Sample Introductions
Learning about slavery in the American history course
at Frederick Douglass High School, students studied the work
slaves did, the impact of slavery on their families, and the
rules that governed their lives. We didn’t discuss education,
however, until one student, Mary, raised her hand and asked,
‘But when did they go to school?’ That modern high school
students could not conceive of an American childhood devoid
of formal education speaks volumes about the centrality of
education to American youth today and also suggests the
significance of the deprivation of education in past
generations.
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PEER Revision/Editing Activity
1) Put question marks next to sentences or paragraphs that are confusing to you or don’t
seem to belong in that paragraph.
2) Look over the “phrases to avoid” and cross them out if you see them in the piece.
3) Give specific advice about the opening paragraph. Has the writer included context for
any reader to understand the connection to Life of Pi? Does the intro make you want to
read further?
4) At the end of the entry, write a note to the writer. What have they done well? What
do they need to work on? What questions are left unanswered by this piece?
5) Write “Peer revisions by…” and SIGN your name at the bottom of the page.
Independent Reading Time
+ Survivor Letters! 