11/12: Happy Tuesday
Reminders: Essay final drafts are due on TODAY by 11:59pm.
DO NOW: Take out your TKAM Posters to share
NEW UNIT TOMORROW: Personal Narrative Unit
Just for fun: You walk into your house and it’s completely
different–furniture, decor, all changed. And nobody’s home.
HW: Creative Writing Prompt:
You are human. You wake up tomorrow morning and your
parents have become aliens from the planet Suspectra.
Describe your morning. Have fun!
11/13-14 Happy Block Day!
New Seats! New Friends! New Fun!
DO NOW: Sharing of Alien Parents writing at your table.
DO NEXT: Journal: Why do people write?
(Think/Pair/Share)
Read: Anne Lamott’s chapters from Bird by Bird, “Short
Assignments” and “Sh**** First Drafts”(SFD).
Respond to Reading
HW: Photo Writing Prompt. Select ONE of the photos on my
webpage in the document titled “Photo Writing Prompts” and
write a paragraph about whatever your imagination invents in
response to that photo.
11/13-14 Journal Write and
Think/Pair/Share
Journal: In your notebooks, please write for 5 minutes
responding to the question: Why do people write?
Pair/Share: When everyone at your table has finished, or 5
minutes elapses, please share your ideas with the rest of the table.
Then please nominate one person to share with the rest of the
class about what you determined as a table are the important
reasons that people write.
20 minutes total time
11/13-14: Reading from Anne Lamott’s Bird
by Bird
Read silently: Use Talking to the Text while reading Anne Lamott’s
chapters from Bird by Bird, “Short Assignments” and “Sh**** First
Drafts”.
Mark: 3 Golden Lines in each of the chapters (30 mins)
Respond to Reading: In your notebook, write down all of the Golden
Lines from the readings (6 total) that are important ideas to consider
when writing creatively. After each Golden Line, explain why you think
it is an important thing to remember. (20 mins)
If you finish this before the bell rings, please read through the Personal
Narrative Assignment sheet. No really, read through it. For real. Go.
Photo prompt 1
Boy and Tractor
Photo prompt 2
Child with Dog
Photo prompt 3
Hippie Wedding
Photo prompt 4
Rainbow Birthday
Photo prompt 5
Soccer Scramble
11/15: Happy Friday!
Survey Comp Lit Lesson Plans
5th & 6th period.
Focus: Sensory Details & Figurative Language
1. Work through the handout titled “Figurative Language” as a table group.
2. Read: “School Lunches” and “A Rice Sandwich” in the reading packet to yourself individually.
3. Discuss these two questions with your group and then WRITE your own individual response in your
notebook.
a.
b.
Think about your lunch today. What did you eat? Who did you eat with? What does your lunch “say” about
who you are?
How does Esperanza feel about eating lunch in the cafeteria? Why does she want it so badly? What happens
when she finally get there? Is it everything she expected it would be? Why or why not? What is the ‘moral’
of the story?
4. Fill in the “Literary Devices” Chart with examples from the two (2) readings above.
Find at least one (1) for Simile, Metaphor, Alliteration, and Fragment.
Write the example in the boxes on the right side of the chart.
HW: Write a “SFD” of 1-2 pages about a school related event that reveals your personal feelings of insecurity
about something. Think of things like trying out for a sports team, getting an assignment back with a grade on
it, hoping/waiting to be invited to a school dance, or inviting someone to a school dance, the PE locker room.
There are all kinds of things about being in school that create insecurity.
Re-Read “A Rice Sandwich” and “School Lunches” if necessary for guidance.
Bring a typed draft to class on Monday without your name on it.
11/18: Happy MONDAY
DO NOW:
– Take out the “Literary Devices” Chart with examples
for Simile, Metaphor, Alliteration, and Fragment.
– Take out your SFD about a school related experience.
Mini-Lesson: Figurative Language: “I Spy” Game
Writing Workshop:
Brainstorm writing topics
Write a SFD of one 1-2 pages about one of the topics
you started in class brainstorm. Type up and bring to class
tomorrow.
HW: Finish/Type your SFD and bring to class on
Tuesday WITHOUT your name on it.
11/19: Happy Tuesday!
DO NOW: Take out your SFD from last night. I will stamp it. Take out
your Literary devices chart and read through the rest of the devices.
DO NEXT: Read
1. “My Name” by Sandra Cisneros
2. “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros
3. “Leffingwell Elementary School” by Firoozeh Dumas
Highlight literary devices and then add to your literary devices
chart when you finish a story!
HW: Read “Hairs” and “Four Skinny Trees” for class on the block
day. Highlight readings for Literary devices.
Reminder: Reading Quiz on all readings so far on Block Day!
11/20-21 Happy Block Day!
 Take out your Literary Devices Chart-You can use
this on the quiz.
 Reading Quiz & Correcting
 Workshop:
1.
2.
Review Showing v. Telling Handout. Choose ONE flat
description to practice with.
SFD work– Revise one of your four drafts with a focus on
Figurative Language and Vivid sensory details.
 Make your SFD a “GSD” (Guess what this means?)
 HW: Revise two of your SFDs with a focus on
“showing” versus “telling”–
 Bring both revised drafts to class on Friday!
11/22: Happy Friday!
 Metacognitive Journal: Write for ten minutes
about the writing process for you so far. What has
been challenging? How have you dealt with the
challenges? What have you enjoyed or perhaps felt
good about? Why?
 Workshop: Give feedback on one piece of student
work
 HW: If you have 2 revised drafts completed,
you don’t HAVE to do anything for homework.
But you could always revise, revise, revise! 
10/5: Group & Individual
Feedback Process
Group Feedback process on From Afar
Three Things
1. Content: Write one comment or question about the
content of the piece.
2. Structure: Write one comment on the way the piece
is mapped out: the opening, middle/body, and
ending.
3. Style: Write one comment on how the writer has
included figurative language and sensory details or
used details that add to your experience as a reader.
10/5: Group & Individual
Feedback Process
Group Feedback process on From Afar
10/5: Group & Individual
Feedback Process
Group Feedback process on “Sticks and Stones”
Content: I don’t understand the relationship? Have they known each other long enough
to feel what he said is okay. Was the girl chubby or did he just say that to be mean. Does
she like him? Does Rodney like her? Did Miss B write this? Did R like her back? Why
isn’t the main character’s name mentioned? Where they friends or classmates? What does
she see in R. Dramatic. What leads up to the first scene? I want to know more
background info about their relationship. Does she really like this jerk? That’s dumb.
Good job conveying jerky-ness. What prompted him to say that? Ditto Sydney. Like Bam.
Second Sydney.
Structure: The hook made me laugh and I liked it. Third P diced up/choppy. Paragraphs
are too short. The first part I liked, the rest seems like a repeat of the first paragraph.
Liked the first line as a dialogue and the last sentence connects back.
Style: Hyperbole of audience of thousands. Sensory detail of cheeks like hot fire– keep.
Stupid stick boy. Keep. I was expecting more at the end… I wanted her to slap him or be
more violent. King of Sticks and Stones but words can’t hurt… I’m confused.
11/25: Happy Monday!
 Do Now: Write about a conflict you have had recently with a friend, a
teacher, a parent, or yourself. How did the conflict arise? What
happened to keep it going? What was the breaking point? Or is it
continuing?
 Mini-Lesson: Plot, Theme and the Narrative Arc
 Conflicts brainstorm
 Read: “The Flowers” by Alice Walker/Chart the Narrative Arc
 Read: “Sleeping” by Katherine Weber/Chart the Narrative Arc
HW: Write a “SFD” about one of the topics from the class brainstorm.
Focus on developing the narrative arc and maybe include an unexpected
ending! Title it. Type it. And bring it to class tomorrow.
11/26: Happy Tuesday!
 Focus: Plot, Theme and the Narrative Arc
 Charting the Narrative Arc: Sleeping and The Flowers
 Workshop: Give your draft from Tuesday night to a peer for revision on
Narrative Arc.
HW: Happy Thanksgiving Break! NO HOMEWORK!
10/10-11: Happy Block Day!
Class Agenda– Notebooks 1-10 due Friday!
 Focus: Writing about personal issues/Narrative Arc
 Journal: Write about a personal or societal issue that is of significance in your own
life… ie. family violence, divorce/blended families/step-parents, mental illness (like
depression or addiction), poverty, bullying, body image/self-esteem, death of a
friend/family member, etc.) Write whatever comes to mind and whatever feeling
emerge. Try not to think too much and just write what you FEEL.
 Read and Discuss: “Barbie Birthday” by Alison Townsend
 Read and Discuss: “Big Boy” by David Sedaris
 Workshop: Either create a personal narrative SFD that you expand from the journal
above OR revise one of your current drafts by developing details that surface the
personal issue that is present in the piece.
HW: Be sure that you have 3-4 different pieces that you have drafted by
Friday: Bring all to class. Notebooks 1-10 due Friday.
2 from the topics brainstorm (your choice)
1 about a school related topic (modeled after “school lunches” and “A Rice Sandwich”)
1 about a personal issue (this could overlap in another draft)
10/12: Happy Friday!
Class Agenda– Notebooks 1-10 due today!
 Focus: Writing Workshop
 Workshop: Please put all your most current drafts together (don’t throw away previous drafts!)
in a manila folder and write your name on the folder. Give your portfolio to another student to
read through ALL your drafts.
 Peer Feedback: Please write the following information directly on each of the
pieces.
o Where can the writer include more sensory details?
o Where can the writer add literary devices like metaphors, similes, personification, etc?
o Has the writer developed the exposition, rising action and resolution of the piece fully?
o Is the piece written as if it is unfolding and happening as the reader reads it? (Present tense)
o Are there details or information that needs to be taken out?
 At the end of class, turn in your portfolio to me.
HW: Notebooks 11-22 due next Friday.
10/15: Happy Monday!
 Schedule this week & Essays
 Focus: Dialogue & Deeply Personal Writing
 Read & Discuss: “Salvation” and “Thank You, M’am” by Langston Hughes.
 Workshop: Write about a time when you were forced to do something that you
didn’t feel was right for you. Who was forcing you? How were you feeling about
it while it happened? Did you learn something about yourself afterward?
 OR
 Write about a time when someone significantly older than you helped you to
learn an important life lesson. This could be a parent, a teacher, a friend, a much
older sibling, a pastor or priest, anyone who was at least 5 years older than you
were. What happened? How did you learn from this person? What did you
learn?
HW: Develop your SFD started in class today. Be sure to practice using
thoughtful and effective dialogue and/or interior monologue.
10/16: Happy Tuesday!
Class Agenda
 Notebooks 11-22 will be collected on the block day (Thurs/Friday)
 Select: ONE draft from all your SFDs and GSDs that you want to
revise to a polished final draft.
 Review: Personal Narrative/Autobiographical Incident Assignment
 Review: Grading Rubric
 Re- read: the following stories and take notes for reading quiz on
block day: “How to Touch a Bleeding Dog”, “The Flowers”,
“Sleeping”, “Barbie Birthday”, “Funny in Farsi”, “Salvation”, “Thank
you, M’am”
 Be sure to leave your selected draft with me at the end of class today. I
will return them on the block day for you to revise over the weekend.
Final drafts due on October 24/25 to www.turnitin.com
10/16: Happy Tuesday!
Class Agenda
 Notebooks 11-22 will be collected on the block day (Thurs/Friday)
 Select: ONE draft from all your SFDs and GSDs that you want to
revise to a polished final draft.
 Review: Personal Narrative/Autobiographical Incident Assignment
 Review: Grading Rubric
 Re- read: the following stories and take notes for reading quiz on
block day: “How to Touch a Bleeding Dog”, “The Flowers”,
“Sleeping”, “Barbie Birthday”, “Funny in Farsi”, “Salvation”, “Thank
you, M’am”
 Be sure to leave your selected draft with me at the end of class today. I
will return them on the block day for you to revise over the weekend.
Final drafts due on October 24/25 to www.turnitin.com
10/18-19: Block Day!
Minimum Day Schedule
Review for Reading quiz
Notebooks 11-22 – I will collect.
Reading Quiz
HW: Make all final revisions to your drafts
and bring ALL drafts to class on Monday.
Print out a FINAL draft to turn in (and be
sure to upload a final draft to Turnitin.com
by Wednesday night)
10/18-19: Block Day!
Minimum Day Schedule
 Review & Practice for Reading quiz
• EXAMPLE: “I watch my hand volunteer itself and run its fingers through the nap of his
head, which is surprisingly soft. And, with my touch on him, he is suddenly dead.”
•
In the passage above, from the story “How to Touch a Bleeding Dog”, the man says he
“watches his hand volunteer itself ” as if he is disconnected from his own body and cannot
control what is happening with his own hand. Use of the words “volunteer itself ” gives us
the sense that his hand is operating without his agreement. Similarly, when he uses the
pronoun “its” to describe his hand, he further disassociates with his own body, rather than
using “my” fingers which would give us the sense that he is connected to the hand reaching
for the dog and it is under his control. This disconnectedness helps the reader to get inside
the character’s head. His emotional state is one of shock and isolation. He is isolated from
his wife literally, since she is gone. He is isolated emotionally as well. He has lost his wife,
and now, the dog, with whom the wife was very connected, is dying. This seems like a
metaphor for their love and relationship. Use of the alliteration of “s” in “surprisingly soft”
gives a poetic feel and helps the reader to connect in a sensory way to this experience at the
climax of the story. At the point at which the dog dies, the writer uses the word “suddenly”
as if to convey a sense of immediacy and finality to the moment. This again adds to the
tension of the scene and heightens the readers awareness of the character’s emotional state.