For your Journal Project

Here are some creative writing prompts.

Weekly Agenda 12/21 - 12/23

Monday 12/21
-Peer-edit Interior Monologues
-Begin Stranger than Fiction
HW - Final Interior Monologues due after break

Tuesday 12/22
-Stranger than Fiction
HW - Work on film guide

Wednesday 12/23
-Stranger than Fiction
HW - Interior monologues and film guide due 1/5
-Enjoy your break!

Monday 12/14
-Starbucks presentations
-"Big Boy"
HW - Finish your own ending of "Big Boy"

Tuesday 12/15
-Answer questions as character
HW - Vocabulary worksheets

Wednesday 12/16
-Different types of narration
-Vocab review game
HW - Study vocabulary

Thursday 12/17
-Vocab quiz
-Interior Monologues
HW - Write interior monologue as character (Typed, 1-2 pages)

Weekly Agenda 12/7 - 12/11

Monday 12/7
-Write story around transcript
HW - Read "“Giant Dreams, Midget Abilities”

Tuesday 12/8
--Act out scenes
-Packet on Dialogue – read and review as class
-Students will rewrite their dialogue into the other 3 forms.
-Discuss Sedaris
HW - Read “You Can’t Kill the Rooster”

Thursday 12/10
-Writing portfolios
-Character trees
HW - Read “The Youth in Asia”

Friday 12/11
-Characterization
-Discuss Sedaris
HW - Read “The Great Leap Forward”
-Starbucks application

Imagine

Please submit your artwork, poetry, and prose to AHS's nationally ranked literary magazine -- ahsimagine@gmail.com. Include your name, grade, and homeroom teacher.

Submission Deadline - December 23

Weekly Agenda 12/1 - 12/4

Tuesday 12/1
-Discuss Heartbreaking ending
-Writing exercise
HW - Bring in 10-15 page memoir tomorrow
-Finished memoir due Friday

Wednesday 12/2
-Self-Edit rubric for memoir
-Read Zinsser
HW - Finished memoir, and rubric, due Friday

Thursday 12/3
-Read "Go Carolia"
-Practice dialogue
HW - Finished memoir, and rubric, due Friday

Friday 12/4
-Write dialogue using comic strips
HW - Eavesdrop on two people talking. Transcribe their conversation.

Weekly Agenda 11/23 - 11/25

Monday 11/23
-Discuss Heartbreaking
-Share Postsecrets
-Review vocabulary words
HW - Read Heartbreaking chapter 10
-Study vocabulary

Tuesday 11/24
-Vocabulary Quiz
-Discuss Heartbreaking
-Conference for memoirs
HW - Finish memoir
-Finish Heartbreaking

Weekly Agenda 11/16- 11/20

Tuesday 11/17
-Discuss Heartbreaking
-Postsecret project
-Journal
HW - Read Heartbreaking chapters 7 and 8 for Friday
-Postsecret Project due Monday
-Bring in materials for memoir-writing tomorrow

Wednesday 11/18
-Media Center to work on memoirs
HW - Read Heartbreaking chapters 7 and 8 for Friday
-Postsecret Project due Monday

Thursday 11/19
-Assembly - meet here
HW - Read Heartbreaking chapters 7 and 8
-Postsecret Project due Monday

Friday 11/20
-Read chapter 9
-Write a response, in the form of a letter to Dave Eggers
HW - Finish classwork
-Postsecret Project

Weekly Agenda 11/9 - 11/13

Monday 11/9
-Discuss Heartbreaking
-Pro/ Con list of being orphaned according to Eggers
-Journal
-Chart Memoir
HW - Read Heartbreaking chapter 4
-Finish charting memoir

Tuesday 11/10
-Look at memoir charts
-Discuss Heartbreaking
-Describing Individuals
HW - Read Heartbreaking chapter 5
-Final draft of Describing Individuals

Thursday 11/12
-Read/ guess Describing Individuals pieces
-Discuss Heartbreaking
-Journal
HW - Read Heartbreaking ch 6 for Tuesday
-Bring in materials for memoir-writing tomorrow

Friday 11/13
-Computer Lab
HW - Read Heartbreaking - finish chapter 6
-Bring in first few pages of memoir on Tuesday. 3 pages for A-level, 5 pages for Honors.

Weekly Agenda 11/2 - 11/6

Monday 11/2
-Journal about Halloween
-Introduce A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
-Introduce Family Piece
HW - Read acknowledgements section. Make a list – what is different/ new/ innovative/ interesting? Then go back, and identify which of the above you liked, and which you found annoying/ which you felt had purpose/ which you felt were pointless.

Tuesday 11/3
-Share opinions of acknowledgments section
-Discuss concept of memoir
-Work on family piece by describing family member
HW - Read Heartbreaking chapter 1

Thursday 11/5
-Discuss Heartbreaking
-Work on Home Piece
HW - Read Heartbreaking chapter 2
-Finish Home Piece (first draft due tomorrow)

Friday 11/6
-Workshop
-Discuss Heartbreaking
HW - Read Heartbreaking chapter 3 and write 3 reactions
-Second draft of Home Piece

Weekly Agenda 10/26 - 10/30

Tuesday 10/27
-Discuss Zinsser
-Draw charts on board, discuss
-Explain Journal Project
-Journal
HW - Read Sedaris and Burroughs
-Vocab worksheet

Wednesday 10/28
-Discuss Sedaris and Burroughs
-Write in style of Sedaris or Burroughs
-Go over vocab
-Vocab review game
HW - Bring in photograph

Thursday 10/29
-Vocab quiz
-Writing from a photograph
HW - Home Piece

Friday 10/30
-Workshop
-Journal - Halloween
HW - Home Piece second draft

Memoir Project

This is the Memoir Project sheet. The memoir project will be due on November 25th.

Weekly Agenda 10/19 - 10/23

Monday 10/19
-Whole-class workshop
HW - Read Sample Essays 1 and 2

Tuesday 10/20
-Whole-class workshop
HW - Read Same Essays 3-5

Wednesday 10/21
-Whole-class workshop
HW - Final draft of college essay due Friday. Include previous drafts.

Thursday 10/22
-Introduction to Memoir Unit
-Read "Beginnings" and "Querencia"
-Write about home
HW - Final draft due tomorrow. Bring in your journal.

Friday 10/23
-Read Macdonald and Haley
-Write in Journal
HW - Write about home (due Friday, 2-3 pages)

Weekly Agenda 10/13 - 10/16

Tuesday 10/13
-No class - Health and Safety Day
HW - Specific/ short college essay *Email to me*

Wednesday 10/14
-half-class workshop short essays
-Sensory activity
HW - 2nd draft of specific/ short essays
-read rest of Anthology essays

Friday 10/16
-Whole-class workshop
-Writing exercise
HW - final version of your chosen college essay ** Email this to me

Weekly Agenda 10/5 - 10/9

Tuesday 10/6
-Go over vocab worksheet
-Review game
-give back essays
HW - Study vocab

Wednesday 10/7
-Vocab quiz
-workshop
HW - 2nd draft of essay due Friday
-Read White and Goodman essays in Anthology

Thursday 10/8
-whole-class workshop
-my college essay
-sensory writing
HW - 2nd draft of essay

Friday 10/9
-whole-class workshop
-shorter college essays
-writing exercise
HW - Specific essay for college of your choice
-Read last 2 essays in Anthology

Post your own essay prompt

Post your own essay prompt. You do NOT need to write an essay for it, it is only one of your options. Please also read your classmates' prompts. Perhaps one of them will inspire you to write your uncommon essay draft this weekend.

(From University of Chicago's Uncommon Application: "In the spirit of adventurous inquiry, pose a question of your own. If your prompt is original and thoughtful then you should have little trouble writing a great essay. Draw on your best qualities as a writer, thinker, visionary, social critic, sage, citizen of the world, or future citizen of the University of Chicago; take a little risk and have fun.")

Examples:

1. Tells us about your day - from the perspective of your feet. Where did they go this morning - boots, flip flops? Did they get a nice view of the park, or were they stuck under you as you lazed around on the couch? Don't just tell us about what they see, but how they feel about it too.

2. Do you have a lucky penny, a lucky sock, a rabbit's foot, or a four leaf clover that you carry around with you when you feel you need it? If so, what makes it lucky? What luck has it brought you so far?

Weekly Agenda 9/28 - 10/2

Monday 9/28 (Old Hall)
-Read and mark up sample essays w/ analysis
HW - First draft of anecdotal college essay due tomorrow

Tuesday 9/29
-discuss sample essays
-Workshopping
HW - Read and mark up Bauld, "Tinkering"

Wednesday 9/30
-talk about Tinkering
-Workshopping
-return drafts
HW - Write second draft of anecdotal essay (due Friday)

Thursday 10/1
-write anecdote in different voices
-metaphor game
HW -Second draft of anecdotal essay due tomorrow

Friday 10/2
-Uncommon Application
-write about mustard
HW - Write essay in response to one of the uncommon application questions
- Vocab worksheet
-Post your prompt to Essay Option 5 (above)

Weekly Agenda 9/21 - 9/25

Monday 9/21
-Free Association
-Workshopping
HW - Free association at home for 10 min's with favorite object
- Read and mark up sample essays

Tuesday 9/22
-Workshopping
HW - Read and mark up Bauld, chapter 6
- Read and mark up Zinsser and King handouts

Wednesday 9/23
-Active/ Passive voice
-Choosing good verbs
- Metaphor
HW - Write second draft of your essay
- Read and mark up Bauld, chapter 7

Friday 9/25
-lead/ ending
-voice
-anecdote
HW - Write first draft of anecdotal college essay

Weekly Agenda 9/14 - 9/18

Monday 9/14
-Multiple interpretations
-Journal/ Discuss Life of Pi
HW - Prepare for Summer Reading Essay - Rubric

Wednesday 9/16
Summer Reading Essay
HW - None

Thursday 9/17
-A little more about Pi
-Intro to College Essay
HW - Read Bauld handout and mark it up
-Print out or find Common Application online

Friday 9/18
-Discuss Bauld
-Identity Charts
-Free Association
HW - Come up with 3 options for what to write your college essay on
-write one of them (should fall under one of the Common Application topics)

Weekly Agenda 9/10-9/11

Thursday 9/10
-syllabus
-expectations
-name assignment
HW - bring in materials (binder or notebook and folder and journal)
- get syllabus signed
- complete name assignment


Friday 9/11
-index cards
-journal entry
-discussion around Life of Pi
HW - begin Krik Krak/ Welcome to the Monkey House assignment