A Favourite Popular Song

Post a link to a favourite song (YouTube will have many available) before you come to class. After the link, briefly say why you like the song. Mention a lyric (words) that you prefer. Be sure to identify the performer or band by name.

NOTE: If you would like to share your final draft of the narrative essay with other students, please send a copy in Word format to Brad before class next Wednesday. I can create a special blog post to help you share the results of all your hard work.

Writing a Well Supported Example

Each pair of students should post four short examples (40 to 50 words maximum) before Friday's class. Two examples should come from "Child, Dead, in the Rose Garden" and two from "A Spoiled Man." It is not necessary to name the story in your answer. Each example must contain a quotation (or two) but quotations should not take up more than half of any one example.

We will review examples on the screen this Friday.

Show, Don't Tell

Choose from "jealous" or "foolish" or "fearful." Write about 150 words in multiple paragraphs. Use dialogue. Do not use the word (or any variation) in your writing. Post your writing here before next week's class.

NOTE: Please remember to bring a copy of "Child, Dead, in the Rose Garden" and "A Spoiled Man" to class next Wednesday.

Metaphor or Simile

Provide two descriptive sentences using metaphor or simile (that you will use in your narrative essay). We will discuss the effectiveness of each one next Wednesday.

Dash and Parenthesis

Share the sentences from your essay where you use a dash and a parenthesis. Submit the two sentences as a comment here for us to see in class next Wednesday.

Making the Dash Work for You (includes sample writing to illustrate)

Definition and Examples of Parenthesis (about.com)

Uses of Parenthesis (Cliff Notes)

Recommend or Not? Ghost World

The assignment is simple (150 to 200 words). Would you or would you not recommend the film, Ghost World, to a friend? Give your reasons clearly and please refer to the events and characters in the film in your comment.

Official Ghost World Web Site (Production notes; original trailer; videos of filming; cast and crew lists)

Yale Film Analysis Resource

Click only on the left side links. Don't use the drop down on top left of page. A bit clunky with small photos, but includes a number of good video examples and all is explained simply and clearly.

Yale Film Analysis Resource

Film: A Favourite Scene

Write a short paragraph (150 words) that describes a favourite scene (five minutes or fewer of screen time). Name two techniques the filmmaker has used (how the scene is framed, for example. Are actors shown in closeup or far away?) Why did he or she use the technique in your opinion? It may be to make us laugh (as in the "spinning sign" in Romeo and Juliet) or to create a mood (the empty, ice-bound train we see in The Ice Storm).

If you have a copy of the film, bring it to class next week. If not and you know the URL for YouTube, put it in your answer. We will watch and discuss as many scenes as we can next Wednesday.

DOCUMENT: Examining Mis-en-scene (the basic vocabulary of film)

Something New; Something Interesting; Something Puzzling

Share with us your thoughts on new, interesting and puzzling things you've encountered since we began our study. Write no more than 200 words in a single or multiple paragraphs. Due before class on Friday, November 13.

Favourite Title, Couplet, Image, Actions

As described on your worksheet. Please comment before Friday.

HINT: Use two tabs to make it easier to copy and paste your favourites.

Write a List Poem

Beginning with "Life is the only way", write your own list poem using "A Note" as a model. Your poem must use the same number of words and structure as Szymborska's. Post a copy of your poem to the blog before coming to Wednesday's class. Be prepared to do a recital of your poem (please practice ahead of time!) and give some short remarks on the process you followed and any difficulties you experienced.

Paragraph: "My Experience with Poetry"

Write a 150-word paragraph that refers to your personal experiences with poetry. The experiences do not have to be at school, although they may be if you wish. Be specific please.

Your answers will be read out and discussed at the beginning of class on Wednesday, October 28 so please have your homework done before then.

I will be absent next week. Renuka will be your teacher. She will provide me with an overall mark based on your participation in the two classes.

Paragraph Answer for "A Spoiled Man"

Focus your answer on a specific section of the story. For example, it would be interesting to take a look at the scene where Rezak wants to share his old "time-expired" chicken with the waiter of the teahouse. Here you will find a conflict, certainly, and also should be able to tell us something about what this part of the story shows to us about Rezak himself.

Use the literary terms you have studied in the past in your answer. Some useful terms include conflict, characterization, setting, irony and theme. Try to keep your comment limited to a small event. Good answers may also attempt to examine how the smaller piece you have chosen fits into the larger story.

Write about 200 words. You may use multiple paragraphs if you wish, but be sure I can see why you choose to break into paragraphs. Quote the story at least once in your answer, but no more than 20 words, maximum, for all quotes.

NOTE: Look at other student answers before you proceed! If another student has already examined a part of the story, you must choose something else. Also, do not recount plot unless necessary. Assume that we have read the story, too, and are interested in what you noticed about it more than all the details in summary. Link to copy of story

Narrative Essay (1st Draft; First 2 Paragraphs)

Post the first two paragraphs of your essay to the comment section for this post, please. Bring a full draft, word processed and double spaced, to class on Wednesday, October 14. Note the word limit of 150 words (so only one paragraph if it is 150 words long).

Comment on Al Gore's Lecture

50 word comment, no longer. See the lecture again.

Homework for October 7, 2009

Read all materials given you for your narrative essay assignment. Do the worksheet provided on "The Whos, Whats, Wheres, Whens, Hows and Whys" and bring it to class on Wednesday. Enjoy the sunshine and stay safe!

Blogging Journal Questions for "Child, Dead, in the Rose Garden"

1. Write about something that surprised you, angered you, delighted you, or evoked any strong reaction as you were reading. Write about anything that stays on your mind after reading.

2. Explore a social or ethical issue raised in the writing. Judge the behaviour of the characters or the views of the author. Are they right or wrong in your opinion?

3. Write about any difficulty or frustration you felt while reading.

Write an answer of no more than 150 words (and no fewer than 100) to one of the questions. Your answer will be a comment to this post. Please provide a word count.

Link to a copy of the story (Word 2003 format) for your use.

A 100-Word Introduction

Introduce yourselves in a maximum of 100 words.

NOTE: remember to accept your confirmation email from Google to activate your membership in the blog. See you on Wednesday!

Something New; Something Interesting; Something Puzzling

This is it! Your last chance to share your ideas with your classmates (and your teacher, of course). As we did earlier in the course, share with us your thoughts on new, interesting and puzzling things you've encountered since we began our study in February. We'll share and discuss your writing at our last class session next Wednesday. Write about as many words as you wish in paragraph form (multiple paragraphs are fine).

Remember that our final tests begin on June 5th and continue on June 10. If you need to write at special times, please email me with your requirements as soon as you know.

Resources for Writing Comparison Contrast Well

A Lesson in Contrasts: Writing Comparison Contrast (includes sample paragraph)

Working with Comparison Contrast (includes example paragraph outline, comparison sentence structures and a teacher written sample paragraph)

Is that a Comparison or a Contrast? (includes a different example outline, comparison sentence structures)

Learning to Write with "March of the Penguins" (includes a sample comparison paragraph from teacher, Rick)

The World: Changed Forever? (Worksheet based on 9/11 attacks with a sample, teacher written, comparison paragraph)

Questions for the Story "Gold Boy, Emerald Girl"

1.      What does the work mean and why do you think that? Explain the writing's overall significance or message to its readers.

2.  Tell about how you feel toward this writing or its author and why.

3.  Does this work confront or confirm your personal beliefs? Explain.

Write about 150 to 200 words in one or several paragraphs.

Online copy of story (for easier copy and paste quoting)

Questions for the story, "The Woman of the House"

Choose one of the following questions and answer in a 150 to 200 word paragraph.

1.      Explore a social or ethical issue raised in the writing. Judge the behaviour of the characters or the views of the author. Are they right or wrong in your opinion?

2.  Tell about how you feel toward this writing or its author and why.

3. Write about something that surprised you, angered you, delighted you, or evoked any strong reaction as you were reading. Write about anything that stays on your mind after reading

Showing a Trait of a Character

Post an excerpt (max 75 words) demonstrating the trait "forgetful". Please make sure that you show the trait rather than tell it. Try to include other elements of fiction if you can.

Blog Homework for 1984

To see the film again at YouTube: 1984 Part 1 (for other parts see the "related videos" box on the right side of the screen).



Identify one technique (from our handout) used in the film. Briefly explain why the technique is used. (no more than 100 words or so; be sure to make it easy for us to know exactly where in the film it occurs)



What is your personal reaction to what you have seen today? Write a paragraph to explain your feelings. (up to 250 words; no more, please!)

Yale University Film Analysis Resource

Click only on the left side links. Don't use the drop down on top left of page. A bit clunky with small photos, but includes a number of good video examples and all is explained simply and clearly. Use it to find a match with techniques you see on Friday.

Yale Film Analysis Resource

"Don't Get Fooled Again!" Learning Persuasion

Remember to write your ideas in a way that someone who has never seen the video can understand and be persuaded. I will provide a sample before Sunday night.

Affluenza Homework and Video Links

Answer one of the following questions in paragraph form:

1. How do you feel towards the program and why do you feel this way?

2. Does the program confront or confirm your personal beliefs? Explain.

3. Write about something important you learned from the program.

4. What stayed in your mind after the program was over? Why do you think that happened?

5. What made the program effective (or ineffective) in your opinion?


Here are the links to Affluenza and the Barry Schwartz and Jill Bolte videos.

Affluenza: Part One; Part Two; Part Three; Part Four; Part Five; Part Six

Barry Schwartz: The Real Crisis? We Stopped Being Wise

Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight

Report on Advertising During a Favourite Show

You do not need to say something about every advertisement! See if you can provide a general sense of the messages and what they convey to you. Is there a connection between the commercials and the show itself? Enjoy the show!

Substances as Stress Relievers: Deconstructing Advertisements (full handout, in colour, of today's advertisement; includes alcohol, cigarettes and candy)

Sample taken from "Adopting the dim-sum strategy"

Example sentence using both semicolon and colon:

"They've clearly read those studies about children and second languages: Children lose their ability to learn a language fully and perfectly by age 4; more languages equates with higher intelligence."

In this sample, the colon is used to introduce. Specifically, the colon tells us that we will read the details of "those studies about children and second languages" after. The semicolon here separates the two related ideas that are found in the studies.

Here is my sentence using the same structure:

Students, clearly, need to learn more about punctuation to be successful writers: Most of them have had little practice; more chances to practice makes for a better result.

Note that Fiona Lam (and her editor, Moira Dann) have bent the rules somewhat. Normally, you are not advised to have a full clause following a colon. In this case (and for practice) I've imitated as best I can the orginal structure. Students, of course, need not select such a complex example!

The Comma: Ally, Selena, Eric, Juliette

Put your examples here. Each student makes one comment before next Wednesday's class.

The Semicolon: Kenny, Mia, Grace, Eve

Put your examples here. Each student makes one comment before next Wednesday's class.

Parentheses: Yuwin, Faye, Lauren, Sam, Jinmin

Put your examples here. Each student makes one comment before next Wednesday's class.

The Colon: Ryan, Ashley, Makassia, Kaycee

Put your examples here. Each student makes one comment before next Wednesday's class.

The Dash: Fannie, Sonya, Esther

Put your examples here. Each student makes one comment before next Wednesday's class.

Resources on Quotations

You need help, clearly, with this complex skill. Practice does work, but it takes time. You will be required to quote from three different pieces of writing in next Wednesday's in-class essay. One way to prepare yourself is to examine your favourite pieces and look for good quotes to use to support various ideas. Think of conflicts and settings and characters when you do, even for the non-fiction pieces. Literary writing is reflected in good writing.

Academic Writing: A Guide (guide to integrating quotes on various topics, including simile and hyperbole, the guide includes a sample short story along with student examples with suggestions for improvement).

Five Rules for Using Quotations (a page and a half of just the essentials; includes how to use quotes when writing dialogue)

Don't forget to check out the "Punctuation Tree"

Sample Student Essay with Edits and Comments

Hope your in class writing went well for you today. I very much enjoyed reading your posts for the "Something New or Interesting" topic. Well done!

Here's the essay: Bittersweet English Study

See you next Wednesday. Enjoy your extra day off and no-homework weekend!

Something New or Interesting

Write a short paragraph that describes something new or interesting you have learned in this class. Write no more than 150 words in a single paragraph, please.

Introducing Ourselves: A Short Essay

Post your essay here before next Wednesday's class. Please also bring a copy on paper to class that day.

"The Way": Short Answer (125 words)

Post your homework here as a comment. Please also bring a paper copy of your writing to class next Wednesday.

NOTE: It is acceptable to respond to the poem with feelings rather than meanings if you wish. By that I mean respond to something specific Goldbarth suggests with your emotional response, for example.

Homework: List Poem

Submit your list poem as a comment to this post before coming to class next Wednesday.

Remember to prepare yourself to read the poem to the class. Practice your pacing and pronounciation!

Paragraph on a Trip Taken (in the "Angell" style)

Post your paragraph here before class this Friday. This is the last assignment for the blog. Thanks for your participation here this term; I will review all your contributions when deciding on your final marks.