902 – 12/11 – 12/15

MONDAY – Writers

QUIZ on Elements of Fiction

Motivation:  What is a thesis?

Review Mini-Lesson with last week:

- Thesis – a central statement that explains the what and the why
(it’s one sentence, not a paragraph. use a paragraph to explain why the thesis is true!)
- Explain as clearly as possible.
- Make your explanation as clear and obvious as possible.
- Don’t skip steps.
- Don’t jump from idea to idea.
- Don’t assume that the reader probably understands what you mean.

Workshop:  Students studied explanations of a thesis on this worksheet.  More Explanations of Thesis without Confusion

Homework Assignment due Tuesday 12/12/06:

Write a paragraph (at least 6 or 7 sentences)  to explain this thesis:

Students should be allowed to use electronics at school to help them focus on classwork.

(Copy down this thesis and answer this question:  how do electronics help students focus on classwork?)

TUESDAY – Readers

Motivation:  What is setting?

Mini-Lesson:

Setting:
Place, Time, Weather of Story

Place:
What country?   Where in the country?  What city?  (Or space?)
Urban, Suburban, Rural (the country)
Indoor or Outdoor?

Time:
What century?
What decade?
What season?  (winter, summer, etc.)
What time of day?  (morning, night, etc.)

Weather:
hot or cold?
stormy or clear?

Setting influences mood (time of day, season of the year, rainstorms, etc.)
Setting influences beliefs or morals (country, century, decade)
Moods and beliefs influence character, conflict and theme.

Students read part of “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett and as a class we noticed details of setting in the story and drew conclusions.

Workshop:  Students read the independent reading books and investigated setting in their books using this worksheet:  Setting Worksheet

WEDNESDAY - no class

THURSDAY - WritersMotivation:  What was the question you needed to answer in order to support your thesis for last night’s homework?Students read two people’s homework paragraphs and analyzed them to see whether they skipped steps and explained their ideas clearly.  Students then filled out this worksheet: Peer Review of Persuasive Paragraph

FRIDAY:  Readers

Motivation:  Name twenty specific settings (NYC, Japan, 1918, raining, etc)

The class compiled a list of PLACES, TIMES and WEATHERS.

Then students chose one place, time and weather from the list and created a short story using that setting.

Then students wrote a small paragraph explaining how this setting affected the characters and the conflict of the story.

Students then chose a different place, time and setting and wrote a second story using that specific setting. 

Then students wrote a small paragraph explaining how this setting affected the characters and the conflict of the story.

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