Today, we started our Visual Vocabulary words for Spring. This is where we work with some ACT/SAT vocabulary words; we learn the definition, the part of speech, and use it in a sentence. I gave them this semester’s worksheet where the words will be cumulatively compiled. They turned in the sentences or prompts that they completed to help cement this word in their memories and to “furnish the mind” as writing teacher Andrew Pudewa says. I hope to see some of these words in composition this semester! The words today were: cajole and iconoclast
Writing
I have been looking forward to today’s lesson–an “inventive” (creative) writing assignment. I handed out a series of three pictures. Although the pictures suggest a story, they are fairly minimal. I told the students that their job is to describe the events depicted in each picture. Simply report.
After that, they are to think about the pictures. I asked them “how do you think?” After pondering a few minutes, we concluded that in order to think, one must ask questions! This is something we have been practicing in our Quick Writes last semester: who, what, (what are they thinking/doing/saying/feeling) when, where, why, how? And then a level deeper: what happened before the picture? After? Outside the picture? What may have happened before or after? In this way, students begin to access their thinking and imagination. The great news is that ANYONE can do this!!
After taking notes on the process, we make a Key Word Outline for the first two pictures together. They wrote their own outline for the third picture and then compared it with a table mate. Their homework is to finish this KWO and post it for next week. They are welcome to make any changes to their story. Four points per picture (plus the topic and clincher is plenty. Changes will happen organically as they begin to write.) I gave an option to use a different set of pictures if they’d rather. The second set has only two pictures, so they will need to “fill in the blank” for the missing picture. The three paragraph composition will be assigned next week (due Feb. 6). We are working those creative writing muscles for writing an original mystery story of their own. There are examples of student written mysteries posted on the Writing 2 Class blog.
Literature
We switched gears to discuss the first two stories from our Sherlock Holmes study. We discussed the more memorable moments from the stories and then we watched a few minutes of the BBC version of “The Red-Headed League” featuring Jeremy Brett. We discussed whether or not this actor was a good match for Conan Doyle’s Sherlock. For next week, they are to read two of the most famous stories “Adventures of the Speckled Band” and “The Engineer’s Thumb” and answer four questions.
Grammar
They have been assigned three worksheets on coordinating conjunctions and some finer points of where the comma belongs. They are to complete and correct those worksheets for next week.
Homework
Mystery Story KWO
“...Speckled Band” & “The Engineer’s Thumb” PDF and audio stories & Four Questions
Grammar Worksheets
Commas and Coordinating Conjunctions
Is It a Compound Sentence?
Writing Compound Sentences
Links for this Week
Visual Vocabulary #1
About Writing from Pictures
