Category: Tell A Story

Blackbird singing in the dead of night…

 

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Now you’re going to think I’m obsessed with crows. I’m not. (At least I don’t think I am. In any case, that’s between me and my “doctor.”) My husband sent me this link to this story, including video, from Wired magazine. Again, these birds are demonstrating intelligence and creative thinking. Check out this story and links, and let me know your thoughts: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/08/aesopscrows/

Questions: Who was this fellow Aesop they refer to in the article? What did he do that he is now famous for? Do you know of stories from your own culture that are like Aesop’s? Could you write a modern-day fable? What would be the moral or lesson?

Got Imagination?

Smith’s book, How to be an Explorer of the World, is a feast for the mind and soul. Don’t live in a world of grays and browns – wake up and smell the creativity!

http://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Explorer-World-Portable/dp/0399534601

 You know me. I like to be creative. Think. Make art. Write. Read. I really appreciate what Keri Smith put together in her book about exploration.

For example, on page 144-145, she writes:

Thought Experiments: Einstein used “thought experiments” (questions that can only be solved using imagination), on a regular basis. He actually formulated the special theory of relativity by asking the question, ‘what would it be like to travel on a beam of light?’ It is interesting to conduct these thought experiments in the midst of everyday life.

Some thought experiment starters:

  • what if all my neighbors had secret lives?
  • what if the newspaper held all the secrets of the universe in some kind of code?
  • what if all leaves had secret messages embedded on them?
  • what if little elves lived on the roof and only came out at night?
  • what if my house were a playgroun? a blank canvas? had secret powers?

 

More than words…

When I was growing up, news reporting wasn’t like it is today. When I was really young, in elementary school, the Vietnam war was raging, the Civil Rights movement was in full swing, there were many protests, and a lot of violence on television. The news stations would even air footage of dying and wounded soldiers, and I remembered feeling very afraid. After I grew up, I felt that news changed, and not for the better. The news doesn’t show what it’s really like for soldiers fighting, the news often uses the “news anchors” to stir up fear and mistrust, and they are not telling the news in a straight-forward, no-nonsense way, or a trustworthy way. One of the most popular newsmen of his day was Walter Cronkite. He was calm, trustworthy, and reflected the awe and wonder of what it meant to live as an American. He was honest when he told the American public he didn’t believe in the war, and gave thoughtful reasons why, not reasons full of fear-mongering. When we landed on the moon in 1969, he reflected the nation’s sense of deep admiration and wonderment of the astronauts, and American genuis. His passing saddens me, not because he didn’t have a life well lived, but because many Americans don’t realize that the news can be something more than defensive, mud-slinging, name-calling hate games. Listen and look at the news of our world with critical eyes and ears, and don’t ever, ever, let down your guard when it comes to free speech. It is our ability, our right, to speak up over what needs to be changed that can create a world that sends people to the moon, stops wars, and creates a better world for all.

 Check out these links for more information:

http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/

http://www.notablebiographies.com/Co-Da/Cronkite-Walter.html

http://www.kidport.com/REFLIB/Science/MoonLanding/MoonLanding.htm

Watch and Learn

1. Exposition: The setting, characters and background.
2. Rising Action: What events lead the character to the climax of the story.
3. Climax: What event changes everything in the plot for the characters?
4. Falling Action: What events lead to the resolution/ending of the story?
5. Resolution: The ending. Try to determine what “kind” of ending the story has —
Email me if you have questions.
Yours in viewing, Mrs. L

Everyone has a story to tell…

What is narrative writing?
According to Mr. Kramer (see link below), “At a minimum, narrative denotes writing with (A) set scenes, (B) characters, (C) action that unfolds over time, (D) the interpretable voice of a teller — a narrator with a somewhat discernable personality — and (E) some sense of relationship to the reader, viewer or listener, which, all arrayed, (F) lead the audience toward a point, realization or destination.”

In other words, narrative writing is a writer telling a story to an audience. It’s an attempt to share an experience. When we brainstormed and shared-out in class on Friday, every single one of you “got it.”

We’re starting narrative writing. We will go through the writing process, and in the process use the six traits to make our writing better.

FINAL DRAFT DUE IN CLASS:MONDAY, OCTOBER 15

The end product:
A two-page, double spaced (format paragraph), 12-pt. Times or Ariel font story.
Headline can be up to 16 pt. any font you choose.
Your NCPD must be single-spaced, left hand margin, 12 pt. Times or Ariel.

*You must include the line of text that is in italics on your print somewhere in your story.

The Writing Process

  • Pre-write and brainstorming: Gather ideas
  • (First) Draft: Organize your ideas in a sequence you wish your story to be told.
  • Revise: Use the six traits to improve your writing: Use VOICE for your personality; use SENTENCE FLUENCY for varying lengths of sentences, transitions and flow; use CONVENTIONS to make sure there are no grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors; use WORD CHOICE to make sure you don’t repeat the same words and use language to make your story more vibrant; use IDEAS to focus your story on a central, dynamic theme; use ORGANIZATION to make your story “stick together” and “make sense.”
  • Very helpful hint: Have your parent read your story out loud to you. Ask them not to correct it as they read. You need to hear how your writing sounds and try to improve it. If you need advice, then they can help.
  • Be prepared to share your story in our Writer’s Workshop.
  • Edit: We will use the Writer’s Workshop model and have others read our papers to check for errors, and constructive comments.
  • Publish: Your final story will be in a very specific format. There are many reasons to have this format. Follow the guidelines and demonstrate that you can follow instructions. You want your hard work to be its best.

Calendar of Writing:

October 1-5: Draft, Revise

October 8-12: Revise, Edit, Publish

October 15: Final work will be available for students in a printed-out form.

http://www.chrisvanallsburg.com/home.html
http://www.chrisvanallsburg.com/images/redirect_04.jpg
http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/narrative/what_is.html