Week 1Th

Journal Writing

Unity

Every piece of writing is made up of smaller pieces. Every piece matters, and every piece has a purpose. When we put those pieces together in a particular way, they can make something new.

All of those pieces need to work together toward one goal.

A word is made up of many letters, but a word is one thing.

A sentence is made up of many words, but a sentence is one thing.

A paragraph is made up of many sentences but a paragraph is one thing.

An essay is made up of many paragraphs, but an essay is one thing.

Writing as a Process

Take a few minutes and write about your own writing process. What steps do you take between when you first get an assignment and when you turn in the finished product?

A Sample ¶S1

Break

Ghostbread Pages 1-25

Discussion Norms

"Norms" are the things people expect of each other.

Often, they go without saying--we just all know, for example, that it's "weird" to go to work in your pajamas.

Other times, we need to talk about them and agree on them, so that we're all playing by the same rules.

Discussion Norms Readings

Usually, we'll have small group discussions before we have whole-class discussions. Here are some expectations for small-group discussions.

  • Everybody gets in a group of 3-4. Nobody works alone or just partners up.
  • Everybody in each group participates in the small group discussion. Everybody contributes in some way.
  • Someone in each group will take notes. (Not necessarily the same person every time.)
  • Your goal is to explore the questions, not just to come up with simple answers. (The questions are starting points.)
  • It's good to use examples from the reading to help explain your ideas.
  • Your group should be prepared to share back to our larger conversation in the whole-class discussion.
  • It's okay to be confused or uncertain. Bringing back questions to the whole class is often very helpful.

Ghostbread Pages 1-25

  • What have we learned about Sonja so far?
  • What about Sonja's mother?
  • What moments or scenes stood out to you from today's reading?

Discussion Norms Readings

After we have our small group discussions, we'll come back together for a whole-class conversation. This is a chance to share and discuss the ideas your group explored with other groups. Here are some norms for the whole-class conversation.

  • You're talking to each other, not just me.
  • You're discussing the reading, not just answering questions. (Again, the questions are starting points.)
  • Again, questions and uncertainty are okay: maybe we can work through some confusing parts together.
  • Not every person needs to talk, but every group needs to contribute.
  • I shouldn't be doing most of the talking. This is about your discussion, not my opinions. :)

Introduction to the Workshop

¶S1 Workshop

For Monday

  • Read Ghostbread -- Pages 25-51
  • WP1 - First Attempt Due