1A
1. Freewrite.
2. Vocab. We took notes on # 8, 9, and 10. Click here for the words.
3. Writing time. Students had time to write one more scene from their memoirs. If needed, some students took the rest of class to finish writing, while other students shared their work with their writing groups.
HW: If you wrote for the whole class period, finish and type up both of the pieces you wrote for your memoir (the one you wrote for homework on Tuesday and the one you wrote in class today). If you went out in the hall to share your work, revise one of the rough drafts, print it out, and turn it in on Monday along with the other writing you did in class.
2AB
1. Freewrite/T-shirts. Students received their freshman class t-shirts to wear tomorrow for Homecoming.
2. Focused freewrite. What were your initial reactions to “If You Are Lucky”? We wrote for three minutes and then shared.
3. Symbolism of sturgeon. Students created a web in their notebooks and, with their partners, listed the characteristics of the sturgeon. Then, some students added those characteristics to the board.
4. Diction. I read students two paragraphs from the memoir that described the sturgeon and asked them to circle all the words that reminded them of a person. Here were the words:
5. Focused freewrite on diction. Students wrote for three minutes about what the connection between all of these words was. Then we shared. We found they all related to children or the elderly. Next, we looked back at our map of the characteristics of the sturgeon. We figured out how each characteristic related to children or the elderly (see above).
6. Final paragraph. Students read the very last paragraph aloud. Then, we made a T-chart at the end of the text. On one side we listed “If you are on the river long enough/If you live long enough” and on the other side we listed “If you are lucky.” This helped us figure out how the author gained closure from the experience.
Overall, students did a great job figuring out why the sturgeon was so important to the author, how it symbolized both her mother and a thing she couldn’t have––longevity of life. We also discussed how the Hudson River could symbolize life itself, based on the syntax in the last paragraph.
7. Diction. Students received L7: Tone, Connotation, and denotation. Students put one of the lists of synonyms in order from having the most positive connotation to the most negative connotation.
HW: None.
4A
1. Freewrite.
2. Symbolism share. Students shared a line or two from their symbolism writing and we went around the room explaining what our symbols were and what they symbolized. We still have some work to do in this area.
3. Diction. Students received L7: Tone, Connotation, and denotation. We discussed the connotation of different synonyms, and then students put the lists of synonyms in order from having the most positive connotation to the most negative connotation. Next, students found three words or phrases in their symbolism piece to replace with a word or phrase with a connotation related to their symbol.
4. Writer’s workshop. Students got back all of their drafts. They picked one to do for the workshop, and filled out their cover sheet (Writer’s Workshop #2). Finally, they met in their writing groups, shared, and gave each other feedback.
HW: Revise the piece you workshopped in class today. Print it out for Monday and bring in the rough draft.
ALEXA GARVOILLE 