Aug 29/30

Student Interview Introduce Teacher

Classroom Rules Course Guidelines

The diary as a stepping stone in the process of writing well (getting to know yourself, your biases, dialogue, etc.)

Psychological profile

Print out Class Syllabus from www.geocities.com/jeanders17;

Have parents sign Course Guidelines

Aug 31 /Sep 4

Carl Jung, Marion Milner, Ira Progoff, Anais Nin, and Psycho-analysis

Selecting your diary – the style, color, etc.

Formatting your diary – always add the date

Principles for Beginning to Write: Spontaneous, Honest, Deep, Correct, Audience, Contradictions

Purchase a 3-Ring Binder; lined college paper; and a diary, and 2 pens that define you; bring in a summer photo (5 points)

Sep 5/6

What to include: photographs, newspaper clippings, cancelled checks, letters, quotes, drawings, doodles, dried flowers, business cards, labels, etc.

Fantasy, psychological projection, overdramatization, overemphasis

Write about the photograph you chose

Reflect on what the individual’s experience says about them.  Is there anything that is confusing or requires clarity?

Bring in something that makes you angry or sad: it can be any medium

Sep 7/10

Catharis: releases and expresses the emotions

The Scream by Edvard Munch

What are you angry or happy about? Wail and complain!  Shout and proclaim!  How do you feel?  Who is to be thanked, or who is at fault?

Just listen.  Sometimes people need to express themselves without being judged.

Reflect on the things that you value most.

Sep 11/12

(13^th Rosh Hashanah & Ramadan begins)

Description: conveys the information perceived by the senses (sight, touch, smell, taste, hearing)

The Secret Diary of William Byrd Westover

Describe an embarrassing moment in your life, use your senses

Does the embarrassment seem realistic, or is there a gap between emotion and reality?

Rewrite the embarrassing incident with a positive outcome;

Bring a towel or a chair

Sep 17/18 (SDD)

Free-intuitive: the language of intuition;

Guided imagery

Go outside, relax, stretch, empty your mind, close your mind and imagine as I read

Write down what you saw

Share your story

Answer the question: What is bothering me?

Write every word that comes into your mind, ignore grammar rules

Sep 19/20

Reflection: contemplation of the intellect

The Silver Lining Voice

What do I really want?  What have I done in the past to obtain it?  How can I acquire it?

Discuss: are you surprised by the answers?  Why or why not?

If you wake from a dream, immediately write down what you saw, add your dream to the Blog on Mrs. Anderson’s Web Page

Sep 21/24

(9/22 Yom Kippur)

Lists: To Do, Upset, Things I am Afraid of [for making decisions]

Seven Habits of Highly Developed Teenagers

Awkward things, pretty things, moral transgressions, beliefs, desires, joys, irritations

Share your lists.  How many of you have the same things on your lists?  Share your dreams/nightmares.

Who really irritates you?

Who are you intrigued with?  Who do you dislike?  Who is your opposite?

Look over the dreams on the Blog, add a comment

Sep 25/26

Portraits; projection; Maps of consciousness

Cut out pictures that you like from magazines or draw a picture of someone

Write about the person you see – what do you like or dislike about it?

What does this description say about the person who wrote it? Would you have written the same thing?  What would you have said?

Sep 27 (Sukkot)/28

Altered point of view: distancing yourself from the problem;

Unsent letters

Soul Mountain

Write as though you are again six years old and are wondering why you (as someone else) did something.

Write an advice letter to your young self (at your current age)

Oct 1

Staff Development Day

No Students

Oct 2/3

Dialogue: a conversation carried on with yourself to help you gain insight into a person, event, or subject

Gestalt Therapy, Progoff

Dialogue with an aspect of your personality, people you know, people you have never met, historical personages, dream figures, animals, inanimate objects, images, symbols, parts of the body, events, institutions, etc.

Get Permission Slip signed for Memoirs of a Geisha

Oct 5 (SDD)

Transforming Personal Problems through your diary

Psychological Pain, Oversensitivity, Hurt Feelings, Loneliness, Envy, Jealousy, Anger, Fear, Apathy, Anxiety, Depression, Your Hidden Self, Overcoming Illness, Compulsive Behavior

Using any one of the techniques learned, write an entry about something that is bothering you, scaring you, something that you do not want to confront or deal with

Choose your five best entries, type them up, revise them, and turn them in

Oct 9

Memoir and/or The Personal Essay Defined (for use when writing a speech or responding to an article/editorial)

Read Grandfather Dickens’ Memoirs; “The Essay,” Writing Creatively, p. 222

“Autobiographies,” Creative Writing, p. 128-130

Direct/Indirect Characterization; Details to include (letters, interviews, notes, diary entries, photos, sketches), Order, POV, Tone

Brainstorm your Memoirs – what time period would you like to cover?

Write about yourself (Ch. 1)

Read the Editorial Section of any local newspaper – find something that catches your attention; Memoir: “Complete who am I”

Oct 11

The News Item or Ad Opener, Rhetorical Question, Suspense Hook

Share some of the editorials that have been found

Writing Creatively, p. 226-227

Sources for Autobiographical info.” Creative Writing, p. 136

Share your examples

List and recall people who helped pave the way for you (Ch. 2)

Find a great joke, quotation, or story to tell the class; discuss your early childhood with your parents

Oct 15

Starting with a Joke, Quotation, or Anecdote

Share your Joke of the Day

Writing Creatively, p. 228-229

Share your examples

Write down your earliest memories (Ch. 3)

Bring in some favorite photos from your childhood

Oct 17 [COLL]

The Four Variations for the Body: Chronological, Process, Map, Categories

Brainstorm ideas from your childhood (K-3, learning to read, special school programs, special friends and teachers)

Writing Creatively, p. 230-235

Share some of your memories (Ch. 4)

Add those photos to your Memory Book

Oct 19

Three Varieties of Endings: Closing the Circle I, II, III

Practice closing the Circle

Writing Creatively, p. 236-239

Share your examples; Brainstorm more memories from grades 4&5 (Ch. 5)

Find more photos, images

Oct 23

A Private Gallery --Characters: Physical Profile, Caricature, Closing

A Mouthful by Paul Jennings

(partner up, study the person sitting next to you; describe him/her)

Writing Creatively, p. 240-247

Share;

Describe Agoura or wherever you lived during your early years (Ch. 6)

Find photos of where you grew up

Oct 25

Journey to the Unknown

Select the Place, Collect Details, Determine Mood, Organize, Write

Writing Creatively, p. 248-253

Share;

Describe some games you played as a child (Ch. 7)

Sketch diagrams or include pictures of the games

Oct 29

Garage Sales and Garbage Trunks

Play Detective, Acquire Answers, Add Dimension, Garnish

Writing Creatively, p. 254-258

Share;

Explain that first crush in elementary/middle school (Ch. 8)

Ask siblings, mom, dad, grandparents about any missing details

Oct 31

On Your Mark! The Big Story, The Spin Off

Memoir for CAP Writing Assessment

Edgar Allen Poe Stories!

Writing Creatively, p. 259-264

Share;

Tell about a favorite childhood friend that you have lost contact with, but would like to see again (Ch. 9)

See if you can get back in touch with your long lost friend

Nov 2

Sharpened Swords: Selecting a Subject, Accumulating Data, Point of View, Supplementing, Purpose, Prophet, Write

“A Girl’s Experience Living with and Treating Social Anxiety and Agoraphobia”

Clip from Angela’s Ashes

Writing Creatively, p. 265-269

Share;

The Middle School experience – big kids, teachers, friends, activities, successes, failures, heartbreak, sports (Ch. 10)

Ask siblings, mom, dad, grandparents about any missing details

Nov 5/6

Ideas and You

Your Past, Present, and Future

Writing Creatively, p. 270

Share;

List and describe favorite movies from childhood, early teens, and now (Ch. 11)

Add movie ticket stubs or pictures from the movies

Nov 8

Traits of an Effective Style: focus, concreteness, vitality, originality, grace, commitment

“In Memoirs, It’s the Eye That Counts”

Provide details and insight into your first serious romance in high school (Ch. 12)

Share your writing

Look for lost love letters, photos; bring in a draft of what you have written so far in your memoirs

Nov 13 (12^th Veteran’s Day Holiday)

The poetry slam elements: listening, reading, doing

Poetry DVD Volume 1; Youtube: National Poetry Slam Finalists;

Sample Poetry Slam; creating rhyme by going through the alphabet

Write three poems using three different forms (on love, friends, pets, school)

Share;

Relate a memorable trip you took with your family or friends during high school (Ch. 13)

Find photos of the trip to include in your Memory Book; bring in your yearbooks from Freshman and Sophomore year

Nov 15

Introduce Figurative Language (handout description)

Poetry DVD Volume 2

Crafting Poetry Slam

Poetry Slam

Classroom sharing of Fig. Language worksheet

Cover the details of your freshman and sophomore years at AHS: highlight troubles, successes, failures, sports, friends, teachers, coaches, heartbreaks, etc. (Ch. 14); Look back through your yearbooks to remind you

Nov

19-23

FALL

BREAK

HOLIDAY

THANKSGIVING

Nov 26

DVDs of Heather Hodges and Lara from Palo Alto High School

“The Art of Disappearing” by Naomi Shihab Nye; “Fog” by Carl Sandburg; “Dreams” by Langston Hughes

Terms worksheet; Metaphor Medley worksheet; Onomatopoeia/Simile/ Metaphor worksheet;

Figurative Lang. Worksheet

Share;

Relate your feelings now that you’re an Upper-classman; what are your goals? Write

Add some current photos; begin finishing your Memoirs

Nov 28

Creating a storyboard for a poem;

Skeltonic Poems; Define assonance, and consonance

Go to computer lab and learn about IMovie

Share;

What would you change if you could live your life all over again?

Add photographs of people you admire most; Finalize your Memoirs

Nov 30

Youtube “Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allen Poe; Silver Poem Handout

Billy Collins animated poetry on Youtube “Forgetfulness”;

End Rhyme and

alliteration

Define: Free Verse with SmartBoard examples;  handout Description/Transition words, Figurative Language Handout

Write a single sound poem;

Go to computer lab and work on IMovie

Dec 4

Watch Norton CD –Sister Arts

SmartBoard: Dramatic (Narrative) Poem

language and diction: internal rhyme, onomatopoeia, connotation and denotation

Go to computer lab and work on IMovie

(1^st part of class) Share your Memoirs

MEMOIRS DUE

Write a poem using Free Verse, assonance and consonance

Bring lyrics of your favorite song(s) [print them off of the internet]

Dec 5/6

(12/5 Chanukah)

lyrics:

The Writer’s Almanac; poems on NPR

Finding Your Voice

Go to computer lab and finish IMovie;

Lyric Poem, Cento, Elegy, Acrostic Poem

Share your lyrics, songs, etc.

Begin finding your favorite poem, copy it, look up the author’s bio; find your favorite song, print the lyrics, look up the author’s bio.  Be prepared to share beginning next week.

Dec 7/10

The Language Game; Expression; Watch Slam Nation

Power of Words;

Hip Hop Party

Share your lyrics, songs, etc.

Write a Dramatic Poem based upon your favorite work of art – print the work up and attach it to your poem

Dec 11/12 (COLL)

Short Story Reading “You Are A Prom Queen” from 21 Proms

Rorschach Test – describe what you see, share your answers

Scavenger Hunt (20 Minutes);

Short Story:

“Brainstorming the Narrative Paragraph” Narration and Plot

Discuss AgouraPhobia

Dec 13/14

Begin watching Shadows in the Sun; Read “Choosing Words and Details Carefully”

The Norton Anthology “The Author’s Work as Context”

“A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor with Questions on the Web to discuss

Short Story: Continue writing Narrative Paragraph and then share

Dec 17/18

Watch Shadows in the Sun; Read The Norton Anthology “Literary Kind as Context: Initiation Stories”

“Araby” by James Joyce on CD

Watch “The Author’s Work as Context” (Norton CD)

Begin writing Short Story

Dec 19/20

Watch Shadows in the Sun; Read The Norton Anthology “The Form as Context: The Short Story”

 “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid on CD

Continue writing Short Story

Dec 21-

Jan 4

Revision – setting and imagery convey Aristotle’s pathetic fallacy

Organizing paragraphs – where should you break a paragraph?

Dramatica Pro Workshop

Begin revising Short Story in writer’s workshops

Jan 7/8

Revision – add depth and background to your characters

Sentence Fluency: review some sentence structures, good v. bad

Dramatica Pro Workshop (cont’d.)

Foreshadowing

Continue revising Short Story in writer’s workshops

Jan 9 (SDD)/10

Distribute and review “Steps for Writing a Short Story”

Distribute “Point of View”

Write brief accounts and share them

Distribute “Paragraphs of Description” and complete “activities” sections

Jan 11/14

Revision – characterization through description, dialogue and actions

Distribute “Walking in Someone elses shoes”

Read an excerpt from Mellville’s Bartleby in Norton Anthology

Distribute “Dialogue: Quotation Marks” Distribute: “Conversations of a Clothes Kind”

Distribute and write “Painting with Words – Deer Hunter”

Jan 15/16

Revision - voice

Bring in an outline

Read excerpts from Their Eyes were Watching God, To Kill a Mockingbird

Jan 17/18

Bring in a rough draft

Continue revising Short Story in writer’s workshops

Jan 22/23

(1/21 Islamic New Year)

Jan 24/25

FINAL EXAM WEEK

Jan 28-30

Feb 5

Elements of Setting: Aristotle’s Pathetic Fallacy

Watch Journey of a Lifetime: Paris

“So There I Was…” letter

The Word Shelf, p. 44 Writing Creatively

Feb 7

Watch Journey of a Lifetime: Lapland; go on a nature walk in the cold morning (One Note)

Write a postcard, be as concise as possible

Feb 11

Conde Nast Travler: Where are you? Podcast

Watch Journey of a Lifetime: Venice

Description: Elaborative Sentences

Write a “Where are you?” About Venice using 10 elaborative sentences.

Feb 13

Descriptive: Appealing to the Reader’s Five Senses

Watch Journey of a Lifetime:Egypt

Brainstorming for ideas to start: Write about Egypt including words from your brainstorm

Share

Feb 15

Watch DVD

Feb 20

(18^th Holiday)

Organization: The Opening Paragraph, Development

Read and listen to podcast of “The Italian Job” from Outside Mag.

Write an Opening Paragraph to grab your reader’s attention (about Australia)

Watch Journey of a Lifetime: Australia

Feb 22

Humor (One Note)

Pass out Conventions check list

Watch Journey of a Lifetime:Hawaii

Write a paragraph on Hawaii – make it funny.  Be a tourist

Feb 26 (SDD)

What do inanimate objects feel? What do they see, hear, sense, touch & experience?

Watch The Red Balloon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPoc9Jtx8YE&feature=related

A day in the life of chewing gum. Is it friends with the other gum sticks? 

Feb 28

Suspension of disbelief: defined

Read The One Act Play, p. 1-7

Glossary of Terms for drama

Write and share a one page script of dialogue with description of scene from the Smart Board

Dress differently and watch how people react to you.  Fill out worksheet “All About You”

Mar 3

One Act Plays: Elements of a Screen Play on Smart Board

Read The One Act Play, p. 8-12; Read “Reading a One-Act Play” for an example

Watch on YouTube - Common Genres: comedy, action/adventure, thriller, horror, romance, western, science fiction, drama, children’s, mystery, historical, epics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNz9JuwCDIc– evaluate youtube screenplay

Go to your favorite local coffee shop and watch 5 diff. people drink coffee.  Fill out worksheet “Coffee Break”

Mar 5

Indirect characterization through dialogue;

SmartBoard: Building Characters

Read “Building Character: What the Fiction Writers Say”

http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/narrative/digest/essays/characterficti-hart-nnd.html

Reflect on the last argument you had with someone; what did the dialogue look like?  Write down some of the phrases and words that were used

Write a scene together with stage, director, and camera directions: the cat fight!

You’re a TV Star – fill out worksheet

Mar 7

Unity of the play – structure of the three scenes (situation, conflict, struggle, problem, suspense) [One Note]

Aristotle Tragedy vs. Comedy (One Note);

Read “Soliloquys” from Starting Shakespeare p. 41

In a written soliloquy, have your character philosophize about an internal struggle

Share your character’s soliloquy with your partner(s).  Which is the best?  Why?

Voice and TV Worksheet

Mar 11 [COLL]

Interior Monologue: defined

Setting the Scene (handout)

Read “But The One On The Right” by Dorothy Parker

Write your own interior monologue about a relative from your past.

Share with your peers – can you picture the individual; can you sense the tone of the writing?

Mar 12/13

Dramatic monologues: defined (emotion: humor, anger, confrontational, anticipating, sad)

Read “The Lady’s Maid” by Katherine Mansfield

Write a dramatic monologue with a twist (don’t tell us who you are talking to until the end)

Share with your peers – can you empathize the individual; can you feel what he or she is feeling?

Mar 14/17

Go the G-Building

View “Class Action”

Mar 18/19

Asides, Allusions, Action!

Read: “Begin with a Situation” (in file folder)

Brainstorm action verbs – how do you present those on stage?

Stage directions: examples

Write some stage directions which convey action

Look back through your yearbooks to remind you

Mar 20/31

Play “Murder in the Dark”

Read Plot: planning your screenplay

Analyze what your partner is wearing; what does it tell you about him/her?  Write a one page plot with your partner as a murderer and you as the witness.

Share your characterizations with each other

Add some current photos; begin finishing your Memoirs

Mar 24-28

Scenario: Read “from scenario to script”

Read and Act Out “Girl Town”

Begin writing a one act play: start with a scenario

Work on creating a believable scenario

Add photographs of people you admire most; Finalize your Memoirs

Apr 1/2 (SDD)

Read “Script Writing Tips”

Finish reading “Girl Town”

Write 3 scenarios for a one act play

Create 3 characters (antagonist, protagonist, minor)

Apr 3/4

Look up best screenplay from Academy Awards for the past 10 years

Vote on the best screenplay of those listed

Have another student peer review your one-act play

Revise your one-act play

Apr 7/8

Collect One-Act Screenplays

Watch the Screenplay

and evaluate

Read a few fairy tales: Princess and the Pea, The Little Mermaid, Puss and Boots, Sleeping Beauty, Rapuzel, etc.

Apr 9/10

Spring Break

Vacation

Find and read and summarize a children’s book

Apr 11/14

Begin Research on Children’s Book: Watch Dragon Tales 9:00 on KCET Ch. 28

The California Standards for 1^st Grade Children: what are they?

Introduction to Literary Theory: a Sampling of Critical Lenses: archetypal, feminist, Marxist, New, Psychoanalytic, Reader-Response, Deconstruction, Historical, Structuralism

Cover the details of your freshman and sophomore years at AHS: highlight troubles, successes, failures, sports, friends, teachers, coaches, heartbreaks, etc. (Ch. 14); share

Find and read and summarize a children’s book number 2-3;

Begin thinking about your Children’s Book

Apr 15/16

Review characteristics of a Tall Tale (One Note)

Tall Tales: Read “Paul Bunyan”, and Pecos Bill; Watch Tall Tales;

Write your own tall tale

Share;

Relate your feelings now that you’re an Upper-classman; what are your goals? Write

Begin outlining the story for your children’s book

Apr 17/18

Read “Recognizing  Fables” and create a Honeybee/Bear fable

Read Aesop’s Fables for some examples

Groups of three write and illustrate a fable to share with the class next time we meet

Share;

What would you change if you could live your life all over again?

Research lyrics to your favorite carols

Apr 21/22 (SDD)

Review Elements of a modern Fable

Read “The Unicorn in the Garden” (handout) by James Thurber

Write and illustrate a fable that would apply to today’s teenager

Finish watching Tale Tales

Finalize your children’s book

Apr 23/24

Review Elements of Myth and Parables

Biblical Examples

Create a Puppet show, write characters, dialogue, setting; Cut out puppets and color them in

(1^st part of class) Share your Memoirs, share your Fables;

Perform the Puppet Show

MEMOIRS DUE

Write a journal entry about your adventures caroling!

Apr 25/28

Review characteristics of a Fairy Tale

Read The Three Little Pigs, Politically Correct Fairy Tales

Analysis of “Alexa, Queen Mab, and the Dragon”

Elaborative Sentences

Watch Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

Explore the Cafeteria, jot down some notes; try to remember your favorite joke to share tomorrow

Apr 29/30

Read “Selling Fiction and Poetry” p. 213-219

Fairies and other wee folk, where they are from

Watch Snow White and Seven Dwarvers

May 1/2

STAR Testing?

Read: “Large publishers” p. 220-227

Finish Puppet Shows

Finish Snow White and Seven Dwarvers

Write a fairy tale

Share your fairy tale

May 5/6

Read “Kid Lit” p. 235-237, show sample children’s educational material at http://www.studydog.com/sample1.asp

Read Turvy the Backwards Horse and Wiggly the Worm

Vowel sounds, consonant sounds –CVC and CVCC charts

Pop Up Book;

Fabric Books; Begin outlining the story for your children’s book

May 7 (COLL)/8

Show, don’t tell – actions speak louder than words

Active vs. passive voice

Work on your children’s book, cut out figures from construction paper

Storyline, characters, cut out paper pop-ups, glue kinetic felty pieces, pipe cleaners, etc.

May 9/12

AP Testing?

Review letter writing to publishers

Draft a letter to a publisher.

Work on your children’s book, cut out figures from construction paper

Storyline, characters, cut out paper pop-ups, glue kinetic felty pieces, pipe cleaners, etc.

May 13/14

AP Testing?

Share your books, Children’s Books due

Diction: short sentences indicate ACTION!

Holiday Caroling

May 15/16

AP Testing?

Collect Children’s Books; pass out

Review – writing your cover letter

Using the five senses: Browsing with Eye and Ear, Writing Creatively, p. 21-24

What did you see, hear, feel, taste, smell?

May 19/20

Developing a sense of the comic, Writing Creatively, p. 186-191

Share your favorite jokes

Who, What, When, Where, Why, How?

Theif~!

May 21 (COLL)/22

Developing a sense of the comic, Writing Creatively, p. 192-200

Look at comic strips; The Simpsons; irony, parody, satire.

What made you laugh?  Why?

Share your comic stories

May 27/28

(23^rd / 26^th Memorial Day)

If you were blind, deaf, or had no sense of touch

How would you describe color, sound, something soft?

Write about the who, what, when, where, why, how

Travel around campus (field, cafeteria) and note who, what, when, where, how, why

May 29/30

(5/? Shavuot)

Giving your character voice – what is voice?

Dialogue-punctuating and paragraph breaks; time change and paragraph breaks

Write the postcard travel adventure – what went smoothly?  What went awry?

June 2/3

Finish your postcard adventure story

June 4/5

June 6/9

June 10/11

Leslie Margolis – Guest Lecturer

A former Agoura High School student, and a current author of young adult fiction. 

Her first novel, Fix, was recently published

by Simon and Schuster. 

Her second novel, Price of Admission, was published in February 2007.

June 12/13

June 16-18

Date

Stranger Than Fiction

Short Story Due

FINAL EXAM

SCHEDULE

HALF DAY

Watch Video