Dear 8th Grade

Dear 8th Grade,

This is a weird feeling for me. I never had to say goodbye to a class before, let alone a class that I deeply care about, and will continue to care about. I just wanted to let you know how much I loved (yes, loved) working with you this year. Everday since 10:30AM on June 25 when Mr. Tata called to offer me the job, I've been looking forward to seeing you and hearing your strange and beautiful comments on life. I will still have this feeling up until June 24th at approximately 7:30 PM, when we we're all together for the very last time. If you're keeping count, that's 364 days and 9 hours that you've been the very first thing on my mind. And it saddens me that I won't have your goofiness, sincerity, thoughtfulness, and friendliness to look forward to or experience each day. But lucky for me, memories aren't bound by minutes, hours, days, or years. I'll treasure them forever.

I'm probably supposed to give some advice at this point so I'm going to share with you something my elementary school principal said just about everyday: Remember who you are and what you are about.
If you can do this, you'll have no problem "letting your body out" on the dance floor.

I'll always consider myself your teacher. Best of luck in the future, and I'll see you further on down the road.

Love,

Mr. B.

Exam review: Poetic Devices

Hey, remember this?

Poetic Devices:

Tone: A poem's tone, conveyed by the speaker, is the attitude toward its theme or subject matter. Tone can shift throughout a poem. Ex. A hopeful tone that becomes hopeless by poem’s end.

Mood:  The mood, conveyed by imagery, is the feeling or atmosphere of a piece. The mood can be many different things. Some examples included: a feeling of love, a feeling of doom, a feeling of fear, a feeling of pride, an atmosphere of chaos, an atmosphere of peace.

Metaphor: A metaphor takes two things and claims they are the same, without using “like” or “as.”

Simile: A simile takes two things and claims they are the same using “like” or “as.”

Imagery:  Details that appeal to our five senses:  hearing, sight, touch, smell, and taste.

Personification: Giving human characteristics to inanimate objects: The summer wind’s bitter hot breath gave no relief to the tired workers.

Stanza: A stanza is a group of lines within a poem; the blank line between stanzas is known as a stanza break. There is not set number of lines for a stanza.

Repetition: A word or phrase is repeated for emphasis, oftentimes to develop a theme, mood, or tone.

Keep in mind other terms: symbolism, theme, assonance, consonance, alliteration, word choice, connotation, patterns

Correcting Run-ons (just in case you lost the sheet)

Run-on Sentences: Correcting Run-on Sentences

APPLICATION 1

The first way to correct a run-on sentence is to separate the independent clauses into distinct sentences.

Run-on: This is not such an elegant playground, still, the kids love it.
Corrected: This is not such an elegant playground. Still, the kids love it.

To correct a run-on by this method, you need a period to mark the end of one sentence and a capital letter to mark the beginning of the next one.

Application 2

A second method of correcting run-ons is to compound the independent clauses with a conjunction or a semicolon.

Run-on: That dog is the one that helped me he still scares me.
Corrected: That dog is the one that helped me, but he still scares me.

When you compound independent clauses, put a comma in front of the conjunction. Remember that a comma by itself is not enough. Review these conjunctions:

and |	for |	or |	yet
but |	nor |	so

You may compound two clauses with a semicolon (;) in those rare cases where the clauses are so closely related that you don't need another word to show their relationship.

Run-on: By 7:30, it was too late the show had already begun.
Corrected: By 7:30, it was too late; the show had already begun.

Application 3

A third method of correcting run-ons is to take away the independence of one of the clauses by adding a dependent word (subordinate conjunction).

Run-on: I won't pay these bills, you explain them to me right now.
Corrected: I won't pay these bills unless you explain them to me right away.

When you put a dependent word in front of one clause, you deprive it of its independence and allow it to become embedded in the other clause. (See Chapter 5.) The dependent words who, whose, which, and that are special. When one of these introduces a clause, it replaces a word in the process:

Run-on: This is Myrella's winning lottery ticket, she bought it at Corsetti's Market.
Corrected: This is Myrella's winning lottery ticket which she bought it at Corsetti's Market.

List of Subordinating Conjunctions

What follows is a list of common subordinating conjunctions used in the English language:

• after
• although
• as
• as if
• as long as
• as much as
• as soon as
• as though
• because
• before
• even
• even if
• even though
• if
• if only
• if when
• if then 
• inasmuch
• in order that
• just as
• lest
• now
• now since
• now that
• now when
• once
• provided
• provided that
• rather than
• since
• so that
• supposing
• than
• that
• though
• til
• unless
• until
• when
• whenever
• where
• whereas
• where if
• wherever
• whether
• which
• while
• who
• whoever
• why

Examples:

• After running five miles around the track, Henry was much too tired to go to basketball practice.
• Now that Maria has earned enough money, she can finally buy the concert tickets.
• He will be allowed to go to the zoo, provided that his homework is finished in time.
• You cannot watch television, unless you complete your chores.
• While Alex is a good tennis player, Samantha is better.

Outsider Topics/Concepts by class

Pay attention to the class section. Here are topics we generated in class:

8-1

The way outsiders feel about being outsiders.

Outsiders and the struggle with identity

Outsiders and control

Alienation (self-alienation)

Fitting in (assimilation)

Appearance versus reality

Suffering/coping

Miscommunication/Misunderstanding

Adoption of superficial cultural values

Embracing culture/tradition

Unrealistic expectations/ fantasy

Outsiders life choices

Societal factors that create outsiders

Outsiders and equality

Coping mechanisms

Outsiders: because of self or society? (or both?)
Outsiders interactions with “insiders”

Outsiders: insecurities/low self-esteem

Outsider benefits

Outsider perspective versus “insider” perspective

Outsider pain/ internal struggle

Outsiders and humor

Outsiders’ mental/emotional states

Outsiders and addiction

Outsider expectations

Outsider values
Outsider responsibility

8-2

The way outsiders feel about being outsiders.

Outsiders and the struggle with identity

Outsiders and control

Alienation (self-alienation)

Fitting in (assimilation)

Appearance versus reality

Suffering/coping

Miscommunication/Misunderstanding

Adoption of superficial cultural values

Embracing culture/tradition

Unrealistic expectations/ fantasy

Outsiders and lack of control

Outsiders evolving

Outsiders’ acceptance

Outsider by choice/ by force

Changing one’s outsider status

Society creating outsiders

Behavior of outsiders around non-outsiders

Varieties of outsiders

Personalities of outsiders

Outsiders feelings on “in” crowd

Outsiders on the edge of family AND society

8-3

Outsider Communities

Outsider role reversal/acceptance

Self-made outsiders

Outsider evolution

Culture interpretation

Outsider as not alienated

Outsider as foreigner

The struggle of escape

The insider attraction

The way outsiders feel about being outsiders.

Outsiders and the struggle with identity

Outsiders and control

Alienation (self-alienation)

Fitting in (assimilation)

Appearance versus reality

Suffering/coping

Miscommunication/Misunderstanding

Adoption of superficial cultural values

Embracing culture/tradition

Unrealistic expectations/ fantasy

8-4

Outsider perspective on society

Outsider communities

Society’s perspective on outsiders

How the outsider deals with/reacts to society

Outsiders and family

Benefits of being an outsider

Outsiders’ interactions with other outsiders

Outsiders’ interactions with society

Outsiders and culture

Outsiders and stereotypes

Societal effects on outsiders

Emotions and outsiders

The way outsiders feel about being outsiders.

Outsiders and the struggle with identity

Outsiders and control

Alienation (self-alienation)

Fitting in (assimilation)

Appearance versus reality

Suffering/coping

Miscommunication/Misunderstanding

Adoption of superficial cultural values

Embracing culture/tradition

Unrealistic expectations/ fantasy

8-5

Outsider Communities

Outsider role reversal/acceptance

Self-made outsiders

Outsider evolution

Culture interpretation

Outsider as not alienated

Outsider as foreigner

The struggle of escape

The insider attraction

The way outsiders feel about being outsiders.

Outsiders and the struggle with identity

Outsiders and control

Alienation (self-alienation)

Fitting in (assimilation)

Appearance versus reality

Suffering/coping

Miscommunication/Misunderstanding

Adoption of superficial cultural values

Embracing culture/tradition

Unrealistic expectations/ fantasy

8-6

The way outsiders feel about being outsiders.

Outsiders and the struggle with identity

Outsiders and control

Alienation (self-alienation)

Fitting in (assimilation)

Appearance versus reality

Suffering/coping

Miscommunication/Misunderstanding

Adoption of superficial cultural values

Embracing culture/tradition

Unrealistic expectations/ fantasy
Interaction between different TYPES of outsiders

Outsider traits

Cultural obligations and outsiders

Escaping outsider status

Wants/desires of outsiders

Emotional effects of being outsider

Outsider expectations

Outsider comforts

Outsider perspective on society

Society’s perspective on outsider

Outsider stereotypes

Building An Essay Question PART 1

Think about the question you developed and what outsider topic it deals with. Is this something you can develop in 5 paragraphs using two of the stories we've read?





                                          -----------****THINK TIME-------********----






Now that you've got a topic, it's time to write the first part of your question: the lead.

A lead sets the scene, and often gives the question you're about a sense of purpose. Rather than just asking a question, it's good to explore the real-world connections, because after all, one of the reasons we read and write is to beef up our awareness of ourselves and the world(s) we live in.

Setting the scene: Whenever I pose a question, I introduce the central idea or topic through the following ways:
a. rhetorical questions
b. making connections to the real world,
c. vivid descriptions
d. I bring up two opposing viewpoints (i.e. some people think this, yet some people think this).
Check out an example from a previous journal prompt.


Now it's your turn. Write only a lead for the topic you've choosen for your essay question. We'll get to the next part tomorrow. Yes.