Mini Lesson On MLA Formatting/Heading

Please write the following in your notebooks. 

Essay requirements/format
1.  Include a thoughtful, creative title that reflects your main idea. This must be centered.
2. Type in 12 pt. font, Times New Roman
3. Double Spacing
4. 1 inch margins, all around
5. Your last name, followed by the page number in the top right hand corner (*I will show you)
6. Correctly formatted in text citations: (London 2).

HEADING:

Your heading must include the following (put a space between each one):
1. Your name
2. Teacher
3. Class 
4. Date: Day Month Year (no commas)

This is located in the top left-corner of your paper.

It should look like this:

Ben Wade Dinfwever

Mr. Reekilla

ELA

01 November 2013

HW for 8-3

Sections 8-1 and 8-2 are free from the bonds of ELA homework.

However, 8-3, you've got yourself a tasty little entree dish of work tonight:

1. Typed Thesis
2. 2/3 of your body paragraph charts

Below, I've included a model and a blank template (in case you left it at school):

Thesis statement:  “The Most Dangerous Game” can be read as a cautionary tale, suggesting that one’s arrogance can lead to unfortunate consequences. 

Evidence	Explanation	Main Idea
“The general was playing with him. The general was saving him for another day’s sport.”	The general doesn’t take Rainsford as a serious threat, demonstrating the general’s sense of superiority. In fact, Zaroff treats this experience as merely play or “sport,” furthering the claim that he does not anticipate any harm.	The general displays a great deal of arrogance.
“The general was playing with him. The general was saving him for another day’s sport.”	Here, the general decides not to kill Rainsford. He is trying to prolong the hunt.
		Rainsford’s displays a great deal of arrogance.
		These characters, as a result of their arrogance, suffer negative consequences.

Evidence	Explanation	Main Idea

Introductory Paragraphs

Here's a short video to review how to write introductory paragraphs!



To review, you need:
1. A hook, an opening statement--some quote, anecdote, comparison, comment, question, that  INTRODUCES THE TOPIC OF YOUR PAPER. Do not write the thesis as your opening statement.

2. Any relevant background info about the stories you're analyzing.

3. A thesis statement: includes the argument and stories you're writing on.

4. A "So what?"--what significance or big conclusion can be drawn from your argument?





-a·nal·y·sis

noun

1. 1.

   detailed examination of the elements, structure, or ideas of something, typically as a basis for discussion or interpretation

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

Story Of Keesh

If you have not successfully traversed the internet seas, here is the "Story of Keesh" Click here.

HW for 8-1, 8-2

Please have 2/3 of your charts filled out for tomorrow's class. That means that 2 of the 3 body paragraphs should be charted out: the evidence boxes, the explanation boxes should be complete for 2 of the 3 main ideas of your essay.

Survival Unit- The Essay Prompts

In case you lost it!

Name_________________________________                                                                            

ESSAY TOPICS

 “The Story of Keesh” and “The Most Dangerous Game” both explore survival in an extreme environment or situation. In a five-paragraph essay, explain how both stories explore and develop one of the following ideas:

1.       Setting and Survival:  How does the environment impact how easy or difficult it is to survive?

Setting is time (of day and period of history), weather, and location .Think about the various challenges to survival that the setting (in both stories) poses for the main characters. Also, consider how setting might actually aid in survival.

2.       Values and Survival: How does survival in an extreme environment impact one’s sense of values? Does it strengthen them? Weaken them? Change them in any way?

Think about what characters value. How do you know they value such things? Think about the decisions that characters make. What does that tell you about characters and their values?

3.       Character Traits and Survival: What types of skills or character traits are required to survive in an extreme setting?

Think about what characters do to survive. Be sure to use vivid, clear descriptions of each skill or character trait you develop. For example:  The characters are good at surviving because they know how to survive is incredibly vague.

Develop a descriptive thesis statement (your argument for the essay). Remember, your thesis statement is NOT your entire intro—just the sentence or two that lays out your main focus for the paper. Be sure to include titles of the stories in your thesis statement.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

HW for sections 8-1 and 8-2

Here is the HW for sections 8-1 and 8-2: BE SURE TO ACTUALLY WRITE THE BODY PARAGRAPH, since this is simply a planning page.

NAME___________________________

Gathered below are a few of the questions (slightly modified) you asked at the beginning of the unit.

Choose either “The Most Dangerous Game” or “The Story of Keesh” to write a well-constructed body  paragraph (IREEC) on one of the following:  

In “The Story of Keesh” how does the relationship with one’s family affect survival?

How does the main character’s prior skills help him to survive?

How does the setting impact survival?

What is one of the traits that allows the main character to survive?

After the survivor situation, does the main character rethink his perspective on life?

Does one change after surviving in a dangerous environment? (be specific with how)

Topic sentence that contains a specific main idea______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Evidence	Explanation

Writing your own IREEC-format paragraph

-Get out your completed response to the question posed last class

-Mingle with others. Compare how you introduce your evidence, the evidence itself, the explanation, and the concluding sentence.

Try to gather the following data on our use of IREEC:

-What do people seem to be doing or understanding well?

-What do people seem to be misunderstanding or off-target with?

After our mingling session, write a brief freewrite that captures your responses

IREEC

Please mark up the following on your copy (yes, the paper actually belongs to you):

1. Circle the phrase or words that have the main idea in the topic sentence 


2. Underline the sentences that introduce and build up to the evidence

3. bracket the evidence (the quote)

4. highlight the explanation

--Answer on back: How does this explanation relate back to the main argument/idea of this paragraph

Complete the second half of this response, following the same format. Be sure to include a concluding sentence.

Hotseat questions

HW: Look at what you have left on the planning sheet--assign an item number to each group member to finish.

Brainstorm 3 questions for either Rainsford or Zaroff:

One think and search
One author and me
One on my own

Hotseat homework

HW: (IN YOUR JOURNALS--AT LEAST A HALF PAGE)

If you were on the hotseat today, reflect on your experience. How did it feel to be in the hotseat?  What did you learn about your character from doing this? What was challenging? Did you like answering questions? Why or why not?

If you were not on the hotseat, write about something you learned from asking questions and relating to characters. Also evaluate our use of this activity. (Was it helpful? What worked well? What could make it better next time?)

A quick note about Author and Me questions/responses

As I was grading your "Author and Me" questions, I began to detect a pattern: there was often a lack of attention toward meaning/significance for the work as a whole. Remember, the goal of AM questions is to unpack an unwritten idea that often helps us see the bigger picture of the story more clearly. As a result, we have to think about the whole story and what it's trying to do or communicate when answering these questions--we are making meaning with the text! So to make sure you're on track while responding to an AM question, ask yourself, "so what?" (which, in effect, challenges you to seek the significance or the value of your ideas to the text). In other words, how do your ideas extend our understanding of the text: the characters, setting, themes (a message or observation about the human condition).

For example, if you ask, "Why does the author describe the air as poisonous?" an undeveloped response would include that the author is trying to create a spooky atmosphere. While that may be true, you should be challenging yourself to determine why a spooky atmosphere even matters in the first place.

A better response would look at the word choice of "poisonous" and how this word specifically relates to the events that follow. So, it is not simply a mood creating device, but it develops the idea that the environment of this story has a profound effect on the mind and body of a person.

This type of thinking won't happen automatically, but you must continue to think about what you're writing to sharpen your ability to write in creative and critical ways

The Hotseat

As mentioned earlier, we cannot fully understand a book, unless we understand the characters and their way of thinking. In order take on the minds of the characters in "The Most Dangerous Game" we are going to do a "hotseat" activity.

In a hotseat activity, you "become" a particular character and have to answer some questions by a group of curious reporters, almost like a press conference. 

Today, you will plan a hotseat, see a model, and we'll brainstorm some good questions (think and search, author and me, and on my own)

8th grade homework: How to answer an "author and me" question

In groups share your "Think and Search" and "Author and Me" questions. Be sure to speak up for yourself if you are unsure about a question. Your group members can help you determine the type of question you've written. Group members, it is your responsibility to challenge a question if something seems off to you. If no one is sure, you may call me over.

Meanwhile, a paper plate will be passed among your group members. Write one of your Think and Search and one of your Author and Me questions on the paper plate. Identity what type of question it is in parentheses.



These questions are usually the most challenging for students to answer because it relies on an individual's ability to make meaning with the text, instead of simply extracting information that's already there.

These are indeed questions of interpretation and can be answered in a virtually unlimited number of ways, BUT the text MUST support what you're saying. Texts, believe it or not, do ask to be read in certain ways, and we have to respect that as much as possible when making our inferences (for example, although details might suggest that General Zaroff is involved in vampirism, we must challenge ourselves to question whether that interpretation contributes to a greater understanding of the text's meaning ).

For HW, you have written your best "author and me" question. You will attempt to answer this question by making solid inferences based on your background knowledge/experiences, but also using the text to support your FRESH ideas.

HW requirements:
1. Please answer your question on loose leaf
2. You must make inferences (this is how you interact with the text, bring your own knowledge and experiences of the world to the story)
3. You must use the text to support your inferences (this is paying attention to the text and how it asks to be read)
4. No length requirement. Just answer the question as completely as you can.

Preparing your newscast!

Here are some tips for writing the newscast:

1. For whatever event you decide to report on, write your script as if it is happening LIVE! In other words, write as if you don't know how things are going to turn out in the end.
2. Start off your newscast by clearly stating the WHO,WHAT, WHERE, WHY, WHEN, and HOW.
3. Be a ham. Get into the role while writing. This is news! There's an audience that will change the channel if it's not interesting!
4.Interview at least 2 characters, but no more than 4.
5. Your questions should be burning questions--ones that address important, compelling questions that an audience might have given the circumstances. Random questions should be avoided: Do you enjoy cake, Mr. Ugh-Gluk?
6. Characters must respond in the way they have been characterized in the actual story.
7. End your newscast by restating the main idea of your news report PLUS any  new "scoops" or developments as a result of your character interviews.


HW: Type up your script for Monday's class. Be prepared to share your work with classmates. If you need to reference the story from home, click here.

Reporting on the Scene

Now that we've completed the story, decide what part of the story you want to report out, LIVE, ON THE SCENE!

You are going to write a newscast script that includes a reporter who delivers the who, what, where when, why, and how and poses BURNING questions to characters who respond appropriately, based on their characterization.

Remember, it is important for you to address the who, what, why, where, when, and how BUT also to further understand the events and their impact on characters.


Having trouble characterizing?

Think of three decisions or statements a character has made and what each one teaches you about their personality.


HW for all sections EXCEPT 8-3 (Monday's 9th period class): Brainstorm for script in journal: 

What event will you report on?

Describe your who, what, where, when, who, and how

What questions will you ask?

What characters will you interview?

Characterization notes

Characterization Notes

What is characterization? Well, it refers to the various means by which an author describes and develops character. We've discussed how it is important to view to see how characters are "alive." So how do authors have their characters "come alive"? 

Here are a few ways:

describing characters' thoughts, emotions, physical appearance, family, culture, environment, actions, and conversations.

There are two types of characterization:

direct characterization- explicitly presenting information about the characters (telling the reader about the characters)

indirect characterization- depicting who characters are through their actions, values, words, thoughts, and feelings (showing the reader what a character is like).

Reading to "break the story"

No, you're not damaging anything. I mean "break the story" in the way that on-the-scene news reporters use it. Placing yourself in a story is the only way you can really reflect on a story's meaning. What does that mean? It means visualizing the setting and seeing how it has an impact on events and characters' lives. It means understanding characters as emotional, thinking beings with motives. It's about bringing your understanding of how the world works to the author's story-world and working together to create a valuable learning experience. We read to learn.

So, how do we emphasize putting ourselves in the story?  Quite simply, become part of the story as a witness, or more accurately, as a news reporter. News reporters look for important stories within their community that alert people to major crimes, city-developments, or other events that may impact their everyday lives. Similarly, good readers must be highly observant participants in a story-world in order to capture the major details and events that impact the meaning of the story.

Journalism

You're looking for stories to "break" while reading. What major story events could be broken down into news stories? Here are some areas to look at while trying to pick out major events:

1. Exposition- what starts the major conflict of the story.
2. Rising action-what major action does a character decide to take to settle the conflict? What complications or issues arise in the middle of solving the conflict?
3. Climax-the turning point in a story--a decision has to be made or something major is about to be revealed!
4. Resolution- how does the conflict get solved (for better or for worse)

As a reporter, you must be objective and leave out your opinion. Just report the facts of the situation. Reporters use the 5 Ws and 1 H strategy when exploring their stories and delivering them to an audience.

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


Let's watch a professional: News Report

You must write like the event you're reporting on is CURRENT NEWS: Today in The Kingdom, Goldilocks learned her lesson. REMEMBER: You are pretending to write about events AS they unfold—so even though you may know how something gets resolved, keep your story focused on your “what.”