Personality Test

HW:  Using the scales you filled out in class, take the free personality test and record your results.

Click the link to take the test. Free Personality Test 

TEST PREP, DAY 1

Again, I apologize for how quickly I had to go through this, but here are helpful hints for Verbal Skill questions.

CLICK HERE

CLOSED

Sorry. No 8th grade this year.





















Penguins do have knees.

Almost Back

Hello 8th graders!

I'm looking forward to starting the school year with you! I hope you've been enjoying the books. Be sure to have your reading logs ready by the end of the first week of school : ) We will spend the first few weeks using those books as a way to introduce the various types of discussions, thinking, and activities we will be doing throughout the school year.

Yes, I mostly copied and pasted my message to the 7th graders. So, here is my personalized salutations to you: For those of you who will be returning to the deep, dark depths of room 120: Beware! I have fangs now.

: )

Sincerely,

Mr. B.

Post Year Reflection

Becoming better at anything requires you to think back on yourself and your performance (reflection).

Brainstorm 3-4 different activities, areas of study, projects, stories, concepts this year during ELA that helped you developed as a writer, listener, speaker, or thinker (essentially, your ELA skill set) Be sure to explain why you feel that way.

Think of outside experiences this year that impacted your ELA skill set--any films, books, trips, presentations, stories, dreams, youtube videos, tweets, Spongebob episodes--that helped you think, write, listen, or speak.




I would review things we've done this year.

Look at your journals, the blog, old assignments. This may benefit you in the near future. . .

Observational Poem

How to write a poem with vivid imagery is less challenging if you take time to observe the world around you.

In your notebooks please write the following with 4-5 lines in between:

What I see:

What I smell:

What I hear:

What I taste:

What I feel/touch:


Post-observational reflection question:

How can you relate what you saw, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted to the way you feel about school? Education in general? The way you feel about your life in this current moment?

Optional HW: (but there's extra credit involved)
Please compose a 3-5 stanza poem on your observations. Try to have a larger statement on your life within your imagery. Please TYPE

HW

Please complete a typed draft of your play-- in the correct play format. (6-10 pages)
Play reviewers: please have a typed draft of your review. Please include the newspaper, magazine, or website you are writing for.

"Workshopping" your plays

During the first half of today's class, your plays will be anonymously evaluated.

When evaluating plays, please consider them "works in progress." ("D work," therefore, probably should not be considered)

After your play has received 2 readings (at least!), you will receive the rubrics back with highlighting on them.

In journals, please reflect on the evaluations. Do you agree, or disagree, why or why not. It's okay to get sassy here (no one has to see this reflection but you), but also try to be objective and fair about your own work.

For the final portion of class, TACTFULLY discuss your plays, the evaluations, or your reflection of those evaluations with a partner (i.e. "do you agree with this person's opinion that my conflict is resolved too easily?")

Plot twists and Conflicts and the mundane

Just a reminder: Do not write a play that exists for the sole purpose of having a plot twist. The "Duh-DuH-DUH!" ending is cheesy and not the best use of your expansive minds.

Good conflicts come from unique situations and characters. Do your characters have a unique view on life? Is your situation (premise) original? In a short play, conflict is more meaningful when it's produced through your characters rather than an outside force.

Do NOT overlook the mundane (the everyday things) as source for interesting plays. Aisle six in Wegmans might change your life one day. (another line for my biography?...a possible chapter title? Who knows. I'm just the looks, not the brains of this operation)

PLAY SCRIPT FOR HW

HW: Please complete the first page of your page of your play with the CORRECT script formatting.

If you are writing a review, please watch your play on youtube. On Monday,  provide me with the link of the version you watched.

Dear Mr. B.
Remind students about punctuation, unnecessary stage directions and utterances.

Love,
Mr. B.

IT WAS ALL A DREAM!!!!!!

If your play does this, get back to the drawing board.


Your first idea probably won't be your best. Be free. Jot down 10 ideas, 100 IDEAS EVEN!

The Three C's

Please read. (First 15 minutes  of class)

The middle of a play is fraught with a series of obstacles (rising action). During the middle, you need to pay attention to the 3 C's: conflict, crisis, and complication. These 3 C's will lead to the dark moment of your play (more on that later).

Conflict can be person vs. person (often true in plays), person vs. self (also common), person vs. society (common as well if done correctly), and person vs. nature (God, etc.) (not as great, but some plays do this one perfectly.) The more interesting the conflict, the more interesting the play. Crises and complications cause the conflict to be more interesting. The crisis is a critical moment--a place in time for the protagonist to act, make a decision--that usually has consequences. Complications are problems (usually unforeseen) that arise to thwart or challenge the protagonist.



THEN, draw a picture that represents the relationship between the three C's. You might start by drawing a symbolic representation of each C first, then arrange them.  




By the end of class, on a half sheet of paper, please describe a premise you are thinking about using for your play.

Switching Dialogues/Monologues

DO NOT GIVE YOUR PARTNER YOUR CHARACTERS' BIO INFO.

Instead, they will read your dialogue and do two things: PLEASE WRITE ON PARTNER'S PAPER
1.Cast an actor/actress
2.  provide reasoning for why the actor fits the character.

If your partner can do this with relative ease (given they put in some critical thinking as well), then you did a nice job of SHOWING character.







On to the big question!

To write a play or to analyze!

Writing a dialogue or monologue

The dialogue or monologue is due Tuesday. Here's what you'll need to do:

Start with a character. Give him/her a a name (see brainstorming activities for names on 10 Minute play formula sheet). Describe the character's personality and goals. Be descriptive.

Repeat.

Incorporate these characters into a short (2-3 page) dialogue that clearly represents motive or at the very least, PERSONALITY. This doesn't have to be an incredibly insightful or profound dialogue, but it should clearly SHOW who your characters are (versus a narrator "telling").

If you'd like, you may choose to write a monologue

Monologue- extended speech made by one character. (could be innermost mental thoughts, or simply a rant or speech on a topic or something that is on their mind--perhaps a recent event that has affected him/her)

If you choose to write a monologue, 1 page will do.

Play reading groups, Day 1

You will be reading two-three more short plays (depending on how smoothly this goes), ending with a dialogue writing activity at the end of the week.


You have been given a sheet to fill out to direct your reflection of how the play works as a shorter piece. Each person should fill one out.

*MISSING ITEM: On back, please give each character a short profile. What's their personality? How do they present themselves? What do they want most? etc.

While the Auto Waits

In your small groups please read While the Auto Waits. Please note some structural similarities among the plays we've read so far (Twelve Angry Men and "The Rising of the Moon").


Free-style Friday: IRONY AND PLOT TWISTS are great, but pointless if they're just for shock value/entertainment. So why are they there?






In PAIRS or alone. Write a short dialogue incorporating the theme of mistaken identities. This should between ONLY TWO characters. This can be as goofy and lighthearted as you'd like, but be sure to give your characters distinct motivations. DROP US RIGHT INTO TO THE CONVERSATION!

Tableau for "The Rising of the Moon"

Tableau: a group of models or motionless figures representing a scene from a story

Task: In a group of 3-4 (I will assign groups), please share your journal entries on the 10 minute play formula and how it applies to "The Rising of the Moon"

Next, you are to choose one of the concepts and represent it through a tableau scene using the moments, characters, or set from "The Rising of the Moon" You will probably need at least 2 performers and 1 person to clearly relate how the FROZEN scene relates to the concept it is trying to illustrate. You may be symbolic or literal. I will enact one as a model.

Writing letters to Vets

Even though I truly believe you are doing this out of the goodness of your hearts, I would like to reward promptness in regards to completing your letters. Ergo, if 2/3 of the class (that means, 14 students in 8-1, 12 students in 8-2, and and 13 students in 8-3) has a copy of their letter by Monday, I will provide play reading groups with juice and donuts for the following day (Tuesday).


Also, the subject-verb agreement in the bold sentence gave me some trouble. Should it be: 2/3 of the class has or 2/3 of the class have?  I did some research but it's still a bit hazy. This is one of those great moments where grammar (small g) is truly grammar (explorative, wild, untamed, versus rigid and strict).

 If you're curious, here's the blog I checked: grammar exchange

Continuing with "The Rising of the Moon"

Read through all of "The Rising of the Moon" In your journal, mark any section that confused, or are unsure of. Perhaps write your confusion in the form of a clarifying question.



HW: IN JOURNAL: Choose any 3 of the concepts or terms from the 10 minute play formula sheet. Describe, with strong reasoning, how the concept is incorporated into the play. Here's a copy of the play to reference: "THE RISING OF THE MOON"







Sample: This play contains a premise that allows for an inciting incident. The premise is three Irish law officials (working for British government) are on the lookout for a dangerous Nationalist rebel, and that while his capture will yield a reward, it would be an unpopular action among family and friends.

The Rising of the Moon

"The Rising of the Moon" (song)

Historical context for the song

Mr. B's attempt at History:

"The Rising of the Moon" is a One Act play by Lady Gregory, first performed in 1907. The play deals with the ongoing tension between Irish nationalism and loyalty to the British government.

PLEASE NOTE: The POLICEMEN in the play (Sergeant included) are Irishmen working for the British government. Britain governs this part of Ireland at this time. Nationalists were known as rebels and organized demonstrations (some violent), to liberate Ireland from British rule. Anyone involved in the Nationalist party was thought as a threat. The fugitive in this play is thought to be a very dangerous leader of this party.


Journal: Describe the premise of the play/

             What is the inciting incident?