Expository Writing 5/13 – 5/17

 

Monday

 

1. Journal: Of all the things that have happened to you here at Hilliard Davidson, which do you remember best?  Develop.
2. Language of the Day #54: Vocabulary

3. Writer Workshop: Thank you letters
    a. Finish: The Senior Thank You Letter

    b. Don’t forget to proofread!  Remember, this is for real.

    c. Turn in RD to me and have FC checked before you send/deliver.

4. Reminder: You RD of Essay 3 or 4 should be done.

   

Tuesday

 

1. Journal: Why do so many employers and educators put so much emphasis on your response to failure?  How important do you find failure to be in your life and in how you judge others?  Explain.
2. Language of the Day #55: Vocabulary

3. All work prior to Application Essays must be turned in by Friday or it becomes a zero.

    a. 1st nine weeks review essay.

    b. Any and all drafts of Classification Essay

    c. Any and all drafts of Character Sketch

4. Writer Workshop: Application Essays
    a. Review of where we’ve been.

        1. Essay One: Teacher Character Sketch – Skills: application of character sketch, detail, expressing self through another

        2. Essay Two: Misconceptions – Skills: being concise, tone

        3. Essays Three or Four: Problem Solving and Reactions to Failure – Skills: expressing what is good in us by our reactions to failure, focus and precise response to prompt (today).

    b. Guided Revision of Essays 3-4: Being sure you’ve answered the prompt properly.

        1. Read over your draft of Essay 3-4.

        2. I will guide each group – Essays 3 then 4 – through a careful examination of whether or not they have truly answered the prompt as asked.

        3. Once you’ve established that you have indeed answered the prompt properly, revise the essay for

            a. Diction – get some good words in there.

            b. Re-read essay to self, looking to combine at least two choppy sentences.

            c. Be sure your tone is consistent and what you want it to be.

        4. When done with revisions, have SRD checked for points.

 

Wednesday

 

1. Journal: Our next type of application essay deals with your responsibilities as a human being and citizen.  In fact, given your age, this is going to be a common theme in just about everything you do from now on since most of you are about to become actual citizens and self-sufficient human beings.  Take a moment now to simply reflect upon what these ideas – personal responsibility and citizenship – mean to you.  Are you ready for them?  How so?  If not, why not?
2. Language of the Day #56: Vocabulary

3. All work prior to Application Essays must be turned in by Friday or it becomes a zero.

4. Writer Workshop: Application Essays of Personal and Civic Responsibility (5 & 6)
    a. Reminder: If you are a senior, you should be doing these with future plans in mind – think employment, summer internships, scholarship and grant money, grad school, applications to volunteer, etc.

    b. Look specifically at each prompt

        1) Prompt 5: As part of you experience with our school/company, you will be given many individual responsibilities.  Tell us how you’ve prepared for such responsibilities and relate a brief story of great personal triumph in personal responsibility. (3 paragraphs)

            a) focus on you on a personal level (tone)

            b) triumph means to succeed/overcome

c) story – can have narrative elements: I suggest telling the story and commenting on it like a narrator

        2) Prompt 6: What have you done to improve your school, community, country, and/or world? (3 paragraphs)

            a) You have a lot of freedom, so be careful about focus.  It says and/or, so you don’t have to do all of them.  I suggest picking the smaller ones or just one by itself if you have enough on it.

            b) You also have freedom in writing mode: you can go classic essay, but narrative would work as well.  Can you think of any other really creative ways to attack this prompt?

c) Tone is most likely formal since the question itself is neutral.  Formal is always safe and acceptable.

    c. Pre-write now using your favorite prewriting technique.

    d. Then create a brief outline which includes your tone labeled at the top.

    e. Begin drafting if time.

 

Thursday

 

1. Journal: none
2. Language of the Day #57: Vocabulary

3. All work prior to Application Essays must be turned in by tomorrow or it becomes a zero.

4. Writer Workshop: Application Essays
    a. Draft Essay 5 or 6.

    b. Get a peer reader to comment on your paper.

    c. Revise Essay 5 or 6 to create SRD.

    d. Have SRD checked.

 

Friday

 

1. Journal: none
2. Language of the Day #58: Vocabulary

3. All work prior to Application Essays must be turned in now or it becomes a zero.

4. Writer Workshop

a.      Finish essays 3/4 and 5/6 to SRD and have checked – once done you may do the Vocab review.

b.      Vocabulary Review:

1) In groups of 4, use the last two weeks vocab to create a sensical if stupid creative story that includes all 30 words you may be asked about Monday.

2) Read stories to class when done.