Watch the 17 minute video titled "The 3 A's of Awesome" (link in the sidebar). If you like you may also browse (for a limited time at the moment) the "1000 awesome things" blog.
Your task is to then think of two small pleasures in life that are truly "awesome" and describe them in detail. This means you will have 2 good sized paragraphs (minimum) in your blog.
AWESOME!!!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Blog Roaming
Visit three classmates' blogs and read either their "The Creative Hour" or their novel journal (if they read the same book as you) or their "Top 3" entry. Leave a comment that offers suggestions as to the strengths of the article. It is not good enough to just say "well done" or "good job." You must refer to TWO SPECIFIC aspects of their writing. It may be the introduction, the diction, the imagery, the ideas... It's also not good enough to just say 'Nice diction" or "good ideas." What made the imagery effective? What specifically did you like about the introduction? As well, leave one suggestion for improvement. I will read comments that are posted as well as your blogs. Both will contribute to your blog mark.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Macbeth: Act I
Option 1:
This blog entry is based on what you have taken from the first act of "Macbeth."
There are three parts to this blog. In part one you must summarize in your own words what has happened so far in the play (7-10 key points). In part two you need to describe the character of Macbeth, and be sure to support your description of him with evidence from the play.
Finally you need to change the setting or the genre of the play and describe how (if you were a film director)you would stage the play, and how you would present key scenes(the battle, the witches, Macbeth having visions of the dagger etc.)You can be as creative as you want, and change the play into any genre (science fiction, soap-opera, action, western etc.)that you want.You just have to stay true to the general actions and motivations of the characters.
OR
Option 2: Read the text or go on the internet and read what happens in Act II. Summarize act II and then make a prediction about what you think will happen in the rest of the play.
This blog entry is based on what you have taken from the first act of "Macbeth."
There are three parts to this blog. In part one you must summarize in your own words what has happened so far in the play (7-10 key points). In part two you need to describe the character of Macbeth, and be sure to support your description of him with evidence from the play.
Finally you need to change the setting or the genre of the play and describe how (if you were a film director)you would stage the play, and how you would present key scenes(the battle, the witches, Macbeth having visions of the dagger etc.)You can be as creative as you want, and change the play into any genre (science fiction, soap-opera, action, western etc.)that you want.You just have to stay true to the general actions and motivations of the characters.
OR
Option 2: Read the text or go on the internet and read what happens in Act II. Summarize act II and then make a prediction about what you think will happen in the rest of the play.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
All hail Macbeth!
Today's assignment is to do a little research into topics associated with "Macbeth". Your paragraph must have a clear and engaging introduction, followed by 7-10 facts of information, and finished up with a powerful conclusion. Please remember that this paragraph must be completely in your own words.
Ms. Searcy will assign you one of the following topics:
1. The Real Macbeth
2. King James the first
3. Charles Manson and Macbeth
4. Witches and Witch Hunts
5. The Curse of Macbeth
6. Sleepwalking/hallucinations
7. The Black Death
8. War in Medieval Times
After you have finished your blog, please read 3 of your classmates blogs that have been written on different topics from your own.
Ms. Searcy will assign you one of the following topics:
1. The Real Macbeth
2. King James the first
3. Charles Manson and Macbeth
4. Witches and Witch Hunts
5. The Curse of Macbeth
6. Sleepwalking/hallucinations
7. The Black Death
8. War in Medieval Times
After you have finished your blog, please read 3 of your classmates blogs that have been written on different topics from your own.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The Creative Hour
Your goal is to create a minimum of 300 words in one hour on one of the following topics. You may use a dictionary or thesaurus. You must do your best with the time you have! Hand in what you have finished after exactly one hour. Write with the highest level of diction and creativity that you can!
1. Weave a story that includes this headline: “Giant Flies Invade Norway!”
2. Take the first line of a nursery rhyme to start your story.
3. Write about someone you would love to see put in jail.
4. Erica Jong said, “If you don’t risk anything, you risk more”. Write about what this means to you.
5. Write about a good thing gone bad.
6. Write about a weird day in your workplace.
7. In 300 words, create your ideal place.
8. Use the following words in a story: hypocrite, paperclip, city, telephone, cookie jar
9. List 10 things you can do with Kleenex. Pick one and write about it.
10. Take two people who strongly dislike each other. Stick them both in the backseat of a cab. What happens?
11. What is the worst meal you have had? Write about it as if it is taking place right now.
12. Write about a habit you find hard to break.
13. Use the prompt “I used to think…” as your starter, and write 300 words.
14. The best thing in life is…
15. For 90 seconds, list everything you can think of that would be found in a hospital. Now write a story using every word you have listed, but don’t set your story anywhere near a hospital.
16. List 10 things you will never do. Pick one and expand on it (Or expand on 3 different things to make up 300 words)
17. Cook up your own version of a get rich quick scheme.
18. If an ATM could be custom created for you, what would it spew out instead of money?
19. Complete the statement: “I’d walk a mile for_____________” and continue to write about it.
20. Create a story based on this personification: “love hesitates”.
21. Come up with ten reasons why you should skip bathing for a week.
22. Create a story based on the metaphor: “A plate of fear”
23. I deserve a______________.
24. For 300 words write from the point of view of a strand of hair.
25. Write a story from the perspective of the parents who tried to sell their newborn baby on the Internet for $10,000.
26. In 300 words, describe 3 reasons to turn down a marriage proposal.
1. Weave a story that includes this headline: “Giant Flies Invade Norway!”
2. Take the first line of a nursery rhyme to start your story.
3. Write about someone you would love to see put in jail.
4. Erica Jong said, “If you don’t risk anything, you risk more”. Write about what this means to you.
5. Write about a good thing gone bad.
6. Write about a weird day in your workplace.
7. In 300 words, create your ideal place.
8. Use the following words in a story: hypocrite, paperclip, city, telephone, cookie jar
9. List 10 things you can do with Kleenex. Pick one and write about it.
10. Take two people who strongly dislike each other. Stick them both in the backseat of a cab. What happens?
11. What is the worst meal you have had? Write about it as if it is taking place right now.
12. Write about a habit you find hard to break.
13. Use the prompt “I used to think…” as your starter, and write 300 words.
14. The best thing in life is…
15. For 90 seconds, list everything you can think of that would be found in a hospital. Now write a story using every word you have listed, but don’t set your story anywhere near a hospital.
16. List 10 things you will never do. Pick one and expand on it (Or expand on 3 different things to make up 300 words)
17. Cook up your own version of a get rich quick scheme.
18. If an ATM could be custom created for you, what would it spew out instead of money?
19. Complete the statement: “I’d walk a mile for_____________” and continue to write about it.
20. Create a story based on this personification: “love hesitates”.
21. Come up with ten reasons why you should skip bathing for a week.
22. Create a story based on the metaphor: “A plate of fear”
23. I deserve a______________.
24. For 300 words write from the point of view of a strand of hair.
25. Write a story from the perspective of the parents who tried to sell their newborn baby on the Internet for $10,000.
26. In 300 words, describe 3 reasons to turn down a marriage proposal.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Which Way Does Your Moral Compass Point?
Which way does your moral compass point?
The topic of today's blog is your moral value system. It is important to clarify that what you are meant to discuss is NOT your particular morals, but instead what causes you to have the value system that you do. (You will have an opportunity at the end of the blog to give your opinion on one controversial topic.)
Please read the article "Which way does your moral compass point?" from the Vancouver Sun (linked in the sidebar) and respond in your blog. Use the following questions to guide your response.
1. What do you think are the three most important factors in your life that affect what your value system is? Why do you think each of these are important?
2. Are all value systems (of all people) equally acceptable?
3. Are you a person with a strong sense of what you believe to be clearly right and wrong, or do you see a lot of gray area in many issues?
4. Do you expect that your morals will change in any way over the course of your life. If they do, what will cause them to change?
5. How acceptable do you feel it is to impress YOUR value system on others?
The second part of the blog is to give your opinion on ONE of the following topics:
a) Conducting MEDICAL experiments on animals
b) Wearing fur
c)Cloning humans (or intentionally altering the characteristics of a fetus)
d)The death penalty
e)Abortion
The topic of today's blog is your moral value system. It is important to clarify that what you are meant to discuss is NOT your particular morals, but instead what causes you to have the value system that you do. (You will have an opportunity at the end of the blog to give your opinion on one controversial topic.)
Please read the article "Which way does your moral compass point?" from the Vancouver Sun (linked in the sidebar) and respond in your blog. Use the following questions to guide your response.
1. What do you think are the three most important factors in your life that affect what your value system is? Why do you think each of these are important?
2. Are all value systems (of all people) equally acceptable?
3. Are you a person with a strong sense of what you believe to be clearly right and wrong, or do you see a lot of gray area in many issues?
4. Do you expect that your morals will change in any way over the course of your life. If they do, what will cause them to change?
5. How acceptable do you feel it is to impress YOUR value system on others?
The second part of the blog is to give your opinion on ONE of the following topics:
a) Conducting MEDICAL experiments on animals
b) Wearing fur
c)Cloning humans (or intentionally altering the characteristics of a fetus)
d)The death penalty
e)Abortion
Monday, November 8, 2010
Novel Journal Entry
I am only assigning 1 journal entry for the novel unit, and I usually find this one of the most interesting assignments as I get to have a bit of a dialogue with you about your novel. Please keep the following in mind when it comes to journal writing:
1. Writing in response to reading without a goal of deeper understanding is a waste of time (yours and mine)
2. Your goals are to:a) personalize the story (make it more meaningful for you) b) gain insights about characters c) see the world in a different way
3. The main point of journal writing is to clarify your thoughts by committing your thinking to paper. Please choose a quote or a passage from your novel (include page number) and explain the connection you have made to it. How does the connection you have made help you understand more about the book?
Today you need to post your own journal entry, and respond to one other people in your LIT circle group. As always, proper grammar, spelling, punctuation etc. applies. Finally, make sure you are linked to everyone else who is reading the same novel.
Please include your novel title in your blog title. Example: Journal #1: The Hunger Games
1. Writing in response to reading without a goal of deeper understanding is a waste of time (yours and mine)
2. Your goals are to:a) personalize the story (make it more meaningful for you) b) gain insights about characters c) see the world in a different way
3. The main point of journal writing is to clarify your thoughts by committing your thinking to paper. Please choose a quote or a passage from your novel (include page number) and explain the connection you have made to it. How does the connection you have made help you understand more about the book?
Today you need to post your own journal entry, and respond to one other people in your LIT circle group. As always, proper grammar, spelling, punctuation etc. applies. Finally, make sure you are linked to everyone else who is reading the same novel.
Please include your novel title in your blog title. Example: Journal #1: The Hunger Games
Monday, November 1, 2010
Moral Dilemma
You are in Paris visiting the Louvre, the most famous art museum in the world. As you spend time looking at the Mona Lisa, you strike up a conversation with an elderly lady standing next to you.
Ada Artlover is 92 years old. She recently lost her husband, but she has two daughters and many grandchildren. She has a wide circle of friends and a variety of interests. Ada uses a motorized wheelchair to get around. She lives in an assisted care facility for elderly people.
Suddenly a fire breaks out. You can save Mrs. Artlover or you can save the Mona Lisa, but you CAN NOT SAVE BOTH. Make the decision and save one or the other.
Later the police have brought you in for questioning. You have been asked to write a detailed explanation of your decision. Provide four or five reasons to support your course of action.
Ada Artlover is 92 years old. She recently lost her husband, but she has two daughters and many grandchildren. She has a wide circle of friends and a variety of interests. Ada uses a motorized wheelchair to get around. She lives in an assisted care facility for elderly people.
Suddenly a fire breaks out. You can save Mrs. Artlover or you can save the Mona Lisa, but you CAN NOT SAVE BOTH. Make the decision and save one or the other.
Later the police have brought you in for questioning. You have been asked to write a detailed explanation of your decision. Provide four or five reasons to support your course of action.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Creative Pursuits
You have a choice of two tasks for today's blog:
Your first option is to work on descriptive writing, specifically using as much imagery as possible. First, you must find a picture on the internet. Find something that you can translate into words (something with movement or colour or emotion) and then describe it in AS MUCH DETAIL as you can. Don't just describe what you see. Fill in the gaps and add tastes, sounds, and textures. Imagine that the reader does not have the picture in front of them, and yet you must make them feel as if they are in that photo. When you are finished, please look at at least 2 other classmates' blogs, and comment on them. See the link in the sidebar (Blog example: Photo Description) for an example of an excellent blog post on this topic.
OR
Your second option is to create a random piece of creative writing. Below are 12 options that you may choose to write on:
1. Write a story that includes the line “behind him/her the noise escalates”
2. List 10 simple pleasures. Describe one of them in detail.
3. Think of the ten worst things to say to a person who has just been dumped. Then write a paragraph describing the scene where you talk to that person.
4. Imagine your life is now a book. Write the blurb that people would read on the back cover.
5. Write about what you would cook for an enemy.
6. Write a fictional scary encounter with your hairdresser or barber.
7. Write about how you felt when you discovered you were lied to.
8. If you could invent something to help mankind, what would it be?
9. Expand on the phrase “a galaxy of longing”
10. Write a story about a town that ran out of its sugar supply.
11. List 10 things that you plan to do/accomplish in your life. Describe one of them in detail.
12. If your house was about to burn down describe the 5 things you would grab before you left and explain why.
Your first option is to work on descriptive writing, specifically using as much imagery as possible. First, you must find a picture on the internet. Find something that you can translate into words (something with movement or colour or emotion) and then describe it in AS MUCH DETAIL as you can. Don't just describe what you see. Fill in the gaps and add tastes, sounds, and textures. Imagine that the reader does not have the picture in front of them, and yet you must make them feel as if they are in that photo. When you are finished, please look at at least 2 other classmates' blogs, and comment on them. See the link in the sidebar (Blog example: Photo Description) for an example of an excellent blog post on this topic.
OR
Your second option is to create a random piece of creative writing. Below are 12 options that you may choose to write on:
1. Write a story that includes the line “behind him/her the noise escalates”
2. List 10 simple pleasures. Describe one of them in detail.
3. Think of the ten worst things to say to a person who has just been dumped. Then write a paragraph describing the scene where you talk to that person.
4. Imagine your life is now a book. Write the blurb that people would read on the back cover.
5. Write about what you would cook for an enemy.
6. Write a fictional scary encounter with your hairdresser or barber.
7. Write about how you felt when you discovered you were lied to.
8. If you could invent something to help mankind, what would it be?
9. Expand on the phrase “a galaxy of longing”
10. Write a story about a town that ran out of its sugar supply.
11. List 10 things that you plan to do/accomplish in your life. Describe one of them in detail.
12. If your house was about to burn down describe the 5 things you would grab before you left and explain why.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Blog Choice
Please check out the link to the "Top 20 Blog Types" Web page (in the sidebar). The site provides 20 different types of blogs that you can create. You may choose one of the types of blogs and discuss any topic you wish. The main criteria for this blog is that it must be completed by the end of this class. It is an impromptu piece of writing (in preparation for the provincial exam). Please be as creative, or informative as possible. Use the highest level of vocabulary, and written expression that you can.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Top 3
Today's blog challenge is to choose the top 3 (of anything) and justify your choice. You may choose the top three hockey players of all time, the greatest musicians, the top three reasons to do something...the possibilities are endless. Here is a suggested sequence of events for the blog:
1. Choose your topic
2. Choose the criteria you are using to make your choices, and explain it to the reader. For example, if you are ranking the top three hockey players, how are you choosing to judge them? Points scored? Plus/minus rating? Years in the league? Stanley Cups won?
3. Type your blog out by first explaining the topic you have chosen, and the criteria for your choices. Then state each of your top three choices, and dedicate approximately a paragraph to each one that justifies why it deserves the ranking you gave it. As always, formal language and proper spelling and grammar applies.
1. Choose your topic
2. Choose the criteria you are using to make your choices, and explain it to the reader. For example, if you are ranking the top three hockey players, how are you choosing to judge them? Points scored? Plus/minus rating? Years in the league? Stanley Cups won?
3. Type your blog out by first explaining the topic you have chosen, and the criteria for your choices. Then state each of your top three choices, and dedicate approximately a paragraph to each one that justifies why it deserves the ranking you gave it. As always, formal language and proper spelling and grammar applies.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Historical Moment
You have the ability to transport yourself to any historical event. Describe that event. You may also choose to become involved in the event and possibly even change the course of history.
Make sure that this composition has a creative idea, interesting diction (word choice), specific detail, varied sentence length, and a dynamic introduction and conclusion.
High level responses will use formal language and proper grammar and punctuation. Make sure you include plenty of detail - this should be a lengthy paragraph.
Most importantly, keep it out of my "Boring Bin." Either dazzle me with your description, entertain me with your humor and creativity, or impress me with profound, thought provoking, and mature ideas.
Top marks will be awarded for those who are able to accomplish all of the above.
Make sure that this composition has a creative idea, interesting diction (word choice), specific detail, varied sentence length, and a dynamic introduction and conclusion.
High level responses will use formal language and proper grammar and punctuation. Make sure you include plenty of detail - this should be a lengthy paragraph.
Most importantly, keep it out of my "Boring Bin." Either dazzle me with your description, entertain me with your humor and creativity, or impress me with profound, thought provoking, and mature ideas.
Top marks will be awarded for those who are able to accomplish all of the above.
Blog Introduction
Blogs offer students a chance to easily read each others' ideas, as well as draw from internet resources. They also provide a different option for written expression. Please remember the following guidelines for blog use.
1. Everything you write on your blog must be considered PUBLIC. Do not include ANY information or opinions on your blog that you would not be comfortable with anyone else (in or outside the class) reading.
2. Please follow the proper expectations for writing in English 11. It is natural for students to become careless in their writing when working in an internet environment. However, in order for these blogs to be effective, proper grammar, punctuation, and appropriate word choice must be used at all times.
1. Everything you write on your blog must be considered PUBLIC. Do not include ANY information or opinions on your blog that you would not be comfortable with anyone else (in or outside the class) reading.
2. Please follow the proper expectations for writing in English 11. It is natural for students to become careless in their writing when working in an internet environment. However, in order for these blogs to be effective, proper grammar, punctuation, and appropriate word choice must be used at all times.
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