Mini Memoirs

Homework Assignments: Week 3 English 9 Tuesday 9/6 Finish writing the first draft of your “My Name” writing. Be sure to fully develop a few topics related to your name and to have an interesting narrative piece about who you are. Do not write a few sentences on every topic. Use Sandra Cisneros’ writing in House on Mango Street as a model. Wednesday 9/7 Finish your quotation reflection on the story you selected from House on Mango Street. See the model for an example about how to complete a quotation reflection. Finish proofreading and compiling your Mini Memoir if you have not done so already. Make sure your Coat of Arms is complete for the cover. Print the pieces out and put them together with brads before class. Thursday 9/8 Finish reading “The Sound of Thunder” if you have not done so already and complete the assignment. Friday 9/9 Read in your IR book. Aim to read about 70 pages per weekend, or 10 pages a night in order to reach the A level by the end of the quarter without a last minute crisis. Plan on scheduling a book test as soon as you finish your first book.         Homework Assignments: Weeks 1-3 Week 2 Monday 8/29 Finish writing the second draft of your childhood memory. Make sure that your second draft is as good as you can make it without my help. Be sure to make content changes (add details and fix confusing sections) in addition to fixing all of your grammar and spelling errors. Please hand in both drafts (second draft on top) tomorrow. Be prepared for a notebook check tomorrow. Tuesday 8/30 Brainstorm for your early or teenage memory. List a few possible topics and then start brainstorming details for one. Jot down as many sensory details as you can. You may list, web, or use your computer, but bring what you have done to class on Wednesday. Due Friday. Wednesday 8/31 Continue working on your early/teenage memory. Be sure to add lots of sensory detail, dialogue, and metaphor so that your readers can see your memory. Bring at least your first page to class tomorrow. Thursday 9/1 Finish writing the first draft of your early/teenage memory. Due Friday. Friday 9/2 Read in your IR book. Aim to read about 70 pages per weekend, or 10 pages a night in order to reach the A level by the end of the quarter without a last minute crisis. Ask your parents about why and how they chose your name so that you can work on the “My Name” assignment: due Tuesday.   Week 1 Monday 8/22 Finish reading and annotating “Eleven” if you haven’t done so already. Thoroughly answer the questions on the web page. Get your Course Information sheet signed and begin looking for an IR book (please bring it to class and show it to me by the end of the week). Tuesday 8/23 Brainstorm for your childhood memory. List a few possible topics and then start brainstorming details for one. Jot down as many sensory details as you can. You may list, web, or use your computer, but bring what you have done to class on Wednesday. Don’t forget to get an IR book this week Wednesday 8/24 Continue working on your childhood memory. Be sure to add lots of sensory detail, dialogue, and metaphor so that your readers can see your memory. Thursday 8/25 Finish writing the first draft of your childhood memory. Due Friday. Bring your IR book to class Friday if you have not done so already. Friday 8/26 Read in your IR book. Aim to read about 70 pages per weekend, or 10 pages a night in order to reach the A level by the end of the quarter without a last minute crisis. Don’t forget to get your notebook organized and get your Course Information Sheet signed if you have not done so already. Notebook checks on Tuesday. Work on the second draft of your childhood memory if you want. Second drafts are due on Tuesday.     Old Assignments Homework Assignments: Week 2 English 9 Tuesday 9/4 Finish your “My Name” memoir piece. See the link and Cisneros’ version for ideas. Due tomorrow. Wednesday 9/5 Work on revising all three of your memoir pieces—compilation due Friday. Thursday 9/6 Finish revising your Mini Memoir and compile it. See the link for details. Due tomorrow. Friday 9/7 Read in your IR book – start now and prevent an end of the quarter crisis. Work on your Cisneros presentation. Make sure you have the following pieces of writing to hand in on Monday. 1) 2 quotation reflections on your Cisneros story, 2) Notes on the story and what is significant about it. What makes it effective, why you like it, what does it mean, etc. Homework Assignments: Week 1   Tuesday 8/28 Think and talk to your parents about ideas for your childhood memory and early memory stories. Write down several ideas with some details. The details are important because you don’t want to write about something you don’t know much about. For the early memory, however, you can make up any necessary details to make your writing more descriptive. If you can’t think of any early memories, choose one memory from your early childhood (8 and under) and one teen memory. I will check what you’ve written down on Wednesday. Wednesday 8/29 Finish writing the first draft of your childhood memory. Make sure you write at least one and a half pages (typed) and that you provide lots of detail. Focus on one very specific event so that you don’t have to write 10 pages in order to have enough detail. See the Mini Memoir assignment sheet for more detail. Thursday 8/30 Finish your early memory story if you have not done so already and work on polishing your childhood memory. Bring both in to class on Friday. Friday 8/31 1. Talk to your parents about how they chose your name and take some notes. Look up the meaning of your name in a baby book or online and write down definitions. Look at the prompt and see if you need any more information. 2. Set up your notebook and have it ready for a notebook check on Tuesday. 3. Choose an Independent reading book. Please bring the book you have selected to class Tuesday in order to receive credit. Check the course information sheet to see page requirements. Plan on reading at least 10 pages a night or at least 50 pages every weekend and then you won’t have to cram at the end of the quarter to finish your Independent Reading.   Week 3 Tuesday 9/7            Work on revising for the final draft of your childhood memory. Take my corrections and suggestions and improve your writing as much as you can. Spend time on this—writing is hard, but revision teaches a great deal. Wednesday 9/8            Finish the final draft of your childhood memory. After you make all the corrections and add more detail where necessary (or cut out sections), read through your story one more time and make sure it’s as good as you can get it. Remember to print it out before class if your computer is hooked up to a printer and staple it to the top of your old drafts. You will hand in the entire packet of drafts Thursday at the beginning of class. Thursday 9/9            Read to page 64 in “The Most Dangerous Game.” Read carefully so that you are prepared for a reading quiz and class discussion. Finish your Mango St. Reflection if you have not done so already. Friday 9/10            Read in your IR book. Study vocabulary—quiz #1 will be on next Tuesday, September 14. See the vocabulary page to see definitions and sample sentences to help you study.   Week 2 Monday 8/30            Finish the second draft of your childhood memory. Make sure you have lots of descriptive details so that your reader can see the event in his/her mind. Be sure to use the five senses and dialogue. Try adding description of body language and tone of voice or even use a simile if you’re up for a challenge. You should also fix as many grammar and spelling errors as you can before you hand in your second draft tomorrow. Your second draft should be about 2 pages long (double spaced). Tuesday 8/31            Finish writing the story of your name. Use Cisneros’ “My Name” as a model and explain what your name means, how your parent chose your name, and whether you think it fits you or not. Read the whole prompt for ideas about what to write about, but don’t write about all the questions, just the ones that seem most interesting to you. You will only write one draft of this story, so make it as good as you can. Due tomorrow. Finish your vocabulary #1 assignment if you have not done so already. Wednesday 9/1            Read in your IR book and finish any homework from Tuesday. Both assignments (vocabulary and the story of your name) will be collected on Friday, but you won’t have any time tomorrow because we will get back late from Yosemite. Thursday 9/2            None (we’ll be getting back so late from Yosemite). Friday 9/3            Read in your IR book. Aim to read about 70 pages per weekend, or 10 pages a night in order to reach the A level by the end of the quarter without a last minute crisis.   Week1 Monday 8/23     Work on your Coat of Arms, due Wednesday. Tuesday 8/24     Finish your Coat of Arms. Work on the first draft of your childhood memory. Make sure you provide lots of detail and write at least one and a half pages (typed, double spaced) by Thursday. Focus on one very specific event so that you don’t have to write 10 pages in order to have enough detail. See the link on the web page for more detail. Due Thursday. Wednesday 8/25     Finish writing your childhood memory. Due tomorrow. Thursday 8/26     Talk to your parents about how they chose your name. Write down information, also look up the meaning of your name in a baby book and online, and write down definitions, take 10 minutes to write down everything you can think of about your name from the prompt. Choose an Independent Reading book and bring it to class tomorrow. Feel free to bring a book from home or to check one out from the class or county library. Friday 8/27     Read in your IR book. Aim to read for more than one hour every weekend so that you finish your Independent reading before the end of the quarter. Work on the second draft of your childhood memory, due Tuesday.

Details and Due Dates "Eleven" Childhood Memory: Due Friday 8/26 If you're stuck, look at the student model. Second draft: Tuesday 8/30 Final draft: Early/Teenage Memory Coat of Arms: Due Wednesday 9/8 Coat of Arms: see a real example My Name: The Story of Your Name: Wednesday 9/7 What's in a Name? Mango St. Reflection: Mini Memoir: Thursday 9/8 Cover: Coat of Arms My Name Early/Teenage Memory Childhood Memory   In Class Read Sandra Cisneros' "My Name" and answer the following questions: 1) How does Esperanza feel about her name? 2) What does she think of her Grandmother and her life? 3) Why does she want a new name? What difference would it make? 4) Choose your favorite line from the story and reflect on what it means and why it is important. 5) Do names matter? Why or why not?