S+Rines,Kyle+Jacob

**Office: Room 202** **Office Phone: 207 740-0051** **Office Hours: 12-1pm, 8-9pm** ** E-mail: ** kyle.rines@maine.edu
 * Teacher: Mr. Kyle Rines**

=Summary of Unit=

// Students will learn how to use narrative writing tools such as imagery, diction, syntax, and tone to establish a distinctive voice in their writing. These tools are important devices when giving characters a distinctive voice. Students will also be able to use effective transitions when necessary and organize ideas in a logical sequence. To write effectively you must use proper transitions and be able to organize ideas in a logical sequence. These tools of writing will aid in the student’s ability to show and not tell in their writing, which is another important aspect of narrative writing. //

=Establish Goals= Maine Learning Results - English Language Arts A. Reading B2 Narrative Writing Grades 9 - Diploma Students embed narrative writing in a written text when appropriate to the audience and purpose.

= = =Students will understand that= • Using imagery, diction, syntax, and tone is essential to give your writing voice. • Showing what is happening is different than telling what is happening. • Effective transitions are necessary when organizing ideas.

= = =Essential Questions= • How do I give my writing voice through imagery, diction, syntax, and tone? • How can I avoid telling what is happening, and show my readers what is happening? • Why should I use transitions in my writing?

= = =Students will know= • **Terminology** - diction, syntax, imagery, tone, illustration, details, transitions, metaphors, similes, personification • **Critical Details** - forming sentences, sentence structure, brainstorming, outlining, sentence flow • **Definitions** - metaphor, simile, personification, imagery, tone, voice, diction, syntax, picture

= = =Students will be able to= • Model diction, syntax, imagery, and tone to exhibit a distinctive voice. • Illustrate diction, syntax, imagery, and tone in their writing. • Produce ideas in a logical sequence with effective transitions. • Compare pieces of writing to analyze each others use of transitions. • Role-play in order to identify showing, not telling in their writing. • Self-assess their writing to recognize proper use of details to identify showing, not telling.

**Performance Task Overview** Students have been asked to take on the role of another person. Their job is to post two blog entries a week, writing a letter home or a diary entry from the perspective of this new character. I will be the recipient of these blog entries, giving my own narrative back to the students, along with feedback. Some examples might be writing from the perspective of someone in the military, circus, rock star, athlete, or scientist. The students must show attention to good narrative and practice using imagery, tone, syntax, and diction to establish a distinctive voice of their chosen character. Throughout the unit, student will be asked to use the blog to practice imagery (as well as diction, syntax, and tone) use exercises using applications such as iMovie, Garageband, and Glogster. The final product of the unit will be an accumulative narrative put together from what the students have written within their blogs and give an Oral Presentation to the class.

=Expectations= - Assignments are to be turned in on time and are to be completed to the fullest extent. If you have any questions or concerns about any assignment, get in touch with me and we will work together for the best possible outcome. I expect students to spend time outside of class applying the material within class as well, homework is not essential, but real world application is. - If any turned in work is plagiarized, the student will receive an automatic F for the assignment. All work is to be cited and/or include a bibliography. Plagiarism is cheating. Anytime you use someone else's work (media, documents, etc.) without giving credit or asking for permission, it is plagiarism. If you ever have any questions about plagiarism and are often times unsure what constitutes as plagiarism, feel free to come ask me or go online and look it up for yourself. - All work must be passed in on time. Failure to do so will result in a potential grade drop. The stipulation is that if you fail to pass in an assignment, you will have two full weeks to complete the assignment and pass it in. Although, the grade will be one less then it is deserving (B+ work, C+ grade). If you fail to pass in the assignment after the full two weeks, you will receive a failure for the assignment. - I am a realist. I know that most every student will miss at least one day of class throughout a year. When this happens, please e-mail me and remind me that you were out of class. I will e-mail you back what you missed and what needs to be done for next class, etc. No matter what the reason for missing class, always let me know what the reason is. I am an understanding person, but if I receive no e-mail telling me you have mono or that there was death in the family, I will mark you down for unexcused. Too many unexcused absences will bring your grade down one whole letter grade (C+ to a C, C to a C-)**.** Please, communicate with me. =Benchmarks= • **Interactive Character Blog Entries (400pts)** - Create a personal blog that is designed to be from another character. You can choose the character, and the task is to write diary entries/letters in the blog that pertain to where the person is currently living, what their life is like, and what it is like to be them. Your job is to practice the use of narration in your writing. There will be weekly mandatory blogs. • **Descriptive Photo Album of your surroundings (Imagery Exercise)(50pts)** - Post onto the blog a photo album that either you have taken yourself, or have taken pictures from someone else (be sure not to plagiarize). This photo album will have no words, but only pictures to illustrate the environment of where your character lives, what kind of emotions your character is feeling and some activities that your character might do. - Create an iMovie that shows a clip straight from your character's life. It can be a simulation of one of their daily activities, or it can be a video message back home to family. It can be anything you wish as long as it connects to your character and their life in some way. - Create a podcast from Garageband and use the audio clip as your diary/letter entry. Record your entry in an audio clip and post to the blog. The entry must pertain to the character's life in some way. - Students will create an Alphabetical Sequence in class that illustrates good use of diction for every letter in the alphabet. Post in a blog. - Students will create a Prezi in which the parts of speech are defined and examples of each are shown. - Students will create a XtraNormal video in which the student portrays two characters in dialogue. The objective is to show good used of effective transitions and organizing the conversation (essay, narrative piece) logically. - Students are asked to grab one object from the room and write about how a certain character loves that object. The objective is to show the readers how much the character loves that object instead of just telling the readers. - Create a Glogster and post the link in the blog. The Glogster will exhibit the uses of narrative writing tools such as imagery, diction, syntax, and tone. Give thorough examples of each and be sure to incorporate how they can be used in a narrative. - The final product will be an accumulative narrative story of all of the previously posted blog entries. Over the course of the unit, students must work on their narrative and towards the end of the semester the class will work collaboratively to create narratives that pertain to their character's lives. Using Google Document Editing (collaborative editing) students will be able to peer edit, teacher edit, and self-edit every student's narrative. This way, we all will have a part in each other's narratives. - Students will also have to present either their final product to the class, or just present their blogs. Both are required however. =Grading Scale= **A** (93 -100), **A-** (90 - 92), **B+** (87 - 89), **B** (83 - 86), **B-** (80 - 82), **C+**(77 - 79), **C** (73-76), **C-** (70 - 72), **D+**(67 - 69), **D** (63 - 66), **D-** (60 - 62), **F** (0 - 59).
 * Assignment Expectations**
 * Plagiarism Policy**
 * Work in on Time**
 * Absence Policy**
 * Total Points to be Earned: 1130 points**
 * • iMovie that illustrates your character's life (Imagery Exercise)(50pts)**
 * • Garageband to place audio within the blog, do a blog entry with just audio (Tone Exercise)(50pts)**
 * • Post a blog entry that shows the Alphabetical Sequence created in class. (Diction Exercise)(50pts)**
 * • Create a short iMovie clip to illustrate tone (Tone Exercise)(50pts)**
 * -** An iMovie clip will be created by the student to illustrate good use of tone
 * • Create a Prezi to illustrate good use of syntax (Syntax Exercise)(50pts)**
 * • Create a XtraNormal video to practice use of transitions (Transitions Exercise)(50pts)**
 * • Use Google Docs to post One-Minute Paper and edit the piece (Show, Don't Tell)(50pts)**
 * • Glogster within the blog to show all aspects of narrative writing (Imagery, Diction, Syntax, Tone)(50pts)**
 * • Garageband to create a podcast that illustrates narrative writing (Imagery, Diction, Syntax, Tone) (80pts)**
 * -** Create a podcast that shows your use of narrative writing. Use the NPR website link in Lesson Plan 1 for an example. Be sure to make the narrative on any subject, as long as it's narrative.
 * •** **Wiki/Google Doc. Editing will be used to edit and revise the final product (Accumulative Narrative)(100pts)**
 * • Oral Presentation of Final Product/Blog(100pts)**