Stenson English 321: English 12: Writing The Creative Composition . . . Vocab 1-14 test tomorrow

Study the vocabulary, 1-14. Know the definition, synonyms, part of speech, how to use it in a sentnece.

A 6 paper exhibits the following qualities:

The writing offers a thoughtful view of the world with energy, insight, and compassion.
The author uses specific detail to support these ideas.
Sentence variety, pacing, vocabulary, imagery and literary devices are used effectively.
The writing offers an imaginative view.
The author clearly plays to the English teacher audience by using literary and historical allusions, wit, irony, understatement, hyperbole and sarcasm. I never thought I'd be as pathetic as Romeo pacing the backyard at two a.m. thinking about a girl.
The writing engages the reader. Start with in medias res (in the middle of the action).
It is clear, edited, and organized.

Sample:

Confidence comes from the support of others.

     The street in Rd's stories never really reminded him of a street from Port Perry, no bungalows with blossoms bordering the lawn. No picket fences and peonies poking their nosey faces through the gate. North Bay, where Red was from, was something out of Kansas, a place the boy had never actually visted but could imagine now. The stories Uncle Red regaled between periods always made him feel bigger than a boy, like he, too, would travel one day, and not be stuck in this small town forever.

     Confidence is not dreaming of becoming someone better than you already are. Confidence equals experience but benefits from the support of others in order to help the young person (like the boy in the anecdote above) realize and appreciate his or her strengths. My Uncle Red never graduated from high school. He worked for the town--digging ditches, and ensuring snow was ploughed, even if the work meant he was up all night, alone on the highway, or changing those light bulbs on the main street. Everyone recognized his red coveralls and red hard hat and signature BIG RED gum in his top corner pocket. He never complained about not having the opportunity to finish high school. In fact, I don't ever recall him complaining.

     Between periods, my uncle shared stories. He never demanded that I listen, though. He spoke like a dreamy radio announcer whose sonourous sentences travelled ethereally from room to room. His confidence emerged from his values: hard work, family, commitment, and balance. He showed me how to hold a spade so that the tool actually did the digging and not my weak back muscles. He always made sure to bring flowers home on Fridays, acknowledging his wife and celebrating their weekend together. When he retired, he received a standing ovation from his peers because he had never missed one day of work in thirty-five years. Between the second and third period, he would soak his feet in a pure white basin, his way of saying thank you for a job well done. He never talked about confidence--he showed me how to be comfortable with myself.

     I knew that I would never be able to endure the long hours as a town worker but I gained something from my uncle that I am only recently realizing--confidence. Self esteem does not have to be derived from certificates, diplomas or degrees. Confidence in oneself begins in finding positive role models and letting their stories, and their examples drift through each room and eventually, they'll find their way to the heart. Uncle Red took to time between periods to share what he felt was important. And I listened.

     On the day of his funeral my aunt gave me a small carving of an elephant my uncle had chipped out of wood. He'd never seen an elephant, I wondered, why in the world would such an exotic animal be a part of his lunch hour routine? And then I knew. It was me he was carving. It was me he was talking to in the way he knew best--with his hands.

Using today's template, examples, and the rubric, create a 400 to 500 word creative composition which meets the above criteria. Type it up. Double space. Bring it to class on Monday.

Template: Aim for five paragraphs. A beginning, three strong example paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Opening: Use the handout from today's class. What works best?
1. Description of a scene. (The baseball game)
2. Description of an object. (The war medal)
3. Description of a setting. (The small town)

Template for the Creative Composition: Section D on the provincial exam

Opening: Write a descriptive paragraph of 5 to 7 sentences. Start in the middle of the action. Make every word count. Aim to use techniques such as allusion, metaphor, alliteration, repetition, suspense, details which appeal to the five senses, sentence variety, personification, strong action words (simmer, scramble, glower, duck, wish, shone). Tell a story.

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First Body Paragraph: Say something interesting about your main character. For example: My Uncle Red never graduated from high school. He worked for the town—digging ditches, ploughing streets, unplugging sewers. Everyone recognized his red overalls, red hard hat and signature Red Gum in his top left pocket. (Know why you are using these details. You are showing the man's strengths by recalling what he does). Use parallelism (digging ditches, ploughing streets, unplugging sewers). (4 to 7 sentences)

Second Body Paragraph: You want to give a lot of examples here. Make them stick together by your topic sentence. Example: Between periods, he shared his stories. He never demanded that I listen though. You need to create an atmosphere. Use details that the reader can see, smell, taste, touch and hear. (10 sentences)

Third Body Paragraph: Compare yourself to the person. You can mention the topic here as long as your take on the topic offers a fresh insight. Example: Self esteem does not have to be derived from certificates, diplomas or degrees. (Using three examples in a sentence is effective). (7 sentences)

Conclusion: End with another anecdote. (A little story) Example: On the day of his funeral, .... and add a detail that surprises the reader. Add something you've read about or thought about or imagined. The example here I took from a poem by Patrick Lane : ... my aunt gave me a small carving of an elephant my uncle had chipped out of wood. He'd never seen an elephant . . . YOU MUST HAVE EMOTIONAL APPEAL IN YOUR CONCLUSION. MAKE THE READER FEEL SAD OR MAD OR RELIEVED OR EXCITED OR INSPIRED. Example: It was me he was carving. It was me he was talking to in the way he knew best—with his hands. (5 sentences)

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

English 12: Writing The Creative Composition . . . Vocab 1-14 test tomorrow