Wednesday, April 18: A Day
Thursday, April 19: B Day

• Poems o' the Day: A Collection of Good Chain Poems from Last Time
• Suggestions and Tricks for Turning Chain Poem Drafts into Magic:
  • Find a Voice (Imagine the narrator, but don't discuss him/her.)
  • Pretend to be someone you are not. Imagine what it's like to be someone else.
  • Consider who/what the narrator is speaking to. (Two spoons?)
  • Have some form of imagery in almost every line: Show; don't tell.
  • Toss in a simile and/or a metaphor, maybe some personification.
  • Don't try to make every line a complete thought (end stop).
  • Hey, this handout would really come in handy now, wouldn't it?
  • Use strong, specific verbs.
  • Use some of the words in your Word Pool.
  • Don't "tell the whole story," or feel like you have to tie up loose ends.
  • Let the reader be a little surprised or confused sometimes.
  • Make every word count: Get rid of the, very, really.
  • Replace non-specific words with stronger ones: beautiful, cool, nice.
  • Punctuate purposefully and consistently.
  • Play with interesting and surprising word combinations.
  • Try changing the order of some words to see what effect it might have.
  • Don't rhyme.
• Grammar Punk Review: Semicolon Rule #3
• WN: You know you're an adult when _______________. Also consider what it means to be "young" or "old." Do these words represent a physical state of being or an attitude? Explain. (100+)
• The Pigman: Chapter 13
• 
  

Friday, April 20: A Day

• Poem o' the Day: "The Rider" by Naomi Shihab Nye
• Finish The Pigman: Chapters 14 & 15
• Study Questions & Discussion: What's it all about?
• Grammar Punk Review: Colons
• When Not to Use a Colon: Check for Understanding
• Grammar Punk Review (Complete and Correct) due next time!
• Example of Strong Voice/Word Choice: Raging Butterfly (Just for Yucks!)
• Have you read a book of choice yet this term?
• How many Lines That Resonate have you found?
• Are you ready to turn in the Grammar Punk Review?
• 
  

April 23-27, 2012

Monday, April 23: B Day

• Poem o' the Day: "The Rider" by Naomi Shihab Nye
• Finish The Pigman: Chapters 14 & 15
• Study Questions & Discussion: What's it all about?
• Grammar Punk Review: Colons
• When Not to Use a Colon: Check for Understanding
• Assignment & Extra Credit Op: UTIPS CRT Practice Tests (by Friday!)
  The top one is an assignment. The others are extra credit if you score 75% or better.
• Lines That Resonate: Have you filled up those pages yet?
• 
  

Tuesday, April 24: A Day
Wednesday, April 25: B Day

• Assignment & Extra Credit Op: UTIPS CRT Practice Tests (by Friday!)
  The top one is an assignment. The others are extra credit if you score 75% or better.
• The Pigman Essay
• Poem o' the Day: "Where I'm From"
• Right Brain Workout: Stepping Away from the Literal
  • Where I'm From: Literal/Non-Literal Brainstorming
  • Now that you have filled in a format like this, use powerful sensory imagery and figurative language to say something about your past. (This is the non-literal stuff.)
  • Sensory Images + Similes
  • Describe appearance, sounds, smells, tastes, feelings:
    • Visual: blue glass jars (octagonal cylinders) in a row...
    • Auditory: the hum and click of a cooling furnace on a quiet Sunday morning
    • Olfactory: rich aroma of brewing coffee suffusing the house, Bounce dryer sheets
    • Taste: warm "rolled oats"...
    • Touch: Grandma's weathered hand on my cheek...
  • Then use similes and metaphors to further develop your images:
    • (visual) ...like soldiers in formation on the kitchen counter
    • (auditory) ...a comfortable reminder that spring is near
    • (olfactory) ...dark-roasted vapors and flowery sweet perfumes
    • (taste) ...a lumpy island in an ocean of thick, white cream
    • (touch) ...like warm, well-tanned leather.
  • Just Fartin' Around: Fun & Practice with Informational Text (If time permits....)
    Here's the article. >>> Here's the CRT Practice!
• What's the deal-io with poems, T?
• Your will turn in two poems of your own: 1) A chain poem revised into whatever form you want it to take. 2) A "Where I'm From" poem, also revised into something suitable to give your mother on Mother's Day. You will have some time after the CRT tests to work on these final drafts.
• 
  

Thursday, April 26: A Day (Match to May 3rd B Day)

• Poem o' the Day: "Loud Music" by Stephen Dobyns
• Word Cells List #5: Don't forget the parts of speech!
• Writing Notebook: What role does music play in your life? Do you listen to a lot of music? Do you play an instrument? Do you come from a musical family? What kind of music do you prefer? Do you have music player that travels with you wherever you go? Did you inherit your musical tastes from your parents, or are your tastes different? Discuss the music in your life. (150+)
• AoW: How Music Affects Us
  (Here's the entire article.)
• Life Soundtrack
• Brainstorm Now
• 
  

Friday, April 27: B Day (CRT)

• CRT
• 
  

April 30 - May 4, 2012

Monday, April 30: A Day (CRT Testing)

• CRT
• 
  

Tuesday, May 1: B Day (CRT)
Wednesday, May 2: A Day (CRT)

• Reading Book of Choice: Review Outline & Goodreads Review -- a very good, complete one! -- due soon!)
• 1) Chain Poems: Type a final draft (like these examples or these).
• Suggestions and Tricks for Turning Chain Poem Drafts into Magic:
  • Find a Voice (Imagine the narrator, but don't discuss him/her.)
  • Pretend to be someone you are not. Imagine what it's like to be someone else.
  • Consider who/what the narrator is speaking to. (Two spoons?)
  • Have some form of imagery in almost every line: Show; don't tell.
  • Toss in a simile and/or a metaphor, maybe some personification.
  • Don't try to make every line a complete thought (end stop).
  • Hey, this handout would really come in handy now, wouldn't it?
  • Use strong, specific verbs.
  • Use some of the words in your Word Pool.
  • Don't "tell the whole story," or feel like you have to tie up loose ends.
  • Let the reader be a little surprised or confused sometimes.
  • Make every word count: Get rid of the, very, really.
  • Replace non-specific words with stronger ones: beautiful, cool, nice.
  • Punctuate purposefully and consistently.
  • Play with interesting and surprising word combinations.
  • Try changing the order of some words to see what effect it might have.
  • Don't rhyme.
• Print it.
• 2) Type "Where I'm From" Poems: Final Drafts (Here's the original and some suggestions.)
• Organization: Organize the lines in the way that they make the most sense and have the most powerful effect. (Consider what effect you want your poem to have, and work to that end. Remove lines that don’t work; add others that do.)
• Word choice: Express yourself exactly! Use cool, unique, specific language – not the expected, overused clichés; if it is a common phrase, find a better way to say it. Use strong verbs.
• Wordpool – Use some of those words, too!
• The element of surprise/unexpected – Are there some surprises?
• Spacing – Make it look like a poem on the page. (ONE page only, please!)
• Title – Give it one. If you like “Where I’m From,” use that; otherwise, something more appropriate.
• Name of Poet – That’s you. Your name should appear somewhere on the page, but not part of a heading. Under the title or at the end is best. If you include the word "by" before your name, do not capitalize it and do not put a colon after it.
• Conventional issues: Punctuation (Do you want any? If so, it should be used correctly.); Capitalization (ditto)
• Neatness: Is the font legible? Is the text big enough to read easily? Does it look like a final draft?
• Have Mr. T check it.
• Print it.
• Put final drafts of Chain Poem and "Where I'm From" Poem on Class Wiki.

Thursday, May 3: B Day

• 10
• Poem o' the Day: "Loud Music" by Stephen Dobyns
• Word Cells List #5: Don't forget the parts of speech!
• Writing Notebook: What role does music play in your life? Do you listen to a lot of music? Do you play an instrument? Do you come from a musical family? What kind of music do you prefer? Do you have music player that travels with you wherever you go? Did you inherit your musical tastes from your parents, or are your tastes different? Discuss the music in your life. (150+)
• AoW: How Music Affects Us
  (Here's the entire article.)
• Life Soundtrack
• Brainstorm Now
• Return Massive Purple Texts Now!
  (You had one checked out to you on the first day you were in class. It should be at your home somewhere. Bring it back!)

Friday, May 4: A Day

• 9
• Return Massive Purple Texts Now!
  (You had one checked out to you on the first day you were in class. It should be at your home somewhere. Bring it back!)
• Word Cells List #6: Don't forget the parts of speech!
• Big Test on All the Cells: May 16/17!
• Poem o' the Day: "Much Madness is Divinest Sense" by Emily Dickinson
• A Poetic Soul: Stargirl
  (The Order of Operations -- All Stargirl Assignments for the last 9 days of school)
  • Chapters 1 & 2 (Aloud)
  • Vocabulary Set #1: hoax, nonconformity, saguaro, balk, paleontologist, orate
  • Stargirl Reflection: If this school had a show like Hot Seat, which three students would you want to see on it? Why? (100+ words)
  • Chapter 3: On your own
  • Stargirl Triptych (Example)
• Reminders and Such: Return Books, Bring your music players/headphones next Thursday/Friday!
• 
  

May 7-11, 2012

Monday, May 7: B Day

• 9
• Return Massive Purple Texts Now!
  (You had one checked out to you on the first day you were in class. It should be at your home somewhere. Bring it back!)
• Word Cells List #6: Don't forget the parts of speech!
• Big Test on All the Cells: May 16/17!
• Poem o' the Day: "Much Madness is Divinest Sense" by Emily Dickinson
• A Poetic Soul: Stargirl
  (The Order of Operations -- All Stargirl Assignments for the last 9 days of school)
  • Chapters 1 & 2 (Aloud)
  • Vocabulary Set #1: hoax, nonconformity, saguaro, balk, paleontologist, orate
  • Stargirl Reflection: If this school had a show like Hot Seat, which three students would you want to see on it? Why? (100+ words)
  • Chapter 3: On your own
  • Stargirl Triptych (Example)
• Reminders and Such: Return Books, Bring your music players/headphones next Thursday/Friday!
• 
  
  
  

Tuesday, May 8: A Day
Wednesday, May 9: B Day

• 8
• Return Massive Purple Texts Now!
  (You had one checked out to you on the first day you were in class. It should be at your home somewhere. Bring it back!)
• Life Soundtrack: History Lesson & Sample
• Poem o' the Day: "Tuesday, 9:00 AM" by Denver Butson
• Stargirl Triptych: In Chapter 3, Leo follows Stargirl into the desert. Since Leo is the first-person narrator, we only know what he is thinking during this scene. Let's examine some of the other possible points of view. Select some cool, poetic words from the wordpool we created last week and write a triptych (three short poems) that represents other points of view in the scene: Stargirl, a third-person omniscient narrator, and one of your choice. (For example, you could write one from the point of view of Cinnamon the rat or from the point of view of the person inside the house where Stargirl delivered the "Congratulations!" card. You could even make up a character or include elements from the scene that aren't in the book. Be creative.) Weave this image into each of the poems to give them something in common even though they are all from different points of view: "She was walking directly into the setting sun, now a great orange perched atop the mountain crests" (p.17). Don't use the same words, but make sure each poem refers to that image of the sun over the desert mountains...like Courtney's picture.
• Stargirl: Chapters 4 & 5
• Review the first five chapters of Stargirl. Find an image you like. Draw it on the non-sticky side of a sticky note. (No words allowed, only drawing.) Put your name and the page # where you found the image on the back and stick it on the board.
• Read Chapter 6
• Stargirl Reflection: Describe an adult other than a parent who has been an advisor to you during a difficult or frustrating time. What qualities are necessary in such an advisor? Discuss. (100+ words)
• Chapter 7
• Study Question (in WN): "Keep looking at her long enough. One day you might see someone you know." Who? Copy and explain this quotation from page 35.
• Chapter 8
• Study Question (in WN): "But we also gave something to ourselves." What? Copy and explain this quotation from page 39.
• Chapter 9
• Bring your MP3 players and music machines (with headphones!) next time! Shhhhh!
• 
  

Thursday, May 10: A Day (Day of Music)
Friday, May 11: B Day (Day of Music)

• 7
• Headphones On: Begin Drafting Life Soundtrack
• Finish Chapter 8 (if you weren't done)
• Study Question (in WN): "But we also gave something to ourselves." What? Copy and explain this quotation from page 39.
• Chapter 9
• Stargirl Vocabulary Set #2: amorphous, inquisition, spiel, impromptu, raucous, ferocity
• Stargirl Reflection: If, like Stargirl, you decided to change your name to something more descriptive of who and what you are, what would your new name be? Why? Explain. (100+ words)
• Stargirl: Chapters 10 - 13
• 
  

May 14-18, 2012

Monday, May 14: A Day
Tuesday, May 15: B Day (Choir Concert -- 7:00 P.M.)

• 6
• Life Soundtrack: Return Draft Outlines
• Post Final (Typed) Liner Notes to class wiki by May 22! Feel free to include pictures, video, etc.
• Grammar Punk Review: Colons
• When Not to Use a Colon: Check for Understanding
• Grammar Punk Review (Complete and Correct) due next time!
• Stargirl: Continue The Order of Operations
• Chapters 10 - 13 (Chapters 10 & 11 aloud)
• Vocabulary Set #3: mica, ocotillo, serene (serenity), derelict, rapture, facetious
• 
  

Wednesday, May 16: A Day
Thursday, May 17: B Day

• 5
• Giant Word Cells Test (The test is giant; the word cells are small.)
• Stargirl: Continue The Order of Operations
• Stargirl: Chapters 14- 16
• Study Question (in WN): "She was the opposite of cool; she held nothing back." Explain this statement from page 78.
• Stargirl: Chapter 17
• "The Way to Start a Day" by Byrd Baylor
• Assignment: "The Way to_____________" -- While out in the desert with Leo (Chapter 17), Stargirl seems to find special insight and inner peace by "erasing herself" through meditation. Consider a simple activity in which you find peace and insight into Life and the world. Using some fresh words from your wordpool, Write a non-literal poem describing the way to do that simple activity. Instead of just listing the steps involved, describe the process from the inside. Create metaphors to explain the thoughts and emotions that the activity conjures in you. This fill-in-the-blank outline is only for those who aren't creative enough to come up with all the lines on their own. Don't use it if you don't absolutely need to. Then create a decorated final draft that is suitable for classroom display. Here's an example. Here's another. Be creative and artistic!
• Stargirl: Chapter 18 (aloud)
• Study Question (in WN): If the events of the novel Stargirl (up to page 99) happened at this school, which of the characters in the story would you be? Explain.
• Review Word Cells Test
• 
  

Friday, May 18: A Day

• 4
• Why are you wearing glasses today? Oh-oh! Here we go again....
• (Wanna see something really gross?)
• Stargirl: Continue The Order of Operations
• Stargirl: Chapters 19 - 22
• Vocab. Set #4: disparage, festooned, moa, jostling, gander, preamble
• Stargirl: Read Chapters 23 & 24
• Study Question (p. 126): "I never realized how much I needed the attention of others to confirm my own presence." Is this true? Do we need such attention? Why? What quality has Leo discovered in himself?
• Read Chapter 25
• Stargirl Reflection: How many pebbles are in your happy wagon today? Why? Do you have ninth-grade-itis? Are you suffering from schpilkis in your gonechticazoink? Malaise? Ennui? Are you ready for summer? Discuss. (50+)
• Stargirl Final Project: Examples from the Past....
• 
  
  

May 21-25, 2012

Monday, May 21: B Day

• 4
• Why are you wearing glasses today? Oh-oh! Here we go again....
• (Wanna see something really gross?)
• Stargirl: Continue The Order of Operations
• Stargirl: Chapters 19 - 22
• Vocab. Set #4: disparage, festooned, moa, jostling, gander, preamble
• Stargirl: Read Chapters 23 & 24
• Study Question (p. 126): "I never realized how much I needed the attention of others to confirm my own presence." Is this true? Do we need such attention? Why? What quality has Leo discovered in himself?
• Read Chapter 25
• Stargirl Reflection: How many pebbles are in your happy wagon today? Why? Do you have ninth-grade-itis? Are you suffering from schpilkis in your gonechticazoink? Malaise? Ennui? Are you ready for summer? Discuss. (50+)
• Stargirl Final Project: Examples from the Past....
• 
  
  

Tuesday, May 22: A Day
Wednesday, May 23: B Day

• 3
• Stargirl: Continue The Order of Operations
• Stargirl: Read Chapter 26
  Study Question: Compare/Contrast Stargirl and Susan. Which character do you like more? Why?
• Stargirl: Read Chapters 27-31
• Stargirl Study Question (p.170): "...it came to them in small sensations that they were more alone than she was." How? Explain this.
• Finish Stargirl and these assignments today!
• 
  

Thursday, May 24: A Day
Friday, May 25: B Day

• 2: Last Real Day of Class for 9th Graders
• Life Soundtrack Suggestions (based on a first glance)
  • Do one.
  • Put it at the top of your wiki page.
  • Include an INTRODUCTION & CONCLUSION, not just the songs.
  • Remove all last names (your own and your friends') and any other info that could be used to steal your identity: birthday, address, etc.
  • Make sure there is a clear division between songs, so it doesn't look like one massive body of text.
  • Make these adjustments by Saturday night, please!
• Poem o' the Day: Copy "George Grey" on the last page of your Writing Notebook
  (Life is Short: Don't be a George Grey!)
• Finish Stargirl and these assignments today!
• Serenades, anyone?
• The Final Entry: Write a letter to yourself in ten years. Keep the journal until then and read it. Then write me a letter or an e-mail (or whatever the latest communication technology is by then) to tell me if things turned out as you planned.
• Writing Notebooks: Turn in this paper after writing your final journal entry.
• Take Writing Notebooks and keep 'em! You'll be glad later!
• Happy Anniversary to the Kardiac Kid!
  Last Chance Extra Credit
• Thompson's Words of Wisdom as You Head to High School:
• Life is Short: Don't be a George Grey!
• Be Nice: We're all in this together, and nobody gets out alive!
• 
  

May 28- June 1, 2012

Monday, May 28: Memorial Day

• No School
• Happy Anniversary to the Kardiac Kid!
  Last Chance Extra Credit

Tuesday, May 29: A Day
Wednesday, May 30 (9th Grade Dance -6:30 P.M.): B Day

• 1
• Extra Credit due Today!
• Computer Lab: Final Writing Assignment
• 
  

Thursday, May 31 (Lagoon Day): A Day

• Have fun at Lagoon!
• (See you there!)
  

Friday, June 1 (The End): B Day

• Sign My Yearbook
• School's Out for Summer!
•