Theme

Theme:

• an opinion about life, human nature, or society that the writer shares with the reader 
• usually not stated directly
• in sentence form

Theme Tips:

• Avoid using the generic "you"
• Theme statements should be generalized. Character names and specific settings are generally not found in themes.

Class Outline

1. ISU reading/tracking sheets. Hand back stories.
2. Think/Pair/Share: What is theme in literature?
3. Look at earlier work that is starting to explore theme ("Test," "Bluffing," or tracking sheets) to discuss how it meets criteria of theme.
4. Theme handout
5. Read "The Forest of Odeo"
6. Work through the steps to consider theme.
7. If time: choose a short story or children's book and determine theme. 

Homework: Finish reading story and make notes on theme for Wednesday.

Short Story Process

Create your full draft and analysis

• Work on finishing up your draft story and analysis. 
• Type it. 
• Remember to save to your h:/ drive. If you save it in your "public html" folder it can be found by any computer at www.krss.sd57.bc.ca/~your.login (for homework purposes).
• Print off your typed draft story and analysis. 

Self-Assessment

•  Complete the self assessment sheet. 
• Show this to the teacher.
• Make any necessary changes to your story and analysis to meet the requirements.

Peer Assessment

• Find a partner who is also done self assessing. 
• Have him or her read your story and complete the peer assessment. 
• Discuss the feedback.
• If possible, complete peer assessment with a second partner.
• Make changes to typed version based on feedback. 
• Proofread carefully. 
• Print off your good copy.

Read ALOUD 

• Not done yet... 
• Read ALOUD the printed copy of your story and analysis to a friend (if you really want to do this alone, read it ALOUD to yourself). 
• Keep track of any confusing parts or errors. 
• Make changes to your typed copy.
• Proofread carefully.
• Print off your NEW good copy.

Self-Assess Final Check

• Read the assignment outline and rubric carefully (can be found on this blog). 
• Read over your story and analysis one last time
• Give yourself a mark on the rubric. 
• If there is a significant difference (1 full level) between my mark for your assignment and your mark for yourself, we will have a meeting to discuss errors with the rubric and/or areas of need in self-assessment. 

Pre-Hand-In Check

• Is your story and analysis 12-pt font?
• Is your story and analysis Ariel or Times New Roman font?
• Is your story and analysis double spaced?
• Does your story have an original title (not Unit Assignment, Short Story etc.)?
• Is your name on all your work?

Hand In

• Good copy of short story
• Draft of short story
• Good copy of analysis
• Rubric for short story where you assessed your work

Class Outlines: Short Story Unit Assignment

Monday

This week, the first 20 min. of the class is SILENT work time. Please spread out to ensure this. The rest of class may have quiet on-task conversations with peers for feedback.

You have two tasks:

• ISU (remember to work on your 2/3 tracking sheet due Wednesday). Your In Class Analysis is Monday.
• Short Story Writing (draft of story and analysis should be finished by the end of Tuesday's class).

Tuesday

1. ISU 2/3 reading and tracking sheet

2. Work on finishing your draft then go through the stages of editing. 

Wednesday: ISU Tracking Sheet Due

1. ISU 2/3 tracking sheet handed in

2. Self and Peer Assessment of Story

Thursday: Short Story Assignment Due

1. Go over expectations for In Class Analysis on Monday.

2. Work on finishing up editing phases and hand in short story unit assignment. 

3. Study for In Class Analysis

4. Final short story (based on work completion).

Archetypes

1. Archetypes handout
2. Note-taking: Archetypes Slideshow Work on condensing notes without losing meaning or write it word for word.

The All-Purpose Guide to Epic Movies handout

Thursday Class Outline: Peer Feedback

1. Silent Reading
2. Computers (2103)
3. Peer Review Blog Posts:

1. Find a blog post of a classmate that is on characterization or plot. Make sure every classmate has at least 1 reviewer.
2. Read the blog post.
3. Fill out the reviewer checklist sheet for the post.
4. Read each sentence carefully and give the post a mark for writing conventions.
5. Create a comment for the blog (if the blog does not allow comments, you can write it on the back of the reviewer checklist). List 2 specific things you like about the blog post.
6. Give “next steps” feedback on the back of the checklist sheet. Give at least 1 specific thing the author could try to work on in this post.
7. Repeat for interest or another characterization/plot post.

Short Story Analysis: "Test," "Bluffing," and "Where the Borg Are"

Class Outline

1. Silent Reading
2. Hand in all remaining creative responses
3. Go over the short story analysis handout
4. Read "Test" together
5. Complete the worksheet for "Test"
6. Choose based on preference: "Where the Borg Are" or "Bluffing"
7. Complete analysis for the short story
8. Please hand in your completed work (due Friday)

Please note: tomorrow we will be assessing your blog posts on interest, characterization, or plot. Please finish your posts for homework if they are not already done. 

Blogging: Characters and Plot

Blog Post Options

Please choose one of the following three options and write a blog post on it. Every blog post should include:

• a picture
• a title
• full sentences
• labels
• spell checked and proof read text

Blog Post Options (Choose 1 of the 3)

1. Profile one of you favourite characters from TV, literature, or videogames. Describe their character traits (personality) referencing at least one form of indirect characterization and saying how it is developed.
Example: 
Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice is a girl who is very intelligent, as often mentioned by her father. Unfortunately  Elizabeth is a very judgmental girl. She makes decisions and assumes to understand people based on first impressions. Jane Austin develops Lizzy's judgmental character through Lizzy's behaviour when she  decides early on the Mr. Darcy is her enemy and Mr. Wickham is completely agreeable. When Mr. Darcy proposes to her, Lizzy cruelly rejects him.  In fact, Mr. Darcy turns out to be a caring person and Mr. Wickham is a scoundrel. 

2. Read a short story online (or recall a story you have read or viewed and enjoyed). Summarize the plot by saying what was the exposition, a few points from the rising action, what was the climax, and what was the falling action and/or denouement.
Example:
In the book the The Cat in the Hat the story starts with the exposition where the kids are home alone on a rainy day in the cat arrives. The rising action is when the cat plays games that cause a mess like “UP-UP-UP with a fish” and “FUN-IN-A-BOX.”  Fish says cat is causing a mess and says to him, “You should not be here / When our mother is not.” Then, Thing One and Thing Two fly kites in the house and  the Fish warns, “Your mother is on her way home!” The climax happens when the narrator catches Thing One and Thing Two with a net and says to the 
cat, “Now you pack up those Things / And you take them away!” The falling action is when the cat packs up Thing One and Thing Two then leaves. The cat returns and cleans up the mess saying, “I always pick up all my playthings.” The resolution is when the mother returns from shopping and asks the children, “Did you have any fun?” (from Read, Write, Think)

3. Write a narrative paragraph where you create a character. Describe your character using direct and indirect characterization. At the end, show where you had the direct and indirect characterization.

Example
"She was a bold-looking girl of about twenty-seven, with thick dark hair, a freckled face, and swift, athletic movements. A narrow scarlet sash, emblem of the Junior Anti-Sex League, was wound several times around her waist of her overalls, just tightly enough to bring out the shapeliness of her hips."

Direct: bold-looking girl, athletic movements

Indirect: "emblem of the Junior Anti-Sex League, was wound several times around her waist of her overalls, just tightly enough to bring out the shapeliness of her hips" this is irony. It shows that she seems to be following the rules but she is a rebel. 

(This example is from  George Orwell's book, Nineteen Eighty-Four 12 please write your own character).

Short Stories: Characterization

Characterization

Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the personality traits of a
character. Characterization is revealed through direct characterization and indirect
characterization.

Direct Characterization tells the audience what the personality of the character is (his or her trait).

• Example: “The patient boy and quiet girl were both well mannered and did not disobey their mother.” Explanation: The author is directly telling the audience the personality of these two children. The boy is “patient” and the girl is “quiet.”

Indirect Characterization shows things that reveal the personality of a character. There
are five different methods of indirect characterization:

Speech: What does the character say? How does the character speak?
Thoughts: What is revealed through the character’s private thoughts and feelings?
Effect on others: What is revealed through the character’s effect on other people? How do other characters
          feel or behave in reaction to the character?
Actions: What does the character do? How does the character behave?
Looks: What does the character look like? How does the character dress?(from Read, Write, Think)

Class Outline: Wednesday

1. Silent Reading and ISU work
2. Direct and Indirect Characterization Handout "Mirror Image"
3. Work on ISU creative response

Short Story Elements: Monday

Class Outline

1. Silent Reading

•  Students who received an email over the weekend should update their blog authors or post their media analysis.

2. Literary Elements Game:

1. Get in 5 equal groups. 
2. Each group member needs an individual rating sheet.
3. Each group will be asked a question, that group has 30 seconds to come up with an answer. If they do not get it right, the first group to have a member raise his or her hand gets to try to steal that point.
4. Once the answer is revealed, find that type of device on your rating sheet and mark off how well you know that concept.
5. At the end of the game, the team with the most points wins a prize. I will collect all rating sheets.

I will use this game and the rating sheets to get a feel for where the class is at. Rating sheets will help me know what you need to work on and what areas we don't need to spend a lot of time on.

3. Work on creative response.

Short Stories and ISU 2 (Thursday)

Class Outline
1. ISU reading
2. Finish peer reviews of the ISU tracking sheet.
3. Answer any remaining questions or issues with ISU tracking sheet.
4. Go over the ISU 1/3 assignment. It is found on your ISU handout. It is due Monday, October 7.

Options:

Complete one of the following options:

·  Create a graphic novel adaptation for a major event in this section of the novel. You must include at least 8 panels. You must include correct dialogue and important setting, object, and character details. Write an explanation of the literary importance of this scene as it relates to the conflict and character development in the first third of the novel and the design choices you made. Give page references for the scene. You may choose to hand in your typed explanation in proper paragraph form or record it to be assessed on oral communication skills.  

·  Record a dramatic reading of one scene in your story (at least 3 pages long). Write an explanation of the literary importance of this scene as it relates to the conflict and character development in the novel. Record your reading of the novel and your explanation.

·  Re-write a scene (2+ pages) from the story as a script. Follow proper script-writing conventions. Be sure to include stage directions and cues relating to setting, character behavior and appearance. On a separate paper, explain the literary importance of this scene as it relates to the conflict and character development in the novel. This should be typed.

·  Choose 4-6 songs that you think capture the mood of different important sections of the novel. In several typed, formal paragraphs describe why you made these connections and why those sections in the novel are important to conflict or character development.

·  Write a poem or song dealing an issue or big idea found in the story. On a separate typed page, explicitly explain the big idea or issue you chose and give specific examples (using quotations) of how you see it in the story and how you conveyed it in the poem.

·  Create a portrait of a character in the story that highlights important non-physical traits. Traits should be represented symbolically in the character’s physical appearance, props, and/or setting. On a separate, typed page, explain what traits you represented and use quotations to show how these traits are evident in the novel.

Rubric

Short Stories and ISU 1

Class Outline:

1. Silent Reading
2. ISU Tracking Sheet Feedback
1. Review ISU tracking rubric.
1. Get out your ISU tracking sheet. Please hand it in.
2. With a partner, you will be given two ISU tracking sheets and two rubrics. 
3. Please read them over carefully one at a time and assess them using the rubrics with your partner.
4. At the bottom of each rubric, write two things you like about their work on the tracking sheet, and one area of improvement ("'I like," I like," "You might want to try,")
5. Hand in the tracking sheets and rubrics to Beth.
3. Presentation

Tracking Sheet Rubric

	Level 4	Level 3	Level 2	Level 1
Strategies: Builds understanding of text by identifying important ideas and elements in the text. Uses quotations and page numbers for support. (Column 1)	Excellent support and identification for all elements and devices.	Good support and identification for all elements and devices.	Some support and identification for all elements and devices.	Limited support or identification for all elements and devices.
Thinking: Makes good connections between elements andnnections between elements ormentr all elements and devices.t. Uses quotations and page numbers for support. for each.. les a inferences about devices (Column 2)	Excellent connections/ inferences and engagement.	Good connections/ inferences and engagement.	Some connections/ inferences and engagement.	Limited connections/ inferences and engagement. May have some incomplete.