Room 132

The last two weeks have been pretty easy in my LA class with lit circles and since this next week is going to be packed full of writing, reading, and homework, I’m writing it all down for you.

Journal prompts this week are all “must-dos.” Prompts are often optional, allowing each student to use the prompt for inspiration, but this week the journal prompts are preparation for lit circles and the memoir, so they are all “must-dos.”

Monday:
Journal Prompt: What are your rules of friendship?
Lit Circle: Who are the friends in your book? What rules of friendship get broken?
Due: 5 Golden lines. (Each time we meet for lit circle from now on, you will need to collect five lines from the reading that are powerful sentences.)
Follow up: How did your lit circle go and what did you say about friendship in your book?
Classwork: Make an timeline/outline of your memoir.
Homework: First drafts of memoirs are due tomorrow. Make sure they are minimum 4 pages typed 12-point font and double-spaced. As your looking through your book, write down 5 golden lines that have to do with friendship due Thursday for lit circles.

Tuesday:
Journal Prompt: Who is a true friend to you? How do they show you that? How do you show them that?
Turn In: Put your first draft next to your journal to get checked.
Lesson: Story Leads lesson
Classwork: Rewrite your intro/lead to hook me as a reader.
Homework: Rewrite your lead and reprint your memoir. Your second draft is due tomorrow!

Wednesday
Journal Prompt: Describe a time when you had friendship trouble or when the rules of friendship have been broken for you.
Turn in: Put your second draft next to your journal to get checked.
Lesson: Peer editing. As you read each other’s work, look for 4 or more places that need more details to make the reader feel as if they can see the story like a movie behind their eyelids. Write at least 4 questions on the draft you are editing asking for more details, thoughts, feelings, or reflection.
Homework: Add more details including thoughts, feelings, and reflections and reprint your memoir. This the third draft due tomorrow. (Revise is the school word of the month!) Also make sure you’ve been writing down your golden lines as you read.
Bonus: No reading logs unless you need to make one up!

Thursday:
Journal Prompt: Do the characters in your lit circle book have a true friendship? Explain your answer.
Turn in: Put your third draft on top of your first and second drafts next to your journal to be collected. Put your golden lines on top of your book to be checked during journal time.
Mini-lesson: Ways to follow an idea and support what someone else says.
Lit Circle: Discuss the theme of friendship in your book. What kinds of friendships are there? Do the rules of friendship get broken? What do you think will happen to the friendships in the book when it’s over? Today I want your group to focus on the skill of keeping the continuity of the conversation going. This will require responding to what others in your group say and resisting the urge to go off on tangents.
Follow up: How did it go in your lit circle? Fill in your evaluation forms.
Homework: Finish your book by Monday.

Friday:
Journal Prompt: Describe a wose case scenario of a friendship meltdown.
Lesson: How to write a highlight your third draft to show off your intro, details, emotions and thoughts.
Classwork: Highlight your third draft; enjoy a snack if everyone turned them in on time Thursday.
Homework: Finish your book.

Next Week: You get your third draft back for more revision. This is going to be the best memoir you’ve ever done! You can put it on the blogafter you’ve finished your 4th and final draft.

Coming soon: Progress reports and online grade checking via “The Source.”