Memorized Poem Presentations; Improv; Lab Play

This morning, please complete any poem performances that you did not perform last class. Give feedback per usual.

Afterward, please enjoy some improv games together. With time remaining, please go to the lab and surf the internet or chat.

Have a nice break!

HOMEWORK: None.

Memorization/Rehearsal Time!; First Presentations

Today, please take period 3 to prepare and memorize your poem. Some of you have been very slow working on this assignment. Please keep the goal of the task in mind. Our essential question is how can one memorize a poem (or a speech or a scene from a play, etc.) While you are not actors, necessarily, being able to memorize information is still a necessary skill for life. Practice it!

During period 4, we will first take volunteers, but quickly move to random performances. I would have given you more time for this project, but as a class, you were not very focused in the lab the last few days.

For your presentation:
Please print out 2 copies of your poem (one to turn in with highlighted words correct, and one for a peer to use as a prompt script). You will be graded on:

• Preparation (how well do you know your own poem?)
• Eye contact
• Tone
• Gestures/Posture
• Performance choices (the use of pauses, pace, clarity of speech; the lack of mistakes or missing lines/words, etc.)
• Effort

As we watch these performances, note how a memorized speech is different from one that is "read" by a speaker. You will be asked to reflect on your own process (and turn in for credit!)

HOMEWORK: None (unless you did not perform today--then prepare and complete your performance next class!) Next class we will play some improv games and celebrate the end of the year (although not the end of the class).

Memorizing Your Monologue!; Spoon River Quiz

After our quiz, please begin to MEMORIZE your monologue poem. You will perform your poem for the class (from memory) starting Friday. Use the time in the lab to memorize your poem. Practice it enough between now and Friday that you are ready to perform it!

To help you:

Tips for memorization:

• Chunk it! Break your poem into sensible pieces (phrases, or sentences, for example, or stanzas). 
• Repetition works! Go over the poem again and again and again and again.  You WILL need to rehearse your poem in order to memorize it!
• Writing things down by hand helps memorize something--that's why teachers ask you to take notes! You might want to copy your poem down on index cards by hand to speed up this process.
• Get it into your body! Repeating the same gesture or moving in the same way while saying something will help you remember it. Use your body. It's harder to memorize something if you are not moving.
• If you are having trouble with a line or two, give it a specific gesture--or sing it! Singing something with the same tune can help you remember!
• Visualize! Try to picture what you are saying or trying to memorize.
• Create associations! Stories and connected ideas are easier to remember!
• Relax! Take a break after you have memorized part or all of the section you are memorizing!
• For other tips or advice check this site! or this one! or this one! (these are good for learning stuff too!)

If you need a short break, write in your journal. I can't keep you from talking to each other about unrelated material or topics, but I suggest you use the given time to memorize. You will be graded on how accurate and well performed your monologue poem is for this assignment.

HOMEWORK: Memorize your poem!

Character Sketch; Monologue Poem Project

This morning during period 3, please complete your character sketch. There is just one more addition you will make to this character sketch before you print it out and turn it in for credit today (near the end of period 3).

See previous post for details about how to write a character sketch. If you are having trouble, check here for further instructions and advice. Click here for a sample from Poynter (Journalism school--journalists and novelists often use character sketches in their writing/articles). Character sketches should be written in prose form (i.e., paragraph/sentence form. Note: you don't have to write them as outlines/lists!)

During period 4, please use your character sketch to write an internal monologue poem. Please read the characteristics of a monologue poem and the instructions carefully! There are required elements for your poem draft. All the poems in Spoon River are examples of internal monologue poems.

Characteristics of a monologue poem:

• Are written from the perspective or POINT OF VIEW (POV) of a character
• They are written in 1st person POV (using the pronoun "I, me, my, our, etc.")
• Your poem MUST be written in First Person POV!
• Your title of your poem will be your character's name.
• They usually reference the inner workings or thoughts of the character. Write about what a character is thinking or what a character MUST say.
• Think about WHO is your target audience for what the character MUST say.
• Think about WHY your character must speak!
• Often interior monologues use a technique called STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS--where the writer/poet tries to recreate the way the character thinks
• They often reference important or key character traits: personality, physical, social traits, etc.
• They may include dialogue, but the focus is on the character speaking--not on another character
• They often use metaphor, simile, imagery, alliteration, assonance, consonance, or other poetic devices. See a list of poetic devices you can use in this poem here. Here are some rhetorical devices to use as well (for advanced learners).
• You MUST use at least 1 poetic device in your poem draft (please identify which one you used at the bottom of your poem draft!)
• For advanced students, try including (and identifying) a rhetorical device in your poem draft
• The poetic turn or VOLTA usually occurs somewhere in the middle of the poem. The volta allows the use of irony and surprise. Typically the first lines or stanza in a poem states a premise, asks a question, suggests a theme, or presents a situation. After the turn or volta, the concluding lines resolve the problem by suggesting an answer, offer a conclusion, change tone, or shift to an unexpected statement or new direction or idea. This gives a poem more complexity.
• Make sure you have a VOLTA in your poem draft. BOLD this line on your draft!
• Proofread, correct, revise, and turn in your poem draft with an appropriate title. You will need to memorize this poem and perform it in the next class or two.

Please complete your poem draft during period 4 and turn in for credit. If you have time and interest, consider writing more internal monologue poems and turn in for extra credit!

HOMEWORK: If you did not complete your draft or character sketch for some reason, please complete late as homework. COMPLETE your reading of Spoon River by Wednesday--there may be a test.

Spoon River Readings; Character Creation: The Character Sketch

We will complete the poetry readings we missed last class.

You should have read pages 15-30 for homework. If you didn't, that's your loss. Today, get into groups of 4 and analyze the poems on pages 30-50. As a group of 4, each person should read at least 2 times, out loud, while other students read along. After reading, discuss what you noticed about the poems you are reading? How does the poet Edgar Lee Masters:

• Create authentic VOICE in the poems? Examine TONE & DICTION.
• How are these poems typical poems; how are they different or unusual from the normal form of poetry we expect?
• Use literary elements such as metaphor, simile, alliteration, assonance, personification, allusion, or imagery?
• What does Edgar Lee Master's do in his poetry that you do not? How is his style of writing different from yours? Discuss. Make sure everyone in the group has contributed to this conversation.

When you are asked, please come to the computer lab to write your character sketch.

LAB: Read about how to write a character sketch here. Using your writing and the prompts from last class, write a 300-500 word character sketch of your character. Along with your physical, mental, social & personality traits we wrote about last time, add information about key or important events in this character's life. What did your character never tell anyone else? What secrets did your character keep? Who or what did your character love? What important decisions or actions shaped your character? Why did your character do these actions or make these decisions? What does your character want from society, from his/her family, from his/her spouse or friends, or from him/herself?

Write your character sketch and turn in for credit.

HOMEWORK: Read Spoon River: pages 50-126 for MONDAY, Dec. 14.

Pet Peeve Speeches; Spoon River Readings

We will complete our pet peeve speeches today. After this, we'll each choose a poem/character from Spoon River and read the poem out loud to the class in an appropriate tone as an internal monologue.

Then for pages 15-30, please gather in groups of 4 and read and analyze the poems on these pages. As a group, what do you notice about the poems you are reading? How does the poet Edgar Lee Masters:

• Create authentic VOICE in the poems? Examine TONE & DICTION.
• How are these poems typical poems; how are they different or unusual from the normal form of poetry we expect?
• Use literary elements such as metaphor, simile, alliteration, assonance, personification, allusion, or imagery?

If we have time, we'll head off to the computer lab for our next project.

HOMEWORK: Read Spoon River: pages 30-126 for MONDAY, Dec. 14.
 

Prepare & Practice: Pet Peeve Speech; Spoon River: Day 1

Please prepare your pet peeve speech by printing out two copies (one to cut up and put on index cards so you can practice) the other to turn in to me for credit.

Before you do that, make sure you have:

• an interesting title
• an interesting hook
• a thesis statement (usually after your hook and lead-in in your introduction)
• imagery (if you discuss abstract ideas, find ways to use similes and metaphors to create visual imagery of these concepts)
• make sure each body paragraph you wrote has a clear point you are making about your pet peeve
• try to add a little humor by exaggerating (hyperbole) or verbal irony (sarcasm)
• clean up your grammar and formatting

1. Once you've done that, print out your draft. 
2. Highlight or bold your KEY POINTS in your speech. You should memorize these lines so that you can make direct eye contact with your audience.
3. Pair up with a peer or two and practice out loud, standing up. Allow your partner(s) to give you advice about how to strengthen your performance. 
4. Once everyone in your group has practiced, practice a second time to get the feel of your speech. Where should you exaggerate your TONE? Where should you be louder or more animated? What should you do with your body and your voice or your facial expressions? Make some decisions about your performance.

Your speeches will be delivered Friday. Please continue to rehearse them on your own time between now and then.

During period 4: It's down to the library to pick up Spoon River by Edgar Lee Masters (our next book/reading assignment). When you return from the library, we'll start reading this book together.

Spoon River is a collection of internal monologue poems by American poet Edgar Lee Masters.

As we read this collection, please note that each poem is "spoken" using the voice of the speaker. Certain characters speak seriously, in a, pardon the pun, grave manner. Other characters have a humorous or sarcastic tone to their "voice."

Each character is assumed to be dead and talking from the grave about his/her life. All of these poems are what we call INTERNAL MONOLOGUES or monologue poems: a poem from the POV or voice of a specific character. We'll play around with this form next week after our speeches.

Journal Options (on-going deadline: you may do these exercises again and again...):

1. Go to a cemetery. Record the names on gravestones. Imagine who this/these person or persons are. What meant the most to them? What kind of personality did they have? How did they live? How did they die? What did they do for a living? Who did they love or dislike? What was the most important object/idea/person to them? What do they most regret? Use these questions to create an internal monologue.

2. Look through a phone book or year book (I recommend one of your parents' year books). Record some names of people you don't know. Imagine who these people are. What meant the most to them? what kind of personality do they have? How do they live? How will they die? What do they do for a living? Who do they love/dislike? What means the most to them? what do they regret? Use these questions to create an internal monologue or a character sketch.

HOMEWORK:  Practice and prepare for your pet peeve speech--these are due to be performed Friday. Bring your Spoon River books back with you on Friday.

The Pet Peeve Speech Project

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving. Since you've been so good and thankful, let's turn the table a bit.

While information and persuasive speeches tend to be about serious issues, the Pet Peeve speech is an example of an entertainment speech. In it, the speaker discusses something that he or she doesn't like and gives reasons why he/she feels this way (and sometimes what a person can do to avoid annoying the speaker).

Here's an example of a Pet Peeve Speech:

• Bookish Pet Peeve

Consider the stand up comedy monologues such as:

• Bill Cosby: Dentists
• Eddie Izzard: Intelligent Design
• Ellen Degeneres: Flight Attendants

Brainstorm and write a pet peeve speech.

• Read the handout and samples of the pet peeve speech today in class
• Change the "specs" to: time limit: 5 minutes or less. 5 minutes is usually around 2.5 pages double spaced. It usually takes about 2.5 minutes per page when writing a speech text. Your pet peeve speech should be at LEAST 2.5 minutes in length (1 full typed page).
• Your pet peeve speech should be written. No credit will be given to students who improv their speech during their presentation! 
• Remember to include a good hook! Remember to think about your audience!
• Share with your classmates an experience or situation that bothers you. It need not be anything earth-shattering. You might sound off about your Friday night curfew or chores and obligations at home. Explore your feelings about the issue.
• In the handout chapter complete: the purpose and expectations of this assignment
• In the handout chapter complete: Choosing a topic
• In the handout chapter complete: Preparing.
• In the handout chapter complete: Reading of the two sample speeches on pages 84-87.

You should complete your pet peeve draft today by the end of class. If you don't, see homework below.

HOMEWORK: Make sure you have completed the bullet points from this post! If you did NOT, then please complete your speech as homework--bring it fully finished to next class!

Coffeehouse Reflection! Improv Games!

Congratulations, Freshmen!

You have successfully completed a public performance. I hope you enjoyed the coffee house and will participate in future ones.

Part of our goal this year is for you to get to know your strengths and weaknesses by completing a myriad of assignments, projects, and performances. Self reflection is an important component to learning.

How you felt you did last night as a performance. If you had to do it over again, what would you do differently? What did you learn about public speaking by performing your writing last night? What surprised you about the performance? Who's performance did you particularly enjoy? Did you notice anything different between the Freshman performances and the other Creative Writing performances? What did your parents say or think about the performance? What would you do differently the next time you perform a speech or public reading? What advice would you give other performers?

This morning, please take the first period (3rd period) to respond and comment to your coffehouse performance.

During 4th period, please come next door to 238 to play some improv games with Ms. Springer! This is her last day with us. 

HOMEWORK: None.

500-Word Story Project: Prep for Coffeehouse

This morning please make sure you have completed your homework:

Watch at least 3 500-word stories (see link above) and summarize each story in 1 sentence. Write your 1-sentence premise (summary) in your journals. Then, add to this list with some of your own 1-sentence premises. Choose one of the 25 Insights on Becoming a Better Writer (see above) and in your journal, write this insight and what you think of it.

• 25 Insights on Becoming a Better Writer
• Please watch and listen to at least 3 500-word stories from this site. 
• Lab: writing a 500 word story. 
• Come up with a short story that should be exactly 500 words in length.
• Subject and genre is completely up to you!
• Use the handout advice to get you started.
• Use the advice from the videos and the 25 insights to help you as well.
• Write. Drafts of your stories will be due by the end of class today. 

When you have completed your 500 word short story, proofread, print and turn in.

With time remaining, please complete the handout reflection sheet for your speech performances. Turn this in before the end of class today.

Then: choose what coffeehouse piece you would like to prepare and rehearse for our coffeehouse next Thursday (Nov. 19 at 7:00). Choose a tone for your piece, highlight your best and most important lines, and indicate where you will slow down and speed up in your piece. Write your "acting notes" in the margins of your "script". Begin rehearsing your coffeehouse piece.

HOMEWORK: None.

Speech's Due! Introduction to the 500 Word Short Story Project

Today we will complete our class speeches. As we deliver our speeches, please evaluate and critique your fellow peers.

When we have completed our speeches, please return to the lab to do the following writing/reading task:

On to our next writing task. Soon you will be choosing a selection to read and perform at our coffeehouse on Nov. 19. Before you do that, please print out any writing you have completed this marking period and put the draft in your portfolio. You should have already done this, but if not, please do it now.

Then watch these videos!

• 25 Insights on Becoming a Better Writer
• Daniel Radcliffe: 500 Words story
• David Walliams: 500 Words story
• Please watch and listen to at least 3 500-word stories from this site. 
• Lab: writing a 500 word story.
• Go to the lab. 
• Come up with a short, short story that should be exactly 500 words in length.
• Subject and genre is completely up to you!
• Use the handout advice to get you started.
• Use the advice from the videos and the 25 insights to help you as well.
• Write. Drafts of your stories will be due this Friday. You will have time in the lab to complete your story then.

HOMEWORK: Watch at least 3 500-word stories (see link above) and summarize each story in 1 sentence. Write your 1-sentence premise (summary) in your journals. Then, add to this list with some of your own 1-sentence premises. Choose one of the 25 Insights on Becoming a Better Writer (see above) and in your journal, write this insight and what you think of it.

Finally, consider what pieces you have written that you think are your best work. We will be selecting our coffeehouse piece next class. Our Coffeehouse is Nov. 19 at 7:00. Please invite your parents/guardians/family and friends. Light refreshments will be served that evening!

Journal due! Speech Rehearsal

Your journals are due today. Please turn these in now. Make sure your name is printed on your journal.

After our quiz on the communication process, tone, diction, and key terms covered in marking period one, please go to the lab next door and revise/put the finishing touches on your speeches.

1. Divide the speech into paragraphs--each paragraph should contain one of your main points. 
2. You may cut up your speech and paste, tape, glue your work onto index cards that you can use for your notes while delivering your speech.
3. Highlight important key points in your speech; Slow down during these highlights when you deliver your speech. Try to make eye contact during these important places in your speech.
4. Identify TONE and changes or transitions in your speech. Where are you excited, energized, business-like, sad, etc. Write your tone in the margins of your speech or index card(s). 
5. Consider where you might put in a gesture to help communicate your ideas. Consider the PACING of your speech--which parts are slow, which parts are fast?
6. Rehearse with your partner. You may use our lab or the classroom next door (a238).

During 4th period (or after you complete the steps above), we will begin rehearsing speeches.

Effective speech is largely based on knowing well what you wrote. Being familiar with the words you used and how to pronounce them are helpful. In addition,

• sincerity (you've got to believe and mean what you say)
• effective volume (if we can't hear you, then there is no point in communicating)
• eye contact (helps gain feedback from your audience)
• effective pacing (slow down during important points, speed up during non-important points or digressions)
• effective gestures and posture (physical communication is helpful to communicate an idea)

can help make your speech more effective and interesting.

Pair up to "rehearse" your speech. Deliver your speech to one another, taking turns. The listener (receiver) should give you feedback about effectiveness. What parts of the speech are weak, vague, or badly delivered? Where does the listener stop listening in the speech? Does the opening of the speech effectively hook or interest the listener? Critique each other.

Use your time provided to go over your speech again and again. Seriously, the more time you practice, the better you will be prepared. Don't goof off or throw away this opportunity. Work until we tell you we are going to deliver our speeches!

HOMEWORK: Practice your speech if you did not deliver it today!

Speech: Persuasive, Informative, Entertainment

EQ: brainstorm topics for a speech, create a thesis for our speech, and write your speech in the lab. Your draft is due by end of class. If you finish early, please begin rehearsing your speech for Wednesday.

Watch this video about Picking a Public Speech Topic.

When you have finished, please brainstorm some topics for a speech. Refer to the chapter handout on Preparing a Speech.

• From your list, choose 3 of the best topics. For each of these three topics, list possible sources of information you could explore.
• Consider which topics would require you to do the most research? The least? 
• Estimate how many minutes you would need to adequately and creatively speak to an audience about the topics you chose. Our speech will be short this time (about 2-4 minutes--that's about 2 pages double spaced).
• Narrow your topic(s) until you have a specific THESIS. 
• Write a thesis for each of your 3 chosen speech topics. 
• Pair up with a partner and share your thesis topics with him/her. Offer feedback to your partner.
• Choose your best topic and thesis. 
• Determine your purpose. What are you trying to accomplish with this speech? Are you giving information, persuading us to think differently, or entertaining us?
• Persuasive speeches motivate people to change a behavior or ideology
• Informative speeches provide accurate and supported information to an audience
• Entertainment speeches seek to entertain an audience to make them feel, laugh, or cry
• Create an outline and plan what your topic sentences will cover in each paragraph.
• In your introduction, your THESIS is your first point.
• In your body, each topic sentence (the first sentence in the paragraph) should clearly state what your paragraph will cover. The rest of the paragraph are the details of that topic sentence.
• In your conclusion, consider the purpose of this speech: are you informing us, entertaining us, or persuading us? Explain WHY and HOW your thesis is important to us, as an audience.
• NOTE: See the handout sample of how to create an outline. You may also check here.
• Begin writing a short speech (about 1 full page to 2 pages in length--double spaced). 

Poem drafts due! Fiction Prompt; Preparing a Speech

1. Type up your poem drafts you completed last class. Put these in your portfolio.

2. Complete Ms. Springer's creative writing prompt.

3. Begin your speech topic preparation (see below)

EQ: After our writing prompts & prep work, we are going to brainstorm topics for a speech, create a thesis for our speech, and begin writing our speech in the lab.

Watch this video about Picking a Public Speech Topic.

When you have finished, please brainstorm some topics for a speech. Refer to the chapter handout on Preparing a Speech.

• From your list, choose 3 of the best topics. For each of these three topics, list possible sources of information you could explore.
• Consider which topics would require you to do the most research? The least? 
• Estimate how many minutes you would need to adequately and creatively speak to an audience about the topics you chose. Our speech will be short this time (about 2-4 minutes--that's about 2 pages double spaced).
• Narrow your topic(s) until you have a specific THESIS. 
• Write a thesis for each of your 3 chosen speech topics. 
• Pair up with a partner and share your thesis topics with him/her. Offer feedback to your partner.
• Choose your best topic and thesis. 
• Determine your purpose. What are you trying to accomplish with this speech? Are you giving information, persuading us to think differently, or entertaining us?
• Persuasive speeches motivate people to change a behavior or ideology
• Informative speeches provide accurate and supported information to an audience
• Entertainment speeches seek to entertain an audience to make them feel, laugh, or cry
• Create an outline and plan what your topic sentences will cover in each paragraph.
• In your introduction, your THESIS is your first point.
• In your body, each topic sentence (the first sentence in the paragraph) should clearly state what your paragraph will cover. The rest of the paragraph are the details of that topic sentence.
• In your conclusion, consider the purpose of this speech: are you informing us, entertaining us, or persuading us? Explain WHY and HOW your thesis is important to us, as an audience.
• NOTE: See the handout sample of how to create an outline. You may also check here.
• Begin writing a short speech (about 1 full page to 2 pages in length--double spaced). 

REMEMBER: to include a HOOK! Your speech should have a beginning (introduction), middle (body), and end (conclusion).

HOMEWORK: None. 

Performance & Tone

After performing your scenes, let's play around with some poetry prompts and begin to prepare our coffeehouse reading selections.

Here's an example of a poem that has a specific TONE. Try to figure out what TONE the speaker/persona is using:

"Another Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries" by Hugh MacDiarmid:

It is a God-damned lie to say that these
Saved, or knew, anything worth any man's pride.
They were professional murderers and they took
Their blood money and impious risks and died.
In spite of all their kind some elements of worth
With difficulty persist here and there on earth. 

Writing Prompt #1 (freewrite/brainstorm in your journal):

1. Choose a character from the index card(s) provided to you.
2. On the back of the card, write a 3x5 poem (a short poem from the perspective/voice of your character)
3. You poem should include a title. Remember to use imagery: metaphor/simile, allusion, alliteration, personification, or any other poetic device you prefer.
4. In the margin, indicate the TONE you are using.

Writing Prompt #2:

1. Using the tone on the paper provided to you, write a poem that uses or sustains this tone.
2. Title your poem (perhaps with your speaker's name or name the setting or theme)
3. Make sure you indicate what TONE you were using.

LAB: Type up your two poem prompts. Put these drafts in your portfolio.

Please create a poem using a specific TONE. Pick an emotional tone for your persona and have that character speak, using appropriate diction, to create the tone you selected.

HOMEWORK: None.

Improv Games

Please access Ms. Springer's blog at this link.

Look for the agenda there, as well as note your homework. 

Ms. Springer's Blog; Revision

Please check out Ms. Springer's Blog. She will be using this during her teaching here.

Ms. Springer's Blog!

Please use 3rd period to revise your:

1. Baseline Interview Story drafts
2. Your David Ives play scene draft
3. Your poem draft(s)

Make sure you change the DRAFT NUMBER for each new draft. From a 1st draft, change the draft # to 2, or 3 or etc. Keep track of draft #'s in your heading.

After 3rd period, please listen to Ms. Springer's instructions.

HOMEWORK: None.

Day of Writing; Poetry & Geva's Spamalot Workshop

Use period 3 to write/type up poems.

Your poem drafts should use your inspiration and journal notes from last class. Look through what you wrote and write about "ordinary things"--Keep writing! If you finish early (before 4th period), please write a second poem or a third. Or work on your baseline story revision (draft two!) or your play scene revision (draft two). Please change the draft number if you revise your work today.

Keep your writing/drafts in your portfolio.

Here are some things to consider to make your writing stronger or to help you revise:

Diction: word choice. Select words in your poem carefully to carry the most meaning. All words have a denotative meaning and a connotative meaning. Understatement, euphemism, and other rhetorical strategies may be used to affect a poem's diction. Speaking to your elderly grandparents uses a different diction than speaking to your "homies".

Voice: The agent or "speaker" speaking through the poem. Also called the "persona". Create a speaker for your poems. Try writing the same poem from a different perspective and see what version you like more. Ex. A poem about an overgrown garden would be different from the voice of a gardener than it would be from the perspective of a black bird or a cat. Try looking at your subject from a different point of view.

Tone: Often the attitude of your speaker or the voice. Identified in a poem by diction.

• Tone can be formal or informal depending on the diction a poet uses.
• Tone can be ironic, sarcastic, serious, pedantic, or hyperbolic depending on the voice a poet selects.
• Tone can be positive or negative or neutral. Selecting one of these tones can or should affect your diction.

Change your tone. If you wrote the first draft in an informal tone, try a formal one. If you wrote your first draft in a neutral or objective tone, try a sarcastic tone or hyperbolic tone. 

Use advice from Ms. Springer or the rubric to improve your stories if you can.

During period 4, we will be visited by a representative from Geva to discuss Spamalot! 

HOMEWORK: Please read the play information from the handout today. Read Act One of Spamalot! if you'd like. Meet in the Commons on Thursday at 9:30 (end of period 2). Bring a bagged lunch if you will be missing your lunch period.

Ordinary Things; Poetry Walk

To write appealing poetry poets should observe the world around themselves. For a beginning writer emphasis is often given to come up with an amazing topic and to write about the deepest thoughts and feelings of the writer. But what we find is that writing about simple life--our connection and understanding of these simple objects or events, holds more power than pedantic political diatribes or word games.

That is not to say that a poet should forget about structure, subtle use of poetic technique and just downright skill at communicating through objects, images, and comparisons those things that are essential for human life.

Today, after writing your drafts (or during, if you need a break), please read about Robert Frost. Read several of his poems (at least 10, but feel free please to read all of them or nearly all). Read them with a partner, if you need to--just read them.

At first glance you will notice Robert Frost has a love affair with nature. Most of his poems include nature. It is the primary theme of poetry and is found absolutely everywhere. What you want to know about nature is that humans interact with the natural world every single day of their lives. Sometimes this connection to nature seems forced, strained or distant. Other times the connection is close, intimate, and meaningful. Humans compare and contrast themselves to nature. When a poet writes about a path in the wood that branches off, we recall the difficult choices we have to make in our own life's path. The natural metaphor simply helps us understand and approach the conflicts in our own life. As you read, try to figure out what Frost is telling us about our HUMAN SELVES.

Take the next 15-20 minutes to read the poems by Ralph Fletcher: Ordinary Things.

Depending on the weather, we will be taking a little field trip today. Please bring your journals and a writing utensil with you. Please listen to instructions.

When we return from our "trip" please use the time in the lab to write 5 short poems with ordinary things as their subject. Form and structure (line, sound, tone, diction, etc.) is up to you. Write each poem in the same file. Call these drafts ORDINARY THINGS

SOME KEY POETIC TERMS YOU NEED TO KNOW:

Diction: word choice. Select words in your poem carefully to carry the most meaning. All words have a denotative meaning and a connotative meaning. Understatement, euphemism, and other rhetorical strategies may be used to affect a poem's diction. Speaking to your elderly grandparents uses a different diction than speaking to your "homies".

Voice: The agent or "speaker" speaking through the poem. Also called the "persona".

Tone: Often the attitude of your speaker or the voice. Identified in a poem by diction.

• Tone can be formal or informal depending on the diction a poet uses.
• Tone can be ironic, sarcastic, serious, pedantic, or hyperbolic depending on the voice a poet selects.
• Tone can be positive or negative or neutral. Selecting one of these tones can or should affect your diction.

Today, we are going outside along the poetry walk at the Memorial Art Gallery. As we stroll, jot down and look for ideas or subjects to write poems about. Use Ralph Fletchers poem collection as a model.

In the sculpture garden we will spend a longer period of time SILENTLY writing! Please do not be offended when I ask you to move away from other students so that you can focus on your writing. You will be given a grade for your participation.

Use your time outside to inspire yourself to write in your journal.

Collaborative Play Scene Project

Please follow these guidelines for this project:

1. Choose a partner (there should be an even #, but if you are on your own, please let me know and I'll create one group of 3.

2. Together with your partner, brainstorm settings. Choose one of these settings and describe it on the computer (I suggest using Google Docs for this assignment. Share your file with your partner (and me)).

3. Describe your setting. Use the plays we have read so far as models. No need to get too descriptive. Just enough information to make it interesting. See the example below.

4. Create a character for yourself that would be appropriate for this setting. Your partner should do the same. If you want, it might be more interesting if one of you has a character that fits in the setting, and another one who doesn't.  Describe your character's main physical traits or personality traits.

5. Using David Ives as a model, write a play scene with your partner. Each of you should "play" your character. Create a goal (and keep it secret from your partner). Your character should try to win his/her goal. Keep goals appropriate to the style, tone, and setting.

• You may wish to use a sound device or bell (like David Ives does) and redo a scene or pause it or change it up a bit like "Sure Thing" and "Variations on the Death of Trotsky". 
• You may wish to create "variations" (short scenes like those in Variations on the Death of Trotsky). Pick a historical character and creatively rearrange history. 
•  You may use mistakes of the communication process--take a look back at our sample videos and scenes, including David Ive's play "Arabian Nights". Write a scene where misunderstanding occurs. (See "Who's on First" as a sample).

•  Or creatively come up with your own idea!

6. Your play should be at least 3 pages in length. Do not double-space scripts. Instead, skip 1-line between each speaker. You may use the publishing format for your play script at this point. We will use a different style later in the course.

TIPS: All plays have a short description of setting and indicate the time of day or the season before dialogue begins. It's a good idea to give your character an action in the setting at the beginning of the play.

Example: On stage there is a bookcase with various titles, a four-poster bed, and a wash basin on a dresser. It is May, 1917, just before the Great War. Enter JOHN, drying his face with a towel. He sits on the bed and puts on his shoes. There is a knock on the door. It is PENNY. She enters.

Each character should have a brief one-two sentence description describing the character:

Example: 

John: a 52 year old accountant. He is always dressed in jeans and smokes a lot.
Penny: A nun. She doesn't wear a habit. She can be played by an actress between 20 and 40 years old. 

Please note that the cast list is usually printed just after the title and BEFORE the opening stage directions.

All plays deal with a complicated situation. To create a situation for a story/plot, you need to know the following:

1. Who is appearing in the play? (character)
2. Where is the action taking place (setting)
3. What are the characters doing? (action)

Once these questions are answered, you can complicate the situation by adding a "But...", "suddenly", "when...", or "uh, oh!" sort of statement.

Example: John is in his room when Penny the nun enters and tells him that War has just broken out.
John is cooking dinner in the kitchen when suddenly he is interrupted by Penny, a nun, who has had a vision that John's pancakes are in the shape of the Virgin Mary. But John is an atheist. Etc.

Your play should stay in one setting and be anywhere between 3 and 10 pages in length.

HOMEWORK: Please finish your play draft by the end of class. Turn in what you wrote as participation credit.

David Ives' Short Plays; Improv Games

On the index card, explain the communication process and how it works. Then, on the back of the index card, name ONE reason why communication is important. You have 5 minutes to complete your answer. We will collect your cards.

David Ives: Sure Thing (conclusion), Variations on the Death of Trotsky, Arabian Nights.

After reading these short plays today, we will play a few improvisation games. Note how the communication process is important as we play each game.

During period 4, we will return to the lab to work on a short collaborative scene. Please listen closely to instructions for this assignment.

HOMEWORK: None.

Tightening Up our Story Drafts; The Communication Process; Sure Thing

During period 3, please spend the next 20-25 minutes revising or completing your story projects. Check you grammar and your formatting. Add details and description that you might not have thought of before. Add visual imagery by using metaphor or similes in your description of abstract nouns.

If you finish before 20-25 minutes is up, please watch the following videos about the communication process during period 3:

A Brief History of Communication (animated film)
A Brief History of Communication (commercial)

We will move to room 238 for the remainder of the class.

Communication: Sender/Receiver: Abbott & Costello skit

Take a few minutes to take notes on the communication process. Take careful note of vocabulary words in caps and bold.

The communication process starts with a person getting an IDEA (or reason to communicate). We will call this person: the SENDER.

1. The sender comes up with an idea or reason to communicate.
2. The sender ENCODES this idea with words or symbols
3. The sender chooses a type of communication and sends his/her message to a RECEIVER.
4. After receiving the message, the receiver DECODES the message.
5. The receiver receives the original message or idea.
if communication is to continue as conversation, the receiver becomes the sender and starts the process again, responding to what was originally communicated.

Why should I care? 
--Communication is one of the most important activities a person can engage in.
--Communication allows us to express ourselves
--Communication allows us to learn new things or meet new people
--Communication builds friendships, loyalties, love, and trust between people
--Effective communication allows us to avoid damaging or hurtful events or situations
--Ineffective communication is often the reason people engage in conflict, war, or destructive activities
--As writers, we have to communicate our ideas with our audience. The better we can do this, the more effective we can be.

There are a variety of ways in which an author or speaker can make communication more effective.

Let's read the short play "Sure Thing" by David Ives together. As we read, consider how the playwright uses the communication process creatively to tell a fun and interesting story. We'll discuss what you noticed after reading the play out loud.

With time remaining, please take a few minutes to watch these videos about the failure in the communication process. Try to note what the problem communication is, and who is responsible for effective communication in your journal:

From: Monty Python and the Holy Grail
The Evolution of Communication (Social Media) (animated film for EMC)
Effective Communication commercial

Sesame Street: Bert & Ernie
Errors in Communication: Rabbit Seasoning: Pronoun Trouble

HOMEWORK: None.

Writing Advice; Baseline Interview Story Draft Due!

Let's begin class today with a little pow-wow/coming to the water chat about writing. In your journal take a moment to reflect on your writing so far.

• Do you have an idea?
• Have you picked your genre?
• What problems have you run into?

Today, please continue working on your baseline interview stories. These stories are due at the end of class today. Please remember:

• These stories are DRAFTS (not final drafts); it's okay if they aren't "complete" or if they have "mistakes". Try your best, but don't over worry. You are a beautiful snowflake...
• Please proofread and correct your formatting and grammar/mechanics in the work before you turn it in. Use your Creative Grammar & Style class assignments to help you!
• We like our fiction/prose to be double spaced, 12 pt. font
• Use an MLA appropriate heading (the name of the assignment is the baseline interview story; it is sometimes helpful to indicate draft #: example: baseline interview story, draft 1)
• Do not leave a skipped line between paragraphs unless you are indicating "white space"
• Indent 1-tab for each new paragraph
• Check your dialogue punctuation carefully. (Punctuation generally goes INSIDE the quote marks)
• Keep your POV and tense consistent. If you start off the story in present tense, keep writing in present tense, etc.
• Give your story an appropriate title. Titles should "hook" or interest a reader. Usually they are the name of the main character, an important object, a quote or concept, or the name of a setting
• Use your time wisely in the lab. The lab is for writing--not chatting, or surfing the internet for unrelated topics.
• No matter what happens or how much you write, please turn in your drafts at the end of class. Listen to my instructions/announcements concerning the same.

Please refer to the following rubric for this project.

Project Rubric:

9-10: story is imaginative, clever, well written, grammatically sound (almost completely free of proofreading, mechanical or spelling errors), story uses effective dialogue and effective description, story has an interesting theme, character is based on original peer interview in some clever and creative way. Story is turned in on time and fits in the 3-5 page range, properly formatted. Story has a clever and creative title. 

8: story is mostly well written, with some gaps or weaknesses, but nothing that makes reading the story laborious or difficult. Story is mostly grammatically sound (some errors) but nothing that gets in the way of comprehension. Story has some dialogue and description, but work is not as compelling as scores of 9-10. Character is based on original peer interview in some way. Story is turned in on time and fits in the 2-5 page range, properly formatted. Story has a title. 

7: story is completed, turned in on time, but lacks the imagination and creativity of scores of 8-10. Some moments of storytelling, but story may need more plot development, conflict, character development, or attention to detail and specifics. Story might have dialogue or description, but this is relatively uninteresting, or weakly presented by the author. Character is dubiously based on details from an interview or original source, but this is not clear, or the character is too similar to the source material as to be mistaken for the peer interviewed. Story may be late (missed deadline), and is on the shorter less developed side between 1 full page to 2 full pages in length. Work may have formatting errors. Story has a title. 

5-6: story is as 7 above, but may be very late, or there are so many grammar and development or writing problems that makes comprehension difficult for a typical reader. Work is carelessly or hastily done. Student spent more time off-task in the lab than working on this project. Story lacks a title. 

0: story or project not turned in.

HOMEWORK: None. 

Baseline Interview Fiction Project

Please take a look at this video today before you begin brainstorming or coming up with an idea for your writing project.

• Rick Riordan's Advice to Young Writers

WRITING TASK: You will use your interview notes to create a fictional character and place that character (based on your original partner) into your story. If you need a second interview with your original partner, go ahead and spend a few minutes asking him/her follow up questions. Take notes. 

You may change any detail as you see fit, but try to justify your change. For example, you may change a character's setting (where they grew up) or an event in his/her life, but the character should have something similar to the original source material. If you interviewed a girl who plays sports, perhaps your protagonist of your fantasy story is a girl (or was once a girl who is now grown up) who stays physically active. How you deal with the details is up to your imagination. Avoid discarding details just because you can't think of an idea. Put the "creative" in creative writing!

THE RULES: Your story can follow any genre (sci-fi, fantasy, horror, western, romance, realism, action, comedy, etc.) Want to write about teenage vampires? Go ahead! Choose a genre or topic that you are interested in. This helps a writer write a story successfully. Your genre should follow the standard rules for that genre. For example, if you are writing a high fantasy, the use of magic is perfectly allowed, but we often don't expect magic and dragons in contemporary realism. You might even create monsters for your protagonist to defeat out of the challenges or problems your peer told you about in his/her interview. Above all, show me that you can write a creative story. I am also looking at effort, so if you don't get it right, don't sweat it--writing can be hard, but you SHOULD be spending your time in the lab writing. I DO have my senses, after all.

Your story should be relatively short (approx. 3-5 pages, double spaced). You can always add to the draft later. When you have completed your first draft, please title your story, put your standard heading on the top left (or right) and proofread your work for spelling/grammar errors. When satisfied that this is your 'best' work, please create a title for your story, print, and turn in. This assignment is due at the END of next class. You should aim to write at least 1 page per class period.

Remember that a hook works just as well for a story as it does for a speech. Revise your opening sentence of your story to HOOK your reader. Be creative to grab our attention!

Please refer to the following rubric for this project.

Project Rubric:

9-10: story is imaginative, clever, well written, grammatically sound (almost completely free of proofreading, mechanical or spelling errors), story uses effective dialogue and effective description, story has an interesting theme, character is based on original peer interview in some clever and creative way. Story is turned in on time and fits in the 3-5 page range, properly formatted. Story has a clever and creative title. 

8: story is mostly well written, with some gaps or weaknesses, but nothing that makes reading the story laborious or difficult. Story is mostly grammatically sound (some errors) but nothing that gets in the way of comprehension. Story has some dialogue and description, but work is not as compelling as scores of 9-10. Character is based on original peer interview in some way. Story is turned in on time and fits in the 2-5 page range, properly formatted. Story has a title. 

7: story is completed, turned in on time, but lacks the imagination and creativity of scores of 8-10. Some moments of storytelling, but story may need more plot development, conflict, character development, or attention to detail and specifics. Story might have dialogue or description, but this is relatively uninteresting, or weakly presented by the author. Character is dubiously based on details from an interview or original source, but this is not clear, or the character is too similar to the source material as to be mistaken for the peer interviewed. Story may be late (missed deadline), and is on the shorter less developed side between 1 full page to 2 full pages in length. Work may have formatting errors. Story has a title. 

5-6: story is as 7 above, but may be very late, or there are so many grammar and development or writing problems that makes comprehension difficult for a typical reader. Work is carelessly or hastily done. Student spent more time off-task in the lab than working on this project. Story lacks a title. 

0: story or project not turned in.

HOMEWORK: None. If you did not complete your story draft today in the lab, please complete it and be prepared to turn in the draft at the END of class on Tuesday.

Speeches of Introduction; Interview Baseline Story Project

INSTRUCTIONS: Your short introductory speech should reveal something about the nature or character of the person you interviewed. When asked, please introduce your partner to the rest of the class. You may use your notes to help guide you, but try not to simply read off of your notes. Try to remember what your partner told you, then report this to us.

• Before you present your speech (all students are required to try this!), prepare your notes by adding a short introduction sentence. 
• Speeches usually open with an interesting statement or lead-in. This is called The Hook. 
• Begin your introductory speech with a clever hook or attention-grabber. Write an interesting opening line for your speech to introduce your partner.
• When called, please stand up and introduce your partner. You may use your notes if you get stuck, but try to also "talk" to us. No one likes to be "read" to. 
• As a class politely listen to each speech. Listening is an important element in the communication process. It is extremely rude to chat, ignore, or otherwise distract a speaker. Please be courteous in this class. As the class rule states: Respect all NOUNS (that includes you and me and each other).

When called, please come up to the front of the room and introduce your partner. You may use your notes if you get stuck, but try to "talk" to us. No one likes to be "read" to. As a class, politely listen to each speech. Listening is an important element in the communication process. It is extremely rude to chat, ignore, or otherwise distract a speaker. Please be courteous in this class. As class rules state: Respect all NOUNS (that includes you and me and each other).

Effective Elements of a Speech include:

• Volume
• Pace
• Pitch or tone of voice
• Language or imagery
• Organization
• Creativity
• Confidence (ethos)
• Body posture/Facial expressions/Gestures/Eye contact

While listening to a speech, a listener should:

• Pay attention
• Make eye contact with the speaker
• Be courteous and polite
• Avoid interruptions
• Listen (not just hear)

After all students have given their speech, please listen for further instructions for our next writing task.

THE TASK: You will use your interview notes to create a fictional character and place that character (based loosely on your original partner) into your story. 

THE RULES: Your story can follow any genre (sci-fi, fantasy, horror, western, romance, realistic, action, comedy, etc.) Want to write about teenage vampires? Go ahead! Choose a genre or topic that you are interested in. This helps a writer write a story successfully.

Your story should be relatively short (approx. 3-5 pages, double spaced). You can always add to the draft later. When you have completed your first draft, please title your story, put your standard heading on the top left following MLA guidelines and proofread your work for spelling/grammar errors. When satisfied that this is your 'best' work, please print and turn in. This assignment is not due yet. You should aim to write at least 1-2 page(s) per class period.

Remember that a hook works just as well for a story as it does for a speech. Revise your opening sentence of your story to HOOK your reader. Be creative to grab our attention!

In the Lab: Please use the time given to you in our lab to work on your story. If you get stuck, think about who your character is, what your character wants in that particular setting, and move the plot forward by cutting to the next interesting scene. If you find your character not acting, reacting, or making decisions--introduce conflict (forces) that cause the character to act, react, or make decisions. This is good advice to keep a story going.

HOMEWORK: Continue working on your draft. 

Welcome!

Welcome class of 2019!

This morning, after our course criteria discussion, complete this in-class activity: 

With a partner, discuss and create: 

A. a list of ways in which humans communicate (humans communicate through...) 

B. Reasons why humans communicate

This begins our first step as creative writing majors. It is important for us to examine how and why (and when), as human beings, we decide to communicate. Of course, communicating through writing is only one way we, as humans, communicate with one another. This course will cover areas of communication, the communication process, techniques of effective communication, along with performance skills, public speaking, and various writing projects (fiction, poetry, scripts, personal narrative, essays, etc.) If you go on to study the arts, literature, political science, divinity, history, business, advertising, marketing, teaching, law, journalism, communication, or media, you will definitely need a basic understanding of these concepts.

Conversation is one of the most obvious processes of communication. Today you are going to "interview" a class member, then introduce this person to the rest of the class. The notes you take on your index card(s) will also be used to create a "fictional" character based on a real person during our next class. More information about that assignment will be discussed next class.

Activity:

1. Please follow my verbal directions to choose a partner for this exercise.

2. Once you have a partner, take 5 minutes to ask any of the following questions (see below) and record what your partner says on your index card. 

TIP: Don't worry about long quotes or trying to write down everything your partner says. Instead, jot down only the KEY POINTS of what your partner discussed. Try effective listening techniques to comprehend what your partner is saying. Synthesize or summarize these key points when you deliver your short introductory speech. 

3. At the end of 5 minutes, switch places and take another 5 minutes to be interviewed by your partner.

4. When time is up (about 10 minutes total) you will be asked to quickly organize your notes and give an extemporaneous speech introducing your partner to the rest of the class.

Sample Questions to ask (use 1 or 2 of these if you have no better ideas):

A. How were you shaped by your environment or cultural background as you grew up? 

B. Name a friend, relative, or childhood friend or hero figure that had an impact (positive or negative) on your life. Describe how this person influenced you. 

C. Describe a personal experience that had a major impact on your life and/or creating the person that you are today. 

D. What activities or hobbies or interests bring pleasure and meaning to your life? 

E. Name a goal that you have set for yourself. How are you going to achieve that goal? 

F. What value or philosophical belief do you hold dear? Why do you hold this belief or value so highly? How does it affect your life? 

G. Any other question you wish to ask within the time limit of this exercise.  

Again, please note:     

You do not have to write down everything your partner says. Part of communication is listening to what is being said, then remembering and retelling what you heard in your own way. Use your notes and ask follow-up questions to develop your partner's answers. (see below)   

5. Keep your notes for the next writing assignment (more details to follow). 

INSTRUCTIONS: Your short introductory speech should reveal something about the nature or character of the person you interviewed. When asked, please introduce your partner to the rest of the class. You may use your notes to help guide you, but try not to simply read off of your notes. Try to remember what your partner told you, then report this to us.

• Before you present your speech (all students are required to try this!), prepare your notes by adding a short introduction sentence. 
• Speeches usually open with an interesting statement or lead-in. This is called The Hook. 
• Begin your introductory speech with a clever hook or attention-grabber. Write an interesting opening line for your speech to introduce your partner.
• When called, please stand up and introduce your partner. You may use your notes if you get stuck, but try to also "talk" to us. No one likes to be "read" to. 
• As a class politely listen to each speech. Listening is an important element in the communication process. It is extremely rude to chat, ignore, or otherwise distract a speaker. Please be courteous in this class. As the class rule states: Respect all NOUNS (that includes you and me and each other).

We will conclude any speeches not delivered on Wednesday. This assignment is worth participation credit.

If we happen to finish early, we'll head next door to the lab to begin a writing assignment.

HOMEWORK: None. Please show your parents your course criteria sheet! Complete field trip forms, etc.

Portfolio Project: Final Assessment

There are two (2) parts to your final portfolio.

1. A 4-6 page, double-spaced, typed self evaluation essay
2. A variety of your best work chosen from all your CW classes

Your final portfolio will count for both 9th grade creative writing classes and will be reviewed by Mr. Craddock & Ms. Gamzon. It will constitute 25% of your final grade.

Part A. Self Evaluation Essay

Part B. Portfolio

Select work that you created this year in Ms. Gamzon or Mr. Craddock’s classes. All work should be copies of original work. No journals will be accepted. Follow the guideline below.

Table of contents. Your table of contents should order your portfolio into the following parts:
a. Poetry
b. Fiction
c. Non-fiction
d. Scripts
e. Special projects

Poetry. Choose 5-7 of your best poems. Select work that shows your understanding and growth in the field of poetry. Each poem’s title should be listed on the table of contents.

Fiction. Choose 3-4 of your best fiction pieces. Select work that shows your understanding and growth in the field of fiction. Each fiction piece’s title should be listed on the table of contents.

Non-fiction. Choose 1-3 of your best non-fiction pieces (including speeches, etc.) Select work that shows your understanding and growth in the field of non-fiction. Each non-fiction piece’s title should be listed on the table of contents.

Scripts: Choose 1-2 of your best scripts. Select work that shows your understanding and growth in the field of script writing. Each script’s title should be listed on the table of contents.

Special Projects: Choose 2-3 of your special projects (newsletter, slideshow*, brochure, literary magazine, web design, blog, etc.) which show your growth and creative ability. Each project should be listed on the table of contents. If you have been working on a project not assigned in class, you may include this work in your special projects. (Example: I am working on a novel, and I haven’t told my teachers or I have written a musical, etc.) Please do NOT print your special project, unless you already have an extra copy. Instead, please talk about these projects in your reflection.

Self Reflection Non Fiction - Creative Essay:

During the entire freshman year, we have thrown quite a bit of information, projects, and assignments your way. We did not do this to be cruel, but to see how you react to pressure, deadlines, writing & reading skills, and so that you had the opportunity to grow as a writer and a student. It is true that the most important qualification for writers is that they write. Apart from this, reading is also the most important way to improve your writing at this stage. These introductory courses are designed to get you to know yourself as a student and writer a little better. Part of this is the need to self-reflect. Examine the writing rubrics and the material in your portfolio. Reflect on your work this year.

Reflective piece: 4-6 pages, double-spaced. Write about how you’ve grown as a writer this year, what has been easy/hard for you, what areas you feel you need more work in; reflect on your progress as a writer, a reader, and as a student. Write about each selected piece you have chosen to include in your portfolio (per genre): why did you include these pieces in your portfolio? How does the piece show your growth and development as a writer in this particular genre? What did you learn about yourself concerning writing from this assignment or project? Discuss the writing process you used to create the work, where you got your ideas, what you learned about the form or genre of the work as you wrote and revised it, what you learned about yourself as a writer, etc. Discuss special projects and reading that had an impact on you. What did you learn about writing and about yourself through these assignments this year?

Rubric

_____ Table of Contents 10 points
_____ Reflective Essay (4-6 pages) 30 points
_____ Poetry (6-8 poems) 10 points
_____ Fiction (4-5 short stories) 10 points
_____ Non Fiction (2-3 creative essays/speeches) 10 points
_____ Special Projects (3-4 special projects) 10 points
_____ Grammar (Work is clean, copy-edited, free of errors) 10 points
Penalty: (-1/2 point for each grammar error. Up to -10 points)
_____ Portfolio turned in complete and on time 10 points

Penalties:
• Late portfolios (-10 points per day late)
• Handwritten work (-1 for each handwritten page)
• Grammar errors (see above)

The final portfolio is due Friday, June 12

Bowling For Columbine (conclusion); Extra Credit & Portfolios

Today we will complete our viewing of the documentary Bowling for Columbine. In the lab, feel free to upload any film footage from the weekend (extra credit). 

Documentary Styles

Let's continue viewing Bowling For Columbine.

All documentaries have similar basic principals and/or qualities:

1. The events depicted in the film are unstaged; the events exist above and beyond the diegesis (the film world) or the act of filming them. The unstaged nature of the events suggest that the events or subjects have an existence independent of the cinema, thus granting them an air of authenticity or "realism".

2. Documentaries are understood to be non-fiction films. The world or diegesis of what appears on screen is considered real, not imaginary (as in fiction films).

3. It is often assumed that the documentary film maker observes, recording events or subject matter objectively. This is, of course, an untrue or uninformed statement.

There are Five different TYPES of documentary:

A. Expository documentary: the film maker's commentary acts as the "voice-of-God", often giving information or perspectives external to the filmed world in order to "see the world afresh, even if the world seems romantic (idealized) and/or didactic. Here's an example: the Last Lions (2011)

B. Observational documentary: The film maker records events depicted in the film unobtrusively, without intervention from the film-maker, capturing "real life" without commentary, intertitles, or interviews. The documentary type depicts a "slice of life" or direct representation without comment or subjectivity of the film maker. The film maker is completely invisible and/or uninvolved. the French film: Etre et Avoir about elementary schools in France.

C. Interactive documentary: The filmmaker's perspective and opinion is more evident. Interview styles allow the film maker to participate actively in presenting of events. It is sort of the opposite of the observational documentary. Sometimes the film maker him/herself is present in the film, asking questions or juxtaposing their opinion with others. Unlike expository documentaries, the film maker is present instead of a disembodied voice of authority (god).

Roger & Me (1989) but also Bowling For Columbine, Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me (2004) and Capitalism a Love Story (2009)

D. Reflexive documentary: Going one step further from interactive documentary, the film maker of reflexive documentary does not attempt to hide the convention of film making. You know you are "watching a film" about "making a film." While documentaries are usually considered realistic, the camera work in a reflexive documentary are much more similar to formalism (the opposite style to realism). Example "Man with a Movie Camera" (1928)

E. Performative documentary: Going beyond the reflexive documentary, the performative documentary seeks to evoke mood or atmosphere traditionally found in fiction films. It can be downright avant garde and formalistic. Its purpose is more metaphorical than literal.

One of the most famous performative documentaries is Koyaanisqatsi. Here's a clip.

Sample of previous SOTA creative writing documentaries:

• Post Mortem (2011 winner of the High Falls Film Festival Young Filmmaker's Award) 
• Kadisha Philips: The Nicki Syndrome (2010) & Teen Point of View: Teens Around the World (2010); Kadisha is now working at VH1 in New York City. 
• Another student film (Interactive Documentary style): One Girl At a Time (Kyle Cox--not a SOTA student...)

I'd Like to Make a Film. How do I Start?

Research your chosen topic. It is likely you have to uncover some basic details and information about your subject matter. Just like previous research assignments, record any citations. You will need to give credit in your film for any quotes or materials you use that are not yours. Take notes on facts, statistics, definitions, or other information that will help you tell your story.

After you have researched your topic a bit, you should decide what KIND of documentary you intend to make. You have various options. Pick one of the five types from above.

If you are going to begin interviewing, write a few questions you will ask all of your interviewees. Perhaps you would begin your film by writing a VOICE OVER script. Remember that, just like in fiction, speech writing, or poetry, you want to HOOK the viewer's attention. Give us a reason to care about your topic by introducing the topic in a creative and interesting way.

When interviewing, set the camera up to focus on your subject(s). Try not to shoot the film entirely head on. Instead, it is better that you sit next to the camera and record, so that the interviewee looks at YOU, not the camera head on. Record your interview. Ask follow up questions.

Before you leave your subject, ask to follow the person around with the camera for a bit. Record the subject doing typical things they would normally do in their day. Also, ask permission of your subject to use the information you recorded on film.

Then its editing time! Take only the most interesting parts of the interview and string these together (perhaps with other interviews) or pictures or other footage of your subject doing things.

HOMEWORK: Feel free, for extra credit, to interview one person (or more if you have time) this weekend. Get used to recording subject matter and people. Even if you don't complete this project this year, you will have started practicing what it takes to be a filmmaker.

Be creative and enjoy!