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).