1.  Essay structure.  Making inferences.  Metacognitive thinking.  Supporting claims with textual evidence.  Characterization strategies.  Some literary elements and the role they play in making meaning (allusion, epithet, and epic simile). SO FAR, WE’VE LEARNED ABOUT…

2.  The term “narrative” is a synonym for “story.”  It refers to a series of connected events.  What are some visual ways you could represent the meaning of the term “narrative”? OUR NEXT FOCUS: NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

3.  Source: IncidentalComics.com MY PERSONAL FAVORITE…

4.  We’re focusing on reading and writing narratives that we each find meaningful.  Which means I’ll be facilitating and guiding the work you do in the coming weeks, but you will take on more responsibility for your own learning.  Let’s figure out what all of that means. SO…WHAT ARE WE DOING?

5.  Understand the narrative structure and the different forms it can take.  Determine the role of character, conflict, and plot within a narrative.  Analyze the effect of character, conflict, and plot on an independent text of your choosing.  Apply what you learn to your own writing. OVERALL GOALS/OBJECTIVES

6.  Reading Narrative: Independent book selection.  Maintain a reading log, including: a daily record of when/for how long you read each day, a weekly summary of the text’s events, and a weekly reflection on one of our main foci (character, conflict, plot).  Create a project (not a book report) in which you show what you’ve learned about either character or conflict from your text. (More information about this on Friday, promise)  Periodic “book talks” with your peers. HOW WILL YOU ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS?

7.  Writing Narrative: The (Beginnings) of a Novel  Use a narrative structure to demonstrate your understanding of character, conflict, and plot by crafting your own (extended) piece of writing.  You’ll set an individual goal for how much you believe you can accomplish within the guidelines provided to you.  Participation in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). (More to come on NaNoWriMo Monday!) WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE…

8. SO, LET’S GET STARTED!

9. Tell me about heroes. Take this prompt where you need to today. 1.You could define the term hero. 2.You might need to talk about heroes in popular culture. 3.Maybe you have a personal story you can tell about a time you experienced someone else’s heroics. 4.Are you a hero? QUICK WRITE

10.  What’d you write about?  Tell your group, but also start considering whether you’re ready to start sharing with the whole class. We’d love to hear what you have to say. TALK IT OUT.

11. WE ALL SEEM TO KNOW SOMETHING IMPORTANT ABOUT HEROES. SO THAT’S WHERE WE’RE GOING TO START WRITING.

12.  Which is why many people never even start.  But you all have a story to tell, and with the right structure and the right support from this great group you have all around you, you can make it happen. WRITING A NOVEL IS AN UNDERTAKING.

13.  Let’s keep going with this notion of heroes. I want you to hear what Matthew Winkler has to say about “What Makes a Hero.” Pay attention to what he says about “The Hero’s Journey.”What Makes a Hero SO LET’S TALK ABOUT STRUCTURE; HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS MANAGEABLE?

14. Source: What Makes a Hero? By Matthew Winkler. Prod. Gerta Xhelo. Dir. Kirill Yeretsky. TEDEd. N.p., 4 Dec. 2012. Web. THE HERO’S JOURNEY

15.  How can you describe the idea of “The Hero’s Journey” in your own words? SUM IT UP!

16. Or, at least, planning our writing.  First thing’s first. We need a hero.  You might already have some amazingly beautiful ideas flowing through that head of yours. But before I send you off into the wild, blue yonder, I want to offer you some support and some options. LET’S START WRITING, ALREADY!

17.  Open up your Surface.  Navigate to our Connect site.  > SS LAC I  > Unit 3: Narrative Structure  > Week 9 (10/27-10/31): Week at a Glance  > Download the PPT: “Creating Characters”  You’ll use this PowerPoint as visual support today. LET’S START CREATING CHARACTERS!

18.  How do you want to draft?  Do you want to type on your Surface? If so, I would suggest using Google Docs.  Do you want to hand write, go ahead and make an entry in your table of contents.  It doesn’t matter to me. I just want you to be comfortable and happy. ONE MORE IMPORTANT DECISION

19.  Today, you’ll “meet” three characters.  You won’t get to their heart and soul today, but that will come soon enough.  Choose one character.  > Take thirty seconds and just OBSERVE. What do you see in this image? Make a list. Shoot for 4-5 characteristics.  Imagine you are his/her biographer. Give me a rundown of accomplishments, exploits, and/or adventures.  Remember, you only have three minutes, so you’ll have to use evidence from the image to help guide your work.  We’ll repeat this process for a total of three times. With the time you have left, choose your favorite character to develop further. PROCESS

20.  How’d this go today?  What did you feel like you rocked at?  What do you need more help with?  What are you excited about?  What are you apprehensive about? CHECK-IN