18 October 2016 -Choice Reading – 10 min. -Pass Back Memoirs -Mastery Unit w/ Mini-Lessons HOMEWORK: Mastery Packet due MONDAY – PRINTED Mini-Unit Mastery Day 1

Mastery Unit You are going to miss a day of class; you want to request an extension on a paper; something is going on in your personal life that is affecting your school life; you need clarification about an assignment or help in general with something class related… And you already checked the syllabus, the website, and asked a friend… Now what???

How to write a professional email Document #1

My name is not “Hey” Subject line: summary of question/issue Friday Absence Clarification vs. I was gone on Friday what did I miss? Be formal: Mr(s). or Ms., (HS); Dr. / Professor ___ , Meaningless nicety: “Good morning!” “Hope you had a relaxing weekend!” (acknowledges they are human, too). Introduce yourself EVERY TIME (and be specific): My name is Jimmy Timmy and I am in your 4th hour English 9 class this semester. 5. ABSOLUTELY NO slang, abbreviations, or emoticons. NONE. Also, avoid !!! ;) ,  , lol , thx , nite, thru , 2 , u , lit , gonna , etc.

Appropriate Email cont. 6. Be clear/specific. Be brief/to the point. Be positive and kind. Respect their time. 7. End with an appropriate sign-off Thank you for your time, NAME. I look forward to hearing from you, NAME. Sincerely, NAME. NOT: Get back to me ASAP! 8. PROOFREAD!!! Read your email OUTLOUD to yourself to check for any run-on sentences, misspellings, or other errors.

Subject: Air Conditioning Concerns Dear Dr. Korpak, This is Megan Rogers from the high school English department. I would like to meet with you regarding our building’s lack of air conditioning. I have some concerns about the ability of the students to focus and perform at their best level in heat and humidity. Would you please check your schedule to see if we could sit down to discuss this situation at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your time, Megan Rogers

How to write a thank you letter Document #2 Day 2

Thank You Letter Characteristics: Date of when you wrote the letter (top left) Recipient’s address in top left corner: Dr. Dawson Aquinas College 1607 Robinson Road SE Grand Rapids, MI 49506 Appropriate Title (Mr./ Mrs./Ms./etc.) Dear Dr. Dawson, (Dear is more appropriate with letters over emails!)

State the purpose of your letter. (Par.1) This is when you INTRODUCE yourself and explain why you are writing a thank-you letter in the first place. Share a little about yourself and why you are so thankful (be specific!). (Par.2) 5-7 sentences. Let the recipient know a little bit about you that is relevant to your letter. Perhaps how you changed because of this person/experience with them. Positive experience. (Par. 3) 5-7 sentences. Share a positive experience that you had with this person. How it impacted you, what you learned from it, why you are grateful for it.

Appropriate, professional ending: Thank you so much, you are truly an inspiration. Sincerely, Megan Proofread!!! Read your letter OUTLOUD to check for run-on sentences, grammar and spelling errors.

24 October 2016 Choice Reading – 10 minutes Mastery Unit- Doc. 3 Computer Work Time til End of Class IMPORTANT DUE DATES: Wednesday – Extra Credit Friday – FINAL DAY to TURN IN! Must be printed and stapled before you come to class.

How to write a paragraph response Document #3

Include the prompt (question) underneath the title. Re-write the question before your response. Respond in 8-10 full and complete sentences with appropriate capitalization and punctuation. Each sentence begins with a capital letter, along with “I,” names of people and places. Start with a topic sentence and use appropriate transitions throughout to be coherent. Topic sentence introduces your paragraph and includes elements of the question you are answering. Make sure you answer the prompt, do not summarize the story. Do NOT give a recap of the story (movie). Proofread, proofread, proofread!

Document 3: Paragraph Response Prompt (Question you are answering): Is The Pursuit of Happyness a good memoir? Use a specific moment from the story to support your answer. Remind them that they can use their notes on the elements of a good memoir to help get them started.

Qualities of a Good Memoir From the past Told from one person’s point of view Based on the truth Reveals the feelings of the writing. Has meaning; shows what the author learned from the experience (moral, purpose, etc.) Focuses on one event in the author’s life. About the author’s experience more than about the event itself – not just a retelling of events.