1. Broken Chain
Gary Soto

2. Learning Target
Review writing skills that we will continue to develop in 8th Grade Language Arts
Defining new 8th grade writing skills – avoiding personal pronouns

3. Review: Topic sentence:
A topic sentence is the first sentence of a paragraph that lets readers know the main idea of a paragraph.
When writing about a story or novel, use the title in your topic sentence.
Topic sentences are general and cover your entire main idea. Do not use details in your topic sentence.
Do not use personal pronouns in your writing such as me, my, I, you, etc. (More about this later.)

4. Basics – Academic Writing Skills
Writing reminders
Indent your paragraph
Show you are Using Language (Punctuation, Capitalization, Grammar, Word Choice, Varied Sentences)
Remember to use a topic sentence!
Avoid using first person pronouns (I, me, my)
Use a complete sentence that is general enough to cover your main idea.
Avoid specific details and support that you will be using within the body of your paragraph.
Basics – Academic Writing Skills

5. Question: How do most teenagers feel about themselves
Question: How do most teenagers feel about themselves? Bad Topic Sentence Example:
1. I think that most teenagers feel…
2. How most teenagers feel about themselves.
3. The first way most teenagers feel about themselves is…
THINK: What is “wrong” with these sentences? How can you make them “right?”
In your classroom notebook, fix these topic sentences.

6. Reminder: Topic sentences should:
Include the topic and your opinion or position on that topic – YOU are expressing your JUDGEMENT on a topic.
Include the title of the literary work being analyzed (if appropriate)
Not include supporting details
Not use personal pronouns.

7. What was wrong with these Topic sentences?
1. I think that most teenagers feel…
2. How most teenagers feel about themselves.
3. The first way most teenagers feel about themselves is…

8. Question #1 Practice Topic Sentence
In your classroom journal, write a practice topic sentence for the following question.
How important is it for teenagers to have good self-esteem these days?

9. Think/Pair/Share Pair up with a partner.
Share your ideas for a topic sentence.
Be prepared to share one with the class.

10. Characterization: How an author reveals a character
Direct characterization is when the author tells us directly what a character is like.
Indirect characterization is when the author shows us through actions, words by the characters, and by revealing the thoughts and feelings of a character what they are like.

11. Vocabulary impulse: an urge (n.) emerged: came out (v.)
sullen: grumpy; resentful (adj.)
apparent: visible (adj.)
retrieved: got back (v.)

12. Using Your vocabulary words, write a story
Using Your vocabulary words, write a story. Underline them when you use them. You may change their form (apparent -> apparently)
I really love candy. My favorite type of candy is peanut butter M&Ms. It is very apparent that they are my favorite because I always buy them over any other candy. I never can resist my impulse to buy them when I go to the store. If the store is out, I feel very sullen. I usually ask my friend David to retrieve me a bag from the store. When he emerges through the door holding my M&Ms, it makes me so excited.

13. Broken Chain
Open up your book to page 16
Get out your notebooks.

14. Follow along as we read…
Review vocabulary on page 16.
As you read, think about the conflicts that the main character Alfonso encounters in the story.

15. Conflict
Conflict is the dramatic struggle between two forces in a story. Without conflict, there is no plot.
We refer to the main character as the protagonist. This person is neither the good guy or the bad guy, but the person who is faced with a conflict.
We refer to the person or thing who the protagonist is up against as the antagonist. We no longer say “good” guy vs. “bad” guy.

16. Two Categories of Conflict
Some types of conflict are external or in other words, located outside of the character. You and anyone else can witness the conflict.
Other types of conflict are internal or in other words, located inside of the character. Usually only the character knows about these.

17. Four Conflicts External Conflict Internal Conflict
Character vs. Character
Character vs. Environment
Character vs. Society
Character vs. Self

18. With your partner
Make a list describing four conflicts Alfonso faces in the story.
Make sure to label each conflict INTERNAL or EXTERNAL conflict.
Both partners should have their own list. YOU WILL NEED IT!!!!

19. Topic sentences should:
Include the topic and your opinion or position on that topic – YOU are expressing your JUDGEMENT on a topic.
Include the title of the literary work being analyzed (if appropriate) and the author
Not include supporting details
Not use personal pronouns.

20. More on personal pronouns
In academic writing, personal pronouns are wasted words.
You are not having a conversation with your reader. They are not there to discuss with you.
When you make statements like “I think…” or “In my opinion…” you are weakening the strength of your position.
Consider the following statements:
I think Captain Jaggery is punctilious
Vs.
Captain Jaggery is punctilious
Which statement sounds more believable?

21. Academic vs. Personal
In academic writing, it is simply unnecessary to use personal pronouns.
Do not refer to yourself (I, me, my, etc.)
Or to your reader (you, we, us)
In academic writing, you have a specific voice.
Your voice needs to reflect academic writing and not personal writing.

22. Reading Response:
On a separate piece of paper, write a response to the question using your best writing skills. These responses will be incorporated into your grade, so DO YOUR BEST!!!
Remember to use a TOPIC SENTENCE.
USE your BEST spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization.
Use a concluding sentence.
Answer the question completely using support or evidence from the story and other sources if needed.

23. Reading response: Broken Chain
In this story, Alfonso faces several internal and external conflicts. Which conflict do you think is the main conflict? Why? (Remember to state what type of conflict you are describing and whether it is internal or external in your topic sentence.)
Remember, use a topic sentence and give 3 SPECIFIC supporting details for your opinion.
DUE: Monday, September 16

24. Check Your topic sentence
Do you have the topic in your topic sentence? Hint: MAIN CONFLICT
Do you have YOUR opinion in the topic sentence? Hint: Whatever you feel is the main conflict?
Do you have the TITLE of the story with correct punctuation?
Did you AVOID using details in your TOPIC SENTENCE?
Did you AVOID using personal pronouns in your topic sentence and your paragraph?

25. Reflection
We will be evaluating these topic sentences using a scale.
This is something we will be doing all year long!  I will evaluate your writing using this scale on your assignments.
You will be evaluating your writing using this scale as a self reflection before you turn it in.
3 - You can do it, and do it well.
2 – You do it, but you still need some work to make it perfect.
1 – You made an attempt, but you still need some work.
0 – You didn’t attempt it.