Resources for Writing Your Short Stories

Hello, writers!

AS you continue to work on the revisions for your short story, here are some helpful resources that make writing a  whole lot easier!

First, we have a list of transition words for narrative writing.   Don't give your reader whiplash as you abruptly jump from one place or time to another.  Guide them along with transitions. Working on your organization and transitions will help your reader "see" the story better and make your writing smoother.  Try it out and see!

Secondly, we have a guide for punctuating dialogue.  It's sometimes tricky!  I get it!  You just have to learn the rules of the road here.  You can do it!  Good dialogue can drive your plot and effectively paint a picture in the head of your reader!  Show us what's going on!  Use it correctly so your dialogue can work to help your story and not confuse your reader even more.

Lastly, we address the word said.  Repeating the word said over and over again (He said. She said. We said.) can make your writing sound boring and takes away the chance to provide some specific, showing detail. Try changing some of your "saids" to more specific verbs. Check out this list of said synonyms for some ideas.

If you are interested in seeing any other tools, let me know!!

Happy writing!

Create worlds!! 

Everything You Have Always Wanted to Know About Punctuation... and More!

Check out the coolest punctuation guide that I've seen in a long time! Do you wonder what the difference is between a comma and a semicolon?  Wonder no longer!

Go and see The Punctuation Guide before someone gets hurt!!

SOW Lesson #1: Put Your Sentence to the Test

Our first Sentence of the Week lesson focuses on creating a simple sentence.  In order to make sure your sentence is a complete sentence and not a fragment, be sure to put your sentence to the test!

 Your sentence should be able to answer the following 2 questions:

Who or what did or is something?

What did they do or what are they?

For more practice on telling a fragment from a complete sentence, check out this link to my Thinglink of web resources!  You will find games, a set of Quizlet flashcards, a video, online poster, and resources to help your sentences (and you!) pass the Sentence test!

An Artist Must Know The Colors

Writing is an art.
Writers are artists.

Since artists rely on splashes of color- deep, fiery reds, strips of clear, blue sky, dark shadowy blacks, to create an image, it is crucial that they know how to blend those colors into just the right shades.  Likewise, it is as important for writers, who paint pictures with words, to know how to use their words as effectively as possible.

We start with the tools you have available... The parts of speech.

In 8th grade, I do not spend weeks teaching you what a noun is, what an adjective is, what a verb is.  What we do explore is how to use those strong nouns, those striking adjectives, those exciting verbs to make your writing come alive and pack a powerful punch.

However, if you do not remember what a verb is, my comment to strengthen your verbs will not be very helpful.

Just as visual artists knows what colors to blend together to reach the perfect color, you need to know how to use your colors, or words, to make your writing impactful and memorable.

If talking about prepositions, adverbs, conjunctions, adjectives makes you nervous and say, "Huh??" Here are  two resources to review the different parts of speech.

http://partofspeech.org/ is a wonderful website to review the parts of speech and get to know your tools.

Once you're more familiar with the parts of speech, give it a try and play Word Invasion to test yourself and your skills.

Remember, a writer has a limited tool belt to create sunsets, special moments, memories, nightmares, love stories, walks in history, celebrations, and conversations... know your tools.  Know how to blend and strengthen your colors so you can paint a vivid picture in the mind's of your readers.

You are an artist! 


                                            

Welcome to the 8th Grade!!

I am very excited to be your 8th grade English teacher!! It is my job to guide you through your final year in middle school and get ready for high school and what lies ahead!  We'll be using many different resources in our English class to start discussions, analyze, write, respond, and research.  You'll find some great resources here on our class blog.  I hope that by having these resources here at your fingertips, you'll feel like you have your own Miss Enos at home to help when you need it!  If you have trouble finding something here on the blog, just let me know and I will help you find it!  If you ever have suggestions for a great resource/topic to add to the class blog, just let me know!!

Here is a video tour that I created to show you around the blog. 

In fact, let me know if you have any questions at all (any time at all!).  You can ask during class, before/after school, through an e-mail.  I don't care how you ask but ask!!!  I want to help you.  You are my number one priority!

One thing you will hear me mention about a million times is my hope for you to have a Spirit of Excellence! I recently heard a quote "Keep working until you are proud!"  Make that your motto for your final year at DMS and many more after!


My goal is to help you strengthen your reading and writing skills this year, but I also want to teach you skills to help you be successful as you grow into the amazing adult you are meant to be.  I want to see you get better at collaborating, creating, and communicating.  I also want to see you become champions! Just like these boys! Check out their story and think about what you can accomplish if you set your mind to it!

Are you up for the challenge?  Because I know I am!


Let's enjoy the year!!

Go, White Team!!!

Sample Genius Hour Presentations

Hi Everyone,

Here is something Mrs. Roberti made in Powtoon (her new favorite tool!)

The presentation will introduce this document.  We wanted to show you that a Powtoon is an entertaining way to present material and is pretty simple to use (it took her about 20 minutes to make this).  I bet some of you would enjoy using it for your Genius Hour presentations.

I hope it helps,

Take care,
Miss Enos

Technology: A Vehicle For Amazing Creation

Today's TED talk actually features two different talks.  These talks both use technology in a powerful way to impact an audience and tell a story.

The first, is an extraordinary performance by a dance troupe... a small, metallic dance troupe.  You guessed it, robots.  Bruno Maisonnier or Aldebaran Robotics choreographs a group of tiny humanoid Nao robots.  It's amazing!  Their performance brings us on a journey, soaring past just "Wow!" to a incredible realization at the complexity and depth of their surprisingly emotional piece.  The power of technology to evoke emotion rings loudly in this talk.  Let it be an inspiration, not just to those I know who are interested in robotics or dance, but anyone who is looking to create art that moves people.  See Dance, Tiny Robots here.

The second talk involves an aspect of technology that I am quite new to: emoticons.  Even though most of you, I would bet, are very fluent in the "developing language" of emoticons, I, myself, basically rely solely on the smily face to punctuate my emotions :).  If you had asked me before, I would say the need for elements of punctuation to represent emotions only shows that our writing lack power and strong description; however, after seeing this talk, I think I'm jumping on board!

Performance artist and storyteller Rives has been called "the first 2.0 poet," using images, video and technology to bring his words to life. Full bio

A Junior Varsity Cheerleader!

His Ted Talk A Story of Mixed Emoticons is creative and engaging.  It is a typographical fairytale that is "both short and bittersweet."   It's a whole new type of storytelling!  

I encourage all of you out there to let these two unique, but creative, TED talks plant seeds of creativity in your imagination as you consider how you can take storytelling and art to the next level.  Let the technology in your hands be the vehicle to create something amazing!

Enjoy!

Hello EasyBib!

I remember in college spending days on  a research paper, pouring my heart and soul into it, only to get it back from my professor with a big red slash through it.  She may have loved my introduction.  Adored how I analyzed and presented evidence.  Gone crazy for the way my sentences lept rhythmically from the page.  So, why the big red slash???  Why the rejection?  Why the big FIX THIS written across the page?

Because I had used a comma instead of a period on the stupid Works Cited Page.

Ugh!!!

Don't worry, writers and researchers!  Today, there is a better way!!!

Let EasyBib help you format your Works Cited Page.

EasyBib is an incredibly useful app and extension that helps collect sources and magically turns them into the correct format for your Works Cited Page.

No longer will your writing dreams be foiled by a silly, teeny, tiny mistake with a space, a period, a comma.

Be a good researcher!  Use Easybib!

Check out my Intro to Easybib screencast.

Be happy that you never have to go through what we had to when we had to painstakingly type up our own works cited page, on a typewriter, uphill, in the snow, without any shoes, on an empty stomach.

TED TAlk #6- What Does It Take to Become a Master

Everyone wants the easy route.
The quickest way to get somewhere.  Why waste time?
They enter an address into the GPS just to find a way to get to a destination a little bit quicker.
No, don't go this way.  Go that way!  It will shave 3.457 minutes off your driving time.
3.457 minutes.... Phew, that was a close one.  What a waste it could have been. That's time you can never get back.
We are always rushing.
Fastest is better.
Quicker.
Shortcuts.

Well, that may work when we are driving around town, but that's not how it is in the real life.

Usually when someone focuses on the fastest way, they ignore the best way. How many times have you sped through a project, just to get it done.  Sure, it's a little messy.  The details are not quite developed.  Some parts may be missing.  You may have finished quickly, but show no spirit of excellence.

This is a problem.

If we truly want to be excellent at something, we need time: time to create, time to think, time to practice, time to bounce ideas around, time to play, time to explore, time to master.

You want to be a master.... a master of something :)  I challenge you to find your passion, like our TED talk speaker today, whatever it may be.  Find that passion and then throw yourself into it.  Don't just take the easy way out.  Don't just throw things together and call it a day.  Take the time.  Use the energy.  Dive deep.  Have a spirit of excellence.  After, weeks, months, years, decades... you may be able to call yourself a master one day.

It took a long time for our speaker today to find his passion.  He failed at so many other things.  He was told he was dumb.  Told he wouldn't amount to anything.  Told he was a disappointment. Then, one day,  he found it.  What he was most passionate about: the yo-yo!

Today, check out  Japanese yo-yo world champion BLACK as he tells his inspiring story of finding his life's passion, and gives an awesome performance that will make you want to pull  your yo-yo out of the closet.

Let his talk inprise you to find or jump into your own dreams!

You deserve a chance to be excellent.

You owe it to yourself to become a master.

The Art of the Rebuttal

Ah, the art of the rebuttal.

We've seen lawyers do it in the movies and on TV:
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, although you have seen some gruesome evidence in this trial so far, I am here to tell you that the wrong man is being blamed for this crime!"

We've seen  salesmen do it to make a sale:
"You may be thinking, 'Gee, that sure is a lot to spend on a car!' But, seriously, think about how much time you spend in your car.  Half of your life is spent driving around!  Do you really want to skimp on comfort in, what is basically, your second home?"

Dentists do it:
"I know flossing every night is a pain, but you would look pretty silly without any teeth if they rot away, right?"

And, yes, teenagers do it:
"Mom, I know that a trip to DC with my 8th grade class is expensive, but just think about all the educational experiences I will have!  That kind of learning is priceless!"

Anybody who is skilled at argument knows the value of a strong rebuttal.

You never want to just barge your way through an argument, spouting off only reasons why you are right, without acknowledging the other side.  It's disrespectful to your audience to just say- well, you're wrong! without giving careful consideration to what they think or feel, or what the evidence may be against your arguments.  Good argument is built on honest attention to the facts.  You can't just wish them away and yell the loudest that your side is right.  That may have worked on the playground, but not in the real world.

But how do we address the other side of our argument, the counter-argument, without weakening our own claim?

Very carefully!  You want to be clear to acknowledge what the other point of view is, while still making your point very well understood.  No wishy-washy responses.  No flip-flopping.  Respect their points of view, but stick to your claim.

Try using these sentences starters to help with counter-arguments and rebuttals.  They are a great way to organize your ideas, without weakening your piece.  Make people take you seriously!

In conclusion, transition words are key!

HI Everyone!

Transition words are very important to organize your ideas.  Think of your writing as a conversation between you and the reader.  You want to make sure you clearly guide your reader through your writing piece.  Transition words and phrases are key for that.

The tough part is varying the transition words you use.  Don't be a next-aholic!  Move past first, second, third.  Varying your transitions will help to strengthen your writing.  You all know how much I like sentence starters.  Right up until I graduated from college, I always had my starters in front of me when I write.  It's a great way to make sure I don't overuse my favorites.  Writing that's the same all the time is boring!  Shake it up!

This sheet of transition words and phrases will help you vary your writing and stay organized.

Furthermore, use it!!!

Arguments of Policy: Power to the People!

So far in ELA we've studied Argument of Fact- analyzing and providing evidence to prove something is true or false.  We've studied Argument of Judgment- agreeing on a set of criteria then applying that criteria to determine if our subject  is "a good example of something" or a "bad example of something."

We've solved murder cases.

We've committed 18th-century treason.

It is now time to change the world. 

Often people are fully happy to sit back and complain about what is wrong with the world.  They complain how unfair rules are.  They complain about certain laws they don't like.  They even complain about how the same people seem to be chosen as leaders year, after year, after year.  And yet, they generally never once decide to stand up and take a stand for something they believe in.

The art of argument writing, or argument in general, is not something that we only do in English classes.  Using evidence, analysis, claims, warrants, counter-arguments, and rebuttals are all a part of fixing the broken pieces of society and making the world a better place. 

As we prepare to learn more about Argument of Policy- changing rules and laws that we feel need to be changed- don't be a person who just shouts about how unfair it is.  Be the person who organizes, researches, analyzes data, makes an informed decision, respects the opinion of others, and stands up for change... whatever that change means for you.

To spark our discussion, please click this link to our class Padlet identifying rules and laws that you feel need to be changed.

To fix problems we don't have to conquer all the highest mountains in the world.... but we can start with the one right in front of us.  Be a person that others listen to.  Who knows, maybe your argument piece can make a difference.  

TED Talk #5: Technology + Magic = Awesome

I'm ready to yell it from the top floor of the Deering Middle School so that all the world can hear:  Marco Tempest is amazing!  Forget fake sawing people into two pieces.  Who cares about a never ending flower bouquet that turns into a bunch of scarves.  Bunny in a hat, pssshhhh.  They are so 2010.

Techno-Magicians are way better!

What is a techno-magician?

Basically, they are magicians that combine technology and magic. Marco Tempest is the only one I've ever really seen perform, but I plan on checking out more!

Since we do have a budding magician in our Genius Hour ranks, I thought his TED Talk- Augmented Reality, Techno-Magic would be a great talk to share.

Using sleight-of-hand techniques and charming storytelling, illusionist Marco Tempest brings a jaunty stick figure to life onstage at TEDGlobal.

Sit back and enjoy the show.
And
Yes....
Try this at home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Diary of Anne Frank Project Options

Our journey through the short life of Anne Frank has revealed a person, I think it's safe to say, that we could imagine as a friend. We've seen face to face the fear and the longing, the unfairness and the brutality, the sadness and the horrors of the Holocaust. And we've seen it all through the eyes of this remarkable 13-year-old girl.

To complete our experience, it's now time to explore topics, feelings, and moments in Anne's story and create our own responses to them. Here is a link to the Anne Frank: Final Project Options. If anyone is going to DC next week, you may want to take a look at them now to get a jump start. You will find a wide variety of choices for all different interests. Choose a project that fascinates you and jump in! I'm also open to hearing other project suggestions, so please don't hesitate to ask.

Experiencing Anne's story one last time, whether in poetry, artwork, dramatic monologue, eulogy, essay, article, presentation, digital collage, will be the grand finale to end our journey. Take the time to sink in deeply to a part of the play, certain character, or experience. Afterall, we read about other people's lives so we can learn and have our own lives changed. Let your project, no matter the format, be one that you complete with a spirit of excellence and one that you will remember long after we've closed the pages of her story.

                                       

When I Grow Up, I want to be a YouTuber! TED Talk #3

When I grow up, I want to be a doctor, photographer, policeman, fireman, teacher, veterinarian, YouTuber!  Wait, what?!  A YouTuber?!

If any child mentioned YouTuber on a list of dream jobs ten years ago, people wouldn't have had a clue what he was talking about.  Boy, has things changed.

Media has changed.  Communication has changed.  No longer is the Internet a place for professionals and computer geniuses only.  Everyday people are creating and jumping in the deep side of the Web.  It's the ultimate technological power-to-the-people movement.  In this case, the power to create video.  

The pool of video online is wide and deep!  Sometimes funny.  Sometimes sweet.  Some well made.  Some  very well made, but, honestly, most are really, really, really bad.

What fascinates me is that even a horrendously horrible video can still score hundreds of thousands of views. That's right, hundreds of thousands.  It's crazy!

Why do some videos go viral and some fizzle out?  What is the key to getting a large audience for that video of your cat playing the piano?

This guy knows.  I bring you this weeks TED Talk from Kevin Allocca.

Kevin Allocca is YouTube's trends manager.  That means he gets paid to watch YouTube videos all day!  He's got some deep thoughts about web video today.  In this talk from TEDYouth, he shares the 4 reasons a video goes viral.

Here's the link.

Enjoy the video and keep those cameras running when you, your friends, your cat, your parakeet, your dog, your grandpa, or your brother does something interesting.  You never know who will be the next trend in YouTube videos.

In Their Own Words

It's always very interesting to read first-hand accounts of events rather than just read about them from someone else's reporting.  For this reason, you may want to check out the following links to transcripts of interview with two important people who knew Anne.

Here the transcript for an Interview with Miep Gies.  As we know, Miep was a crucial helper to the Frank family while they were in hiding.

Miep Gies

Here is the transcript for an interview with Hanneli Pick-Goslar.  Hanneli was one of Anne's closest friends and a Holocaust survivor.

Anne and Hannah.  Anne is kneeling. 

Both of these interviews are based on questions that students asked themselves.  Because of this, they may be questions you are wondering as well.  If you still have any questions that you are burning to know, feel free to leave a comment and we can discuss them in class.

Google News Archive

I know it. You know it.  Whenever we are given something to research, our first instinct is to Google it.  My 4-year-old nephew knows about google.  My 84-year-old grandmother knew to Google.  Googling is so common that it has now officially become a verb.

There's nothing wrong with googling, but there are other ways!

Sometimes you're looking for something more than just a generic google search.  Maybe you want research that's more focused, more specific, more timely, more unique.  Maybe you're just looking for options to explore.  Today, I bring you Google News Archive.

Google News Archive is a collection of newspapers/articles scanned in to an electronic archive.  It is a searchable database for a multitude of topics.  All you do is enter in your keyword and lots of articles (real scanned copies of newspaper articles) pop up.  The archives can add a new level to any research project/ task you're working on.

Click this link to access the Google News Archive.

I've also created a very brief Google News Archive screencast to walk you through the site if you would like a tour.

Happy Researching!

Our Library

In the beginning, there were books... then a few more..... then a few more... then some more.... and more.  So many, in fact, that the people of the world needed a building to house these glorious books in (yes, that's when books were written down on actual pages, you know, pages made from paper!)  The people of the world came together and built the very first library.

According to my research, the earliest libraries date back to Egypt and the Messopatianian era.  Having a library was very elite because so few people actually knew how to read.  The books all had to be hand scribed as well, a very time-consuming and exact process.

Today we are lucky to have wonderful libraries all around us, as well as a wealth of digital reading material at our fingertips.  Here are a few of the most impressive libraries out there today.  

No question about it, there are some fantastic libraries out there, but you don't have to travel very far to pick up some great books.  Our own Deering Middle School Library has tons of resources in print and digital forms.  Be sure to check them out!

And who could ever forget our favorite library here on the White Team: the Enos Library, open for business every day in room 47.  

Hundreds of books to choose from.  Are you a fan of realistic fiction?  We've got that.  More into Sci-Fi?  We've got that.  Is dystopian lit your thing?  Oh, yea, we've got that... a lot of that actually.  It's all the rage.  Many of you have seen for yourself, I've got pretty good taste.  Let me make a suggestion.  No charge :)

If you are interested in checking a book out, please use this form :  Enos Library Check-Out Form

If you are checking in, please use this one:  Enos Library Check-In Form

Happy Reading!!

***All lost books will be paid for by hours of scraping gooey, disgusting, chewed up, stale,old, really old, we're talking old enough to have been stuck there when I went to this school in the 90's, pink bubble gum off the bottom of the tables, or anything else I think of that may actually be worse!   Don't loose my books!