Sounds of Poetry

1. Read the onomatopoeia lesson plan. Do Exercise 1 only.

2. Colors can give your poems some symbolic significance through the different connotations that we associate with colors.  Examine the chart below that outlines some color symbolism.  Read some poems that use color symbolism. Respond to two of the poems.  Identify the title and author and describe briefly what effect the poet’s use of color had on the poem.

3. Many people believe that poetry is meant to be read aloud and experienced orally. Watch at least two of the Poetry Out Loud recitations.  Write a reaction to these two videos in which you comment on the poem itself (the meaning and/or literary devices) as well as the reader's delivery of the poem.  

4. Write at least ten lines of poetry (this can be one or more poems, but there must be at least ten lines of poetry total) that use:

• at least two colors to convey symbolic meaning and tone.  Please note, you can also play with different words for the same color (for example: red, scarlet, vermilion, crimson, rusty, cherry, burgundy and ruby may all carry different connotations).  
• Your ten lines of poetry should also incorporate at least two examples of figurative language (similes, metaphors, personification, and/or hyperboles.)  
• Include at least one sound device (rhyme, alliteration, or onomatopoeia) in your poem.

Color Symbolism Chart
	Excitement, energy, passion, love, desire, speed, strength, power, heat, aggression, danger, fire, blood, war, violence, all things intense and passionate.
	Pink symbolizes love and romance, caring, tenderness, acceptance and calm.
	Beige and ivory symbolize unification. Ivory symbolizes quiet and pleasantness. Beige symbolizes calm and simplicity.
	Joy, happiness, betrayal, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer, gold, philosophy, dishonesty, cowardice, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard and friendship.
	Peace, tranquility, cold, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, loyalty, sky, water, technology, depression, appetite suppressant.
	Turquoise symbolizes calm. Teal symbolizes sophistication. Aquamarine symbolizes water. Lighter turquoise has a feminine appeal.
	Royalty, nobility, spirituality, ceremony, mysterious, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, arrogance, mourning.
	Lavender symbolizes femininity, grace and elegance.
	Energy, balance, enthusiasm, warmth, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant, demanding of attention.
	Nature, environment, healthy, good luck, renewal, youth, spring, generosity, fertility, jealousy, inexperience, envy, misfortune, vigor.
	Earth, stability, hearth, home, outdoors, reliability, comfort, endurance, simplicity, and comfort.
	Security, reliability, intelligence, staid, modesty, dignity, maturity, solid, conservative, practical, old age, sadness, boring. Silver symbolizes calm.
	Reverence, purity, birth, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, youth, winter, snow, good, sterility, marriage (Western cultures), death (Eastern cultures), cold, clinical.
	Power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear, evil, unhappiness, depth, style, evil, sadness, remorse, anger, anonymity, underground, good technical color, mourning, death (Western cultures).

Creative Writing: Poetic Devices

Week 14: Poetic Devices

1. Complete the poetry analysis worksheet to learn how poets use some of these devices. 
2. Review some major forms of figurative language by completing 15-20 examples on the worksheet.
3. Alliteration Tongue Twisters:  Write an original alliteration tongue twister that incorporates at least seven alliterations with the same initial sound and (at least somewhat) makes sense.

Remember, alliteration is when two or more words share the same initial sound

• Ex. “Down and Dirty”

When you string a bunch of alliteration together, you get a tongue twister.

• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

4.  Write a limerick, a five line poem that follows the rhyme scheme A A B B A, in which the “A” lines are eight or nine syllables and the “B” lines are six syllables.  See three different examples below:  

There once was a gray poodle named Spark.       (A= "ark," 9 syllables long)
 Quite talkative, he so liked to bark.                     (A= "ark," 9 syllables long)
 Sometimes running he found                             (B= "ound," 6 syllables long)
 His feet all off the ground                                 (B= "ound," 6 syllables long)
 Especially on "walks" in the park.                      (A= "ark," 9 syllables long)

There once was a girl who loved rhyme;   (8 syllables)
 She felt her writing was sublime.             (8 syllables)
 Indeed quite a poet,                                 (6 syllables)
 Though some didn't know it,                    (6 syllables)
 She'd be rich if each paid a dime.              (8 syllables)

There was a mean clown in the circus.
 For fun he would push us and jerk us.
 He would hit us with pies
 That left cream in our eyes.
 His act never once failed to irk us.

Intro to Poetry

1. Complete the activity More Root Words.
2. Complete this worksheet about major poetic devices. 
3. Complete the poetry analysis worksheet to learn how poets use some of these devices. 
4. Alliteration Tongue Twisters:  Write an original alliteration tongue twister that incorporates at least seven alliterations with the same initial sound and (at least somewhat) makes sense.

Remember, alliteration is when two or more words share the same initial sound

• Ex. “Down and Dirty”

When you string a bunch of alliteration together, you get a tongue twister.

• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

5.  Write a limerick, a five line poem that follows the rhyme scheme A A B B A, in which the “A” lines are eight or nine syllables and the “B” lines are six syllables.  See three different examples below:  

There once was a gray poodle named Spark.       (A= "ark," 9 syllables long)
 Quite talkative, he so liked to bark.                     (A= "ark," 9 syllables long)
 Sometimes running he found                             (B= "ound," 6 syllables long)
 His feet all off the ground                                 (B= "ound," 6 syllables long)
 Especially on "walks" in the park.                      (A= "ark," 9 syllables long)

There once was a girl who loved rhyme;   (8 syllables)
 She felt her writing was sublime.             (8 syllables)
 Indeed quite a poet,                                 (6 syllables)
 Though some didn't know it,                    (6 syllables)
 She'd be rich if each paid a dime.              (8 syllables)

There was a mean clown in the circus.
 For fun he would push us and jerk us.
 He would hit us with pies
 That left cream in our eyes.
 His act never once failed to irk us.

Realistic Short Stories

Week 12

1. I would like you to read and react to ONE of the following autobiographical short stories: "Hair" by Malcolm X OR "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros.  Your reactions should be about a paragraph long each and should briefly summarize the story as well as discuss what you notice about Malcolm X’s or Cisneros’s writing style that you liked and that could help you in your own writing. These stories are acting as mentor texts, examples of autobiographical (or semi-autobiographical) realistic memoirs about the authors' own lives that can help you think about your own story and voice.

4. Next, I want you to think of some ideas for your own autobiographical short story.  Think about your own experiences.  "Write what you know" is a famous piece of advice.  Start out by writing a piece called “I remember.”  This piece is a brainstorm, free flow of thoughts that can work as a prewriting strategy.  If you handwrite, this should be 30 lines at least.  If you type, this should be 15 lines at least (12 point font).  If you get stuck, just write “I remember” and restart.  You may write about just one memory the whole time or a bunch of different memories.

3. Third, think of at least FIVE ideas of stories that have happened to you or someone that you know well that you can retell in a short story (creative license is fine here to fill in some details). 
So that you have some other options, write down THREE more ideas in which you can be a little more creative. That is, you don't have to write about an actual instance in your life, but base it on what you know.  Nathan Englander explains that sometimes, “'Write what you know’ isn’t about events… It’s about emotions. Have you known love? jealousy? longing? loss? Did you want that [video game system] so bad you might have killed for it? If so, it doesn't matter whether your story takes place in Long Island or on Mars – if you’re writing what you know, readers will feel it.”

4. Choose your top story idea from above. Draft a well-developed story that focuses on plot, characterization, setting, and theme. Use imagery to bring your story to life!



5. View and comment on each other's storybirds!

• Jonny's "Max, the Photo-Taking Polar Bear"
• Drew's "The Legend of T Bone"

Creative Writing

Week 9

1. Expand your vocabulary by learning about Greek and Latin roots.  View and complete the following worksheet that will expose you to and give you practice with 14 common roots.

2. Read the following imagery-rich passage, paying attention to details that make you see, hear, smell, taste, and/or feel that which is being described:

“The hot July sun beat relentlessly down, casting an orange glare over the farm buildings, the fields, the pond. Even the usually cool green willows bordering the pond hung wilted and dry. The low buzzing of mosquitoes hung about us.  Our sun-baked backs ached for relief. We quickly pulled off our sweaty clothes and plunged into the pond, but the tepid water only stifled us, and we soon climbed onto the brown, dusty bank. Our parched throats longed for something cool—a tart strawberry ice, a tall frosted glass of sweetly sour lemonade.
“We pulled our clothes out of the crackling underbrush, the sharp briars pulling at our heavy, wet clothes.  We wriggled into our damp jeans and ambled toward the watermelon patch. As we began to cut open the nearest melon, we could smell the pungent skin mingling with the dusty odor of the dry earth. Suddenly, the melon gave way with a crack, revealing the deep, pink sweetness inside.”

3. Then, list ten examples of phrases from the passage that show imagery & classify them by the sense to which they appeal (sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch).

Then, I would like you to read and react to ONE of the following autobiographical short stories: "Hair" by Malcolm X OR "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros.  Your reactions should be about a paragraph long each and should briefly summarize the story as well as discuss what you notice about Malcolm X’s or Cisneros’s writing style that you liked and that could help you in your own writing. These stories are acting as mentor texts, examples of autobiographical (or semi-autobiographical) realistic writing that can help you think about your own story and voice.

4. Next, I want you to think of some ideas for your own autobiographical short story.  Think about your own experiences.  "Write what you know" is a famous piece of advice.  Start out by writing a piece called “I remember.”  This piece is a brainstorm, free flow of thoughts that can work as a prewriting strategy.  If you handwrite, this should be 30 lines at least.  If you type, this should be 15 lines at least (12 point font).  If you get stuck, just write “I remember” and restart.  You may write about just one memory the whole time or a bunch of different memories.

5. Last, think of at least FIVE ideas of stories that have happened to you or someone that you know well that you can retell in a short story (creative license is fine here to fill in some details). 
So that you have some other options, write down THREE more ideas in which you can be a little more creative. That is, you don't have to write about an actual instance in your life, but base it on what you know.  Nathan Englander explains that sometimes, “'Write what you know’ isn’t about events… It’s about emotions. Have you known love? jealousy? longing? loss? Did you want that [video game system] so bad you might have killed for it? If so, it doesn't matter whether your story takes place in Long Island or on Mars – if you’re writing what you know, readers will feel it.”

Publishing & Celebrating

Week 8:

This week we will sharing our work, celebrating our work, and evaluating the works of others. We will be reading each others' stories and begin working with a digital storytelling tool called Storybird.  Storybird collects art from a variety of artists and lets you use that art to express yourself.  I have signed you all up for Storybird accounts. 

1. Please see me for your login information and log in to Storybird.

 

2. After you have logged in to Storybird, start exploring the tool.  Start by looking at my own story: Mary Ann Reads a Book.  Type a comment about something specific that you liked. Then, explore at least five other stories, commenting on things that you liked.  Send me links to the stories on which you commented in an email to skappelman@scarboroughschools.org or as a comment below.  

• A good, specific compliment is not: I liked your story.  
• A good specific compliment is: I liked how you used dialogue to show how feisty your character is! Great use of indirect characterization!
• You can view Storybirds from last year's students, too: 
• The Legend of T Bone by Drew
• Max, the Photo-Taking Polar Bear by Jonny
• Cat on the Run by Bry
• The Tale of Cynthia Mercury by Celenia
• The Day the Clouds Drifted Away by Adara
• The Freaky Boat by Amanda 
• The Perfect Day by Janelle
• Finding Friends by Lizzie
• Sally's Adventure by Jesstine

3. Create your own Storybird!

Revising, Editing, Publishing

Week 7

1. Finish revising your stories.
2. Have an editing conference with Kapp.
3. Make edits.
4. Choose a story to publish:

• break up the story to at least five pages plus a cover
• create original illustrations for each page and cover OR find images on the internet and cite each image correctly on an additional works cited page (remember, this is alphabetical!)
• if you use "found images" (instead of your own drawings), you will need to create a book for each of your stories following the above guidelines

Revision

Week 6

To help you better exaggerate your tall tale or to make your myth sound more mythical, you will want to use figurative language.

Task 1:  Define and find 10 examples of each of the following:

·        Simile

·        Metaphor

·        Personification

·        Hyperbole

Task 2: 

• Watch the video: "Dialogue Rules"
• If you still are confused about the conventions of writing dialogue, visit this website: http://www.be-a-better-writer.com/punctuate-dialogue.html
• Rewrite (you can copy & paste then edit) the following dialogues with correct punctuation, capitalization, & paragraphing: Dialogue Exercises.

Task 3: 

Revise each of your stories with the notes given to you:

• fable
• fractured fairy tale
• myth
• tall tale

Write your own Tall Tale or Myth

WEEK 5:

Task 3:  Write a draft of your own tall tale or myth. See requirements below.  

Option A: Tall Tale: 

-->a protagonist who is a real person, either historical or modern, but who you add details that describe him/her as having super-human abilities in some way that helps people and has to do with their job  (ex.  Paul Bunyan's size, John Henry's strength, Johnny Appleseed's ability to communicate with nature).  For example, you may choose to write a tall tale about Paul Revere's superhuman ability to ride faster than the wind to warn that "the British are coming," or you may write a tall tale about Mariah Carey's superhuman ability to break glass with her voice, or Martin Luther King, Jr.'s superhuman ability to 

-->at least 3 historic/realistic details

-->at least 3 exaggerations

-->a story with some sort of conflict that gets resolved/solved by the protagonist

-->an exposition, rising action, climax (conflict is at a breaking/turning point), falling action, and a resolution

-->at least 4 instances of simile, metaphor, personification, and/or hyperbole (you don't need to use all four devices, but you need for instances, so if you skip one, for example, you need to have at least two instances of another)

-->use some dialogue

Option B: Myth: 

-->clear cultural setting

-->cultural values

-->spiritual elements (gods, etc.)

-->natural elements

-->MUST explain the creation of something

-->an exposition, rising action, climax (conflict is at a breaking/turning point), falling action, and a resolution

-->at least 4 instances of simile, metaphor, personification, and/or hyperbole (you don't need to use all four devices, but you need for instances, so if you skip one, for example, you need to have at least two instances of another)

-->use some dialogue

Tall Tales & Myths

Read the following information about TALL TALES

 

What Are They?

      Tall tales are stories written from someone’s imagination.  The story can be funny or silly.  They are filled with exaggerations, similes, metaphors, and lots of descriptive language.  It is always told as if it were true, even though the listeners know that the story could never really happen.

      Some of the characters were real heroes and heroines whose stories got exaggerated a lot, others were characters such as cowboys, railroad workers, loggers, sea captains, and firefighters.  Tall tales told information that really happened at the time and combined it with a wild tale full of fantasy.

      In general there were some bad things about tall tales.  They were negative towards Native Americans, African Americans, women, and animals.  The tales were about people who were trying to conquer the American Wilderness.  Most of these tall tales were written back in the 1800s when the pioneers were trying to conquer the wilderness of America.  It was a way for the pioneers to make the taming of America a little easier to handle.

History

      Many settlers originally came west because someone made many optimistic claims, those which told only of the good things.  They were told the climate was perfect and that there was plenty of water.  They were convinced that crops would spring up overnight.  It was said that the soil was so fertile that even footprints would grow!

      In real life, living on the plains was a lot tougher that the settlers had been told.  After they found out what life on the plains was really like, they had to face many hard times.  It was easier to do that if a person used humor.  One farmer is reputed to have said, “It could be so hot one day that the corn popped, and so cold the next day that a bucket of water would freeze so fast that the ice would still be warm."

      The settlers loved to exaggerate when they told tales about the huge animals, the incredible weather extremes and the monstrous fish that got away.  We can thank the pioneers for tall tales.  Tall tales have been associated with America’s past.

      Tall Tales are part of our nation’s oral history.  We can make many connections between such tall tales and events in history.  Among these are John Henry and the expansion of the railroads, Paul Bunyon and the timber industry, and Johnny Appleseed and agriculturalism.  Tall tales were stories told and passed down from generation to generation. 

Ref: School District of Greenville County, 2012, http://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/stone/staff/lessons/bennett/tales.asp

1. Read/listen/watch  the following tall tales:  John Henry, Paul Bunyon, Johnny Appleseed.  As you read/listen/watch, make a 2-column list.  One column should list the realistic/historical aspects of the story, and the other column should list the exaggerated portions of the story.  Try to include at least 3 items in each column for each story.

NEXT,Read the following information about Myths

 

What Are They?

 

Myths are among the oldest stories ever told.  They are present in all cultures and often explain some aspect of nature or human existence.  According to PBS, “For thousands of years, people all over the world have told stories to pass down the history, culture, and morals of their society to each new generation. One type of traditional story is the creation, or origin, story. Creation stories, also called ‘creation myths,’ describe the origin and nature of the universe, and often convey particular belief systems or values.”

2. Read, listen to, and/or watch 3 of the following myths: The Raven Story, Prometheus, Izangi and Izanami, and Genesis 3.  Record the following information for each myth:

Title of Story	Culture & Geographic Area	Explains the creation of…	Major Characters	Cultural Values	Setting: mostly human, spiritual, or natural world?
"The Raven Story"
“Prometheus"
"Izangi and Izanami"
"Genesis 3"