Poetry: Choose and Declaim, Couplets and Quatrains, and translations

Choose a favourite poem
For tomorrow, Thursday, 1/30, choose a favourite poem or two from the poetry books, practice it for rhythm (if it has it) and declaim it to the class Thursday.

Couplets and Quatrains
For Monday, 2/03, you will create some couplets and quatrains to share to the class.  You may write couplets and/or quatrains, but the total will be sixteen lines.  Google for some famous examples in English, but do not copy them!  Rhythm is often more important than rhyme, but most have both.

A couplet is a pair of lines of meter in poetry. Couplets usually consist of two lines that rhyme and have the same meter.

A quatrain is a type of stanza, or a complete poem, consisting of four lines...   There are twelve possible rhyme schemes, but the most traditional and common are: AAAA,AABB, and ABAB.

Translation
For Wednesday, 2/05, you should choose a famous poem from one of your parents' non-English languages to read to us: both the original and the translation into English.  With Google and a parent you should be able to do this.  You could even find two translations into English.  Because nobody can translate precisely, there are variations.

Poetry Unit

This will last until the March break, with a final assignment of poetry due before then.  I have switched this for the other remaining unit on the syllabus, so we have more time for the other one, which is longer.

Minor Assignments:
- one on most poetry styles we study

Final Assignment:
- due March 10, Monday, 08:30, Tokyo time
- presented Monday through Friday of that week, as so many of you were so late on the last assignment this will give you the week to finish it if late, losing 5%/day if doing so, of course
- no partners
- format of the assignment is a poetry booklet: on paper, or online, video etc.  Most of the mark, as always, is about the written content; however, there will be marks for your readings aloud and for pictures or video you have matched to it: pictures or video made by you are better.  Other than that, I'll give you a lot of freedom on how you present it, but check with me first.
- contents must include at least four different forms or styles of poetry, and between 700 and 1200 words, and be new poems: not ones from the minor assignments
- font and size is your choice this time, but it must be easy to read and leave room on the page for me to edit

Readings:
- all of: "Imagine Poetry Anthology" and "Imagine Poetry Magazine", which is only 120 pp. over seven weeks, which is fewer than three pages a day
- also: other poems that I show you in class, of course

Make a folder on your USB, Google Documents, etc. for all of the poems that you will write, so that you can find them all when needed.

Semester One Exam: Tuesday morning, 1/21

You might want to know what to study.  I could be cynical and say, "Study everything, of course"; however, since these are your first JHS exams, I'll give you a break.  Your other teachers may not, and probably will not in older grades.

You must stay in the exam room for ninety minutes, even if finished (Edit!  Check Answers!); however, you will have two hours if you need it.  Not more.  You do not have to do questions in order.  Always do what is easiest for you first.

WRITE NEATLY.

Reading Comprehension:
Read a passage and answer multiple-choice answers.  Studies have shown that with multiple-choice answers your first guess is usually best.  Check again, but trust your intuition.  There is nothing you can do in one week to prepare for this!  The way to prepare for this in future is read often and read challenging works.

Grammar:
I expect you to be proficient at all English grammar to a grade seven level for a native speaker of English.  You should know the grammar we studied, which was what the class had the most trouble with when I assigned the diagnostic test, and all other English grammar.  Use the grammar apps you have and spend time on what you score lower on.  I won't test you on names of grammar, but on using it correctly.

Novels:
Make sure you know one of the two novels well.  I will give you a choice of the two to write about (for our new student, study the one that you were here to do with us).  Make sure you know many details of the one novel: though you do not need to know specific chapters, pages or quotations by heart, you will need to know details of plot, setting, characters, etc.

Narrative/Fiction-Genre:
There will be a section where you have to brainstorm, plan and write a fiction narrative in the genre of your choice.  Do not try to write it ahead to memorize and write it in the exam.  I will add a few trick details you must include, so that isn't possible.

Do not stress.  Most people get the same mark on exams they get on other course work.  Good luck!

Non-Fiction/Descriptive Writing Unit Assignment

Non-Fiction/Descriptive Writing Unit Assignment
- due next week, Thursday, January 16, 2014!
- it will be a choice of one of these styles: instructions, report, explanations (example English text page numbers are in a previous post)
- this will be an audio-visual presentation (Prezzi, Powerpoint, video-editing program...)

Here are the other details that I said would follow:
- write only one of the following: instruction, explanation or report
- you will have some class time this week and next to do it
- I need to see the rough copy of text Friday this week, (we will peer edit; I will edit ESL students')
- text is five hundred to one thousand words (not more; not less)
- email me the text before class begins Thursday next week
- in sentences and paragraphs
- your name and a title- format is Times New Roman 12, black, double-spaced
- choose an audio-visual presentation medium (Prezzi, Powerpoint, video-editing program...) that you are already good at
- you will not read in front of us, so make sure the presentation includes the sound of your voice
- the length of the presentation depends on how much you wrote, but not more than ten minutes and probably much less
- you may have one partner, but then I expect you to write and present twice as much
- you also may work alone

Writing Paragraphs

Here are some of the items and links we used for reviewing paragraphs:
- EXERCISES ON PARAGRAPH WRITING
- Organization: Paragraphs
- Paragraph Writing Exercises

HOMEWORK: Use the third link to compare your paragraphs with good examples online.  Finish this before exam week.  There is no way for me to check if you have done it, but it will help you, so it would be foolish of you if you decide to skip doing it.

It is a good idea to review them again.  It's English class, so you'll write many more this year, including the exams.  Skill in this will raise your marks and help you throughout your entire professional and personal life when writing.