Short Story Due Dates

Wishing everyone a relaxing and enjoyable holiday break.  Your short stories will be due at the beginning of class following the break.  You need to demonstrate the following

• understanding of the elements of a short story (project is heavily weighted in this area)
• point of view
• audience
• descriptive language
• Grade 8 - overall solid story with clear audience and point of view
• Grade 7 - solid rising action and resolution
• taking part in the writing process
• using feedback to improve story

You will need to hand in the following

• graphic organizer/plan
• rough copy
• self edit
• peer edit
• teacher feedback (students who had group conferences will not need to hand this in)
• final copy
• rubric and short story check list sheet

Due Dates:

8A - Tuesday, January 8
8B - Tuesday, January 8
8C - Thursday, January 10
8D - Wednesday, January 9
8E - Tuesdasy, January 8

7C-  Tuesday, January 8
7D - Tuesday, January 8
7E - Thursday, January 10

Short Story Conferences

Short Stories conferences are taking longer than I had originally hoped!  Please ensure that you have your conference sheet ready (see blog below) to ensure we have the must fruitful conversation that we can have in our short time together (and we're not waiting for you to get organzied!)

Reminder that I would appreciate your short story before the holiday break, but it isn't officially due until you return.  Once handed in, free choice during Daily 5 fully returns. 

You need to hand in

• the rubric
• rough draft
• self edit  (a different typed copy, or maked with pen). 
• peer edit
• final product (typed is perferred)

We have lost some time for conferencing to performances, job action, and assemblies.  If you want, you can come see me during my extra help time to conference ahead of schedule.  Once you and I have conferenced, you are welcome to hand in your work ahead of the due date. 

Word Work and Short Story Presentations

Short Story -I have been impressed by the majority of the quality short story presenations, and blown away by the few who chose to knock me out of the park by your indepth and insightful presentations!

As you know, I like to scan all rubrics/checklists before returning them.  I have a few more catch up presenations to go, so you should be recieving yours back the next time I see you.

Word Work - I enjoyed how I had to look up many of the interesting words that some of you chose!  My vocabulary has been expanded.

I appreciated the time and dedication that some of you put in to ensure you followed the posted rubric in the classroom and on the blog and from the many classroom discussion we had about the expectations of the assignment. 

Some of you will be disasppointed in your assessment.  Many students forgot to reflect on their word choice or only completed part of the actual Word Work assignment, or that five word sentences were quality for Grade 7 and Grade 8.  Students will have the opportunity to resubmit if they want.

Currently, I have marked 4 out of 8 classes.  (Previous to this, I was marking your graphic organizers!).  I hope to return these assignments as soon as possible as well. 

Only two weeks to go!  We can do this!  How did all this time fly by so fast?!?

Short Story Conference

I hope you are all feeling a bit more relieved about putting down the novel study, as I know I am!

Please ensure that you have your copy of your short story ALWAYS at school.  You are welcome to work on it at home,.  When you save your on the ugcloud so you always have access to it no matter where you are!

We are starting our short story conferences in the coming days.  You have signed up for a day in class this week.  Please come prepared with your short story conference sheet completed to make the most of our time together. 

 A reminder that ALL rough copies are due sometime during the week of December 10.  All self/peer edit copies are due the last week before the holiday break. 

If you have gone through the entire writing process, including teacher conference, you are welcome to hand your work in before the holiday break.

Your final copy is officially due once we return in January, but come on, if you're done, why wouldn't you hand it in???  You can return to Daily 5 free choice for the remainder of our time together in 2012.