Genesis: We finished planning and drafting our persuasive essays this week. We spent class time analyzing and critiquing persuasive essays for their rhetorical approaches. Our goal was to apply what we learned about effective persuasion to our own drafts. Students also practiced organizing and drafting their ISAT extended reader response and independent reading/conferences.

Legacy: We continued our craft studies with excerpts on details by author Francine Prose. Exemplar texts by Anton Chekhov, Herman Melville, and Virginia Woolf were used in guided reading. In addition, students used their details focus to draft short fiction pieces that will be analyzed in student craft studies. We also began readings of graduation speeches in preparation for our drafting in writing workshop.

Explorers: Students combined role, audience, format, and topic (the RAFT strategy) for a long-term creative thinking/writing exercise that will become part of their novel portfolios. We practiced ISAT extended reader response and narrative writing. We also supplemented our read-alouds with flash fiction stories.

Genesis: Persuasive essay (typed, double-spaced, size 12 Times) draft due Monday 3/2. 

Legacy: None.  (Please take a break!)

Explorers: RAFT and last week’s thesis statement are due Monday 3/2.  SAT/WWW quiz on Monday 3/2.