The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Chapters 8-the end

Explain what this story says about each of these issues:

-FAMILY
-AGE
-BEAUTY

Use examples from the story to support your explanations for each.

HOMEWORK FOR THIS WEEKEND:

The mother is rarely mentioned in the story, so we do not know much about how she feels about what happens throughout Benjamin's life. Your job this weekend is to rewrite this story through the mother's eyes. Pretend you are Benjamin's mother from his birth to your death. We do not know exactly when Mr. and Mrs. Button die, but it must be sometime after Mr. Button hands the family business over to Benjamin. Use your discretion on when you want his mother's death to be. Think about all that she has witnessed in her son's life and retell the story through her eyes.

Good luck!

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Chapters 3-7

After Reading Chapters 3-7, predict three problems you think Benjamin will encounter and give your solutions for each.

Good luck!

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Chapters 1 & 2

Today we are going to read a short novel online. Go to http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/ and find The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. You will blog your reaction to the assigned chapters daily with a guiding question.

Here are today's guiding questions:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,Chapter 1 (title of your post):
What would you have done if you were in Roger Button in Chapter 1?

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Chapter 2 (title of your post):
Roger is so overly concerned wit how Benjamin looks and is worried about what people are going to say. What should he do?

Good luck!

Poetry Contest

Today, you are going to enter a poetry contest sponsored by America Library of Poetry. Your poem needs to be no longer than 20 lines and can be on any topic you choose. Of course, there cannot be any profanity or vulgarity. You will enter the contest and submit your poem online at the website above. When you finish submitting your poem, you need to print out the Participation Certificate so that you have proof that you submitted your entry and I can give you credit for it.

You will also copy and paste your poem onto your blog. The title of your post will be the title of your poem. Please make sure you create a hyperlink to the contest's website so that other readers may have access to that contest, as well.

The grand prize is a $1,000 savings bond, plus there are other prizes you could win just for entering the contest. Good luck and happy writing!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Today, you will have a chance to write a narrative based on the above picture. You can find this picture in our workspace in FirstClass. Please save this picture in your MyPictures folder of your computer so it will be easy to upload to your blog. The rest of this post has instructions for you to follow. Please remember the key elements of narrative writing:

*Focuses a clear, well-defined incident or series of related events.
*Develops plot, character, and setting with specific detail.
*Orders events clearly.
*Uses description and dialogue as appropriate to develop setting and character.
*Shows events rather than just telling about them.
*Establishes and maintains a tone and point of view.
*Uses a logical and effective pattern of organization, such as chronological order, flashback, or flash-forward.
*Uses transitional words and phrases to maintain coherence and establish sequence within and between paragraphs.

The above picture tells a story. I want you to first brainstorm words and ideas about the image before you begin writing. Your story can tell what leads up to this picture or it can narrate the events that follow. Write from one character's point of view, his/her feelings, and thoughts.

A planning tool you may find useful is the Time Line Tool, which is also linked to on a document in our FirstClass workspace. You can use it to sketch out the sequence of events for your narrative. After you've done your planning, sign in to your blog and title this new post, "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words." Upload the above photo from your computer onto this new post and begin your narrative. When you are done, proofread your post before you publish it. Then, you may read and leave constructive comments on other people's stories.

This lesson was adapted and revised for our class from a lesson found on ReadWriteThink. I hope you like it!

Pet Peeves...

Make a list of 25 things that irritate you. Title this post, "Pet Peeves." When you're done, publish it and read your classmates' posts. You are going to learn something new about the people around you.

As always, make your comments constructive and proper.

The Secret...

Today's topic for your blog post deals with keeping a friend's secret or not. You will start your post off with this sentence, "It was my best friend's deepest, darkest secret and it would be a hard one to keep." The title of your post will be, "The Secret."

Remember, you are your main character. You will encounter the problem of keeping your friend's secret or not. Include dialogue to show what kind of people your characters are.

Good luck!

Mystery Writing...

Today's assignment is to write a mystery. Last week, you did a lot of research on real-life mysteries at www.unsolved.com. Today, you'll be using what you know and have learned to construct your own mystery. The title of your blog post will be, "Her Mysterious Death." Your lead will be as follows:

"Her death was due to mysterious circumstances and I was assigned to the case."

Please use the following guidelines when writing your mystery:

Mystery stories are a special type of writing. Fast paced and complex, they are a problem solving person's idea of a great read. Good mysteries keep a reader wondering while solving the crime. Great mysteries keep a reader in the dark until the very end.

Though you can have almost any combination of genre in one, there are certain rules you must follow for the tale to be considered a mystery.

1. Plot - Mysteries are plot-driven tales. They go beyond the standard victim is killed - detective searches for clues - killer is caught plotlines. Good mysteries have all that. Great mysteries have twists, turns and enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing until the moment the killer is revealed. A mystery story's plot must be plausible or the story will fall flat on its covers.

2. Crime - The crime should be introduced as early as possible, preferable in the firs chapter. Not many readers will be willing to read hundreds of pages without a victim. Most would not be willing to read past the first chapter. The crime should be believable, something the reader can see happening.

3. Main Characters - Introduce your detective and villain early on. Your detective is the hero of the story and your reader wants to see him in action from the get go. Your villain can be shown early, but if you want to keep your reader guessing, then keep your villain in the shadows until his unmasking.

4. Take your time - Keep your villain a secret until the last possible moment. If you show the reader who he is too soon, they might lose interest in the rest of the story. Be sure you reveal the clues as your detective uncovers them so your reader has a chance to solve the crime first.

5. Research - Make sure you read up on the type of crime, police procedures, and forensic information to make your story come to life. Also, make sure you know your story's setting inside and out. Nothing ruins a story faster than a writer who doesn't understand their own setting and makes errors the reader can see.

Mystery stories tend to follow more standard rules than other genres. Following those rules will help you write the kind of mystery your readers are looking for, and create the kind of suspenseful storyline that will have your readers turning the page until the very ending.

Working With Point of View...

Today's assignment is one that makes you think about point of view. Point of view is the perspective from which the story is told. Today, you will write your own life story, but there's a catch. It can't be told through your own eyes. Your life story must be told through someone else's eyes. It could be another member of your family or an outsider who doesn't know you at all.

Think of the important things that have happened in your life. Tell your life story through someone else's eyes. Maintain that point of view consistently, as well. The title of your post will be "(Your Name's) Life Story."

Good luck!

What Do I Wish From Barack Obama?

Please look at the issues below and pick one that you can write about. Today's topic is "What do I wish from Barack Obama?" Choose one issue to write an expository essay about on your blog. First, complete your outline in Microsoft Word. Then, write your essay in a Word document with your name on it. Make sure you use Spell Check. Finally, copy your essay into your blog post by clicking on "Edit Html" and then right clicking to paste it in.

Here are the issues you can choose from:

*Strengthening America overseas

*Plan to end the Iraq War

*Create a healthcare system that works

*Energy and the environment

*Improve our schools

*Protecting the Homeland

*Immigration and the border

*Honoring our Veterans

*Cleaning up the Washington culture of corruption

*Improve gun control to eliminate crime

*Give funding for embryonic stem cell research

*Preserve women's rights of reproductive choice

If you have a different issue that you wish from Barack Obama, please see me. Good luck!

Life-Changing Event...

Today's assignment is to write a narrative essay about an occasion/event that changed your life or way of thinking about something. Please review the guidelines for narrative writing below:

What is a Narrative Essay?

When writing a narrative essay, one might think of it as telling a story. These essays are often anecdotal, experiential, and personal—allowing the student to express herself in a creative and, quite often, moving way.

Here are some guidelines for writing a narrative essay:

If written as a story, the essay should include all the parts of a story.
This means that you must include an introduction, plot, characters, setting, climax, and conclusion.

When would a narrative essay not be written as a story?

A good example of this is when an instructor asks a student to write a book report. Obviously, this would not necessarily follow the pattern of a story and would focus on providing an informative narrative for the reader.

The essay should have a purpose.

Make a point! Think of this as the thesis of your story. If there is not point to what you are narrating, why narrate it at all?

The essay should be written from a clear point of view.

It is quite common for narrative essays to be written from the standpoint of the author; however, this is not the sole perspective to be considered. Creativity in narrative essays often times manifests itself in the form of authorial perspective.

Use clear and concise language throughout the essay.

Much like the descriptive essay, narrative essays are effective when the language is carefully, particularly, and artfully chosen. Use specific language to evoke specific emotions and senses in the reader.

The use of the first person pronoun ‘I’ is welcomed.

Do not abuse this guideline! Though it is welcomed it is not necessary—nor should it be overused for lack of clearer diction.

As always, be organized!

Have a clear introduction that sets the tone for the remainder of the essay. Do not leave the reader guessing about the purpose of your narrative. Remember, you are in control of the essay, so guide it where you desire (just make sure your audience can follow your lead).

Good luck!

Parents Are/Are Not the Best Teachers...

Today you will be working on a persuasive essay. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best teachers. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. You will work on your outline in Microsoft Word before you begin writing your first draft in your blog. Your title for your blog post will either be Parents Are the Best Teachers or Parents Are Not the Best Teachers, depending on whether you agree or disagree with the original statement. Please follow the format below when writing your outline. Remember, every great architect starts with a plan. YOU are the architect for this essay, so plan it wisely.

PERSUASIVE ESSAY OUTLINE

I. Introduction- thesis statement (topic sentence)
A. Reason #1
B. Reason #2
C. Reason #3
D. Tie it all together, making the reader want to read the rest of your essay; perhaps, use a question to capture the reader’s attention

II. Reason #1
A. Supporting detail #1
B. Supporting detail #2
C. Supporting detail #3
D. Offer an opposing viewpoint to Reason #1 and transition into Reason #2

III. Reason #2
A. Supporting detail #1
B. Supporting detail #2
C. Supporting detail #3
D. Offer an opposing viewpoint to Reason #2 and transition into Reason #3

IV. Reason #3
A. Supporting detail #1
B. Supporting detail #2
C. Supporting detail #3
D. Offer an opposing viewpoint to Reason #3 and transition into your Conclusion

V. Conclusion- restate your Introduction
A. Reason #1
B. Reason #2
C. Reason #3
D. End with an effective closing that makes your reader want to change his/her mind and adopt your viewpoint as their own

Good luck!

Expository Essay Guidelines...

Please check your post from yesterday and make sure your essay on "A Skill Everyone Needs," follows the format below. Since it was an expository essay, it's important to make sure you've followed the guidelines below. Good luck revising! When you're done editing yesterday's post, you can go ahead and publish it again.

Introduction
• Hooks the reader and captures his or her attention
• Contains the topic sentence of the essay
• Briefly states 3 or more main ideas which will be
explained in body of paper

Body
• Longest section of the essay
• Contains 3 or more fully developed paragraphs
(one paragraph to support each main idea stated in
the introduction)
• Each paragraph contains a topic sentence and at
least 4 to 5 supporting detail sentences
• Transition words and phrases help move reader
from one idea to the next (Ex: also, in addition,
another reason, etc.)

Conclusion
• Brings closure to the essay
• Briefly restates 3 the main ideas (without repeating
the exact words in the introduction)
• May end with strong statement or an appeal to the
emotions

A Skill Everyone Needs...

This is today's writing prompt:

What is a very important skill a person should learn in order to be successful in the world today? Choose ONE skill and use specific reasons (3) and examples (3) to support your choice.

The title of your post should be, "A Skill Everyone Needs."

Adding a Gadget/Becoming a Follower...

Today we're going to work on adding a specific gadget to our blogs, such as a Favorite Authors list. Right now, I need you to do the following:

1. Log in to your blog.
2. Click on "Layout."
3. Click on "Add a Gadget."
4. Scroll down to where it says, "List," and click on the "+" sign.
5. Enter this information-
Title = Favorite Authors
Number of items to show in list = 10
Sorting = Sort Alphabetically
Add list item = enter the name of one of your favorite authors; add at least FIVE
6. Click on "Save."

There you go! You've just added a gadget to your blog! You will see that there are several types of gadgets to add. We will NOT be adding pictures of ourselves or our classmates for safety purposes. We are also going to limit the amount of information we share on the World Wide Web. It's important to keep in mind that everything you write here is visible for anyone to see on the Internet. Therefore, we will remain private as much as we possibly can. Do NOT adjust your own profile information until we work on that as a class.

Now, let's figure out how to become Followers of our favorite blogs. On your sidebar, you have a list of your classmates' blogs you can read. Go to the ones you like the most and scroll all the way to the bottom of it. Click on "Follow this blog." When you get to the next screen, click on "Follow publicly as..." It will show up on your "Dashboard" as one of the blogs you follow and will let you know when that person updates their posts.

Voila!

The Best Day Ever...Narrative Essay Practice...

Today's assignment is for you to write a narrative essay about ONE time when everything went right for you. Your title for this blog post will be, "The Best Day Ever." Be sure to include specific details, descriptions, and reactions in your essay. Let's review what a narrative essay is.

What is a Narrative Essay?

When writing a narrative essay, one might think of it as telling a story. These essays are often anecdotal, experiential, and personal—allowing the student to express herself in a creative and, quite often, moving way.

Here are some guidelines for writing a narrative essay:

If written as a story, the essay should include all the parts of a story.
This means that you must include an introduction, plot, characters, setting, climax, and conclusion.

When would a narrative essay not be written as a story?

A good example of this is when an instructor asks a student to write a book report. Obviously, this would not necessarily follow the pattern of a story and would focus on providing an informative narrative for the reader.

The essay should have a purpose.

Make a point! Think of this as the thesis of your story. If there is not point to what you are narrating, why narrate it at all?

The essay should be written from a clear point of view.

It is quite common for narrative essays to be written from the standpoint of the author; however, this is not the sole perspective to be considered. Creativity in narrative essays often times manifests itself in the form of authorial perspective.

Use clear and concise language throughout the essay.

Much like the descriptive essay, narrative essays are effective when the language is carefully, particularly, and artfully chosen. Use specific language to evoke specific emotions and senses in the reader.

The use of the first person pronoun ‘I’ is welcomed.

Do not abuse this guideline! Though it is welcomed it is not necessary—nor should it be overused for lack of clearer diction.

As always, be organized!

Have a clear introduction that sets the tone for the remainder of the essay. Do not leave the reader guessing about the purpose of your narrative. Remember, you are in control of the essay, so guide it where you desire (just make sure your audience can follow your lead).

Good luck! Happy writing!

Photos and Links...

Today, we're going to work on uploading a photo to our blogs. First, we'll find a photo depicting something in nature. Then, we'll save it to our computers. After that, we'll upload it to our blogs. Voila!

We will write a haiku about our picture. The first line has five syllables; the second line has seven syllables; the third line has five syllables. It does not have to rhyme at all.

Here is my example:

Maui is lovely

It is where I was married

on this waterfall

If time permits, we'll work on creating links to each other on our blogs.

Her Smile...

Today's assignment is to write a narrative using this as your first sentence:

When I looked at her smile, I knew she was up to something.

Start your narrative with that sentence and begin writing.

25 Things I Want to do in my Lifetime...

1. Visit Yellowstone
2. Get a second Masters degree
3. Live to see my grandchildren
4. Go back to Hawaii again
5. Write a book
6. Remodel my kitchen
7. Travel throughout Europe
8. Take my kids to Norway
9. Have another baby
10. Pay off my mortgage
11. Make stuffed artichokes
12. Find time to do some artwork
13. Become independently wealthy
14. Take my kids to Great America and I don't want to be too old to do it
15. See all 50 states
16. Take my kids on their first aiplane ride
17. Move to the Portland, Oregon area
18. Grow old with my husband
19. Become a Grandma
20. Visit my sister more often
21. Figure out why my basement gets water and have the means to fix it
22. Have long hair again, just so I can chop it off
23. Make sure I never get betrayed again
24. Have a vacation home
25. Remember what's most important