Schoolhouse Rock: Nouns

I saw the Schoolhouse Rock shorts many times while watching Saturday morning cartoons during my childhood. The tunes are still familiar these many years later. "A Noun is a Person, Place, or Thing" was created in 1973 (the year Mr. Gacek was born). In 1973, for some reason, abstract nouns were not included in the basic definition of noun.



And, for the record, this is Chubby Checker.

Secret Identity Writing Assignment

I borrowed this writing prompt from the 826 Boston Writing Center:

Do you know someone who acts like they have a secret, or has an aura of mystery about them? Now imagine if that person were actually leading a double life! Write a piece where you discover that someone close to you is actually a spy, superhero, alien, or has any other secret identity you can think of.

Requirements:

• Size 14 font, 1.5-line spacing
• Title and heading
• Story must include dialogue
• Story must be at least 2 pages in length

At least 2 pages of writing due Thursday, January 8. Note: Story does not need to be finished by Jan. 8, but you do need to bring at least 2 typed pages to class that day. Plan ahead so that you have work printed prior to beginning of class.

Dystopian Fiction Reading List

Reading Requirement: At least 2 books from this list

One must be a book you have not read in a new series.

One may be a re-read or a sequel to a previously-read book

→The Giver, Lois Lowry (companion books: Gathering Blue, Messenger, The Son)

→The City of Ember, Jeanne DuPrau (sequels: The People of Sparks, The Prophet of Yonwood, The Diamond of Darkhold)

→Uglies, Scott Westerfeld (sequels: Pretties, Specials; companion: Extras)

→Matched, Ally Condie (sequels: Crossed, Reached)

→The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins (sequels: Catching Fire, Mockingjay)

→Divergent, Veronica Roth (sequels: Insurgent, Allegiant)

→The Maze Runner, James Dashner (sequels: The Scorch Trials, The Death Cure; prequel: The Kill Order)

→Legend, Marie Lu (sequels: Prodigy, Champion)

→Blood Red Road, Moira Young (sequels: Rebel Heart, Raging Star)

→Incarceron, Catherine Fisher (sequel: Sapphique)

→Lockdown: Escape from Furnace, Alexander Gordon Smith (sequels: Solitary, Death Sentence, Fugitives, Execution)

Golden Compass Illustration and Final Question

Golden Compass Illustrations

Pantalaimon in ermine form (sketches by Emma Williams)

You will illustrate a scene from The Golden Compass. You will first need to create a rough sketch. The rough sketch should be in pencil and does not need to be perfect.

The Final Illustration should be created on the drawing paper provided. Illustrations should be oriented in landscape view (sideways or horizontal). Illustrations should be colored with colored pencil. The illustration should be zoomed in on the thing which is being depicted. Your illustration should not be  zoomed out so that figures and objects are tiny. You need to fill in the entire space of the paper with your drawing.

You need to print one or two sentences from the book at the bottom of your illustration. The sentences should refer to what is being illustrated. Please ink your sentences with Flair pen.

Print your name in the bottom right corner of you illustration.

Due Monday, November 24.

Golden Compass Final Question

Re-read Chapter 21: "Lord Asriel’s Welcome." Lord Asriel explains that he intends to travel beyond the aurora, to find the source of Dust and destroy it, thus destroying original sin and with it all the death, misery, and destructiveness in the world. Why does he want to do this? Do you think this is a good idea? What is the downside of living in a world with no sin?

Due Thursday, November 13.

The Golden Compass: Part I: Oxford

Illustration: Rory Phillips

Please read only Part I: Oxford of The Golden Compass. Do not read ahead!

Please respond to the following writing prompts using complete paragraphs. Type answers using size 14 Calibri font and 1.5-line spacing. Include title and heading. Due Monday, October 27.

1. Do you find Lyra to be a compelling character? Why or why not? Do you share any similarities with Lyra? Explain.

2. Who is Lord Asriel? Who is Mrs. Coulter? What does Lyra think of each character? What do YOU think of each character?

3. What is a daemon? Describe Lyra’s relationship with Pan. Would you like to have a daemon? Explain.

4. What is the alethiometer? Why must Lyra protect it?

Reading Log #2

• Due: Thursday, November 20.
• Minimum amount of time spent reading: 6 hours.
• Do not include time spent reading The Golden Compass.
• Reading for this assignment may consist of novels, shorts stories, plays, or poetry. Graphic novels, magazine articles, and on-line articles do not count toward this total.
• Record all books read in log.
• Estimate the number of hours you spend reading each book. This number is just an estimate and does not need to be exact. Add up all the hours spent reading and include the total on the appropriate line.
• Optional: If you would like to log each reading session, you may do this on the separate log provided. However, this is not required, and you do not need to turn in the optional time log.
• If you do not finish a book please include “DNF” in the chart in lieu of a star rating.
• If a book is a re-read, please put an "R" in parentheses after the book title.
• At least one of the books you read this period must be in the Fantasy genre. Also, it is required of you that you finish this book (even if this requires spending more than 6 hours reading the book).
• The required Fantasy book may not be a re-read, and it may not be a part of a series in which you have read other books in that series.
• Please provide a typed response including the following components. Please type using size 14 Calibri font with 1.5-line spacing.

1. Hero: Who is the hero of your book? What characteristics does the hero have which are typical of the fantasy genre? Describe these characteristics. Does the hero have any characteristics which are atypical of a hero? Explain.
2. Quest: What is the quest the hero must embark upon? Describe the goal of the quest.
3. Good vs. Evil: How are the forces of good and the forces of evil represented in the book? Are these forces typical of the fantasy genre? Explain.
4. Magic: How is magic represented in the book? Who is able to harness magic? How does magic play a part in the story?
5. Extraordinary Creatures: Describe the most interesting extraordinary creatures in the book. Are these creatures unique to this book, or are they found in other works of Fantasy? Explain.
6. Fantastic Land: What is the name of land in which the book takes place? How is it similar to our world? How is it different than our world? Explain. Is there a portal between worlds? If so, describe the portal.

Personal Writing Assignment #2: A Happy Moment

Writing Prompt: Describe an instance in which you felt particularly happy.

• Describe the circumstances leading up to this occurrence.
• Explain what was special about this particular moment.
• Include dialogue (required). You are in essence telling a story.
• Begin the story in a creative manner.
• Provide your story with a satisfying conclusion.
• Story length: 1-2 pages.
• Assignment must be typed, 1.5-line spacing, size 13 Calibri font.
• Assignment must be at least 3 paragraphs.
• You may not use spell-check or grammar-check.
• Include title and heading.
• Due: Thursday, October 16.

Realistic Fiction Assignment

Reading: Please read a realistic fiction novel which is not a re-read for you.

Writing: Please type assignment. Use size 13 Calibri font with 1.5-line spacing. Include heading in upper right hand corner and title centered at top of page.

Please compose complete paragraphs about the following:

Protagonist: Describe the protagonist. What are the important traits of the character? Describe his or her personality. What is the family situation for the character? What is the social situation for the character?

Challenges: What are the challenges the protagonist faces in the book? Please describe them. How/why did these challenges arise for the character?

Resolution: How does the protagonist overcome the challenges he or she faces? Please describe how the character resolves these challenges. Yes, you will need to give away the ending to the book (in most cases).

Emotion: Now that you have finished the book, what was the most powerful emotion you felt as you were reading? Describe how you experienced this emotion. Please refer to and describe specific episodes in the book which led you to feel this emotion.

Rating: How many stars would you give the book? Why would you give the book this particular rating? Please be specific.

Due: Monday, October 13, 2014.

Spelling List #1

1. definitely
2. assignment
3. passionate
4. sentence
5. disappears
6. basically
7. excited
8. probably
9. alternate
10. interesting

Spelling Quiz #1: Thursday, Oct. 2.

Reading Log #1

• Due: Thursday, October 9.
• Minimum amount of time spent reading: 6 hours.
• Reading for this assignment may consist of novels, shorts stories, plays, or poetry. Neither graphic novels, magazine articles, nor on-line content counts toward this total.
• Record all books read in log.
• Estimate the number of hours you spent reading each book. This number is just an estimate and does not need to be exact. Add up all the hours spent reading and include the total on the appropriate line.
• If you do not finish a book please include “DNF” in the chart in lieu of a star rating.
• If a book is a re-read, please put an "R" in parentheses after the book title.
• Please provide response to the following prompt on a separate sheet of paper (typed or hand-written):

What was your favorite book that you read in the past month? Why did you particularly enjoy this book? Describe a particular episode from the book that you feel exemplified what you loved about the book. Please refer to specific characters and events in your response.

• If you lose the log provided you, please create your own log which includes space for Book Title, Author, Star Rating, Hours Read per Book, and Total Hours Read.

Writing Assignment #1

Max Fischer, Yankee Racers Founder, Rushmore Academy

Writing Prompt: At this particular moment in time, what are you most passionate about?

• Include an interesting opening.
• Minimum: one full page.
• Maximum: 2 full pages.
• Assignment may be typed or hand-written. If you write by hand, handwriting must be neat and legible.
• Line spacing: Single, 1.5, or double (you decide). You need to format your assignment to best meet the page # requirements.
• Assignment must include at least two complete paragraphs.
• You may not use spell-check or grammar-check on your computer.
• Parents may read your assignment and offer general writing advice, but parents may not proofread and edit your paper for you. This assignment must represent YOUR work.
• Include heading (name, date, period) in upper right-hand corner.
• Include Title at top of page.
• To consider: Explain what you’re passionate about. Describe specific examples from your life of you pursuing this passion. How did you come to be passionate about this thing? Why are you passionate about this thing? How do you envision yourself pursuing this passion in the future? [Note: You do not need to tackle these questions in this order. You can format your assignment as you wish.]
• Note: You will be sharing your writing with your classmates. Do not include personal details which you would be uncomfortable sharing.

Due: Tuesday, September 9.

SF Story Protagonist and Plot Paragraphs

Protagonist Paragraph: Write a paragraph about your protagonist. Describe the character. Provide his or her name and age. Describe the appearance of the character. Where does he or she live? What is the occupation of the character? What is the character’s temperament? What else is it important for the audience to know about the character?

Plot Paragraph: Write a paragraph about the plot of your story. What will the protagonist be attempting to accomplish? What will be preventing the protagonist from accomplishing this? How will the protagonist attempt to “transcend” the dichotomy of your story?

Due Monday, May 12.

Mr. Gacek's Recommended SF Film & Television Series

Films: Okay for most sixth graders:

Metropolis (1927)

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Forbidden Planet (1956)

Invasion of the Body Snathers (1956)

Planet of the Apes (1968)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Fantastic Planet (1973)

Star Wars (1977)

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Back to the Future (1985)

Star Wars (1997)

Jurassic Park (1993)

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

Minority Report (2002)

Serenity (2005)

Avatar (2009)

Inception (2010)

Films to watch when older:

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Alien (1979)

The Road Warrior (1981)

Blade Runner (1982)

The Terminator (1984)

Brazil (1985)

RoboCop (1987)

Gattaca (1997)

Total Recall (1999)

The Matrix (1999)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Children of Men (2006)

Moon (2009)

District 9 (2009)

TV Series:

The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)

The Outer Limits (1963-1965)

The Prisoner (1967-1968)

Star Trek (1966-1969)

Quanum Leap (1989-1993)

The X-Files (1993-2002)

Babylon 5 (1994-1998)

Stargate SG-1 (1997-2008)

Firefly (2002-2003)

Battlestar Gallactica (2004-2009)

Fringe (2008-2013)

Lost (2004-2010)

Farscape (1999-2003)

Doctor Who (2005-present)

The Westing Game Questions

Please type answers.  Use complete paragraphs in answering the questions.
 

1.  What do the majority of the participants think is the correct solution to The Westing Game?  Explain how they arrive at this conclusion.

2.  What does Turtle discover is the actual solution to The Westing Game?  Explain how she arrives at this conclusion.

3.  Why do you think Sam Westing created The Westing Game?  Why did he include Crow?  Why did he include Grace?

4.  What did you think of the book?  Explain why you liked or did not like it.  How does it compare to other mystery novels you have read?

Homophone List #2

1.  accept/except
2.  allowed/aloud
3.  minor/miner
4.  lead/led
5.  seen/scene
6.  sight/site/cite
7.  wait/weight
8.  right/rite
9.  stationary/stationery
10.  parody/parity

Homophone Quiz is scheduled for Thursday, February 6.

The Golden Compass Essay

Question: How does The Golden Compass differ from a prototypical classic fantasy novel?

Most readers would classify The Golden Compass as fantasy.  It certainly shares a lot of characteristics with works from the fantasy genre.  However, The Golden Compass differs from works in the fantasy genre in some key ways.  Your job with this essay is to explore the ways The Golden Compass differs from prototypical works in the fantasy genre.

Your essay will be 5 paragraphs in length.  It must be typed.  It must have a title.  Use 1.5-line spacing and size 13 font.  It must have an introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph.  The introductory paragraph must end with a thesis statement.  Each body paragraph must begin with a topic sentence.  The essay must include a quote from the book.  Finally, you must complete an outline before writing the actual essay.

Introductory Paragraph:  Start with an interesting sentence.  This paragraph introduces The Golden Compass and discusses the characteristics the book shares with classic fantasy novels.  At the end of the paragraph it transitions to answer the essay question.  The final sentence in the essay is the thesis statement.  The thesis statement is a direct answer to the essay question.  The rest of the essay will be an attempt to prove the thesis statement is true.

Body Paragraphs: Each body paragraph focuses on one significant aspect of The Golden Compass that differs from classic fantasy.  This difference should be stated in the topic sentence of each paragraph.  The paragraph should then explain in detail how The Golden Compass is different from classic fantasy in this area.  Refer to specific characters, events, and passages when making your case.

Quote: At least one of your body paragraphs needs to include a direct quote from the book.  You can quote Philip Pullman’s narration or you can quote dialogue from the book.  The quote should be placed in the middle of a paragraph.  Do not place a quote at the beginning or at the end of a paragraph.  After the quote is used in the paragraph, explain how the quote is relevant to the argument you are making.  Do not let the quote speak for itself.  Use quotation marks around your quote.  After the quote put the page number(s) on which the quote is found in parentheses.

Conclusion: In the Conclusion, you need to wrap up your argument.  Re-state your thesis statement and key supporting details from your essay.  Then leave the reader with something new to think about.  There is no single way to end an essay.  You can end the essay creatively.  One way to end your essay would be to answer the following question: What makes The Golden Compass unique and worth reading?

Underline all book titles in your essay.

Avoid statements referring to the essay itself (i.e. “This essay is about The Golden Compass and how the book differs from classic fantasy…”).

Avoid referring to yourself in the essay (i.e. “I think The Golden Compass is about…”).

Outline: The outline includes the main ideas and supporting details for each paragraph in your essay.  You must create an outline before starting to write your essay.  You do not need to use complete sentences in your outline, but each main idea or supporting detail must be presented as a complete thought.  It is not required the outline be typed.  However, it must be neat and legible.

Main Ideas: Represent each main idea with a capital letter.  You will need 5 main ideas/capital letters in your outline.  The main idea should encapsulate what the paragraph is about.

Supporting Details: Below the capital letters in your outlines, you need to number your supporting details.  You need at least 3 supporting details per paragraph.  When writing your paragraphs, you will flesh out these details to form complete paragraphs.

Monday, November 18: Outline due 

Tues, Nov. 19: Intro Paragraph due

Wed, Nov. 20: Second Paragraph due

Hebrew Book Cover

Thurs, Nov. 21: Third Paragraph due

Mon, Nov. 25: Completed draft of essay due in class for peer editing.  Draft must be printed prior to start of class.

Tues, Nov. 26: Revised draft of essay due

Custom Cover by Taylor Stone, Edgartown, Massachusetts

British Book Cover

The Golden Compass, Part III: Svalbard

Read Part III: Svalbard.  Do not read ahead.  Due Wednesday, November 13.  Please compose on a separate sheet of paper.

 

1.  Discussion Questions: Write 5 open-ended discussion questions for Part III and/or the book as a whole.  Write the questions only—do not answer them.

2.  Analysis: Towards the end of chapter 21, Lord Asriel explains his understanding of the nature of Dust to Lyra.  In your own words, explain your understanding of Dust.  What is Dust?  Why does Dust exist? How does Dust react to people of different ages?  How can Dust be used?  Your answer must be at least one thorough paragraph.

 

3.  Reflection:  Give the book as a whole a score out of 10 (10 being the highest).  Explain in at least one complete paragraph why you gave the book the score which you did.  Were you satisfied with Part III as the conclusion to The Golden Compass?  Refer to the specific elements of the book which shaped you opinion.

Fantasy Hero Assignment

How does ___[name of hero]__ fit the mold of the Hero from works of Classic Fantasy?

Choose a hero from a Fantasy book or series you have read.

Please answer this question using the following guidelines.  Assignment must be:

• Typed
• At least a page in length
• At least 3 paragraphs
• Use 1.5 line-spacing
• Use size 13 font

Formulate your response using the Hero Fantasy Characteristics generated in class.

Assignment is Monday, October 28.

"The Surprise"

Your first writing assignment for Language Arts is a 2-3 page anecdote about a “surprise.”  The anecdote will be narrated by you (that means you will write in the First Person).  The anecdote should be based on something you remember well.  However, if you don’t remember the details exactly, you can invent them, so long as they sound plausible.  Remember, this is not a fantasy story; however, sometimes “truth is stranger than fiction.”  Mr. Gacek does not want you to have any help from home with the writing of this anecdote.  However, feel free to talk to parents or others about your ideas in terms of what to write about, or if you need help remembering a particular detail.  The actual writing, however, needs to be done entirely by you.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Typed (if you do not have access at home to a computer, please bring in a note from home to that effect and submit a handwritten paper)
• 1.5 line spacing (Remove Space After Paragraph)
• Appropriate font (size 13)
• Heading
• Title
• 2-3 Pages in Length (This will require some planning on your part.  Your idea must be big enough that you can write at least two pages, but not so big that it needs more than three.)
• Dialogue must be included in the anecdote
• First Person Narration
• Anecdote must reveal a “surprise”

Brainstorming #1: Before you start writing, you need to come up with an idea about something to write about.  On a blank sheet of paper, divide the paper into 3 rows and 3 columns.  In the first column, think up 3 possible writing topics and place a separate idea in each row.  In the second column, record the biggest advantage you can think of for writing about that topic (you can use a phrase instead of a complete sentence for this).  In the third column, record the biggest disadvantage you can think of for writing about this topic.  After you’ve filled in all nine boxes, you need to choose a topic.  Use your highlighter to highlight this idea.

Brainstorming #2: When you’re telling your anecdote, you’re going to want to tell a story.  Before you reveal the surprise you need to provide the reader with context.  You need to explain who the characters are in your story, where the story takes place, and what activities are taking place prior to the revealing of the surprise.  Some of this background detail can be provided through dialogue; the rest needs to be revealed by the narrator.

On the backside of the piece of paper, place your idea in the center of the circle and draw a circle around it.  Divide the space around the circle into 3 sections.  Label one section CHARACTERS, one section SETTING, and the last section ACTIONS. 

CHARACTERS: Place the names of characters which appear in the anecdote in that space and draw circles around the names.  Draw at least two spokes pointing outward from each name and record a descriptive detail about the character on each spoke.  Details should be words or short phrases.  Details can relate to age, appearance, personality, or relation to narrator.

SETTING: Record the specific place where the anecdote transpires in this space and circle that word or phrase.  Record words or short phrases which describe the setting on spokes pointing outward from that circle.

ACTIONS: In this space, record activities, events, or occurrences which occur over the course of your anecdote.  Record at least three things which happen in your story, including the revealing of your surprise.  Circle each separate action.  Then number each action in the order in which it is introduced in the anecdote.

After you complete your brainstorming, you are ready to write.  You will include description of characters, the setting, and events in your anecdote.  Don’t forget to include dialogue.  Have fun!

Mon, Sept. 9  Brainstorming #1 due

Tues, Sept. 10  Brainstorming #2 due

Wed, Sept. 11 First Page of Assignment due (hard copy due in class)

Mon, Sept. 16 Finished Assignment due (hard copy due in class)

Possible Arenas in Which You Might Encounter Surprises:

• Sports
• School
• Family/Relatives
• Holidays
• Vacations
• Hobbies/Activities
• Chores/Errands
• Friends
• Moving

The surprise should be related to something you experienced or witnessed.  Do not re-tell a surprise from a book, movie, or TV show.

The narrator does not have to be the person experiencing the surprise.  The narrator can describe someone else being surprised.

Reading Log #16

Final Reading Log of the year!

Please record all reading (minimum of 4 hours).

Due Thursday, May 30.  On this day bring all previous reading logs (which should be archived in your journal).  Be prepared to reflect on your entire year in reading.