9.10.13+and+9.11.13

First half of class in library to practice using the search options through Lincoln's library webpage and search for choice reading. FOR NEXT CLASS, bring a choice reading book. It can be from home, from the school library, or you can borrow one from my shelf, but be prepared to read for at least 20 minutes.

Read: Natalie Goldberg's excerpt on making lists for generating writing content.

WU: I remember when...

For ten minutes, simply list things you remember, stories and memories that jump into your mind, and topics that generate your stories. Consider, but don't limit yourself to the following headings:

Important places

Important people

Vivid memories: smells, colors, textures

Moments of change

Things you've lost

Injuries

Conflicts/victories

Share out with a peer

Discussion: What makes a story "good"? What kind of characters resonate with us? Why? What do/can stories do for us? Why do we tell them? How do they change us?

HW: Neighborhood Map

Create a visual map of an important place from your past. This might be the house/neighborhood you live in now, a place you lived, a specific house/building with lots of memories, a vacation location, a friend's house or neighborhood. After choosing a place, sketch the rough layout and mark at least five key places that bring back memories. Then, in a sentence or two per memory, explain what happened.

Example: The place in the front yard where we were playing statues and my neighbor hit me in the head with a baseball bat by accident. OR, the creek about a half mile from my house. We weren't supposed to go there alone, but I would sneak off on my bike to explore.

ALSO, CHOICE READING BOOK for next class