Slam Poem

This post is for juniors only.

Your task for today is to complete a poem. By the end of the period, it should be written and printed out - triple spaced.

We've talked enough about subject matter that you probably already know what you want to write about. If you're still stuck, try one of the following:

• an "I Am" poem
• a "I Am From" poem
• try playing around with this website.

Just make sure all material is appropriate and safe for class, and don't write about anything you don't want to share.

This Boy's Life - the final essay

This post is for juniors only.

Now that you have written your three body paragraphs, your task is the following:

1. Compile your three body paragraphs into one document.
2. Insert transitions between body paragraphs 1 and 2 and between body paragraphs 2 and 3.
3. Write an introduction that includes a hook, a link, a thesis and a bridge.
4. Write a conclusion that briefly reflects on how Toby changes throughout the book and, more importantly, discusses the importance of individuals changing throughout their own lives.
5. Revise all spelling and grammar - paying special attention to the grammar we've covered in class (commas, etc.) as well as tense (present) and person (third only).
6. Print off and hand in.

Your introductory paragraph must include these elements:

• a hook that truly grabs the reader's attention (a quotation from another source, an interesting story, a specific rhetorical question)
• a link that ties the hook into the thesis and states the title and author of the book you are discussing
• a thesis along the lines of: "Toby has a life changing experience that changes him from one person to another."
• a bridge that states exactly what Toby is like at the start of the book, what the life changing event is, and what kind of person he becomes by the end.

Here are some note you might find helpful. (Click on the picture to enlarge.)

Toby Is...

This post is for juniors only.

So far, you've written two paragraphs about This Boy's Life. The first was...

What word or phrase best describes Toby in the first third of the book?

The second, of course, was...

What event or incident somewhere in the middle of the book most impacts Toby?

Here's the third...

In what way did that event or incident change Toby

from the person he was at the beginning of the book to the person he is at the end?

Include two correctly cited quotations in your paragraph. Make sure your paragraph has a clear topic sentence. Here are some of the required criteria for your paragraph:

• write in third person (not first or second)
• write in present tense
• avoid contractions
• set-up and explain both quotations

This Happened to Toby...

This post is for juniors only.

In a thoughtful, thorough paragraph, answer the following question:

What event or incident somewhere in the middle of the book most impacts Toby?

Consider things Toby says, things that are said to him, things he does, things that are done to or around him, etc. the event or statement does not have to be big or dramatic, necessarily. It just has to IMPACT him in an important, crucial way.

Include two correctly cited quotations in your paragraph. Make sure your paragraph has a clear topic sentence. Here are some of the required criteria for your paragraph:

• write in third person (not first or second)
• write in present tense
• avoid contractions
• set-up and explain both quotations

Hand Full of Nothin' Part 1

This entry is for freshmen only.

After "beating" Dragline in the fight (by getting pounded on),and after "winning" the poker game (with an inferior hand), Luke claims that "Sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand."

In the comments bellow, give an example (from another film, a book, a short story, etc.) that proves Luke is right, that proves that sometimes "nothin' can be a real cool hand."

Be sure to read all of the responses before yours; remember, no repeats!