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"These 34 animated films were created by students working with docUWM, a documentary media center at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and the University's creative writing program, in association with the Poetry Foundation"

Poetry Unit

"I think it's about to happen again. Education is famous for wide swings of the pendulum. From code emphasis to meaning emphasis, from whole class to small group… and then back again. The "experts" find "the true answer" or begin to express doubt about or criticism of a widely accepted practice. Before you know it, everyone has jumped on the bandwagon. It's the lead article in all of the professional journals. It's the keynote address at conferences. Publishers rush to get out new materials. School districts scramble to write new curricula. Educational consultants offer new workshops. Teachers struggle to change their instructional practices. "

Even Nancie Atwell has experienced sticky note overkill!

Unit 2 in the Writing Workshop

Feature Article Unit

A unique aspect of children's memoir writing is that their collection of memories, wisdom and value is limited. That is not to say these memories do not exist. Children should be given the opportunity to develop an understanding of who they are and where they come from, and how this is connected to the past & future, the near & far away. A memoir study focusing on location as a theme can provide this opportunity.

Activity 1: Introduction to the Genre of Memoir: Writing a Comparison/Contrast Essay, ONCE I WAS; NOW I AM (adapted from BEAT NOT THE POOR DESK, by Marie Ponsot and Rosemary Deen, Boynton/Cook Publishers, Portmouth, N.H., 1981).

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GREAT Site

"Voice lesson plan by Gigi Goshko Academy of American Studies, New York "

After this unit, students will have: Explored poetry as another medium of written and spoken expression. Students will appreciate poetry as another medium for authors to express commentary on the pressing social issues of the times Learned the following literary techniques used by poets in their writing: metaphor simile symbolism point-of-view Interpreted meaning Identified and examined the significance of specific themes that manifest themselves in the writings of poets from around the world Drawn parallels between the themes addressed in selected poems and the themes addressed in the literature read in class through out the year

One initial lesson for writer's notebooks is to Read Ralph Fletcher's opening story in Keeping a Writer's Notebook. It's about digging a ditch and catching all kinds of critters. He compares writer's notebooks to that ditch -- a space we dig in our busy lives to catch stuff. After reading the story, my students and I brainstorm the different kinds of things we could catch in our writer's notebooks. Then I typed the chart in a format that made it easy for students to tape it to the inside cover of their notebooks. Here's what we came up with:

"Lesson Plan Postmodern Picture Books in Middle School"

"Lesson Plan Thoughtshots Can Bring Your Characters to Life!"

Interactive Diamante Poems

Interactive