S+West+Simon

Language Arts: American Literature

Office: Rm107 Office Phone: 778-4563 Ext. 381 Office Hours: 11:40-1:25**
 * Teacher: Mr. Simon West
 * E-mail: simon.west@maine.edu**


 * =Summary of Unit= ||
 * A major movie production company is having difficulty finding a script writer who is skilled enough in using tone, syntax, diction, and voice to create monologues for the main character of their next film. This company is looking for a writer who can use words strategically to convey the personality of their character, and drive the plot of their film through a series of powerful inner monologues their character will be using. The corporate office of this production has posed a competition to find the best writes from all over the world. As script writers you will be developing a podcast of your voice reciting a monologue that you have written. The production company will review these podcasts and invite a small group of finalists to their corporate headquarters for a formal introduction and development of monologues with some of their already employed writers. The finalist whose writing is able to fit the format of the movie best will win the bid for the project of writing the character's monologues, and much of the rest of the script in the film ||

B2 Narrative. Grades: 9-Diploma Students embed narrative writing in a written text when appropriate to the audience and purpose a. Use diction, syntax, imagery, and tone to create a distinctive voice. || • there is a certain style of narration to use depending on who their audience is. • narrative is a writing style that is converged through either an outside voice (the author's) or an inside voice (one of the character's). • diction, syntax, imagery, and tone are all literary devices that help create voice. ||  || •Why is this being written and how is the target audience best connected with? •How will this story most effectively be narrated? How does the use of voice create good narration? •How will my knowledge of literary devices be applied and help me become a better writer? || •Vocabulary: Diction, syntax, imagery, voice. •Critical details: Students will know the ideas of Diction:word choice, Syntax: sentence structure, imagery: details, and tone: punctuation, in order to create voice. •Application: Students will know how to apply their knowledge of the parts of voice use it in their writing. ||  || •a) use diction, syntax, imagery, and tone to create a distinctive voice. •express themselves as writers by clearly showing use of voice. •relate their knowledge of voice through providing a piece that they have written. •tell the same story to four different audiences to demonstrate their knowledge of voice. •recognize their own voice through other people's writing. Critically analyze a piece of writing. ||
 * Maine Learning Results: English Language Arts, Writing,
 * Maine Learning Results: English Language Arts, Writing,
 * What Understandings Are Desired?
 * What Essential Questions Will Be Considered?
 * Students Will Know?
 * Students Will Be Able To?

Late Work: All late work will be logged into the gradebook as a (0) until the very last day of the unit and the final student product has been handed in. Upon this time the (0) will be recorded as a (60) so that they receive a failing grade, but their grade for the unit is not destroyed by this one lesson assignment. If late work is handed in before the final unit assignment has been handed in at the end of our class unit then it will be graded as handed in on time and an academic achievement score will be given. Along with this academic score there will be a separate score based on the assignment being handed in late and this score will factor into the final unit grade once every lesson assignment has been graded along with the final unit product being graded. Formatting: All formal writing will be done in MLA and I expect that spell check and grammatical errors will be searched for. Though the main points of the assignment is for the development of voice, no writing in my class will be allowed to have spelling errors and grammatical usage errors. Cheating/Plagiarism: If a student is caught cheating or plagiarizing school policy will be enforced and the unit grade will most likely result in a (0). ||
 * =Expectations= ||
 * Absence: In case of student absence said student is expected to check the class wiki site and return to class knowing what we have been working on and coming to me with an idea of what I will be expecting them to accomplish upon return. Due to student absence the student and I will work out a feasible deadline for handing in work that has been effected from their absence.

2.Telling one story to multiple people, being careful of diction and tone for each version. This benchmark is important in writing in an invaluable way. My students have already shown me that they understand how to use diction, syntax, and tone. This however is where they really prove they have mastered the ability to apply these three factors by not just simply writing, but by writing with a distinct audience in mind and being able to apply those skills to each of the four distinct audiences they will be requested to write for. 50pts. 3.Using articles to find tone and diction to examine whether the reporter is neutral or byes. This is also an important benchmark for my students to show mastery because this concept is indirectly connected to their ability to apply voice in their own writing. The idea behind this benchmark is that they understand diction, syntax, and tone well enough that they can find these in the writing of others. This benchmark follows the lesson based on magazine and newspaper articles. The proof of mastery in this benchmark is that the students will be able to diagnose the diction: word choice, syntax: sentence structure, and tone: punctuation in these articles to determine if the author is staying neutral or showing a byes towards one side or another of the issue. 45pts. 4. Writing/Recording their own monologue. Students can use voice to create a monologue and learn to record a podcast. This will help them to apply their use of voice in a realistic setting based on creating a monologue they are trying to use in order to get a deal with a Hollywood movie production company. 20pts. 5. Critiquing other students' monologues. This will show that students not only are able to pick out the separate parts of voice in others writing, but to also to follow my rubrics and decided if their fellow students work meets the criteria of what I as the teacher/Hollywood production company. 20pts. ||
 * =Benchmarks= ||
 * 1.Learning Vocabulary:Diction, Syntax, and Tone. Through out the different lessons in this unit students will have heavily covered the concepts of Diction, Syntax, and Tone. Students will be able to demonstrate for me not only that they are able to define these literary terms, but that they can apply these to their own writing so that their distinctive voice becomes evident. My students work will demonstrate that word choice, sentence structure, and punctuation are always in the back of their mind while they are writing. 10pts.


 * =Grading Scale= ||
 * A+ (100-97) A (96-93) A- (92-90) B+ (89-87) B (86-83) B- (82-80) C+ (79-77) C (76-73) C- (72-70) D+ (69-67) D (66-63) D- (62-60) F (59-Below) ||