During the first marking period, we will work on setting up our writer's notebooks and using them to create narratives, short stories, a poem about you and a persuasive essay, to say the least! We will work together to create a list of potential topics that you might be interested in exploring throughout the year, especially argument and opinion writing, narrative writing, research writing and reader's response tasks. Many of these tasks will be connected to the stories that you read, so make sure you are reading them closely! We will also practice reading skills by discussing and analyzing theme and main idea, mood and tone, characterization and symbolism.

 

How are the elements of plot essential to every short story?
What is the difference between direct and indirect characterization?
What are the different types of irony and what purpose do they serve?
 How can irony be used to communicate a strong point?
How can authors use literature to express cultural, societal or historical significance?
 How can we use literature to help us understand our culture or our environment?
How could short stories be used to inform? How can short stories be used to entertain?
How do short stories impact our view of our culture or our society?

 

What experiences do writers focus on when writing?

What kind of writer am I? What motivates me to write?

When creating a character, what do writers or authors tend to focus on?

What elements create a good character or a character that is interesting to the reader?
How do authors use symbols and symbolism?
What is mood and how is it communicated?