VOLUME I ISSUE IV FALL 2008
E ng lish Newsletter
CONTENTS The Writing Process
1.1- 1.1 Writing is at the heart of
THE WRITING PROCESS teaching English, and yet I think
it is the most difficult to teach
3.1- 4.1 OUR FAVORITE and evaluate effectively. It takes
AUTHORS! a lot of time to teach good
F Scott Fitzgerald & Charles writing because students have to
Dickens have a lot of time to think,
write, and rewrite. The
4.2 WEBSITES OF GENERAL demands of national, state, and
INTEREST local curriculum do not allow
4.3 MOVIES FROM BOOKS much time for the kind of
writing experiences that most of
A list of movies, old and new, that
have been made based on novels & us want our students to have.
classic literature. How can we provide quality
5.1 BULLETIN BOARD writing instruction in the time
IDEAS available to us?
5.2 YOUR PROFESSIONAL First, students should write
LIBRARY
everyday, even if it is a short
6.1FAMOUS AUTHOR paragraph, taking notes, or a
BIRTHDAYS journal or log. These need not
be graded or collected
6.2 IDEAS FOR THE immediately. A good rule of
CLASSROOM thumb is to have students select
Headline starters one thing they have written
Writing stations within the last 8-10 days and
revise that and turn it in.
6.4 EVERYTHING ELSE Second, you should not
Pun-ishment collect anything you cannot
grade, evaluate or comment on
7.1 Writer’s Peer Editing in a timely manner. Nothing is
Checklist &Evaluation
more frustrating to a student
than handing in an assignment
8.1-10 Writing Lesson:
and then not seeing it for days
A lesson created as part of
a science fiction unit “The or weeks on end. Moreover, a
Price of Progress” . This is a student cannot improve
technical writing exercise. effectively if too much time
Includes a sample essay and passes between the writing and
drawing. Additional the evaluation.
resources listed.
ENGLISH NEWSLETTER VOLUME I ISSUE IV FALL 2008
Third, writing should be
considered a published product.
“Publishing” can be done in a
variety of ways: posting work in
the classroom, oral sharing in
small groups, creating of a class
newsletter or booklet. This
encourages students to see
writing as a valuable product
that reaches a wider audience.
Fourth, a clear rubric or
evaluation standard should be
used by the teacher, and
students should practice using it
to check their own and other’s
writing.
Fifth, use literature study as
a way to teach good writing.
Good readers tend to be better
writers. Use literature as a way
of helping students see the style,
format, structure, and
techniques of good writing. You
can encourage them to try their
hand at similar techniques. For
example, show them a
paragraph written by Charles
Dickens compared to one
written by Ernest Hemingway.
What do they notice about word
choice, sentence length, use of
figurative language etc. The key:
literature should not be seen or
taught as
separate from
good writing
and vice versa.
As much as
possible,
BELINDA BAIR 1
 VOLUME I ISSUE IV FALL 2008
students should be assigned
and /or encouraged to write for
contests that are geared to their
grade level. Below are a list of
some of the writing contests
open to students. None of these
require a reading fee:
Writing Contests for students and
places that publish student writing:
http://www.ncte.org/parents/students/
108196.htm
Scholastic Art and Writing Awards:
http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/scott.rice/
blfc2008.htm
Scholastic publications sponsors this
contest for students grades 7-12. Full
submission requirements will be
available by Oct. 1 so check this
website for full information.
The 13th Annual Signet Classics
Student Scholarship Essay
ContestFive high school juniors or
seniors can each win a $1,000
scholarship award to be used toward
their higher education plus a Signet
Classics library for their school!
Students enter by writing an essay on
one of four topics posed for this year's
competition book, Jane Eyre by
Charlotte Bronte. The topics and rules
for submission are posted on this
website:
http://us.penguingroup.com/static/
html/services-academic/
essayhome.html
EPIC New Voices 2008 Writing
CompetitionEPIC established the
annual New Voices writing
competition to encourage reading and
writing among middle school and high
school students and to promote e-book
literacy in public and private
schools.The contest is open to students
attending public, private, or home
schools, and each entrant is permitted
to submit one entry in each category.
Website for more info:
http://homeworktips.about.com/gi/
dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/
XJ&sdn=homeworktips&cdn=educatio
n&tm=10&f=00&tt=3&bt=0&bts=1&
zu=http%3A//www.epicauthors.com/
newvoices.html
ENGLISH NEWSLETTER
The Writing Conference, Inc.http:/
www.writingconference.com/
writing.htm
Alliance for Science essay contest.
Theme: 2009 Contest Theme: "In
Darwin’s Footsteps.”http://
www.allianceforscience.org/essay
National Peace Essay Contest –
2008-2009 Topic: Confronting
Crimes Against Humanity –
Deadline Feb. 1, 2009. Open to
all students. Full details at:
http://www.usip.org/ed/npec/
guidelines.html
Optimist International Essay
ContestTopic: “The Power of Youth”
Organized through local Optimists
clubs. Deadline dates in Feb. Contact
your local Optimist club for details and
check this website:http://
www.optimist.org/default.cfm?
content=Members/mbrcdpa5.htm
UNA-USA 2009 National High
School Essay Contest: "What can the
US do to help ensure environmental
sustainability?"All information and
rules: http://
unausanationalhighschoolessaycontest.
com/
Jane Austen society of North
America : sponsors an essay contest.
The topics and all rules will be posted
in September for the 2009 contest.
http://www.jasna.org/essaycontest/
index.html
Sons of the American Revolution:
The George S. & Stella M. Knight
Essay Contest- Open to students in the
U.S. grades 10-12. Topics: an event,
person, philosophy, or ideal associated
with the American Revolution, the
Declaration of Independence, or the
framing of the United States
Constitution.Full rules are available at:
http://www.sar.org/youth/
knightrules.html
Elks Lodge Essay Contest – What
freedom means to me. For students
grades 5-8. Essays are sponsored by
local Elks Lodge first. Check local
Elks for information as well as this
VOLUME I ISSUE IV FALL 2008
website: http://www.elks.org/
grandlodge/americanism/files/
EssayContest20082009.pdf?
CFID=36136190&CFTOKEN=668004
79
Holocaust Remembrance Project
essay contest rules and information
will be posted at the website Oct. 1,
2008. Check there for details: http://
holocaust.hklaw.com/2008/index.asp
Creative Writing Contests: a variety
of genres and requirements http://
writingcontests.wordpress.com/
category/poetry-contests/
Winning Writers War Poetry
contest: http://
www.winningwriters.com/contests/
war/wa_guidelines.php
Writing our Hope Poetry contest:
http://www.writingourhope.org/
poetry_contest.HTML
Scholarships and contest: Girls
Write Now - http://
www.girlswritenow.org/gwn/?q=node/
191
OWLS - No, not the flying or
Harry Potter kind.
Many colleges offer online writing labs
with detailed guides for all kinds of
non-fiction writing - essay, research
papers etc. Students who may need
additional help when preparing essays
for various classes - not just English,
may find these OWLs useful. They
also can provide resources for teachers
who need additional material.
Some of the best I’ve found are
listed below:
Purdue Online Writing Lab: http://
owl.english.purdue.edu/
University of Florida Online Writing
Lab: http://web.cwoc.ufl.edu/owl/
Colorado State U. OWL: http://
writing.colostate.edu/
Temple Univ. OWL: Handouts,
tipsheets & guides: http://
www.temple.edu/writingctr/handouts/
index.html
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 VOLUME I ISSUE IV FALL 2008
Utah Valley State College OWL
handouts, practices, lots of great info
on grammar and usage and various
style guides: http://www.uvsc.edu/owl/
info/handouts.html
Hamilton College OWL: http://
www.hamilton.edu/writing/index.html
University of Victoria’s Writing
Guide: http://web.uvic.ca/wguide/
Pages/StartHere.html
Univ.of Wisconsin OWL Writing
Center Handbook: http://
www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/
index.html
One contest that occurs every year is
the “Bulwer-Lytton ‘Prize” for the
worst opening sentence. This year’s
winning sentence and runner-up are
listed below. These can be a great
starting point on what makes good
writing and why these are so bad:
Theirs was a New York love,
a checkered taxi ride burning
rubber, and like the city their
passion was open 24/7, steam
rising from their bodies like
slick streets exhaling warm,
moist, white breath through
manhole covers stamped
"Forged by DeLaney Bros.,
Piscataway, N.J."
Runner up:
"Hmm . . ." thought Abigail as
she gazed languidly from the
veranda past the bright white
patio to the cerulean sea
beyond, where dolphins
played and seagulls sang,
where splashing surf sounded
like the tintinnabulation of a
thousand tiny bells, where
great gray whales bellowed
and the sunlight sparkled off
the myriad of sequins on the
flyfish's bow ties, "time to get
my meds checked."
Resource books for the
writing teacher:
Creating Space for Teaching Writing
and for Test Preparation http://
www.ncte.org/library/files/Free/Inbox/
bonus/LA0822Creating.pdf
Also available in the Language Arts
82.2 (Nov. 2004): 120-128. Available
online
ENGLISH NEWSLETTER
Teaching Conventions in a State-
Mandated Testing Context. English
Journal 95.5 (May 2006): 22-27.
Available at http://www.ncte.org/
library/files/Free/Inbox/bonus/
EJ0955Teaching.pdf until Sept. 15.
Thereafter the article is available to
subscribers of English Journal.
Strategic Writing: The Writing
Process and Beyond in the
Secondary English Classroom by
Deborah Dean 203 pp. 2006. Grades
9–12. ISBN 0-8141-4754-2.
Teaching Writing: Craft, Art, Genre
Fran Claggett. 192 pp. 2005. Grades
7–12. ISBN 0-8141-5250-3.
Writing Reminders: Tools, Tips, and
Techniques Jim Burke Boynton Cook
ISBN 978-0-86709-521-0 /
0-86709-521-0 / 2003 / 416pp / Grade
level 6-12 $29.50
=======
Websites for Teaching Writing (those
with a * are especially rich in
resources)
*Teaching that Makes Sense: http://
www.ttms.org/ This website contains
several full version .pdf files of
detailed info on writing strategies,
samples, writer’s workshop,
assessment, good writing, writing
organizers, etc. This is a great site.
Scholastic Writing Workshop:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/
activities/writing/index.asp?
topic=women
*National Writing Project - 30 Ideas
for Writing http://www.nwp.org/cs/
public/print/resource/922
Writing Workshop Lesson: http://
www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/
520.shtml
NWREL - Writing Assessment:
http://www.nwrel.org/assessment/
Classroom Publishing Kits: http://
www.classroompublishing.com/
(these are purchased kits)
Creating a Publishing Center in
your classroom: http://
content.scholastic.com/browse/
article.jsp?id=4385
VOLUME I ISSUE IV FALL 2008
Lessons for Desktop Publishing:
http://desktoppub.about.com/od/
lessonplans/
===========================
3.1 Our Favorite Authors!
F. Scott Fitzgerald is probably known
to just about every American
literature student. The Great Gatsby
is one of the most widely taught
novels in high school . Widely
regarded as a
masterpiece that
confronts the
conflict between the
American dream
and the reality of
life in a world
where traditional
values are under attack, the novel
has long been a staple of 11th grade
reading. Movies have been made of
this and other Fitzgerald works and
he, himself, served some time as a
Hollywood script writer. Despite the
fact that the novel is set during the
1920’s Jazz Age, it still resonates
with readers today as we also deal
with many of the same issues..
We see people like Gatsby in our
society today : those who remake
their identities to fit their own
purposes. We see the conflicts
between the moral values of
different parts of our social
structure, the cult of celebrity, the
materialism and the loss of
innocence. There are parallels in our
culture today that can lead to
interesting discussions in our classes
as we study this novel.
Some websites that will help with
your teaching of this author:
Movie – The Curious Case of
Benjamin Button based on a Fitzgerald
short story. Starring Brad Pitt & Cate
Blanchett. Due out Christmas 2008
F. Scott Fitzgerald website: http://
freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.co
m/~tdlarson/fsf/links.htm
The Great Gatsby Comprehension and
Literary Analysis Blog: http://
honorsenglish.learnerblogs.org/
The Great Gatsby Homework online
resources: http://www.homework-
online.com/tgg/index.asp
The Great Gatsby literary criticism:
http://www.enotes.com/twentieth-
century-criticism/great-gatsby-f-scott-
fitzgerald
BELINDA BAIR 3
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From Wonderland to Wasteland……
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/
coms2/summary_0286-15890113_ITM
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Evolving
American Dream…..http://
findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0403/
is_n3_v42/ai_19416370
Questia: various critical essays of
Fitzgerald’s works: http://
www.questia.com/read/98116386?
title=Gatsby
Deconstruction Literary Theory and …
the Great Gatsby: http://eric.ed.gov:80/
ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/
recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?
_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_Searc
hValue_0=ED351684&ERICExtSearc
h_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED35168
4 Carol by Marvin Kaye.
============
4.1 Charles Dickens
Although rarely taught as often as he
once was, Dickens remains one of the
most important English writers in the
canon. The most popular novel still
studied regularly in schools is Great
Expectations, but other works such as
The Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist,
and David Copperfield still can speak
to modern readers. Their length and
density of language are a challenge to
contemporary
students who want
shorter. less
complex texts, but
few writers have
ever dealt more
effectively with
issues of injustice, child abuse, or
class differences,
Many movies, plays and TV shows
have been made from Dicken’s novels
including multiple versions of A
Christmas Carol (the best is one with
George C. Scott); David Copperfield,
Oliver Twist, Tale of Two Cities, and
most recently a magnificent
Masterpiece Theatre Bleak House
with Gillian Anderson in the starring
role. Musicals have been made of
several of his works including Oliver
and the unfinished Mystery of Edwin
Drood. Despite the fact that his prose
style is no longer as popular among
modern readers, his characters and
plots remain among the most
memorable and well-developed in
literature.
ENGLISH NEWSLETTER
The Charles Dickens
Murders: A Beth Austin
Mystery (Beth Austin
Mysteries) (Mass Market
Paperback)by Edith
Skom
Girl in a Blue Dress by
Gaynor Arnold. Tells the
story of C.D. unhappy
wife,Catherine, from her
point of view.
Marley's Ghost by Mark
Hazard Osmun – a
prequel to A Christmas
Carol. 4 out of 5 stars on
Amazon
The Last Christmas of
Ebenezer Scrooge: The
Sequel to A Christmas
4/5 stars
Charles Dickens website: http://
charlesdickenspage.com/index.html
Charles Dickens resources: http://
www.helsinki.fi/kasv/nokol/
dickens.html
Three part Dickens biography on PBS
planned for December 2008
Dickens works online: http://
www.classicauthors.net/Dickens/ full
text of many Dickens works
Discovering Charles Dickens –
teachers Cyberguide with lesson plans:
http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/
dickens/dickenstg.html
Check out NetFlix for many DVD
movies.
============================
4.2 Websites of General Interest
English Literature: Early 17th Century:
http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/
16th Century English Literature: http://
www.luminarium.org/renlit/
English Literature on the Web: http://
www.lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~matsuoka/
EngLit.html
Links to English authors: http://
www.lib.udel.edu/ud/spec/exhibits/
treasures/english/engl.html
VOLUME I ISSUE IV FALL 2008
Labyrinth Library: Old English: http://
www8.georgetown.edu/departments/
medieval/labyrinth/library/oe/oe.html
Women and 18th Century English
literature: http://www.wright.edu/
~martin.maner/18cwom99.html
Renaissance and 17th Century: http://
vos.ucsb.edu/browse.asp?id=2749
19th Century Literature: http://
www.literaryhistory.com/19thC/
Outline.htm
Middle English literature collection:
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/
languages/english/mideng.browse.html
English and American Literature :
http://www.anglik.net/
anglikliterature.htm
Victorian Literature Overview: http://
www.victorianweb.org/vn/litov.html
Voice of the Shuttle – Literary
Research: http://vos.ucsb.edu/
Romanticism: http://users.lycaeum.org/
~maverick/romantic.htm
Romantic Literature Resources: http://
www.academicinfo.net/
englitromatic.html
Gothic Literature: http://
members.aol.com/iamudolpho/
basic.html
===========================
4.3 Movies from
Books etc.
The Day the
Earth Stood Still
– remake of the
classic movie
based on Harry
Bates sci-fi story
“Farewell to the Master” . Keanu
Reeves stars. Due out 12/12
Frost/Nixon – based on the interviews.
Stars Frank Langella. Due out 12/5
Secret Life of Bees based on the Sue
Kidd bestseller. Dakota Fanning and
Jennifer Hudson. 10/17
BELINDA BAIR 4
 VOLUME I ISSUE IV
Twilight based on the popular teen
series by Stephanie Meyers. This tells
the story of the tempestuous love affair
between Bella and Edward, a vampire.
Popular series with teens.
In case you hadn’t heard: the next
Harry Potter movie The Half-Blood
Prince release date has been changed
to July 2009.
Johnny Got His Gun The classic
anti-was novel by Dalton Trumbo gets
the theatre release in Sept.
PBS – Mystery - SEP 21 – 28 Sally
Lockhart
Billie Piper stars as Sally Lockhart in
two adaptations of Philip Pullman’s
popular novels about the feisty young
female sleuth.
Sep 21 The Ruby in the Smoke
Sep 28 The Shadow in the North
---------------------
F.Scott Fitzgerald
Movie – The Curious Case of
Benjamin Button based on a
Fitzgerald short story. Starring Brad
Pitt & Cate Blanchett. Due out
Christmas 2008
F. Scott Fitzgerald website: http://
freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.co
m/~tdlarson/fsf/links.htm
The Great Gatsby Comprehension
and Literary Analysis Blog: http://
honorsenglish.learnerblogs.org/
The Great Gatsby Homework online
resources: http://www.homework-
online.com/tgg/index.asp
============================
5.1 Bulletin
Board
Ideas.
SEPTEMBER: Read
a New Book Month
Native American Day – 4th Friday –
OCTOBER:
Teen Read Week Oct. 12-18 http://
www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/teenreading/trw/
trw2008/index.cfm
ENGLISH NEWSLETTER
FALL 2008
Family History Month – a good time
for students to do an autobiography
National Hispanic History Month –
Read House on Mango Street or
another Hispanic novel or short story.
Celebrate Banned Books Week - 1st
week in Oct.
NOVEMBER:
Nov. 1 - National Author’s Day http://
childrensbooks.about.com/od/
authorsillustrato/
Authors_and_Illustrators_of_Childrens
_Books.htm
National Education Week 11/16-22 -
http://www.nea.org/aew/index.html
Themes: Kick off a Great Year
BB with footballs flying through the
air and over a goal post. On the
footballs write key concepts, themes,
units, etc. that you want students to
focus on. Football players, footballs
and other graphics may be printed on a
computer or may be found at paper
goods stores or craft stores.
====
School can be a ‘bushel of fun’ . Have
a picture/graphic of a bushel basket
with leaves, apples etc. filling the
basket and in and around the basket
you would put student names, names
of books or stories you will read,
snippets of poetry, etc.
------
Webs of Knowledge - Create a spider
web on a BB and scatter Halloween
spiders around it as well as small cards
with website URL’s that students can
use for a unit or for general research in
your class.
------------
Who done it? A mystery BB
celebrating Edgar Allan Poe who
invented the detective story. Focus on
Poe’s stories as well as other classic
mystery writers. Include book covers,
and mysterious clues to books.
Mysterynet.com This website contains
daily mysteries and lots of fun things
to use for class. http://
www.mysterynet.com/
-----------------
VOLUME I ISSUE IV FALL 2008
Elect to Read: Focus on political
novels, nonfiction books about past
elections, biographies of Presidents
etc. Trim, graphics and colors would
be appropriate for election time. You
could conduct a contest and have
students vote on their favorite author,
story, or character. Graphics could
include the flag, a ballot box, podium
with a character, etc. You could
incorporate a debate by having
students defend a point such as: Which
book did you read that you would /or
would not,recommend to others. If
reading biographies of past Presidents,
students could debate which past
President was the best.
============================
5.2 Your Professional
Library
Below is a list of
recommended
books and resources
about teaching writing.
These are materials that I
have either used or read that I found
useful when I taught or have since
found useful.
Teaching Terrific Writing by Gary
Robert Muschla McGraw Hill. c.
2007 ISBN 13: 978-0-07-146317-1
$19.95 This book has many
reproducible exercises for finding and
developing ideas, writing effective
sentences, revising & proofreading.
Writing Skills Problem Solver by
Carol H. Behrman Jossey-Bass c.
2000. ISBN 0-13-060039-3 $29.95
This book has 101 reproducible
activities for correcting the most
common writing errors. Good for
warm-ups, spot lessons, review..
Webster’s New World High School
Writer’s Handbook Sharon Sornson
Prentice Hall c. 1988 ISBN
0-13-949777-3 Although difficult to
come by ( check Amazon .com for new
and used copies from various sources),
this book is a real asset to the writing
teacher. It has clear directions and
several examples of each type of
writing from writing advertising to
character sketches, to notes, opinion
pieces, short stories, technical reports
and many others. There are samples for
writing across the curriculum in
English, social studies, science,
BELINDA BAIR 5
 VOLUME I ISSUE IV FALL 2008

business and vocational ed. I give it 5 =========================== Brave New World – Aldus
out of 5 stars! Huxley
6.2 Ideas for the Classroom
Sentence Combining Workbook Pam Darkness at Noon – Arthur
A. Headline starters: Collect a series Koestler
Altman, Mari Caro et.al. c. 2001
of headlines from various local
Thomson Heinle ISBN 0-15-507507-1 Fahrenheit 451 – Ray
newspapers. Tape each one to a
Exercises in reproducible worksheets Bradbury
piece of chart paper and have
for learning how to effective combine
students go around the room and Catch -22 - Joseph Heller
sentences.
add details to flesh out a possible
Writing Reminders: Tools, tips, and story that the headline might imply. Manchurian Candidate –
techniques Jim Burke c. 2003. Then give each chart paper to a Richard Condon
Heinemann ISBN 0-86709-521-0 small group who has to create a The Ugly American –Eugene
written product based on the Burdick & Wiliam Lederer
This excellent resource is like a file headline and the additional details
cabinet in a book. This is designed Primary Colors – Joe Klein
that have been added. The product
specifically for the teacher to help may be a news article, poem, rap
guide and support your teaching of the Bonfire of the Vanities –
song, short story, play, or other of
writing class. Tom Wolfe
their choice. Encourage creativity
============================ by allowing the result to be serious Fatherland – Robert Harris
or comic, satire, or technical. Animal Farm and 1984–
6.1 Famous Authors Birthdays George Orwell
B. Writing Stations: Stations can be
9/1 – Edgar Rice Burroughs The Brief Wondrous Life of
very effective for individual
(Tarzan) Oscar Wao – Junot Diaz
practice work. Create a series of
9/4 – Richard Wright (2007)
folders with activities, exercises or
9/11 – O.Henry worksheets focusing on key writing The Plot Against America:
9/13 – Roald Dahl issues. Some suggestions: A Novel – Philip Roth (2004)
9/15 – Agatha Christie The Handmaid’s Tale: A
9/20 – Upton Sinclair Developing Ideas Novel – Margaret Atwood
9/21 – H.G. Wells Writing the Interesting Sentence Our Man in Havana –
9/22 – Stephen King Type of Paragraphs Graham Greene
9/24 – F.Scott Fitzgerald
9/25 –Shel Silvestein, Using Transtions The Book of Daniel – E.L.
William Faulkner During class you could refer a student Doctorow
9/26 – T.S. Eliot to a specific writing station for review Heart Mountain – Gretel
9/30 – Truman work, or you could provide some open Ehrlich
Capote time for students to work on issues The Unquiet Earth – Denise
10/3 – James Herriot they have identified as problem areas Giardina
10/8 – R.L. Stine for themselves. ============================
10/11 – Elmore Material for the stations may come 6.4 Pun - ishment
Leonard from various workbooks (see writing
10/14 – e.e. 1. A vulture boards an airplane, carrying
books I recommended ) or from two dead raccoons. The steward looks at
cummings sample workbooks sent to the school. him and says, “I’m sorry sir, only one
10/16 – Eugene carrion allowed per passenger.
===========================
O’Neill, Oscar Wilde
6.3 Political Novels 2. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. The
10/17 – Arthur Miller one turns to the other and says, “Dam!”
10/19 – Phillip Tis the season for politics. If you tire
Pullman 3. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were
of the drone of the news shows, you chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft.
10/21 – Samuel might want to delve into classic and Unsurprisngly, it sank, proving once
Taylor Coleridge modern political novels for different again that you can’t have your kayak
10/30 – Fyodor insights. Below is a list that is by no and heat it too.
Dostoyevsky means exhaustive of political novels
10/31 – John Keats 4. Two hydrogen atoms meet . One says,
past and present that you might “I’ve lost my electron.” The other
11/1 – Stephen Crane want to try out says,’Are you sure?”The first replies,
11/8 – Margaret Mitchell Advise and Consent – Allan “Yes, I’m positive.”
11/13 – Robert Louis Drury 5. Did you hear about the Buddhist who
Stevenson
All the King’s Men – Robert refused Novocaine during a root canal?
11/26 – Eugene Ionesco His goal: transcend dental medication.
11/29 – C.S. Lewis, Louisa Penn Warren
May Alcott Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand
11/30 – Mark Twain, Jonathan
Swift

ENGLISH NEWSLETTER VOLUME I ISSUE IV FALL 2008 BELINDA BAIR 6

 VOLUME I ISSUE IV FALL 2008

Writer’s checklist & Peer Evaluation

Writer’s code name or # __________________________________________

Date: ___________________ Title of work: ____________________________________________

Audience: ______________________________
First draft _____________ Final draft ______________ (check one)
1 - needs significant revision
Column 1 - Peer Reader 1 Column 3 - Writer’s self evaluation 2 - okay - some improvement needed
Column 2 - Peer Reader 2 Column 4 - Teacher evaluation 3 - very good - little or no revision
needed
Column 5 - Comments

Content 1 2 3 4 Comments
1. Interest - Is the writing
interesting? Does it hold
your attention.

2. Development - Is there
enough information, detail,
Support?

3. Unity - Are all ideas

related to the topic?

4. Organization - Are ideas

arranged in logical order for
this topic?
5. Diction - Does word
choice help convey the
idea effectively?
6. Figurative language - Did
the writer use metaphor,
simile etc?
7. Imagery - Did the writer
create a picture in your
mind with words?

8. Editing- If this is a final

draft, did the writer correct
spelling, punctuation, form,
grammar, & usage?

Permission is given to copy this.

ENGLISH NEWSLETTER VOLUME I ISSUE IV FALL 2008 BELINDA BAIR 7
VOLUME I ISSUE IV Fall 2008

Personal Response: The Price of Progess

Machines in our Lives

Background: Machines have been created many times to take over

jobs that were once done by only human labor. Some advantages
of these machines include:
• no wages, benefits, sick days, or vacation time has to be given or
accounted for
• no worry about lost time due to absence or lateness
• no worry about lose of equipment, supplies etc. due to
untrained or dishonest employees
• the machine can be easily repaired or replaced if damaged
• one machine can work many hours w/o a break, shift change,
or time off
• no union problems or disputes
• no training costs- machine is programmed or built to do a
particular job
• no “morale” or attitude problems to contend with
• no concerns about on-the-job accidents or injuries, or
unemployment insurance etc.

Brainstorm Box: Brainstorm a list of jobs that you know of that are
currently done primarily or only by human beings.

Choose 1 (one) of the jobs you listed above and write it in the box below:

ENGLISH NEWSLETTER VOLUME I ISSUE IV FALL 2008 BELINDA BAIR 8



ASSIGNMENT:

You work for a company that develops labor-saving devices for other
companies. You have been hired to create a machine that will replace
the human worker for the job you have listed above. You may include a
drawing to help illustrate your explanation, but the written explanation
is required. Any and all details that will help us understand the working
of the machine should be included.

• Briefly describe the job currently done by human beings. Include

what they do, how they do it and what the end result is.

• Describe the machine your company will create to replace the human
worker. Include any and all necessary detail such as:

*size, shape, color of the machine

* method of power or energy used to operate the machine
* method of control or programming for the job
* how the machine will function as it does the job
* any special safety features that will be needed to prevent
accidents or misuse ( automatic cut off, alarms, etc.)

You do NOT have to worry about cost, practicality, or reality. Assume

that the machine can and will be built if you design it.

My Machine

The job my machine will replace is the road control person.

This is the person who works with road construction crews to
control the traffic flow around and through a road construction
site. Currently a person stands at either end of the construction
zone and controls traffic with a sign that either STOPS traffic or
allows it to proceed (SLOW). Human workers at either end
communicate through hand-held radios.

My machine will be a free-standing post or stanchion with

the SLOW and STOP signals with either electronic signs or
interchanging flags. The intervals between signals will be preset
by the construction crew based on distance between the posts, time
needed for traffic movement, and other relevant factors. The
construction chief will have a remote master control to change both
signals to STOP in case of emergency or construction needs. An
alarm signal will be activated by an electric eye in the post if a car
attempts to pass the post while the STOP signal is activated. The
alarm may be a siren, alarm bell, recorded verbal command or
flashing red light. A camera mounted on the base will take a
picture of the license plate of an offending car and a photo record
forwarded to law enforcement. The signals on the post will be set to
operate with each other through automated radio signals.

The machine will be powered by battery- either conventional or

solar powered. Weights in the base can be added stabilize the post in
windy conditions. The entire assembly will be sealed for protection
from rain and snow. The base and pole will be painted with
alternating yellow and black stripes for maximum visibility and
3 flashing yellow signal lights will alert oncoming traffic at a
distance.

ENGLISH NEWSLETTER VOLUME I ISSUE IV FALL 2008 BELINDA BAIR 9

 Drawing of my machine

radio antenna

solar battery panels signal/sign

STOP
flashing warning alarm siren
lights

electric eye

camera
control box

base
area to add weights
as needed

Additional Writing Lessons:

Creating Writing from Freewiting to Formalizing: http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/
lesson_view.asp?id=1071

Modeling Academic Writing Through Scholarly Article Presentations: http://

www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=1133

Persuading Readers with Endorsement Letters: http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/

lesson_view.asp?id=1112

The Chilren’s Picture Book Projecthttp://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?

id=1022

Read Write think - NCTE Lessons http://www.readwritethink.org/index.asp

ENGLISH NEWSLETTER VOLUME I ISSUE IV FALL 2008 BELINDA BAIR 10