edit 5 paragraph essay. We continued editing the 5 paragraph essay Cal started last week on rescue swimming. He was pretty focused and gave a solid effort. Cal produced a very solid introduction and two body paragraphs. His writing is improving.
Will asked if he could begin by using the computer to look up topics he was interested in, for example, volcanoes, the Middle Ages, and the Roman Empire. I agreed and he used BrainPop which explained aspects of each topic. Then I explained/gave examples of different types of stories, such as, mystery, fable, myth, and science fiction. After reading story starters, Will chose one to write about...we brainstormed ideas, then he began the writing process. Will had good ideas and began to write a rough draft. He was thoughtful and interested in the assignment. I enjoy working with Will.
Clay wrote a pretty solid essay this week. He needs to focus on proofreading for verb tense mistakes, and fully developed idea. I was very pleased with the way he incorporated his examples into his discussion. Big improvement from previous papers.
Introduce the ballad - a poem that tells a story; usually longer than the others and rhymes. Read examples then brainstorm for ideas. Will really was into this...he was giving suggestions and laughing (this is a humorous story). I was so thrilled! He is usually so serious...liking to stick to facts, so this was a departure for him...I love to hear him laugh and enjoy himself.
We started working on a new essay today about where Clay would choose to live. We spent more time on the prewriting as Clay has had trouble fully developing his ideas and using his examples. He needs to focus on using more specific examples that reflect only the topic sentence of each body paragraphs. He then wrote an introduction, which was honestly one of his better attempts in a while.
Cal is back on his path of least resistance routine. He's spending a great deal of energy complaining and trying to get out of writing. He's started a pretty solid essay on rescue swimming, but for some reason, doesn't want to edit or finish it. His first rough draft was written by hand, and today I asked him to proofread, edit, and type up a new draft. Instead, he simply typed his first draft with no attempt to correct the mistakes. We'll see how Wednesday goes.
Clay is having trouble incorporating his examples into his paragraphs. Granted, with this particular prompt, it's a little awkward, but he needs to stay focused on the topic of each paragraph, and fully develop the separate ideas. He's lately gotten into a rut where all of his examples are basically the same. He's going to write two essays this week, so we'll be spending class time focusing on writing.
Cal hasn't had a day like this in a long time. He was exhausted when he got here, and for the first 15 minutes, flat out refused to do any work. I gave him options of what to do, and rather than choosing, he kept going back and forth to waste time. I finally got him to do some writing and he whipped out 3 pretty solid paragraphs. It is clear that Cal's issues are all about choice. He's a smart kid and a solid writer, but only when he wants to be.
