1. Structure Section 1: notebook entries
Section 2: reading questions, vocabulary, and response writing
Section 3: brainstorming, drafting (process writing)

2. Topic: Name
Period
Date
Essential Question:
Questions
Notes
Summary:

3. Notebook Entries You must bring your English notebook daily to class.
Number and label each entry to get full credit.
Complete the required number of lines.
When absent, be sure to make up entries missed (posted on Web page one week in advance of due date).
Notebooks entries will be collected and graded after 8-10 assignments (3 points per entry).
If a notebook is too sloppy to grade, it will be returned without credit.

4. Notebook Entries
First Marking Period

5. 1: Ideal Teacher
(10 lines in seven minutes)
Describe your ideal teacher. In your opinion, what qualities does a good teacher possess? What turns you off to a teacher? Think of past teachers and describe a positive and a negative experience. Don’t name names!!!

6. 2: Kindness
(10 lines in seven minutes)
“When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind.”
What does this precept mean to you?
Describe a time when you or someone you know had to choose between being right and being kind.
Think about interactions with parents, teachers, and friends.

7. 3: Outsider
(10 lines in 7 minutes)
What does it mean to be an “outsider”? When do you feel like one? Always? In certain situations or groups? Describe your outsider experience.

8. 4: Unfathomable (10 lines in 7 minutes) Describe things that are unfathomable to you. You might include forces in the natural world, academic concepts, or the behavior of others. Use the word unfathomable at least three times in the entry.

9. 5: “Things are rough all over”
(10 lines in 7 minutes)
Cherry Valance says this to Ponyboy. Do you think life is equally rough for the greasers and the socs? What about in real life? Are things really rough all over?

10. 6: Taking a Life (10 lines in 7 minutes)
Is taking a life ever justified? Why or why not?
Chapter Vocabulary
Academic vocabulary:
Imagery: language that helps you to see, hear, smell, and feel the action? Listen to our sample passage.
Whole chapter read aloud
Reread independently
what helps you to see, hear, smell, and feel the action? Modified Whiparound

11. 7: Point of View (10 lines in 7 minutes) Rewrite the scene in the park in first person, present tense, as either of these two characters. Think about what might be going through their minds as the scene unfolds. Both are thinking about more than just the violence that gets played out in the park. Are they thinking about their friends? Their families? The other social group? What are their emotions throughout the scene?

12. 8: Nightmare (10 lines in 7 minutes) Ponyboy has a reoccurring nightmare. Describe the worst dream you ever had. Does it reoccur? Use imagery to create a vivid picture for your reader.

13. 9: Family (10 lines in 7 minutes) Darry keeps his door open for any of the boys who may need a place to crash. They are like an extended family. Do you have a friend who has family status? Explain.

14. 10: Hero (10 lines in 7 minutes) Steve tells Ponyboy that the newspapers are calling him and Johnny heroes. What is your definition of a hero? Name someone in your life that you consider a hero. Explain why.

15. 11: CHARACTER Write a character sketch of a sympathetic
character who has a fear to overcome.(10 lines).

16. 12: SETTING
Pick a photo and describe it using powerful adjectives and figurative language (10 lines).

17. 13: THE UNRELIABLE NARRATOR (10 lines)
Choices:
Describe a theft from the thief’s point of view.
Describe a punishment from the child’s point of view.
Describe the teacher from the disruptive student’s point of view.
Describe a man from his ex-wife’s point of view.
Describe a dog from a cat’s point of view.

18. 14: superstition (10 lines)
Are you superstitious? Do you believe in good luck or bad luck? Do you believe that you can bring forth one or the other by your actions? Do you hesitate to walk under a ladder? Do you have a ritual or special item you wear when playing sports?

19. 15: paragraph 8 (5-7 sentences)
10 minutes
Climax. This is the highest point of tension.Make sure to have strong descriptive details.

20. 16: paragraph 9 (5-7 sentences)
10 minutes
Falling action: What happens after the climax. Tie up loose ends.

21. 17: paragraph 10 (5-7 sentences)
10 minutes
Resolution: how does the story end? Where does the character end up? What lesson does he or she learn?

22. 18: Reflection
10 minutes
Make a list of your areas for improvement. Suggestions are below. You should have at least 4 items to work on next marking period.
Focus
Maintain point of view
Content
Elaboration: each paragraph is 5-7 sentences long
Dynamic character is well-developed.
Organization
Transitions for time and place
Logical details and order
Verb tense consistency
Style
Use of imagery
Varied language and sentence types
No confusing overuse of pronouns
Clear expression
Conventions
All proper nouns and I pronouns are capitalized
Apostrophes, commas and semi-colons are used properly.
All words are properly spelled (homophones included!)