Inspiration for National Novel Writing Month

I will be posting connections to classroom discussions about Model Novels to help students embark on their own research and preparation for NaNoWriMo. Enjoy the exploration!

From Period 1:
Discussion of characters on the autism spectrum: 
Listen to http://www.radiolab.org/story/juicervose/
Watch HBO's Temple Grandin for a close-up view of what it is like to live and thrive with autism.

Interested in mental health issues? Listen to this fascinating story from npr.org on early intervention successes with people who may (or may not!) suffer from schizophrenia:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/10/20/356640026/halting-schizophrenia-before-it-starts

Playing with chronology: See movies like Pulp Fiction or Memento. 

From Period 5:
Structure ideas:
Multiple stories about a character: House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros
Dream sequence turns in to reality~Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver
Unique time sequences: Men We Reaped, by Jesmyn Ward
Unique syntax (narrative drifts into poems/lists): We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart and The Book Thief, by Marcus Zusak

From Period 6: 
Structure:
Multiple narrator: Eleanor and Park and Wonder, Gathering of Old Men
Trial By Fire (Shifts p.o.v.)
Small chapters
Novel-in-Verse
Multiple perspective on same incident/conflict: Gathering of Old Men

Plot ideas: 
Kid living in bad neighborhood who tries to escape (The Pact, Bad Boy)
Use Place Narrative as a significant setting

Novel Writing Month Approaches: How fast can you type?

To develop our digital literacy/media skills, we will be using VHS's computer lab during National Novel Writing Month. The faster you can type, the faster you'll meet your daily word count goals, and the faster your novel will come to life.

Ms. Witham is offering extra credit for improving your touch typing skills. 

Take a typing test to find out your typing speed here: 
http://www.typeonline.co.uk/typingspeed.php

Improve your skills by using the five typing lessons here: http://www.typeonline.co.uk/lesson1.html

We will take typing speed tests in late October. If you score over 35 words per minute with minimal errors, you will get extra credit. 

Even better, you will dramatically improve your efficiency in any typed assignment you face. Start practicing!

Enjoy!

UPDATE: Science Says Writing is Good For You

UPDATE!!

10th Graders: Please POSTPONE your happiness reflection until further notice. We need some distance here…
Feel free to read the article about the science behind writing, it's a good one.
Thanks!

Love to write? Not so sure yet? 
Read this article to find out how research shows why 

writing is so good for you.

Science Shows Something Surprising About People Who Love to Write 

So. 
Who's ready for National Novel Writing Month? 
Check out the Young Writer's NaNoWriMo site, and make an account, or remember your old one!

http://ywp.nanowrimo.org

UPDATED: Celebrate Banned Book Week by Reading!

Are you a Literary Rebel? In honor of Banned Book Week, check out some of the most celebrated and controversial books here: 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/powellsbooks/33-must-read-books-to-celebrate-banned-books-week-ohuo

How many have you read?

Check out a great series of infographics, courtesy of the Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/22/banned-books-week-infographic_n_5852234.html

And…Stunning visuals with quotes from banned books: 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/21/quotes-banned-books_n_5759808.html

AND a Timeline of the last 30 years of banned book milestones: 

http://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry/51787/Banned-Books-Week-Celebrating-30-Years-of-Liberating-Literature/#vars!date=1994-07-08_17:46:32!

Here's some additional links courtesy of Ms. Gill, VHS's librarian:

Banned Books Week 2014

American Library Association “Banned Books Week 2014: September 21-27

http://www.ala.org/bbooks/

Links:  About Banned and Challenged Books  http://www.ala.org/bbooks/about

            Banned Books Week  http://www.ala.org/bbooks/bannedbooksweek

            Challenges to Library Materials  http://www.ala.org/bbooks/challengedmaterials

            Frequently Challenged Books                                                             http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks                                            

            100 most frequently challenged books           http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top100                                             ***30 years of Liberating Literature timeline 

                        30 Years of Liberating Literature timeline

50-State Salute to Banned Books Week:

http/:www.ala.org: advocacy:banned:bannedbooksweek:celebrating-banned-books-week:50statesalutevideos

Tucson school district releases list of banned ethnic studies books, includes Shakespeare:

http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/17/headlines/

Man behind Mexican-American Studies Ban Won’t Head Arizona Schools:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/27/john-huppenthal-loses_n_5721762.html

NYTimes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/18/books/18newb.html%3F_r=0

Georgia mom seeks ban on Harry Potter:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/15127464/ns/today-books/t/georgia-mom-seeks-ban-harry-potter/%23.UI1a8oYQOhk.

Another Donors Choose Grant to Support our Scholars!

Dear Parents and Students,

The STEMM team is posting Donors Choose projects to get computers into our Biomedical and Engineering electives. Our scholars can't wait for technology, they need laptops now! This grant is for another 8 laptops for our Human Body Systems course and our Engineering 3 elective. We just had "Part 1" filled in record time, now for "Part 2"!

If you can support us before September 24th and enter the matching code: INSPIRE, your dollars will be matched up to $100. Thanks for helping spread the word about supporting our new magnet!

http://www.donorschoose.org/project/understanding-the-human-body-requires-co/1348262/?timestamp=1411159314608&pma=true&pmaId=245243&pmaHash=ATrny4w9MPOwmWZ338Lxgw%253D%253D&utm_source=dc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=feedback_donationmessage_teacher&rf=page-siteshare-2014-09-project-teacher_245243#11342453

The Hero's Journey and What is an Anti-Hero?

Watch this great animation to learn about the 12 stages of the Hero's Journey, as articulated by Joseph Campbell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhk4N9A0oCA

We will be considering how the hero's journey applies to both our independent reading books, our class novels, and our own novel writing.

And now watch this, about the difference between heroes and anti-heroes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEjgDeSnBMs

Help Build Our Classroom Library With Donors Choose!

UPDATE: Our project has been fully funded in just FIVE days thanks to generous parents and community members. Books coming soon!

If you were hoping to contribute you can always send a gift card to http://www.donorschoose.org/ms.witham. 

Here's to building life-long readers!

...

Want to help contribute to our rich classroom library? Between now and September 7th if you donate to our Donors Choose classroom library grant your donation will be matched, up to $100. Use matching code "Inspire" to get your dollars doubled.

http://www.donorschoose.org/project/page-turners-to-keep-students-reading/1315535/?rf=page-siteshare-2014-09-project-teacher_245243

Here are just some of the books we can look forward to: