Week #14 - Writing Response Groups and Spoken Word Slam: Round One !

Hello Poets!

Thank you for checking the blog.  The next two weeks are rather straightforward.  Your attendance, participation, WRG's, writing, and Slam performance are essential to your success.  Please make sure that you are advocating for yourself and working to the best of your abilities.  This is the ONLY way you can ensure an ABOVE AVERAGE grade in our class and workshop.  Demonstrate persistence and effort and you will do just fine.  I believe in you.

Thank you to those who came out to the Poets Meet Poets event at PLHS this past Saturday.  We had a turn-out of 25 enthusiastic writers.  We had amazing guests.  Rudy Francisco stopped by to perform and to offer advice and support.  It was a great day and we are planning a similar activity in February.You should attend if you can!

Office Hours - After school or by appointment. Speak up now.
Poetry Club - Wednesday after school.

Mon/Tues
* Sacred Writing Time
* WRG - Slam Teams. Write, Revise, Plan, Prep, Practice, Strategize...
* You will be graded for your efforts and teamwork. Demonstrate the ability to work towards success.

Weds/Thurs/Friday
* Spoken Word Slam - Round One - All NINE teams will perform.  Be ready to present your work.
Each team will turn in typed copies of their individual poems and their group piece...date to be determined.  With the group piece, make sure to highlight/indicate the lines/parts that each group member wrote/performed.
* Inspirational Texts will be shared sometime this week.  Please be ready. Failure to do so will result in a non completion grade for this assignment.

The FOUR teams with the highest averaged scored will advance to the Second Round.  This begins on Monday 12/16.  Instructions and directions will be given in class as we move toward this date.  Remember that the winning team will receive an A on the spoken word unit - as long as work is turned in neatly and on time.

Take advantage of your time to write and receive feedback.  You are expected to incorporate diction/style/technique of the poets/poems we have studied/read/viewed as mentor texts.

Here is a link to the Def Poetry Channel on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuAbGJBvIVY&list=PL53810C8D59ED71BB

The first poem is "Hands" by Sarah Kaye.  Sarah is an awesome poet and you can learn a lot by watching her.  Her content is amazing and her ability to perform is top notch.  Check out all the other poets/musicians and links to other examples of excellence in the spoken word genre.

Here is a link to Sarah's TED Talk.  This is worth your time as well.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0snNB1yS3IE

Extra Credit Opportunity - Write a 1-2 page typed reflection on Sarah's purpose/poems/style/intent.  Who is she as a writer? What makes her so good?  Why is it important that young writers look to mentors like her? Turn this in by Friday.  I will not ask for it...so you must literally put it in my hands.

Top 13 of 2013 is due on Thursday 12/19.  Your work must be typed/error free/ and publishable.  You have a lot of freedom and range with your writing topics and choice of presentation.  Make sure that your work is reflective and demonstrates critical thinking and creative writing.  You can write journal entries, stories, poems.  Learn from the styles/techniques of our previous studies and mentor texts. Revisit Klosterman, take a look at the "Ultimate Guides" we wrote.  Be unique and honor yout NINE rights as a writer.

Work Hard. Play Hard.

Samakosky
Turner