Per. 5/6 Final Exam Study Guide

1. Literary Terms (know defintions--see last post)

2. Essay terms (hook, intro, thesis, body, conclusion, topic sentence)

3. You will be reading and responding to one story and one essay.

The Art of Writing Final Study Guide

1. Know the structure and terms for the hero's journey.

2. Know the literary terms to apply to a story!

3. Know the screenwriting style terms (V.O, O.S., etc).

For Final Exam

Literary Terms—Exam Prep

Read the definitions carefully and find examples in the story of each term.

1) The SETTING is the time and place of a story. What is the time and place of the story?

2) A THEME is the general meaning or message in a piece of writing. Themes can be things like forbidden love, family relationships, growing up/coming of age, finding one’s identity, etc. What do you think the themes are in this story?

3) PLOT is the story line in a piece of writing. What is the general story line or plot of the story? Write a summary of the plot. Use the plot line chart to describe the general story line.

4) SYMBOLS are when one thing (like a heart) stands for something greater or more abstract (like love). Other examples are books symbolizing knowledge or doves symbolizing peace. What are some symbols in this story?

5) The PROTAGONIST is the hero or heroine in the story and the ANTAGONIST is the enemy or the villain. Who is the protagonist? Who is the antagonist in this story?

6) The TONE of the story is the attitude on the part of a character, narrator or author, usually via word choice and acts as the “voice” of the story. Is the attitude formal, informal, businesslike, explanatory, descriptive, demanding, conversational, sarcastic, witty, or something else?

7) MOOD is the feeling or atmosphere in a story. Is the mood romantic, dark, scary, serious, joyful, light-hearted, mysterious, humorous, or something else?

8) FORESHADOWING is a hint or clue to something that comes later in the story. Usually it is something suspenseful or challenging. Give one example of foreshadowing in the story.

9) DICTION is the style of language or words in the story. Is it formal English or everyday English? Is there slang or use of another language? Is it easy to understand or full of difficult words?

10) The CLIMAX of the story is the highest point of action before the action begins to dip down. What is the climax of the story?

11) The RESOLUTION is the final point of the story where the conflict is resolved or the story is concluded (ended). What happens at the end of the story? Are any problems solved? Does it end happily?

Example of a Literary Response Paper Per. 5/6

Here's an example of a literary response essay!

http://www.greatsource.com/iwrite/pdf/259_260.pdf

For the body of your essay talk about Art's relationship with his mother or father.

One paragraph could be about his relationship with mom/dad when he was young.

Then the next paragraph could be about his relationship with mom/dad when he was older and how this changed him or caused his to grow or to learn more about life.

Include quotes in your paragraphs and explain your quotes. Make sure you have the page number in paratheses after the quote!

"My mother was the most important person in my life..." (5). Art thinks this because....

Journal--Art's Family Relationships 5/26 Per. 5/6

Journal—Art’s family relationships

Write about Art’s relationship with his mother. What do you think about this relationship?
Write about Art’s relationship with his father. What do you think about this relationship?
How does Art’s relationship change with his father by the end of the book!

Literary Response Essay 5/26 Per. 5/6

Literary Response Essay
Procedures and Reminders

A Literary Response is very similar to a persuasive essay. You will be demonstrating your understanding of a major theme in the novel and have accurate interpretations and clear ideas about this theme.

Prompt: In this essay, you will discuss one of the novel’s themes that “family relationships are important in our lives” by choosing to write about one of the following; Art’s relationship with his mom or with his dad and what lessons he learns from this relationship.

Format Guidelines:
I. Intro:
A. Hook: Start with an interesting opening that “hooks” your audience in (anecdotes, quotes, profound statements, and thought provoking questions work well).
B. Quick Review: This should be a one to two sentence introduction of the book including the title (see the example below), author, and the theme or Art’s relationship with his mom or dad.

Sample Intro: In S.E. Hinton’s novel The Outsiders, the main character Ponyboy, involved in his friend group called the Greasers, struggles to get along with the Socs.

C. Thesis: This is your answer (opinion statement) to the prompt with your reasons why- these reasons will then become your topic sentences for your body paragraphs.

Sample Thesis: While there are many themes that Hinton addresses in the novel, the most apparent one is that gang violence is futile because the main conflict surrounds this theme, tragedy occurs as a result, and the characters learn important lessons.

II. Body paragraphs:
A. Topic Sentence: This is your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd reason stated in your thesis.

Sample Topic Sentence for the Body Paragraphs: First of all, the basic situation and conflict introduce this important theme of gangs and violence.

(Note- notice the transition to start the paragraph!)

B. Two-Three Paragraphs: This is made up of two parts.
1. Concrete Details (CD)/Quotation from the book: This is your evidence that should be either paraphrased or directly quoted from the story you are analyzing.

For example, after Ponyboy runs away from his brother Darry and scurries out of the house, he calls out to Johnny, “Come on. We have to leave now” (34).

(Note- the punctuation should go after the last parenthesis just like this example!)
2. Commentary (COMM): This explains how your concrete details or quotes support your topic sentence. You should have at least double the amount of commentary as concrete detail. One sentence of Concrete Detail should have two sentences of commentary or more.
COMM Tip: Some helpful sentence starters you can use for your commentary include but are not limited to:
-This event in the novel shows/proves/explains…
-Because of this…
-One can see from this…
-This is interesting/fascinating/disturbing because…
-The author includes this in the story to show…

For example, after Ponyboy runs away from his brother Darry and scurries out of the house, he calls out to Johnny, “Come on. We have to leave now” (34). This shows that Ponyboy is worried….


C. Concluding Sentence: This should wrap-up your body paragraph by re-wording the topic of the paragraph in a fresh way.
Conclusion:
A. Thesis re-worded in a fresh way.
B. Closing thoughts: (at least 2 sentences!) Make interesting points to leave the audience with a strong final feeling about your topic (anecdotes, quotes, profound statements, and thought provoking questions work well here.

Literature Response Tips for Success:

· Use this outline carefully to make sure your essay has everything it needs to be a success!

· Don’t use first person personal pronouns like I, we, you, or me or second person pronouns like you, yours, and your. The focus should be on the literature, not on yourself or the reader.

· Avoid filler phrases like “Well…” or “I think that….” or “I believe…”; just get straight to the point of what you are saying. We know you think what you write because you are the author!

· Use present tense verbs because fiction happens as we read it, not in the past.

· Use active verbs, not “to be” verbs like is and are.
Poor example: He is running away.
Corrected example: He runs away.

· Use formal language (no clichés or slang like “it was sweet”) .

· Vary the vocabulary (a thesaurus can help!) trying not to repeat words or use low impact, generic words like good, bad, happy, sad.

· Make sure to read your essay out loud to catch simple mistakes.

Script for Screenwriting Style Questions

http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/Interview_Vampire.pdf

This is the script Interview with a Vampire that goes with the screenwriting style questions!

Response to Movie Scripts 4/30

Response to FIVE Scripts

What’s the Point? To introduce you to the style and settings of different screenplays. You should choose scripts that interest you to use as models.

You will be analyzing the beginning pages of 5 different scripts and answering these following questions for each one. YOU DON’T HAVE TO READ THE WHOLE SCRIPT!!

1.Write down the title of the script.
2.What are the opening lines of the script (write down both the descriptive first scene of the first lines of dialogue)? Explain if they grab or do not grab your attention.
3. What is the setting (time and place)?
4. What is the mood (feeling of the script)?
5. Make a guess at what the theme (general message or meaning) might be.
6. What have you learned about the characters? Describe them the best you can.
7. What is the conflict?

CLICK HERE for the data base of MOVIE SCRIPTS!!!

Make sure you click on movie scripts at the bottom of the page!

Screenplay Outline due by end of period!!

Screenplay Outline (based on a short story, play or a new direction!!!)

Names:_______________________________________

Topic___________________________________Genre_________________
Theme_______________________________________________________
Working Title__________________________________________________

Screenplay Outline (Subject to change as you begin writing the play.)

Setting (time and place)





2 Characters & Descriptions

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What is happening (general plot idea) in this screenplay?








What is the major struggle, conflict, or problem?


What will be the climax or turning point of this screenplay?







How might this screenplay end?

5+ Page Play Due Monday April 27th!!

Writing a Stage Play
(5-10 pages)
Due April 27th, Monday

Assignment

} You will write a One Act 5+ page stage play with a partner. This will be due Monday, April 27th.
} This will be written for high school students to possibly perform at school. Keep it appropriate or no credit.
} Five pages=Five minutes because of the way the play is formatted. Use Celtx—a free download to help you format your stage play and screenplay. See my blog for download information.

Elements of Your Play/Rubric (60 pts)

} ___(10 pt.) Well-written, revised & edited. Professional quality. Appropriate for high school performance.
} ___(10 pt.) Written for the stage/live performance—no special effects or complicated movie effects. Includes props and stage direction. Setting is clear and fits the play.
} ___(5 pt.) Hook—Gets right into the action. Grabs your audience’s attention.
} ___(10 pt.) Believable characters with authentic dialogue that flows well.
} ___(10 pt.) One dilemma/conflict that is climatic.
} ___(5 pt.) Has resolution or satisfactory ending.
} ___(10 pts) In play format. Use Celtx.
} The character list is not included in the 5 pages!

Sample Structure of the One Act Play

Act 1
} Setting
} Scene 1—hook the audience, establish mood, characters and conflict, rising action (beginning)
} Scene 2—climax and maybe falling action (middle)
} Scene 3—falling action and resolution (end)

You will have anywhere from 1-3 scenes for a 5+ page play. Don’t make the scenes too short because it is difficult to get actors on and off the stage quickly.

Play Format

Act 1

Setting:
Time and place. Mood. All written in present tense!

Scene 1
(description of scene in present tense)

Character 1 (laughs): Hello!

(action in present tense)

Character 2: Are you ready to go?

Etc.

Scene 2

Setting info in present tense.

Monday Progress Report on Play--April 20th

Progress Report of Monday’s Work—TURN THIS IN TODAY SO I CAN READ IT!
Due Monday, April 20th

1. Write about your strongest character in the play. Why is this character working? How is the dialogue?
2. Describe your conflict(s).
3. Double check to make sure this works on a stage with a live audience. No movie magic for this play! Save that for your screenplay. Will everything work on the stage? Explain.
4. What is really working?
5. What obstacles or challenges are you facing?
6. What did you get done today?
7. The play is due Monday, April 27th. What are your next steps?
8. Write down any of your screenplay ideas!

Play Outline--Due 4/9

Names:_______________________________________


Topic___________________________________Genre_________________
Theme_______________________________________________________
Working Title__________________________________________________


Play Outline (Subject to change as you begin writing the play.)

Setting (time and place)





2 Characters & Descriptions
(Limit your number of characters!)
1.
2.
3.
4.
What is happening (general plot idea) in this play? All action should be written with the stage and live performance in mind.









What is the major struggle, conflict, or problem?




What will be the climax or turning point of this play?







How might this play end?










Scene Ideas
Act 1

Scene 1












Scene 2











Scene 3

Celtx--Download this tool to help format your stage play

Down Formatting Tool for Stage Plays (also for your screenplay later)

http://celtx.com/download.html

Directions:
· Download English version of Celtx.
· Open it up.
· On Project Templates list open Theater.
· Act 1 Scene 1 will be on the screen.
· Place the cursor after Scene 1 and then…
· From the menu that says Act pull down and click on Stage Direction to type what will be happening on stage. Use present tense!
· From the menu pull down and click on Dialog to type in character dialog.
· This will help you format the play and will be easier for you later.
· Don’t forget to SAVE it!

Journal--Renew/Review Your Idea Bank--Turn in

Journal—Renew/Review Your Idea Bank (about a page)--Turn in!!

} Write down your interests or passions.
} Write down your favorite genres (sci-fi, adventure, romance, comedy, drama, mystery, etc.)
} Write down social issues that concern you.
} Write down political issues that concern you.
} Write down issues with friends (including boyfriends or girlfriends) or family.
} Write down moments, times or experiences in history that interest you.
} Write about stories you wrote that could be turned into a short play.

Your Play Discussion & Presentation

Your Play Discussion/Presentation
Due April 9th!

(Answer these questions with your partner (or individually) and then share these with the class.)

1. What things have worked in this play? Some highlights of your writing process and experience so far.
2. What theme do you hope to get across in your play.
3. What challenges are you facing. Problems, obstacles, rocky patches.
(Audience members can offer helpful suggestions.)

Due 4/9--1.5-2 pages of play typed in Celtx play format

Part of Play due for Peer Edit

1 1/2- 2 pages of your play is due on Thurs 4/9

Make sure it is typed in the Celtx play format--http://celtx.com/download.html.

Per. 5/6 ESSAY REVIEW--Literary Response Essay

Student Essay Info:

This student essay was written about the book called The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan which explores the relationships between four Chinese American daughters and their often-misunderstood, more traditional Chinese mothers. By sharing quotations from the book, Dawn, the student author of this literary analysis, intends to show how, as they grew up, the daughters came to understand, respect, and appreciate their mothers more.

The paragraph labels in red were added by the teacher and are not part of the original essay.

Read the essay and then answer the questions below. Print out only the answers and give to the teacher.

My Interpretation ofThe Joy Luck Club
By Dawn J.

Children, as they become adults, become more appreciative of their parents. In The Joy Luck Club, the attitudes of four daughters toward their mothers change as the girls mature and come to realize that their mothers aren’t so different after all. (Paragraph 1)

As children, the daughters in this book are ashamed of their mothers and don’t take them very seriously, dismissing them as quirky and odd. “I could never tell my father . . . How could I tell him my mother was crazy?” (p. 117). They don’t try to comprehend their culture, which is a big part of understanding their traditional Chinese mothers. On page 6, one of the daughters states, “I can never remember things I don’t understand in the first place,” referring to Chinese expressions her mother used. When their mothers show pride in them, the girls only show their embarrassment. One daughter shows her shame when she says to her mother, “I wish you wouldn’t do that, telling everyone I’m your daughter” (p. 101). The girls cannot relate to their mothers because they were raised in a different world. No matter how much the mothers care for them or how much they sacrifice to make their girls’ lives better, the daughters are blind to their mothers’ pain and feelings. (Paragraph 2)

All four of the Joy Luck mothers need their daughters to understand them, pass on their spirit after they are gone, and understand what they have gone through for their girls. One mother dreams of doing this on her trip to a new life: “In America I will have a daughter just like me . . . over there nobody will look down on her . . . and she will always be too full to swallow any sorrow! She will know my meaning because I will give her this swan . . . it carries with it all my good intentions” (pp. 3-4). Another mother plans how she will give her daughter this perception:
She [my daughter] has no chi . . . How can I leave the world without leaving her my spirit? So this is what I will do. I will gather together my past and . . . see a thing that has already happened. The pain that cut my spirit loose. I will hold that pain in my hand until it becomes hard and shiny, more clear. And then my fierceness can come back . . . I will use this sharp pain to penetrate my daughter’s tough skin and cut her tiger spirit loose. She will fight me, because this is the nature of two tigers. But I will win and give her my spirit because this is why a mother loves a daughter. (p. 286) (Paragraph 3)

Things don’t exactly turn out the way the mothers hope, though. Their hopes and dreams are shattered when they realize their daughters’ misconceptions of them. On page 282, a mother laments, “When my daughter looks at me, she sees a small, old lady. If she had chuming [inside knowledge of things] she would see a tiger lady.” One daughter sees the fear of the remaining mothers after she tells them that she doesn’t know anything about her dead mother that she can pass on:
They are frightened. In me, they see their own daughters, just as ignorant, just as unmindful of all the truths and hopes they have brought to America. They see daughters who grow impatient when their mothers talk in Chinese, who think they are stupid when they explain things in fractured English . . . They see daughters who will bear grandchildren born without any connecting hope passed from generation to generation. (p. 31) (Paragraph 4)

This fear does not persist, however. As the daughters mature, the two generations discover that they aren’t so different after all. One mother says, “She puts her face next to mine, side by side, and we look at each other in the mirror . . . these two faces, I think, so much the same! The same happiness, the same sadness, the same good fortune, the same faults” (p. 292). One daughter, after her mother’s death, sits down to play the piano that she had refused to touch before to defy her mother. Amy Tan uses the metaphor of two piano pieces to compare the mother to this daughter: “The piece I had played for the recital . . . was on the left-hand side of the page . . . and for the first time . . . I noticed the piece on the right-hand side . . . It had a lighter melody but the same flowing rhythm [as the recital piece and] . . . was longer but faster. And after I played them both . . . I realized they were two halves of the same song” (p. 155). (Paragraph 5)

The daughters, as they grow to be adults, become more appreciative of their mothers. Their attitudes change over time to create an understanding and respect that hadn’t been there before:
I saw what I had been fighting for. It was for me, a scared child, who had run away a long time ago to what I had imagined was a safer place. And hiding in this place, behind my invisible barriers, I knew what lay on the other side: her side attacks. Her secret weapons. Her uncanny ability to find my weakest spots. But in the brief instant that I had peered over the barriers I could finally see what was really there: an old woman, a wok for her armor, a knitting needle for her sword, getting a little crabby as she waited patiently for her daughter to invite her in. (pp. 203-204) (Paragraph 6)

In conclusion, as children, the daughters didn’t understand their mothers or their culture. The daughters were being raised in a different world. Their perceptions of their mothers changed, though, as they grew up and realized that they weren’t so different from them after all. They finally understood and respected their traditional Chinese mothers. (Paragraph 7)

QUESTIONS—ESSAY FORMAT REVIEW:

1. Most essays are four or more paragraphs and do not have to be only five paragraphs as often is taught in school. How many paragraphs does this essay have?

PARAGRAPH 1
2. What do you call the first paragraph of an essay?
3. Write down the HOOK. What kind of Hook is it? Question, Quote, Story, Description/Background information or Surprising Info?
4. Write down the THESIS of this essay (the opinion or statement about the topic—the topic that is being discussed in the essay).

PARAGRAPH 2
5. What do you call the middle paragraphs of an essay?
6. Write down the topic sentence (the sentence that tells you what the paragraph is about) for paragraph 2.
7. The student uses a quote from the book to support the topic sentence. Write down the quote including the page #. (Remember: In a literary response essay, you use quotes from the book/writing with your explanations of those quotes as supporting details for each paragraph.)

PARAGRAPH 3-6
8. Write down the topic sentence for each of these paragraphs. It is not always the first sentence! It’s the sentence that tells you what the paragraph is mainly about.

PARAGRAPH 7
9. What do you call the last paragraph in an essay?
10. Write down the sentence that is similar to the THESIS in the first paragraph.

Screenplay Project--Due Friday, May 29th

The Screenplay Project—Due on Friday, May 29th
(100 points)

Important Note: The finished, typed screenplay must be ready to turn in when class starts on Friday or you lose 20 points off the top!
One day late (or more) is ½ credit.

1) Work individually or with a partner.

2) The final script will be 20 pages typed. Don’t panic! There is a lot of white space in a script. Your script must follow the screenplay style and format as seen in other screenplays and from screenwriting assignments: Single spaced with double spacing between character speaking parts. Use the downloadable CELTX screenwriting program to help guide you.

3) The final screenplay must be original writing—you may extend your play or adapt one of your short stories.

4) Do not plagiarize from another movie or TV show. Please keep your screenplays appropriate. No racism, sexism, homophobia, illegal drug references, extreme violence or explicit sexual scenes.

5) Your screenplay should have a beginning, middle, and end. You must have authentic sounding dialogue, strong, believable characters, a good storyline, conflict, and a resolution or some type of ending for the script.

6) Some class time will be dedicated to the screenplay writing and outlining, but plan on writing the bulk of the screenplay on your own time.

7) When planning your screenplay, make sure you consider a setting, characters, plot and resolution that are different or alternative to the usual Hollywood movies.

8) A 20 page screenplay is about a 20 minute movie since each page roughly equals one minute of movie time.

9) You may also write an original TV show episode or a musical screenplay.

Stage Play--5-10 pages--Due April 27th

Writing a Stage Play
(5-10 pages)

Due April 27th

Journal—Renew/Review Your Idea Bank (about a page)

} Write down your interests or passions.
} Write down your favorite genres (sci-fi, adventure, romance, comedy, drama, mystery, etc.)
} Write down social issues that concern you.
} Write down political issues that concern you.
} Write down issues with friends (including boyfriends or girlfriends) or family.
} Write down moments, times or experiences in history that interest you.
} Write about stories you wrote that could be turned into a short play.

Stage Play Assignment

} You will write a One Act 5+ page stage play with a partner. This will be due Monday, April 27th.
} This will be written for high school students to possibly perform at school. Keep it appropriate or no credit.
} Five pages=Five minutes because of the way the play is formatted. Use Celtx—a free download to help you format your stage play and screenplay. See my blog for download information.

Elements of Your Play/Rubric (60 pts)

} ___(10 pt.) Well-written, revised & edited. Professional quality. Appropriate for high school performance.
} ___(10 pt.) Written for the stage/live performance—no special effects or complicated movie effects. Includes props and stage direction. Setting is clear and fits the play.
} ___(5 pt.) Hook—Gets right into the action. Grabs your audience’s attention.
} ___(10 pt.) Believable characters with authentic dialogue that flows well.
} ___(10 pt.) One dilemma/conflict that is climatic.
} ___(5 pt.) Has resolution or satisfactory ending.
} ___(10 pts) In play format. Use Celtx.

The character list is not included in the 5 pages!

Sample Structure of the One Act Play

Act 1
} Setting
} Scene 1—hook the audience, establish mood, characters and conflict, rising action (beginning)
} Scene 2—climax and maybe falling action (middle)
} Scene 3—falling action and resolution (end)

You will have anywhere from 1-3 scenes for a 5+ page play. Don’t make the scenes too short because it is difficult to get actors on and off the stage quickly.