Blog Directions for Blogger ( simpler, more recommended) 

1. Go to blogger.com
2. If you don’t have a Google account you can create one right from the website.
3. If you already have a Google account you can just log in at the top header.
4. Then fill out all the information in the beginning for creating the account.
5. Then go to the next page and fill in the web address information.
6. Then fill out the information on the next page also and then that is it for registering.
7. Then you will have a window that tells you to make your first post, fill that out.
8. Then to change the appearance, go to themes and then click on the theme you want and you can change the font colors and background colors after you select the theme.
9. Then to create post go to posts and click on new post.
10. For the advanced people, you can completely customize your blog if you know how to create images and upload them.

Blog Directions for Edublogs

1. Since you already have directions for the beginning, I will only add the new ones.
2. To make a post, go to posts and then click add new. 
3. To edit your posts click on posts and then click edit and then you can also delete them from there.
4. Note themes will not be able to be changed on the school computers, you go to appearance and then themes and then you can also add gadgets which is like a sidebar which lets the reader know more about your website.
5. It is recommended that you had Site Meta Admin so you can easily navigate back to the dashboard.
6. To make a new blog, go back to sign up and then click new blog under your own username and then you have a 2^nd blog.

1. To see your web address to submit to Mrs. Armstrong, just click visit/view site and then copy and paste the web address without http:// and the /and the end. 

Johnny Tremain-Blog #1-Written and Posted by Thursday night, October 29, 2009 and your response to one other student I assign on the Blog by Sunday, November 1 at Noon.

 Choose one of the two:

 1.  Johnny has an “accident” that changes him and his life in many ways.  Explain how Johnny was before and how he is changing after the “accident.”  Use at least one quote from Chapters I-IV (through page 92) that substantiates your opinion. 

 2.  Do you think the “accident” would have happened if he did not have problem with pride?  Yes/No and why? Include whom you think was responsible directly and indirectly. Use at least one quotation from Chapters I-IV (p.92) to substantiate your opinion.

• You are to write at least 5 good sentences that explains your point-of-view.
• Make sure you use your MLA citation, quotation marks, and an analysis.Post your paragraph on time.
• Get your peer editor’s web address so you can respond to his/her post.
• If your partner did not do his work and post it, then I will assign you another person to comment on his/her paper on Monday.
• This will count as 1/3 of a test.  There will be two more posts.

Thank you for being patient with me while I am trying something new.

 Mrs. Armstrong

Memoirs Essay Rubric—

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Your rough draft and final need to be typed.                                                           

1.  Student uses manuscript policy, double spaces work,  size 12 font, and MLA format for citations.  Has included all steps of writing.  Points: 15

2.  First Paragraph includes:  from the book (quote#1), tell about the person’s importance, use flashback somewhere, name and describe the event, and impact on person’s life (Thesis).  Points:  30

3.  Body Paragraphs tell the story from your thesis and include  details that help reader visualize the event by quoting description from the book (quotes #2 and #3).  Points: 30

4.  Final Paragraph includes:  how the event shaped the person’s life and a reflection on this memory.  (You can use #3 quote here.) Points: 5

5.  Student uses some literary devices to enhance the paper: (3) dialogue, flashback, analogous literary devices, sound devices, and imagery. HIGHLIGHT and LABEL EACH.  Points:  10

 6.  Student uses the person’s voice and establishes a tone that clearly conveys the person’s attitude toward the situation.  Points: 5

 7. Student uses transitional sentences between paragraphs to establish coherency.  Points: 5                       

                                                                                                              Total Points:  100

Memoir of an American—R.Draft due 10/5; Final due 10/7

Directions:

1. Read a biography of a famous person who is an adult. He should be an American and the book needs to be at least 160 pages.

• While you are reading, look for an event in the person’s life that has had an impact on them.  Remember to bookmark that section for your written assignment.
• Use MLA style for format and quotations.  Remember to use a heading.
• Double space and use New Times Roman and size 12 font.
• It will be a memoir excerpt that looks back on one event in that person’s life and analyzes it.  Weave in or embed the background information (the who-, what-, when-, where and why) instead of putting it in the first few sentences.
• Describe the event so the reader can visualize the situation-when and where it took place, who was involved, what happened, physical descriptions if applicable, what emotions were surfacing, what reactions occurred at the time with all of the participants.  Make up the person’s thoughts feelings and observations based on what you have read while you are telling the story.
• Analyze the event in retrospect-Think about the consequences of that event, how it shaped that person, and/or how that person should have reacted. (Last paragraph.)    
• Put the person’s name in the title.  Use the same size and font as the paper.
• First Paragraph: 

1. Written assignment-Write a two page personal narrative or memoir, pretending you are that individual.  Use first person.

*  Begin with a strong lead—dialogue, sensory description—for an attention grabber.

*  Significance—provide the reader with an understanding of the person’s importance.

*  Briefly name and describe the event and the impact on the person’s life.

• Body Paragraphs–Explain in detail what happened in chronological order.
• Final Paragraph—Wind up with how it shaped that person’s life and a reflection on the subject. There is a “So what?”, a significance to the story.
• Focus—The paper shows the writer can stick to the topic and still use the famous person’s voice.
• Literary Devices—Use for Impact.

*  The writer uses dialogue at least twice and description of the situation once by quoting from the biography.  (Three Quotations using MLA style)

                  *  Use flashback if you would like.

*  Use analogous thinking-similes, metaphors, personification, or allusion.

            *  Use sound devices-alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, or repetition.

*  Use imagery.

• Tone:  Establish a tone that clearly conveys his attitude toward the subject.
• Coherence: Tie paragraphs together with transitional thoughts.

Name_________________________________  Period_________  

Checker’s Name______________________________________

Directions:                                                                                Yes                  No  

__________Look for MLA style

• Heading double –spaced and to the left (Name,   ________      ________       

Teacher’s Name, Language Arts and Period,

and (09 October 2009)

• Pagination-Last Name and Page Number                ________      ________

in upper right hand corner above heading

• All double spaced without extra spaces       ________      ________

• Title is name of person-no bold, no large                 ________      ________

• Times New Roman in size 12 print                      ________      ________

Font, no underlining or quotation marks

__________Look for Content Paragraph by Paragraph

Paragraph One

• Attention Grabber should be a quotation.                ________       ________

No lead-in is necessary for beginning of paper.

Use MLA style of embedding a quote.  Remember

      to omit the period at the end of the quotation. Use

     a citation (Lewis 48).  Use an analysis (an

     explanation in your own words after.

• Name the significance of the person                    ________       _________

• Thesis-Name and describe the event and                 ________       _________

the impact it had on that person’s life.

• Use first person (I, me, mine)                                  ________       _________

• You can use a flashback   Did you do it       ________       _________

properly?

Paragraphs in Body

• Explain the details of what happened in        ________       _________

chronological order.

• Make sure your explanations are clear and           ________       _________

descriptive, using feelings and observatations.

• Used one or two quotations from the book.             ________       _________

Use a lead-in, quotation marks, citation and analysis.

Final Paragraph

• States how the event or person shapes the life     ________           __________

or how this event made him/her aware of some

things in his/her life that needed to change.

• Use a quotation if you only used one in the             ________        __________

body of the paper (Lead-in, quotation with

quotation marks, citation, and analysis)

Use of Literary Devices-Highlight and Label on rough draft and final paper.

• Used three quotations from book (does not         _________       __________

need to be dialogue, but can be good description.)

• Use a flashback                                                      _________       __________

• Use at least one example of analogous         _________       __________

thinking. (similies, metaphors, personification,

or allulsion).

• Use at least one sound device. (allilteration,             _________       __________

Assonance, onomatopoeia, or repetition).

• Use one example of imagery.                                  _________       __________

• Use the voice of the person as best as you can.    _________       __________

• Made good use of transitional ideas from             _________       __________

Paragraph to paragraph.

********* Reminder- Make sure you have filled in your pre-writing and you have saved it for Tuesday.  Staple your paper with the rubric on top, next is your pre-writing, then the rough draft editing sheet, your rough draft, and your final paper.