september 22, 2010

September 22, 2010

-effective writing, topic sentences-literature: Persepolis

Housekeeping

• Substantive Assignments and Course Outlines• Website - create your account asap, even if you

think you will not use it; you need to be a site user for me to record your attendance and marks.

• Welcome Sheet• Textbooks – you really need to have them by

now. See me to discuss any obstacles• Dictionaries and personal reading materials

Effective Writing

Good writing has

• unity (a single focus)

• support (details and examples)

• coherance (clear and logical)

• sentence skills (grammatically correct)

Review of Paragraph Structure

• Start with a topic sentence that clearly defines the main point of your paragraph (unity)

• Give three reasons to support your point; (support)

• Provide specific details or examples for each reason (support)

• Use transition signals to show the relationship between ideas (coherance)

Begin with a Point, Page 47

To understand this idea of “unity” or “focus,” let’s look at some examples in our text.

Begin with a Point, Page 47

Complete the following statement:

Paragraph _____ is effective because it makes a clear, single point, in the first sentence and goes on in the remaining sentence to support that point.

Discuss your choice with a classmate.

Topic Sentences

• should be the first sentence in the paragraph• contain the main point of a paragraph• give focus to the paragraph (unity)• are a promise to the reader about what the

paragraph will be about

Effective Topic Sentences should

• state one main idea or opinion that could be supported with specific evidence

Ex: I hate my Ford Escort.

Effective Topic Sentences have

• two main parts– the limited topic– the writer’s attitude about the topic

Ex: I hate my Ford Escort.

Ex: My girlfriend is very aggressive.Ex: Voting should be required by law in Canada.

Topic Sentences should not

• “announce” the topic

Ex: I want to talk about my Ford Escort.

Topic Sentences should not

• be too broad

Ex: Many people have problems with their cars.

Topic Sentences should not

• be too narrow

Ex: My car is a Ford Escort.

Activity 10, p. 65-66

• Read sentences 1-5.

• Identify (on your own paper) the topic and the idea about the topic (expressed in key words)

Activity 10, p. 10

1. Billboards should be abolished.2. My boss is an ambitious man.3. Politicians are often self-serving.4. The apartment needed repairs.5. Television commercials are often insulting.

Activity 12, p. 68

• Read each group of supporting details and then try to write a topic sentence for them.

(Ask yourself what general topic they have in common and what idea or view about that topic they seem to support.)

• Do as many as you can in the next ten minutes. Do not worry if you do not have time to do them all.

Activity 12, p. 68

1. The neighbours next door aren’t always sociable.

The new neighbours are not very friendly.

2. My friend’s party had many problems.

The worst dance party I ever attended.

3. The worst restaurant service I ever had.

My nightmare at an expensive restaurant.

Activity 12, p. 68

4. My memories of English classes are unpleasant.

English classes were never my cup of tea.

5. The movie I saw was low-budget.

The movie I saw was poorly made.

The movie makers made many mistakes.

BREAK

• 10 minutes

More Graphic Novel Terms• Refer to your handout.

• Last class we learned about the basic layout of graphic novels (frames, panels, gutters) including how black and white is used (graphic weight) to attract the readers attention and show importance.

• We also looked at how text (captions and speech bubbles) is combined with images to deepen the artist/writer’s message.

More Graphic Novel Terms

• Today we will explore how graphic artists use the following elements to give meaning to the story

– figures (page 2)

– layout position: foreground, midground, and background (under layout)

More Graphic Novel Terms

Figures (page 2)

• Faces—close ups tend to be portraits of specific people

—some are more symbolic of an idea or group

• Hands/Feet—the position of hands and feet often indicate the

emotion of a character. (Read the examples on the handout.)

More Graphic Novel Terms

Layout Position:

• foreground – the panel closest to the viewer (at the bottom of page)

• midground – the panel is centred on the page, the natural resting spot for our eyes

• background – the panel farthest from the viewer (top of page) often used to provide additional information

Review of Persepolis Chapter 1

• The protagonist (main character) of the story is Marjane as a child.

• The narrator of the story is Marjane as an adult.

• The point of view of the story is first person point of view (“I”).

• The setting (time and place) of the story is Iran during the revolution of 1979.

Review of Persepolis Chapter 1

• After the revolution, Marjane’s life changed in many ways:

– she had to wear the veil

– boys and girls couldn’t go to school together anymore

– bilingual schools were closed

- her mother had to hide because of her views

• Marjane is a smart, strong minded, determined, religious child.

• She wants to be a prophet because she wants to fix everything like her grandmother’s legs. . .

Persepolis – Chapter 2

• Let’s start by looking at the way the author draws faces in this chapter.

• Compare page 8 and page 11

Page 8 Page 11

Persepolis – Chapter 2

• What do you notice about the human faces?• How are they different from the image of

God?• Why do you think the author has chosen to

represent the figures in this way?• What is the significance to the story?

Persepolis – Chapter 2

• Now let’s look at how the author positions panels in this chapter.

• Understanding the ways a graphic novelist places and organizes her panels will help you understand the story more deeply (just like understanding the structure of a paragraph, poem, or novel helps you to understand and follow the writer’s point better).

Persepolis – Chapter 2• Look at page 11, top panel.

• This is a good example of using the background panel to give information that is outside the events of the immediate story.

Persepolis – Chapter 2• Look at page 12, middle row, right panel.

• Placing figures in the centre of the panel in the midground of the page with nothing in the background helps the reader to focus on them.

• Look at page 15, the larger of the two panels.

• The size and position (foreground) of the suffering, flaming figures is powerful and makes us pay attention.

Persepolis – Chapter 2

• Pages 16 and 17 – look at the hands and feet of various characters. How do they convey (show) the emotions of different characters?

Page 16, upper left. Marji’s father’s position shows _______________.

Page 16, upper middle. Marji’s positions show __________________.

Page 16, bottom left. Marji shows ________________.

• Page 17, middle left. Marji users her fingers to ______________.

• Page 17, middle right. Marji’s father’s hands show _______________.

Activity

• Read the entire chapter (“The Bicycle,” pages 10-18) now.

• Work with a partner to try to find additional visual elements that add to your understanding of the story and characters. You may use sticky notes to write down your ideas about different panels.

Homework

• Read the chapter 3 “The Water Cell,” pages 18-25) for homework.

• On your own, identify as many graphic elements as you can. You may use sticky notes to write down your ideas about different panels.

• You will need to use these notes for an in-class assignment on Monday.