Write about a thing. Any thing.

We began today's class by looking at the wordle our class generated, about writing.  The wordle reveals that we have very different thoughts about, and reasons for, writing.  It is a complex, multi-faceted process, and one that we will continue to work on and build throughout the year.

I then asked the class to write a poem about a thing.  Any thing.  We discussed that poems about general categories ("horses" or "music" or "jeans") are usually not as powerful or vivid as poems about a specific thing ("my horse, Bob" or "Baby by Justin Bieber" or "Ms. Barsky's purple skinny jeans").  The goal with the poem was to have the reader feel, see, smell, taste or hear the thing.

We then discussed the first chapter of Lord of the Flies.  Students shared their ideas about how the boys have been influenced in their behaviours.  We mentioned influences such as the war, peer pressure, parents, boyish naivete and immaturity, and societal notions of organization and order.  Students posed some questions as well.  Where and when is this novel set?  Why are there only boys and no girls?  What happened to the plane?  These questions are ones we will keep in mind as we continue to read.