Time Travel Tuesday 2013

Welcome to the end of Marking Period 3.  I wanted to touch base with you now since I do not know how long it will take me to have Internet access in Texas.

 I know many eighth graders start to show signs of sadness during the final marking period since leaving Brackman is so bitter sweet. You want to move on to bigger and better things as a high school student, but you are leaving the comfort and security of your middle school years too. It's tough.

Well, I hope your last marking period will be the start of a new and exciting journey though language arts literacy. Even though you are reading a drama now in class, I decided to deviate from Theatrical Thursday and go back to one of my favorite topics, Time Travel. After all, you are reading about the past. I'd like to see how creative you can be by starting some ideas here for an historical fiction short story. After standardized testing is finished, you will be able to devote more time to writing original short stories. The blog is a perfect place to try out some ideas.

Time Travel Tuesday will allow you to use your imagination and jump back into a time in the past that interests you. Imagine yourself in the 1940's. Maybe you want to create a story of a German soldier or maybe a young Jewish boy caught in the termoil. Since you are reading Anne Frank's diary, I think WWII would be a perfect place to start your time travel.

Here are some pictures to get you started. Feel free to write the opening paragraph of an original short story based on one of the pictures or maybe describe a character complete with feelings and emotions. Description of setting will work here too. Just remember the time reference, somewhere in Europe or the Pacific ---circa 1940. You decide.

This is me with the Yellow Star. I had to carry this picture around with my identity card.

You have some things to think about. Which direction will you take your story? Will you write about an army man, a woman who supports the troups, or a Jewish child in a concentration camp? You can even take on the task of being a world leader making the decisions. You decide.

Theatrical Thursday 2013

This was a very popular blog post last year so I thought I would give y'all a try in the roll of director. I have some very definite ideas myself so read  below and let's see how you would do.

This may be our last opportunity to talk about The Giver on the blog. There are a few possible endings. I guess it depends if you are an optimist or a realist. We will definitely discuss the ending possibilities in class. I think some of you will be shocked at the ending as described by many of the realists in the group.

If you research Lois Lowry's website, you can read some of her answers to questions posed by students about the ending. She is very evasive, indeed. Feel free to check it out. Here's the link.

http://www.loislowry.com/ Retype if it does not post as a link. :(

Now it's time to get down to work for today. I have a very interesting reason why I decided to post this page on Theatrical Thursday. Imagine....you are the director of the new movie, The Giver. How would you cast the characters? Here are some possibilities as I see them:



Paul Newman as THE GIVER   Reese Witherspoon as Rosemary Chord Overstreet as Jonas Isla Fisher as Fiona Brian Jones as Asher
and introducing Jeremy James as baby Gabriel




So what do you think of my cast of characters so far? Now it's your turn. Explain who you would choose to play the most important cast of characters in the movie version of The Giver. If you would like to cast the entire movie with characters played by your peers or others from the Brackman School, go right ahead. I am curious to see how you do as a director.
For some extra credit print pictures of your cast of characters and create a movie poster to show the class. Have fun!