2014 8th Grade Anthology Project Outstanding stories from Mrs. Davis’s Class

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2014 8th Grade Anthology Project: Outstanding Stories from Mrs. Davis’s Class

A collection of writing byMrs. Davis’s 8th grade English class

Davis PublicationsHuntsville, ARFriday, May 23, 2014

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Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 7

Part I: The fine print

ITEMS TO INCLUDE 9

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Part II: Your Anthology

TYPING INSTRUCTIONS 11

Part III: Receive 200 points

PROJECT POINTS 13ANTHOLOGY RUBRIC 14

Part Iv: Editing

QUICKWRITE REVISION FORM 16REVISION CHECKLIST 17PEER EDITING FORM 18

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSI am grateful to all of my 2013-2014 8th grade HMS English students who made this project possible. You all mean so much to me. What a wonderful school year we have had!

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Part I

The Fine Print(Biographical Sketches will be entered here.)

8th Grade Anthology Project DUE MAY 23, 2014!

The fine print:

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You are going to create your own anthology of writing. You are the author, editor, and publisher of this anthology—the person who writes the texts, puts the book together, and presents it. This assignment will help you look closely at your own writing and learn about the tools editors use to help readers see images and convey ideas in a written work. You will also use your research skills to gather knowledge from other anthologies and select illustrations from any source—greeting cards, calendars, magazines, etc. Your anthology will be a personal collection that expresses your unique personality and taste. This is not a one-night project. It is a process of reading and choosing, of preparing to create a collection that reflects who you are. Have fun with it!

Your anthology must include: A cover, designed by you, with the title of your anthology, your name, and cover

artwork. Be prepared to use your work from Mr. Taylor’s art class! A title page with the title, author, publisher (make up a name for your

publisher), the place published (Huntsville, Arkansas), and the date of publication (due date).

A table of contents, Divide your contents into three parts, then list each story included in that part and the page number it can be found. This may be best to complete last when you know how many pages you will have.

Page numbers must be in the lower right corner or middle of all pages following the table of contents.

Dedication. The dedication is an acknowledgement to or for whom the book was created. Sometimes the dedication offers a few words of thanks. This should be 2-3 sentences but no longer than 6-7 sentences.

Author Pages. This is your written work taken from any writing assignment given in English Class this year. Each entry should be one full page double spaced (poetry is an exception).

o You will divide your anthology into three parts (much like Travels with Charley).

o Include at least four written pieces for each part (However, each part can be divided into more or less than four to fit your needs). Consider decorating some of your pages with drawings, images, or photographs that fit the tone and theme of your work. You should have a minimum of 12 written works within your anthology!

3 Biographical Sketches—Writers often write from their life experiences. Knowing about the life of a writer can help you to understand a text in a deeper way.

o For each of the three parts in your anthology, you will write a short biographical sketch of 5-7 sentences—tell a little about what inspired your written pieces.

o Each divided part should reflect a different side of your personality and your short bio should introduce the reader to that part of you.

Bibliography. If you refer to sources that are not your original thoughts, you will need to consider adding this.

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Part II

Your Anthology

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Typing Guidelines

1. Your anthology should be a minimum of 19 pages in total (from cover to bibliography).

2. Font size should be 12 points. However, font style is up to you. Choose wisely! It should be easy for your readers to read.

Issuu will not upload all fonts.3. Include titles for all written work and title each of the three parts in

your anthology. Titles should stand out, so font size should be larger than 12

points (do not get too carried away), and titles should be centered on the page. Suggested font size is 18 or 20.

4. The start of every new story should begin a new page.5. If you want a clean look to your author pages, try aligning the text by

using the justify option.6. Do not forget to include page numbers!7.Save your draft as your first and last name. This will help me

separate your anthology from others. Example: FirstLast.doc

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Part III

Receive 200 Points!

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DUE FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2014LATE WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT A VALID DOCTOR’S EXCUSE OR DEATH IN YOUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY. IF YOU WILL NOT BE HERE ON MAY 23 rd ,

IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO TURN IN YOUR PROJECT EARLY . Your anthology will be typed and generated as an Electronic Book or eBook. You will produce your eBook in word processor and publish online using Issuu -- http://issuu.com. We will publish our anthologies on May 23, 2014. Upload instructions will be provided to you that day.

You will receive a 200 point test grade based on this project (see rubric page 14):

100 point grade for your “Author Pages.” Follow the guidelines as given on page 8 of this packet.

50 point grade for your “Biographical Sketches.” Follow the directions given. 50 point grade for formatting—does your anthology include a cover, a title page,

a table of contents, a bibliography, etc.?We will be using the computer lab to help you finish the project. We will also spend time working on it in the classroom. If you have additional computer time in other classes or at home, I encourage you to use it to improve your anthology.The writing you choose must not contain offensive language. If you cannot say it out loud in the classroom, it should not be in your anthology. If you have any questions about this, see me.I am here to help you. Please ask me any questions you may have on or before Thursday, May 22nd. I want you to be successful with this project. This can be fun if you let it! We will have snacks and share the anthologies in class on May 26th.

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How you will be graded (the breakdown):

Anthology 200 Points

8th Grade Poetry ProjectAuthor Pages – 100 ptsThe best 12 out of the 44 writing assignments were submitted (25) _______Each piece of student writing is in proper structure without any majorgrammatical errors and extends beyond just a paragraph (50) _______Each piece of student writing shows skill development throughout the year (25) _______ (i.e. each piece has been edited, shows plot development, is well thought out, etc.)

Biographical Sketches – 50 PtsThe anthology has been divided into 3 sections, each introduced by a biographical _______sketch and containing roughly 4 stories per section (15)Each biographical sketch is thoroughly explained in 5 or more sentences (20) _______Each piece of writing relates to the biographical sketch that introduces the section (15) _______

Format – 50 PtsThe anthology is organized in proper order (10) _______(i.e., cover, title page, table of contents, acknowledgements, Bio sketch, author pages)The anthology includes all of the required elements:

Cover Image (5) _______Title Pages (5) _______Table of Contents (10) _______Acknowledgements/Dedication (10) _______Page Numbers at bottom of each page (5) _______Each Section is Titled(5) _______

Total _______

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Part IV

Editing

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Name: _________________________Date: _____________ Class: _____

Quickwrite Revision FormUse this form for each piece of writing you choose to include. Read through what you have written, check off the box next to each question, and write a brief comment that will help improve your work. Underlining and changes are permitted on your original work.

Yes

No Comment

1. Do sentences vary in length?

2. Are paragraphs used to organize information?

3. Is the main idea clear, with a sense of purpose?

4. Is information placed in logical order?

5. Is there enough supporting evidence?

6. Does the writer stay on topic?

7. Is the writing interesting?

8. Is the word choice appropriate?

9. Does each sentence begin with a capital letter?

10. Does each sentence end with proper punctuation?

11. Is each sentence a complete thought?

12. Are there any spelling errors?

13. Are plurals and possessives correct?

14. Are quotation marks used correctly?

15. Is the conclusion effective and relevant?

Other Comments:

Quickwrites reviewed:

1____ 2____ 3____ 4____ 5____ 6____ 7____ 8____ 9____ 10____ 11____12____ 13____ 14____ 15____ Additional:

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Author: _________________________Peer editor: _________________________

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Revision Checklist• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • •YOU PEER

Sentences: YES or NO?_____ All sentences focus on one thought. __________ Sentences vary in length and some are descriptive. __________ All sentences have correct punctuation. _____

Paragraphs: YES or NO?_____ Each paragraph focuses on one idea or topic. _____

_____ Each paragraph has a beginning sentence, sentences _____with supporting details, and a concluding sentence.

_____ Transitional words have been used where appropriate. __________ All paragraphs have correct punctuation. _____

My Descriptive Writing: YES or NO?_____ Utilizes action verbs in a consistent tense (underline in blue).__________ Includes figurative language (underline in red). _____

_____ Incorporates sensory detail appropriately. __________ You can clearly point out the writer’s big ideas. __________ Is the significance of examples or quotes clearly enough _____

explained?

Spelling: YES or NO?_____ All spelling is correct and I have checked with a dictionary. __________ I have used a Thesaurus to vary my word choices. _____

Grammar: YES or NO?_____ I have used the correct subject-verb agreement. _____

_____ I have used the correct pronouns. __________ I have used tenses correctly. _____

Overall: YES or NO?_____ Are paragraphs in the correct order? _____

_____ Is the point of view clear and focused? __________ Do you lose track of the organization of ideas at any time? __________ Is the inclusion of a bibliography necessary? _____

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Final Peer Editing for Anthology Project Peer Editor: _______________________ Author of Anthology: ________________________

Use the following questions to edit your peer’s electronic project. Provide any necessary feedback that may help improve the eBook. If any of the answers are no, the student MUST correct these in order to submit the best possible project.1. Does the project have a cover page that includes the student’s name, title of project, and

artwork?

2. Is there a title page that includes title, author, and publishing information (publisher name, place, and date)? Are all pages numbered?

3. Does the project have a table of contents that lists the written works along with page numbers?

4. Does the project include a dedication?

5. Is the anthology divided into three parts? Does the project include biographical sketches associated to the parts of the anthology?

6. Does the collection have 15 pieces of original written work (5 per section)?

7. Does each part focus on the following:a. The personality of the authorb. The mood described in the biographical sketchc. The author’s best written efforts

8. Is the layout of the project visually appealing and neat? Should anything be added to make this a publishable product?

9. Review the grammar and mechanics of each biographical sketch. Mark needed changes directly on the author’s written pages.

10.What overall reaction do you have to the student’s ideas and choices? How can this presentation be improved?

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Follow these simple instructions and you will all receive an A+!

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The End

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