7B Writing and Reading

Lone Star Project

A Scrapbook Journal of Early Texas

 

This journal will be an historical fiction writing project in which you will accurately portray the life of your character as well as the unique period in Texas history which you have been studying.  Your journal will be a facsimile, an exact copy or reproduction, of a journal that would have been written during the early years of settling Texas, 1821 to the 1860s.

 Your scrapbook journal should reveal the following details.

·        Time, place, atmosphere in which you are writing

 ·        Age, occupation, race, social class, level of education, family situation, the way of life,  and any other details which define your character

·        Living conditions, including type and location of the home:  in or near a town, on a farm or ranch in a remote area

·        Details about the geographic area in which you live and work, including information about rivers, soil conditions, weather conditions, events in nature, details about crops, cattle, horses, wild animals

 ·        Details about the political situation in this period of Texas history and how it impacts your life, including issues of land ownership, wars, relations with Native Americans and other indigenous peoples

 The entries in this journal should be one page in length, minimum 200 words, and should cover a period of years so that you and your readers can envision the full scope of life during this exciting and historically important period of our Texas history. Remember that you are writing with a specific setting and time period in mind, and your journal should reflect that period in both content and appearance.

For example, the journal itself should appear to be old, and it should be either hand-written, if your handwriting can remain legible and excellent for many pages, or typed in a font that looks appropriate for the period. Your journal will also include items one might find in a scrapbook.  These items will reflect the years of Texas history you have chosen for your setting and will enrich the story you are telling.  Your job is to make this period of Texas history come to life with fascinating journal entries and memorabilia.

You should remember that early Texans did not own colored markers, colored paper, lined note paper, crayons, and gel pens.  You will use black ink, regular pencils, and colored pencils to write, make sketches, diagrams, lists, and other visual aids that accompany your entries.  Use only black ink if you type your journal.  Please discuss the font with me first.  It should be easily readable.

 Your journal will have:

 ·        Appropriate look for the time period.  Do not buy your journal.  There are many creative ways of assembling pages with a cover that not only look authentic, but also are much less expensive

 ·        A title page revealing your character’s name, time period covered, and any other information that identifies this character

 ·        One page or more in which your character introduces herself or himself in this period of time

 ·        20 entries, 200 words, minimum, dated over a period of years

 ·        Each journal entry must have a related visual aid that pertains to the topic you are discussing.

Required Visual Aids:

* 1 or more sketches, diagrams, lists, maps, household record of expenses, or business accounts

* 1 old fashioned recipe or method of cooking

* 1 letter

* 1 news article about an event in Texas that treats the chosen event as breaking news; it should be written like a news article, minimum 100 words

* 1 obituary

* 1 first person account of a significant historical event

* 1 advertisement for clothing, farm implements, weapons, livestock, etc.

* 1 political cartoon

* 12 visual aids for the remaining entries, such as sketches, pressed flowers, herbal remedies and medicines, quilt patterns, cloth swatches, gardening advice, etc.

 

 

Writing Units

Reading Units

Within the format of Reading/Writing workshop, students will read widely from books of their choice and will use the Reader’s Notebook to explore and develop ideas about their reading.  They will learn to use text evidence to support their ideas in writing and also in discussion.  In writing students will learn and use the writing process to produce finished pieces of writing in various forms and for different purposes. Such writing work will teach students to clarify, support, and communicate their ideas.  Final Copy Quality will be required for each finished piece submitted for a grade. 

 

I will be available after school on Tuesdays for tutoring, answering questions, and helping with specific problems.  Tutoring is not to be confused with study lab or used as a place to sit and do homework.

 

Please email me with any questions.