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Mr. Brubaker’s 9th Grade Blizzard Bag Activities
1. Day #1a. Write a Family Biography b. Prepare to Present to Classc. Include Pictures
2. Day #2a. Outline for Better Reportsb. Complete Outline Practicec. Write an outline for a report on your favorite celebrity
3. Day #3a. Avib. Complete Work Listed
Day 1
Write a Family Biography By Brenda B. Covert
1 A biography is a life story. It's written by someone other than the subject; the subject is normally one spaced pages. Choose a family and list the family name here.
3 What will you write about? Not the ordinary individual. A family biography is a bit different. It features more people, all related in some way. It will tell about events that happened to the family. It will share details about family life. 2 Your assignment is to choose a family and write a biography. It may be your family or a family that you admire. You need to be able to speak to family members to gather information for your paper! While biographies are often book-length, you won't be expected to write with that much depth and detail. You should write no more than 7 double-, everyday sorts of things that everyone experiences. Your family biography needs to have a focus. What's different or unusual about this family's life? Do funny things happen to them? Do sad things happen to them? Do they go all out to celebrate a holiday? Is there a hobby that all members of the family participate in? Has a war affected them? Perhaps the way the group became a family - unusual weddings, adoption - would make an interesting story. 4 Start making a list of activities or events involving the family that you think you might cover. Then speak to some of the family members to get their thoughts about your focus. They can probably give you some good advice. Listen, and then decide what your focus will be. List five ideas. Circle the one you decide to use.
5 Once you have made your choice, you need to decide which family members to include in your story. Will it be immediate family only, or do you plan to include grandparents or cousins? The more people you include, the longer your paper may be. However, you don't want to leave out anyone who is important to the story of the family! If you choose to write about Thanksgiving, and every Thanksgiving is spent at Grandma's house, then you must include Grandma in the story! List the relatives that you plan to include here.
6 Next, you need to talk to family members. Ask them to tell you about their experiences involving the focus. If you are writing about your own family, find out if your memories are similar or different to the memories of your parents, siblings, or other relatives. Ask how they felt! Readers want to learn what it's like to experience different things. Who will you speak with? List their names here.
7 After you have written the family biography, check your facts. Ask someone in the family to verify the dates, times, and places that your paper mentions. Make sure names are spelled correctly and that you haven't attributed an action or statement to the wrong person. List the name of the individual who helped you check your facts.
8 What will you do with your assignment after your teacher grades it? Perhaps you will make corrections. Not only will that help you to learn from your mistakes,
but it will also give you a better copy of the biography. Maybe the family that you wrote about would like to receive a copy!
Day 2
Outlines for Better Reports By Brenda B. Covert
1 You may have suspected that people can write reports without creating an outline first. That's true; it is done. However, a good report without an outline could be a better report with an outline. An outline helps us organize our facts on paper. It is a tool that, once mastered, may come in handy for future assignments or careers. 2 Outlines aren't required only for class reports; they are often required for high school and college speech classes as well. Public speakers often use outlines to keep from rambling when they give talks at meetings or seminars. Many writers use outlines for works in progress such as novels and biographies. An outline is an organizational tool that can help even the most scatterbrained person pull together a first class report! 3 If a report were an animal, the outline would be its skeleton. If it were a house, the outline would be its frame. If it were a video game, the outline would be its game engine. If it were a piñata, the outline would be the balloon underneath the papier maché. 4 An outline contains three main parts: an introduction, the body, and a conclusion. Part of the organizing process involves using Roman numerals (I, II, III), letters from the alphabet (A, B, C), and sometimes Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). Those are used in the body alone. The introduction and the concluding paragraph shouldn't be numbered. The Roman numerals identify the main points/topics/headings. The letters identify the subpoints (or subtopics or subheadings). If Arabic numerals are used, they identify the details of the subpoints. Whether a source calls them points, topics, or headings, they all refer to the same thing, so don't let that confuse you. The rule to remember is that each point and subpoint must have at least two parts. It is common to have three main points with two or three subpoints under each main point. 5 There are two types of outlines: the topic outline and the sentence outline. You can choose to design your outline with either brief phrases or whole sentences, but not both in the same outline. For example, if you were to write about a teen celebrity's life, the first draft of your topic outline might look something like this: 6 Outline: Teen Celebrity
IntroductionI. Early ChildhoodII. Rise to StardomIII. Current Projects
Conclusion
7 The first draft of your sentence outline might look like this: 8 Outline: Ms. Teen Celebrity
IntroductionI. Ms. Celebrity was born and raised in a small town in Ohio.II. Ms. Celebrity won a talent competition and gained national exposure.III. Ms. Celebrity recently released her third album and is on a world tour.
Conclusion
9 You may have noticed that the introduction and conclusion sections don't share information with us. That is fine. When you write your report, your introduction's job is to capture the reader's interest with your topic. The conclusion will tie in with your introduction; it will also explain the significance of the report's findings. However, your outline will reveal only the key points of your report. The facts and details, as well as the introduction and conclusion, are set aside for use in the report itself. 10 Let's work through the building of an outline together. My topic will be "Piñatas." You can choose from the following list of topics. (Caution: you may need to do some research.) Circle your choice. 11
Poison Dart Frogs The Creation of Video Games The History of Cosmetics (an Associated Press news release shared the
recent discovery near the Dead Sea of a 2,500 year old makeup kit. Now, that's history!)
12 Our first task is to make a list of main points. That will be the first draft of our outline. Get a clean sheet of paper. Begin with the word Outline followed by a colon and the name of your topic. Underneath that, indent and write the word Introduction. 13 Outline: The Piñata
Introduction 14 For the body of the outline, choose three to six main points that your imaginary report will cover. (Did I mention that you don't have to write the report? This is a lesson on creating outlines only. Of course, if you decide to write the report upon completing the outline, perhaps your teacher will give you extra credit.) Remember to use Roman numerals for your main points. 15 Outline: The Piñata
IntroductionI. Origin of piñatasII. Symbolism in piñatasIII. Materials that form piñatasIV. Occasions for having piñatas
16 Last of all, tack the word Conclusion to the end of your outline. 17 Outline: The Piñata
IntroductionI. Origin of piñatasII. Symbolism in piñatasIII. Materials that form piñatasIV. Occasions for having piñatas
Conclusion
18 Now that we've fashioned a first draft of our outline, we can go back and add subpoints under each main point. You may have been able to create a list of main points without relying on research. However, to be able to include subpoints, you may need to do some reading on the subject. Subpoints are listed with capital letters. Remember, each main point should have at least two subpoints. If you have a main point that has no subpoints, it may not be strong enough to work as a main point. 19 Outline: The Piñata Introduction
I. Origin of piñatas A. Created by natives of Mexico B. Originally made from clay in the form of gods C. Used as a teaching tool by early missionariesII. Symbolism in piñatas A. Blindfold - blind faith
B. Piñata - hope and charity C. Stick - virtue D. Treats - reward for virtueIII. Materials that form piñatas A. Cardboard boxes and tissue paper B. Balloons, newspaper, flour paste, paint, tissue paperIV. Occasions for having piñatas A. Christmas festivities B. Birthday parties Conclusion
20 If you want to remember which facts to include in your subpoints, you may want to add them now. To save space and time, I'll illustrate only the third point of my outline.
21 III. Materials that form piñatas A. Cardboard boxes and tissue paper B. Balloons, newspaper, flour paste, paint, tissue paper 1. Best type of balloon 2. Newspaper torn into narrow strips 3. Flour paste recipe
22 How are you coming along with your outline? Did you notice that my example is a topic outline? Which type did you create; a topic or a sentence outline? Look it over and make any needed changes. Make sure you included periods after the numbering.
23 Another way to practice writing outlines is to read an article written by someone else and work up an outline based on it. It's a good exercise in outline writing that doesn't involve research.
Day 3
Avi By Jamie Kee
1 Avi, who received his name from his twin sister when he was a just a year old, is an American writer who enjoys telling various types of stories such as adventures, mysteries, comedies, and fantasies. He also likes to use many different genres. Avi's books are written for children of all ages, from picture books and early readers to young adult fiction. Avi has written over sixty books. Although his novels cover a wide range of styles, one thing is common in all his books. They all offer pleasure or enjoyment, even for reluctant readers. 2 Avi was born on December 23, 1937, in New York City, but he was raised in Brooklyn. It's unclear why his twin sister chose Avi when she named her brother, but it's the only name he uses now. Growing up in Brooklyn, Avi's father was a doctor, and his mother was a social worker. Reading was important to his family, and every night his parents read to him. It was a routine for the family to go to the library every Friday, and Avi remembers receiving one or more books on his birthdays. As a young child, he had many books, and he always enjoyed reading. Even now, reading is a pleasure to Avi. 3 As a child, school was difficult for Avi. He was in the same class as his twin sister until the eighth grade, and he never liked that. His older brother was thought to be a genius and even started college at the age of fifteen. Avi's sister was smart, too. That put pressure on him because he was different from his siblings. Even though Avi was an intelligent child and loved to read, he was a poor writer. Teachers told him that his writing made no sense. He was also different because he would rather read and play imagination games while the others boys played sports. By the time Avi reached high school, he was failing his classes, so his parents put him into a small school that focused specifically on writing and reading. He also received extra tutoring. It was eventually discovered that Avi has a learning disability known as dysgraphia. 4 No one expected Avi to become a writer, but once he received help when he was seventeen, Avi became determined to be a writer. He wanted to prove to everyone that he could do it, especially since writing was important to his family and school. Avi first began writing plays, but many of them were terrible. When his oldest son Shaun was born, Avi decided to start writing for children. From that point on, he never wrote for anyone except children. 5 Avi, whose real name he prefers not to reveal, worked as a librarian for many years at the New York Public Library and Trenton State College in New Jersey. Books were and still are very important to him, and he's always had them around him since childhood. Avi wrote his first book in 1970, Things That Sometimes Happen. Some of his other stories written in the 1970s are No More Magic (1975), Emily Upham's Revenge (1978), and Night Journeys (1979). In the 1980s, Avi wrote thirteen books, a few of which are Captain Grey (1980), Devil's Race (1984), Romeo and Juliet, Together (And Alive!) At Last (1987), Sometimes I Think I Hear My Name (1982), and The Man Who Was Poe (1989).
6 The 1990s proved to be a successful time for Avi. During this decade he wrote over fifteen books and earned numerous recognitions. Some of Avi's books produced in the 1990s are Punch With Judy (1993), Abigail Takes the Wheel (1999), Bright Shadow (1998), City of Light, City of Dark (1993), Midnight Magic (1999), Poppy (1998), Ragweed (1999), and Windcatcher (1991). Two of Avi's books during this decade that won the Newbery Medal are True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and Nothing But the Truth. True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, published in 1990, is about a thirteen-year-old girl leaving her school in England and returning home to her family aboard a ship. She gets caught up in a feud between the captain and crew. Ultimately, this results in her being found guilty of murder. Nothing But the Truth, Avi's 1991 book, is written through journal entries, memos, letters, and dialogue. This book looks at high school politics and how the truth can become distorted very easily. 7 Avi's success continued into the 21st century. His fiftieth book, Crispin: The Cross of Lead (2002), earned him a Newbery Medal in 2003. He followed this book up with a sequel in 2006 called Crispin at the Edge of the World. The original award winning book tells of a thirteen-year-old boy unaware of whom he is or where he comes from, yet he is being pursued and must find out why. In the sequel, having discovered his name, Crispin, with the help of Bear, works to learn the secret of his full identity. Then Crispin and Bear set off to live their lives as free men. Some of the other Avi books published in the 21st century are Don't You Know There's a War On? (2001), Never Mind (2004), Silent Movie (2003), Strange Happenings (2005), The Book Without Words (2005), and The End of the Beginning (2004). 8 Some of Avi's most recent books are Iron Thunder(2007), The Traitors' Gate (2007), and The Seer of Shadows (2008). Iron Thunder is an historical adventure about thirteen-year-old Tom Carroll whose father is killed while fighting for the Union during the Civil War. After his father's death, he must take a job to help support his family. In the historical mystery, The Traitors' Gate, fourteen-year-old John, whose father is sentenced to London's Whitecross Street Prison, must discover the traitor on the loose, but there are many people to investigate. The Seer of Shadows, which falls under the category of mystery ghosts, is about a ghost who must be kept from carrying out a horrifying revenge. During his career, Avi received numerous awards and recognitions such as the Newbery Honor Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Best Book of the Year by the British Book Council, the Randolph Caldecott Award, the Christopher Award, and the O'Dell Award. 9 As a student, Avi was told he wrote poorly and was often considered inattentive and sloppy, but ultimately his learning disability was discovered. His mother and a high school teacher encouraged him and had faith in him. In an effort to become a writer, Avi has faced and overcome numerous obstacles. Now as an award-winning author, Avi visits schools in order to encourage reading. He welcomes the opportunity to visit with learning disabled students because of his own experiences as a student. Avi believes that reading is the key to writing, and the more you read, the better you can write. According to Avi, "I want my readers to feel, to think, sometimes to laugh. But most of all I want them to enjoy a good read."
Copyright © 2013 edHelper
Name _____________________________ Date ___________________
Avi1. Which of Avi's historical fiction novels is
set during the Civil War? The Seer of Shadows The Traitors' Gate Ragweed Iron Thunder
2. What learning disability does Avi have? Dysgraphia Dyscalculia Dyslexia Dyspraxia
3. Which novel earned Avi a Newbery Medal?
Crispin: The Cross of Lead True Confessions of Charlotte
Doyle Nothing But the Truth All of the above
4. Which novel is about a girl who is convicted of murder when she travels home by ship?
Don't You Know There's a War On?
The Seer of Shadows Captain Grey True Confessions of Charlotte
Doyle5. Avi writes books for whom?
Adults only Children of all ages Young children Women
6. According to Avi, what is the key to writing?
Writing lots of letters Lots of reading Taking a professional writing
class Writing a practice book
7. Which of Avi's books is written through journal entries, dialogue, letters, and memos?
Abigail Takes the Wheel The Traitors' Gate Nothing But the Truth Iron Thunder
8. Where did Avi get his penname?
Name _____________________________ Date ___________________
AviDo research on the learning disability known as dysgraphia. Then write a report sharing your findings.
Name _____________________________ Date ___________________
AviWhat is your weakest subject? What have your parents and teachers told you about your abilities? What do you think about your abilities? Write your response in an essay.
Avi By Jamie Kee
poorly fiction although whomsuccess decade fiftieth careerhistorical unclear writer numerousnovels dialogue identity
Directions: Fill in each blank with the word that best completes the reading comprehension.
Avi, who received his name from his twin sister when he was a just a year old, is an American writer who enjoys telling various types of stories such as adventures, mysteries, comedies, and fantasies. He also likes to use many different genres. Avi's books are written for children of all ages, from picture books and early readers to young adult (1) _______________________ . Avi has written over sixty books. (2) _______________________ his (3) _______________________ cover a wide range of styles, one thing is common in all his books. They all offer pleasure or enjoyment, even for reluctant readers. Avi was born on December 23, 1937, in New York City, but he was raised in Brooklyn. It's (4) _______________________ why his twin sister chose Avi when she named her brother, but it's the only name he uses now. Growing up in Brooklyn, Avi's father was a doctor, and his mother was a social worker. Reading was important to his family, and every night his parents read to him. It was a routine for the family to go to the library every Friday, and Avi remembers receiving one or more books on his birthdays. As a young child, he had many books, and he always enjoyed reading. Even now, reading is a pleasure to Avi. As a child, school was difficult for Avi. He was in the same class as his twin sister until the eighth grade, and he never liked that. His older brother was thought to be a genius and even started college at the age of fifteen. Avi's sister was smart, too. That put pressure on him because he was different from his siblings. Even though Avi was an intelligent child and loved to read, he was a poor writer. Teachers told him that his writing made no sense. He was also different because he would rather read and play imagination games while the others boys played sports. By the time Avi reached high school, he was failing his classes, so his parents put him into a small school that focused specifically on writing and reading. He also received extra tutoring. It was eventually discovered that Avi has a learning disability known as dysgraphia. No one expected Avi to become a writer, but once he received help when he was seventeen, Avi became determined to be a writer. He wanted to prove to everyone that he could do it, especially since writing was important to his family and school. Avi first began writing plays, but many of them were terrible. When his oldest son Shaun was born, Avi decided to start writing for children. From that point on, he never wrote for anyone except children. Avi, whose real name he prefers not to reveal, worked as a librarian for many years at the
New York Public Library and Trenton State College in New Jersey. Books were and still are very important to him, and he's always had them around him since childhood. Avi wrote his first book in 1970, Things That Sometimes Happen. Some of his other stories written in the 1970s are No More Magic (1975), Emily Upham's Revenge (1978), and Night Journeys (1979). In the 1980s, Avi wrote thirteen books, a few of which are Captain Grey (1980), Devil's Race (1984), Romeo and Juliet, Together (And Alive!) At Last (1987), Sometimes I Think I Hear My Name (1982), and The Man Who Was Poe (1989). The 1990s proved to be a successful time for Avi. During this decade he wrote over fifteen books and earned (5) _______________________ recognitions. Some of Avi's books produced in the 1990s are Punch With Judy (1993), Abigail Takes the Wheel (1999), Bright Shadow (1998), City of Light, City of Dark (1993), Midnight Magic (1999), Poppy (1998), Ragweed (1999), and Windcatcher (1991). Two of Avi's books during this (6) _______________________ that won the Newbery Medal are True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and Nothing But the Truth. True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, published in 1990, is about a thirteen-year-old girl leaving her school in England and returning home to her family aboard a ship. She gets caught up in a feud between the captain and crew. Ultimately, this results in her being found guilty of murder. Nothing But the Truth, Avi's 1991 book, is written through journal entries, memos, letters, and (7) _______________________ . This book looks at high school politics and how the truth can become distorted very easily. Avi's (8) _______________________ continued into the 21st century. His (9) _______________________ book, Crispin: The Cross of Lead (2002), earned him a Newbery Medal in 2003. He followed this book up with a sequel in 2006 called Crispin at the Edge of the World. The original award winning book tells of a thirteen-year-old boy unaware of (10) _______________________ he is or where he comes from, yet he is being pursued and must find out why. In the sequel, having discovered his name, Crispin, with the help of Bear, works to learn the secret of his full (11) _______________________ . Then Crispin and Bear set off to live their lives as free men. Some of the other Avi books published in the 21st century are Don't You Know There's a War On? (2001), Never Mind (2004), Silent Movie (2003), Strange Happenings (2005), The Book Without Words (2005), and The End of the Beginning (2004). Some of Avi's most recent books are Iron Thunder(2007), The Traitors' Gate (2007), and The Seer of Shadows (2008). Iron Thunder is an (12) _______________________ adventure about thirteen-year-old Tom Carroll whose father is killed while fighting for the Union during the Civil War. After his father's death, he must take a job to help support his family. In the historical mystery, The Traitors' Gate, fourteen-year-old John, whose father is sentenced to London's Whitecross Street Prison, must discover the traitor on the loose, but there are many people to investigate. The Seer of Shadows, which falls under the category of mystery ghosts, is about a ghost who must be kept from carrying out a horrifying revenge. During his (13) _______________________ , Avi received numerous awards and recognitions such as the Newbery Honor Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Best Book of the Year by the British Book Council, the Randolph Caldecott Award, the Christopher Award, and the O'Dell Award. As a student, Avi was told he wrote (14) _______________________ and was often considered inattentive and sloppy, but ultimately his learning disability was discovered. His mother and a high school teacher encouraged him and had faith in him. In an effort to become a (15) _______________________ , Avi has faced and overcome numerous obstacles. Now as an
award-winning author, Avi visits schools in order to encourage reading. He welcomes the opportunity to visit with learning disabled students because of his own experiences as a student. Avi believes that reading is the key to writing, and the more you read, the better you can write. According to Avi, "I want my readers to feel, to think, sometimes to laugh. But most of all I want them to enjoy a good read."
Copyright © 2013 edHelper
Name _____________________________ Date ___________________
Avi1. Which of Avi's historical fiction novels is
set during the Civil War? Iron Thunder The Traitors' Gate The Seer of Shadows Ragweed
2. What learning disability does Avi have? Dyslexia Dysgraphia Dyscalculia Dyspraxia
3. Which novel earned Avi a Newbery Medal?
Crispin: The Cross of Lead True Confessions of Charlotte
Doyle Nothing But the Truth All of the above
4. Which novel is about a girl who is convicted of murder when she travels home by ship?
Captain Grey True Confessions of Charlotte
Doyle Don't You Know There's a War
On? The Seer of Shadows
5. Avi writes books for whom? Young children Children of all ages Women Adults only
6. According to Avi, what is the key to writing?
Writing a practice book Lots of reading Writing lots of letters Taking a professional writing
class7. Which of Avi's books is written through
journal entries, dialogue, letters, and memos?
Abigail Takes the Wheel Iron Thunder The Traitors' Gate Nothing But the Truth
8. Where did Avi get his penname?
