writing – Assignment Bank

Ten Seconds of Thanks: Jimmy McNulty Style

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So, for my second assignment, I chose a writing assignment. I was scrolling through them and none of them caught my eye. But then I saw the 10 seconds of thanks one. I liked the fact that I could do it from Jimmy’s point of view, especially since in episode 13 he had a lot to be thankful for. Here is my list of what Jimmy had to be thankful for in Season 1, Episode 13:

-Kima is awake!/didn’t die

-D is giving us all kinds of information

-Bubbs calling me McNutty

-We got Wee Bey really easily

-I didn’t tell Rawls where I didn’t want to go

-We got most of the Barksdale people arrested

I figure this one is pretty self-explanatory. There really was no method besides going through my notes and typing this stuff into Word and then copying and pasting it here. So it took me longer than 10 seconds…I’m not Jimmy so I needed a bit of extra time there. But I figured he could write this list in 10 seconds, so I would call it a success.

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Rated R

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The Wire (9-10 p.m., HBO)

R-Two gangs wage war on a chessboard set in the streets of a post-apocalyptic city where it constantly snows, and the kings sit unharmed in their thrones atop mountains.

This writing assignment was to “Take an existing movie or television show and change the writing of the synopsis in a way where it’s still factual correct, yet the storyline feels drastically different.” I decided to relate it to the Wire and come up with a witty and almost poetic alternative description of the show that implies more than it says. I wanted to keep it short and keep it simple on the outside, while implying much more within the wording.

The two gangs represent the cops and drug dealing sides, while the chessboard is both a nod to the game so often discussed in the show and the drug war itself. Baltimore is the city, but I wrote “post-apocalyptic” in reference to McNulty saying “West Baltimore is dying” and the run-down picture we get from Simon of the town. I wanted to somehow reference the drugs themselves and decided on snow as a representation of the drugs that are constantly distributed all over the city.

The most important part to depict of the Wire in my mind is the hierarchy of the war. In my old-age sort of description of the Wire, I tried to show the workers down on the ground, while the people who run the cops and drug dealers sit “atop mountains” of money and ignorant of the harm they cause. I wanted to show the distinction of the people we hardly see in the show, but seem to hold most of the power in the cop world, as well as Stringer and Avon in the drug world.

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Poem Made with The Wire Episode Titles

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For my second assignment, I decided to do this writing assignment, but use episode titles from The Wire instead. I looked up all the titles on IMDB, wrote them down on pieces of paper, and then organized the pieces of paper to make the poem. The only thing I added was punctuation (, : . & ‘).

While the poem is largely nonsensical, I think the words set a tone for the work and some of the reoccurring topics like school, storms, and water hint at the focus or themes present in various seasons’ plot lines. I decided to link each episode title to its IMDB page, just so anyone reading could see how the titles were put together and also look up episodes of interest to them.

Even if this poem is largely nonsensical, the process of trying to put all the pieces together and make them fit was really interesting. In some ways, it mirrors the police work done to figure out how the drug ring works. Also, seeing some of these titles has me super stoked for and curious about these forthcoming episodes.

The writing process: All the episodes put together to make a poem.

The writing process: All the episodes put together on my bedroom floor to make a poem.

-30-

All prologue:

a new day, soft eyes.

Boys of summer backwash lessons,

the cost more with less misgivings, storm warnings.

Time after time: stray rounds, collateral damage.

Know your place, corner boys, straight and true:

the pager & the buys.

Game day, hot shots, duck and cover:

Slapstick transitions,

bad dreams,

ebb tide.

Cleaning up Hamsterdam Port in a storm,

middle ground moral midgetry

took the Dickensian aspect.

Old cases, hard cases unconfirmed, reports the wire.

Not for attribution unto others the hunt

that’s got his own home rooms

sentencing the target.

The detail undertow late editions:

margin of error & clarifications.

Back burners react, quotes alliances.

All due respect, dead soldiers‘ homecoming

& one arrest.

Refugees & reformation: final grades,

Mission accomplished.

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Table for One – FanFic Assignment

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“Table for one, please.” He says in a crowded Saturday morning where all the hungover kids scarf down their breakfast in an attempt to calm their stomachs.

Kevin Reowl’s six foot frame follows the waitress to the table and slides into the seat and stares at the other chair across from him. She hands him the menu and places a neatly wrapped fork, spoon, and knife beside him. “Anything to drink?”

“Water for now.” He says and opens his menu, green eyes lazily scanning the pages. He hated waffles and eggs and skillets. He just liked bacon and the odd orange juice. He’s kept one ear piece in and the other dangles around his neck. He’s supposed to, though. That was the plan. Go in, scope it out, and leave.

Kevin Reowl takes his position seriously. He works for someone who knows exactly when targets will be arriving at certain places. Then he’s sent out. Soon, she’ll arrive and the waitress has placed him in the exact spot he needed to be. Of course, the Boss knew that, too. He set an elbow on the table and rested his jaw in it, fingers brushing his short, curly, brown hair. He enjoyed sitting alone on missions like these. He was able to have some alone time to himself and think about his life.

He ended up with this position when a good looking woman entered his life and told him that he would be perfect. He must have looked confused. Perfect for what? Marriage? A doctor? An all-star quarterback?

Nope. An spy.

And so here he was sitting in a restaurant waiting for the next target to come into play so he could get the details he needed and leave abruptly. Maybe he would buy an orange juice. if the waitress ever came back with the water.

Whatever. He wouldn’t care either way. it was just something to make people think he wasn’t a creep or something.

Kevin heard her voice and his looked up above his menu. He glanced down at his watch and nodded. Right on time. Now he could finally complete this.

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There’s a short answer to that assignment for DS106: http://assignments.ds106.us/assignments/creating-your-own-character/. I could go on for a lot longer but I believe I covered the majority of the criteria of the assignment. I really enjoyed this little assignment. This prompt came from actually hearing a guy ask for a table for one. I found it very interesting and decided to write about it here. Any feedback would be great on it. Can you tell I’m an English major? This might actually spin into a longer story for another class of mine.

Something like this I will definitely do in an ELA classroom of mine. I would love to tell students to just listen to conversations around them and something might spark a story. I’ve had this happen to me several times. Just seeing what a person looked like had a story spinning in my mind and I ended up writing it.

Writing about a character’s likes, dislikes, appearance, backstory, personality, and what their place is like in their world is definitely a great place to start for a character. If I were to continue this story I would add in more details about him but this will suffice for now. Again, an assignment like this is a great way to get students thinking about characters for stories.

Another great place would be to ask students to think up questions they would like to ask a character who lives in their mind. Tell them to think up ten questions and not just basic “What’s your favourite colour” ones, either. I’ve also had to do that for a creative writing class this semester.

Overall, I love writing exercises so whenever I get the chance to do them, I’ll do them. I’ll definitely continue writing some DS106 Fanfic or Writing assignments.

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What’s in a Name?

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My first name, Helyn, is a different version from my grandma’s name, Helen. My parents thought it was a beautiful name (and yes, I think it is) but it has created some irritation with me over the years. Why? Well, both ways are not pronounced the same. Ah ha! Yes, that’s the trick. You might think it’s like Helen but no. It’s actually, “Hel-lyn”, if you will. Just think of “Lynn”. Close enough.

I’m becoming more amused when I tell people my name and it takes them several times to find the right pronunciation. I still have some friends who pronounce it wrong. I’ve received all sorts of name variations from “Helain,” to “Helene” (a French version).

And then there’s the spelling of my name. I would say my name over the phone of for another person and they would stare at me with a blank stare, “Um, what?” Really, though, it’s not that hard to spell. H-E-L-Y-N. One time I had someone who put an “i” where the “y” is supposed to go. Close, but not quite.

When I’ve gone on first dates I usually ask them how to pronounce my name. I’ve become more amused with it over the years as they try to look like they know how it’s pronounced. But they usually get it wrong.

Anybody else have funky name problems? I could tell you about my long last name and the spelling of that but that might be for another post.

______________________________________________________

This was an assignment for the DS106 (Digital Storytelling) assignment in Writing. http://assignments.ds106.us/assignments/whats-in-a-name/

It is a really simple assignment that can be used in the classroom as an ice breaker for students. It’s a great way to let them write about themselves and talk about their name and the experiences they’ve had with it. As I kept writing the ideas and stories just kept flowing. This would work really well for a high school ELA classroom and would work well for a prompt to a character — the students could write about a certain character’s name and see what type of story comes from just doing that.

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DS106 Daily Create 544

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I wasn’t planning to write about this (it’s not on the list!), but ah well, I wasn’t actually planning to do this Daily Create assignment either!

I’ve just submitted it, so thought I might as well narrate it. This is the assignment:

Write about something ugly — war, fear, hate, cruelty — but find the beauty (silver lining) in it.

I wasn’t going to do it mainly because I’d seen it quite late in the afternoon and didn’t think I’d have brain space to invest in thinking of an idea. Also, I’d read Alan Levine’s (one of the lead DS106 instructors) blog posting saying it was hard. But then later, I was sitting at the table doodling some drawings while my kid was finishing dinner, and some words just came into my head that were compelling me to write them down. These were they:

She threw the potato peeler violently on the kitchen floor, angry

(I know, right? “Potato peeler”?! Anyway – those were The Words)

I knew this was going to be the start of my TDC (The Daily Create) submission. I continued writing The Words that compelled me to write them, not (consciously) knowing where they were taking me:

Furious. She ~~considered~~ saw the glint of the kitchen knife ~~shining, beckoning~~ and gripped the handle tightly.

At that point, I actually did consciously start thinking about where this storyline might go. I recalled reading an article years ago about Jessica Rowe’s post natal depression and her admission that she’d felt like crushing her baby’s skull once when it started crying (or something along those lines. It was a long time ago). I remember being pretty shocked that post natal depression could get that bad to completely wipe out all primal instincts to protect your own child. But then (whether they want to admit it or not) – most parents will have been in a position where (due to exhaustion, stress, lack of sustenence or, usually: all of the above), a screaming baby has pushed them to hurt or want to hurt their child. But this is almost always fleeting, and your own children have the touching ability to say or do things that make you instantly forgive and just want to love the hell out of them. This is what this bit of writing is about.

The knife

She threw the potato peeler violently on the kitchen floor, angry. Fuming. She saw the glint of the kitchen knife on the bench and grabbed it, gripping the handle tightly.

She heard a pitter patter of tiny footsteps, and felt something tug at her shirt. A small voice floated up at her: “Mamma. Bubby’s woken up! She wants us to give her a BIIIIGGGG Kissss!”

Suddenly the baby’s cries, before so painfully piercing, incessant, and screeching, were now small, and fragile. A sense of yearning engulfed her, and she released her grip on the knife.

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Some Poems for Mr. Bemis

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So Mr. Henry Bemis liked reading and the such, and it was a shame when he broke his glasses after he had all that Time Enough at Last to himself for reading. Too bad that’s called one tough luck.

But he made an idea to have a contest and write poetry out of just the titles from episodes of The Twilight Zone, and he made it into ds106 Writing Assignment 1071 Poem Made with Twilight Zone Episode Titles. I saw that he had written poems, and then my True Friend John Johnston wrote a poem in the comments and some more on his blog, and them Mr. Tom Woodward wrote one called “Mr Denton on Doomsday” on his six-million dollar man bionicteaching blog post Twilight Zone Titles Poetry.

All of this got my little brain thinking and so I picked up my iPad and made these poems for you.

The first is sort of autobiographical. Maybe you will get the meaning behind it. It is called “The Whole Truth.”

The Whole Truth

The Howling Man Back There?
Execution!
Dust!
The Grave!!!

Next, I wrote one that tells what it is like to be discriminated on because you are not as tall as you would like to be. It is called “The Little People.”

The Little People

Once Upon A Time
The Dummy, Caesar And Me, Nick Of Time & The Invaders
The Little People
Five Characters In Search Of An Exit
What You Need? Escape Clause!

Two Twenty-Two
Four Of Us Are Dying, Person Or Persons Unknown
Little Girl Lost.
One For The Angels!

In the end I think it is sad because all of her True Friends are dead. and then she is dead. But it is okay because she is with the Angels because she was so good. And was nice to her True Friends.

Then, I wrote a really short poem. I hope you like it. It is optimistic. and about Friends. It is called “The Lonely Living Doll?”

The Lonely Living Doll?

Young Man’s Fancy!!

So there you have it, Friends. Poetry made by me from titles from Twilight Zone episodes.

Neat!!

Okay. Bye!

P.S. But write me how much you like my poems in the comments first. Thanks!

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Twilight Zone Titles Poetry

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This is the first #ds106 assignment I’ve done in a long while. The challenge is to write a poem using only the titles of Twilight Zone episodes. It’s an easy one for any English teacher to use as is or to adapt to whatever restricted set they want – chapter titles from a book, band names, Top 40 song titles, scientific names for animals etc. etc. I think more and more that a major part of English class ought to be encouraging students to play with language and then to figure out why they like what they like. Maybe that’s obvious.

Thanks to Todd Conaway for the assignment (official assignment in the repository) and for the work getting the titles in one place. I also took his Word doc and put it in a Google Docs table to help me see more/most of the titles at once and because I dislike having to open programs on my computer these days.

Mr. Denton On Doomsday

The Fear
The Fever
The Last Flight
The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street
The Four Of Us Are Dying

And When The Sky Was Opened
I Shot An Arrow Into The Air
The Last Flight
The Purple Testament

Dust
Static

The Silence

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Quinoa Stuffed Peppers / A Recipe in Haiku / Cooking Poetry

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searching for quinoa
was a challenge in Tangier
found it in London

I smuggled it home
and then made this recipe
just for all of you

quinoa stuffed peppers
a recipe in haiku
cooking poetry

the ingredients
(an assortment of healthy
vegetables… plus cheese)

1 cup of quinoa
3 green peppers and 1 red
(with their tops removed)

1 can of chick peas
1 cup of tomato sauce
2 diced tomatoes

2 small zucchinis
2/3 cups grated cheddar
1 small onion, chopped

half-teaspoon fennel
half-teaspoon oregano
half-teaspoon basil

one pinch black pepper
2 teaspoons of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

–

cooking directions
the best stuffed peppers you’ve had
are easy to make

I.
preheat your oven
to three-fifty fahrenheit
(one-eighty celsius)

II.
combine dry quinoa
with two cups water, then boil
reduce heat, cover

III.
simmer fifteen min
or until all the water
is fully absorbed

IV.
sauté the onions
and garlic in oil until
slightly translucent

V.
stir in tomato,
zucchini, and all spices
sauté five minutes

VI.
add tomato sauce,
chickpeas, and spices to taste
cover and simmer

VII.
after five minutes
mix in quinoa, fill peppers
top with pepper lids

VIII.
bake fifteen minutes
until peppers are roasted
then remove the lids

IX.
sprinkle cheese on top
bake for five minutes or ’till
golden and bubbling

X.
eat your stuffed peppers:
vast cascades of melted cheese
a hidden surprise

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10 Seconds of Thanks

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It’s only 2 days until one of my most beloved holidays here in the United States, Thanksgiving. A day for families far flung around the country or close-knit to come together and be thankful for all that we are be blessed to have. Whether you’re thankful for your family, a roof over your head, a car that gets you to work in one piece, or perhaps something as simple as a pen and paper to journal your thoughts, Thanksgiving is an opportunity to thank both the extraordinary and mundane.

While I’m thankful for many things is my own life, I didn’t want to drone on in length about the “Thanks” that I have to give, so instead I created a short assignment that any teacher (or parent) could give their students and children as a quick way to reflect, share, and comment on what we all have to be thankful for.

I’m not nearly as green as this in real life, but I’m thankful that I have the time and tools to be creative in small bursts throughout the day.

I’m going to call it, “10 Seconds of Thanks!” And the rules are simple, straightforward, with one big requirement, your efforts must be shared online in some way, shape or form. If you’d like to play along or have your students complete the assignment, please feel free to link back here so I can comment and share with others!

10 Seconds of Thanks!

Using a timer, write what you’re thankful for in just 10 seconds! Anything and everything that you can think of being thankful for is fair game, but stop at 10 seconds.
Share what you’ve written on a blog, wiki, or some other digital space that others can comment on.
Bonus! Complete a 10 second drawing of yourself to accompany your writing, inspired by the November 19th, 2012 Daily Create.

Besides, being simple & quick, it’s relatively low-tech in application; you could easily do the assignment in a single shared Google Doc, or post some thoughts to Corkboard Me to produce a nice collection of thanks from your entire class. The real payout though comes in the conversation, collaboration, and potential for creative writing either directly afterwards or when you return from Thanksgiving break (if you and your students are in the U.S. that is). You could use the simple short writings as prompts for students to compare their “Thanksgivings” with someone else in class, or even start a small persuasive piece on what the most important items to give thanks should be and why based on your community of learner’s own answers.

So here goes! I’ve already completed my 10 second drawing above, but here’s my “10 seconds of thanks!”

“I’m thankful that I have the time and tool to be creative in small bursts throughout the day.”

That’s it! Simple right? I suppose it isn’t terribly inspiring or well thought out, but I enjoyed putting the small activity together. This should be no small thanks to ds106, the students and staff at my school walking through the halls today smiling as they wished everyone a “Happy Thanksgiving”, and the digital tools that I have to be able to create, publish, and share my ideas in less time than it takes to accomplish “bus duty” at the end of each day.