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Now that you are well familiar with a controlling idea/organizing and developing support, discuss a topic sentence that would be good to explore for the Holidays.
Example: Yesterday, I had an unusual Christmas experience at the Field House.
Please note that the above topic sentence enables the audience to inquire what kind of experience you've had and why it was unusual.
In addition, discuss your thoughts on today's class activities. (re: definition continued, essay brain stretcher, etc.)
Unfortunately, I was only in class for the essay brain stretcher. I honestly thought it was a fun activity. I really liked it. I feel that we should do more of them. I really liked hearing the examples and I wish I could've stayed to hear my classmate's responses to their pictures. I really enjoyed hearing how our fellow classmate thought out of the box with her picture with the twins, that was very creative and well though out.
ReplyDeleteI thought the brain stretcher was enjoyable as well. It allowed all of us to freewrite and bring out all our creative sides in our writing. It would be a good idea to do this activity more often to see everyone's writing skills.
DeleteI also had a lot of fun with the brain stretcher. It was interesting to see what creative things my peers came up with. I agree that a lot of them thought out of the box with their stories and it was refreshing to see a change of pace for our class.
DeleteI think that the essay brain stretcher was definitely the highlight of the class. I wish that you could have stayed to hear everyone's writing. All of them were very interesting and enjoyable. Your short writing as well as your little family portrait was great too. We all used our creativity and came up with something worth reading.
DeleteYes, there should be more of that. It will improve our creative thinking skills. Also, it is a chance to make the whole class participate and bond.
DeleteYeah, it was pretty fun! If we do it again, I'm sure to choose another picture as my brain stretcher. It's more fun coming up with random stories on different pictures than to continue on with the same story that I made. Or maybe I can choose the same picture and come up with a completely random story for it. Perhaps I could choose a different picture and try to connect it with my previous story to continue it off. The possibilities are exciting!
DeleteI had an awesome experience at the homeless shelter for Thanksgiving. I had to help the homeless shelter and donate a bunch of canned goods for class, but for more points, we were offered to help cook and serve. It felt good giving to the needy, knowing that they had a meal for the day. being around this unfamiliar environment made me realize what I am thankful for.
ReplyDelete(Like that?)
I think we should do more essay brain stretchers , they are really fun. I think it's a good way to exercise our mind couple of minutes before class. I also think essay brain stretchers are a good idea just to gain extra credits if you missed class or something. just a thought :)
I like your topic sentence about Thanksgiving. Just by reading your first sentence I was already wondering what you did at the homeless shelter for Thanksgiving and how you had that experience. I want to volunteer at one as well one year because it reminds me that no matter how much I complain about my life there are still other people that aren't as fortunate as I have been
DeleteJust like what Angelin stated, I have always wanted to volunteer my services to a homeless shelter. The closest thing that I have come to doing that is donating clothes and food. I think it would be a great way to spend your free time. I have heard that helping out at shelters gives you a sense of gratitude and contentment. Also, no one should ever feel helpless, especially during the holidays. Volunteering at a homeless shelter and interacting with the people there will definitely raise up their spirits.
DeleteI love your topic sentence. When I first read it I thought that you were actually just explaining why you left class early today. I really like the topic because it definitely embodies the whole spirit of Thanksgiving. I have always wanted to do volunteer work at homeless shelters, but the closest I've gotten to that is helping my church and schools with the canned food drives. It was a great idea though.
DeleteA good topic sentence I can use for the holidays is: This Christmas is going to be a lot different than years before.
ReplyDeleteI think that sentence makes the audience ask the questions what am I going to do this Christmas and why is it going to be different.
Today's lesson was really fun. It was nice seeing everyone's creative writing skills be out to work. I also enjoyed the book work we did because it gave me good tips in how to write my argumentative essay and make it better.
You were right. Your topic sentence did make me think of what your plans were for the upcoming holiday. I hope that whatever you may choose to do will satisfy your expectations. I have always been a great believer in tradition, but it is always nice to try something different every now and then. By trying different things, you could start new and interesting traditions to practice for the coming years.
DeleteI also thought that the brain stretchers were fun. It gets our brains thinking on the creative side. The best part is hearing the other creative stories made by our classmates.
DeleteMy topic sentence/question: Now that it's finally the Christmas time, was this overall year as great as I expected?
ReplyDeleteToday's class lecture was enjoyable, along with the activities that came with it. It was refreshing to let our imaginations run loose and free to write any story we liked as our exit tickets.
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DeleteYour topic sentence makes me want to know more about your essay. I like how you used a question for your topic sentence because it makes the reader already want to know the answer as well as guess the answer to your question.
DeleteI also enjoyed today's lesson because it allowed us to let our ideas for our pictures flow from our minds to our papers without worrying about if it made sense or not.
You have a very thought-provoking topic sentence. I know that I will find myself asking that same question when the time comes. As for today's lesson, I would have to agree with you. I liked how we were able to just write down whatever the photo inspired us to record. Some people came up with very interesting stories. It was a very creative day.
DeleteI agree with Angelin and Ritacia. Your topic question is very thought-provoking and interesting. I would definitely relate to this essay on a personal level. I often find myself thinking back on the past towards this time of the year and wondering if I was satisfied with the way things worked out. More often than not, I am very satisfied with my life. I think that we should make these brain stretchers our exit ticket more often. I was very interested to hear what our peers had to say.
DeleteYour topic is interesting. I am curious as to what your essay will say.
DeleteGreat topic sentence. It will really capture the readers attention. I would love to read what your essay would be about.
DeleteInteresting topic sentence! Expectations on a holiday sounds very unique, if you ask me. The brain stretcher was pretty fun, but I can see how hard it would be for some to come up with a story on the spot. With more practice, we could make better stories in an instant. Let's try our best!
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ReplyDeleteA topic sentence that I would like to use to explore the Holidays is:
ReplyDeleteThe holiday season is a great time to strengthen the bond amongst your family.
Through my experiences, the various gatherings and activities during this time of the year have proven to be beneficial to the growth of relationships amongst loved ones. People express their love for one another through gifts and thanks. Around this time, they tend to realize just how important family is in their lives. As a result, the bond they share with others can only grow with love and care.
As for today's activities, I really enjoyed the essay brain stretcher. It seemed as though everyone loved writing and listening to the many scenarios that were created by our fellow peers. It is amazing how a whole story can be brought onto paper by just a glance at a photo. Today's lesson was definitely one of my favorites.
I think that your topic sentence is very easy to relate to. I'm sure that at one point or another, whether we realized it or not, the family bonds that we all have are definitely strengthened during this time of the year. I agree with your opinion about today's lesson. It was one of my favorite's too. It's so inspiring to see all the creativeness that our peers possess.
DeleteThat topic is a good one. I can relate to it.
DeleteYour topic sentence will be great for people who spend lots of time with their families. I think it is important that families get along and share the joy with each other.
DeleteNice topic. I hope this year your bonds with your family is strengthened (:
DeleteToday in class we went to the computer lab to do a course Eval. It was the first one I've ever done and it was really interesting to see that UOG values the opinions of the students when it comes to the professor's performance. I especially liked the brain stretcher activity and I really hope we do more of it during the remainder of the year. It gets the creative juices flowing and opens up your mind to be as free as you want it to be.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, a topic sentence that interests me about the holidays would be:
My favorite part about the holiday season is going to Church with my family.
The eval was my first one too.
DeleteIt is good that the UOG gives us the opportunity to evaluate our professors and to give our opinions. This will let them know how they are doing and what they can do to improve their teaching skills.
DeleteI liked the brain stretcher activity as well.
DeleteI know, right? Who knew that there was actually a professor evaluation for students to do in UOG. I guess since it's my first semester, this sort of thing is still new to me. The activity we did is pretty fun. I hope we do more in the future! I just hope that the circumstances aren't going to be stricter.
DeleteIt's a good idea for students to evaluate their professor. It (in a way) proves that UOG cares about their students by managing how well their staff teaches.
DeleteIn class we did an evaluation. After the evaluation, we all returned to class for the lesson. We read the chapter and did exercises. Also, we each got a picture and had to do stage one. It was the ticket way out. I am familiar with what we were learning. It was a refresher for me.
ReplyDeleteTopic Sentence: I saw something in my closet.
I thought that it was an easy day for us. It was quite familiar to me too.
DeleteWhat an interesting topic sentence. You saw something in your closet for the holidays? I guess I can see where this is going. Anyways, I prefer doing what we just did in class that day than we normally do. It's nice to shake things up a bit.
DeleteAll I want to know was what was in your closet. Also, Tuesday was a relatively easy day for me as well. However, I'm glad we're getting a healthy refresher and preparing ourselves for En110.
Delete^ Phew, thought I was the only one extremely curious about what you saw in your closet.
DeleteA topic sentence that will be good to explore for the holidays is: Many of my favorite dishes were made on Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteToday's brain stretchers were very interesting. I stayed to the end of class to hear everyone's own little stories. They were all unique and very creative. I would like to do this activity again.
I like your topic sentence. I think that everyone can relate because of our favorite foods that are made during Thanksgiving. I agree, that it was interesting to hear other people's stories.
DeleteBe thankful for all the good food on thanksgiving day. :) I wish I had more room in my stomach.
DeleteYour sentence was simple but intriguing enough to make me interested. What are your favorite dishes? I had a very American style Thanksgiving and wasn't too much of a fan. I only ate a little bit of ham and some bread. However, I think it's kind that you stayed to hear other people's brain stretchers. I also thought the activity was neat and hope I can do something better with it next time.
DeleteA topic sentence that is good for the holidays, huh? How about: "Some people have very erratic ways of preparing for Christmas."
ReplyDeleteI only remember the essay brain stretcher the most out of all the activities we did today. My picture was a seal, which I have never seen one in person. So with that in mind, I came up with the vaguest stage one preparation paragraph for the activity. Since I don't have prior knowledge of what meeting a seal would be like, I assumed it would be the same as meeting a stray cat or dog on the streets. It may not be the best, but at least it was a start.
I think that you don't need the prior experience to tell a story. I think that all it takes is a little imagination and creativity!
DeleteBahahah your sentence is great. It definitely put a smile on my face. I'd like to hear more detail about that one. About the brain stretcher, I know exactly how you feel! I had a picture of a blimp and all I could say was "what in the world is a blimp for?" I hope you figured out more about seals.
Deleteerratic, ey? That spikes my curiosity as well. Regarding with you picture, I actually had a seal kiss me on the cheek. It was fun! and stinky. x)
DeleteI totally agree with your topic sentence. I know many people who prepare so much for Christmas when it's still even October!
DeleteI honestly forgot to post yesterday, but I hope this will still be counted.
ReplyDeleteIn class, we did a brain stretcher. I thought that it was fun because you get to make up your own story based on what you see in the picture that was given. I thought that it was going to be difficult for me because i'm not very creative.Oddly, I thought that I did very good on my little paragraph. I know that some of it may not have sounded right, but that's the point of a first draft or free write. We should do more of that because it is fun and I like that it's something different than what we have previously done.
Haha, I forgot to post too! These last few weeks of the semester are so busy! The brain stretcher was fun but mine sucked haha. I heard yours though, and you did a beautiful job. It was much deeper than I expected, yours actually had meaning. However, if granted more time, I'm sure you would have been able to get yours to sound exactly the way you wanted it to.
Deleteyes, you did great on your writing a creative story for your picture! :D
DeleteAs my controlling idea, my sentence is: "I need to reflect on my year and finally establish my New Year's Resolutions."
ReplyDeleteThe brain stretcher was actually a bit of a challenge for me. My picture had a blimp at the beach and I had no idea what to develop from it. I wrote this really useless and insignificant story about how the blimp cooled everyone on the beach with cool water...and it may have been the worst thing I have ever written. I wish I had a different picture because I am usually a lot more creative than that. Also, I like reading the book with the class. It's helping me learn to read out loud more comfortably and confidently.
That was a challenging picture, but you managed it nonetheless. I'm sure you will be able to improve your story, even if it was already a good one. ;)
DeleteFor my controlling idea, I choose : "I actually don't know what I want this Christmas, but I do have half of my christmas shopping list crossed."
ReplyDeleteThe brain stretcher was a fun activity to practice. I had a picture of a a boy and a girl eating carrot slices. It took about two other draft stories for me before I could make up something that I wanted. I also loved hearing our classmates' made up stories. Some got really creative, and some were so playful. I'd love to do that brain stretcher activity every once in a while and exercise our use of our imagination.
Maiko, you're controlling idea is so like you! I love that you always stay true to yourself in your posts. Your brain stretcher seems pretty random. However, I also love that we were able to finally embrace our creativity in this class instead of staying in boundaries of the book.
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