後学期の期末作文/2nd semester final writing assignment

Hello and Happy New Year!

How are you? I hope you had a great New Year's break! In this blogpost, I'll tell you about our final writing assignment for the fall semester (後学期).

Project
You have three (3) choices about your final writing project. Choose one (1) of them:

1. Write about a real unique, interesting, or special experience (経験) that happened to you. 

In the 6th writing assignment (作文6), you wrote stories about imaginary (想像上の) experiences that were unique or strange. 

For this topic choice, write about a unique, interesting, or special experience you really had, like a school trip or a holiday. It can be about any time of your life - it could be when you were a child, or it could be from when you were in high school - or even something that happened to you this year. 

I am gathering writing on this topic into a book called Places and Traces.  

2. Write about a unique, interesting, or special song, album, movie, or TV show. 

For this topic choice, write about a unique, interesting, or special song, album, movie, or TV show that you like. It can be about any kind of music, movie or TV program. Write about something that means a lot to you. 

For music, I am gathering writing on this topic into a book called Words on Music, and for movies and TV shows, I am thinking of a new book to gather them into - one I don't have a title for yet! 

3. Write about a special person. 

For this topic choice, write about a person who is special in your life - it could be your mother or father, or brother or sister, but it could also be someone who has influenced (影響した) you - a teacher when you were in elementary school (小学校) , or junior high school, for example. It could also be a famous person, like a singer or actor, or a sportsperson. 

I am gathering writing on this topic into a book called The Small Book of Big People. 

How much to write
How much do you write? I would like you to write as much as you can, because your work may be published (出版した) on both this blog and in the books I talked about in class. 

I would like to see 3-4 paragraphs - and I would like to see you try to write the most that you can. Try to make your paragraphs longer - make each paragraph as long as you can. 

Deadline (締め切り)
Next week (1/18). Today, you can get to work on it in class, and keep working on it outside of class. 

Print it out and hand it in when you are finished. 

IMPORTANT NOTE
I want your file correctly formatted! Please see the handout I gave you about formatting your writing. Please check about formatting your Word file on your formatting handout.  

Good luck with this! I hope you can have fun with this, and enjoy writing!

Images: Top and bottom - personal photographs of public art in Nakano Ward, Tokyo. All rights reserved to the artists. 

前学期の期末作文/1st semester final writing assignment

Hello!

How are you? Today, I'll tell you about our final writing assignment (期末作文) for the 1st semester (前学期).

Project
You have two (2) choices about your final writing project. Choose one (1) of them:

1. Write about a unique, interesting, or special person. 

In this topic, write about a unique, interesting, or special person you know, like a teacher, best friend, coach, or even a family member like a mother, father, brother or sister - or a famous person you think is unique, interesting, or special, like a singer, musician, actor, athlete, or a writer or artist.

I am gathering writing on this topic into a book called The Small Book of Big People. I started this last year with my students then, and I put examples of their work onto this blog. You can check them out at this link, and also at this link too.

2. Write about a unique, interesting, or special place. 

In this topic, write about a unique, interesting, or special place. It can be a place you have been to and that has had a big impact on you - or it can be a place you have never been to, but want to go to. 

I am gathering writing on this topic into a book called Places and Traces. This is a new book I have never done before. For this project, you can:

Use the pictures from this blog that I posted about places, or find your own picture and write about it.

You can use the place that you wrote about when writing about places, and make your writing about it bigger and longer.

How much to write
How much do you write? I would like you to write as much as you can, because your work may be published (出版した) on both this blog and in The Small Book of Big People and Places and Traces books I talked about in class. 

I would like to see maybe one long paragraph with 9-12 sentences in it, or two (2) paragraphs with 6 to 9 sentences in them. 

Deadline (締め切り)
You do not have much time! Our final day is July 20th (7/20), so I want you to bring in a first draft (下書き) on that day in your notebooks in pencil. You will then peer review each other's work, change things about the draft as you need to, then write to the finish and turn in your work. 

Important note!
I want your work correctly peer-checked!

Good luck with this! I hope you can have fun with this, and enjoy writing about a person or a place.

Images: Top - "Blank Document Area Shows Copyspace White Background For Note" (courtesy of Stuart Miles)/Old man: "Old African Man" (courtesy of africa)/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

後学期の期末作文/2nd semester final writing assignment

Hello and Happy New Year!

How are you? I hope you had a great New Year's break! In this blogpost, I'll tell you about our final writing assignment for the fall semester (後学期).

Project
You have two (2) choices about your final writing project. Choose one (1) of them:

1. Write about a real unique, interesting, or special experience (経験) that happened to you. 

In the 6th writing assignment (作文6), you wrote about imaginary (想像上の) unique, interesting, or special experiences. In this topic, write about a unique, interesting, or special experience you really had, like a school trip or a holiday. It can be about any time of your life - it could be when you were a child, or it could be from when you were in high school - or even something that happened to you this year. 

I am gathering writing on this topic into a book called Places and Traces.  

2. Write about a unique, interesting, or special song, album, movie, or TV show. 

In this topic, write about a unique, interesting, or special song, album, movie, or TV show. It can be about any kind of music, movie or TV program. Write about something that means a lot to you. 

For music, I am gathering writing on this topic into a book called Words on Music, and for movies and TV shows, I am thinking of a new book to gather them into - one I don't have a title for yet! 

How much to write
How much do you write? I would like you to write as much as you can, because your work may be published (出版した) on both this blog and in the books I talked about in class. 

I would like to see 3-4 paragraphs - and I would like to see you try to write the most that you can. Try to make your paragraphs longer - make each paragraph as long as you can. I will also look for topic sentences and concluding sentences too!

Deadline (締め切り)
Next week (1/20). Today, you can get to work on it in class, and keep working on it outside of class. 

Print it out and hand it in. I will look at it. After I have looked at it, I may ask you to send it to me as a file attachment (添付ファイル) to an email. 

IMPORTANT NOTE
I want your file correctly formatted! Please see the handout I gave you about formatting your writing. Please check about formatting your Word file here. 

Good luck with this! I hope you can have fun with this, and enjoy writing!

Images: "Iron bars, Shakujiikouen" (personal image)/Musician: "On The Stage" (courtesy of George Stojkovic)/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

特別ポスト: Places & Traces

Hello!

How are you? Here I will make another special post on your writing about places. It's part of another collection of writing I am putting together called Places & Traces - a gathering of writing about places you find interesting, inspiring, or special in some way. 

Many of you wrote about this picture: 

Many of you found this picture interesting and unique. I think it is too! Here's what you wrote about it:

It is a beautiful place, called Sunshine Sea. The sea is blue, clean and broad. The beach seems soft and damp. There are some visitors on the beach and have a great time with friends. They look very happy. On the hand, we can see a boat on the beach, but the boat is broken and old. Maybe there was magical things happened in the boat.

When I see the picture in this blog or the real sea, it makes me broad-mind and relaxed. I think it is a great place to take a short break in the busy life.

That's a nice way to see this place. How about this one? 

A name of beach is Vespucci beach. It has very large sandy beach and it is very beautiful. A large sandy beach is beautiful white and sea is very clear blue. And Vespucci beach is one of the most beautiful places in the world. There is a big drifted thing. It is mysterious. Maybe it is an old and big boat, but people do not what it is, but they think it looks sad. And there are a lot of colorful and rare birds and fish.

People who saw the sights of this beach can enjoy many things. For example, they can walk around the beach, it is good for couple because they can make good mood. Second we can play beach sports, beach volleyball, beach flags and so on. I think it is good for young people. They can play these sports and if they feel hot, they can swim in the sea. They can also see a view, fishing, BBQ, playing with own children and so on. They can make a lot of great memories and they want to go to Vespucci beach again and want their friends to go Vespucci beach too.

Great! Here's another one: 

The beach in Kanagawa loved by many people and everybody calls a “Sunshine beach”. According to the name, the brilliant sun rises in morning and many surfers come here in the day time. There is each memory of many people.

There is the old ship washed up on the beach. Here was a port town before and many fisherman fished. But it was not able to catch the fish suddenly and the ship was leave something alone. Now it becomes the amusement place of children. The beach is valuable place for every people forever.

Now how about this one? 

“Why does the beach have a very big and long rock? When does it drift to the beach? Teach me mom!” My son asked me with his eyes shining. There is the rock in the beach near my house. Some people goes to there with their friends, family, and lovers to play, to enjoy, to take pictures. I know this beach as famous and popular place but I didn’t know about the rock drifted on the land. Because we moved here last year. So I couldn’t answer this question. After I wondered that the moss grow up on the rock. Furthermore, it was put seaside for a long time. I thought. I tried to research soon. Just then, the truth gradually dawned on me.

At first, there was the rock over there, a part of another one. Several years ago, a big tsunami surged and hit. It has the strong power. Then the rock broke down by tsunami, in the end float in the sea, drifted ashore. “Uh, I see.” I could understand the reason. One day, my son asked me the same question again. I answered it with confidence. My son smiled happily and I was too. We were full of joy each other.  

That was a great short story! 

Now, these are your thoughts and feelings about this picture, but what really is this strange, big thing in the picture? Click on this link here to find out. 

These are great examples of your work. I'm very happy and proud to publish them here. I'll be happy to see all of you in September, when we come back from the summer break. 

See you then! 

Images: Sunset - "Beautiful Sunset" (courtesy of Photokanok)/FreeDigitalPhotos.net/Beach - "Arromanches" by Bulo78 - Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Final writing assignment back stories/期末作文の写真について

Hello,

How are you? Do you remember the pictures in the final writing assignment (期末作文)? Here are these pictures again, but with some links to information about them. 

I am enjoying reading your stories to these pictures, but all these pictures have real stories to them. For example - look at the picture above again. It looks like an old country house on the outside, but it has a unique story to it. Click on this link for more, and on this link here about the picture. 

Look at this next picture. It looks like a quiet beach now, but it was once a place where great history was made. Click on this link to find out more about this place.

Now look at this next picture again. This was the birthplace of a famous person from the 20th century. Click on this link here to find out about who the person was. 

Finally, while this final place has people in the picture, the place was very important. Click on the link here to find out more, and click on this link about the two people in the picture. 

I hope these are interesting for you. 

おつかれさまでした！It's been great working with all of you this year. You've been some great students. Have a great spring holiday! 

Images: Top photo - "Arromanches" by Bulo78 - Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arromanches.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Arromanches.jpg/Barn - "Pollock-barn" by Dmadeo - Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pollock-barn.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Pollock-barn.jpg/Building - Picasso’s birthplace - By Dominik (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Pablo-Picasso-Birthplace.jpg/

Couple - Woodstock couple by Burk Uzzle/image reproduced from file courtesy of Laurence Miller Gallery/laurencemillergallery.com

All images from except Woodstock couple from Wikimedia Commons. All rights reserved. I do not own the rights to these images. All images uploaded for educational purposes only.

Final writing assignment 2/期末作文2

Hello!

Happy New Year! How are you? Today, let's look at our final writing assignment (期末作文): writing about a place. 

This is very important - because we are finishing the year here at Daito Bunka, this is like a writing test - so we have to do this in one class time!

Rules:
You have a choice of four (4) different places. Choose one (1) of these places. 

Your task is to write a 3 paragraph short story about one of these places. 

Your papers must have correct formatting, with correct spacing.

Your papers must have titles for your stories.

Your papers must have your name, date and the name of the class on it.

Your writing must have some long sentences, with connecting words (and, but, or, so, because, whereas, however など).

Very important - your paragraphs should be long. Do not make them too short!

You have to start and finish your writing today. The very best writing on these pictures I will put together into a collection called Places and Traces - so write the best you can!

Imagine stories for these places. For example - take a look at the picture above. What is your impression (感想) of this place? Imagine people, characters, situations, and even a history about them and the places.  I will show the top picture again:

Good luck!

Images: Top photo - "Arromanches" by Bulo78 - Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arromanches.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Arromanches.jpg/Barn - "Pollock-barn" by Dmadeo - Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pollock-barn.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Pollock-barn.jpg/Building - Picasso’s birthplace - By Dominik (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Pablo-Picasso-Birthplace.jpg/

Couple - Woodstock couple by Burk Uzzle/image reproduced from file courtesy of Laurence Miller Gallery/laurencemillergallery.com

All images from except Woodstock couple from Wikimedia Commons. All rights reserved. I do not own the rights to these images. All images uploaded for educational purposes only.

Final writing assignment/期末作文

Hello!

How are you? The picture above is of a fireworks display in Tokyo Bay in the summer of last year. It was a special place and I had a great time! Did you go to a special place last summer? If you did go to a special place - or didn't, but wanted to go to some place - you can write about it in our final writing assignment (期末作文)!

In this blogpost, I'll tell you about our final writing assignment for the spring semester (前学期).

PROJECT
You have two (2) choices about your final writing project. Choose one (1) of them:

1. Write about a unique, interesting, or special person. 

In this topic, write about a unique, interesting, or special person you know, like a teacher, best friend, coach, or even a family member like a mother, father, brother or sister - or a famous person you think is unique, interesting, or special, like a singer, musician, actor, athlete, or a writer or artist.

I am gathering writing on this topic into a book called The Small Book of Big People. I started this last year with my students then, and I put examples of their work onto this blog. You can check them out at this link, and also at this link too.

2. Write about a unique, interesting, or special place. 

In this topic, write about a unique, interesting, or special place. It can be a place you have been to and that has had a big impact on you - or it can be a place you have never been to, but want to go to. 

I am gathering writing on this topic into a book called Places and Traces. This is a new book I have never done before. For this project, you can:

Use the pictures from this blog that I posted on May 20th (5/20) about places, or find your own picture and write about it.

You can use the place that you wrote about when writing about places, and make your writing about it bigger and longer.

HOW MUCH TO WRITE
How much do you write? I would like you to write as much as you can, because your work may be published (出版した) on both this blog and in The Small Book of Big People and Places and Traces books I talked about in class. 

I would like to see maybe one long paragraph with 9-12 sentences in it, or two (2) paragraphs with 6 to 9 sentences in them. 

DEADLINE (締め切り)
I want you to write a first draft (下書き) by next week (7/9) in your notebooks in pencil. I would like to look at it, and talk with you about it. I can give you comments, hints, and advice about it.

Then, after I have looked at it, I want you to write it as a Word file and send it to me as a file attachment (添付ファイル) to an email. 

IMPORTANT NOTE
I want your file correctly formatted, with a short message in your email, also correctly formatted. Please check the blogpost about formatting your Word file here. 

Good luck with this! I hope you can have fun with this, and enjoy writing about a person or a place.

Images: Tokyo Bay Fireworks (personal image)/Old man: "Old African Man" (courtesy of africa)/FreeDigitalPhotos.net