McDowell ELA Students:

You are living through a unique moment in history--right now! Today, tomorrow, and the days that follow will be captured in history books. Someday, you will share these stories with your children and grandchildren about living through this time. Because these days are historical, it is important that we do not let these events pass without capturing how they affect you, your family, your school, and your community. Below is the daily assigned writing and reading requirements:

DAILY WRITING:

Please hand write at least one page (or more) a day.

If you already have a journal, please feel free to use that. If you do not, you can use a notebook or if none of that works, just a sheet of paper. We can assemble these loose-leaf pages upon return. 

Capture your thoughts, feelings, questions, comments, and concerns about the events that are unfolding. Capture this history--your history--any way you’d like. Below are some suggestions for your daily writing, but you may go your own way. Feel free to generate your own thinking.

Some possibilities for daily writing:

• Capture how this virus has disrupted your school year--including sporting events, concerts, dances, trips, assemblies, lunch, etc.

• Discuss how your daily life has been disrupted.

• Share the effect it has had on your family and friends.

• As we go into more social isolation, you might begin to write reviews of movies, television shows, podcasts, video games to share with your classmates. 

• Respond to any information you are exposed to about this crisis that you find interesting. Think about all the media coverage that you are seeing on a daily basis. These could include articles, tweets, Tedtalks, photographs, podcasts, films, Instagram posts, TikTok videos, news broadcasts or anything else that sparks some thinking about the crisis.

Below are some links to online articles and videos. If you have access, and are having trouble getting started, you might want to respond to one or more of them. You are also encouraged to find your own sources of information. But in the end, whatever you think is worth writing about… write it.

Coronavirus Explained In A TedTalk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqw-9yMV0sI

Student Sent Home For Selling Hand Sanitizer

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hand-sanitizer-school-suspension_n_5e6b071ec5b6dda30fc642ef

Rita Wilson Crowdsources Coronavirus “Quarantunes” Playlist From Her Fans

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rita-wilson-coronavirus-quarantine-playlist_n_5e6c8918c5b6bd8156f7d4c6

Here Are The Workers Most At Risk

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/15/business/economy/coronavirus-worker-risk.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

Lots Of Good Info Here

https://www.nytimes.com/news-event/coronavirus

Learning About Coronavirus Through Comics

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/02/28/809580453/just-for-kids-a-comic-exploring-the-new-coronavirus

Is Paper Money Safe? 

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-03-12/cash-coronavirus

How Can We Stop The Curve Of Infection?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/corona-simulator/

Again, these are here if you need help getting started. As this unfolds, you will be able to find new sources of inspiration and information that encourage reflection. This story seems to change every day. Find bits worthy of writing and thinking about. You can also write across the genres: poetry, dialogue (just capture a conversation between people), description: zoom in on a moment you experience; discuss songs that capture these events for you; find and respond to charts and graphs worth thinking about. You can glue on snippets of headlines, sketch images ..whatever gets you thinking and shows you living through this.

Again, feel free to be as creative as you decide how best to chronicle your thinking during this historical moment.

This will serve as a completion grade. That means you will be given points on a credit/no credit basis. So feel free to take some risks. Be honest and try to create some writing that you will be interested in re-reading years from now.

DAILY READING:

Find a book to read. Any book that interests you. Your choice. Please read this book for 30 or more minutes every school day. You are asked to keep track of your reading minutes every day, and to track them on a self-made chart. The chart you create can be hand-written or created digitally. It can have doodles, pictures of cute kittens...Just log it. It might look something like this:

The goal here is 30 minutes a day of sustained, uninterrupted reading. This may be difficult for some of you, as you face interruptions at home, but it is critical that you do your best to find uninterrupted reading time as a means to building your stamina.

If you do not have a book, check with the McDowell Office for information regarding the McDowell Library usage

These moments will pass, so don’t let these days go by without capturing your thinking and experiences. Capture your history in real time.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns , please do not hesitate to contact us. 

Be well.

Sincerely,

The ELA Teachers