American History- September 13, 2011

Compared to last week, this week was a breeze!  We only added two teeny, tiny items to our checklist, and we learned one new grammar rule.

Please read Lesson 4 and Lesson 6 carefully to review these new concepts in detail.

How to Create Titles

From now on, our titles will be created by choosing 2-3 key words from the final clincher.  The final clincher, remember, is the last sentence of your paper.  In the event that your final clincher is not very exciting or does not lend itself to a super duper title- no problem- just rewrite it.  Another option is to add one more sentence that would include more exciting words from which to create your title.  Please highlight the 2-3 key words that you use for creating your title in your final clincher.  Notes on creating titles can be found on page 30 of your workbook.

#2- Prepositional Opener

We added to our list of stylistic techniques with the prepositional opener. A prepositional phrase is a phrase that begins with a preposition, so  a #2 is simply a sentence that begins with a preposition.  Refer to SRN page 6 for a list of prepositions.  (Once you start reading over the lists, the sentences practically write themselves!)  The prepositional phrase will contain the preposition and a noun or pronoun called the object of the preposition.

example:  During the storm, the boat rocked violently.

Throughout the year, we will learn lots of cool techniques.

Before long, all of these techniques will come naturally.

Grammar Rules 1a and 1b

Rule 1a explains how to use commas in a list or series of items.

Rule 1b explains how to use a comma in a compound sentence.

Print page 56 from the Student Resource Notebook (SRN) and add it to your binder.  Add a new tab to your binder and label it “Grammar Rules,” and from now on as we learn new rules this is where they will be filed.

You are such a fun group and I am so impressed with how well and how quickly you are  using  the stylistic techniques in your writing.

Happy Writing,

Mrs. Robyn

 

 

 

American History- Assignment Due September 12th

Write one paragraph retelling “The First Permanent English Settlement.” (Level A students may use the alternate paragraph if they wish.)

Level A students may use the Composition Checklist on page 21.

Level B students should use the Composition Checklist on page 31.

Wednesday:  create a KWO

Thursday:  test your KWO by retelling the paragraph out loud and to another person using only your KWO.

brainstorm for dress ups

Friday:  turn in your RD (rough draft) to your editor.

Monday:  FD (final draft)  due by 2 p.m.

American History- September 6, 2011

I hope this post finds you all doing well and experiencing zero brain explosions from all the material we covered yesterday.  Here is a recap just in case you experienced even a mild short circuit:

Proofreading Marks (SRN p. 92)

These are commonly used proofreading marks used in editing.  Your editor might use these when helping with your RD (rough draft) and I will be using them when grading your papers.  Print a copy and pop it in the very front of your binder for easy reference.

The Who/Which Clause (SRN p. 74; print and file under “Stylistic Techniques”)

This clause, an adjective clause, is simply a group of words that has both a subject and a verb.  The subject of the clause will be either “who” or “which,” and the verb will be a form of the verb “to be.”

The who/which clause is  used to give more information about a noun in a sentence.  It can also be used to combine two sentences or ideas.

Keep these two rules in mind when creating who/which clauses:

*  The who/which clause should be set off by commas.

*  If the who/which clause is removed, there should still be a complete sentence left.

Some examples we discussed are:

John Smith knew how to trade with the Indians for food.  He helped save Jamestown.

John Smith, who knew how to trade with the Indians for food, helped save Jamestown.

and

The  settlers could not eat the remaining sea rations.

The  settlers, who were starving, could not eat the moldy rations that remained.

And for fun, Mrs. Robyn, who loves her students, does not want their brains to explode.

For more help with the who/which clause, see page 29 of your book.

Grammar Rules (SRN p. 55)

You will learn several grammar rules throughout this course.  Once a rule has been taught, points will be deducted from your grade if the rule is broken.  The rule number will be noted so that you can reread the rule to correct the error.  From this point forward, if who/which clauses are not set of in commas, points will be deducted.  Also, if in attempting a who/which clause, a fragment is created, points will be deducted.

Sentence Openers  (Student Book, p. 29-30)

Like dress ups, sentence openers add a level of sophistication to our writing.  We discussed in class that most sentences begin with the subject, and after several sentences that becomes monotonous (boring!).  To offer some variety, we will use sentence openers as a new stylistic technique.

#3  a sentence that begins with an -ly word

Happily, the students embraced the techniques!

Expertly, they penned sentence after sentence.

#6 VSS, a very short sentence (2-5 words)

This is an easy one- a sentence with no more than 5 words!  A VSS is used for emphasis when used among sentences that are long or chock full of information.

Mrs. Robyn has the most incredibly talented writers in all of Writingdom.  Tirelessly, they struggle for excellence as they face the challenge of new stylistic techniques.  Time and time again they rise to whatever challenge she sets before them.  They rock.

 

I know this a massive amount of new information, but I am confident in your ability to master it!

Happy Writing,

Mrs. Robyn

 

 

 

American History- Assignment due Tuesday, September 6th

Rewrite the two paragraphs in the article, “Christopher Columbus.”

Wednesday:  Test your KWO by reading it out loud and to another person.

Brainstorm for dress ups.  Refer to the checklist on page 21 for required dress ups.

Thursday:  Write your rough draft and submit it to your editor.

Friday:  Using your editor’s corrections, write your final draft.

Final Draft due by 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 6th.

American History- August 30, 2011

In our mini-language arts lesson today, we talked about infinitives and helping verbs, especially as they relate to being used as dress ups.  It is sometimes easy to mistake an infinitive for a verb, because there is a verb therein.  For example, in the sentence “I agree not to indicate an infinitive as my strong verb,” the strong verb in the sentence is actually “agree.”  It is easy to mistake  “to indicate” for the verb.  But it is not.

Infinitives- an infinitive is “to” plus a verb used as a noun, adjective or adverb.

to+verb= infinitive

examples:  to sneeze, to eat, to run, to destroy, to read, to shriek, to jump, to dunk

While it might be tempting, do not indicate an infinitive as a strong verb because it is not a verb.

The other non-strong verb to avoid is the helping verb.  While a helping verb is a wonderful thing, it is not the best choice when indicating strong verbs.  Consider these examples:

I do not want to eat squid eyeballs.

I refuse to eat squid eyeballs.

Which is the stronger choice?  Clearly, it is the second.  The first example leaves room for the possibility that although I don’t want to, I might end up eating squid eyeballs.  The second states that  I flat out refuse to eat squid eyeballs.  Seriously.  I won’t do it.

Remember that Maybe Mr. Do Should Have a Will.  This silly sentence will remind you  of the forms of the verbs may, be, do, should have and will and that they are all helping verbs.

When in doubt, choose a one word action verb that closely follows the subject of your sentence.

Fables- March 2, 2011

Write a three paragraph story retelling the myth “Theseus and the Minotaur.”

Write a three paragraph story retelling the myth “Daedalus and Icarus.”

Thursday: write your RD for “Theseus and the Minotaur;” submit to editor

Friday: test your KWO for “Daedalus and Icarus” by reading it out loud and to another person

select dress ups for your paper

Monday: write the RD for “Daedalus and Icarus;” submit to your editor

Tuesday: using your editor’s corrections/suggestions, write your RDs for both “Theseus and the Minotaur” and “Daedalus and Icarus”

Papers are due by 2 p.m. to mrsrobyn@lew.is.

Medieval- Assignment due March 8th

Write a three paragraph story by borrowing the conflict of a familiar story

Thursday: choose the story that you will use as your model

create a KWO for your story

Friday: complete your KWO

brainstorm for dress ups

begin writing your RD

Monday: complete your RD; submit to editor

Tuesday: using your editor’s comments/corrections, write your FD

Papers are due by 2 p.m. to mrsrobyn@lew.is!

Medieval/March 2, 2011- Borrowing a Conflict



Borrowing a Conflict

You will use what you have learned about stories to write your own original story.  You now know that every story must contain the basic elements of the story sequence chart.  Therefore, to help you write your story, you will first fill out the outline on page 125 with your own ideas, with the following qualifications:  the setting must be during the middle ages and the characters must be appropriate for that setting.

To further help, you may “borrow” a conflict and theme from a familiar story.  For example, what is the conflict of The Three Little Pigs?  The pigs need to build houses to keep them safe from the big, bad wolf.  Two pigs are lazy and do not do a good job; one works hard and builds a strong house.  The theme is that hard work is rewarded because the third pig’s house is the only one that withstands the wolf’s huffing and puffing.  If you wanted to borrow this conflict and theme for a Middle Ages story, you could change the characters to three knights and a fierce dragon.  Instead of houses, the knights would build castles.  (Or try three friendly dragons and an evil knight.)

Other stories that may work well are:

The Tortoise and the Hare / The Foot Soldier and the Knight

The Boy Who Cried Wolf  /The Page Who Cried Dragon

The Ant and the Grasshopper/ The Wise King and the Foolish King

King Midas and the Golden Touch/ The King with the Magic Dub

Fables- Assignment due March 1st

Write a three paragraph paper retelling the myth “Arachne.”

Create a complete KWO for “Theseus and the Minotaur.”

Thursday: write a RD for “Arachne” and submit it to your editor

Friday: using your editor’s corrections/suggestions, write your FD

Monday: read “Theseus and the Minotaur”

create a KWO

Tuesday: “Arachne” due!

Submit papers by 2 p.m. to mrsrobyn@lew.is

Medieval- Assignment due March 1st

Write a three paragraph paper telling the story of “The Knight and the Dragon.”

Thursday: KWO

begin brainstorming for dress ups

Friday: complete brainstorming for dress ups

begin writing RD

Monday: complete RD and submit to editor

Tuesday: using your editor’s corrections/suggestions, write your FD

Papers are due by 2 p.m. to mrsrobyn@lew.is