November 13/14, 2008
Today students handed in their book approvals, and extra credit reading logs if they had them.
Sentence Combining
Students completed a Sentence Combining Worksheet. They learned about combining sentences by taking a key word (adverb, adjective, or participle) from a short sentence to combine with another short sentence. For example:
1. "I passed my English test. I passed it yesterday." (adverb)
This could be changed to "Yesterday, I passed my English test."
2. "Ella did the exercises with ease. The exercises were difficult." (adjective)
This could be changed to "Ella did the difficult exercises with ease."
3. "Joe's dog scares people. Joe's dog snarls." (participle)
This could be changed to "Joe's snarling dog scares people."
Activity 1. Revising Sentences
a) Students completed the chart for looking at the lengths and beginnings of their sentences from an essay they wrote.
(Any students who did not copy, double-space, and print their "Cherished Memory" essays in class last time need to do this at home and bring them to class next time.)
b) Students completed and back of the chart and read and studied information in the Writing and Grammar textbook.
c) Students revised at least 5 sentences from their essays by correcting fragments or run-ons, changing beginnings (for variety or effect), or by dividing or combining sentences.
Activity 2. Short Story
Students worked on filling out a story map as they listened to the short story "The Smallest Dragon Boy."
Example for the Reading Log
I am reading The Hiding Place by Corie Ten Boom with John and Elizabeth Sherrill.
Topic: This book is about a kind, generous family who were persecuted (and some killed) by the Nazis during World War II.
Themes: pp. 4-10 Corrie's father is kind and loving to everyone. He hires people who otherwise couldn't get a job. He pays attention to the children. He "forgets" to charge people for the work he does for them. When the family celebrates the one hundredth birthday of their watch shop, nearly everyone from their community comes, not to celebrate the watch shop, but to honor Corrie's father, whom they love.
Theme: If you want to be loved, love others.
