Saturday, March 31, 2012

The suffix -tion

Vocabulary/Spelling #18           Test on April 6, 2012        This is our last set!
Prepare for a test on all prefixes and suffixes.
 Suffix to study:   -tion  which means act or  state
1.       attention     extra credit:  The "at" part means "towards", and the "ten" part means  "to stretch or extend."  So if you are paying attention, you are stretching toward something.  Tension and tense come from the same word part as the "ten" part of attention. 
2.       population -- extra credit: "pop" means "people."
3.       operation --  extra credit:  "oper" means "work."
4.       transportation -- extra credit:  "trans" means "across."  "port" means "carry."
 
operation

attention

transportation

operation
 
 
 
 
population - "pop" means people
 

April 2, 2012

   Happy April!


1. Self-Starter: Sentence Combining

Sometimes a long sentence is best.
Sometimes a short sentence is best. 
Sometimes a middle-sized sentence is best.
Your writing will be best if you use a variety of sentence lengths.
To fix choppy-sentence-itis, use sentence-combining.

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.
Worksheet  -- Examples and Practice
For example:
1.   "I passed my English test. I passed it yesterday." (adverb)
This could be changed to "Yesterday, I passed my English test."
Now you try it:
1Y.  Katniss volunteered to take Prim's place in the Hunger Games.  She did it quickly.
Combine the sentences to change it to ____________________________________

For example:
2. "Ella did the exercises with ease. The exercises were difficult." (adjective)
This could be changed to "Ella did the difficult exercises with ease."
Now you try it: 
2Y.  The people in the Capital are excited and eager each year to watch the Hunger Games.   The Hunger Games are deadly.
Combine the sentences to change it to _____________________________

For example:
3. "Joe's dog scares people. Joe's dog snarls." (participle)
This could be changed to "Joe's snarling dog scares people."
Here is another example of this one:
"Holding my cat is comforting.  My cat purrs."
This could be changed to "Holding my purring cat is comforting."
Now you try it:   (Notice that you need to change a verb into an adjective ending in -ing.)
3Y.  The audience is impressed with Peeta and Katniss's fiery entrance.  The crowds cheer.
Combine the sentences to change it to _____________________________

Here is the document for this exercise:
Sentence Combining 1.docx
___________________________________________
2. 
What makes a good essay?
 See and compare the two sample essays.  What makes one better than the other?  After clicking on this link, click on the Download tab to open the document on your  computer.
D20387-01TraitsLessonsIdeas.pdf

What makes a good essay?
more detail
   the reader can see
   the reader can hear -- including dialogue
It makes the reader feel and think


__________________________________________________

                       Learning Outcomes for Today
for sentence combining:  After this and other lessons, students will be able to correct sentence problems such as run-ons and fragments, and will be able to use more variety in sentence structure and length.
for looking at essays:  Students will be reminded of what they need to do to create a quality essay.





this post originally published 3/27/12

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Thursday, March 29, 2012

 Self-Starter:   Tape in under “Editing.”   Edit the following passage, watching for places where there should be commas and apostrophes, and where there might be a problem with subject-verb agreement.
Sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen volunteer in her younger sisters place to enter the Hunger Games, and are forced to rely upon her sharp instincts the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy and her archery skills when shes pitted against highly-trained tributes who has prepared for these games their entire lives. If shes ever to return home to District 12,  in the arena Katniss must make impossible choices  that weighs survival against humanity and life against love.                                  Editing SV, Ap, Cm   Here is the document to download and fill out:  edit sv, comma, apostrophe.docx
_________________________________________
A4 -- Presentation on Shackleton's Lost Men     A4 needs to watch the video from  1:29 -- getting ready to slide down the mountain.     Caroline Alexander, Endurance scholar: For scientific discovery give me Scott. For speed and efficiency give me Amundsen. But when you're in a hopeless case and disaster strikes, get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton.                                           http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/walking/part01/meet.html           ___________________________________________    
Spelling Test:
Vocabulary/Spelling #17             Test on March 29
 Prefix to study:   re-  which means   again
1.    receive      Extra credit:    capere to take
          “i before e except after c”
2.    review        Extra credit:  vidēre, to see
3.    revise         Extra credit:  vidēre, to see
4.    revoke        Extra credit:  vocāre to call      Next and final spelling test:
Vocabulary/Spelling #18           Test on April 6, 2012        This is our last set!
Prepare for a test on all prefixes and suffixes.
 Suffix to study:   -tion  which means act or  state
1.       attention     extra credit:  The "at" part means "towards", and the "ten" part means  "to stretch or extend."  So if you are paying attention, you are stretching toward something.  Tension and tense come from the same word part as the "ten" part of attention. 
2.       population -- extra credit: "pop" means "people."
3.       operation --  extra credit:  "oper" means "work."
4.       transportation -- extra credit:  "trans" means "across."  "port" means "carry."
_____________________________________________________   
Computer Lab to finish external text features for your nonfiction books. Have your rough draft all ready, so all you have to do is type it up and add illustrations. 

Create an external text feature  (one) for your individual book -- one your book doesn't already have.   See the rubrics available in the classroom and also available to download and print here.

Bk of Mnth Rubrics 2 for External Text Features(2).doc

explanation of project.docx 

See more information under the tab above for Book of the Month.  

If you are done and have handed it in, you may have an opportunity to go to the Media Center.
While there, you could look for a book for our next Book-of-the-Month:

Contemporary Realistic Fiction

 

Important Reminders:

This Week During Cavetime -- Talent Show and Net Safe Presentation

Core Testing will be on April 19 and 23 in this class.  We will be testing on the computer.  

Context Clues for Seventh Grade

 

_________________________________________________

                       Learning Outcomes for Today Students will "show what they know" about the prefix "re-" and its associated spelling words.  Students will "show what they know" about creating an effective external text feature. Students will better understand what is meant by the genre "contemporary realistic fiction."  They will be able to select appropriate books for their next book-of-the-month, and will have an increased awareness of book genres they can select for their own free-time reading. 

Monday, March 26, 2012

The Prefix "re-"

Vocabulary/Spelling #17             Test on March 29
 Prefix to study:   re-  which means   again
1.    receive      Extra credit:    capere to take
          “i before e except after c”
2.    review        Extra credit:  vidēre, to see
3.    revise         Extra credit:  vidēre, to see
4.    revoke        Extra credit:  vocāre to call

_____________________________________________________
Review:  
From  Part of a review by

Kelli Catana
Kelli Catana Blogger, www.kellidaisy.com

The Hunger Games -- A Movie Review

Thursday night I dragged my almost 40-year-old body to the theaters for the 12:01 a.m. showing of The Hunger Games along with a sold out theatre of teens, adults, parents and children. I was nervous that there would be no way that the film could live up to the huge hype it had created or to the books that I devoured in days. Thankfully I was wrong. It was well worth the sleep deprivation.
______________________________________________________

revise


revoke

   
review
receive
    

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Source
Self-Starter:  In your composition book, under Quickwrites,  start with these words, and write a half page or more about your feelings.  The words to begin with are "If I were wearing a mood ring today, it would be the color . . . . .  because. . . . . "

Students today learned that MOOD or feeling is expressed in literature -- particularly for today in poetry.  If you are absent, when you get back, ask for the assignment to read and then write a poem with mood/feelings.

Here is the link to  Langston Hughes reading his poem "The Merry-Go-Round":
http://will.illinois.edu/americanarchive/item/illinoisbroadcastarchives_1207b/


We watched parts of the rest of the video Shackleton.
A4 got to 1:29 -- getting ready to slide down the mountain.
A4 also finished off the group presentations except for the one on Shackleton's Lost Men.  Those students will please present next time.



Important Reminders

This Week During Cavetime



Next time:
Test on  the prefix "re-."


Next time: 
Computer Lab to finish external text features for your nonfiction books.
Have your rough draft all ready, so all you have to do is type it up and add illustrations.


Create an external text feature  (one) for your individual book -- one your book doesn't already have.   See the rubrics available in the classroom and also available to download and print here.

Bk of Mnth Rubrics 2 for External Text Features(2).doc

explanation of project.docx 


See more information under the tab above for Book of the Month.  

 

_________________________________________________

                       Learning Outcomes for Today

 Students will understand that poems have mood (feelings) as well as ideas.  Students will be able to recognize some of those moods in life and in poetry.





Friday, March 23, 2012

Last Day of the Term!

Students finished preparing chapter presentations (in table groups) to present to the rest of their classmates.

Chapter presentations.

Working on External Text Features for Ice Story.

This Week During Cavetime

Tuesday:  Talent Show for Seventh Grade in the New Auditorium

Wednesday:  Net Smart for Seventh Grade in the Old Auditorium

Thursday: No movie during Cavetime

Extra Credit -- Homophones: Raise and Raze?

raze
writes about words.  He provided this information.  If you are the first to come and tell me about the meaning of these two words,  and can do it without notes in front of you, you'll earn 5 extra credit points.
RAISE vs. RAZE? These are exact opposites. Raise means to lift or build up and raze means to tear down.
raise
 
 

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Friday, March 23, 2012

Reminders

  • Your project for your Book of the Month (nonfiction) is due by March 29.   You should have already signed up for your book.

Create an external text feature  (one) for your individual book -- one your book doesn't already have.   See the rubrics available in the classroom and also available to download and print here. 

Bk of Mnth Rubrics 2 for External Text Features(2).doc

explanation of project.docx 

See more information under the tab above for Book of the Month. 

  • Cave Time Intervention is Available Tuesday through Friday of this week. 
  • This week first priority is given to failing students.
  • Last Friday was the last day for passing students to hand in revised or late work.
  • Last Friday was the last day to hand in extra credit.



Self-Starter: Make sure everyone in your group has filled in your assigned part of of the goldenrod packets for chapters 11-17+.  Prepare to tell the class about what you read.  Every member of your group present must participate.    

If you are done, go ahead and look through Ice Story for dates, people, and words, (and places if you have four group members). 
Take notes on the paper provided.  


Each member of your group will prepare one external text feature. 
  • It will have a title such as Timeline for Ice Story, Glossary for Ice Story, Who's Who for Ice Story
  • It will include your group name and your own name.
  • It will have 5 or more items, annotated, 
  • and at least one illustration.
(Notice that your own project will require more than this sample project does.  See the rubrics.)




Present information about Shackleton and Ice Story.
Finish filling out external text features page and each lifeboat creates as many external text features as they have crew members:  timeline, glossary, who's who, what's where. 
external text feature notes - whole class.doc 


Shackleton's Crew Photos

Places in Ice Story

(Computer lab 201?)

  http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/south/south_pictures4.htm

 

Great job,  Students!  You got a lot accomplished this week, and you're now experts on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition!  Enjoy becoming experts on the topics you chose for your own book-of-the-month books.  

Your assigned external text features are due next Thursday. 

 

Have a great weekend. 

 


Last day of the term


The spelling words for the 29th are the "re-" words. 

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Reminders

  • Your project for your Book of the Month (nonfiction) is due by March 29.   You should have already signed up for your book.

Create an external text feature  (one) for your individual book -- one your book doesn't already have.   See the rubrics available in the classroom and also available to download and print here. 

Bk of Mnth Rubrics 2 for External Text Features(2).doc

explanation of project.docx 


See more information under the tab above for Book of the Month. 

  • Cave Time Intervention is Available Tuesday through Friday of this week. 
  • This week first priority is given to failing students.
  • Last Friday was the last day for passing students to hand in revised or late work.
  • Last Friday was the last day to hand in extra credit.
Group work for the assigned group:

And here's another part of the story:  the story of the part of the expedition on the other side of Antarctica.  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/shackleton/1914/lostmen.html

Answer the questions you've been given. 
___________________________________________

Self-Starter:  Finish up chapters 6-10 goldenrod papers, and work on exercises for Chapters 11-17 and the Epilogue.

2)  "-ment" exercise

3)  Creating External Text Features


4)  Vocabulary/Spelling #16           Test on March  March 21
  •  Suffix to study:   -ment  which means 
                   action, state of, result of
Notice that -ment turns words (usually verbs)  into nouns.
Extra Credit is underlined.

1.     government       gov -  ern   - ment          
             Extra credit: “Govern” comes from a Latin word meaning “to steer” as in steering a ship.  

2.     equipment      e – quip – ment
                Extra credit:  “Equip” comes from an Old Norse (Scandinavia/Norwegian) word meaning “ship” because it originally had to do with fitting out (preparing everything needed for)  a ship.  
     
3.     environment      en-vi-ron-ment
                    Extra credit: “En” means “in.”   “Viron” comes from  “around, circle, turn.”

4.     amendment    a-mend-ment
                     Extra credit: “Amend” means to “correct, or to free from fault.”  (It has “mend” in it.)
                 Do you know about any of the amendments to the Constitution of the United States?

___________________________________________
5) New Spelling List

Vocabulary/Spelling #17             Test on March 29
 Prefix to study:   re-  which means   again
1.    receive      Extra credit:    capere to take
          “i before e except after c”
2.    review        Extra credit:  vidēre, to see
3.    revise         Extra credit:  vidēre, to see
4.    revoke        Extra credit:  vocāre to call

_____________________________
More Shackleton Information:

Shackleton's Crew   and Timeline for Ice Story

Monday, March 19, 2012

Reminders

  • Your project for your Book of the Month (nonfiction) is due by March 29.   You should have already signed up for your book.

Create an external text feature  (one) for your individual book -- one your book doesn't already have.   See the rubrics available in the classroom and also available to download and print here.

Bk of Mnth Rubrics 2 for External Text Features(2).doc

 

See more information under the tab above for Book of the Month. 

  • Cave Time Intervention is Available Tuesday through Friday of this week. 
  • This week first priority is given to failing students.
  • Last Friday was the last day for passing students to hand in revised or late work.
  • Last Friday was the last day to hand in extra credit.

Today:  Pick up your composition book.

Self-Starter: Under "Notes and QuickWrites," write at least a half page about this:

What is a hero?  Who is a hero and why?

 

 2.  Editing:  What should be capitalized?  

 Ice Story DEW  In your composition book, under editing, make a list of the words that should be capitalized in this passage. Capitalize them.  Also tell where punctuation is needed.
a) Fix the punctuation and capitalization in this passage. (Editing)


growing up in westchester new york elizabeth cody kimmel did not find much in the way of sub-zero temperatures and blizzards to play in. In her imagination, however, each winter brought the frozen wasteland of antarctica to her doorstep, and in her dreams she explored the icy peaks and glaciers surrounding the south pole.

 

 

 3.  Lifeboats --

Name Lifeboats -- First choice given by answering questions.

4.  Ice Story and Shackleton 

Read summary of chapter 6.  Each student on your lifeboat reads a chapter and answers questions for chapters 7 - 10.  

 A1:  Read from    page 25 - page 61
Video from  second disk 16:14.

Read summary of chapter 6.  Each student on your lifeboat reads a chapter and answers questions for chapters 7 - 10. 

A2:  
Read from     page 25
Video from 54:13 killing the dogs to 1:09?  Blackborrow can't stand up.

Read summary of chapter 6.  Each student on your lifeboat reads a chapter and answers questions for chapters 7 - 10.

A3: 
Read from  page 25
Video from  30:10 to  41:48

Read summary of chapter 6.  Each student on your lifeboat reads a chapter and answers questions for chapters 7 - 10.



A4: 
Read from    page 25
From   second disk  28:00 to 34:15

Read summary of chapter 6.  Each student on your lifeboat reads a chapter and answers questions for chapters 7 - 10.

 

You can read most of the book at http://books.google.com/books?id=CnSxQ9evsJ8C&pg=PA1&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q&f=false 

-- No longer available.



 

More Shackleton Information:

Shackleton's Crew   and Timeline for Ice Story

 

If time:  Purpose and Mood: Poem #2 on  Polar Poetry 

We didn't do the poetry today.

________________________________ 

 

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EPsuOEH1fY

Monday, March 12, 2012

How Do You Feel About Daylight Savings Time?



So, what time is it really?  Does it matter?  And do you know this movie?
Extra credit to the first one who can tell me what movie this poster is referring to.  (This depends on your schema -- background knowledge -- or Mom or Dad's!)
Extra credit to the first person who can explain to me what time it really would be if we weren't  on a Daylight Savings Time system. 


Saturday, March 10, 2012

Examples of Effective Description

1.   From Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World by Jennifer Armstrong:
         "The whaling station was a rough spot, with the carcasses of blue and humpback whales putrefying in the midnight sun, and the harbor red with blood and shimmering with grease around the oil factory.  Billowing clouds of steam rose from the plant where blubber was being boiled down.  According to Harry McNeish, the ship's Scottish carpenter, "Ye could sniff the aroma if ye were five miles out to wind'ard."  The crew soon gave the harbor the sarcastic name "the Scent Bottle."  From the mountainsides echoed the harsh donkey bray of gentoo penguins, the screech of skuas, and the bellowing of elephant seals."  (pages 12-13)

Extra Credit for finding an example of very effective description in a book.  Show me. 



Inside District School #7, Niagara County, New York

by Joyce Carol Oates
     Inside, the school smelled smartly of varnish and wood smoke from the potbellied stove. On gloomy days, not unknown in upstate New York in this region south of Lake Ontario and east of Lake Erie, the windows emitted a vague, gauzy light, not much reinforced by ceiling lights. We squinted at the blackboard, that seemed far away since it was on a small platform, where Mrs. Dietz's desk was also positioned, at the front, left of the room. We sat in rows of seats, smallest at the front, largest at the rear, attached at their bases by metal runners, like a toboggan; the wood of these desks seemed beautiful to me, smooth and of the red-burnished hue of horse chestnuts. The floor was bare wooden planks. An American flag hung limply at the far left of the blackboard and above the blackboard, running across the front of the room, designed to draw our eyes to it avidly, worshipfully, were paper squares showing that beautifully shaped script known as Parker Penmanship.
In this paragraph (originally published in Washington Post Book World and reprinted in "Faith of a Writer: Life, Craft, Art," Joyce Carol Oates affectionately describes the "single-room schoolhouse" she attended from first through fifth grades. Notice how she appeals to our sense of smell before moving on to describe the layout and contents of the room.



The Meteor Show
The much advertised meteor show this summer was a memory ot behold. The air was crisp and cool. I did not even feel a hint of a breeze on my skin as I lie on my back in the darkness. The warm temperature of the water against the cooler air created a drifting airy fog that whispered over the lake. Darkness enveloped the sky as only a slight curve of the moon shone in the night; consequently, this made the perfect stage for the breathtaking view of twinkling stars. In the still of the night many galaxies glittered from the depths of the sky as I felt hypnotically drawn into the mesmorizing show above me. Broad irregular bands of light from the Milky Way stretched across the sky while the big and little dipper shined brightly. As predicted, the meteor show began with various sized meteors cascading to the earth's atmosphere about every fifteen to thirty seconds. Shots of light, followed by orange and white mist, describes the presence of the meteors. The panoramic view made it possible to witness several meteors at a time while marveling at each one. An event like this may only happen once in a lifetime, so I will cherish this moment and it will remain as one of my fondest memories.
~© 2005 Leslie Malsam~


Not a place, but well-described!
The Hot Fudge Sundae
In front of me on the table sat a beautiful pure white bowl, simplistic in design, hiding a decadent surprise inside. In the bowl was hidden something that was not so pure, however, the irresistible indulgence was worth every calorie that I knew it contained. As I looked inside I saw on the bottom of the bowl a hot, tender brownie loaded with macadamia nuts. I knew from past experience that the nuts had a creamy and smooth texture, almost like white chocolate. On top of the brownie were two firmly packed scoops of ice cream, laying side by side, each one a different flavor. The scoop on the right was a rich vanilla, flecked with dark specks of vanilla bean. The scoop on the left was a dark, smooth, bittersweet chocolate. The scoops were just starting to melt tiny rivers of melted cream down the sides of the hot brownie, pooling on the bottom of the pure white bowl. These scoops of ice cream were draped with a sumptuous, rich, hot fudge sauce. Topping the luscious sauce was an ample dollop of whipped cream that was in perfect contrast to the dense, almost too rich dessert below. The whipped cream was topped with a shower of chocolate sprinkles and finely chopped walnuts. What finally completed this wonderful creation was a perfect maraschino cherry, its red juice sending tiny streams down the whole mountain of dessert delight. The contrast of colors, textures and flavors in this dessert appealed to every part of my senses. I could not wait to eat it.
~© 2005 Kelly Cofske~




Thursday, March 15, 2012

1.  Subject/Verb Agreement Lesson

Subject-Verb Agreement Rules for Seventh Graders

Here is a link to a sight that helps you find the SUBJECT of a sentence:  http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/subject.htm

Here is Ms. Bills's PowerPoint:
SubjectVerbAgreement.ppt


2. Spelling Test Today:

Vocabulary/Spelling #15           Test March 15
 Prefix to study:   pre -  which means   before 
Extra credit is underlined. 
1.      preposition  - noun -- The word part that "position" comes from means "to place."   Preposition  means “to place before.”  A preposition is placed in front of other words that it is joining to a sentence.  It shows the relationship of those words to the rest of the sentence.  No extra credit. 
2.      preview --  noun or verb -- The word part "view" means  "to see." To preview is "to see before." No extra credit.
3.      predict  -- verb  -- extra credit:  The word part "dict" means  " to say."  To predict is "to say before."
4.      precede -- verb  -- extra credit:   The word part "cede" means  "to go or move.”  To precede is “to go before.”  

________________________________________________________


3. Receive handout for Next Spelling Text:  



Vocabulary/Spelling #16           Test on March  March 21
  •  Suffix to study:   -ment  which means 
                   action, state of, result of
Notice that -ment turns words (usually verbs)  into nouns.
Extra Credit is underlined.

1.     government       gov -  ern   - ment          
             Extra credit: “Govern” comes from a Latin word meaning “to steer” as in steering a ship.  

2.     equipment      e – quip – ment
                Extra credit:  “Equip” comes from an Old Norse (Scandinavia/Norwegian) word meaning “ship” because it originally had to do with fitting out (preparing everything needed for)  a ship.  
     
3.     environment      en-vi-ron-ment
                    Extra credit: “En” means “in.”   “Viron” comes from  “around, circle, turn.”

4.     amendment    a-mend-ment
                     Extra credit: “Amend” means to “correct, or to free from fault.”  (It has “mend” in it.)
                 Do you know about any of the amendments to the Constitution of the United States?

 

4.  Ice Story and Shackleton 

Name Lifeboats -- First choice given by answering questions.

 A1:  Read from    page 25
Video from  second disk 16:14.

A2:  
Read from     page 25
Video from 54:13 killing the dogs

A3: 
Read from  page 25
Video from  30:10?

A4: 
Read from    page 25
From   second disk  28:00 

 

You can read most of the book at http://books.google.com/books?id=CnSxQ9evsJ8C&pg=PA1&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q&f=false 

If time:  Purpose and Mood: Poem #2 on  Polar Poetry

 

_________________________________ 

Reminders

  • The term ends next Friday, March 23, so all late, revised, and extra credit work is due by this Friday, March 16.

  • Your project for your Book of the Month (nonfiction) is due by March 29.   You should have already signed up for your book.

Create an external text feature  (one) for your individual book -- one your book doesn't already have.   See the rubrics available in the classroom and also available to download and print here.

Bk of Mnth Rubrics 2 for External Text Features.doc

See more information under the tab above for Book of the Month. 

  Subject-Verb Agreement