Friday, January 31, 2014

Extra Credit -- Editing

What is wrong with this sentence from an article in the Daily Herald, January 31, 2014?

"This effects the community," Cannon said. 

First correct answer will earn five points of extra credit.   These points have been claimed!

B5 Sneaking Snacks


Popcorn = Popcorn Ethics by Korky Vann
Do You Sneak = Do You Sneak Food into the Movies by Stacie Haight Connerty
Is It Okay = Is it Okay to Sneak Food Into the Movies?  by Justin O'Neill

Facts:

85% -- Popcorn 
AMC- no snack sneaked -- Popcorn



Quotes:

Cohen Quote -- Popcorn
Pocket Popcorn -- Korky Vann
Anecdotes:

Guy suing AMC - popcorn
Israel -- Popcorn



Ideas:
Because everyone is doing it. . . .   -- Popcorn

As an article in Scholastic Scope magazine concluded, 
"Sneaking food into the movies . . . . It's just bad manners." 

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Thursday, January 30, 2014



Announcements and Reminders: 
Your January Book Assignment are due today -- at the BEGINNING of class.
Our next book genre is nonfiction:  biography, autobiography, literary nonfiction.
Nonfiction
Books Mrs. Jones Recommended
http://cavemanenglish.pbworks.com/Nonfiction.
See more recommendations and information below.

Next week we will take the paragraph post-test.  It will count on your grade, so do your best.


Today’s Agenda:
1. Individual Reading:  Your Choice
2.  In class:  Receive handouts for computer lab work
                    Complete RAFTS for Sample Writing Prompt for SAGE Test
2.  Computer Lab 211
      a. View and fill out a chart for books your classmates shared that you would like to read.
             Sign into Edmodo.  View the projects your classmates posted there for the January Book of the Month.
             The document asks you to record
  • the name of the student who posted about the book, 
  • the title of the book,
  • what the historical setting is for the book (and or real people from history who show up in the book), 
  • your response of whether you have already read it or how much you think you would like to read it.
Sample of how to fill out the chart:






How much I want to read it myself:
This project is by
It is about this book
(book title)
It is about this part of history
I’ve read it
Lots!
Pretty much
Maybe
Ms. Dorsey

Ghost Hawk
Plymouth pilgrims and native peoples
x





                  
      b.  More test practice for the SAGE test. 
                 This time you will be learning about and practicing the writing portion of the test. 
http://sageportal.org/training-tests/

                  https://utpt.tds.airast.org/Student/Pages/TestShellModern.aspx


3.  Exit slip: What do you still need to learn so you can do well on the test? 


If you were absent:  See above.
Viewing chart:   Do this at home or during cave time.  Download and print the document or pick up a copy from the handouts folders in the classroom.
January BA Viewing.doc
Test practice instructions:  Do this at home or during cave time.  Download and print the document or pick up a copy from the handouts folders in the classroom.
Practicing 2 with Practice Tests.doc





Qualities of some types of nonfiction:
Report of Information
It focuses on a specific subject, or controlling idea.
It supports the controlling idea with plenty of facts.
It organizes facts in a way that helps the audience learn about the subject.
It uses examples, explanations, and descriptions to clarify ideas that may be new to the audience.

Autobiography
The main character is the writer of the book.
It recounts key incidents in the writer's life.
It describes major influences (people, events, places) on the writer.
It describes interactions between the writer and significant people in his or her life.
It reveals the writer's feelings, reactions, values, and goals.

Biography
It tells about a real person.
It shows that the writer knows a lot about this person.
It describes the person's environment.
It provides anecdotes or details that show the person in action.
It shows how the person affects other people.
It states or implies how the writer feels about the person.

___________________________________

Some Possible Titles:
Chew on This by Charles Wilson and Eric Schlosser (YA version of Fast Food Nation)
Knots in My Yo-Yo String -- autobiography of Jerry Spinelli  (great fun!)
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Hoose, Phillip M.  133 pages.With Their Eyes: September 11th--The View from a High School at Ground Zero  by Annie Thomas (editor)  
Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish  Famine, 1845-1850 by Susan Campbell Baroletti 
 An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 (Newbery Honor Book) by Jim Murphy  S
Shutting Out the Sky: Life in the Tenements of New York, 1880 - 1824 by Deborah Hopkinson Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman 
The Boys' War: Confederate and Union Soldiers Talk About the Civil War by Jim Murphy 
Now Is Your Time!  The African-American Struggle for Freedom by Walter Dean Myers 
Guinea Pig Scientists by Dendy and Boring  
Survive the Savage Sea by Robertson  
Left for Dead (the story of the U.S.S. Indianapolis)   
Homesick by Jean Fritz  
Brian's Song  by Blinn  (a screenplay about Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo)  
Marshfield Dreams: When I Was a Kid by Ralph Fletcher   Try it out at Google Books.

See more information and recommendations at http://cavemanenglish.pbworks.com/Nonfiction.


originally published January 22, 2014

B6 Sneaking Snacks

Popcorn = Popcorn Ethics by Korky Vann
 Sneak = Do You Sneak Food into the Movies by Stacie Haight Connerty
Okay = Is it Okay to Sneak Food Into the Movies?  by Justin O'Neill

Facts:
cost $100 -- Sneak




Quotes:
cost $100 -- Sneak
"Sneaking. . . bad manner." -Okay
"manager, cracking down. . .repeat" -sneak
Anecdotes:
Connerty's story about going to the movies. 
Israel -- won right -- Popcorn





Ideas:
more expensive over the years -- Sneak


       People should be able to take their own food into movie theaters.
To begin with, according to Korky Van in an article about "Popcorn Ethics,"  "What's in your pocket is your business."
Also, another reason is that taking a family of eight to the movies could cost almost $100.  Stacie H. Connerty said that happened to her and six of the people in her group were children.

Some people have medical conditions. . . 




RAFTS for Sample Writing Prompt for SAGE Test





Fill out this RAFTS chart for this prompt:

Role (What is your role as you write this?)
Student  -- a student who is taking a stand on an issue
Audience (Who are you writing for?)
Whoever will read this: teachers, the computer?
Format  (What format are you asked to use – pargraph?  essay?  poem?  story?  list? )
Essay  -- an argument essay
Task  (What verbs in the prompt are telling you what to do?)
Write,  Take (a position),  Use (the information in the passages provided),  Include (information from all passages provided)
     ________________________
Manage (your time)
Plan, Write,  Revise and Edit
       _________________________
Include (a claim)
Address (counterclaims)
Use (evidence from several sources)
Do not rely (on just one source)

Spend (about 60 minutes on all the activities it takes to write this essay).

Type (your answer)

Strong Key Words (What words should you pay special attention to so you will write the answer you are begin asked to write?)
Great discoveries,  result,  big mistakes,  worth problems?   Greatness or disaster?
Mistakes key to discoveries? 

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

"THE MEssage."

About Theme 


  • Theme is the life lesson of a story or the author’s message.
  • The author will not tell readers what the theme or lesson of the story is.
  • The theme will be a whole sentence. 
  • The theme will NOT be a question.  It will state an opinion. 
  • The theme will be written such a way that it can apply to many people in many places and situations. 
  • There may be several themes in a long story or book. 


Sample:



Tim hated his old baseball glove. He wanted to play with a new glove, but he didn’t have any money, so he decided to steal it. But when Tim got caught stealing the glove, his parents said he couldn’t play baseball all summer.
Which is a theme from the story about Tim?
  1. Tim shouldn’t steal.
  2. If you want to play baseball, don't steal a glove.
  3. If you want something, you should work for it.
  4. Stealing a baseball glove.
Ask yourself: 
What is the theme?
What is the evidence that it is the theme?


One piece of evidence is not enough to prove a theme.
The more evidence you can find, the better, but just a few pieces of evidence can indicate a theme. 

How to find theme: 
Video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4qME64SkxM



What does the main character learn?
What is the main conflict?
Is there a trusted character who makes a wise statement?


Theme Practice



                                          It's   "THE MEssage."

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore!"

On this day, January 29, in 1845 

Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven," was published. 

B7 Sneaking Snacks

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

One or Two Spaces After a Sentence



Now I know which way is right and why I do it the way I do.
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2011/01/space_invaders.html

Extra credit:  Tell me why one space is the rule and why Ms. Dorsey learned to use two spaces.

B8 Sneaking Snacks



According to Smart Money (and Korky Vann in his article "Popcorn Ethics"), "movies make as much as  . . . " 

Randy Cohen , an ethics columnist said (as reported in Popcorn Ethics), ". . . . . . .

AMC no longer allows guests to bring in food and drinks. (Popcorn Ethics)


Central Idea: 
People should be allowed to take their own food and drinks into movie theaters.

Movie theater food and drinks are too expensive.
cost a family almost $100
costs a lot less at other stores
85 cents profit

The food there is mostly junk food.
(from your own background) 

People are just going to keep doing it anyway.
People try to save money.
Allergies
There are rules that people don't respect, and this is one of them. 







         


Monday, January 27, 2014

Who's Who Example


Who’s Who for Polar Exploration 
from Polar Discovery  by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Amundsen, Roald: Norwegian explorer who in 1911 was the first to reach the South Pole.

Barents, William:  a Dutch explorer, tried three times during 1594 to 1597 to find “The Northeast Passage”  along the coast of Siberia.
Baron Nordenskiöld, Baron:   found a Northeast Passage in 1878..

Bering, Vitus: a Russian who led expeditions exploring and mapping the northern coast of Russia from 1725-1742.


Cook, James:  provided the first well-documented proof of the existence of a frozen southern continent in 1772-1775, and in 1776-1779 he tried to find the supposed Northwest  Passage.

Davis, John: American captain who in 1821 was the first to  land on the Antarctic continent.

Henson, Matthew: may have, with Robert Perry, have been the first to reach the North Pole in 1908.

Scott, Robert Falcon: led a 1902 expedition trying to reach the South Pole.  He succeeded in 1912, but died on the way back.

Shackleton, Ernest: went with Scott on the  1902  attempt to reach the South Pole, led an expedition in 1907-1909  to within 97 miles of the South Pole, and led the 1914-1917 expedition of the Endurance.



Friday, January 24, 2014

Sentence Quiz #1 Answers


Label each of the following as one of these:
OK = complete, correct sentence
F = sentence fragment
RO = run-on
CS = comma splice

__cs_ 1.  They went to the doctor’s office, she was sick.
_  F_  2.   The girl with the pretty freckles.
_F__  3.   In the morning before breakfast.
_RO_ 4.  I don’t understand this math problem it makes no sense.
_OK_ 5.  The sun is very high today, so put on some sunblock.
_F_    6.  Because he was late to class.
_CS_ 7.  We flip a coin, I always win.
_F__  8.  The boy and the huge black shadow.
_RO_ 9.  We’ll take the test on March 21 be ready to do your best writing.
_OK 10. We went to the fair and found the rides extremely scary.

Correct two of the incorrect “sentences”  by  turning them into complete, correct sentences.  Select any two.   You may add words to a fragment.
# 1.    Correction: They went to the doctor's office because she was sick. (There are other ways to correct this.)
#  2    Correction:   The girl with the pretty freckles sat behind me in math class.  (There are other ways to correct this.)
#  3    Correction:   In the morning before breakfast I run two miles.  (There are other ways to correct this.)
#  4    Correction:    I don’t understand this math problem.  It makes no sense.
                                I don’t understand this math problem; it makes no sense.
                                I don’t understand this math problem because it makes no sense.
                                (There are other ways to correct this.)     
#  5    Correction:     No correction is needed. 
#  6    Correction:     Because he was late to class, George didn't get a doughnut.
                                  (There are other ways to correct this.)     
#  7    Correction:     When we flip a coin, I always win.  (There are other ways to correct this.)     
#  8    Correction:      The boy and the huge black shadow fought through the night. 
                                   (There are other ways to correct this.)     
#  9    Correction:      We’ll take the test on March 21.  Be ready to do your best writing.
                                    (There are other ways to correct this.)    
# 10    Correction:    No correction is needed. 

Sentence Quiz #1


Label each of the following as one of these:
OK = complete, correct sentence
F = sentence fragment
RO = run-on
CS = comma splice

_____1.  They went to the doctor’s office, she was sick.
_____2.   The girl with the pretty freckles.
_____3.   In the morning before breakfast.
_____4.  I don’t understand this math problem it makes no sense.
_____5.  The sun is very high today, so put on some sunblock.
_____6.  Because he was late to class.
_____7.  We flip a coin, I always win.
_____8.  The boy and the huge black shadow.
_____9.  We’ll take the test on March 21 be ready to do your best writing.
_____10. We went to the fair and found the rides extremely scary.

Correct two of the incorrect “sentences”  by  turning them into complete, correct sentences.  Select any two.   You may add words to a fragment.
# _____   Correction: __________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

# _____   Correction: __________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Sentence Quiz #1 Answers

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Tuesday, January 28, 2014



Announcements and Reminders: 
1.  Have your January Book of the Month assessment finished, edited, and posted on Edmodo by Friday. 
Ms. Dorsey has looked at and given suggestions and/or compliments for all of those that are already posted.  

2.  Please encourage your parents to check their email listed on Skyward. Is it up-to-date so teachers can contact them?

3.  On February 3, we will take the Post-Test on Writing Paragraphs.  
    Be prepared to 
          --  Deconstruct the prompt  
              Remember RAFT: Role, Audience, Format, Task (verbs), Strong Key Words
                  Note: For most school-type audiences, you will avoid abbreviations, slang, dead words                               such as "Well, . . . ", and you will avoid or limit contractions. 
         --Write a complete paragraph with central idea sentence, evidence/supporting details,  and a                         concluding sentence. 
         -- Stay focused on your central idea and cut out any ideas that do not support it.
         -- Use transition words and phrases.
         --  Revise.
         -- Edit.


Today’s Agenda:
1. Individual reading of your Historical Fiction book.  (Next up will be nonfiction.)

2.  Writing a practically perfect paragraph:
          Instruction and practice




If you were absent:  See above.
Go through the practice materials provided.  Download these files and complete the exercises.  topics and topic sentences packet 2014.doc       candy contrast paragraph practice.doc

Also see the examples and information at  Paragraph -- Halloween Compare and Contrast and

Creating a Practically Perfect Paragraph -- Holiday Dinners.

  For the paragraph writing about two candies we used a Starburst and a Jolly Rancher.  You could use any two different types of candies.  
  See the sample before you begin your paragraph: 

Sample Paragraph for Candy-Contrast


     



Sample paragraphs:

Paragraph -- Halloween Compare and Contrast


This is a sample of a complete and contrasting paragraph:  (This is on a different topic, but shows a complete paragraph, with all needed parts and highlighted and underlined as directed.)
The topic sentence (central idea sentence) is marked in green.  The supporting details/evidence is marked in yellow.  The concluding sentence is marked in red.  The transitions are underlined. 



Hot chocolate and orange soda provide two very different drinking experiences for several reasons.  First, the hot chocolate is just that -- hot, while soda is best served cold.  Next, the hot chocolate smoothly glides through your mouth.  On the other hand, the soda bubbles and fizzes against your lips and in your mouth.  Color is another difference.  My favorite hot chocolate is a rich deep brown topped with clouds of white whipped cream.  Orange soda, in contrast, is a vibrant orange color.  Also, a generously sized mug holds the chocolate with whipped cream, but the soda is best from an ice cold and crystal clear glass bottle, just opened.  In conclusion, though hot chocolate and orange soda are different in temperature, texture, color, and in how they are served, either can quench your desire for a delicious drink.


____________________________________
Transitions:  This is a list of transitions that are useful for paragraphs that contrast.

Transitions show relationships and help your sentences to fit together.
Some of the transitions you could use in a paragraph that contrasts: conversely, instead, on one hand, on the other hand, on the contrary, rather, yet, but, however, still, nevertheless, in contrast, first, second, third, first of all, to begin with, in the first place, at the same time, in conclusion, with this in mind, after all, all in all, all things considered, briefly, in brief,  on the whole, in short, in summary, in the final analysis, on balance, to sum up, to summarize, finally


 iWrite:   Contrasting Candies
Contrast the two pieces of candy you are given.  
  • Do the best you can to create an effective contrasting paragraph.  
  • Include a topic sentence, at least three effective details, and a concluding sentence.  
  • Use your paragraph rubric to improve this paragraph.  Rubric for your paragraph test  

Write legibly.   


Preparation for Paragraph Post-Test:
Can you write a complete, correct paragraph?
deconstruct the prompt
topic sentence/central idea -- One sentence that states the central idea!
evidence/support
focus
conclusion
audience/purpose -- style
conventions
complete sentences

B8 -- also had a mini lesson with Ian about  colorful sentences.

Colorful Sentences