Monday, February 2, 2015

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Announcements and Reminders:
Mark your calendars:
SAGE Testing for A-Day:  February 9 and 11 -- Informative and Argument Writing

 Come well-rested, well-nourished, and well-hydrated.

In preparation for taking the test, you might want to look again at: Writing Argumentative and Informational Essays.


 Book Assessments are Due February 11/12

February 12 will be Parent-Teacher Conference.

 Facts about the SAGE test.
  • During the test, the teacher will be able to answer questions about the mechanics of the test, but not about the particular prompt or passages. 
  • You may chose to have the passages read to you, but you do not have to.  
    •  If you pause the sound on a passage, when you un-pause it may start over. 
      • We aren't sure if you can highlight a passage and have it read to you.
    •  If you do, set up the sound before you begin the test.  You may adjust the sound using an icon in the upper right hand corner. 
    • You may bring your own headphones, if you wish. 


  • When we are in the computer lab for testing, do not unplug the headphones.  Leave them as they are unless you are plugging in your own headphones.  Plug the school headphones back in before you leave. 

    • The program does not save highlighting.
    • The program does save your notes and your essay. 
    • You may take notes or set up a graphic organizer on a blank sheet of paper.  If you need your graphic organizer during the next class, at the end of that class, put your name on it, and hand it in to the teacher.
    • There is a scoring guide on the program that shows you how you will be graded.  You may also use spell check and the dictionary/thesaurus.
    • You are expected to take approximately 90 minutes for the argument essay and 60 minutes for the informative essay.  If you need to take more time, you may.  Do use your time wisely and well. 
    • You will receive your scores for the writing test after we take the reading test in April or May. 
    Take to the computer lab on testing days: 
           Your own headphones, if you wish to have the passages read to you.
           A pencil. 

    ____________________
    Creating your own Graphic Organize when you're taking a test  
          RAFTS, DRAFTING, ARMS, SMILES
          One side for Argument
          One side for Informational

    Argument  -- RAFTS
    R
    A
    F
    T
    S
    Evidence and Warrant #3 (with a counterclaim and counterargument)

    Introduction and Claim





    Conclusion
    Evidence and Warrant #1





    ARMS
    Evidence and Warrant #2

    SMILES






    Informative  -- RAFTS
    R
    A
    F
    T
    S
    Introduction and Central Idea





    Evidence and Explanation #1
    ARMS
    A
    R
    M
    S

    Evidence and Explanation #2
    Smiles
    S
    M
    I
    L
    E


    S
    Conclusion


    1. Individual Reading Time



    2. Conventions in Sentences Investigation 
    Title it: Unscrambling to Imitate      February 3, 2015

    Directions:  Unscramble the sentence parts to imitate the model.  Then write your own sentence that imitates the model.  Correctly capitalize and punctuate your imitation. 

    1. Copy the MODEL: When I awoke, there were snowflakes on my eyes.

    2. Unscramble these parts to match the model.  Write the sentence.
    a. in the sky
    b. there was a rainbow
    c. after the rain stopped

    3. Create your own sentence, imitating the model.
    Ms. Dorsey's sentence: (Do not copy it. Create your own to imitate the model.)
    Before school started, there was a meeting in my classroom.




    3. Read from The Outsiders  to page 47 "Big Time Socs, all right, . . . "

    To here:  A1
    Next time:
    4. Practice Citing Sources with excerpts from interviews with S.E. Hinton








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