Friday/Monday, March 31/April 10, 2017

Announcements and Reminders:                           I hope you had a fun, safe Spring Break!

Targets for Today: I can recognize where commas belong in a sentence, and can use them correctly for items in a series,  after first, second, third when in a series, with coordinate adjectives,  with a long introductory phrase or clause, with words or phrases or clauses that interrupt the train of thought, with direct address,  to set off appositives,  to set off the explanatory words with a direct quote,  with compound sentences, in certain dates, places, and addresses, following the greeting in a friendly letter (Today we are briefly reviewing several of the above comma rules.) I can read a short story and answer text-based questions with evidence-based answers. I can read and comprehend short stories and recognize elements of literature within them.

Today’s  Agenda: Pick up a literature book if there is not one on your desk. You DO NOT need composition books today. 1.  Pick up a comma packet, and start working through it -- one page at a time.      You may work with ONE partner.  Ms. D. will assign partners.      Study the rules, and make your best attempt to apply them to the sentences given.    If you can earn  8 out of 10 or 10 out of 12 sentences correct on that page,              you will receive points for it.       Then take that one page to be corrected by the teacher or by a student who has been assigned  to correct these.      Notice what you missed and why you missed it.      Then go on to the next page.      Work as long as the teacher allows -- about 20 minutes.      Turn in your packets to the top wire basket. 2.  Listen to AND READ ALONG WITH the short story "The Smallest Dragonboy."      It is about 33 minutes long.      You will have questions to answer after reading the story. 3. Receive the question page for Text Dependent Questions with Evidence-based Answers. --    That means you will be looking back in the text (the story) to find evidence for the answers you write. _________________________________ susurrus = rustling sound   = onomatopoeia   the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named (e.g., cuckoo, sizzle ). Can you think of more?   draconic choice -- so what did Draco Malfoy's first name mean?  _________________________ Example:  2. Keevan’s goal is to become a dragonrider. What are some of the things he states, on p. 48, column 1, that make him look forward to becoming a dragonrider the most?  Answer: (Using evidence from the text.)  He wanted to “sit astride a winged beast,” to be friends with the dragon, “in telepathic communication . . . for life,” to “fly effortlessly over the lands of Pern!” Or “thrillingly, to fly between to any point on the world.” Turn these papers in to the top wire basket.  4.  If you  have extra time, work on your "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" or "Three Skeleton Key" assignment.   B5, Leave literature books on your desks.   B6, please help put away literature books on the rolling shelf and on the back counter in the corner.  A1, A2, B2 finished reading the story.  B1 needs to finish the story.  All will need to answer the questions.  If you would like to continue reading about the dragonriders, read Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, and Dragondrums, all by Anne McCaffrey.

    

If You Were Absent: You can find The Smallest Dragonboy short story at http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view_print.php?book=64557

Vocabulary: coordinate adjectives:   Coordinate adjectives, or paired adjectives, are two or more adjectives that precede and describe the same noun and are equal in their application to the noun. In other words, neither adjective carries more weight in describing the noun.  (from http://www.write.com/writing-guides/general-writing/punctuation/mastering-the-art-of-comma-usage/commas-coordinate-adjectives/)

Wednesday/Thursday, March 29/30, 2017

Announcements and Reminders:                            Your phone needs a safe home while we are testing.  You CANNOT take it into the test. No cell phones allowed! We will take the SAGE Writing Test on March 23 - March 30. Come well-rested. Eat well. Drink enough water, but not too much.   😀 Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.  -- Helen Keller Bring headphones or earbuds if you wish to have the passages read to you on SAGE. We will have some available, but you will likely prefer your own. In the news:

Targets for Today: I can show what I know by writing an effective essay or  response.

Today’s  Agenda: Continue Testing in Lab 202 If you are done, you will read the short story "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" and complete assignments that go along with it. If you finish that, ask for the assignments to go along with "Three Skeleton Key. " (Notice above that the titles of short stories are set off with quotation marks.) Before we go:   Don't Give Up -- Video  Reminders:  Come well rested and fed and hydrated.  It will save you time in the long run if you create a graphic organizer before you write.       Figure out exactly what the prompt is asking.  RAFTS it!        Outline what you will write.  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 choose to have the passage read to you, 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. To highlight, select the text and do a Control click. We think you might also be able to select text an d control click to have the text read to you. ✎  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.   ✐ Hand in all scratch paper to the teacher at the end of class.   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 60-90 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 and do not want to use the school headphones.        A pencil.  Getting to the computer lab:     We will be in Lab 202.  Leave your backpack. Take a pen or pencil.  Take your test ticket.  Sit at your assigned computer -- C#. Getting into the test:  1)     Log in with sage for the username (it is not case sensitive) and SageTesting (case sensitive) for the password. 2)     Type in your first name (not a nickname) 3)     Type in your SSID # -- from the slip you receive 4)     Type in the test session number -- Ms. Dorsey will write it on the board. 5)     Provide information to take the 7th grade writing test 6)     Set up color, sound as needed 7)    Take the test When the period ends, PAUSE the test.  Log out of SAGE.        Log off the computer.Leave the computer with the computer log-in screen up for the next student.   Yeah, it's funny, but DON'T be a Calvin on the test! What happens to a frog's car when it breaks down? It gets toad away.  Q: What did the duck say when he bought lipstick? A: "Put it on my bill."  Q: Why was six afraid of seven?  A: Because seven "ate" nine.  Q: Did you hear about the kidnapping at school?  A: It's okay. He woke up.   Q: Why couldn't the leopard play hide and seek?  A: Because he was always spotted.  Q: Why did the can crusher quit his job?  A: Because it was soda pressing.  A man got hit in the head with a can of Coke, but he was okay  because it was a soft drink.

If You Were Absent:

Vocabulary:

Will March go out like a lion or like a lamb?