Friday/Monday, September 28/October 1, 2018

Happy Autumn!  Happy October! 

Announcements and Reminders for Friday/Monday, September 28/October 1, 2018:                           Picture retakes will be on October 15.   If you had not finished your book when you presented, please let me know when you do finish it. If you have not presented, please see me to set up a time to present. Your October Book assignment is Realistic Fiction in a modern setting.  Start looking for a book.   See more information and suggestions here: Realistic Fiction in a Modern Setting

Targets for Today: I can correctly spell the commonly confused set of words:  there, their, and they're. I can write an effective description of a setting.

Today’s  Agenda  for Friday/Monday, September 28/October 1, 2018: Birthday Catch-Up!  Did A2 only? Drawing on Friday Spelling!  Commonly Confused Words: there, their, they're Find the information about the words there/their/they're in the Write Source 2000 book.   With a partner, create a small poster that includes three original sentences, each correctly using one of those commonly confused words, there, their, and they're. Your sentence must be completely legible, and each written to take up about a third of the page.  You may use some of the space for illustrations.   Finish with marker or pen. Both of your names should be on the front of your poster-- small, but legible.   Descriptive paragraphs -- finish Can you guess what this is describing?  The Entrance Hall was so big you could have fitted the whole of the  _________s’ house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at __________, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors. Another example: Outside the old mansion, a one-eyed crow was picking at something on the branch of a dead tree in the yard. A three-legged dog was howling at the moon. Receive a rubric. Consider using words from the pink packets (in the handout file).  Create an improved second draft in your composition book.   This paragraph is just describing the setting, not telling the action. Narrative Writing: Describing a Setting                                   Rubric Concerns (1) Areas that need work: Proficient (3) To reach proficiency you must complete the following: Advanced (5) You exceeded the standards! o I have written a full paragraph or more that describes a setting for a story – fiction or nonfiction. o I have “shown” my readers the setting, using at least three of the senses, described so that the reader can see, hear, feel, smell, or taste what you are describing. CONVENTIONS. o I have written complete sentences that begin with a capital letter and end with end punctuation. Script -- dialogue for your story See an example --  Brian's Song, pg 279 in the green literature book

If You Were Absent: See above. Make your own small (8 1/2 x 11) poster with sentences showing the correct uses of they're/their/ there. You can find information about the commonly confused words at http://www.elearnenglishlanguage.com/blog/english-mistakes/their-there-theyre/ Finish writing your descriptive paragraph.

Vocabulary: There means the opposite of here; “at that place.” Their means “belongs to them.” They’re is a contraction of “they are” or “they were.”            Good descriptive writing includes many vivid sensory details that paint a picture and appeals to all of the reader's senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste when appropriate. Descriptive writing may also paint pictures of the feelings the person, place or thing invokes in the writer.                 http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/descriptive_writing

Help and Enrichment  Another example of description:  (Notice how this author give you sight, sound, smell, and taste.) I walked into the McDonalds and people were busy everywhere. The sweat-soaked workmen hunched over the stainless steel counters, bellies bursting out of grease stained t-shirts.  An old man slouched in the corner, holding an aluminum cane in one hand and a rolled up newspaper in the other.  He swatted at flies as the workers scurried behind the counters, stuffing bags with greasy burgers, rushing to the beeping fry-o-lators to scoop the golden greasy potato sticks, slinging steaming robot food onto red plastic trays.  The smell of sizzling fat hung heavily in the air and I wondered how it is that the taste of salt, grease and charred beef could be so appealing to an empty stomach.  My mouth watered in anticipation as the perky young girl slid the bag across the slick counter, murmuring my thanks as she squeaked out, ‘Have a nice day!’

Wednesday/Thursday, September 26/27, 2018

Announcements and Reminders Wednesday/Thursday, September 26/27, 2018:                            You Book of the Month is Due. When you are finished with books checked out from our classroom, check them back in using the Google Doc linked from Canvas. If you were not here for either of the writing pretests, arrange with Ms. Dorsey for a time after school when you can come in to do the pretest.

Targets for Today: I can read a novel and use literary terms correctly to discuss characters and plot.  I can also evaluate the book, giving it a rating and explaining why that rating. I can use and discuss the basic parts of speech used in the English language.

Today’s  Agenda Wednesday/Thursday, September 26/27, 2018: 1. Prepare for your Book of the Month Presentation.   2.  View another demonstration of what your presentation should look and sound like.       Practice evaluating the presenter.   3.  Join your assigned group and begin your presentations.       Carefully listen so you can evaluate the other members of your group.  4.  When finished, staple together your evaluations with your notes pages for the whole group, and turn them in at the top wire basket for your class.  Should you have extra time,  work on your descriptive paragraph -- a description of a setting from the story you will write -- or start outlining your story.  __________________________________ 5.  Participate in an activity using parts of speech.    In your composition book -- on the next full page. Title this "Using Parts of Speech" and add today's date. Number from 1-14. 1.    a plural noun   (a noun that indicates more than one, such as "dogs") 2.    a plural noun  3.    a noun that names a food  4.     a noun that names a food 5.    an action verb (Leave off the "ing.")  6.     a plural noun 7.     a plural noun 8.     an  adjective               (a describing word that adds information to a noun, examples: tall, red, thin) 9.      a plural noun 10 .   a noun that names a sport or other activity 11.   an adjective 12.  an adjective 13   a plural noun 14.  an adjective that ends with –est. (example “proudest.”)

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Mad-Lib -- My School

If You Were Absent: Arrange with Ms. Dorsey for a time to present your book project.

Vocabulary: protagonist:    the main character in a story (usually the good guy) antagonist:     the enemy of the protagonist (usually the bad guy or guys or things) Inciting Incident-- the event or situation or decision that begins the story's main problem.Conflict:  The problem -- the struggle between the protagonist and the antagonist  Types of Conflict:    Internal:  protagonist vs. himself External:     protagonist vs. another character or characters   protagonist vs. nature   protagonist vs. the supernatural (the unknown)   protagonist vs. society

Help and Enrichment