Sunday, April 5, 2009

Compound Sentences

I just found a great explanation of compound sentences. Empire State College has posted this very clear information.
Here's another place to learn about sentence patterns:
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/sentencepatterns.html

This site offers games and activities for sentences:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/words/grammar/sentencebasics/whatisasentence/
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The conjunctions that are used to join the two independent clauses of a compound sentences are called coordinating conjunctions. This means that the two parts of the sentence are of equal value. Think of our picture (in the PowerPoint) of the two adults walking on the beach.

We can remember the coordinating conjunctions by remembering the phrase FAN BOYS:

F = for
A = and
N = nor

B = but
O = or
Y = nor
S = so


Saturday, April 4, 2009

Happy April!


Happy April!

April 8/9, 2009

April 8/9, 2009

We checked reading logs.

Students received a homework assignment to be completed by April 21/22. They will each interview 3 people 40 years of age and over about what they experienced or knew about the Vietnam War. In our current class novel, Stand Tall by Joan Bauer, the main character's grandfather fought in the Vietnam War, and some of his friends from that time are also characters in the book. The interviews do not have to be long or complicated. Students should take clear notes so they can share what they learned on the 21st or 22nd.

Students went to the Computer Lab to type an essay in response to the District GoMYAccess post-test prompt. This is an in-class test, meant to take one class period, so they will not be working on this assignment at home.
Students have one hour (no more) to complete this essay.

To make up this test, you have these options:
1) Come during CaveTime, having arranged with your second period teacher to miss the first 15 to 30 minutes of that class as needed to complete the test.
2) Come for an hour after school on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday -- immediately after school gets out.
3) Take the test in during our computer lab time this week, and write this week's class essay on MYAccess at home.

Book-of-the-Month Club for Term 4 Assessment

Requirements for Book-of-the-Month Club Projects

4Remember that your audience is other students in seventh grade.
4Remember that your purpose is to "sell" them on reading the book.

You will create a project to "sell" the book to other students.
Do your best to find a book that you think would be a great summer read for at least a few other students in your class.
You have several choices for your project:
-- a book review such as you would see in a newspaper or magazine
-- an informative poster advertising the book (12" by 18", portrait orientation, not landscape)
-- an informative brochure advertising the book
-- an informative "ad" (advertisement) such as you would see in a magazine (8 1/2" by 11")
-- a web page dedicated to the book, the subject, and/or the author -- posted on our new class wikki

Required for All
Basic Information:
c title
c author
c genre(Check with the teacher to make sure you have correctly categorized your book.)
c # of pages
c your name
c your period
c the date or term (Term 4, 2009)

About the Book:

c 4 Plot: Give a summary of the plot which does not include spoilers. This means it won't give away the ending or give away other things that the reader shouldn't find out until he or she reads the book -- things that would spoil reading the book.

c 4 Characters: Who are the major characters? List them and give a very brief description for each. You could use a table such as the one I've used on my wiki page for Stand Tall.

c 4 Setting: place and time setting.

c 4 Conflict: Do tell what the major CONFLICT is and whether it is man vs. man, man vs. society, man vs. technology, man vs. nature, man vs. self, or man vs. the unknown. (These could also be stated as character vs. character, character vs. society, character vs. nature, etc. ) Explain how you know it is that type of conflict.

c 4 Theme: Identify and explain one or more major themes in the book.

c 4 Give the book a rating (1 to 5 stars), and tell why you have rated it that way.

Optional:
4Additional information about the author.

General expectations:
c You will carefully edit your work for errors in conventions including spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and correct and clear sentence structure.
c Your work will be neat and attractive.
c Work will be typed or neatly written in ink.
c You will not plagiarize another's work.
c You may use short quotes from other places, but must include writing in your own words to cover the required information About the Book.
c Illustrations will not be done on lined paper.
c Your work will show effort and understanding.

Book Review

-- Your book review could be handed in typed up, or it could be posted on a blog, web site, or wiki page.
-- Your book review should cover all the items listed above as "Required for All." It will emphasize your opinions, and should express your own understanding of the book in a lively way.
-- You may use short quotes from other places, but must include writing in your own words to cover the required information About the Book.

Here is an example of book review by a teenager about a book that Mr. Christensen enjoyed: http://www.teenink.com/Books/article/56543/Peak-by-Roland-Smith/

I just found a site where famous authors will teach you about different sorts of writing. Rodman Philbrick, author of The Mighty, teaches us how to write a book review here:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/bookrev/index.htm

Here is another passage from an example:
Raising Dragons | Bryan Davis | Fantasy, Christian from

Billy Bannister seems like just a normal kid—except for one thing—Billy can breathe fire! Not only that, his dad used to be a dragon! Billy soon meets Bonnie, another kid who has dragon blood: Bonnie has wings and can fly. They become friends and soon discover that their principal is an evil dragon slayer out to destroy the only remaining dragons on the earth.

I LOVED this book! I couldn’t put it down, and I’ve already read the 2nd book, “The Candlestone.” There are four books in this series, “Dragons in Our Midst.” Packed with action, adventure, and Christian nuggets, this series is a perfect summer read—or for anytime!

Review by Nathanael, Hastings Middle School, age 12

Informative Poster
-- Include the information listed above as "Required for All." Your poster should be attractive, neat, and show effort and pride in workmanship. It should be attractively illustrated. -
- -- Illustrations and decorations used should be related to the book. You may not use book covers or other illustrations already created by others for the book.
-- You may use short quotes from other places, but must include writing in your own words to cover the required information About the Book.
-- (Your poster should measure 12" by 18", portrait orientation, not landscape. You will need to cut down a regular poster board to this size.)

Informative Brochure
-- Include the information listed above as "Required for All." Your brochure should be attractive, neat, and show effort and pride in workmanship. It should be attractively illustrated. -- Illustrations and decorations used should be related to the book. You may not use book covers or other illustrations already created by others for the book.
-- You may use short quotes from other places, but must include writing in your own words to cover the required information About the Book.

Magazine Ad
-- Include the information listed above as "Required for All." Your ad should be attractive, neat, and show effort and pride in workmanship.
-- The magazine ad should be the size of a magazine page, or it could be a two-page spread. It should be attractively illustrated. Illustrations and decorations used should be related to the book. You may not use book covers or other illustrations already created by others for the book.
-- You may use short quotes from other places, but must include writing in your own words to cover the required information About the Book.


Web Page or Blog
-- Include the information listed above as "Required for All."
-- Your page or blog should be attractive, neat, and show effort and pride in workmanship. It should be attractively illustrated. Illustrations and decorations used should be related to the book. You may use book covers or other illustrations already created by others for the book.
-- You may use short quotes from other places, but must include writing in your own words to cover the required information About the Book.

April 6/7, 2009

April 6/7, 2009

1. Test prep. practice -- Prefix/Suffix Bingo. You need to know the seventh grade suffixes and prefixes. We will test again on those and on the seventh grade confusing words. See a post in this blog for lists, or see Ms. Dorsey's school web page, or see the class wiki for documents from which you can make copies.

2. Using Possessives! Students filled in notes about using apostrophes to show possession.

3. Stand Tall -- Read and answer questions from the packet. We are reading through chapter 3 today, and some classes may get further. See the wiki for the second part of the packet for Stand Tall.

Next time we will be in the computer lab

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Survey for Mr. Christensen

On April 2nd and 3rd all of Ms. Dorsey's English classes will be going to the computer lab. While we are there, we will be filling out a survey for Mr. Christensen.

Here is the link that students need to get to the survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Ilq4H3cMClaY09Me_2brbO9Q_3d_3d

Class Wiki's

Here are links to your class wiki's. You will be able to edit only within your own class wiki.
Remember to never write your whole name within the wiki. Use just first name or first name and last initial.

A1 http://cavemana1.pbwiki.com/


A2 http://caveman-a2.pbwiki.com/

http://cavemana4.pbworks.com


B1 http://caveman-b1.pbwiki.com/

B2 http://caveman-b2.pbwiki.com/

B3 http://caveman-b3.pbwiki.com/


For instructions on how to make your own page, see the front page of your class wiki.

For a copy of the handout we used in the computer lab, go to
http://cavemanenglish.pbwiki.com/
Go to the folder named "Student Pages." Open it. Click on the link to files at the bottom of the "Navigator" box. Click on "Wiki Computer Lab 1" to open it. It will upload to your computer and you could read or print it from there.