Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Books to Read over the Summer!?!

I just started reading this one and it's fun!
TEN MILES PAST NORMAL by Frances O'Roark Dowell -- It's about a girl who is a freshman in high school, and a farmgirl, and finds that her farm life seems to get in the way of having a happy high school experience.  According to her, milking goats, stepping in manure, and living so far away from friends and the mall can really cramp your style!
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And I sampled this one:  GIFTED: FINDERS KEEPERS by Marilyn Kaye (She's the author of the book that the movie Penelope was based on.  It's about kids in a class for the gifted -- very gifted: gifts such as invisibility, mind-reading, seeing the future, and super-strength.

__________________________
And then there's  THE FOOL'S GIRL by Celia Rees

***** FROM THE BOOK JACKET *****

Young and beautiful Violetta is of noble blood, but her
country is in shambles. She and her comic companion,
Feste, have just arrived in London on a mysterious quest.
Their journey has been long and their misfortunes many,
but it is not until they encounter the playwright William
Shakespeare that the whole story is revealed. Violetta and
Feste are in search of an ancient holy relic--her
country's greatest treasure--that the evil Malvolio has
stolen. Malvolio's plot seems complex and wide reaching,
but it's not clear who else is involved...until Violetta's
childhood love, Stephano, enters the scene.

Is this remarkable story a comedy or a tragedy? Spun from
Shakespeare's uproarious "Twelfth Night," Celia Rees has
crafted a wholly original adventure that stretches from
the shores of Illyria to the Forest of Arden, where
romance and danger go hand in hand.

Rees also wrote Pirates!
Nancy Kington, a wealthy merchant’s daughter living in Bristol, England in the early 1700’s, is sometimes lonely but enjoys the privileges her father’s business brings. Minerva Sharpe is a penniless slave’s daughter living and working on the Kington’s Jamaican plantation. These two young women, united through a set of extraordinary circumstances including a brutal murder, an arranged marriage, and set of ruby earrings, find themselves sailing the high seas in search of love, adventure and freedom—as pirates!  (from Amazon)

Spelling Tip: Calendar

from Brian P. Cleary
From my new book about spelling tips: CALENDAR. I used to occasionally think it ended in -er, but just like a calendar has two months beginning with “A,” (April and August) this word’s first and last vowels are an “a”.

Monday, May 23, 2011

May 31, 2011

Bell-Ringer

Read-a-Thon:  Bring books, treats, pillows.  If the weather is fine, we will go outside, and you will be able to bring blankets and/or folding chairs.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Bell-Ringer: Some students will need to finish the parts of speech test.


Random Number Generator: http://www.random.org/

Stand Tall  
More of Stand Tall by Joan Bauer -- contemporary realistic fiction novel
A1 -- 5 to page 14 to page 29 Gargantuan
A2 -- 18 to page 26 break  -- Do you agree or disagree that "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"?  Explain and tell how that applies to your life?  to page 35
A3 -- 14 to page 26 break -- Didn't yet do the comp. book prompt. Do you agree or disagree that "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"?  Explain and tell how that applies to your life?  to bottom of page 33.
A4 -- 12 to top of page 21 -- wrote about grandparents  to  page 35
 

Sparkle?
Creating a summer reading list

Don't forget to check the lists of books not handed in to see if your name is on it.  Fines lists go in today.

No more late, revised, or make-up work will be accepted after May 27.


Read-a-Thon May 31:   Bring books, treats, pillows.  If the weather is fine, we will go outside, and you will be able to bring blankets and/or folding chairs.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Bell-Ringer: Sentence imitation for Parts of Speech.   Parts of Speech Practice – Sentence Imitating.doc

More practice on Parts of Speech -- Maybe some conjunctioning?


Test on Parts of Speech -- If you were absent, arrange to take the test during cave time or after school.

Don't forget to check the lists of books not handed in to see if your name is on it.  Fines lists go in Thursday.

No more late, revised, or make-up work will be accepted after May 27.
 


Read-a-Thon May 31:   Bring books, treats, pillows.  If the weather is fine, we will go outside, and you will be able to bring blankets and/or folding chairs.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Friday, May 20, 2011

Bell-ringer:  Finish packets and preposition manipulatives if needed.
Gather and staple your packets together.  You will use them for the test next time.
A2 -- extra credit for bringing your preposition manipulative.  

A3, A4 -- Correct the prepositions page.

Play Grammar Punk, adapted
    Creating sentences using parts of speech.

More on prepositions:
A preposition isn't being a preposition unless it begins a phrase with a noun or a pronoun (and usually an article, and sometimes other words such as adjectives).
Examples:
The tables in the cafeteria get really messy. (This prepositional phrase tells which tables get really messy.  It is adding information about the noun, so it is an adjective phrase.)
Jumping on the trampoline is great exercise. (This prepositional phrase tells what sort of jumping is great exercise.  Believe it or not, "jumping" here is a noun, so the prepositional phrase is an adjective phrase.)
I hid under the trampoline.  (This prepositional phrase tells where I hiad. It is adding information about the verb, so it is an adverb phrase.)

Stand Tall  
More of Stand Tall by Joan Bauer -- contemporary realistic fiction novel
A1 -- 5 to page 14 to page 29 Gargantuan
A2 -- 18 to page 26 break  -- Do you agree or disagree that "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"?  Explain and tell how that applies to your life?  to page 35
A3 -- 14 to page 26 break -- Didn't yet do the comp. book prompt. Do you agree or disagree that "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"?  Explain and tell how that applies to your life?  to bottom of page 33.
A4 -- 12 to top of page 21 -- wrote about grandparents  to  page 35


Parts of Speech Test May 24.   For Parts of Speech Practice:  
 More Grammar Games and Activities:  http://classroom.jc-schools.net/basic/la-grammar.html 
See posts below for the rest of the packets.

No more late, revised, or make-up work will be accepted after May 27.


Please check the list of students who have checked out books from Ms. Dorsey's classroom library and have not checked them back in.  Please bring back any books you have.  I'd much rather get the books back than put your name on the fines list.  

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Bell-Ringer:  Finish the subordinating conjunctions/adverbs/prepositions packet.
Sub Conj Prep Adverbs Packet.doc

Students made a preposition manipulative.  They sorted the prepositions from the list on their packets.


A3 and A4 need to finish correcting the last packet -- prepositions.

Parts of Speech Test May 24.   For Parts of Speech Practice:  
 More Grammar Games and Activities:  http://classroom.jc-schools.net/basic/la-grammar.html 
See posts below for the rest of the packets.

Please check the list of students who have checked out books from Ms. Dorsey's classroom library and have not checked them back in.  Please bring back any books you have.  I'd much rather get the books back than put your name on the fines list.  

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Make Your Own Flashcards

Here is a link to create your own vocabulary flashcards: http://flashcards.dictionary.com/make/

Friday, May 13, 2011

Monday, May 16, 2011

Bell-Ringer:  Finish your conjunction packet pages, and start on prepositions and adverbs.
Here is the packet you could download:   Sub Conj Prep Adverbs Packet.doc
There are extra blank pages which I was unable to delete.  You could just select the other pages to print.

A1 corrected the adjectives and conjunctions packet and made hallway signs using verbs and adverbs.   They learned about FAN BOYS and the WHITE BUS.
A2 corrected the adjectives and conjunctions packet, and learned about conjunctions.   They learned about FAN BOYS and the WHITE BUS.
A3 
A4 corrected adjectives and conjunctions, and learned about conjunctions.  They did not yet receive their White Bus papers.  

Extra Credit:  See the back of the handout listing FAN BOYS conjunctions and WHITE BUS conjunctions.  You may earn up to 12 points for 6 sentences.

Other Packets for Parts of Speech: 
Parts of Speech 2001 p 1-4 .doc  -- Verbs

noun pronoun pages.doc

adjectives conjunctions packet.doc
 There are extra blank pages which I was unable to delete.  You could just select the other pages to print.

Stand Tall  
More of Stand Tall by Joan Bauer -- contemporary realistic fiction novel
A1 -- 5 to page 14 to page 26, page break
A2 -- 18 to page 26 break  -- Do you agree or disagree that "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"?  Explain and tell how that applies to your life?  to page 33
A3 -- 14 to page 26 break -- Didn't yet do the comp. book prompt. Do you agree or disagree that "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"?  Explain and tell how that applies to your life?  to bottom of page 33.
A4 -- 12 to top of page 21 -- wrote about grandparents  to  page  31


No more late, revised, or make-up work will be accepted after May 27.
 
 

For Parts of Speech Practice:  
 More Grammar Games and Activities:  http://classroom.jc-schools.net/basic/la-grammar.html 

Lyrics to Conjuction Junction:  http://www.postdiluvian.org/~gilly/Schoolhouse_Rock/HTML/grammar/conjunction.html

Parts of Speech test -- May 24. You will need to both recognize parts of speech and create sentences using them.

Parts of Speech:
Noun
Pronoun
Adjective
Verb
Adverb
Preposition
Conjunction
Interjection -- Wow!  Darn!  Oh!  Ah!  Alas!  
    Grammar Rock's Interjections on YouTube 
            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhHpJ45_zwM

Simile Example

Great simile!  Thanks, Steinar!  This is from Report to the Principal's Office by Jerry Spinelli

Thursday, May 12, 2011

 Bell-Ringer:  Finish your noun/pronoun packet and start the adjective/conjunction packet.

Watch Unpack your Adjectives and Conjunction Junction
Correct noun/pronoun packet.
Work on the adjective/conjunction packet. Correct the adjective pages.
 

Stand Tall  
More of Stand Tall by Joan Bauer -- contemporary realistic fiction novel
A1 -- 5 to page 14 to page 18
A2 -- 18 to page 26 break  -- Do you agree or disagree that "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"?  Explain and tell how that applies to your life?  to page 33
A3 -- 14 to page 26 break -- Didn't yet do the comp. book prompt. Do you agree or disagree that "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"?  Explain and tell how that applies to your life?  to bottom of page 33.
A4 -- 12 to top of page 21 -- wrote about grandparents  to top of page  26.


No more late, revised, or make-up work will be accepted after May 27.
 



For extra practice on parts of speech, go to these links for games.




Adjectives:
http://www.english-zone.com/grammar/pos-adj.html

http://www.english-zone.com/grammar/adjective-find01.html
 
http://www.english-zone.com/grammar/prtcplsnj.html


http://www.english-zone.com/grammar/adjective3.html

adjectives - comparatives   http://www.english-zone.com/grammar/compare1.html



Conjunction games: 


 http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks1bitesize/literacy/conjunctions/index.shtml

http://wwwedu.ge.ch/cptic/prospective/projets/anglais/exercises/although.htm

http://wwwedu.ge.ch/cptic/prospective/projets/anglais/exercises/conjunction2.htm

http://wwwedu.ge.ch/cptic/prospective/projets/anglais/exercises/conjunction3.htm

More Grammar Games and Activities:  http://classroom.jc-schools.net/basic/la-grammar.html 

Lyrics to Conjuction Junction:  http://www.postdiluvian.org/~gilly/Schoolhouse_Rock/HTML/grammar/conjunction.html

Monday, May 16, 2011

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

1. Bell-Ringer:  Finish both parts of speech packets.  Make sure you have the verb one done first, then finish the noun/pronoun packet.

Parts of Speech 2001 p 1-4 .doc 
We corrected the Verb packet (Download using the link on the line above this one.)
noun pronoun pages.doc
We will correct these next time.  

We will be correcting the packets.
We will have a test in a few days on the parts of speech.

Today:  Adjectives and Apples
     We will learn about Adjectives and practice recognizing and using adjectives and nouns by playing a variation on the game Apples to Apples.  Students filled out a chart with their common and proper nouns, and with the adjectives used in their game.

A1 heard a book about nouns.
A2 didn't get to hear a book.  :(
A3 heard a book about nouns and a book about adjectives.
A4  Heard a book about nouns.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Friday, May 6, 2011

Bell-Ringer:  Complete the Mad-Libs section on the back of the noun/pronoun packet.  Then go ahead and complete the packet.   If you are absent, see me for the rest of the Mad-Lib.

2.  More parts of speech:  Focus on nouns     noun pronoun pages.doc
You should know the difference between common nouns and proper nouns, and should be able to find them in sentences.

External text features test  -- If you are absent, see me to make-up the test.
See the section about external text features -- along with examples -- on this post: Reminder of Term 4 Targets


Stand Tall  
More of Stand Tall by Joan Bauer -- contemporary realistic fiction novel
A1 -- 5 to page 14 to page 18
A2 -- 18 to page 26 break  -- Do you agree or disagree that "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"?  Explain and tell how that applies to your life?  to page 33
A3 -- 14 to page 26 break -- Didn't yet do the comp. book prompt. Do you agree or disagree that "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"?  Explain and tell how that applies to your life?  to top of page 29
A4 -- 12 to top of page 21 -- wrote about grandparents  to top of page  26.


No more late, revised, or make-up work will be accepted after May 27.

Alot?

Thanks to http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html

I tried making one, but I bet you could do better than I did:  alot of verbs.doc



















and


I'd love it if someone would allot me this alot hat!

Wednesday, May 5, 2011

Bell-Ringer: Identifying verbs  -- Parts of Speech 2001 p 1-4 .doc


Parts of Speech
Verbs
     Verb Pictionary
    

A lot of spelling errors happen with "alot."    Go to this post: Alot?
If you really do want to say that you have a lot of money (don't you wish!), spell it "a lot."
The alot is an imaginary animal that English teachers visualize when students spell it incorrectly. 


External Text Features -- We will redo the test on Friday. Prepare to take it if you did not get a perfect score. 


More of Stand Tall by Joan Bauer -- contemporary realistic fiction novel
A1 -- 5 to page 14
A2 -- 18 to page 26 break  -- Do you agree or disagree that "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"?  Explain and tell how that applies to your life?
A3 -- 14 to page 26 break -- Didn't yet do the comp. book prompt. Do you agree or disagree that "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"?  Explain and tell how that applies to your life?
A4 -- 12 to top of page 21 -- wrote about grandparents




Reminder:  Don't forget to hand in your three papers for the April Book-of-the-Month assessment.  If you need more explanations and examples, there are handouts with the extra copies of the assignments in the folders at the back of our classroom.   


Rick Riordan's Latest Book is Out

Rick Riordan's latest book, the second in the Kane Chronicles, is coming out  this week.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Monday, May 2, 2011

Core Testing -- Last day for Language Arts Test.

State Core Testing  -- Come rested and nourished and with a clear bottle of water.


Each day bring a book to read after you've handed in your test!   This should be your contemporary realistic fiction book unless you've finished it and the assignments related to it.   

If time, we will read some fro Stand Tall by Joan Bauer. 
A1 --
A2 --
A3 --
A4 --


Reminder:  Don't forget to hand in your three papers for the April Book-of-the-Month assessment.  If you need more explanations and examples, there are handouts with the extra copies of the assignments in the folders at the back of our classroom. 

Originally posted April 20, 2011