The Tale of Custard the Dragon

THE TALE OF CUSTARD THE DRAGON

By Ogden Nash

Copyright Linell Nash Smith and Isabel Nash Eberstadt

Belinda lived in a little white house, 
With a little black kitten and a little gray mouse, 
And a little yellow dog and a little red wagon, 
And a realio, trulio, little pet dragon. 
Now the name of the little black kitten was Ink,
And the little gray mouse, she called her Blink,
And the little yellow dog was sharp as Mustard,
But the dragon was a coward, and she called him Custard.
Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth,
And spikes on top of him and scales underneath,
Mouth like a fireplace, chimney for a nose,
And realio, trulio, daggers on his toes.
Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears,
And Ink and Blink chased lions down the stairs,
Mustard was as brave as a tiger in a rage,
But Custard cried for a nice safe cage.
Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful,
Ink, Blink and Mustard, they rudely called him Percival,
They all sat laughing in the little red wagon
At the realio, trulio, cowardly dragon.
Belinda giggled till she shook the house,
And Blink said Week!, which is giggling for a mouse,
Ink and Mustard rudely asked his age,
When Custard cried for a nice safe cage.
Suddenly, suddenly they heard a nasty sound,
And Mustard growled, and they all looked around.
Meowch! cried Ink, and Ooh! cried Belinda,
For there was a pirate, climbing in the winda.
Pistol in his left hand, pistol in his right,
And he held in his teeth a cutlass bright,
His beard was black, one leg was wood;
It was clear that the pirate meant no good.
Belinda paled, and she cried, Help! Help!
But Mustard fled with a terrified yelp,
Ink trickled down to the bottom of the household,
And little mouse Blink strategically mouseholed.
But up jumped Custard, snorting like an engine,
Clashed his tail like irons in a dungeon,
With a clatter and a clank and a jangling squirm
He went at the pirate like a robin at a worm.
The pirate gaped at Belinda's dragon,
And gulped some grog from his pocket flagon,
He fired two bullets but they didn't hit,
And Custard gobbled him, every bit.
Belinda embraced him, Mustard licked him,
No one mourned for his pirate victim
Ink and Blink in glee did gyrate
Around the dragon that ate the pyrate.
Belinda still lives in her little white house,
With her little black kitten and her little gray mouse,
And her little yellow dog and her little red wagon,
And her realio, trulio, little pet dragon.
Belinda is as brave as a barrel full of bears,
And Ink and Blink chase lions down the stairs,
Mustard is as brave as a tiger in a rage,
But Custard keeps crying for a nice safe cage.


1936

found at https://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~keith/poems/Custard.html

September 7, 2011

September 7, 2011
Self-Starter:  Capitalization exercise in the composition book -- tape-in, list, explain.
Capitalization (and review end punctuation)
 Handout -----------------------------------------------------------------

Capitalization #1    September 7, 2011          from The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, chapter 2

Tape this into your composition book.  Then create a list of all the words in this passage that are capitalized. For each word, tell why it is capitalized.

Example:     1.  Dally – It is the name of a person and also begins a sentence.

            Dally was waiting for Johnny and me under the street light at the corner of Pickett and Sutton, and since we got there early, we had time to go over to the drugstore in the shopping center and goof around.  We bought Cokes and blew the straws at the waitress, and walked around eying things that were lying out in the open until the manager got wise to us and suggested we leave.  He was too late, though; Dally walked out with two packages of Kools under his jacket.

 ____________________________________ If you were absent, you could do this on another paper sized so you can tape it into your composition book.

 

Which of the four types of sentences are the sentences in the passage from The Outsiders?   Students answered on a small sheet of paper and we held a drawing for four correct answers to receive a small candy.
A4 still needs to do this. 

Receive spelling test back.  A retake will be available in about two weeks.  If you wish to take it, study between now and then, and attend Cave Time on the date(s) specified to take the test.
Spelling retake is available during Cave Time beginning September 15. 

New spelling challenge -- Commonly confused words  confused words chart.doc 
The test on commonly confused words will be given on ____________?
We will be working on learning these in class before we take the test.  




Continue reading The Outsiders, paying attention to plot, character, setting, events, conflict.
Read to end of "jumping."
Watch video.
Read, keeping track of descriptions of characters.  How do they compare with the way they are presented in the movie?

In your composition book, in the middle section "Notes and Quickwrites,"  use the next full two page spread, write the names of each of the narrator's gang of Greasers across the top.  Take notes underneath on description for each of the characters.  If you were absent, you could do this on another paper sized so you can tape it into your composition book.

Ponyboy     SodaPop      Darry/Darrel     Johnny      Steve     Two-Bit     Dallas/Dally


A1 read to page
A2 read to page 9
A3 to page 14
A4 read to page
If you were absent, read chapter 1.

Important Reminders:  You should be reading your book for the Book-of-the-Month Assessment.  The questions that will be used are now posted.  See the tab above for  Book-of-the-Month.  You will write your answers in class on September 23.  

If you were absent for the spelling test, please come to Cave Time to take it.  If you need a retake, listen/watch for the days I will over that in Cave Time.  Study between now and then.

Our First Class Novel: The Outsiders

Important Reminders:
Have you signed up for your book-of-the-month?  Sign-ups are due, and you need to have the book read and bring it with you to class on September 23.   See more about the assignment by clicking on the tab above for Book-of-the-Month.

Please show Ms. Dorsey your composition book if you have it at school and haven't yet received points for it.  

Reminder of  Expectations for Term 1

________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Did you know?

Commonly Confused Words

In the past, this set has been most frequently missed: desert/desert/dessert
I got lost in the desert.
Never desert your post if you are a soldier.
Let's have chocolate pudding for dessert.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Last day of class for Term 3 -- Last day to hand in March Book Project (One external text feature for your book.)

Bell-Ringer:  Label: "Letter Home"
You're there -- at whatever point you are in the book-- with Shackleton's expedition.  Write (in your composition book) a letter home.  Tell them about what you've been experiencing.  Use letter format. Write 1/2 page or more.

Example of letter format:

Off the Coast of Antarctica

July 15, 1915

Dear Mom, 

      _______________________________

__________________________________

etc.

With Love, 

your signature

Spelling test on -tion.

  Vocabulary/Spelling #18           Test on March 24

 Suffix to study:   -tion  which means act or  state

1.       attention     extra credit:  The "at" part means "towards", and the "ten" part means  "to stretch or extend."  So if you are paying attention, you are stretching toward something.  Tension and tense come from the same word part as the "ten" part of attention. 

2.       population -- extra credit: "pop" means "people."

3.       operation --  extra credit:  "oper" means "work."

4.       transportation -- extra credit:  "trans" means "across."  "port" means "carry." 

Our next spelling task will be to review and test on all of our prefixes and suffixes and the words that go with them.



Video
A1 to South Georgia -- still have to scale mountains
A2  to the Whaling Station
A3 to song on Elephant Island: "It's a Lie"
A4 to high mountain ridge -- slid down

Spelling for March 11 and March 18

Expired
Vocabulary/Spelling #16           Test on March 11, 2011

 Suffix to study:   -ment  which means action, state of, result of

Notice that -ment turns words (usually verbs)  into nouns.

1.     government       gov -  ern   - ment          

             Extra credit: “Govern” comes from a Latin word meaning “to steer” as in steering a ship.  

2.     equipment      e – quip – ment

                Extra credit:  “Equip” comes from an Old Norse (Scandinavia/Norwegian) word meaning “ship” because it originally had to do with fitting out (preparing everything needed for)  a ship.  

     

3.     environment      en-vi-ron-ment

              Extra credit: “En” means “in.”   “Viron” comes from  “around, circle, turn.”

4.     amendment    a-mend-ment

               Extra credit: “Amend” means to “correct, or to free from fault.”  (It has “mend” in it.)

                 Do you know about any of the amendments to the Constitution of the United States? 

New Spelling Assignment: 

Vocabulary/Spelling #17             Test on March 18, 2011

 Prefix to study:   re-  which means   again

1.    receive      Extra credit:    capere to take       Receive = "to take again"

          “i before e except after c”

2.    review        Extra credit:  vidēre, to see         Review = "to see again"

3.    revise         Extra credit:  vidēre, to see          Revise = "to see again"

4.    revoke        Extra credit:  vocāre to call         Revoke = "to call again" 

January 4, 2011

 Bell-Ringer:  Do you agree or disagree with this statement: It is important to have grandparents and/or other extended family besides your parents and brothers and sisters. Explain your answer. 

Reading Minutes:
A1 The Maze Runner by James Dasher
A2 The Maze Runner by James Dasher
A3 The Name of This Book is Secret -- Pseudonymous Bosh
A4 A Coming Evil (740L) by Vivian Vande Velde -- a mix of historical fiction and fantasy
      Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli

SSR late presentations

The Giver
A1 to chapter 17, page 137, paragraph 6
A2 to chapter 17, page 134, paragraph 2
A3 to chapter18
A4 to chapter17, page 135,  to paragraph 4.

The Giver -- Distopian Fiction 
Summary so far  -- to Chapter 15
      Jonas lives in a community where everything runs "perfectly."  When children become twelves, they receive their job assignment for the rest of their working life.  Jonas is apprehensive about his job assignment because he has no idea what it will be.  When it comes time for the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas is skipped.  He is not assigned -- he has been selected.  Jonas has become the new Receiver of Memory for his community.   He is told that he has qualities that make him fit for this duty.  One of these is the ability to "see beyond."
      His selection makes him different and makes it harder for him to spend time with or talk with his friends.  He is also unable to share his new experiences with his family.  Jonas has a mother and father and a younger sister named Lily.  Husbands and wives are assigned to each other and no family is allowed to have more than two children.  His father, who works as a Nurturer for New Children (babies), has brought home a New Child named Gabriel who needs extra care.  The alternative was for Gabriel to be "released," something that also happens to the very old and to community members who have broken the rules of the community three times.  Those who are released are no longer allowed to be members of the community.  Gabriel may still  be released if he does not learn to sleep through the night.
      Jonas knows he has the "seeing beyond" ability  because a couple of times he has seen a flash of something he can't explain.  In his training as Receiver, he finds out that what he is seeing is color, which has been eliminated from their community because many generations before, the community had decided to go to Sameness.  Jonas is trained by the Old Receiver who he now calls The Giver.  The job of the Receiver of Memory is to receive and hold memories of the world -- the history and experiences of the past -- so that he can provide the wisdom that comes from those memories. 
       A Receiver is needed because the rest of the people in the community do not have these memories.  They do not remember or learn about the past.  They know only their own individual pasts.  Books (except a dictionary, a book of the rules, and a listing of government and other job departments) are not available to the community.  Only the Receiver has access to other books. 
      Jonas begins to receive the memories from the Giver when the Giver places his hands on Jonas' back, and transfers a memory at a time to him, including memories of hills and snow and sunshine and color which were given up when the people went to sameness.  He also receives memories of pain and war and death.  When Jonas receives the memories, it is as if he is really experiencing them.  He is there in the memory, seeing and hearing and feeling.  Experiences of intense pain leave him hurting even after he comes out of the memory. Pleasant experiences also carry over, and he is beginning to see color in his everyday life. 
      Jonas begins to feel frustrated that he can't share the memories with others.  So many of them are beautiful.  He briefly attempts to transfer a memory to a friend, and then to his father and sister, but it doesn't work.  One night when the new child Gabriel is restless, Jonas puts his hand on Gabe's back and automatically transfers a peaceful memory to this child who, like Jonas and the Giver, has pale eyes -- very rare in their community. 
       The Giver tells Jonas that ten years earlier a New Receiver had been selected and had failed.  The memories she had received were released back into the community and "It was chaos. . . They really suffered for awhile. . . . . it certainly made them aware of how they needed a Receiver to contain all the pain.  And knowledge."
     


__________________________________

Don't forget that you have a spelling test on January 6.
Vocabulary/Spelling #7 Test on January 6
Prefix to study: il- which means not
1. illegal
2. illiterate
3. illegible
4. illogical

1. illegal -- leg = law So, illegal means not conforming to the law

2. illiterate -- literatus, literally mean. "furnished with letters." So, if you are illiterate, you are NOT furnished with letters.
3. illegible -- leg ( ere ) to read + -ibilis -ible = capable of. So, illegible means NOT capable of being read.
4. illogical -- log = word, speech, thought, reason So, illogical means NOT conforming to reason.
conform = to fit together
Learn the underlined definitions for extra credit

December 13, 2010

Prepare for Spelling Test #6  -- See the tab above for Spelling.
Preparing for Test #6 -- -er, -or  

Reading Minute:
A1 --- Lake of Tears (Deltora Quest) by Emily Rodda
A2-- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
A3 -- The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
A4 -- none

More presenting SSR's   -- Finish.
More reading The Giver

Giver Reading Packets:

Giver Chapt. 3-6 Questions.doc

Giver Chapters 7-9 Questions.doc

Giver Chapters 10 - 12

Giver chapters 13-16.doc

Reading Road Maps for Chapters 17 - 23

December 9, 2010

December 9, 2010

Spelling Test #5  -- See the tab above for Spelling.
Receive the spelling list for Test #6 -- -er, -or  

Reading Minute:
A1 --- The Kidnapping of Christina Latimore by Joan Lowrey Nixon
Once Upon A Crime by Michael Buckley
The Seige -- Kathryn Lasky --Guardians of Ga'Hoole
A2-- The Boy Who Couldn't Die by William Sleator
         Old Yeller by Fred Gibson
A3 -- My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison
A4 --The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carman



More presenting SSR's 
More reading The Giver

Giver Reading Packets:

Giver Chapt. 3-6 Questions.doc

Giver Chapters 7-9 Questions.doc

Giver Chapters 10 - 12

November 22, 2010

Bell-Ringer: Paragraph Packet, page 11


Spelling: Receive handout for the suffix -ate.  See the tab above for Spelling to get the information now for Test #4.

A2 took the test on extra-.

Reading Minute:
A1-  Magyk by Angie Sage
A2- Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
       Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
A3- none
A4- none


The Giver:
Chapter 3 +  Reading Groups and Questions, SSR (symbolic story representation)
A1 finished chapter 3
A2 just got started working in groups
A3 finished 3 and well into 4
A4  finished 3 --some into 4.


Extra Credit:  If you begin your statement with the two words, “If I”, nine times out of ten, your next word should be what?  

Here is the answer:  Your next word should be “were” not “was.” Example: “If I were wealthy, I’d be happy.” As long as what comes after the “If I” statement is untrue (I’m not wealthy), which in fancyspeak is in the subjunctive mood, you want “were.”  from Brian P. Cleary 
Explain this to me for extra credit.

November 12, 2010

1. Bell-Ringer:
a. Complete page 16  in the Perfect Paragraph Packet. (Yes, we're skipping several pages for now.)

Perfect Paragraph Packet.pdf

b. Prepare for the Spelling Test

Legibility/correct formation of letters counts! Capitalize only letters that should be capitalized. 

2. Spelling test on -able/-ible.  Remember -- no retakes.
Receive assignment for the next test on the 18th: extra-
A1 and A2 did not receive  copies of next week's assignment today.   See below or the tab above for Spelling, and find the information for extra-.  Be prepared for your test on the 18th.

_______________________Really Great Suggestion: Study your spelling for 10 minutes a day

Vocabulary/Spelling #3              Test on November 18, 2010

 Prefix to study:   extra- which means beyond or outside

Words to learn for the spelling test:

1. extraterrestrial
2. extraordinary
3. extravagant
4. extrovert                                   

You are responsible for learning the prefix and the spelling words.

Extra Credit:

terra: earth

ordinem: "order." extra ordinem = "out of order," especially the usual order

extravagant: vagārī “to wander”

vert: turn

_________________________

3. Reading Minutes:
A1  Fablehaven -- Brandon Mull

A2 -- none

A3 -- The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
A4 -- King of the Wind by Marguerite O'Henry
          The Secret of the Old Mill by Franklin W. Dixon

4. Teacher demo of SSR (symbolic story representation) will be presented next time.


5. Transitions -- look together at page 16 in the packet (Yes, we're skipping several pages for now.)  See these examples of and information about    Transition Words I    and    Transition Words II.

6. Computer Writing Lab 212 -- Bring a book to read in case you finish early.
    1) write paragraphs
    2) Look up your own and book-of-the-month lexile levels.

Instructions for Computer Lab

Activity 1.  Select two of the following prompts, and write one paragraph about each.    Do this assignment on MyAccess.  Log in, select Assignments, and select one assignment.   Do it and final submit, then select another and do it.
a. Role Model Paragraph
Write a complete paragraph that explains why a certain person is a role model to you.
b. Comparing Two Classes
Write a complete paragraph that contrasts one class you are now taking with another.  Remember that contrasting means showing differences between the two. 
c. The Best Lessons I’ve Learned in Seventh Grade
What have you learned so far in seventh grade that will probably have lasting value for you?   Write a complete paragraph that tells about two or three or four of the best lessons that you have  learned so far in your seventh grade experience.  These lessons could come from the classroom or from other ways you have learned things here. 
d. Writing a Great Paragraph
Write a complete paragraph that explains what a student needs to do to write an effective paragraph.
For each of these paragraphs do the following:

§       Remember to include a topic sentence, several supporting details, and a clincher (concluding sentence). 

§       Write only one complete paragraph.

§       Make sure each detail supports the topic sentence. 

§      Use appropriate transitions.  See the poster on the computer lab wall.

§       Revise to create complete, correct, "colorful"  (specific) sentences.

§       Carefully edit your work for capitalization, punctuation, spelling, etc.

§       You may use the spell check, the My Tutor, and other tools that are available here.
You have unlimited submissions,  so  may revise as many times as you wish.

Activity 2. 

            1)   Go to lexile.com.  Enter the name of the book you’re planning to read for the November-December Book-of-the-Month assignment.   If the lexile measure is available for it, record the number. 

           2)   If you haven’t already, check Skyward for your own lexile reading measure. 

You could upload this handout:  Paragraphs for MyAccess.doc
_____________________________________

Extra Credt:  Tell me the difference between imply and infer. Here's an explanation:

Brian P. Cleary

Imply vs. Infer? When one IMPLIES, one is expressing something indirectly, or suggesting something. I IMPLIED I wanted my son home early when I said, “You have to get up early tomorrow.” To INFER is to conclude something. My son INFERRED I wanted him home early when I said, “You have to get up early tomorrow.”

_________________________________________ 

History of the English Language and. . .  
A1 needs quiz

A2 still needs Spanish and quiz

A3  still needs Spanish and quiz

A4 still needs Spanish and sample words and quiz

 

Updated November 12.  Originally posted November 3.

November 10, 2010

Bell-Ringer:  Finish pages 6 and 7 if needed and complete pages 8 and 9.
Correct
Perfect Paragraph Packet.pdf

Reading Minutes:
A1   Shadowland by Meg Cabot and Found by Haddix
A2  Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull
       Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
A3  The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley
A4  Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George

Book-of-the-Month assignment.  See the tab above.

Spelling -- Word Sort




History of the English Language:

A1  through Spanish

A2 needs Spanish

A3 needs Spanish

A4 needs Spanish and sample words

November 8, 2010

Bell-Ringer: Paragraph Packet  -- Complete pages 4, 5, 6, and 7.  Notice that pages 6 and 7 go together.  Page 7 is the sentence bank mentioned in the directions on page 6.  Perfect Paragraph Packet.pdf


Reading Minutes:
A1 -- none
A2 -- none
A3 -- The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull
A4 -- none

Spelling: 
A3 receives copies of -able, -ible assignment.
All students: Study your spelling a little every day.
    If you are absent, or lose your handout, see this blog for the spelling assignment.  For this week you can find it here: -able/-ible for spelling test

Legibility/correct formation of letters counts! Capitalize only letters that should be capitalized. 

audible -- as in audio, auditorium,  audition
visible -- as in vision, video

Extra credit:  According to word parts, what does portable mean?  Look it up.
You could try  http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/portable 
See the entry from the World English Dictionary.

More of the History of Our Language.

Can you tell why we use the words "pig" and "pork" as we do?

History of the English Language PowerPoint 

Cloze Notes for History of the English Language PowerPoint

And the Spanish Language, too! 

Reminders:
If you don't have the packet, you need to get one, and catch up on pages 1, 2, and 3.
Perfect Paragraph Packet.pdf

Extra Credit: What does semordnilap  mean?  See the nswer below.  Be the first to tell me for 5 points extra credit.

Brian P. Cleary

Semordnilap is a word or phrase that spells a different word or phrase backwards, as in this pair: Dennis –> sinned. "Semordnilap" is a 20th Century coined word which is "palindromes" spelled backwards. Among the longest single-word English examples: stressed –> desserts.

-able/-ible for spelling test

Remember that there are no retakes on these tests.

                               Vocabulary/Spelling #2              Test on  November 18

 Suffixes to study:   -able  and -ible which both mean capable of

                                                                          and are used to create adjectives.

Words to learn for the spelling test:

1. agreeable                                    3. edible

2. expandable                                 4. visible

                                                         5. audible                       

                                   

You are responsible for learning the suffix and the spelling words.

Here is an effective method for studying your spelling words:           

1. Read the first word: look at it and say it.

2. Spell the word to yourself: touch each letter with your pencil and say the letter softly aloud to yourself.

3.  Close your eyes.  See the word in your mind.  Say each of the individual letters softly aloud to yourself.

4. Now, put your memory muscle to work.  Carefully print the word in the next three columns, and say each of the individual letters to yourself as you write it.

5.  Take a break of four or five minutes to give your long-term memory time to process the look of the word, its letters, and their order.  Leave behind your spelling and do something else for those minutes: read, do other homework, watch TV, listen to the radio.

6.  Then cover the correct spelling with your hand and print the word in the "Spell" column.

7.  Proofread: check the word you just wrote letter for letter against the original, using the tip of your pencil.

8.  If you spelled the word correctly, put a star in the final column and go on to the next word on the word study sheet.  If you misspelled it, repeat the process above, steps 1-6, this time printing the word in the "Spell Again" column.

9.  Repeat the procedure with each remaining word.  Again, the study process for five words should take about twenty minutes. 

                                              *Do not capitalize these words.

Word	Write the Word	Write the Word	Write the Word	Spell	Spell Again
agreeable
expandable
edible
visible
audible

Extra Credit:  Be able to tell what part of speech each of these is.  Hints:  They are all the same part of speech.  What part of speech do  -able and –ible make?

edible means “capable of being eaten”  

visible means “capable of being seen”   (extra credit --  Related words include vision and video.)

audible means “capable of being heard”  (extra credit -- Related words include audience and audio.)

August 31, 2010

August 31, 2010
1. Bell-Ringer:  
Hand in your disclosure signatures if you have them, and . . .
_______________________
Turn to the last page of your composition book.  Label it "Everyday Editing."  Read the following, then write two or more sentences about what you notice.  This could be about a story they might come from, or about the characters, or about the way the author writes it.   You do not have to copy the sentences.  Just write about what you notice about them.  Almost any answer works -- as long as it connects to the sentences given. 

Everyday Editing #1  

1. Miss Karpou was young, she was pretty, and she had been nice to

    me.  I didn’t want her to be sad.

2.  Orville smiled a big, nasty, gap-toothed smile, and said, “I’m gonna

     turn you into dog meat.”

3.  I could see only one place where no one would look for me.

     The dumpster.

      The Mancatcher would be coming through the door soon.  No time to think – only to do.  I ran across the loading dock, grabbed the lip of the dumpster, and swung my leg over the edge.

         When I looked down inside I almost changed my mind.  Four feet below me waited a smelly mass of banana peels, bread crusts, half-eaten hamburgers, and things too gross to mention.  I considered turning back.  Then I heard the door start to swing open.

__________________________________

2. Receive your Book-of-the-Month Club Assignment. 
One-Pager A Updated.doc  -- This is the Book-of-the-Month Assignment.

3. Reading Minute [If you liked it, you might want to go to http://www.brucecoville.com/.]

In your composition book you should have started a list of reading minutes.  Here are the first two:

Antsy Does Time    Neal Shusterman      ["yes" or "no" whether you'd be interested in reading it]

My Teacher Fried My Brains    Bruce Coville         ["yes" or "no" whether you'd be interested in reading it]

4. We discussed our Everyday Editing -- Noticing   (Standard 2, Objective 3 -- Correct use of commas in a series.)

5. Receive or remember Spelling Assignment and practice  -- We will have our test on the assigned names on September 9.  (Standard 2, Objective 3 -- Correct grade level spelling. Includes word study /awareness/ word attack) See the following links:

First Assignments for 2010-2011 and 

Spelling Tests and

Teacher Names and Forms of Address (This is a list of teacher names with the correct way to address each one.)  and 

Procedure for Studying Spelling Words (This is what we are practicing today.)

 

To print a new copy of the handout for your first spelling assignment, click here:

Spelling Teachers' Names Comp

6.  Speed Getting Acquainted (No, not speed-dating, but something like that without the dating part!)
Practice Interviewing by interviewing classmates. (Inquiry -- State Core -- Standard 3, Objective 1)

Interviewing Etiquette:

1. Be friendly -- "I am glad to be spending this time with you."
2. In this assignment, take turns answering the question.   
3. When the other person is talking, pay close attention.
4. Be responsive, nod, smile, make eye contact -- show that you are awake and listening.
5. When you are answering a question, speak clearly and be willing to explain your answer.

 

Don't forget to bring your composition book

if you have not yet brought it. 

Please write your first and last name and period 

on the front. 

Spelling Tests

Your writing must be legible -- each letter -- to receive points for a name or word.
You must also correctly  use capitalization.
You will lose a point if you have not included your first and last name on your paper, written legibly and correctly capitalized.

March 12/15, 2010

March 12/15, 2010
 Today, March 12,  is the Last Day to submit any late work or revisions on essays, book-of-the-month projects, or spelling.   
   *Don't forget to attach the rubric (grading sheet) to your project before you hand it in.  

Cave Time

 -- Spelling tests only will be available  in Cave Time today.  
-- Do not expect to retake a test unless you know exactly which tests you need and have studied the prefix or suffix and spelling words. 
-- If you still need to revise and edit an essay, you will need to do it in computer lab 223 with Mrs. John.  


Ms. Dorsey will be at a Mock Trial competition most of the day on Friday.  Hand in work to your class top wire basket.


Ice Story and DVD

March 1/2, 2010

March 1/2, 2010

1.  In your composition book, write to answer these questions:
What does it take to make a great leader?  What leadership qualities do you see in Shackleton?

2. Practice for your spelling test -- next time.
Vocabulary/Spelling #19            Test on  March 3-4
 Prefix to study:   un-  which means   not
1.    unable
2.    unfit
3.    unequal
4.    unearned
5.    undone


3. Demonstration of editing for MyAccess --
   Make sure you check your messages and embedded comments on MyAccess.  Revise and edit carefully both essays.

4.  Groups read Ice Story.

5.  DVD -- Shackleton 

February 19/22, 2010

February 19/22, 2010

More pre-reading activities for Ice Story --

Write about cold.
 

Write about a time when you were cold. Where were you? When was it? How long were you cold? How did you get warm? I should be shivering by the time I finish reading this!

Form groups of three (perhaps a couple of groups of four) -- sit together  -- fill out packets -- numbered -- decide roles: timeline, glossary, who's who (lined paper to be clipped to packet).

Introduce the ship's log (for keeping track of group scores).  

Book pass for text features.  Here  is a chart of some External Text Features.

Video introduction -- We watched part of the A&E production of Shackleton, starring Kenneth Branagh -- from the time they get underway on the ship until the Endurance is beginning to get stuck in the ice.

If time -- Begin reading Ice Story -- Whole class  -- We didn't have time on B-Day.
   Pauses for groups to list needed information for timeline, glossary, who's who.

Important note:  Please check your scores on MYAccess.  Many students still need to revise and edit their work on the Theme in Literature essay (your January Book-of-the-Month assessment)  and the Persuasive essay (based on The Giver).   A few still need to do one or more of these assignments. 

Reminders: 
-- The last day to work on either of these assignments for credit is March 12. However, if you do not submit before March 4, you will not be able to receive points for revising.
-- Your user name is your first name and student number.  Your password is 999 with your last name.
-- Check messages and comments on PowerSchool and when you log into MYAccess.



Reminder of spelling test on February 25/26:

Spelling words based  on the suffix "-tion":

-tion means act or state

Words: attention, population, operation, transportation

  

Extra Credit:  

trans = across

port = to carry

at = to 

"tend" = bend or stretch

  

oper = to work

populare  = people, to inhabit
_____________________

January 11/12, 2010 -- A New Term!

January 11/12, 2010 -- A New Term!


Anticipation Guide for The Giver 

Genres  B4 discussed more the Genres we are using for the Book-of-the-Month assignment for this term:
realistic fiction and distopian fictions. See

A Reminder for the January Book Assignment

Reading The Giver, watching for what you find out about the community in this book.  Take notes on the back of your anticipation guide about what you learn.
   Be observant!
 
  Plan -- Chapters 1-3  approximately 40 minutes

B1 -- Through Chapter 2
B2 -- almost to end of Chapter 2 -- "Did you still play at all, after Twelve?"  page18, Track 5 almost done.

B4 -- almost to end of Chapter 2 -- "Did you still play at all, after Twelve?"  page18, Track 5 almost done.

A1 -- to page 16  "His father smiled."

A2 --

A4-

Targets while reading:

Gather evidence by observation.
Visualize what you read.


Spelling --  (B1 still needs to receive their words list.  Their test will still be on Friday.)
Test for all classes on January 15/19 on
Prefix to study:   post- which means after
1.    postgraduate
2.    postpone
3.    postwar
4.    postscript
extra credit: script comes from scribere  which means “to write.”  (1 Point)

Extra Credit from looking here:  In the word "postpone,"  the "pone" part means "to put," so to postpone something is to "put it after."

December 14/15, 2009

December 14/15, 2009
Spelling test --
Prefix to study:   mis- which means incorrect, bad
1.    mistake
2.    misprint
3.    misplace
4.    misinform
5.    misuse

Extra credit:
Tell what the word parts for this word mean:
misanthropist:
    1)  miso = hate
    2)  anthrop = man, human being
    3)  -ist = one who


2. Spelling for next time: 
-less = without  (This suffix creates adjectives.)  Be able to tell which part of speech this suffix creates when you add it to a word base.


hopeless
useless
careless
fearless
worthless


( Apostrophes  -- (B2 needs to do the apostrophe exercise with Captain Underpants.)

3. Words By Heart  


 B1 end of chapter one to page 17 after  5 paragraph -- "scared of changes." 
B2  from page 15, top of page to page 21.
B4  from   page 15, top of page to end of chapter 2

A1 from page 7 4th paragraph to page 14 "you don't need to be told." 2nd paragraph


A2  from very top of page 17 after ". . . is true for her" to to page 20, after 4th paragraph, "arithmetic lesson for tomorrow."


A4 from page 14 "You don't need to be told to page  19, chapter 3.


4. View a few projects


5. Prepare for writing about your historical fiction novel next time.  Do you remember your wiki user name and password? 
See

Writing About Your Book

Spelling - Thanks to Samantha Bradley on Pieces of Flair

Did you know that it's okay to write differently for different audiences and different purposes?  Your writing for a school class will be very different from your writing in a text message.  The thing to do is to learn the "rules" of writing each different sort of text.