September 2/3, 2009
1. We had about 12-15 minutes of reading time/time to look for books in the classroom.
2. Students took the spelling test on their teachers' names, administrators, and counselor.
3. We corrected the tests in class.
4. Students received their new spelling assignment, which is the Seventh Grade Core Confusing Words. Each student got a chart of the words and selected one of the sets of words to present to the class (individually or with a partner or two). Words presented will be represented with a small poster, and some other way to help classmates remember which spelling is which!
For the chart of confusing words, go to
http://cavemanenglish.pbworks.com/ or click on the words --
Seventh Grade Confusing Words for Term 1 (and on) SpellingIf you didn't get a chance to sign up for a word set and date to present, see Ms. Dorsey.
The test on these confusing words will be on October 6/7.
5. We did Everyday Editing.
How can you know what’s missing if you’ve never met it? You must know of something’s existence before you can notice its absence.
-- E.L Konigsburg, The View from Saturday (1996)
When we look first at model sentences, then we can learn what it takes to create successful sentences. Then we look at the same sentences, with changes, and look for what the changes are, and how they affect the sentence. We're practicing editing skills.
How'd They Do It? (What’s different?)
For each set, notice what is different between the original and the changed version.
Set 1:
His room smelled of cooked grease, Lysol, and age.
-- Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969)
His room smelled of cooked grease Lysol, and age.
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Set 2:
His room smelled of cooked grease, Lysol, and age.
-- Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969)
His room smelled.
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Set 3:
His room smelled of cooked grease, Lysol, and age.
-- Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969)
His room smelled of cooked grease, lysol, and age.
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Set 4:
His room smelled of cooked grease, Lysol, and age.
-- Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969)
His room smell of cooked grease, Lysol, and age.
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Set 5:
His room smelled of cooked grease, Lysol, and age.
-- Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969)
His room smelled off cooked grease, Lysol, and age.
6. Our vocabulary term for today was "character traits." What are traits?
We listed categories of traits we might use to describe a person, or an author might use to develop a character.
7. We looked at two poems that showed character traits of characters in them.
See Elements of Literature, pages 140 ("Immigrants" by Pat Mora) and 399 ("My Father is a Simple Man" by Luis Omar Salina).
A1 didn't get to this poem -- A2 didn't do poems --
My Father Is a Simple Man
Luis Omar Salinas I walk to town with my father
to buy a newspaper. He walks slower
than I do so I must slow up.
The street is filled with children.
We argue about the price
of pomegranates, I convince
him it is the fruit of scholars.
He has taken me on this journey
and it's been lifelong.
He's sure I'll be healthy
so long as I eat more oranges,
and tells me the orange
has seeds and so is perpetual;
and we too will come back
like the orange trees.
I ask him what he thinks
about death and he says
he will gladly face it when
it comes but won't jump
out in front of a car.
I'd gladly give my life
for this man with a sixth
grade education, whose kindness
and patience are true . . .
The truth of it is, he's the scholar,
and when the bitter-hard reality
comes at me like a punishing
evil stranger, I can always
remember that here was a man
who was a worker and provider,
who learned the simple facts
in life and lived by them,
who held no pretense.
And when he leaves without
benefit of fanfare or applause
I shall have learned what little
there is about greatness.
_____________
5. We continued reading The Outsiders.
B1 --page 5, bottom of page
B2 --page 7, "You got cut up a little, huh, Ponyboy?"
B4 -- top of page 5
A1 -- (Did not read from The Outsiders today.)
A2 -- (Did not read from The Outsiders today.)A4 -- page
