Friday, April 10, 2015

Wednesday/Thursday, April 15/16, 2015


Announcements and Reminders:

-- State Core Testing will be next week -- April 21/22, 23/24.  Come prepared to do your best!

-- April/May Book Assignment:  You may use a novel you have been reading during the last 

 month, or another you will read during the next few weeks. 
 Your choice of a fictional genre: 
realistic, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, horror, 
historical, multicultural, classic, adventure, romance, humor, horror
 (Did I leave any out?)
Here is the list of 

 Books Not Allowed for the Outside Reading Assignment

Sign up by April 17, 2015  -- Due May by 8, 2015
Watch for the Assignment Handout today.
Watch for setting, protagonist, point of view, antagonist, conflict, complications, theme,
 and other literary elements.

-- If you need to retake your word part test, plan to take it on April 29 or 30 in CaveTime.  
See me if you were not here to take the first time.

-- If you have not finished the District Writing test, do it THIS WEEK!

April 15 --  Jackie Robinson made his major league debut on April 15,
Opening Day in 1947, Robinson's first season in the Major Leagues.


Individual Reading Time

Receive your book assignment for your book of the month.


Commas -- pages 2 and 3

Poetry:  More about Poetry!
If you were absent, we made simple folded books and took notes on the Poetry Terms PowerPoint.
A1  made their booklets, took notes, and got through the white chart with types of meter, and  identified the meter for "Del-i-cate, del-i-cate, del-i-cate" from "The Base Stealer".





The Testing Game




Today A1 finished correcting the volleyball passage.
B5 "down" up to #4 on worksheet
B6  Jim Bridger through Order of Events
B7  Did Pluto, down down to China (Didn't do China)







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Monday/Tuesday, April 13/14, 2015

Announcements and Reminders:
-- State Core Testing will be next week -- April 21/22, 23/24.  Come prepared to do your best!

-- April/May Book Assignment:  You may use a novel you have been reading during the last month, or another you will read during the next few weeks. 
 Your choice of a fictional genre: 
realistic, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, horror, 
historical, multicultural, classic, adventure, romance, humor, horror
 (Did I leave any out?)
Here is the list of 

 Books Not Allowed for the Outside Reading Assignment

Sign up by April 17, 2015  -- Due May by 8, 2015
Watch for the Assignment Handout next time.
Watch for setting, protagonist, point of view, antagonist, conflict, complications, theme,
 and other literary elements.

-- If you need to retake your word part test, plan to take it on April 29 or 30 in CaveTime.  
See me if you were not here to take the first time.

 -- If you have not finished the District Writing test, do it THIS WEEK!


Today's Agenda:

1. Individual Reading

2. Commas!  -- Complete page 1 of the packet and correct it.

Remember the PowerPoint you watched (slide 23+) and the podcast we listened to about Serial Commas.
We also learned two rules to use when checking whether a comma should be placed between two or more adjectives that come before a noun.

Serial Comma



3.  Finish up your ART WARS for "The Base Stealer."
If you missed today, find the poem and videos for the poem at

4.  The Testing Game!   You will take the state core test next week!
If you missed today, to try out the practice test,  go to http://sageportal.org/

Select Seventh Grade and the
Reading, Language, Listening Test for 6-8 Grades.

If you need more help logging in, see

Tuesday/Wednesday, April 21/22, 2015


A1 up to "frequent".
B5 "down" up to #4 on worksheet
B6  Jim Bridger through Order of Events
B7  Did Pluto, down down to China (Didn't do China)




Teacher's Notes: Last time 
A1 -- working on analyzing "The Base Stealer" at the end of class -- still need to hear and discuss it. They did watch the video of a real base stealer.
B5 --  Did not hear   "The Base Stealer"  Handed in ART WARS
B6 --  Need to finish Base Stealer
B7 --  Need to finish Base Stealer  listened and watched 

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Monday, April 6, 2015

Practice with Meter and Rhyme

Meter and Rhyme

   ~   /   ~          /     ~           /     ~      /
All  I  could  see  from  where   I    stood         __a__

 ~          /      ~            /   ~          /   ~     /    
Was  three  long  mountains  and  a  wood;      __a__


 /   ~      /  ~        /  ~    /
Eeny, meeny,  miny,  moe   __a__
  /         ~   /  ~   /   ~        /
Catch  a  tiger  by  the  toe    __a__



Rhyme Schemes

Happy Thoughts
The world is so full           __a__
of a number of things,       __b__
I'm sure we should all       __a__
be as happy as kings.        __b__

~ by Robert Louis Stevenson

- See more at: http://www.best-books-for-kids.com/short-rhyming-poems.html#sthash.Nj4huda2.dpuf

The Wise Old Owl
There was an old owl who lived in an oak;   __a__
The more he heard, the less he spoke.           __a__
The less he spoke, the more he heard,           __b__
Why aren't we like that wise old bird?          __b__
- See more at: http://www.best-books-for-kids.com/short-rhyming-poems.html#sthash.Nj4huda2.dpuf


Rain
The rain is raining all around,    __a__
It falls on field and tree,             __b__
It rains on the umbrellas here,    __c__
And on the ships at sea.              __b__

~ by Robert Louis Stevenson
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Got These?

Character Traits for Success


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Copywriter's Object to These Common Errors






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Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Thursday/Friday, April 2/3, 2015




  • If you need to finish your District Writing Test or your Scholastic Reading Inventory Test, please go to lab 223 for Cavetime. 
      •  For the District Test, pick up a packet from Ms. Dorsey.  
      • For the SRI, carefully follow the directions on the poster in the lab to log-in. 






I can now access the information for you to log into Utah Compose -- in case you'd like to write the Duct Tape Essay for the Writing Lab Contest.
      • utahcompose.com
      • Contest Open from March 13 - April 24.
      • Entries cannot exceed 2500 words in length



Also, NomenGlobal is sponsoring a writing, photography, video contest with cash prizes.
If you are interested, go to http://www.nomenglobal.com/contest/


Today's Activities:
1. Individual Reading -- Your choice.

By the way, your next book assignment is again your choice of genres among novels.

2.   The test on word parts will be given today,  April 2/3.  

It will NOT be multiple choice. 

You will NOT be able to use your study guide or your notes.   

Know what each word part means. 

If you are absent, arrange to take the test.  See the word list at the end of this post.



3.  Poetry   
Learning about Poetry
a. Unscramble a Poem -- It is supposed to be funny. Save the punch line for last. 

b. Watch a Video and Take Notes in Your Composition Book: 
Watch and take notes:  (Also, if you are absent, do this.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ebd-0bjUjZk

It may be hard to hear what she is saying at first, so here it is -- more or less.
So you need to analyze a poem you've never seen before.
She's going to give you a secret formula that will take you about five minutes to learn.
She says that there's one thing you have to do first though: 
That is to get over the daft (crazy) idea that poetry is somehow boring or scary.  
POETRY ISN'T SCARY.  
Lyrics are just poetry set to music.
So when your English teacher talks about metaphor or similes, don't just immediately assume that these terms are only used by some stuffy old English bloke. 
You may not realize it, but you actually already understand metaphor.

ART WARS -- The handout

Poems:  (If you are absent, fill out the ART WARS chart for Foul Shot and Base Stealer.)

This is the chart for you to print and fill out: 

The Hunter  

Foul Shot  -- with as class

The Base Stealer  -- by as pairs



We haven't looked at these yet:
Poem: The Light of a Candle

Poetry -- Fast Break


Teacher's Notes:
A1 -- working on analyzing "The Base Stealer" at the end of class -- still needs to hear and discuss it. They did watch the video of a real base stealer.

 B5 --  Did not hear   "The Base Stealer"  Handed in ART WARS
B6 --  Need to finish Base Stealer
B7 --  Need to finish Base Stealer  listened and watched 


More About Poetry: (We haven't watched these yet.)
_______________________________________
State Standards:

Language Standard 4: b.  Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., belligerent, bellicose, rebel).

Craft and Structure
Reading: Literature Standard 4 
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.

phrases
figurative language  [Personification: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n2FDufJOFw for song ideas]
connotative
rhyme
repetition (or sound)
alliteration
verse, stanza
poem
story
drama

Reading: Literature Standard 5 
Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning

form   --  Form, in poetry, can be understood as the physical structure of the poem: the length of the lines, their rhythms, their system of rhymes and repetition. - See more at: http://www.poetryarchive.org/glossary/form#sthash.UnZ15YzY.dpuf
structure 
soliloquy
sonnet
What is the difference between form and structure? 
Form relates to the external shape of a text, determined by how it is presented on
paper, organized by stanzas/paragraphs, lines, syllables, rhyme, justification – best
thought of as a silhouette. It is a simpler thing to comment on because it is usually
visible. 
[Ms. Dorsey adds:  Forms of poetry include haiku, sonnet, acrostic, free verse, limerick, etc.]
Structure is more interesting because it goes beyond the visible – it is a matter of
the internal development and relationship between parts: structure is about the
internal skeleton and organs – best thought of as an X ray or CT scan, displaying the
organic relationship between ideas, feelings and attitudes within a text. 
For example, the form of a sonnet is its 14 line length, its 8 line/6 line division and
its rhyme scheme. Within that form the structure may be 8 lines of description
leading to 6 lines of reflection, generalization, resolution; or the mood may go from 
neutral to sombre, or from sombre and resentful to acceptant.
from  http://mrswilliamsgcseenglish.blogspot.com/2012/11/difference-between-form-and-structure.html

 _______________________________
Word Parts with example words 
  1. auto = self    as in automobile, autobiography
  2. bio =  life      as in biology, autobiography
  3. con, co, col, cor, com = together, with  (prefix)   as in conversation, cooperation, communicate
  4. dict =   speak     as in diction, dictate, predict 
  5. duc, duct = lead    as in conduct,  induct
  6. graph =  write        as in autograph, biography
  7. in, im = in, into (or) not  (prefix)     as in import,  ineligible 
  8. inter = between  (prefix)     as in interject 
  9. ject =    throw        as in interject,  reject
  10. meter = measure      thermometer, telemetry 
  11. micro =   small          microscope, microbiology
  12. -ology, -logy = study of (branch of knowledge, science of)  (suffix)  as in biology, geology, etc. 
  13. port =   carry    as in import, export, deport, portage, portable
  14. pre =   before  (prefix)       as in predict, prefix, prepare
  15. re =   again (prefix)      as in reject, redo
  16. scope =   examine     as in microscope, telescope
  17. tele =   far     as in telescope, teleport
  18. tract =   pull    as in tractor,  retract,  attract
  19. trans =   across     as in transport, transact 
  20. vis or vid =  see     as in video, vision, revision 
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Close Reading

A close reading is a careful and purposeful reading. Well actually, it’s rereading. It’s a careful and purposeful rereading of a text. It’s an encounter with the text where students really focus on what the author had to say, what the author’s purpose was, what the words mean, and what the structure of the text tells us.
                            (http://www.mhecommoncoretoolbox.com/close-reading-and-the-ccss-part-1.html)

Students notice features and language used by the author. Students are required to think thoroughly and methodically about the details in a text.

Students determine how a text is organized, and understand the effect of the author’s word choice in a certain passage. Close reading goes “deeper than the text”. It mines what is under the surface of the words. Students eventually evaluate or critique what is written.

When students are taught to read a text closely they become more skilled at locating evidence within a sentence or a paragraph or a page of a text or story. Then orally or in writing, they can justify answers to text-dependent questions based on evidence.

Notes for the teacher:
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/close-reading-middle-school.html


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