Thursday/Friday, April 13/14, 2017

Announcements and Reminders:                           The Reading/Listening portion of the SAGE ELA Test will be given at the beginning of May.  We are preparing for that now.

Targets for Today:   I can recognize where commas belong in a sentence, and can use them correctly for items in a series,  after first, second, third when in a series, with coordinate adjectives,  with a long introductory phrase or clause, with words or phrases or clauses that interrupt the train of thought, with direct address,  to set off appositives,  to set off the explanatory words with a direct quote,  with compound sentences, in certain dates, places, and addresses, following the greeting in a friendly letter (Today we are briefly reviewing several of the above comma rules.) I can read a short story and answer text-based questions with evidence-based answers. I can read and comprehend short stories and recognize elements of literature within them.

Today’s  Agenda: If you still need to, finish answering the questions for "Smallest Dragonboy."   More page numbers Question 4: page 49, column 1 Question 10: page 59, column 2, 2nd full paragraph If you have finished that, work on "Rikki-tiki-tavi." If you have finished that, work on "Three Skeleton Key."   If you have not finished these three by the end of our work-time for stories today, we will have one more time to finish.  If you will not be able to do that, come for cavetime or finish them at home.   If you have finished all three, you have some time for individual reading!   The documents are attached to the assignments on Skyward, and you can find the stories here:  "The Smallest Dragonboy" at http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view_print.php?book=64557 "Rikki-tikki-tavi" at  http://burnet.twpunionschools.org/subsites/smarcario/documents/Rikki-Tikki-Tavi%20Text.pdf or  https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mongoose/rtt.html "Three Skeleton Key" at  http://www.mpsaz.org/taylor/staff/bjdavis/short-stories/files/threeskeletonpdf.pdf If you have finished all three, you will have some time to read individually.  _________________________________________________ Back to the Commas!  -- Coordinate or Not??????  Receive back and study your coordinate comma paper from yesterday.  Do you understand when to use a comma and when not to?  Hint:  Any time you need to write in commas, make sure they are clearly shown.  More Coordinate Adjectives with Commas Play Kahoot as a review https://create.kahoot.it/#quiz/431fee7f-1604-43a4-8427-fa46ca386a73 Then take a test on coordinate adjectives and the commas that live with them.  Rules -- Do NOT put a comma between the last adjective and the noun.   A1 OR A2 LOOKED BRIEFLY AT COMMAS IN A SERIES. _________________________________ Commas in a Series Commas -- Commas in a Series Rules -- DO place a comma BEFORE the conjunction. We ate apples, raspberries, and bananas.  -- Right. We ate apples, raspberries and bananas.  -- Wrong!  Do NOT put a comma AFTER the conjunction.       I like you, but I'd rather not spend time with you.  -- Right.     I like you but, I'd rather not spend time with you.  -- Wrong.  For the Kahoot Game,  Ignore misspellings for your answers, but if you can point them out to me, you may earn extra credit!  When it says "Where do the comma(s) go?" it is asking where additional commas should go.  https://create.kahoot.it/#quiz/329ed8a3-48d1-4b08-8b8a-5151d4c9719d Combining sentences to create commas in a series:  Combine these four sentence to create one complete sentence, using commas in a series:   You may add or leave out words, but do not leave out any of the meaning.  Her cleats were in her backpack. Her shin pads were in her backpack. Her sweats were in her backpack. Her backpack was slung over her shoulder and heavy with homework. The above sentences could be combined to become this sentence: Her cleats, shin pads, and sweats were in her backpack which was heavy with homework and slung over her shoulder.

If You Were Absent: For your short story assignments,  the documents are attached to the assignments on Skyward, and you can find the stories here:  "The Smallest Dragonboy" at http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view_print.php?book=64557 "Rikki-tikki-tavi" at  http://burnet.twpunionschools.org/subsites/smarcario/documents/Rikki-Tikki-Tavi%20Text.pdf or  https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mongoose/rtt.html "Three Skeleton Key" at  http://www.mpsaz.org/taylor/staff/bjdavis/short-stories/files/threeskeletonpdf.pdf

Vocabulary:

Coordinate Adjectives practice 

http://www.k12reader.com/punctuation/commas_and_coordinating_adjectives.pdf

https://blogs.stockton.edu/helpwithpunctuation/files/2011/01/commas-with-adjectives.pdf

Tuesday/Wednesday, April 11/12, 2017

Announcements and Reminders:

Targets for Today:  I can recognize where commas belong in a sentence, and can use them correctly for items in a series,  after first, second, third when in a series, with coordinate adjectives,  with a long introductory phrase or clause, with words or phrases or clauses that interrupt the train of thought, with direct address,  to set off appositives,  to set off the explanatory words with a direct quote,  with compound sentences, in certain dates, places, and addresses, following the greeting in a friendly letter (Today we are briefly reviewing several of the above comma rules.) I can read a short story and answer text-based questions with evidence-based answers. I can read and comprehend short stories and recognize elements of literature within them.

Today’s  Agenda: 1.  Short Stories -- Plot, Elements of Literature, and answering Text Dependent Questions with Evidence-based Answers.  Finish "Smallest Dragonboy" A1 -- answer the questions A2 -- answer the questions  B5 -- finish the story and answer the questions  B6  -- answer the questions (If you have extra time, work on "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" and/or "Three Skeleton Key.") 2.  Focus on Coordinate Adjectives --- and putting the commas in the right place.   Review page in your packet. Work with more explanation and more sentences.   Coordinate Adjectives and The Royal Order of Adjectives the ugly little round ancient piebald dwarf cruel irritable seven unusual enormous elongated antique gray American –made steel luxury automobiles expensive Coordinate Adjectives -- Play the Game!     On your phone, go to kahoot.it . Enter the  On one of the quizzes, you will sometimes see words run together.  That will not count as an error in the sentence.  https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/95fe2e5d-39e4-4de4-aa06-67eb4803075a and maybe  https://create.kahoot.it/#quiz/431fee7f-1604-43a4-8427-fa46ca386a73 If extra time, work more with the comma packet.

If You Were Absent: When you come back, ask for the handouts. In the meantime, study the materials about coordinate adjective found here on the blog. If you haven't, read "The Smallest Dragonboy" and answer the questions on the worksheet.  It's attached to the assignment on Skyward.  See the post for last time for an example answer. If you have finished that, you can work on your assignments for "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" and "Three Skeleton Key."

Vocabulary: Study the adjective chart.  Try creating some sentences of your own, using adjectives from several of the columns.   coordinate adjectives:  http://www.getitwriteonline.com/archive/042301comcoordadj.htm http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/commas-with-adjectives and http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/commas-with-adjectives?page=1

Commas -- Commas in a Series

Commas in a series can separate . . . 

Why use the comma before the conjunction (and, but, so. . . )?  

My favorite foods are steak, ice cream, 

baked potatoes and chocolate. 

?