Friday, September 21, 2018

Monday/Tuesday, September 24/25, 2018


Announcements and Reminders for Monday/Tuesday, September 24/25, 2018:

Your book-of-the-Month Assignment is due on 
   Wednesday (A-Day classes) or Thurday (B-Day classes).
                         
Extra Credit opportunities:  
The Mary Kawakami Speech Contest is in progress.  Information sheets are in your English Handout box.
Bring me a copy of your speech, and let me know how you did.  

There is also the  PTA Reflections Contest.   
Enter a piece of writing,  bring a copy to me, and let me know how you did for extra credit.   Information is in your English Handout box. 
                          
Remember to choose and read your 
Book-of-the-Month! 
(a novel -- any genre) 
Sign up for your book, so it can be approved by the teacher. 
Sign-ups were due by September 11!  You can still sign up!
Have your book read by September 26/27. 
Bring your filled-out notes page. 
See the tab above for "Required Reading" to learn more about the assignment.

                         
To check out books from the classroom, use our Google form.
There is a link to it on Canvas. 
Class Code - GKLJW
Scholastic Book Orders

Next Order Due Date -   09/28/18   



Don't let your backpack get like this! 


Targets for Today:

I can better understand terms we use when discussing and writing literature.
I can write a descriptive paragraph that shows, not just tells.



Today’s  Agenda for Monday/Tuesday, September 24/25, 2018:

1. Literary Terms

Get out your composition book and . . .
pick up the Chromebook that matches your composition book number.

  1. Go to Skyward, to messages,  look for the message from Ms. D. about Literary terms.  Open the PowerPoint about literary terms titled Literary Terms and Definitions.pptx             
  2. Copy the definitions, and add an example, either from the PowerPoint or from a movie or story you know.   See some examples below under Help and Enrichment.
  3. If you already did this (and have both definitions and examples filled out),  
  •           read your book or the month, 
  •           or fill out your notes for the book of the month, 
  •           or read another book of your choice. 

                                                         
  If you are using a Chromebook, and the PowerPoint won't open, you can try this:

2.  About adjectives and dead words
Tape the half-sheet into your composition book sideways so it does not stick out.  
Follow the directions. 

Example:  
"The forest was heavy with rain. . . . "
Sight, touch, smell, sound (almost none)


Using Strong Words

3. Work on Your Descriptive Paragraph.
       Describe a setting for the story you will write.
          Don't use dead words.
          Do use strong adjectives.


Create a neat second draft in your composition book.  
             (A2 did not have time to do this.)  
Is your description at least seven sentences long?
         (You may have more than one paragraph.)
Is your paragraph description of a setting, not action?
Does it show and not just tell?
How many senses have you included?
Have you written complete sentences, and does every sentence begin with a capital letter and end with end punctuation?

An example of describing a setting:
We read the book Owl Moon by Jane Yolen.
It has great description, and it tells the story of something that the author did as a child. (a nonfiction story)


If You Were Absent:

Students worked on filling out the definitions and examples for literary terms from the powerpoint you can access here or through Skyward or Canvas.

Students taped this into their composition books and labeled the senses that were activated by the writing.    Descriptive Paragraphs from books – Tape or paste this into your composition book.docx

Students received a list of "dead words" to avoid.  You can see them at this URL:
https://www.jonescollegeprep.org/ourpages/auto/2016/4/28/47376698/DEAD-WORD-LIST.pdf



Vocabulary:
Adjective:  An adjective modifies (or describes/gives more information about) a noun or pronoun. 


 Help and Enrichment 

Antagonist: Turbo (also known as King Candy within Sugar Rush) is the main antagonist of Wreck-It Ralph. 

Setting:  It takes place in Litwik's Arcade, within the games and the circuits between them. 

Climax: Ralph battles King Candy/Turbo (who has become a Cy-Bug) on Diet Soda Mountain.

Theme:  We need to reject negative programming, and choose our own way, doing what is right instead of habit. 

All of us are sometimes destructive, and sometimes helpful.

Foreshadowing: 
  • Several times it is shown that Vanellope's glitching extends to whatever she is in contact with, including people like Taffyta. During the race, this exposes King Candy for who he really is.
  • When Vanellope first meets Ralph, she jokes about using the "royal we" and later on, she has Ralph kneel and appoints him like a knight, saying he was her "royal chump". There is also the fact that she is the only character with "Von" in her name which is associated with nobility.

  • When Ralph first enters the palace, he remarks to King Candy that it is oddly pink for a male character. King Candy insists that it's clearly salmon. Turns out the palace originally belongs to Princess Vanellope.


Flashback :



Dead Words 
very. . . .


Descriptive Paragraphs
from books:
The following excerpt is from Moominvalley in November by Tove Jansson
     The forest was heavy with rain and the trees were absolutely motionless. Everything had withered and died, but right down on the ground the late autumn's secret garden was growing with great vigour straight out of the mouldering earth, a strange vegetation of shiny puffed-up plants that had nothing at all to do with summer. The late blueberry sprigs were yellowish-green and the cranberries as dark as blood. Hidden lichens and mosses began to grow, and they grew like a big soft carpet until they took over the whole forest. There were strong new colours everywhere, and red rowan berries were shining all over the place. But the bracken had turned black.

bracken:  a tall fern with coarse lobed fronds that occurs worldwide and can cover large areas.


The following excerpt is from The Magic Circle by Donna Jo Napoli
       Luscious rose brittles capture the light in air bubbles that seem to move on a sunny day. They line the outer walls. Bright red buttery caramels form a cornice on every window. Palest of jellied gumdrops stick up in cone-shaped mounds along the roof. I know they are delicious, though I do not indulge myself. Their sight is enough of a pleasure. The entire log house is decorated with candies. I've achieved a harmony of lights and darks that would bring a flush to my Asa's face. I know that. Or maybe I am just fool myself into believing that.


Student Examples:
    The day was warm and bright in the mountains.  The dirt was red.  In front of me I could see a target with five circles on it.  (How far away is it? How big was it? How was it made?)  Standing behind me were my dad, Ella, Olivia, and Abby.  (Who are the girls?)  I could see the cabin out of the corner of my eye.  Bushes and weeds were all around me.  (What sorts of bushes and weeds?)  A little ways away (In the near distance?)  I could see the mountains and the perfect rolling hills.
- H.A.  A2

Honorable Sentences:

I smell cats and cologne.   Q.B.  A2-- That's alliteration!  

livingroom. . . full of sun that seeps through the curtains. . . elegant polished tile . . . a sleep-worthy sofa covered in leather with turquoise-decorated pillows.   -- snippets from J.B. A2



Thursday, September 20, 2018

Dialogue Punctuation Check



1.   The teacher said   In this class there will be no talking, chewing, breathing, unnecessary eye movements, or tap dancing

2.  I questioned   Are you up on the furniture again  you bad dog   Get down now

3.  I just finished reading The Lost Hero   she remarked
     So what did you think of it    I asked
     It was excellent    she exclaimed
     I agreed    I loved it too 

4.  I wish today were Friday     she said     I’ve been looking forward to it for months now
     How come   he asked
     Because finally I’m supposed to get my braces taken off.   At least that’s what my orthodontist promised







Answer Key:  
1.   The teacher said,  "In this class there will be no talking, chewing, breathing, unnecessary eye movements, or tap dancing." 

2.  I questioned,  "Are you up on the furniture again, you bad dog?   Get down now!"

3.  "I just finished reading The Lost Hero,"   she remarked.
     "So what did you think of it??    I asked.
     "It was excellent!"  she exclaimed.
     I agreed,  "I loved it too." 

4.  "I wish today were Friday,"  she said.  "I’ve been looking forward to it for months now."
     "How come?"   he asked.
     "Because finally I’m supposed to get my braces taken off.   At least that’s what my orthodontist promised."

-->

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Thursday/Friday, September 20/21, 2018



Announcements and Reminders:
                         
You DO NOT need your composition books today. 


Important:  Bring your book-of-the-month to class on 
September 18-21.  You will be writing pretests for argument and informative writing, and may have extra time to read. 


Extra Credit opportunities:  
The Mary Kawakami Speech Contest is in progress.  Information sheets are in your English Handout box.
Bring me a copy of your speech, and let me know how you did.  

There is also the  PTA Reflections Contest.   
Enter a piece of writing,  bring a copy to me, and let me know how you did for extra credit.   Information is in your English Handout box. 
                          

Class Code - GKLJW
Scholastic Book Orders

Next Order Due Date -   09/21/18   

Remember to choose and read your 
Book-of-the-Month! 
(a novel -- any genre) 
Sign up for your book, so it can be approved by the teacher. 
Sign-ups were due by September 11!  You can still sign up!
Have your book read by September 26/27. 
See the tab above for "Required Reading" to learn more about the assignment.

                         
To check out books from the classroom, use our Google form.
There is a link to it on Canvas.   


Targets for Today:

I can show what I know about argument writing. 



Today’s  Agenda:

You DO NOT need your composition books today.

MyAccess Writing Test, Argument
We will go to Lab 224 to do this test.
You will sit at your assigned computer number.
Log in, then open a browser and "MyAccess."
Log in to MyAccess.
Select this  writing prompt: Social Media Argument 




Take the MyAccess Department Writing Test -- Argument

If you have extra time --
   You may choose to work on being able to define literary terms.

  • Go to Skyward and log in.  Go to your message center. 
  • Open the PowerPoint I've linked there.  
  • Use the PowerPoint to fill out the notes pages available.  

                        (or)
Read your book-of-the-month book.   






If You Were Absent:

Arrange a time to take the test. This will work best after school to allow at least 45 minutes to take the test.  

Make sure you are prepared for the book discussions on the 26th/27th. 



Vocabulary:



 Help and Enrichment 


This is what your book discussion evaluation will look like:


























































Hands Brain Break

Brain Breaks are simple 1-2 minute mind and body challenges.  

This Brain Break seems simple.  However, you will find out soon that you will have a hard time mastering it.  

1.  Stand Up.
2.  Start by waving your right hand in front of you left to right.  Your palm should be facing away from you while keeping your hand with your fingers pointing up. 
3.  Now stop that hand and have your left hand in front of you waving it up and down.  
4.  Now practice moving them at the SAME TIME.  Do not move your hands going diagonally.  
5.  Now switch to have your right hand up and down and your left hand left and right.  Do this faster and switch often to make it more difficult.
6.  Lastly, to increase the difficulty, have your arms crossed while doing this.