Thursday, December 13, 2012

Writing 1 Class Notes -- December 12

Greetings!

We closed out our Fall semester in great fashion.  I had made brownies, and other students brought in treats.  Our class yesterday was an effort to have a party while finishing up our writing class for the semester.

Our Quick Write was a group effort. Dividing the class into 3 groups, they were each given a list of Christmas Jokes without their punchlines.  They were to either guess what the real answer was or come up with a better one.  Most of the answers were puns or mutations of Christmas related words. Do you know the answer to these?
        1.   What did Adam say on the day before Christmas?
        2.   Who is never hungry at Christmas?
        3.  How do you know when there is a snowman in your bed? 
Some of the jokes were clever, and some were real "groaners."

Following our activity with the Christmas jokes, students handed in their final drafts of their History Essays.  They also handed in any out-standing/ missing assignments.  After I finish grading these papers, I'll send out grades along with my thoughts about points and grades.

We finished our study of A Christmas Carol with a "Final Exam" which was more fun than hard work.  I handed to each student the name of a character in the book.  They then needed to interact with another student who was a different.  For example, Tiny Tim might have to talk with the Ghost of Christmas Past.  Or Charles Dickens might narrate directions to any of the other characters.  The students did a great job at being creative and thinking quickly "on their feet."  The second half of this "exam" dealt with some of the vocabulary words.  Dividing the class into two teams, they were each given a word from one of the Staves that they had to act out in order for the other team to guess.  The words were not simple ones:  solitary, covetous, decanter, withering.  Again, they did very well.

To end the class, we watched two scenes from my favorite version of A Christmas Carol, the Muppets version.

I've enjoyed this semester with this group of students.  They are a fun crew and are growing as writers. I'm looking forward to our Spring semester.

Have a blessed holiday season!
Mrs. Prichard

PS.  The punch lines to the jokes above:
        1.  "It's Christmas, Eve."
        2.  The turkey -- it's stuffed.
        3.  It's all wet.

This week's blog

Christmas Jokes


Below is the list of jokes from our Quick Write.  Enjoy!



What did Adam say on the day before Christmas?
It's Christmas, Eve!

Who is never hungry at Christmas?
The turkey - he's always stuffed!

How do you know when there is a snowman in your bed?
You wake up wet!

What would a reindeer do if it lost its tail?
She’d go to a “re-tail” shop for a new one!

Q: Why was Santa's little helper depressed?
A: Because he had low elf esteem.

Q: What do snowmen eat for breakfast?
A: Snowflakes.

Last year's Christmas pudding was so awful I threw it in the ocean.
That's probably why the ocean's full of currants!

What's the first thing elves learn in school?
The "elf"-abet!

What do the elves call it when Father Christmas claps his hands at the end of a play?
Santapplause!

What do you call people who are scared of Santa Claus?
Claustrophobic!

What do you call Santa when he has no money?
Saint "Nickel"-less!

What do you call someone who doesn't believe in Father Christmas?
A rebel without a Claus!

What do you get if you cross Santa with a flying saucer?
A UF ho, ho, ho

What do you get if you cross Santa with a gardener?
Someone who likes to hoe, hoe, hoe!

And what goes oh! oh! oh?
Father Christmas walking backwards.

What nationality is Santa Claus?
North Polish!

What's red & white and red & white and red & white?
Santa rolling down a hill!

Where does Santa stay when he's on holidays?
At a Ho-ho-tel

What do snowmen eat for lunch?
Icebergers !

How do snowmen travel around?
By iceicle!

How do snowmen greet each other?
Ice to meet you!

What do you call a snowman in the summer?
A puddle

What's a snowman's favorite Mexican food?
Brrrrrr-itos!

Q: What do you get if you cross Father Christmas with a detective?
A: Santa Clues!

Sherlock's favorite Christmas song:
"I'll be Holmes for Christmas"

How do sheep in Mexico say Merry Christmas?
Fleece Navidad!

What is green, covered with tinsel and goes "ribbet ribbet"?
A mistle-"toad"!

What did the grape say to the peanut butter?
"'Tis the season to be jelly!"

Why did the gingerbread man go to the doctor?
Because he was feeling crummy!

What kind of money do they use at the North Pole?
Cold cash!

What kind of music do elves like best?
"Wrap" music!

Who sings "Blue Christmas" and makes toy guitars?
Elfis!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Writing 1 Class Notes -- December 5

Greetings!

We had a good class yesterday.  Our Quick Write for the morning came from a book entitled Story Starters.  From this book, you can randomly put together writing prompts as third at a time.  Our prompt for today was "I hope this works," said the King/ Queen as he/she jumped out of the way."  They put a lot of thought into their writing, and we had some creative responses.

Following our Quick Write, we worked on some Sentence Building.  I had the students start with a simple Subject-Verb sentence and then had them add a prepositional phrase, an adjective, and an adverb.  After that, they were to make it a compound sentence with the same elements.  Then, they were to incorporate a subordinate clause into the sentence.  This exercise gave us a great opportunity to talk about the different parts of speech and to put that knowledge to work.  For our Grammar Discussion, we also briefly reviewed our discussion from last week about phrases:  prepositional phrases, participial phrases, and gerund phrases.  Little by little we're becoming proficient in these finer points of grammar. 

The students had handed in their rough drafts of their Historical Essays.  I usually compile a list of common errors which I found while reading through these first drafts.  The best way to learn about writing is to simply do it.  From there we can discuss strategies and techniques.  I'm seeing a lot of improvement in their writing.  The final drafts are due next week.  Along with correcting and editing their papers, they are to write "5 Things I Learned from the Corrections on My Rough Draft."  For example, if I circled a contraction and corrected it, they could put "no contractions in essays" as one of the things.  Or if I inserted a comma, they could mention "use commas with introductory phrases."  It's good to correct mistakes: it's even better to know what was wrong and why it needs changing.

We discussed Stave IV of A Christmas Carol.  This is the section where the Ghost of Christmas Past visits Scrooge.  I read aloud portions; it really is a darker, more mysterious section.  Next week, we will finish the book and have a final exam.  So that the students don't worry, the exam will not be a written test.  Nor will any grades be given.  This "exam" will be done in 2 parts.  For the first part, I'll put names of the various characters in a hat, and 2 students at a time will draw names and have imagined conversations considering the personalities of the characters of the book.  For example, what would happen if Bob Cratchitt and Mr. Fezziwig were to meet?  What would they talk about?  The second half will be a game of "What is it?" like the one Scrooge's nephew played.  In other words, our last class for the semester will be more of a party.  Treats are welcome!

Assignments for Next Week:
-- Final Draft of Historical Essay
-- "5 Things I Learned from the Corrections on My Rough Draft"
-- Read Stave V of A Christmas Carol.
-- Optional:  bring treats.

Have a great week!
Mrs. Prichard

Friday, November 30, 2012

Phrases -- Prepositional & Participial

As we grow as writers, we're sometimes confounded as we try to take our brilliant, complex thoughts and try to make them behave on paper.  We know what we want to say, but when we put it on paper, something's not quite right.What often trips us up are phrases and clauses. In the English language, we use five phrases:  prepositional, participials, gerunds, infinitives, and appositives.  These phrases can be restrictive (essential) or non-restrictive (non-essential).

The wonderful internet has some great resources for expanding our understanding.  Below are some helpful links:

Slideshare -- This site has A LOT of helpful Powerpoint presentations about so many topics.  Search their website for whatever grammar help you need.  (Prepositions and Participials)

eHow -- This website has a number of helpful tutorials.  This page has one that shows where to put commas.

Slideboom -- This site has Powerpoint slides along with a narrator.  (Prepositions )

Youtube -- Of course, this is an obvious place to go for so many kinds of instructional tutorials.


Writing 1 Class Notes -- November 28

Greetings!

Again, another productive class.  Have I mentioned how much I enjoy teaching this group of students?

With our Thanksgiving Dinners fresh in our minds, the Quick Write was titled "Eat Your Words."  I had the students list 10 verbs, 10 adverbs, and 10 adjectives that were related to their eating experience.  From all of the gobbling, slurping, munching, and "scarfing" involved, you all must have had a pretty good dinner.

They handed in their Rough Drafts of their History Essays.  I look forward to reading them.

We are in the place of our book, A Christmas Carol, where the Spirit of Christmas Present visits Scrooge.  The students discovered that there's more in the book than in any of the traditional movies they've seen.  We had a good discussion about the more symbolic portion in which the boy Ignorance and the girl Want appear from within the folds of the spirit's robe.  I love it when we go beyond the details of what happens in a piece of literature and can discuss deeper meanings and ideas about life.  For next week, we're reading Stave Four.  Since they have no writing assignments to do, they may do some extra credit work.  Of the study questions, they must answer at least 2 questions, but may do more.  For the vocabulary, they must give the definitions and word roots for at least 5 words, but they may do more.

As maturing writers, our Grammar discussion has to move beyond simple sentence structures.  Most students are reading, talking, and thinking in complex sentences.  The challenge is getting our writing skills to catch up with what's in our heads.  Just because a brilliant, complicated idea popped into our heads does not necessarily mean that it's grammatically correct.  We discussed phrases this week and will continue next week.  This week is was prepositional phrases (especially how they function as adjectives and adverbs) and participial phrases.  Verbal phrases often trip up writers, so I want to make sure they have a good understanding.  They have a worksheet on Participial Phrases as homework.

Have a great week!
Mrs. Prichard

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Writing 1 Class Notes -- November 14

Greetings!

As always, we had a productive class.  I really enjoy this group of students.  For our Quick Write today, we played a word game, Give Me Five, that I had gotten while in England.  The game consists of a deck of cards with categories (Fruits and Vegetables, Items found in a Bedroom, Pets, Types of Meals, etc.) and letter of the alphabet.  Either I or a student drew a card, and the students had to write 5 things that fit that card. The students got points for any answers they had written that were unique; in other words, they were the only ones who had written that answer.  We played a few rounds.  I like activities like this because it 1) plays with words; 2) causes everyone to be involved; 3) forces the students to think creatively; and 4) is interactive and helps us to continue to develop good class dynamics.

I handed back their final drafts of their Biographical Essays. As the students work on revising their rough drafts into final drafts, I'd like to remind them to carefully pay attention to corrections and comments that I made on the rough drafts.  The rough drafts are to be learning opportunities.  The final drafts are opportunities to show that they've been learning.  I was pleased to see that some students not only made grammar and punctuation corrections, but rewrote sections or added more material.  They are all becoming more skilled as writers of essays.  The students are to be working on their next writing assignment, a Historical Essay, over their break. In class we discussed how to go about developing a thesis around an historical event.  This can be a challenge, so they can feel free to send an e-mail if they have any questions.

Before our discussion of A Christmas Carol, we talked about the specific challenges of the book (an older style and more challenging vocabulary) which led to a discussion of learning styles.  If the book is difficult for a student, an audio book would be acceptable.  In addition to discussing some of the vocabulary, we read aloud a few sections from the second "Stave" in which the Ghost of Christmas Past appears.  Personally, I feel that this is such a rich book that we could take a lot more time than we do to "unpack" the images, themes and symbolism. 

No class next week.  Have a happy Thanksgiving.

Assignments for Next Week:
-- Write Historical Essay rough draft
-- Read Stave 2;  Write answers for 2 questions for the First Half and 2 questions for the Second Half.
-- Write meanings and roots for 5 vocabulary words for the Stave.

Have a great week!
Mrs. Prichard

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

History Essay



History Essay

Definition
            An historical essay demonstrates that you have a good knowledge about an event or a period of history and a good grasp of its importance and contributions to our world.  A typical essay will consist not only of the details surrounding the event or period but will reveal an understanding of some of the “big picture” of history.


Thesis Development
            Writing an essay about a historical topic requires that you make some judgment about the evidence and details.  Generally, a thesis explains the “why” and the “how” of something that happened.  Your thesis should take a stand on an issue or historical problem and requires some judgment and interpretation of evidence.  Your thesis should be as clear and specific as possible.


Organization
            Information can be presented chronologically (in a first to last sequence), in order of importance (least to most important), or in order of quantity of information (least amount to greatest amount).  Your essay can be divided by themes, geographical locations, or personalities involved.  In writing the essay, you will analyze the facts, not just describe them.


Tips on Writing
   Everything you write about should support or be related to your thesis.
   Be sure that you include enough information and define any unfamiliar terms.  Assume your readers do not know as much about the topic as you do.
   Prove your arguments:  explain how and why a thing happened.
   Suitable evidence includes data (facts and figures) and authorities on the subject (what historians know).
   Use a variety of transitions in the text of your paper.
   This is not a research paper, but may require some outside reading and note taking.  Remember to take notes in your own words.


Pitfalls to Avoid
   Keep the language simple. Remember, this is an essay, not a story.  Use good, accurate vocabulary, but not overly flowery words.


Essay Guidelines
   Due dates:  Rough Draft due November 28; Final Draft due December 12
   Essay length:  500 – 700 words (between 2 and 4 pages)
   Rough drafts can be typed or hand-written, but must be double-spaced.
   Final draft format:
   Typed (if this is not possible, please let me know)
   1 inch margins
   Name and date on the upper right hand corner
   Number the pages on the lower right hand corner
   Title centered above the text of the essay

A Christmas Carol Study Guide



A Christmas Carol Study Questions


Stave One Questions ~
1. What is the simile in the second paragraph?
2. Why does the narrator make such a point of Marley’s being dead?
3. Why doesn’t the weather affect Scrooge?
4. How is Scrooge’s nephew different from Scrooge?
5. What do the “portly gentlemen” who come in after Scrooge’s nephew leave want?
6. How does the knocker change?
7. Why does Scrooge like the darkness?
8. What has Marley’s ghost been doing since his death?
9. What is the warning that Marley gives Scrooge?
10. Why are the phantoms upset?

Stave Two Questions ~
1. What was the strangest thing about the way the spirit looked?
2. What is Scrooge’s initial attitude toward the spirit?
3. What is different about Scrooge when he says “Remember it? I could walk it with a blindfold?”
4. Who is Scrooge talking about when he says “Poor boy!”
5. What does it tell us about Scrooge when Dickens observes“a rapidity of transition very foreign to his usual character.”?
6. When Fan comes to pick Scrooge up, we learn a reason why Scrooge may have turned out the way he did. What is this reason?
7. What kind of people are the Fezziwigs?
8. Who is Belle and why was she important to Scrooge?
9. Why does Scrooge say “Remove me.”
10. How does Scrooge try to "extinguish the light"? Does he succeed? What is the light a symbol of?

Stave Three Questions
First Half ~
1. How is what Scrooge is thinking as he lies in bed waiting to see if the spirit appears different from the previous chapter?
2. What does the spirit look like?
3. What is this ghost’s personality like?
4. How has Scrooge’s attitude toward his being escorted by a ghost changed?
5. What is the point of the long description beginning “The house fronts looked black enough, and the windows blacker …” and continuing on for several pages until, “But soon the steeples called good people all, to church and chapel, and away they came, flocking through the streets in their best clothes, and with their gayest faces.”
6. What are three significant things we learn about the Cratchit’s?
7. How is Scrooge affected by seeing the family?

Second Half ~
1.What does the Spirit mean when he says But they Know me. See!”
2. What is the point of going to the lighthouse? to the ship?
3. What is the great surprise to Scrooge in the next paragraph (96)?
4. What would Fred think would be a positive outcome of his Christmas invitation to Scrooge?  What happens to Scrooge’s mood as the party goes on? Why do you think this happens?
6. Describe the game called “Yes and No” Scrooge witnesses at his nephew’s Christmas party.
7. What does it mean to say the boy and the girl (Ignorance and Want) are “Man’s children”?

Stave Four Questions ~
1. What does the spirit of Christmas future look like?
2. What is this spirit’s personality like?
3. How does Scrooge feel about this spirit?
4. What is the point of the long discussion between Joe and Mrs. Dilber?
5. What are some of the words Dickens uses to create the mood of the paragraphs that follow?  What is this mood?
6. When Scrooge asks the phantom to let him "see some tenderness connected with a death,” What does the ghost show him?
7. What is the lesson Scrooge learns in this stave that he had not learned before? Why is this stave needed when Scrooge’s attitude had already changed so much.

Writing 1 Class Notes -- November 7

Greetings!

This was an interesting day of classes.  Most students were processing the election results.  I talked at length about our responsibility to pray for and bless all those who were elected into office last night.  1 Tim. 2: 1-4 commands us to do this.  It's always good to align ourselves with God's plan.

I gave the students options for the Quick Write.  If they were still in a political mood, they could write a letter to President Obama OR write the diary of a politician.  If not, they could write a diary for a happy cow (a topic suggested by a student). The only requirement was that they couldn't be disrespectful.

We began our study of A Christmas Carol.  Besides being a great classic of literature that we all should read, this book will expand our vocabulary.  We started our conversation with our list of vocabulary words.  I also handed out a Study Guide for the book; I divided the class into groups to discuss these questions.

For our next writing assignment, the students are to write an Historical Essay.   We talked about the difference between a report and a thesis-driven essay.  They have handouts that explain this essay.  The Pre-Write is due next week, the Rough Draft is due November 28, and the final draft is due on December 12 (the last day of this term's classes.)

A couple of students thought they might be interested in the NaNoWriMo project.  If anyone wants to try writing a novel this month, they can sign up here. Check the previous e-mail for more information.

Assignments for Next Week:
-- Read Stave 2
-- Define 5 words from Stave 2
-- Answer 3 questions from the Study Guide
-- Pre-Write for the Historical Essay

Have a great week!
Mrs. Prichard

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Writing 1 Class Notes -- October 31

Greetings!

Before our Quick Write today, the students got a history lesson.  Yesterday was not only Halloween, but it was Reformation Day.  We discussed Martin Luther and the 95 theses.  We did a word study of "reformation," "rebellion," and "catholic."  To top of the lesson, we watched the "Reformation Polka," a youtube cartoon.

Our Quick Write featured a pair of XXXXXXXXL camouflaged pants that my husband had gotten as a gag gift and a Kermit the Frog hat that I was given.  The students were to write a story centered on these two objects.  

We spent a lot of time discussing the Rough Drafts of the Biography Essays.  As I work through the rough drafts, making comments and corrections, I make a list of common grammar errors.  I think one of the best ways to learn grammar rules is by the mistakes we make. My hope is that this technique helps the material sink in.  The final copies of the essays are due next week.

They handed in their grammar worksheets.  I've also attached these worksheets in case someone is missing them.

We've finished Animal Farm and are starting our next book, Dickens' A Christmas Carol.  I handed out an Introduction and Vocabulary Worksheet. (I've attached these worksheets.) This is a short book, but the language and vocabulary can be challenging.  Feel free to read this book with them.

Assignments for Next Week:
-- Finish the Final Copy of the Biography Essay.
-- Read the Introduction for A Christmas Carol
-- Read Stave One.
-- Choose 5 vocabulary words from the list and write definitions and word origins.

Have a great week!
Mrs. Prichard

Introduction to A Christmas Carol


Introduction to A Christmas Carol

            A Christmas Carol is a fairly straightforward allegory built on an episodic narrative structure in which each of the main passages has a fixed, obvious symbolic meaning. The book is divided into five sections (Dickens labels them Staves in reference to the musical notation staff--a Christmas carol, after all, is a song), with each of the middle three Staves revolving around a visitation by one of the three famous spirits. The three spirit-guides, along with each of their tales, carry out a thematic function--the Ghost of Christmas Past, with his glowing head, represents memory; the Ghost of Christmas Present represents charity, empathy, and the Christmas spirit; and the reaper-like Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come represents the fear of death. Scrooge, with his Bah! Humbug! attitude, embodies all that dampens Christmas spirit--greed, selfishness, indifference, and a lack of consideration for one's fellow man.

from Victorian Age
http://www.guidanceassociates.com/victorianage.html



            The Victorian Age is a very elastic term used to denote an extremely dynamic period. Although the Victorian Age roughly spans most of the 19th century (from 1832 to 1900), it is not totally confined within these dates. The rumblings of change to come were felt for some time before 1832, and changes did not stop occurring as soon as Queen Victoria died in 1901. However, lifestyles did change more dramatically during this period than ever before in English history. England was suddenly pulled together by the railways, the penny post, and the rest of the newly constructed apparatus of fast, cheap communication. The country became unified in a way never before possible.
            Prior to the middle of the 19th century, education had been reserved for the nobility and those who could afford to send their children to exclusive private schools. Even if the poor had been able to enter their children in these schools, they would not have done so. A child of six was expected to start bringing home money to help support his entire family; he would be put to work as soon as possible. In those days work meant twelve to sixteen hours a day of grueling, hard labor in conditions that would today be considered totally unacceptable. There was no time spare for education. However, with the appearance of the modern public school system it became fashionable and necessary for the children of the lower classes to at least learn the rudiments of the 3 R’s. With these assets, they could go on to vocational apprenticeships in one of the trades.
            Great nationalistic spirit developed during the Victorian Age, and England struggled to place herself at the top of the international scene. At the time of the Great Exhibition of 1851, England was influential in many countries. By the end of the Victorian Age, the British Empire had reached the high point of its development.
            During this period the extreme poverty of the lower working classes was pointed up by the increasingly congested living conditions of city life. While the nobility still hung onto its money and its social barriers, and an individual’s birthright tended to be the deciding factor of his future, the rapidly expanding middle classes made steady inroads. The middle-class novelist, Charles Dickens, did more than any writer before or since to expose the sufferings of the working class. His books found their way into the drawing rooms of the titled and wealthy, and social consciousness began to rise. Emancipation of women and the rights of children became popular cases for the previously sheltered nobility. They brought their money and influence to bear in demanding better working conditions and broader education for the working class. A kind of feverish sentimentality of guilt gripped everyone.  The debt owed to Charles Dickens for the many reforms of the Victorian Age is certainly not a small one.

A Christmas Carol Vocabulary Worksheet


A Christmas Carol Vocabulary

Choose 10 words from each Stave to define (and find any Latin or Greek roots, naturally!)

Stave 1
Stave 2
Stave 3
Stave 4
Stave 5
Unhallowed
Entreaty
Impropriety
Multitude
Executor
Trifle
Resolute
Tremulous
Legatee
Implore
Lunatic
Rapture
Garret
Covetous
Replenish
Credentials
Congeal
Misanthropic
Solitary
Intimation
Ominous
Caustic
Plaque
Reclamation
Expend
Tumult
Recumbent
Jocund
Transition
Capacious
Tunic
Instantaneous
Loath
Deftly
Brigands
Lustrous
Latent
Condescension
Corroborate
Pillaged
Conducive
Laden
Decanter
Aspiration
Consolation
Glee
Subsequently
Withered
Seething
Demurely
Prematurely
Goblets
Demeanor
Conspicuous
Shabby
Exulted
Grog
Compulsion
Swarthy
Ubiquitous
Blithe
Abyss
Intricate
Bilious
Ensued
Dismal
Repute
Flaunting
Beseech
Inexorable
Disgorge
Repent
Relents
Replete
Reek
Scanty
Faltered
Foreshadow
Repulse
Slipshod
Revered
Essence
Intercede
Dwindle
Beetling
Avarice
Tarry
Strive
Gruel
Recompense
Jiffy
Hearty
Peals
Portly
Feign
Sealing wax
Jovial
Pang
Waistcoat
Illustrious
Extravagance
Loitered
Sidled
Endeavor
Amends
Giddy
Poulterer
Array
Borough
Dispelled




Friday, October 26, 2012

Writing 1 Class Notes -- October 24

Greetings!

We had a good and productive class this week.  This is a hard-working group of students!

For our Quick Write this week, we used cards from a game entitled "Man Bites Dog."  Each student got 6 cards; a noun, adjective, adverb, or verb was on each card.  They object of the game is to develop a headline using those words.  For our writing exercise, they not only created headlines, but wrote a news story to go with it. Once again, we had some creative endeavors.  I love those first minutes of class when their heads are bent down towards their papers, and their pens or pencils are working quickly.


The discussion of our Grammar Quiz/Test took about half of our class time.  I don't think they did as well as they would have liked. From a teacher's perspective, if gives me an idea how much of the grammar instruction is sinking in.    I know that grammar isn't exciting, but it's the foundation for good writing.  An analogy that comes to mind is the house-builder who has quality materials, but shoddy workmanship.  No one is going to give his newly-built house a second look.  These students have a lot of really good ideas and interests.  I want them to be able to express themselves in ways that attracts others to their thoughts and passions.  Because the performance on this test wasn't great, I'll be altering some of the grammar instruction.  Expect some occasional practice exercises to be part of the homework.




They handed in their rough drafts of their Biography Essays.  I'll go over these and hand them back next week.  With each set of essays, I not only see improvements, but I also learn a lot; their topics are fascinating.  If ever for some reason a student can't hand in the rough draft at class time, I will take them until midnight on Saturday.  I correct papers on Sunday evenings and Mondays.  They can e-mail them to me; if a paper was hand-written, it will need to be scanned and then e-mailed.


We finished our study of Animal Farm with a final "exam" that they wrote.  I had each student come to class with 3 questions from the test; I couldn't be prouder of the quality of the questions that we had.  They were insightful and thought-provoking.  I divided the class into two teams and had them answer the questions as a team.  This encouraged even more conversation about the "whys" and "what ifs" of the book.

Our next book is Charles Dickens's  The Christmas Carol.  This is a favorite of mine and a good introduction to Dickens.  I will bring the books to class next week.  For Extra Credit, the students can bring in information about Dickens and/or about Victorian Christmases.

Assignments for Next Week:
-- Grammar Worksheets
-- Extra Credit:  Information about Dickens and/or about Victorian Christmases

Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Prichard

This week's blog

Grammar Quiz/Test



Grammar Quiz
100 points
Fill in the blank (1 point/ space):

1.       The “equation” for a sentence is ___________ + ______________ + ________________ .
2.       A sentence must also begin with a ______________   _______________ and have an ending _______________________ .
3.       A ____________________ sentence is two or more sentences improperly joined by wrong punctuation, no punctuation, or some conjunction that needs help from some kind of punctuation.
4.       Two main clauses can be joined with a comma and a ______________ conjunction.
5.       List the 8 parts of speech:

_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________


6.       A _________________ is an action word, state of being word, linking word, or group of words that is the action or the link to the subject of the sentence.
7.       When the subject performs the action of the sentence, the verb is ___________________.
8.       When the action of the sentence is performed by the object, the verb is _______________.
9.       Words or phrases that name a person, place, or thing are called ____________________.
10.   List the functions that a noun may perform:

_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________

11.    A _______________ is a word used in place of a noun.  An _______________ is a word or group of words to which a pronoun refers.
12.    An _______________ is a word, phrase, or clause that modifies (changes, limits, describes, transforms, qualifies) a noun or pronoun.
13.     Adjectives answer the following questions:

_____________________
_____________________
_____________________


14.   An _______________ is a word, phrase, or clause that modifies (changes, limits, describes, transforms, qualifies) a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
15.   Adverbs answer the following questions: 

_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________


16.   A word or words used to join other words, phrases, or clauses is a ___________________  .
17.   List the coordinating conjunctions:
_______________      _______________      _______________      _______________ 
_______________      _______________      _______________       
18.   _______________  means “time” and refers to the time shown by the verb. 

Give 2 examples for each category of nouns
19.   Common nouns:
20.   Proper nouns:
21.   Compound nouns:
22.   Concrete nouns:
23.   Abstract nouns:
24.   Countable nouns:
25.   Non-countable nouns:


In the following sentences, fix the ones that are incorrect (3 points/ sentence)
26.   Because F. Scott Fitzgerald had to return the publisher’s advance for The Great Gatsby.


27.   Angie Park, strolling down Madison Avenue, near the exclusive store where she used to shop.


28.   While Brett served as a lookout and Matt rifled the teacher’s desk looking for the answers to the test.


29.   Steve Park built a house in Buffalo Bay before he built that house he had lived in Queens.

Prepositional Phrases
In the following sentences, put each of the prepositional phrases in parentheses and decide whether they are adjective or adverb phrases. (13 phrases, total)

30.   Behind the elm tree near the theater, Jeremy discovered a purse filled with money.

31.   Throughout her college career, Marcus dazzled his professors with his accomplishments.

32.   The cat chased the mouse under the table before lunch while Mother was sitting in the sun by the back door.

33.   Whenever I think about my writing classes, I go into a frenzy of fear that I will never be able to write well for my teacher.


Clauses
The following sentences contain a variety of clauses.  Surround each clause in the sentences below with parentheses. (1 point/ sentence)

34.   Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets.

35.   Before he enlisted in the Marines, Bill hunted wild boar in Australia.

36.   Whenever Jill and Craig go on a long trip, they each take a bag of books and a bag of snacks.

Verbs
Mark the following sentences as A (Active) or P (Passive).
37.   Julius Caesar was written by William Shakespeare.  ______
38.   The case of the stolen car was investigated by the police.  ______
39.   Julie warned her sister about being sassy to their mother.  ______
40.   Kelly was encouraged by her friends to go to college.  ______

Indicate whether the verbs in the following sentences are present, past, or future:
41.   I see my neighbor every day.  _____________
42.   If you go to the park, you will see the game.  _____________
43.   When I was a child, I saw Cinderella in the theater.  _____________
44.   Jackie will drive his car to the concert.  _____________
45.   I thought about the concert all day long.  _____________
46.   The Olsons will sell their house sometime next year.  _____________

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Writing 1 Class Notes -- October 17

Greetings!

We had a good class today even though we were missing a few students.  For our Quick Write I handed out cards from a game called "Pictureka."  I still don't know the real rules for this game, but they were to choose at least 2 of their cards for a short story.  They were very creative!

I handed back their Final Drafts of their Personal Essays.  They did a great job working over their rough drafts and making corrections and revisions.  In these first rough drafts I did a lot of correcting of grammar mistakes.  In the upcoming essays I will continue to make corrections and suggestions, but I will also put troublesome sections in brackets for them to fix on their own.

Our current writing assignment is a Biographical Essay.  I checked with them about the Pre-Writing part of the assignment.  They were to brainstorm, outline, and do any initial research.  A reminder:  these essays are to have a thesis.  In other words, they are to state some opinion or take a stand about the person about whom they are choosing to write.

We discussed the Character Sketches they wrote for Animal Farm.  This was a great discussion, and they had some pretty insightful comments.  I love the way that they are learning to think about literature.  Next week we will have a Final Exam which they will help write.  I want each of them to bring 3 questions about the book that we'll use for an exam.

Assignments for Next Week:
-- Bring 3 "test" questions for the final next week.
-- Write the Biographical Essay rough draft.

Have a great week!
Mrs. Prichard