Writing 1: 2015

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Twelve Days of Vacation

On the first day of Christmas Vacation, my mother gave to me ----
a coupon for a broom to clean my room!

Follow this link and see the rest of the "song."

Words of the Day Test, Fall 2015

Writing 1, Fall 2015 Name: _______________________________

Word of the Day -- Final Test

A. Match the words from the Words of the Day list with its synonyms.

Garret Parody

Chapeau Garbage

Vindaloo Peas

Macho Curry

Detritus Genie

Charade Manly

Mange-tout Hat

Medico Attic

Jinny Physician

B. Circle the correct answer to complete the sentence

1. I think I might add some ruche to my

a. spaghetti

b. sleeves

c. car engine

d. a playground

2. The tall Egyptian was

a. eating a jellaba

b. wearing a jellaba

c. growing a jellaba

d. singing a jellaba

3. The man’s caustic reply made me feel

a. hungry

b. sleepy

c. hurt

d. bored

4. A restaurateur would

a. serve good food to his customers

b. do winter gardening

c. take the law into his own hands

d. play the harp in church

5. A comprehensive view of the world is a

a. clairvoyant

b. harbinger

c. weltanschauung

d. lollapalooza

6. Felicity Foote, the dance teacher, was teased because of her

a. shop’s location

b. choice of cars

c. next door neighbors

d. aptronym

7. The professional contralto was paid by

a. the opera company

b. the police department

c. a veterinarian

d. the bakery

8. The retired professor was given the title

a. eclectic

b. emeritus

c. pious

d. extemporaneous

C. Fill in the blank with the missing words of the sentence.

1. A novice or beginner might be referred to as a ____________________.

2. That the world would end January 1 was an _________________ of the young man’s.

3. A _______________________ flowed gently beside the river.

4. The General’s coffin was place on an ornate _________________.

5. The _____________________ was painted on the walls of the villa.

6. They chose him as _________________________, the intermediary between the ruler and the people

catafalque fresco tyro idee fixe billabong internuncio

D. True or False

________ 1. The lumpenproletariat invest money in diamonds.

________ 2. A jojoba is a small shrub whose seeds are used to make lotion.

________ 3. An icon is used to fix car engines.

________ 4. The misanthropic man was known for giving money and helping others.

________ 5. The happy, enthusiastic crowd cheered with great elan.

E. Match the words with their roots and meaning.

Ich dien Latin, “Things not words”

Dixit Greek, “stranger” and “fear”

Xenophobia Indo-Portuguese, “Wine of garlic”

Res non verba German, “I serve”

Res publica Arabic, “Demon”

Vindaloo Latin, “He himself said”

Jinni Latin, “Thing of the public”

'Twas the Night Before -- Mad Libs, part 2

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the (noun),

not a creature was stirring, not even a/an (noun).

The (plural noun) were tucked, all snug in their (plural noun),

while visions of (adjective) plums danced in their heads.

Then up on the (noun) there arose such a clatter.

I sprang from my (noun) to see what was the matter.

It was St. Nicholas with his little (adjective) belly,

That shook when he laughed like a bowl full of (plural noun).

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work

And filled all the (plural noun), then turned with a jerk.

And laying his (noun) aside of his nose

And giving a nod, up the (noun) he rose.

I heard him exclaim as he (past tense verb) out of sight,

“(adjective) Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

"Twas the Night Before" Mad Libs PowerPoint

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Writing 1 Class Notes -- Week 14 (December 10)

Greetings!

We had a wonderful class this, especially considering part of the class time was spent taking a test.

Before taking the test, the students did a Quick Write. December 10, 1896 was the day that Alfred Nobel died. He became the benefactor for the awards for the various Nobel Prizes. I asked the students to write about their favorite scientific advancements or inventions.

Following our Quick Write, we went right away to the Parts of Speech test. The first page of the test was identical to the pre-test they took before the student presentations. They worked hard and finished fairly quickly.

When they finished their tests, we discussed the rough drafts of the History/Biography essays. Often when I hand back rough drafts I go over common errors that were made by the students. Many of these errors were comma related. I gave them the rubrics that I will use to evaluate the Final Drafts of the essays. When they finish their final drafts for next week, they are to evaluate their own essays using these.

Next week, we will have finished our book, A Christmas Carol. I gave them a Take Home test for the book that they should finish before next week's class.

Next week the students will take the Words of the Day test next week. Attached is the list for them to use to review. As I told them in class, the test will be a mix of multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, and matching questions. If they go over the words and are familiar with them they will do well. They don't need to feel that they should have them perfectly memorized.

Finally, I traditionally use the last week of class for a party, following the Words of the Day test, of course. I have some Christmas writing activities for us to do.

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Finish A Christmas Carol (No questions or vocabulary words)

-- A Christmas Carol Take Home Final

-- Final Draft of History/Biography Essay

-- Rubric/ Self Evaluation for essay

-- Review Words of the Day

Links for this Week:

A Christmas Carol Final Exam

Words of the Day List

Essay Rubric

Have a great week!

See y'all on Thursday!

Mrs. Prichard

Essay Rubric for Writing 1

Criterion	Beginning (0 – 2)	Developing (3 – 5)	Competent (6 – 8)	Advanced (9 – 10)
Focus: Thesis, Introduction, Conclusion	Specific topic is unclear and no statement of an opinion or a stand. No introduction. No conclusion.	Thesis statement expresses the topic but not an opinion or a stand. Weak introduction that states the topic but is missing a clear thesis. The focus of the paper is unclear. Conclusion does not fully summarize the main points nor restates the thesis statement.	Thesis statement includes the topic and expresses a stand or opinion. Introduction states topic and thesis and gives direction to the paper. Conclusion reiterates main points and restates the thesis statement.	Clearly-stated, thoughtful & compelling thesis statement. Strong introduction with a thesis statement that grabs attention and directs the course of the essay. Strong conclusion that summarizes the main points and restates the thesis statement. Satisfactorily wraps up the essay.
Content	No major points to support the thesis are included. Few details have been used. Ideas are disconnected.	Some of the major points are covered. Some specific details are included. Lacks sufficient material to fully support thesis.	All major points are covered. Appropriate details are included with each point.	All major points are thoroughly and insightfully discussed. All points are fully supported with strong details.
Organization	Ideas are arranged randomly. There may be no division of paragraphs.	Like ideas are grouped together, and paragraphs are present, but ideas within may not be organized logically. Transitions may be lacking.	An apparent progression of ideas that allows the reader to move through the text without confusion. Sentences with paragraphs are organized and flow smoothly	Expresses a clear, logical sequence of ideas within paragraphs and throughout the paper. Sentences within paragraphs flow smoothly with good use of transitions.
Mechanics	Frequent errors, seriously impairs flow & meaning of paper	Errors noticeable, and occasionally detract from flow or meaning of paper	Some errors, which are minor in nature and don’t detract from overall meaning of paper	Essentially faultless; errors may result from risk-taking and do not detract from meaning of paper.

Total Score – 40 possible points

Words of the Day List

Week 1

aptronym -- a person's name that is peculiarly appropriate to his/her occupation or character traits.

Week 2

tyro -- fr. Latin tiro, recruit, young soldier -- a novice or beginner

jellaba -- fr. Arabic djellaba -- a loose-fitting, long-sleeved, often hooded robe commonly worn in Egypt, Morocco, and Northern Africa.

weltanschauung -- fr. German welt, world and Anschauung, perception -- a comprehensive perception of the world.

Week 3

jojoba -- fr. Spanish -- a small shrub or tree whose seeds are used for their oil in personal care products (i.e. shampoos, lotions, etc.)

billabong -- fr. Australian; billa (water) bong (channel) -- a small stream or channel of water beside a river

detritus -- fr. Latin; deterere (to wear away) -- waste or debris of any kind

Week 4

contralto -- fr. Italian, contra, "against" and alto, "high" -- a the lowest vocal range for a female, between a mezzo-soprano and a tenor

emeritus -- fr. Latin, mereri, "to earn" -- an honorary degree earned upon retirement

mange-tout -- fr. French, "eat all" -- a variety of garden pea in which the pod is also edible.

Week 5

catafalque -- fr. Italian, catafalco -- a decorated wooden framework supporting the coffin of a distinguished person during a funeral or while lying in state.

internuncio -- fr.Latin, inter (between), nuntio (messenger); a messenger, intermediary, go-between

jinni -- fr. Arabic, djinn (demon) -- an intelligent spirit of lower rank than the angels, able to appear in human and animal forms and to possess humans.

Week 6

chapeau -- fr. French chapeau, "hat"; fr. Latin cappellum, cap -- a hat

charade -- fr. French, charra, "chatter" -- an absurd pretense intended to create a pleasant or respectable appearance.

charisma -- fr. Greek charis, "gift/grace"-- an absurd pretense intended to create a pleasant or respectable appearance.

Week 7

fresco -- fr. Italian fresco, "cool, fresh" -- a painting done rapidly in watercolor on wet plaster on a wall or ceiling, so that the colors penetrate the plaster and become fixed as it dries.

dixit -- fr. Latin, dixit, "he himself said" -- a dogmatic statement which the speaker expects the listener to accept as valid

xenophobia -- fr. Greek xenos, stranger; phobia, fear -- a fear of strangers or of foreign things

Week 8

fresco -- fr. Italian fresco, "cool, fresh" -- a painting done rapidly in watercolor on wet plaster on a wall or ceiling, so that the colors penetrate the plaster and become fixed as it dries.

dixit -- fr. Latin, dixit, "he himself said" -- a dogmatic statement which the speaker expects the listener to accept as valid

xenophobia -- fr. Greek xenos, stranger; phobia, fear -- a fear of strangers or of foreign things

Week 9

idee fixe -- fr. French, "fixed idea" -- an obsession or set ideas

ich dien -- fr. German, "I serve" -- the motto of the Prince of Wales

icon -- fr. Greek, eikon, "likeness" -- a pictorial representation of a religious image; a painting or statue evoking reverence

Week 10

res publica -- Latin, res, "thing," and publica, "of the public" -- a public affair, of or belonging to the state or commonwealth

res non verba -- Latin, res, "thing," non, "not," verba, "words" -- deeds, not words

restaurateur -- French restaurater fr. Latin restaurator, "restorer" -- the owner or manager or a restaurant

Week 11

garret -- fr. Old French garite -- an attic, usually a small wretched one

trifle -- fr. Middle English tru (idle talk) -- a small thing of little value; a small quantity or amount

caustic -- fr.Greek kaustikos (burning) -- capable of burning, corroding, or destrying living tissue, severely critical or sarcastic

misanthropic -- fr. Greek misanthropos (hating mankind) -- a characteristic of hating mankind

Week 12

macho -- fr. Spanish, fr. Latin masculinus, male -- aggressively male; tough

ruche -- fr. French, beehive; fr. Latin, tree bark -- a strip of pleated, gathered fabric

medico -- fr. Latin medicus, physician -- a medical professional

Week 13

elan -- fr. French elan -- enthusiasm, zest, spirit

lumpenproletariat --fr, German, "rags," fr. French "working class" -- a term adopted by Karl Marx, this refers to the poor, working class.

vindaloo -- Indo-Portuguese, vinha d'alho "wine of garlic" -- a spicy, Indian curry

A Christmas Carol Final Exam

CIRCLE THE ANSWER THAT BEST FITS

1. Which of the spirits does not speak to Scrooge?

(A) The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

(B) The Ghost of Christmas Past

(D) All the spirits speak to Scrooge.

2. What is Jacob Marley forced to drag about as a result of his sinful life

(A) A huge safe full of lead

(B) An ox cart piled with gold

(D) A cross made of gold

3. Why does Scrooge like darkness?

(A) It helps him sleep.

(B) It helps him to forget his past.

(D) It is cheap.

4. Where does Martha work?

(A) At a seamstress'

(B) At a laundress'

(D) At a milliner's

5. Who is in the grave in Stave Four?

(A) Ebenezer Scrooge

(B) Jacob Marley

(D) Tiny Tim

6. In what year was A Christmas Carol written?

(A) 1830

(B) 1837

(D) 1846

7. Which character is Fred's mother?

(A) Mrs. Cratchit

(B) Fan

(D) Fezziwig

8. Why does Belle end her engagement to Scrooge?

(A) Because she falls in love with Fred

(B) Because she falls in love with Peter

(D) Because Scrooge is consumed by greed

9. What is the Ghost of Christmas Present's throne made of?

(A) Food

(B) Gold

(D) Fur

10. To whom does Scrooge send the turkey?

(A) Fred

(B) Belle

(D) Jacob Marley

11. Who brings Scrooge home from school?

(A) Belle

(B) Fan

(D) The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

12. Which one of the spirits has a glowing head?

(A) The Ghost of Christmas Present

(B) Jacob Marley

(D) The Ghost of Christmas Past

13. Who appears in Scrooge's door-knocker?

(A) Jacob Marley's ghost

(B) Fan's ghost

(D) The Ghost of Christmas Past

14. How does Fezziwig die?

(A) He falls ill with pneumonia.

(B) He is struck in the head by a horse's hoof.

(D) Fezziwig does die in the novel, but the manner of his death is unspecified.

15. Which spirit takes Scrooge to a ship at sea?

(A) The Ghost of Christmas Past

(B) The Ghost of Christmas Present

16. Who inherits Bob Cratchit's shirt?

(A) Tiny Tim

(B) Scrooge

(D) Peter

17. Who asks Scrooge for a charitable contribution?

(A) Two merry gentlemen

(B) Two portly gentlemen

(D) Two angry gentlemen

18. What is Scrooge's typical response to "Merry Christmas"?

(A) "Bah! Nonsense!"

(B) "Pah! Life's too short!"

(D) "Oh, fiddlesticks!"

19. Who was “dead, to begin with”?

(A) Tiny Tim

(B) Bob Cratchit

(D) Jacob Marley

20. Which character utters the famous words, "God bless us, Every one"?

(A) Tiny Tim

(B) Bob Cratchit

(D) The Ghost of Christmas Present

Friday, December 4, 2015

Writing 1 Class Notes -- Week 13 (December 3)

Greetings!

As always, our class time was productive and enjoyable!

Our Quick Write this week was more on the thought-provoking side than the light-hearted side. December 1 marks the day when Mrs. Rosa Parks, and African-American, got on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama and refused to give up her seat for a white man. This provoked a lengthy boycott of the city buses, which eventually caused some segregation laws to be changed. I gave the students 3 options for writing: 1) What is something that they would consider boycotting; 2) What is something they would protest; or 3) What is on their Christmas list.

Our Words of the Day:

elan -- fr. French elan -- enthusiasm, zest, spirit

lumpenproletariat --fr, German, "rags," fr. French "working class" -- a term adopted by Karl Marx, this refers to the poor, working class.

vindaloo -- Indo-Portuguese, vinha d'alho "wine of garlic" -- a spicy, Indian curry

This is the last of our Words of the Day for this semester. The Words of the Day Test will be on Week 15 (December 17).

A large portion of the class was spent reviewing the 8 Parts of Speech. The students did a good job with their projects and in presenting to the class. Next week is the Post-Test. I've put on the blog and attached with this e-mail a Study Guide and Practice Worksheets. I projected the worksheet on the whiteboard and had students work as a class to review.

A reminder: Writing 1 is a year long class, but you must register for each semester. The registration for the Spring Semester is now open.

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Read Stave 4

-- Answer 2 Questions and do 4 Vocabulary Words

-- Review the Parts of Speech

Links for this Week:

Class Notes

CHAT Registration

Parts of Speech Study Guide

Parts of Speech Practice Worksheets

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Prichard

Parts of Speech Review Worksheets

NAME: ___________________________________________

Interjections Practice

Underline the interjections in the following sentences:

1. Aww, look at the cute kitten.

2. I missed the bus. Oh well.

3. Oops! She dropped that expensive dish.

4. Whoa, you need to slow down.

5. No, there is no homework tonight.

Verbs Practice

Underline the verbs in the following sentences.

1. Our work has become harder this year.

2. Elizabeth looked everywhere for her homework.

3. This plant looks dead.

4. Mrs. Jones called the doctor.

5. Her son is sick.

Fill in a verb for each of the following sentences:

1. Jane __________________ the cake yesterday.

2. My muscles __________________ after gardening.

3. The police man _____________________ the speeding driver.

4. The little boy ___________________ in the river.

5. Northfield __________________ my home.

Adjectives Practice

Underline the verbs in the following sentences.

1. My ancient grandfather wrote an insightful book about his long time as a cattle rancher.

2. The woman’s new wool coat sold for fifty dollars at the neighborhood discount store.

3. The tangy red ketchup on the grilled hamburger dripped on the clean picnic table cloth.

4. This smelly garbage in my uncle’s car is gross and disgusting.

5. My amazing essay was read by some appreciative students.

Fill in adjectives for each of the blanks in the sentences below.

1. My _____________________ book is both ______________ and ___________________.

2. The _________________, ____________________ kitten slept on the _______________ blanket.

3. The ___________________________ weather ruined my ________________________ trip.

4. My __________________________ sailboat on the _______________________ lake was

_________________.

5. The __________________________ student in the _______________________ class studied for the

_______________________ test.

Conjunctions Practice

Circle the coordinating conjunctions in the sentences below.

1. I bought four books, for I love to read.

2. I have many bookshelves, and I love to fill them with new and used books.

3. My sister doesn’t read many books, nor does she own as many as I do.

4. I offered to give her some books, but she didn’t want any.

5. I will give my extra books to the library, or I might donate them to the school.

Circle the subordinating conjunctions in the following sentences.

1. Because we bought too many books, our bookshelves are full.

2. I will give some to you if you ask nicely.

3. Whenever I get rid of books, I usually feel a little sad.

4. My house will be cleaner after I get rid of these 20 boxes of books.

5. Although I try to stay away from book stores, I can’t help it.

Adverbs Practice

Underline the adverbs in the following sentences.

1. The horse raced speedily around the very crowded racecourse.

2. The man next to her coughed annoyingly all through the performance today.

3. Katherine accidentally deleted her files.

4. We silently watched the amazingly beautiful sunset.

5. We will all take that infuriatingly difficult test tomorrow.

Fill in adjectives for each of the blanks in the sentences below.

1. The boy ran ______________________________

2. Jackson ______________________________ finished his homework.

3. I ______________________________ drove to the store.

4. Corey ______________________________ handed in his essay.

5. The team ______________________________ played the game.

Prepositions Practice

Put the prepositional phrases in parentheses and underline the prepositions in the following sentences.

1. The book of pictures on the shelves is my favorite.

2. Before lunch I had a meeting of student writers.

3. The man in the yard threw the ball over the fence.

4. I ate the cookie with chocolate chips.

5. She was humming during the lecture about physics.

Fill in prepositions for each of the blanks in the sentences below.

1. The muffin _____________ the table is mine.

2. I put the box ___________________ the chair.

3. The horse ran ___________________________ the road.

4. My papers fell ____________________ my desk.

5. She sat ______________________ the fireplace.

Pronouns Practice

Underline the pronouns in the following sentences.

1. Sally, your mother needs you to call her.

2. Steve brought his own lunch because he is allergic to most foods.

3. I have strong opinions, but my sister doesn’t agree with them.

4. The amazing performance brought the crowd to its feet.

5. You can tell her because she will keep it a secret.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Friday, December 4, 2015

Followers