Idiom of the Day: Adrian had a wonderful morning with her old classmates; she walked back to work with a spring in her step. Idiom #2: Brenda was happy to work longer hours at her job, but she soon realized she had bitten off more than she could chew. Idiom #3: Something as special as this moment happens once in a blue moon. Part Two. Tricky Words You May Like To Know a lot two words I liked the painting a lot! desert sandy, dry land I saw the desert for the first time when I visited Arizona. dessert a delicious food you eat after a meal I love strawberry shortcake and strawberry sundaes, which is how I remember the SS pattern in dessert!! lead present form; to direct someone I will lead the horses into the meadow. somewhere lead an element on the periodic table The element lead has a chemical symbol of Pb, and pencils were made from it at one time. WHAT LEAD IS NOT: IT IS NOT TO BE USED AS A VERB IN THE PAST TENSE. THAT VERB WOULD BE LED! Example: The drum major led the parade. Part Three: Grammar Direct Object: A direct object is a word (usually a noun) that receives an action (a verb). Direct objects are also found in sentences in which the verb is transitive (meaning it will have a direct object that will receive this action!)! We can determine if a sentence has a direct object by first finding the verb and asking the questions what or whom after doing so, as in "The bride tossed her bouquet." Tossed is the verb. Tossed what? Her bouquet. Bouquet is the direct object! Tossed is a transitive verb! Here are some examples that may help you: a. Patrick threw the football across the field. Football is the direct object, and threw is a transitive verb! b. Linda found mail on her front steps. Mail is the direct object, and found is a transitive verb! As a bonus, can you find the prepositional phrases in sentences a and b? Underline them, please! Your Turn! Directions: Please find the direct objects in any of the following sentences (several sentences will not have one!). If the sentence does not have a direct object, please mark the verb as intransitive! Only transitive verbs have direct objects! a. Jimmy ordered pizza for supper. Direct Object? _______________________ Verb_______________________________ Is the verb transitive (it will be if there is a direct object) or intransitive (it won't be if the sentence does not have a direct object)? Check one: ___________transitive ___________ intransitive b. Neil enjoyed soup as his meal. Direct Object? ________________________ Verb ______________________________ Check one: ___________ transitive ___________ intransitive c. The police officer said, "Watch the signs and follow directions!" (Note: There are two direct objects in this sentence!) Direct Objects? ______________________________________________________ Verbs ______________________________ Check one: ___________ transitive ____________ intransitive d. Run quickly! Direct Object? _______________________________________ Verb________________________________ Check one: ___________ transitive ____________ intransitive e. Did you pick Barbara to be the director? Direct Object? __________________ Verb ______________________________ Check one: ____________ transitive ____________ intransitive f. Your paper is wonderful! Direct Object?_________________________________________________________ Verb _____________________________ Check one: ____________transitive ___________intransitive Now..... create four sentences of your own that do and do not contain direct objects! Write them in the space below. We will switch papers with others in the class, so try to print clearly:):) 1. 2. 3. 4. Part Four: Question and Answer: Answer: It is a part of speech that includes the following words: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been, have, has, had, do, does, did, shall, should, will, would, can, could, may, might, must Question: Part Five: Cause and Effect: Effect: We were able to drive all the way to New York without stopping along the way. Cause: _______________________________________________________________________ Part Six: Persuade us to agree with you using one of the following ideas. Write a quick paragraph! a. We need to have more libraries in this country. b. Every child should be able to attend school, including college, for free. c. Health care should be made available to everyone at no cost! d. It is important to visit the dentist several times a year. e. Stores should lower their prices to help people who lost their jobs during the pandemic. OR create one of your own you would like to write about (and defend!). Good luck!!
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Idiom of the Day: When Nora was born, her mom said, "She is the apple of my eye!" Idiom of the Day #2: Tom kept accusing Peter of not trying hard enough on the basketball court, but Tom was barking up the wrong tree. Note: The conjunction but is always a good place to start because it implies a shift in thinking! Next, look at the beginning of the sentence to see if its meaning is negative or positive. Depending on what you decide, see if it makes sense that the rest of the sentence is now opposite in meaning! If you still need help, look at the wording of the idiom itself, and think about its literal meaning (this is what the expression would mean if each word were believed as written). Check out specific words, such as barking (when would a dog do this?) and wrong (which implies he is not correct in his actions). Part Two. Subject/Verb Agreement: Directions: Select the correct verb that fits in each sentence. Be sure you can identify the subject, decide if it is singular (one) or plural (more than one), and choose the verb that correctly fits! Example: Most high school students who are part of the marching band (practice, practices) every day for upcoming parades and concerts. Solution: The subject is students (or even high school students, if we are considering it as one entity), so we need to be sure the verb goes with this subject only. We may also need to remove the clause who were part of the marching band from our thoughts if it gets in the way of figuring out the correct verb choice! Next, we can decide which verb works best with students. Do students practice OR do students practices? As a "loose" rule of thumb, plural nouns ending in S generally require a verb that does NOT end in S. Examples may include: dogs bark; musicians play; plants grow, etc. In our example above, the answer would be students practice. Your sentence would then read: Most high school students who are part of the marching band practice every day for upcoming parades and concerts. One more note: Because the clause "who are part of the marching band" is essential (necessary) to the sentence, we do NOT place commas around it!! Ready to try some on your own? In each sentence, you will select the correct word that is in agreement with its counterpart in the sentence! 1. Tom and Susan (has, have) tickets to the Celtics game this week. 2. Jim doesn't (know, knows) which movie to watch. 3. Where (is, are) your friends? 4. Did you see (Tims, Tim's) new car? (Note: This is an example of a possessive noun used as an adjective.) 5. The teacher (grade, grades) the papers. 6. I (am, is) waiting for you! 7. When (do, did) you leave the party last Friday night? 8. Who (is, are) your closest relative? 9. The mints (was, were) refreshing! 10. Why (didn't, don't) you tell Teresa you were working last night when you did not visit her? 11. Children often (learn, learns) kind behavior from their parents or families. 12. How many tests (has, have) you passed already? 13. Will you (take, took) more tests this week? 14. I know you will (has, have) good luck, which often accompanies hard work! 15. Did you (find, finds) your lost cat? 16. The firemen and their crew (rush, rushes) to their truck when a 911 call comes in. 17. Neither Sally nor James (know, knows) the answer! 18. Either Bill or Brian (has been, have been) chosen for the starring role in the play; we have not been told the director's decision yet! 19. Neither the man nor his kids (was, were) given permission to enter the building. 20. Ham and cheese (make, makes) a good sandwich! Here are rules that apply to certain cases of subject-verb agreement, which we saw above: a. If a sentence contains a compound subject made up of two or more plural subjects and joined by and, the verb will be plural. Example: The boys and the girls are ready for the test! b. If a sentence contains a compound subject made up of two or more singular subjects and joined by and, the verb will be plural. Example: Ned and Stefy help out a lot in class! c. If a sentence contains a compound subject made up of one singular and one plural subject, the verb will still be plural. Example: The counselor and the campers are hiking right now. In each case, the subject could be changed to they, which will help you make the correct choice! BUT... if a compound subject is joined by either or neither, there are some differences! d. If the compound subject is connected with either/or OR neither/nor, the verb is in agreement with the noun closest to the verb. Example: Either Tom or Sally is coming over to help. Example: Either Snoopy or the other dogs are being adopted today. Example: Neither Abby nor Merry is ready for lunch! Example: Neither my aunt nor her kids are coming to the picnic on Sunday. Special Note: Sometimes, the word either is left out, but the rule still applies! Example: Al or Jayson is going to get the winning basket in the next game. Example: Tony or his students are going to represent the school at the event. Part Three: Greek or Latin Roots Directions: Today's list of roots have to do with numbers. This will help you figure out various words that begin with a prefix that shows how many parts, sides, etc. are being shown. We will begin with the first two roots and continue with the rest on Wednesday. Special Note: Prefixes are placed before a word. Example: The construction workers will rebuild the steps to the public library. Re + build = to build again. Suffixes are placed after a word. Example: Alex worked hard to finish all his HiSETs. Work + ed = past tense of work; Alex already did some work! 1. Root: mono- Origin: Greek (and "uni" from Latin) Meaning: one, only, alone Example: The sound was so monotonous we wished it would end! Monotonous indicates one continuous, rather dull sound! Your Assignment: Define these words, and use each one in a sentence: monochrome, monocle, and monopoly 2. Root: di- Origin: Greek Meaning: two, twice, or double Example: In Biology class, we often have to dissect an earthworm in order to see and understand its parts. 2b: Root: bi- Origin: Greek Meaning: two Example: A bicycle has two wheels. Your Second Assignment: Define these words, and use each one in a sentence: bicentennial, biweekly, binoculars, bisect, and bifocals Part Four: Writing Since we will be working closely with the argument essay this week, it is important for us to note that the persuasive essay has many of the same components. a. One major difference is that argument writing, as any other type of argument, involves two opposing points of view. If you are arguing about something, you are disagreeing with someone else! b. In persuasive writing, there is no argument; it is just you using your own words, ideas, and opinions to convince your reader/audience that what you say should be believed or, at the very least, listened to!! c. In argument writing, we have to acknowledge someone else's point of view and provide evidence as to why the point of view we select is the better one. An effective use of such supporting details will help us to win the argument! Your Assignment: Here is a beginning sentence, which will also serve as the topic sentence of a persuasive paragraph. Please complete this paragraph using a minimum of four sentences while maintaining parallel sentence structure that includes correct verb tenses, point of view, and tone. Note: This is not an argument piece because there are no opposing viewpoints expressed! Children should not have to try out for school sports in order to take part in athletic programs. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ As always, you may choose to take a different viewpoint. if you would rather take out the word not in the above topic sentence and write a persuasive paragraph explaining why children do need to try out for sports, you may do so. Use the same sheet of paper, but please be sure to cross out the word not before continuing. I will collect these papers at the end of the period! Good Luck! And remember: If you are on a roll and would like to write more than a simple paragraph, please do so! I would love to read it!! Idiom of the Day: You could tell exactly how Trini felt; she always wore her heart on her sleeve. This means that Trini: a. had unusual taste in clothing b. liked blouses with hearts embroidered on them c. was able to express her emotions openly (and did so often) d. kept a lot of her feelings hidden Idiom of the Day #2: When Nick asked his friend John if he felt he had answered the math questions correctly on a quiz, John said, "Your guess is as good as mine." This means: a. John had no idea how well he had done on the test b. Both men guessed on their tests that day c. Guessing on questions you don't know is a good strategy d. Nick and John should study more often Grammar: Your or You're Your = possession You're = You are (contraction) Try the following! a. (You're, Your) a great friend. b. (You're, Your) cooking is delicious! c. I don't know what (you're, your) talking about! d. (You're, Your) doing well in class. e. Is that (you're, your) puppy over (there, their, they're)? Syllable Review: a. government b. house c. mine d. amusement e. Friday f. fun g. funny h. careful i. music j. unforgettable Argument/Argumentative Writing Preview: Let's create a Venn Diagram of details that compare and contrast the following the topic: Which is better--a four-day work week or a five-day remote week? Here are some ideas for what you can place in your circle:
Other topics for Argument Writing: a. Should parents ban screen time for kids? b. Should the school day start much later? Idiom of the Day:
Sam and Tom were in the break room at work, and Sam was telling Tom about a problem he was having with another employee. Before he could finish, Tom got a text and suddenly asked Sam to "cut to the chase" because he had to get back to work sooner than expected. "Cut to the chase" means: a. to work harder b. to tell a story more quickly, leaving out any unimportant details c. to use a pair of scissors more efficiently d. to run after another employee as fast as you can Idiom of the Day #2: Teresa felt sure she was getting a raise. She started ordering new clothes from Macy's as well as an expensive bag from Prada! Teresa's friend Lori began to get worried and told her, "Don't count your chickens before they hatch!" Lori means that Teresa should: a. not shop at Macy's unless they are having a sale b. not buy any more chickens because her farm was too large already c. not rely on something that has not happened yet d. ask for more money in her raise Idiom of the Day #3: Tanika did not agree with the way her friend was handling a problem. She told her, "I may be going out on a limb here, but I disagree with what you are doing. I would not do it that way because it doesn't seem like a good solution." Tanika means a. she knows her friend may not like what she is saying, but she wants to help her b. she is about to climb a tree and needs her friend to give her a lift c. she does not have time to help her friend d. she enjoys nature New Greek and Latin Roots: Root: -ology Origin: Greek Meaning: branch of knowledge; the study of Examples: biology = the study of life geology = the study of the earth psychology = the study of behavior and the mind Root: bio- Origin: Greek Meaning: life Examples: biography = life written down (Note: Remember that "graph" means written down or drawn!) autobiography = writing down your own life story Root: auto- Origin: Greek Meaning: self Examples: automatic = happening/operating by itself automation - use of technology without much help from humans Grammar Rule: Do NOT join independent clauses with a comma! Each clause can stand alone and be a sentence. They can be joined with a semi-colon, or they can each stand alone with their own periods! If you want to keep the comma, you MUST add a conjunction! Correct Example: I cannot believe how many people are at the show; I am so glad I arrived early. Correct Example: I cannot believe how many people are at the show. I am so glad I arrived early. Correct Example: I cannot believe how many people are at the show, and I am so glad I arrived early. Do NOT put a comma in place of the semi-colon or period between the two clauses above. This is called a comma splice and needs to be eliminated from your writing! Directions: Edit the following sentences that are written incorrectly. 1. Summer is on the way, I need to make plans now. 2. I have to put gas in my car, there is only 1/4 of a tank left. 3. I did not know what a comma splice was, now all my sentences will have correct placement of commas! Grammar Rule #2: Here are three homophones, which are words that sound alike but are spelled differently (and mean different things!) there = place Example: I will stand over there because it is too sunny here. their = possession Example: Is that lovely Victorian their new home? they're - contraction (they are) Example: They're on the way to the restaurant right now! Directions: Select the correct homophone in the following sentences. 1. (They're, There, Their) new baby is beautiful! 2. I have been (they're, there, their) many times, but I never noticed how close it is to the ocean until now. 3. Look at (they're, there, their) test results! They all passed (they're, there, their) HiSETs! I'll bet (they're, there, their) proud of their accomplishments! 4. (They're, There, Their) is plenty of time to pass all the tests before the school year ends! 5. I have faith in (they're, there, their) reading skills! Writing: Three Types! Get your pen, paper, or notebooks ready! 1. Using the formula for haiku, write one about the best part of spring! 2. Think of an anecdote about something that happened recently at work, at school, or out with friends. Write it down in the same conversational tone you would use if you told us verbally what had happened. If you cannot think of anything, use one of the photos from the Anecdote Packet, and create a fictional one! This should be at least one paragraph in length. 3. Persuade your boss (or your fictional boss) that you deserve a huge raise! What evidence are you going to provide that will prove you should make more money? List three reasons that explain why you are worthy of this, and include them in your essay! Rhyme Scheme: In poetry, we may sometimes need to make sense of the types of rhymes used by the poet. We can easily do this by giving the ending rhyme on each line a letter that represents that particular rhyme! This is the poem's rhyme scheme. For instance, let's look at this poem, and notice the letters shown for each line. It doesn't matter a if you splatter a splash or make a mess b swimming is enjoyable c you need not be the best! b Questions: 1. How many lines are there? 2. Which lines share the same letter? Why? 3. Why is there only one c? Your Turn: Assign a rhyme scheme to the following poem. burning toes from sandy shores he roamed the beach in search of doors from castles gone with waves unkind he still was king just in his mind Have a great night!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For Writing Workshop Morning Class Only: Anecdotes are due today! I will collect them and provide some editing ideas before giving them to you for final revisions (and final copy)! I have enjoyed hearing all of your stories so far, and I know tonight's work will be no different! Note: We will be heading to the Computer Room right after break for work on a variety of skills. If you have not completed your anecdote by then, you will be asked to bring it to the Computer Room and work on it at the same time. Remember that each type of writing we have worked on so far needs to be included in your portfolio for our final project. A Second Note: We will talk about our final project in class on Tuesday, but be aware that your writing assignments will be part of it:) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For Both Evening and Morning Writing Workshops: Welcome to Poetry! During class we will discuss the imagery, sensory details, and conciseness that goes into creating a poem. One of the best definitions I have heard that describes exactly what poetry is came from a student: "Writing comes from the heart, but poetry comes from the soul." I hope you will agree with this statement as we learn all about this wonderful art form! Part One: We will begin with understanding what a syllable is!! A syllable is that part of a word in which a vowel sound is HEARD, not seen. But then, what is a vowel? Vowels are the following letters: A, E, I, O, U AND sometimes Y or W when they sound like a, e, i, o, or u!! Here are some examples of vowel sounds: Short A cat Long A Kate (Note: Long vowel sounds say their name!) Short E pet Long E Pete (The first E only represents a vowel sound heard.) Short I in Long I I (as in "I am in class right now.") Short O off Long O no Short U up Long U union Now let's see when Y and W COULD be vowel sounds! Here are just a few examples: baby The Y sounds like an E. by The Y sounds like an I. know The W works with the vowel O to maintain a Long O sound. The OW is also known as a diphthong. row Another example of W sounding like an O. BUT...here are a few examples that demonstrate when Y and W are NOT used as vowel sounds: yarn, yard, you In these cases, the Y makes its own CONSONANT sound. It does NOT sound like one of the vowels. water, wedding The same goes for W; it does not sound like a vowel but instead makes its own consonant sound. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now it's time to look at syllables. When you HEAR a vowel sound, you are hearing a syllable. For example, in the word pop we hear the short O sound. It is the only vowel sound we hear. This means there is only one syllable in the word pop. The word pope, however, may be trickier because we can't help but notice there are two vowels shown. But remember the rule: A syllable is formed only from the vowel sounds we HEAR! We only hear a Long O in pope; we do NOT hear the E at the end. Therefore, pope also has one syllable only! There are other ways to determine syllables as well, and you can incorporate these methods into your syllable work. One way is to simply tap out the sounds you hear rhythmically (as in Jen ni fer ). You will notice in this word we only hear a short E, a short I, and another short E sound, which helps us in understanding there are three syllables in this word. You could also place your fingers under your chin as you say a word out loud. Each time your chin drops, it represents one syllable. Try it! Part Two: Let's test our skills with the following words. Please list how many syllables are in each word (and don't let the number of extra vowels you may see get in the way)! 1. jump 2. running 3. neighborhood (careful on this one!) 4. Somerville 5. Detroit 6. puppy 7. computer 8. tabletop 9. friend 10. quickly 11. Bonus: Now try your own name! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part Three: Since we understand what a syllable is, we now need to know several important vocabulary terms used in poetry. We will define some of them now and refer back to them as needed in the days ahead! I have printed the poetry section so that we can discuss everything as a class, and you can make notes (on this page especially)! I did define the last two terms here because they will be spoken about in greater detail in future types of poems we create! a. poet vs. author b. line vs. sentence c. stanza vs. paragraph d. foot e. rhyme f. stressed vs. unstressed syllables g. rhyme scheme h. e. meter This is the basic rhythmic structure of a verse or lines in a verse. Meter is comprised of a certain number of beats AND how the stressed and unstressed syllables are arranged in each line of poetry. i. verse This is technically a word used to describe what the difference is between poetry and prose because of the rhythm and pattern that can be observed. Prose, by the way, is language that is said or written in its ordinary form! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part Four: The Haiku The haiku, which is both singular and plural (as in four haiku) is an especially beautiful form of Japanese poetry once used to describe nature. Haiku consist of ONLY THREE LINES, and these lines are made up of 17 syllables that are split up as: 5 syllables on the first line 7 syllables on the second line 5 syllables on the third line This may sound simple, but it often takes much more thought and the best use of words to create haiku because of such limited space! There is no room in haiku for words that are not important, which forces us to use the most effective ones to best convey our feelings. Let's look at one written by Matsuo Basho: "The Old Pond" An old silent pond... A frog jumps into the pond, splash! Silence again. I copied this poem with the exact punctuation and capital letters the poet used. Let's look at its structure according to syllables; how punctuation is used throughout; and the poet's use of onomatopoeia, alliteration, and repetition to create a mood. Let's look at a second one by Natsume Suseki: "Over the Wintry" Over the wintry forest, winds howl in rage with no leaves to blow. Questions to think about: Why is the wind angry? What is this device called, in which you give human qualities to an inanimate (nonliving) object? Note: When a line of poetry continues onto the next line, it is called enjambment (pronounced without the B sound)! Let's try to create one of our own! I will give you a beginning line that you may use if you'd like. Just remember that each line should have the specific 5-7-5 pattern of syllables! Summer days ahead Line one of 5 syllables Line 2________________ Line two of 7 syllables Line 3 ________________ Line three of 5 syllables Did you use any literary devices in your poem? You may very well have without realizing it (which is exactly what we want!). Go back and give your poem a title! Remember that when you give your own poem a name, you do not have to put your title in quotation marks. But if I were to write about your poem on this website, because it was not one of my own poems, I would write your title within quotation marks! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part Five: Skills Board also for May 1 and May 2, 2023 Writing Workshop Classes 1. Idiom of the Day: To prepare for a test, it is a good idea to hit the books for a while! 2. Idiom of the Day #2: When John searched for a new house, he found one in which every room seemed wonderful to him. Then, when he went outdoors and discovered there was also a swimming pool in the backyard, this was the icing on the cake. 3. Literary Term Review When Judy finally realized how badly her words had hurts others, she had a(n): a. epiphany b. simile c. metaphor d. party 4. She ran like the wind is an example of a. a metaphor b. a simile c. foreshadowing d. a great athlete! 5. Dialogue should have which punctuation marks surrounding it: a. commas b. periods c. hearts d. quotation marks 6. Lilly loved lemon lollipops is an example of: a. alliteration b. a poor diet c. foreshadowing d. personification 7. At the beginning of a story, a character placed a newspaper face down on a table. By the end of the story, we discover there was an important article on the front page that would change his life. This is an example of: a. metaphor b. alliteration c. foreshadowing d. good luck Part Six: Character Review: The main character in a story is known as the protagonist. The person or force who opposes the protagonist or tries to stop him from getting what he wants is known as the antagonist. Part Seven: Question and Answer:
Part Eight: Cause and Effect: Effect: Everyone felt inspired to take HiSETS. Cause: _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Part Nine: Sequencing: Directions: Please rewrite the following sentences, which are out of order, in the best, logical way. Look for clues in each sentence, as well as transition words or phrases, which could help you decide where each sentence should go. Copy the entire paragraph on the lines below when you have made your choices. You will see an asterisk (*) where you should start ONLY your first sentence (this is your indentation). All the other sentences can continue to follow each other without special spacing! Have fun!
____________________*________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Part Ten: Please finish the story started below. Remember to maintain verb tenses and point of view while you decide which way you want your story to go! Have fun, and add at least three solid sentences! Sean could not believe his luck! He had been looking for work for over three months and had been worried he'd never find something he would enjoy.______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
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