Skills Work for Vacation Week

Directions: Try the following sections on your own! Which areas have you mastered?!

Part One.
Idiom of the Day
Directions: Read the following sentence in which a new idiom is shown in bold print. Are you able to figure out its meaning within the context of the sentence?

It was fun getting to know everyone at the business meeting by playing ice-breaking games, but the new manager finally grabbed the microphone and announced that it was time to get down to brass tacks.

Your Definition for this Idiom:


Part Two.
Grammar Challenge
Subject and Verb Agreement
Directions: In the following sentences, underline the correct verb form/tense that works best with its subject. 

Example: The owner of the three dogs (run, runs) around the block with them every morning before work.
Explanation: Since we know the main verb is either run or runs, we need to see exactly who is doing the running. In this case, we have to remove the prepositional phrase of the three dogs in order to get to the subject, which is owner. When the prepositional phrase is out of the way, we are then able to see that "The owner runs around the block . . . " 

Your Turn:

1. The chief, who owns several pancake houses, (drive, drives) to his first restaurant by 4 a.m. every weekday morning.
2. The United States flag (is, are) filled with red, white, and blue colors.
3. The kids at the playground (jump, jumps) on the swings the moment they arrive at the park.
4. Have you (read, reads) any new books during this week (so far!)?
5. (Is, Are) you enjoying the nice weather we are having today?
6. Tawana's pets, a dog and two cats, (is, are) always sitting on her side deck.
7. Tim's father, a new veterinarian in town, (hope, hopes) to help many animals in his new practice.
8. The bottle of seashells (contain, contains) memories of Jing's vacation at the beach.
9. Will Sam (run, runs) for the office of Somerville City Councilor?
10. This section of the website (is, are) the most fun of all:)

BONUS: In Sentences 1 - 10 above, please find the following:

a. an appositive (there are two possible answers!) _____________________________________________________
b. a proper noun _________________________________________________________________________________
c. a prepositional phrase __________________________________________________________________________


Part Three.
Greek or Latin Root
Root of the Day: micro-

Origin: micro- is an ancient Greek word

Meaning: small

Vocabulary words to study:  microwave, microphone, microscope (among others!)

Sentences with new vocabulary in context:

The microwave uses radiation with smaller wavelengths in order to cook food faster.

A microphone's job is to take a small voice and make it a lot louder by converting sound waves into electrical signals.

A microscope is a device that makes it easier to examine small creatures we may not be able to see using just our eyesight.

Note: The opposite (antonym) of micro- is macro-, which means large.

Your Assignment: Do you know any other words that include micro- as a prefix? If so, list them in the space below, and include their definitions. Are you able to use each one in a sentence of its own?



Part Four.
Literary Terms
Rhetorical Question

Definition: A rhetorical question is one in which you are not seeking an answer. You may just be saying something in question form to show that you are upset, excited, or in disbelief, such as the following rhetorical questions:

1. Can you believe this traffic!

2. Why is this happening to me!

3. Are you kidding me!

4. Is it really starting to snow again?!

In each case, you may not actually be waiting for an answer to confirm what you are saying is true. For instance, you may just be upset about traffic (and may even say this while driving in your car all alone!).  Read each one of the four rhetorical questions provided above carefully (and say them out loud, if you would like) to better understand this type of device. 

Note: Rhetorical questions may be followed by a question mark, an exclamation point, or even a period, in some cases. It is sometimes followed by an interrobang.

The ?! punctuation mark you see above in number 4 is actually called an interrobang because it includes both a question mark and an exclamation point. It is showing that the speaker is asking a question with excitement of some sort, just as the rhetorical questions above all do. An interrobang is informal, as are most rhetorical questions, so both can be combined effectively.

Your Writing Assignment: Select one of the four rhetorical questions shown above (in Part Four), and write a story that includes this type of literary term!

A short example could be: 

     Can you believe this traffic? I have been driving for over three hours, and it feels as though I am never going to reach Sandra's vacation home. In fact, by the time I get there, I bet it will already be nightfall, and I won't be able to see how beautiful the city of Camden looks in the middle of a winter day. In fact, Sandra told me they recently had more snow, and it's just enough to make the city have a special glow. I wouldn't want to miss this opportunity simply because I left my house ten minutes later than I should have! When will this traffic finally let up?!

Note: I added a second rhetorical question to end my paragraph. You can feel free to add any other rhetorical questions you can think of to your own writing below.

Your Turn:




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Part One.
Idiom of the Day:
Directions: What is the meaning of the idiom in bold, italic print?

Rona knew her friend was in some sort of trouble; after all, where there's smoke, there's fire.

Idiom Meaning:

Part Two.
Root of the Day:
Directions: Let's look at a Latin root--how can we extend its meaning to other words?

Root: contra/counter                          Definition: against     Examples: contradict, encounter, counter-clockwise
                                                                                                        contraband, counteract, contrary 

Sentence Samples:

I said the color of the wall was blue, and Richie said it was green. He always contradicts my statements.

When did you first encounter the man who sold you this watch?

Jim decided to have his students exchange papers in a new direction; this time, his class passed their work to a friend in a counter-clockwise motion instead.

The thief thought he would get away with hiding the contraband he had taken into the country.

You can counteract your opponent's statement in the debate with a stronger one of your own!

It is not a mild snowstorm that is heading our way; on the contrary, this one could be a blizzard!

Part Three
Grammar: 
Today's Lesson: The Clause

Directions: This grammar lesson may be a review for some, but it is good practice for us all!

A clause is a group of words that has a verb (and often its own subject) and either depends on the rest of the sentence to make sense or stands alone.

When a clause depends on another part of the sentence, the clause is said to be dependent (or subordinate).
Example: Is this the puppy that you rescued from the MSPCA?
Note: The clause that you rescued from the MSPCA is not a sentence on its own. It needs the meaning of the rest of the sentence to make sense to us.

Note: The word that is used as a conjunction.

When the clause stands alone (as a sentence does), it is referred to as an independent clause.
Example: Tanika loves to watch movies, and Kevin enjoys playing basketball.
In this sentence, we have two independent clauses. Each one could be a sentence of its own! Each one does not rely on the rest of the sentence for meaning.

Note: The word and is used as a conjunction.

Now It's Your Turn!
Directions: In each of the following sentences, one clause is in bold print. Please indicate whether this clause is dependent or independent.

1. I don't know what to do with the cans of tomatoes that arrived with dents!              Dependent        Independent
2. Do you know where Bob is, and can you lead me to him?                                             Dependent        Independent
3. Are you going to the beach in the new sports car that you just bought?                     Dependent        Independent
4. Where is Jim, and when will he be back?                                                                        Dependent        Independent
5. The children played at the park, which had  been created for their age group.          Dependent        Independent


Part Four.
Literary Term of the Day:
Couplet
Definition: A couplet is made up of two lines of poetry that usually rhyme, may contain the same amount of syllables (known as meter), and often have their very own stanza (a group of poetic lines that stands apart from the rest).

Example:  Couplets are fun and quite simple to make
                  Why not create one while cookies you bake?

Try one with this first line:  What will you do when you're snowed in at home?
                                                ____________________________________________________________

Take a moment to notice that each line of the couplets we made has ten syllables in it. A syllable is that part of a word that contains a vowel sound.

Vowels are: a, e, i, o, u and sometimes y or w when they sound like a, e, i, o, or u!! 

Example of y as a vowel:  hyphen    (The y sounds like an i.)
Example of y as a consonant: yard   (The y has its own sound.)
Examples: Maria has three syllables because I can hear each vowel! Ma   ri   a
Plain only has one syllable because we do not hear the i!                

Let's try some! Write down how many syllables each word has in the space that follows it.

1. neighbor     
2. me             
3. neighborhood
4. bicycle
5. top
6. game
7. hop
8. hope
9. family
10. scale

Hi, everyone!!
Today we will run through our daily skills, including idioms, cause and effect exercises, and so much more!! Students in class will, as always, receive a hard copy of this work to use during lesson time. If you are accessing this at home, remember to use the Writing page to send your answers (and note that it is the February 5 and 6, 2024 post). I hope you enjoy today's exercises!

Part One.
Idiom of the Day
Directions: The idiom below is typed in bold print and used within the context of a sentence. Think about the first half of the sentence as a "cause," which will help you determine what the "effect" (or the second half of the sentence) could be. 

                                       Now that Kevin was caught in a lie, it's time for him to face the music.

Your definition of this idiom:

Part Two.
Question and Answer
Directions: In this section, you are given an answer that could work with a number of different questions. Your job is to form a question of your choice! Check to see if your question works by asking it out loud and then seeing if the answer provided could be correct. 

Note: There are many possibilities!!

Answer: There are 29 of them this time.
Question: 

Part Three.
Cause and Effect
Directions: In order to understand the importance of cause and effect, I will provide a cause first, to which you will provide a possible effect. Next, I will give you the effect first, which means you have to think about what would have caused this to happen, and then you will provide the cause (you are thinking in reverse for this part!). Have fun!

1. Cause: Seventeen inches of snow covered the ground.
Effect:

2. Cause:
Effect: Janeen received the raise she had hoped for!

Part Four.
Literary Terms and Devices
Directions: The following vocabulary word is an important one to understand in reading. You will find the definition listed below, as well as two examples that demonstrate how to use this term correctly.

Literary Term: Irony/Ironic

Definition: Irony occurs in a situation or story when the opposite of what you would expect to happen occurs.

Example: Regina was a wonderful cook, but she never ate her own food.

Example: Tim did not like cold weather, yet he trained for years to take part in ski championships.

Example: The elevator repairman spent hours fixing the elevator, yet when it was time to leave the building, he walked up the stairs instead.

Can you think of any more examples of irony? Have you ever watched a movie or read a book in which something ironic happened?

Part Five.
Grammar
Directions: Today's grammar exercise is about subject and verb agreement. This means that you have to look at the subject, or doer of the main action in a sentence, and be sure that the main verb works correctly with it. A singular subject, for instance, would need a singular verb; a plural subject would need a plural verb.

Subject-verb agreement exercises could include deciding whether the verb should be in the present, future, or past tense, depending on the context of the sentence!

Note: Singular means one, while plural means more than one!

1. Mrs. Pierre, the owner of several car dealerships, (walk, walks) to work every day.

2. The mall, located in the middle of two busy intersections, (was, were) filled with shoppers almost every day.

3. The mayor of our city (announce, announced) a new plan for a town playground.

4. Canobie Lake Park, an amusement center in Salem, New Hampshire, (have, has) many rides for people of all ages.

5. Trophies for all sports (was, were) displayed in the school lobby.

6. I (am, is) so happy you are in my class!

7. The pets at the veterinary office (are, is) so adorable!

8. Have you (saw, seen) my jacket?

9. What time will you (be, are) leaving class today?

10. The weather for the next few days (seem, seems) to be warmer, according to this morning's forecast.

Now:

In the sentences above, please find the following:

1. An appositive (there are two!):

2. An example of irony:

3. An example of a prepositional phrase:

4. A word that represents a doctor who specializes in the care of pets:

5. A proper noun:


Part Six.
Fact or Opinion
Directions: The following statements are either facts (which means they can be proved), or they are opinions (which means they are someone's point of view). Please select the correct choice for each one.

1. Sami is taller than Steve.                      Fact     Opinion
2. Hawaii is the most beautiful state.      Fact     Opinion
3. Everyone should always comply when asked to complete a task.     Fact     Opinion
4. That statue was built in 1922.               Fact     Opinion
5. Scott Hamilton is the best ice skater in the history of the sport.        Fact     Opinion

Part Seven.
True or False (using several words from last week's vocabulary lesson!)
Directions: Read each sentence below, and decide if it is true or false based on what you have learned about the vocabulary words that have been included. Write true or false in the space after each sentence.

1. If you are compelled to follow a traffic signal, you have to do it or risk receiving a fine. 
2. When I acknowledge that I have made a mistake, I deny it.
3. A drastic change in a hairstyle will often not be noticed by others.
4. If you wish to avert driving in the snow, it would be a good idea to take public transportation instead.
5. A candid remark can be upsetting because you know the person who said this is being honest with you.
6. When you have an alternative, there is only one thing you can choose to do.

Part Eight.
Writing
Directions: Begin a new argument essay!! Yes, you read that correctly--we will be starting a new five-paragraph essay this week, with the goal of finishing it by Friday, and a plan of completing two paragraphs per day.

To this end, you will be receiving an additional handout that contains a template, which is an outline I have created for you in order to guide you in writing each of the five paragraphs. The template demonstrates in detail how an effective essay is formed, and it will also show how such an essay should look.

We will also talk about the setup we need to have on every paper . . . even our rough drafts! This means that every paper will have an actual heading, which I will demonstrate for you in class. We always want our words to be clear and concise, and we want our papers to be neat and clean. Doing both will allow your readers to know exactly what you are trying to say in the most effective way possible!

Step One: Here are some possible topics for the new essay we will begin. Choose the one you feel most strongly about. You may also create your own topic, but you must do it right away, since we will begin the writing process after reading the second handout! I also need to see it first to be sure it is debatable! Argument writing is similar to a discussion you would have with someone else; you would each have a point of view, and you would each try to prove your opinion is better! 

Possible Topics:

• Tax reductions would be beneficial to most Americans.
• Schools should close for the entire month of January.
• If you are thinking about buying a dog, adopting one from your local shelter is definitely the way to go.
• Using public transportation is more efficient than driving a car.
• All workplaces should open for only four days per week.
• College should be free for all prospective students.
• Students whose first language is not English should be allowed more time while taking tests.
• No students should have to pass an entrance exam for high school.
• Everyone should be fluent in two languages.
• When you purchase or rent a condominium, the condo fee that is included should be a fixed amount that cannot be raised.
• If parents need day care for their children, employers should pay for at least half of this cost.
• Learning how to handle your own finances should be taught as a school subject!

As you can see from the topics above, each is an opinion that you can agree or disagree with. This means it is debatable and is an effective topic to use in your essay.

My topic choice is: 

















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