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Our New Summer Class!

6/30/2024

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I am so excited to be working with you for five weeks this summer! It will give us a good opportunity to review many of the skills we learned throughout the year, as well as to study areas that are new to us. Since today is the first day of our new class, it will be important to assess which skills need the most work. To this end, you will find a short pretest for you to try out! Do not worry if you are unfamiliar with any of the areas--the purpose is to help me map out the material we will study during these next five weeks! Have fun!

Part One.
Grammar
Directions:
In the following sentences, please answer the questions asked!
1. Even though it is raining, I will be heading to the beach today. 
The subject of this sentence is:

2. I am so happy you are in my class!
The subject of this sentence is:

3. Wow! This is fabulous is an (exclamatory, interrogative) sentence. (Please select one answer.)

4. While I am at school         
The above is an example of a complete sentence.   True     False

5. In the morning, Jill likes to have a cup of coffee to start her day.
In the above sentence, "In the morning" is a (prepositional phrase, clause).

6. The coats belong to the girls; they are the girls' coats.
In the above sentence, girls' is used correctly.   True     False

7. Tom, the owner of all the sports stores, (is, are) a successful businessman.
Second Question: Can you name the appositive in the above sentence?

8. Will you please answer these questions?
The above sentence has correct punctuation.   True   False

9. Here is what I'm thinking: we should meet right after the game.
The above sentence has correct punctuation.    True    False

10. Sam has visited Boston, Massachusetts, Trenton, New Jersey, Providence, Rhode Island, and Portland, Maine.
The above sentence has correct punctuation.    True     False

Part Two.
Idiom of the Day

While waiting an hour for the train, Jane wondered yet again when her ship would come in.
The idiom, which is a twist in language, actually means:

Part Three.
Cause and Effect

Before Sami had a successful concert, she practiced the piano three hours a day.
Name the cause:

Part Four.
Writing

Use the following story starter as a jump start for a story you will write. Please continue the story using the same verb tenses, parallel sentence structure, and point of view. Enjoy!

It was a hot, summer evening when Manny made a major decision. It happened as he drove his car down Route 495 toward the home he had only lived in for five months. The closer Manny got to his home, the more nervous he became. His wife Sylvia was not going to be happy at all with what he was about to tell her.




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The Ultimate Review!

6/3/2024

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                                                             The Ultimate Review

This is a review of some of the many skills we have covered during the past school year!! Each of the sections below will have a separate set of directions for you to follow, but we will complete much of this work as a class. Look for partner activities, independent writing exercises, and class discussions along the way. We may also complete part of a section and return to it later (as time permits). As always, don't forget to enjoy the process!!

Part One
Idioms of the Year
Directions: We have covered many idioms throughout this school year, so you can be sure every idiom will not be included here! But my hope is that you will remember the ones I did select, and you will make the best choices for the questions below! Have fun!


1. I like to think that we are "all in the same boat" as we reach our goals at SCALE.
This means:
a. We need to be sure there are enough life jackets on hand.
b. We are all connected by our common learning goals.
c. We need to be sure the sea is calm before we take a trip together.


2. My friend Raquel is always considerate when it comes to others. In fact, if I need her, she will be here to help "at the drop of a hat."
This means:
a. Raquel will come over as fast as she can.
b. Raquel will drop her hat before coming to help me.
c. Raquel will not be able to help me right away.

3. When Sean learned that his friend Tom had been talking about him behind his back, Sean decided this was "the last straw," and their friendship ended.
This means:
a. Sean was tired of giving Tom straws for all his beverages.
b. Sean had been unhappy with many things Tom had done during their friendship, and this last problem caused Sean to finally stop being Tom's friend.
c. Sean would give Tom another chance at being trustworthy.

4. Wanda spent two hours on her project but was not happy with her so results, so just like that, she was "back to square one."
This means:
a. Wanda went shopping at the Square One Mall.
b. Wanda had to start the project all over again.
c. Wanda was finally finished with the project.


Part Two
Our Favorite Greek and Latin Roots
Directions: Each word in quotation marks that is used in the sentences below has been formed from a root we have studied. Let's see how many words we can now decipher! Please write down what you think the word in quotation marks means.
a. It is "beneficial" for you to read every single day, even if it is only for fifteen minutes!!
This means:
b. Some people would rather read an "autobiography" rather than a biography. 
This is because __________________________________________________________________. 
c. Some people are visual learners, while others prefer "auditory" methods.
"Auditory" pertains to ___________________________.
d. We use a "microscope" to view things that the human eye cannot see.
The root "micro" means:
e. The newspaper is produced "biweekly."
In this usage, "biweekly" could have two meanings, which are:


Part Three
Literary Extravaganza
Directions: Use the word bank below to fill in the blanks with some of the many literary terms we have learned this year. 


alliteration                            simile                           anecdote                       epiphany
personification                      metaphor                     climax                           hyperbole
onomatopoeia                        idiom                            dialogue                       rhetorical
irony/ironic                            analogy                        foreshadowing             conflict


a. When the same sound starts several words, we are using ________________________.
b. When we ask a question that does not require an answer, such as when we say, "Can you believe the traffic today," we are using a _______________________ question.
c. "He is a fish" is an example of a ______________________. It is a direct comparison between the qualities of two items.

d. An _____________________________ is a short story we tell in order to connect to someone, such as when we talk about an incident that occurred on our way to school, or when we mention a funny situation that happened in our past. 
e. "Splash!" "Swish!" "Buzz!" These are all examples of ____________________________, which is when a word sounds just like its action.
f. When an author drops hints at the beginning of a story regarding what may happen later on, he is using _________________________________. 
g. A deliberate exaggeration, such as "It took forever for Simone to finally answer my text," is known as ___________________________________.
h. The words that a character says in a story, which are enclosed in quotation marks, are known as _______________________________.
i. A sudden realization or a moment of unexpected understanding in which a person or a character looks at a situation and decides something that will change the way they think from that point on is an example of an ________________.
j. If you say that someone is "as sweet as sugar," you are using a _______________________.
k. An elevator repairman works hard to fix an elevator, yet when he is ready to go home, he decides to use the stairs instead. This is an example of ________________________ because it is the opposite of what we expect would happen.
l. If we allow an inanimate object to take on human qualities, such as saying "the lamplight winked at me," we are using ________________________________.
m. An _________________________ is a twist of language. It is figurative (meaning we have to "figure it out") rather than literal (meaning "just as it seems").

n. Every fictional story has to have a problem, known as its ______________________. 
o. The highest point of action in a story, which is the part in which we actually hold our breath as we wait to see what will happen next, is called the ______________________________.
p. A comparison between two things that then allows us to figure out what the relationship between two more things will be, is known as an ____________________. An example could be: toe : foot :: finger : _____________. We can figure out the last word because we realize that a toe "is part of" a foot, so a finger must be "part of" a ______________________.


Now it's time for a fun partner activity in which we ask each other grammar questions! You will be given index cards to use, but do not have your partner look at the back of your card (for that is where the answers are)! We will take about five minutes for this activity, and if you finish earlier than that, you can trade your cards for another group's cards. Enjoy!

Part Four
Question and Answer
Directions: I will give you the answer, and you will provide a possible question. Remember that any question is fine as long as the answer works with it!!


Answer: It is my favorite part of summer.
Question:

Part Five
Cause and Effect
Directions: Today, we will also do this activity in reverse. I will give you the effect, and you will think of a possible cause!


Cause:
Effect: Julio felt confident he would do well on his HiSETs!


Part Six:
Correct or Incorrect
Directions: For more grammar practice, please read the following sentences, and decide if the word or punctuation mark in parentheses has been used properly!
a. (Colon) Here is what I am thinking: we should have dinner before heading over to the theater.
Correct                      Incorrect
b. (Semicolon) We visited Boston, Massachusetts; Tampa, Florida; and Sacramento, California.
Correct                      Incorrect
c. (Its)  Its a lovely day today.
Correct                      Incorrect
d. (Lay) Please lay the book on the table before you leave the room.
Correct                      Incorrect
e. (Laid) I laid down all afternoon.
Correct                      Incorrect
f. (Whoever) Whoever joins this group will enjoy it!
Correct                      Incorrect
g. (Whom) Whom did you call for your car repair? (Note: Remember to answer the question with a pronoun as your answer to decide whether "whom" or "who" would work better!)
Correct                      Incorrect
h. (Myself) Tom and myself are going to the basketball game tonight.
Correct                      Incorrect
i. (It's) I cannot believe it's almost the end of the school year!
Correct                     Incorrect
j. (Comma) I went to the beach, I couldn't believe how hot it was.
Correct                     Incorrect
k. (Comma) In the middle of the night, I heard the phone ring.
Correct                     Incorrect
l. (Whomever) You can give the award to whomever you wish!
Correct                     Incorrect

 
Part Seven
Writing
Directions: Please complete the following story remembering to use parallel sentence structure, the same point of view, and correct verb tenses. I would love to see at least five solid sentences or more added to give this story an interesting ending! Have fun!!


      It started out as a typical day at the restaurant. Hannah had worked at The Beacon Delight for five years now, and she enjoyed both her job as a waitress and the customers she served. But on this particular Monday in June, something did not seem right. There was a strange feeling in the air, and Hannah thought it was just her imagination until ______________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________


There is an added bonus if you used a semicolon or a colon within your story!!! 





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