March 16, 2023 Skills Board (continued on March 17!)

Good Morning, Everyone!
Since we are attending the Community Meeting right after break today, the Skills Board will be studied for slightly less time than usual. Whatever is not covered today will be worked on tomorrow, with essay writing and an introduction to graphs as our focal points this morning. Most importantly, we want to be sure you have passed in at least one of your essays by the end of this week. We will be moving on to argument writing, and this section needs to be completed before then. I have loved all the essays I have seen so far, so thank you for working so hard!

1. Idiom of the Day:
It was raining cats and dogs, so I had my hood on and an umbrella up!
Note: The conjunction "so" indicates that because something happened in the beginning of this sentence, something else will happen next. It is just like the cause and effect sentences we have been studying!

2. Greek and Latin Roots:
Root: am-, amic-
Meaning: friend
Origin: from the Latin word, amicus
Examples: amiable, amicable, amity
amiable = having a friendly and pleasant manner
amicable = without serious disagreement; having a spirit of friendliness
amity = a friendly relationship; a feeling of being welcome 

Possible Sentences:
He is a sweet, amiable man.
I hope they will reach an amicable agreement.
People who share amity are comfortable with each other.

Take a moment to write a sentence that uses one of the above three words and shows you understand its meaning!

3. Grammar Study:
The Clause
Definition: A clause is a group of words that typically contains a subject and a predicate of its own. This is what makes it different from a phrase, which does NOT contain a verb.

Here is a phrase, which differs from a clause: Emilio cut hair in his famous salon.
Note: The prepositional phrase in bold print does not contain a verb and is actually an adverb phrase of place (because it tells where Emilio cuts hair!). It also does not contain a conjunction.

Now for the clause!

A clause can be independent or dependent. 

An independent clause can stand on its own, just as a sentence does. In fact, a sentence IS an independent clause!
Example: The kids went to the beach all day, and they later went on rides at the park.
Notice that the clauses before and after the conjunction and could stand alone as sentences.

A dependent clause provides more information in the sentence, but it cannot stand on its own! It depends on the other clause in the sentence to be fully understood. Dependent clauses are also known as subordinate clauses.

Example: There were a lot of great books in the library that would help us in our research projects.
Notice that the conjunction that leads to a dependent clause, which does not make sense on its own. It does, however, provide us with more information, and it creates a more effective sentence!

Please identify the type of clause in each sentence below. The conjunction is shown in bold print, and the clause we are identifying is typed in italics. Is each one an independent or a dependent clause?

a. Sue went shopping for shoes, but she decided to buy a new bag instead.
b. Tom threw the football quite well, yet Sammy did not catch it.
c. I went to a library that was filled with so many great books!
d. The dog would bark whenever someone walked by.
e. Jayson scored many points, so he was named player of the game.
f. While he was buying groceries, Carlos saw an old friend.

Note: Sometimes a clause can begin a sentence, and the conjunction can precede it. This type of sentence may also work if you flip it around and place that clause second, but the comma would then be removed, such as:
     Carlos saw an old friend while he was buying groceries.

4. Literary Device: Alliteration
Alliteration occurs when the same sound starts several words.
An example is included right in the definition of this literary term! It is important to note that it is not just the letter that is repeated; it is the sound itself.

Let's look at another example in which the letters are not the same, yet the sounds are. Alliteration is shown in bold print:

Sam studied Psychology at Cedar High.

What did you notice in the sentence above?

Can you find several forms of alliteration in these lines of poetry:

Our friendship, folded like a secret note in the fray of my pocket
Our promises, past and present, now forgotten for good

Bonus Question: The use of repetition is also used in these lines. Can you identify what it is?

While alliteration is used often in poetry and music, it is also used in essays and creative writing because it sounds pleasant to the ear! 

4a. Please note: Tomorrow, I will add our usual Q & A, cause and effect, fact and opinion, and review of skills to this board. 

5. Writing!
We will finish our work on expository writing this week, with final copies of your work added to your folder by Tuesday. For those of you who have not yet finished the first draft of a five-paragraph essay, here are some additional topic sentences you can use to start a new piece of writing. The outline will be the same as what we have done for the past few classes. Please feel free to look back at previous Skills pages for assistance!

Possible Topic Sentences:

a. Studying Social Studies involves learning about people, cultures, and geographical features of a certain place.
b. Chess is a game of logic, patience, and skill.
c. Learning a new language keeps your brain working to full capacity.
d. Finding a job in the current economy can be accomplished if you follow some simple steps.

You may also write a news story, a book review, or an article on any topic, being sure to have five solid paragraphs (with a strong topic sentence in each one). The number of sentences in each paragraph can vary, but using the common five-sentence structure may be best for test-taking purposes! Your last paragraph can veer from this a bit (because it needs to make an impact on the reader), but I would not write fewer than three sentences in this case!

Also remember -- the expository essay should be filled with facts!

Happy Writing -- Enjoy the Process! 

March 17, 2023 Continued!

Question and Answer:
Answer: This is a holiday symbolized by shamrocks, leprechauns, and the color green!
Question: ________________________________________________________________

Fact or Opinion:
a. John is a trained swimmer who has earned four awards for diving and three medals for the backstroke.
b. Cynthia has the most beautiful house I have ever seen!
c. Thomas plays the alto saxophone.
d. Jared has a difficult job.
e. Liz thinks winter is the best time of year because she prefers cold weather to hot!
f. Tacos are so delicious!

Clause Practice:
Can you identify the conjunction and the types of clauses in each sentence? Is each one dependent or independent? Remember, a dependent clause relies on the rest of the sentence to make complete sense.
a. Shari worked all day at the nursing home, and she spent all evening asleep on the couch.
b. Joe is someone who has been my closest friend for many years.
c. Sal and Gina hiked up the mountain so they could see a view of the entire city at dawn.
d. If you are able to go, let me know as soon as possible.
e. We spent many happy days at a vacation chalet that sat on the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee.

Cause and Effect:
Effect: The house was warmer than usual.
Cause: _______________________________

Phrases: Can you find phrases in the sentences below? Remember that phrases do not contain verbs.
Note: Some sentences have more than one phrase!
Are you also able to identify the preposition that begins each phrase?
a. Did you buy that dress at Macy's?
b. The traffic in Boston seems endless!
c. We ate in a restaurant by the ocean.
d. The guests arrived at the party in limos.

Bonus: The next sentence has four phrases that begin with prepositions. It also has two clauses that are connected with a conjunction! Can you identify all of them?
e. Marcia took lots of pictures at the wedding, and she put the beautiful photos in an album for the bride.

Root Review:
a. If a couple decides to separate, chances are they were living in perfect amity. (True, False)
b. An example of an amiable person would be:
     1. one who is grouchy in the morning
     2. one who tries to find enjoyment in everything
     3. one who has several pets
c. If someone has an amicable relationship with their landlord, they:
     1. are late paying their rent every month
     2. will often play loud music late at night and have dance parties that keep everyone awake
     3. follow the rules and give a cheery hello when they see him