2nd hour’s assignment- due November 20 “The Dreadful Punishment”

Write three paragraphs retelling the story of The Dreadful Punishment using the new Story Sequence Chart structure.

In order to come up with the “stuff” to write the paragraph, you will need to ask your brain questions.  Refer to the notes on The Story Sequence Chart (filed under “Structural Models” )to help generate ideas.

Monday: re-read The Dreadful Punishment and complete your KWO.

Tuesday: Using only your KWO, retell your story out loud and to another person.  Brainstorm for dress-ups.

Wednesday: write your rough draft and turn it in to your editor.

Thursday: using your editor’s corrections, write in ink or type your final draft.

1st Hour’s assignment- due November 20th “The Exodus”

Write three paragraphs retelling the story of The Exodus using the new Story Sequence Chart structure.

In order to come up with the “stuff” to write the paragraph, you will need to ask your brain questions.  Refer to the notes on The Story Sequence Chart (filed under “Structural Models” )to help generate ideas.

Monday: re-read The Exodus and complete your KWO.

Tuesday: Using only your KWO, retell your story out loud and to another person.  Brainstorm for dress-ups.

Wednesday: write your rough draft and turn it in to your editor.

Thursday: using your editor’s corrections, write in ink or type up your final draft.

November 13, 2009- Unit III- The Story Sequence Chart

This outline format is different from the ones you have learned so far.  In Units I & II you took notes for each sentence in the source text, and in Unit IV you took notes from facts.  In Unit III, you will use The Story Sequence Chart to ask yourself questions about the story.  Put the answers in a three paragraph outline format.

Section I introduces the reader to the main characters and setting. Stories usually begin by introducing their readers to the time and place of the story.  This is called the setting. Also at their beginnings, stories must introduce their readers to the main people (or animals) of the story- the characters.

Section II contains the conflict and plot. For a story to be interesting, it must move into the next crucial element – the conflict. This is the problem, want or need of the main character(s).  Stories without some sort of problem to overcome, or need to be met, are not very interesting.  Most of the action of the story is simply how the conflict is dealt with- what the characters do, say, think or feel with respect to the conflict.  This is the plot.

Section III concludes with the climax, resolution and theme and this is usually the most interesting part of the story.  If there is a conflict or a problem, there must be a way to solve it!  We call the event that leads to the problem being solved the climax.  Then come the results.  The resolution shows what happens after the climax.  By the end of the story, the characters and the reader have learned a lesson.  What is the last line of a fable always named?  Yes, the moral.  Another word for moral is the theme of the story.

Here is the chart about the sequence of stories:

The Story Sequence Chart

I.

Who is in the story?

What are they like?

Where did they live, go?

When did they live?

What was their situation?

II.

What was the problem?

-happened?

-did they think?

-did they say?

-did they do?
III.

Climax

How was the problem solved?

What was the moral or message?
*Title Repeats Key Words of Last Sentence

2nd hour’s assignment- due November 13th “Family Ties”

Write one paragraph telling about the family life of the Brothers Grimm.

Monday: make a KWO from 3-5 facts that you find interesting from the text.

Tuesday: retell from your KWO, out loud and to another person; brainstorm for dress ups.  Note: Since I was out on Friday, we did not introduce the new www.asia dress up, so just skip that part on the check list.  You should, however, continue practicing saying them out loud as we will pick up there this Friday.

Wednesday: write your rough draft and turn it in to your editor.

Thursday: using your editor’s corrections, write in ink or type up your final draft.

1st hour’s assignment- due November 13th “Stonehenge”

Write one paragraph summary based on “Stonehenge (Lesson 10 from Mystery of History)”

Monday: re-read the source text and select the 5-7 facts that you find most interesting.  Using these facts, create a KWO.  Remember that the first line must be your Topic Sentence which will tell your reader what it is you are about to tell them. Your last line must be your final clincher, which must restate or reflect 2-3 key words from your topic sentence.  The final clincher will tell your reader what you told them!

Tuesday: using only your KWO, summarize your notes out loud and to another person.  Brainstorm for dress-ups.

Wednesday: write a rough draft and turn it in to your editor.

Thursday: using your editor’s corrections, write in ink or type up your final draft.

November 6th- 1st Hour- The Who/Which Clause

The 1st hour class added The who/which clause to their Stylistic Techniques chart and Composition Checklist.

Who is ready to use an adjectival clause??  Who knows what an adjectival clause is?!  It is a group of words that describes or adds details to a noun, but don’t worry . . . . you don’t need to say “adjectival clause” to use one!  We will refer to these as the who/which clause and details about them can be found in section “Style Charts” or “Stylistic Techniques” in the binder.

We worked out several examples in class from the fable of the tortoise and the hare.  Here are a few:

The tortoise, who was annoyed from the hare’s teasing, offer to race him.

The hare, who had taken a quick lead, decided to take a nap.

The hare, who woke with a start, hurried to the finish line only to find that the tortoise had already finished the race.

For more practice, simply throw out a noun and ask your student to tell you something about it and turn it in to a who/which clause.

The ground today . . . .          Our dog . . .         My best friend Joe . . . .         This pizza . . . .        Spiderman . . . .

Do a few verbally and then have your student write them down to get the hang of it.

A few words on the who/which clause . . .

*  You only need to use “who” or “which.”  Using both in a sentence, which would be quite frustrating, is not necessary.

*  We generally use “who” to refer to people or inanimate objects which have been personified.  The hare from our fable, who has been personified, is an example.

*  We can use “which” for inanimate objects, which are not taking on the characteristics of people.

2nd hour’s assignment- due October 30th

Write one paragraph about “Aesop-Mixed Up.”  Although your method for taking notes has changed, your dress-ups have not.  You must still include one of each and underline it.

Monday: re-read the source text and select the 5-7 facts that you find most interesting.  Using these facts, create a KWO.  Remember that the first line must be your Topic Sentence which will tell your reader what it is you are about to tell them. Your last line must be your final clincher, which must restate or reflect 2-3 key words from your topic sentence.  The final clincher will tell your reader what you told them!

Tuesday: using only your KWO, summarize your notes out loud and to another person.  Brainstorm for dress-ups.  Our rules for dress-ups have not changed, only our method of note taking.

Wednesday: write your rough draft and turn it in to your editor.

Thursday: using your editor’s corrections, write in ink or type up your final draft.

1st hour’s assignment- due October 30th

Write one paragraph about “Pyramids.”  Although your method for taking notes has changed, your dress-ups have not.  You must still include one of each and underline or indicate it by number in the left margin.  Also, be sure to include your newest sentence opener: the #2 prepositional opener.

Monday: re-read the source text and select the 5-7 facts that you find most interesting.  Using these facts, create a KWO.  Remember that the first line must be your Topic Sentence which will tell your reader what it is you are about to tell them. Your last line must be your final clincher, which must restate or reflect 2-3 key words from your topic sentence.  The final clincher will tell your reader what you told them!

Tuesday: using only your KWO, summarize your notes out loud and to another person.  Brainstorm for dress-ups.  Our rules for dress-ups have not changed, only our method of note taking.

Wednesday: write your rough draft and turn it in to your editor.

Thursday: using your editor’s corrections, write in ink or type up your final draft.

October 23, 2009 (1st hour) Prepositional Openers

Joining our list of Stylistic Techniques is sentence opener #2:  the prepositional opener. A #2 sentence is simply one that begins with a prepositional phrase.  I listed some prepositions on the board to help them get started and this sheet should be filed under “Stylistic Techniques,” or “Style Charts.”

Here are some examples:

In ancient mythology, sphinxes are creatures with the body of a lion and the head of a person, falcon or ram.

Over the years, parts of the Sphinx have been worn down by sand and wind.

According to legend, anyone who disturbs a pharaoh’s tomb is under a curse.

Prepositional phrases of four or more words should be followed by a comma.  For shorter phrases, a comma is optional but recommended.

Write 2 in the left margin to indicate a prepositional opener.

October 23, 2009-(1st & 2nd Hour) Unit IV- Taking Notes from a Reference

The Structural Model and some notes on Unit IV:

Unit IV:  Summarizing a Reference

I.  Topic Sentence

1.  Fact

2.  Fact

3.  Fact

4.  Fact

5.  Fact

Final Clincher  (The Clincher must repeat or reflect 2 or 3 of the key words from the Topic Sentence.)

Unit IV  provides a model for summarizing a reference.  You will use only one source to summarize one or more topics and the number of topics will dictate the number of paragraphs.

So far, you have taken notes from sentences, taking one line of notes for every one sentence in the assigned paragraph.  For Unit IV, however, you will take notes from facts.  Which facts?  The ones that you find interesting. Choose at least 5 facts and no more than 7.   What about all of the other information in the paragraph?  Ignore it! You cannot possible say everything that there is to say on a topic, so you must learn to choose which parts you will summarize and ignore the rest.

The Topic Sentence

How will you put all those interesting facts together?  Read over the facts you have selected and figure out what they have in common.  Write a Topic Sentence to let your reader know what the paragraph will be about.  Do not say, “I am going to tell you about pyramids,”  or “This is a report about pyramids.”  Do say:  “Pyramids are on the list of the Seven Wonders of the World.”

The next 5-7 sentences will tell your reader the 5-7 things about pyramids that you find interesting.

The Final Clincher

The clincher must repeat/reflect 2-3 key words from the topic sentence. Be sure to return to the topic with your final clincher to remind your reader of what you were telling them.