This Week's Agenda

Sentence Composing Study Guide - Quiz #04

To help you study for Monday's quiz, here is an advanced look:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_i4DDlfmOFia2VGY2NzUTBIc2s

Weekend Homework Reminder

- Read Chapter 8 of The Outsiders

- Review Sentences #031 - #40 for Monday's Sentence Composing Quiz

- Complete homework for Independent Reading HMH Collections on page 242, answering the question on the handout. 

Preparedness Intervention Plan

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting to get different results."
   -- Unknown

Preparedness matters!

Adults who stumble through life from job to job, meeting to meeting, and from life event to life event without being prepared end up in a state of perpetual chaos and frustration.  It's dysfunctional and demonstrates a lack of professionalism.

But at the same time, we all make mistakes.  Many students are at different cognitive stages of developing their own ability to plan ahead and act independently.

In an effort to help students develop this necessary life skill and to be prepared for high school, students who have experienced a pattern of problems with being prepared may optionally create their own Self-Designed Preparedness Intervention Support Plan.

This form may be filled out and signed by a parent or guardian, resulting in extra credit for any student who struggles with being prepared for class.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_i4DDlfmOFiUkcyQ0ZSZUR3X1E/view?usp=sharing

The extra credit will not fully replace the deduction from their preparedness grade, but, if acted upon, this plan should stem future losses.

Remember:  the plan only works if you use it!

Extra Credit Opportunities

Beyond promoting the safety and comfort of our community of learners by offering extra credit for bringing in tissue or hand-sanitizer, there is another option for extra credit.

In an effort to encourage students to synthesize their knowledge from the classroom into the real world, students may gain 5 extra credit points if they turn in a print out (hard copy) of a simple sentence or a compound sentence that they identified in their own personal choice novel or The Outsiders.

Just like in class, they would need to underline the subject(s) and put brackets [ ] or circle around the predicate(s).

They also need to include the name of the author, the page number, and the title of the novel.

For example:

"The idea of cutting and sewing the dress by herself [was] novel and exciting."

                      - Elizabeth George Speare, The Witch of Blackbird Pond  (page 21)

This Week's Agenda

IMPORTANT DEADLINE

Parents --

Just a very important reminder that tomorrow (Tuesday, 10/17) is the last day we will be accepting permission slips and cash or checks for your child's attendance of THE OUTSIDERS play at Lawrence Tech on November 2nd.

If you haven't already, please get those signed forms and payment in tomorrow before it's too late.

"Stay gold, Ponyboy!"

Approaching Deadlines Reminder

Monday, 10/16/17 - Sentence Composing Quiz on sentences #021-#030 (listed further down in the blog).

Monday 10/16/17 - HMH Collections Independent Reading questions #2 and #3 pg. 244

Tuesday, 10/17/17 - LAST DAY to turn in The Outsiders field trip / play permission slips and payment.  Don't get left behind on the coolest field trip of the year.

Monday, 10/23/17 - Quizlet Poetry and Figurative Language Terms quiz (listed further down on the blog)

This Week's Agenda

Next Quizlet = Poetry and Figurative Language Terms

The quiz is tentatively scheduled for Monday, 10/23/17.

The following links will help students learn and study for our next vocabulary quiz:  Poetry and Figurative Language Terms.

With pictures
https://quizlet.com/_fiewy

Without pictures
https://quizlet.com/_up34d

Sentence Composing Quiz #03

For study purposes, this is the exact quiz that will be given on Monday 10/16/17

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_i4DDlfmOFiM1ZJQXVNRTBoOWM

Independent Reading Answer pg. 244, #1

Analyzing the Text pg. 244

Cite Text Evidence.  Support your responses with evidence from the text.

QUESTION 1

EVALUATE.  In “What the Brain Says about Maturity,” what is the main reason the author gives to support his claim?

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY:  Claim, Reason 

ANSWER 1

Steinberg’s position is that there is not one particular age at which a minor becomes an adult; the main reason he gives is that brain science shows that different parts of the brain mature at different times.

Mini-Lesson

"Reasons" vs. "Reasoning"

In C.E.R.S. "Reasoning" is explaining the Evidence and how to proves the Claim.  It may include paraphrasing the evidence in your own words, connecting the dots between the ideas for the reader, or using logic to explain how the Evidence supports the Claim and why.

For example, if a claim was that Crest Toothpaste is the best brand, some evidence might be a study that says that 4 out of 5 dentists recommend Crest.  Reasoning would then explain what that fact means:  how the research was done, why most dentists make this choice, and why dentists are the experts for choosing toothpaste.

In other writing, such as this informational text, a "Reason" is an explanation for the claim -- sort of like an excuse.  For example, if a claim was that peanut butter is the best lunch food for sandwiches, one reason might be because it stores at room temperature unlike meat.  Another reason might be that it both vegetarians and omnivores can enjoy peanut butter.  

In "Reasoning" you are explaining evidence to support a claim.  With "Reasons" you are ticking off reasons why without explaining evidence.

This Week's Agenda

Deadlines and Schedule for Next Week

Next week's normal schedule will be disrupted by NWEA testing.  Here is what we'll be doing tentatively:

MONDAY - The Outsiders SAT Vocabulary quiz

TUESDAY - NWEA Testing - Reading

WEDNESDAY - NWEA Testing - Reading

THURSDAY - Independent Reading Homework Review Collections pg. 244 #2

FRIDAY - Flex Friday

*Also a reminder:  permissions slips and payment for attending The Outsiders play are due on Tuesday 10/17.  Please get those in as soon as possible.

Independent Reading Homework Review

This resource is from our white board where we discussed finding the Claim and Reasons within an informational text that doesn't strictly follow the C.E.R.S. pattern.

Simple Sentences with Compound Subject or Compound Predicates

Here are the notes from today's discussion:

The lion [slept] tonight.

       >>> Simple Sentence, 1 sub, 1 pred, 1 clause

The lion [slept] and [snored].

       >>> Simple Sentence, 1 Sub, Compound Pred, 1 clause

The lion and the owl [slept].

       >>> Simple Sentence, Compound Sub, 1 Pred, 1 clause

The lion and the owl [slept] and [snored].

       >>> Simple Sentence, Compound Sub, Compound Pred, 1 clause

The lion [slept] tonight / and the owl [hooted].

       >>> Compound Sentence, 2 clauses (1 indep., 1 indep)

The lion [slept] tonight / while the owl [hooted].

       >>> Complex Sentence, 2 clauses (1 indep., 1 depend/ 1 sub)

Quizlet SAT Outsiders link - no pictures

Some students have requested the same list of words to study for The Outsiders SAT Words, but without the pictures.  This makes printing and studying easier for many.

Here it is:

https://quizlet.com/_3sso62

Just a reminder:  the quiz for these words is tentatively scheduled for Monday, 10/9/17.