Ms. T Alford

Friday, 11/30/07

INFORMATION REGARDING THE DMS TOY DRIVE WENT HOME TODAY! 

3rd/5th Periods
Today students completed a timed persuasive writing piece.  They earned a classwork grade for the efforts they put into this piece.  The "grade" for this piece is not going to be added to students' average.  Today's activity served as writing practice and the baseline "pre-test" for the persuasive unit.

6th Period
Today students completed the 2-column notes on citing sources.  We are beginning a unit on persuasive writing.  We have come to a good place to "pause" in our grammatical study of phrases, so we will pick that back up in a few days.  After the two-column notes activity, we brainstormed some possible topics for persuasive writing.  The students are choosing from any current event topic they are interested in pursuing.  We will be using laptops to find information about these topics in class next week that can be included in the essay. 
Homework:  This weekend, students have a very short homework assignment to speak with parents about the persuasive topics.  There is a sheet for the student and parent to do together.  Please select the top two topics of interest to your student and provide a parent signature.  This is due back to class on Monday. 

Thursday, 11/29/07

3rd/5th Periods
Students took a quiz on adjective and adverbial clauses today...they will be scored and in I-Parent by Friday.  Then, we brainstormed some possible persuasive essay topics.  These are from current events, pop culture, etc...and are complete student choice.  Each student will write a timed persuasive piece on the topic selected in class tomorrow.  Pick a topic you LIKE...you'll be dealing with it for a couple weeks.  Jot down some reasons tonight as you watch the news, read magazines, talk with family, etc. that can be in your persuasive arguments.

6th Period
Students took a phrases quiz today...they are scored and were returned during class.  They are also already in I-Parent.  If you have not returned your progress report...please do so tomorrow.  Students also took the Reading pre-test. 

Wednesday, 11/28/07

3rd/5th Periods
We continued to review and practice with clauses today - and discriminating between adjective and adverb clauses.  There will be a quiz on this material tomorrow...memorize the subordinating conjunctions!

6th Periods
We turned from verb phrases today to appositive phrases in sentences.  Students took notes on appositives and then we practiced with them in class.  The quiz, originally scheduled for today, was postponed until tomorrow...students needed a bit more practice than I anticipated. 

Homework:  Study for quiz! Do workbook pages 219 & 220.  The quiz will cover verb phrases, prepositional phrases, and appositive phrases.

Tuesday, 11/27/07

PROGRESS REPORTS went home TODAY.  Get them signed!

3rd/5th Periods
Today students worked on adjective and adverb clauses.  We also learned the "Subordinating Conjunctions" song.  Homework:  workbook pp. 81-82, sign progress reports, learn the song!

6th Period
Today we discussed appositives and appositive phrases in sentences.  We then reviewed prepositional phrases and verb phrases in preparation for tomorrow's quiz on all three.  For extra practice, see chapter 19 in the Writing and Grammar Book.
Homework:  review for quiz, get progress report signed! 

Monday, 11/26/07

WELCOME BACK!  I hope everyone had a fun, restful, and happy Thanksgiving break.

Congratulations to our Spelling Bee winner - Michael W. from 3rd Period! 
AND...Props also go to our second place winners...Morgan H.- 5th period and Sam B.- 6th period.  Michael will represent our classes in Friday's Dickerson Spelling Bee.

Progress reports go home tomorrow!

3rd/5th Period
Today students were introduced to clauses - their three types (adj/adv/noun) and the four types of sentences (simple/compound/complex/and compound-complex).  We worked in class on discriminating between phrases and clauses, how to tell dependent from independent clauses, and then we began looking at adjective clauses.  The homework is wkbk pp. 79-80.

6th Period
Today students received their Response to Literature essays back and were able to take time to reflect upon their own writing.  These grades are on I-Parent and will be on tomorrow's progress reports. Students updated their writing portfolios and added this work to the folder.  Then, we spent the remaining time in class on verb phrases.  Students should understand these rather well after today's lesson.  They are not difficult.  Tomorrow we will look at appositive phrases and then WEDNESDAY there will be a QUIZ on verb, prepositional, and appositive phrases. 
No homework tonight except to REVIEW for the quiz!

Monday, 11/19 & Tuesday, 11/20

3rd/5th
Monday- We practiced with sentence diagraming and helping students to understand this tool for understanding how sentences are built. We worked out of the workbook and covered basic sentence parts, prepositional phrases, and appositive phrases
Tuesday- After a visit to the media center for book checkout, we continued our work with diagraming by looking at how to diagram verbal phrases: gerunds, participals, and infinitives. We ended class with a game. No homework.

6th Period
Monday - We started class with a review of adjective and adverb prepositional phrases.  Then, as announced, we took a quiz over this information.  All questions came from previous homework assignments, and students were made aware of this in time to study.  We then began looking at how to diagram basic sentences...finding the subject, verb, and placing prepositional phrases and other adjectives and adverbs into the diagrams
Tuesday - Quizzes were returned from Monday, and another quiz was taken today over adjective and adverb prepositional phrases.  Then, we took a trip to the media center to check out books for the holiday break. Finally, we continued practice with phrases and sentence diagraming. There is no homework.

Week of 11/12 - 11/16

3rd/5th Periods
This week we are preparing for Friday's quiz on identifying the four types of phrases in sentences. 
Mon - Verbals
Tues - TGFV program
Wed - Verbals, Prepositions, Appositives
Thurs - Jeopardy Review
Fri - QUIZ!!

6th Period
This week we are beginning our grammar unit on phrases.  There will be "mini-quizzes" each day at the start of class based upon the previous days lesson(s).  Students are expected to know the material.  This should be review from previous years, and if extra practice is needed, students are expected to do so at home. 
Mon - Media Ctr, last few project presentations, essays due, begin phrases
Tues - Mini quiz, compound prepositions, HW...wkbk pp. 37 - 38.  Preposition Poem (DUE FRIDAY!)
Wed - Mini quiz, Adjective and Adverb Prep phrases.  HW...wkbk pp. 69 - 72
Thurs - Mini quiz, Adj/Adv phrases
Fri - Mini-quiz, Preposition poems due, Adj/Adv phrases

Week of 11/7 - 11/9

This is a short three-day week, so I'm posting everything together.

3rd/5th Periods
Wed & Thurs - we took notes and discussed the four types of phrases:  verb, verbal, prepositional, and appositive.  Then, we did some practice with each of the four types to help clarify this concept.  A knowledge level quiz was announced for FRIDAY.   
Friday - students took the quiz (see I-Parent for scores), and then I returned Response to Literature essays.  Several students had a chance to share their essays with the class, and we updated our writing portfolio.  We ended class with a look at our essential questions:  "How does an understanding of sentence parts and phrases help my writing?" and "Why does grammar matter?"  with a reading of the book, How To Speak Politely and Why.  There is no homework this weekend!

6th Period
Wed & Thurs - These two days were devoted to revising the Response to Literature essay that is due on Friday.  The bibliography is attached here...Download Bibliograph1.doc   We also reviewed the rubric for the project due Friday.  AND...I extended the deadline for essays to MONDAY since the project is also due Friday. 
Fri - Student projects based on the novel were presented in class today.  Some students turned in their essays, but I did allow students to turn in the ssays on Monday. 
No homework this weekend UNLESS you need to finish your essay revisions and print the final draft for class on Monday. Since, I've extended the deadline, essays not turned in by Monday will be penalized for being late. 

Friday, 11/2

3rd/5th Periods
Today students reviewed the work on prepositional phrases, and I answered questions.  Homework was turned in for a grade.  Then, students took notes on verbal phrases and we discussed the different types.  No homework was assigned.

6th Period
Today, after writing the conclusion paragraph to the essay, students were shown how to do the parenthetical citations and bibliography Download Bibliograph1.doc   Now, the entire essay has been written in class.
Then, a rubric for the The Young Man and the Sea project was distributed and students were given time to work with partners in class to plan their project - which is DUE NEXT FRIDAY, 11/9

HOMEWORK: TYPE THE ENTIRE ESSAY - add to the intro paragraph that has already been typed. 
Bring a printed copy to class on Wednesday for revision.
and...
Work with your group if possible to complete the project that will be presented in class next Friday. 

Thursday, November 1

My, my...it's November already!  Hope you all had a fun Halloween celebration.  I think we were all a little tired today. 
3rd/5th Period
Today students took notes on phrases - verb and prepositional.  Then, we worked on phrases for a while in class.  HW:  begun in class - the two handouts on prep phrases.

6th Period
Today students were given the format for the body paragraphs.  Then, students worked to write these paragraphs in class.
HW:  Type the first paragraph (and the body if you like)!  Have this in class tomorrow!