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Tue, 26 Aug 2003RUN-ON SENTENCES An an example of a very long sentence: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way- in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities) Read the book online HERE
posted at: 20:56 | path: | permanent link to this entry Monday 4 August A Day Computer Lab: While waiting for the new room to be completed classes will be held in the Computer Lab. 8th grade students began a Power Point project similar to an instruction manual. The manual is a review of what we learned in 7th grade. We also went over course syllabus and clarified changes made since 7th grade. Students were taught the new log in procedures for the computer lab. Tuesday 5 August B Day 7th grade students were in the computer lab. Students received the course syllabus and each area on the syllabus was reviewed with the class. Students began a Power Point project based on the KWL format. KWL asks students to think about what they Know, what they Want to know/learn, and what they have Learned (done after the lesson). The students created slides detailing what they know about language arts, what they want to learn this year, and later we will go back and ass what they have learned. Wednesday 6 August A Day 8th Grade: The entire class period was dedicated to the Instruction Manual Power Point project in the computer lab. Thursday 7 August B Day 7th Grade: The entire class period was dedicated to the KWL Power Point project in the computer lab. Friday 8 August A Day 8th Grade: Distributed textbooks to all students. Class materials were due (as outlined in the course syllabus). Students read the story Retrieved Reformation by O. Henry. Students needed to find 30 vocabulary words from the story. The Critical Thinking Questions at the end of the story were assigned for homework. Monday 11 August Word of the Week: Ostracize Quote of the Week: "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." Shakespeare (Hamlet) B Day 7th Grade: Students were assigned textbooks. Students read the story 7th Grade by Gary Soto. Students were asked to find 30 vocabulary words in the story while reading the story. Any work not completed in class was to be done for homework. Tuesday 12 August A Day 8th Grade: Review and class discussion of Retrieved Reformation vocabulary and Critical Thinking Questions. Students began a story based on the way O. Henry learned how to tell stories. When O. Henry was a young boy his sister Evelina would start a story and he would have to come up with an ending. Students are to write a story (300-500 words), only developing the first half of the story. The typed version of this story is due at the beginning of the next class. Wednesday 13 August B Day 7th Grade: Class discussion of 7th Grade. Students asked questions about the story and the vocabulary using their homework as a basis for the questions. Students were given time in class to begin the Critical Thinking Questions. We spent some time talking about the proper way to answer a CT question: 1st sentence answers the question 2nd sentence provides specific details from the story to support the answer 3rd sentence provides specific details from the story to support the answer All CT questions are to be answered in no fewer than three sentences. Thursday 14 August A Day 8th Grade: The stories were turned in at the beginning of class. Then the second half of the assignment was explained. The stories would be traded with another student. Once the stories were traded, the students were to write the second half of the story in front of them. They were challenged to make the second half of the story believable. The second half should mesh with the first half. Homework: typed version of the second half. Copies of stories turned in on computer disk. Friday 15 August National Holiday No School Monday 18 August B Day 7th Grade: Word of the week: Polyglot Quote of the Week: "Wise men think without speaking. Fools speak without thinking." Anonymous Review of the Critical Thinking Questions from 7th Grade by Gary Soto. Examples of good critical thinking answers using specific examples from the story we explained to the students. Can you enunciate? What is enunciation and how does it help speaking in class? Homework: 5-paragraph essay: Open Topic (On what topic are you an expert?) All 5 paragraphs must focus on one topic. The essay must be handwritten and is due in class on Wednesday. Tuesday 19 August A Day 8th Grade: Students read The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Alan Poe. Students needed a minimum of 30 vocabulary words from the story and they need to complete the Critical Thinking Questions at the end of the story. Whatever was not finished in class was to be completed for homework. (ps--how red did Mr. Gallagher's face get in your class when he read this story aloud?) Wednesday 20 August B Day 7th Grade: The beginning of GNK Students were taught the basics of writing an essay in Mr. Gallagher's class. We discussed the 5-paragraph essay anthem, looks, and the format for the first paragraph. Homework: Students were to rewrite the first paragraph of their essays to match the format discussed in class. Thursday 21 August A Day 8th Grade: Multimedia presentations of The Tell-Tale Heart in video and audio tape. How different are each from Mr. Gallagher's reading? How were they all different from your own interpretation of the story? Listen to the voices in your head... Friday 22 August Community Service No Classes Monday 25 August Word of the Week: Skulk Quote of the Week: "Drawing is speaking to the eye; talking is painting to the ear." Joseph Joubert B Day 7th Grade: Homework was checked against the GNK from the previous class. The "happy highlighter" went around the room checking for mistakes. Class discussion focused on correcting run-on sentences and writing a well formed first sentence. Homework: Rewrite the first paragraph. Write 5 run-on sentences with a sentence demonstrating how to correct the run-on. (total of 10 sentences: 5 run-ons and 5 corrections) Tuesday 26 August A Day 8th Grade: Study guides for Retrieved Reformation and Tell-Tale Heart. The test will be on September 1st. Wednesday 27 August B Day 7th Grade: Thursday 28 August A Day 8th Grade: Friday 29 August B Day 7th Grade: posted at: 18:17 | path: | permanent link to this entry |
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