Homework for 11.30.09

Read your book for 30 minutes and write a text-to-self connection about a different big idea you found. (4-5 sentences)

Homework for 11.25.09

Read your book for 30 minutes and identify 4 big ideas. Create a theme statement for each one.

Homework for 11.24.09

Read your book for 30 minutes and write a summary (4-5 sentences).

Online Gradebook

All students have been given directions to log on to my online gradebook. Some have logged on, and some have not. I have also been able to email several parents their own access code with instructions for logging in. If you have not received an email and would like an access code, please email me: ms.smcreynolds@gmail.com.

Homework for 11.20.09

Read your book for 30 minutes and write a text-to-self connection about the big idea you chose. Remember to tell me how you relate to what happened in the story. (Students may look at their notes in their Readers/Writers Notebook for an example)

Homework for 11.19.09

Read your book for 30 minutes and tell me about a connection you have with one of the big ideas you have in your book in 4-5 sentences.

(Use the homework from the night before to choose a big idea. Use the notes in class on the page titled "Connecting with a Theme in Your Life" to help you write the connection. You are only writing the PERSONAL CONNECTION.)

Homework for 11.18.09

Read your book for 30 minutes and find two big ideas. Turn both into theme statements.
***Use your notes to help you!***

SHORT FICTION STORIES ARE DUE TOMORROW!!!!! You are turning in your rough draft (I'm looking for all steps on the Ratiocination used and completely revised and edited) and a typed final copy. The final draft must be uploaded to the eZine by midnight Thursday.

Homework for 11.16.09

Edit and revise short fiction story. Begin typing final draft.

**Response to Literature Syllabus is due tomorrow with parent signature!

Homework for 11.16.09

Edit and revise short story. Read for 30 minutes and write a summary (4-5 sentences)

Short fiction story is due THURSDAY, November 19th. Students will turn in rough draft (I'll be checking to see that it is complete, all steps of Ratiocination were completed, and it is edited and revised) and a typed final draft. Students must also upload to the eZine. Refer to instructions found on this blog.

Response to Literature syllabus is due signed by WEDNESDAY, November 18th.

***Parent/Teacher Conference is tomorrow from 1-2:58 and 6-8:30.***

Want to Know Your Grade in ELA Anytime?

I will be passing out papers to students next week that will give them access to their language arts grade anytime they want to see it.

PARENTS: If I do not have your email, please send it to me! I would like to send you the directions so you have access.

Ratiocination

Before following these directions you will need to fill an index card with sentence #, # of words, first 2 words, and punctuation.

You will need 7 different colors: purple, red, blue, green, black, orange, and yellow.

Directions:

Blue & Orange: Using these two colors, underline every sentence in your story, alternating the colors… blue, orange, blue, orange, and so on. This shows sentence length.

Purple: Place a bracket [ ] around the first 2 words of every sentence. Look at the bracketed words. Try to avoid repetition of first words. If a word begins a sentence two or more times in one paragraph- change it!

Red: Circle all “to be” verbs (am, is, was, were, are, be, being, been, and contractions such as isn’t, aren’t, weren’t, etc). Eliminate half of these. You will be changing sentences from passive to active voice: “He was angry” to “He yelled and screamed at everyone in the room.”

Green: Place a  around all basic words and words that are no longer with us- R.I.P. boring words. Such as really, like, a lot, stuff, thing, big, small, sad, fast, good, bad, etc.

Black: Place a triangle around the word “it.”

Yellow: Place a wavy line under repeated words- even if they are STELLAR words!

Homework for 11.12.09

Edit and revise your story using Ratiocination. (30 minutes to an hour)

The directions for Ratiocination are posted on this blog.

Homework for 11.10.09

Finish Reading Project- due THURSDAY.

Finish writing short fiction story rough draft.

NO SCHOOL WEDNESDAY (November 11, 2009)

Homework for 11.9.09

Work on Reading Project. Due THURSDAY.

Homework for 11.6.09

Work on Reading Project.

***Students need to bring colored pencils and 5 index cards on Monday

Short Fiction Reading Project

Students were given the reading project for the short fiction unit today. Here is the project:

Design a Book Jacket
Due:Thursday, November 12, 2009

Design your own cover for the book (front and back). Include graphics or pictures to make it attractive and appealing. You must also write the blurb on the back briefly summarizing your book.

Include the title, author, characters, and plot (problem/solution).

Your writing should be one page long and the cover should be no bigger than a piece of construction paper.

Type your work!

***Parents need to sign the task sheet! This is 10 points of the grade.

***If you lose the task sheet, email me and I will send you another one!

Homework for 11.5.09

Work on Reading Project.

Homework for 11.4.09

Read for 30 minutes and write 4-5 sentences trying to convince a friend to read it. What are your book's selling points?

Homework for 11.2.09

Read for 30 minutes and focus on the way the author uses dialogue. Tell me what you think is the purpose of the dialogue.

Homework for 11.2.09

Read for 30 minutes and focus on the way the author uses dialogue. Tell me what you think is the purpose of the dialogue.