For Monday, 10/31

Today in class we reviewed our reading in Tuck Everlasting chapters 10-15.

We also learned more "Notice & Note" clues: Words of the Wiser and an Aha Moment. Students had learned about Contrasts & Contradictions and Again and Again last week. These are signposts that alert readers to significant moments in a work of literature and encourage students to read closely.

For homework, students are to read Chapters 16-21 in Tuck Everlasting and then fill out the Notice & Note worksheet, identifying various signposts they notice in the reading. There will be a reading quiz on Monday!

For Thursday

Seeing that we are off to Syracuse Stage's production of Great Expectations on Tuesday, you may not have an opportunity to hand in your essays; therefore, it is due on Thursday.

You do have reading due for Thursday:
1) Please read Tuck Everlasting Chapters 10-15 (pages 50-75).
2) Make sure you annotate passages that show

• a) patterns (again and again) 
• b) contradictions & contrasts

For Tuesday 10/25

Today we reviewed sentence structure and went through some exercises to add variety to our writing. We used sentences from Tuck Everlasting as mentor sentences for our work.

For homework, I want you to go through your "Place your Love" essay, and work on revisions. Focus on the following:

• varying sentence length within each paragraph
• varying sentence beginning within each paragraph
• add detail and imagery to your descriptions - remember when we added adjectives and adverbs to our sentences, how the image just "popped" in our head?!
• use some sentences from Tuck Everlasting to model your sentences.

Make sure your essay is Printed and has the pre-revision draft stapled to it!!

For Friday

Today we reviewed simple sentence structure, and completed several activities in which we wrote our own sentences.

Homework:
In your mini-book, I want you to find other examples of simple, compound and complex sentences in print (magazine, newspaper, book). You should then copy/tape them into your mini book: 3 examples for simple and compound sentences, and 3 examples for complex sentences.

You should also type and print your "Describe the place you love" essay and be ready to work on it on Friday.
 ____________________________________________________________________________________
Refresher...
A simple sentence has the most basic elements that make it a sentence: a subject, a verb, and a completed thought.
Joe waited for the train.
"Joe" = subject, "waited" = verb

A compound sentence refers to a sentence made up of two independent clauses (or complete sentences) connected to one another with a coordinating conjunction.
Joe waited for the train, but the train was late.

A complex sentence is made up of an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses connected to it. A dependent clause is similar to an independent clause, or complete sentence, but it lacks one of the elements that would make it a complete sentence.
While he waited at the train station, Joe realized that the train was late.
Joe realized that the train was late while he waited at the train station. 

For Wednesday

Today in class we reviewed our reading that we completed over the weekend (chapter 5-9). we then read the beginning of Chapter 10, looking at the literary elements the author used to create the image of the Tucks' cottage.


Homework:
1) Using the beginning of Chapter 10 as a model, I would like you to write about a place that you love, or are at least familiar. Use your five senses and detailed imagery to convey a sense of your place to the reader.
Remember, Winnie talked about how she felt trapped and regimented by her family's drive to keep their house in order, and this offers a contrast to then what she describes with the Tuck's cottage. Through her description and imagery, one gets a sense of peace, calm and pleasure that Winnie feels when she is there. Make sure that you convey emotion through your description of your place.

• typed, 12 point font, Times New Roman
• double-spaced
• 1 1/2 - 2 pages

This simple checklist, from The Writer’s Little Helper by James V. Smith, Jr., is a concise list of best practices for creating rich imagery that will have your readers clamoring for more.

• Paint the image in small bites. Never stop your story to describe. Keep it going, incorporating vivid images, enlarging the action, and putting the dialogue in context. (A sponge carpet of pine needles covered the trail. It cushioned their soles and absorbed the sounds of their footsteps.)
• Incorporate images into action. 
• Use the tiny but telling detail.
• Choose action-bearing verbs. Cushioned, absorbed, stopped, whispered, pointed, grasped, tore, leaped, tugged, screamed, ran, slapped, stabbed, cursed. These words do so much more than say what is. They indicate first fear, then panic.
• Choose action-bearing non-verbs. Looming is a verb form used as an adjective. Crashing is used as a noun.
• Create an image without saying so.

2) fragments worksheet

for 10/17

For this weekend, I would like you to do the following:
1) Read Tuck Everlasting, pages 22-49. Please annotate, making sure to notice patterns and contradictions.

2) Review the Painless Grammar pdf handout and complete the "Brain ticklers #6" on the last page on a separate sheet of paper.

3)  check out the following link: http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/creationmyths/a/11083199Norse.htm
and learn about the significance of the world tree in Norse mythology.

4) nothing else - that's enough....

Over the long weekend

In class we finished up our posters advertising our fairy tales. They looked great for Parent Night!

Over the long weekend, you are to read pages 3-21 in Tuck Everlasting and finish the handout that I gave you.

For Thursday

Today in class we worked on our posters for our fairy tales, making sure to include the title, author(s), and a visual element that will draw in the audience. We looked at samples (in the sidebar) that showed a variety of advertisements.

We will work on these in class on Thursday.

NO homework - PLEASE get sleep as there were too many sniffles and coughs in the classroom!