Reading maketh a full man . . . . . Speaking maketh a ready man . . . . . Writing maketh an exact man.

~~Sir Francis Bacon

Saturday, October 27, 2012

for Friday, November 2, 2012 (Saint) fi8

Class,

We are adding another dress-up! ~~~> www.asia

• Utilizing www.asia, you will create an adverbial clause.  It will give more information about a verb (also adjective or another adverb).  Adverbs answer questions like:  How?  When?  Where?  To what extent?

• Use this in the middle of a sentence and indicate by bolding & underlining just the first word (when, while, where, as, since, if, or although). Examples are listed below the FIX-IT.

Your homework is to write a three-paragraph essay on the Saint of your choice.
If you are 10 years old or younger you may use one source.
If you are older than 10 years old, please use at least two sources.
Remember to include your sources - if you use a website please include the entire URL address.

In each paragraph include one of ALL the Dress-ups (including this new: www.asia)
In each paragraph include one "VSS" - use the correct indication
#1 (Subject Opener) -- use the correct indication
Remember the T/C relationship
No BANNED words
Remember to use a blue highlight for your vocabulary words
Key Word Outline?  Of course!
Check-List? Of course!  And fill your checklist in with words, when appropriate!  :-)

Your Fix-It for Lesson 8 is below.

Week 8
Her grandmother ordered 8 great oysters to attach themself to the tail of the princess to properly betoken her high rank. But they hurt me so protested the little mermaid pride must suffer pain replied the old lady

Oh how gladly she would have shaken off all this pomp and lain aside the heavy wreath, the red flowers in her own garden would have suited her much better but she could not altar her circumstances.

Saying farewell she raised as lightly as a bubble to the surface of the water, the sun had just set as she rose her head above the waves and through the glimmering twilight beamed the evening star in all it’s beauty and the clouds were tinted with crimson and gold.

Looming nearby, she beheld a large ship which lied becalmed on the water for not a breeze stirred; the sailors sat idly on deck or among the rigging. She heard music and song on board, as darkness drew near one hundred colored lanterns were lighted.



EXAMPLES OF www.asia clause (when, while, where, as, since, if, or although)
The teacher starts the class when the bell rings.
He likes to read while the rest of the family watches television.
The children always play where the dandelions grow.
The baby slept as the family ate their dinner.
She has enjoyed the pool ever since she learned to swim.
I will ride my bike if my brother will ride with me.
Tommy likes to camp near the lake although he does not like mosquitos!









Information for Mrs. Cortez 
Correlation to 2011-2012 Lesson Plan: St. Francis stories
Correlation to 2012-2013 Lesson Plan: Saint of students' choice

Friday, October 19, 2012

for Friday, October 26, 2012 (descriptive essay) fi7

Dear Class and Parents,

This week your assignment is to write a descriptive essay.

1) You may describe the picture you were given in class on October 12
OR
2) You may describe a place that is related to your homeschool curriculum.
For example: 
If you are studying American History, you may want to describe a colonial town or home. 
If you are studying birds, you might want to describe an aviary or a bird watching nook.
If you are studying Botany, you might choose to describe a garden or or greenhouse.
If you recently went on a field trip, you may decide to describe an exhibit, tour, IMAX movie, or the car ride there.
Students who are 10 or younger may write one, two, or three paragraphs, your choice.
Students who are older  than 10  should write three paragraphs.

REMINDERS:
Include and indicate all dress-ups that have been covered* and avoid the banned words
Make absolutely sure that your topic sentences and clinchers match.
The clincher must repeat, reflect, reiterate or re-state the topic sentence.
Remember your KWO and checklist (fill in your checklist with words where appropriate).
Use descriptive words to paint a sensory picture of the space.
There should be at least 4 senses described in each paragraph. Make your space come alive to the reader.
How did it look?
How did it sound ?
How did it smell?
How did it feel (literally or in terms of mood, countenance, temperament, atmosphere or disposition)?
How did it taste (can be figurative)?

Be prepared to write an SAT essay first thing next week.  It will just take the first 25 minutes of class. 

If any student wants to correct their essays, I will grade it again and average the scores together.  You have until the week before Thanksgiving break to re-write any assignment.  After that, the option is expired.  I do have missing assignments from some students.  If you think you have not turned in an assignment, I will be happy to confirm that with you before/after class.

Your Fix It is below.

I hope you have a great week!  Feel free to contact me if you have questions or comments.

All 7 dress-ups that have been covered* =
"ly" word ----- AKA "adverb" (write the word in your checklist)
  ww   ----------  who or which clause
 b/c   -----------  because clause
 QA  -----------  Quality Adjective  (write the word in your checklist)
 SV   -----------  Strong Verb  (write the word in your checklist)
 (1)   -----------  Subject Opener  (write the beginning of the sentence in your checklist)
 (6)   -----------  VSS = very short sentence (5 words or less)


 Required "indicator" examples can be found here.Here are the crib notes:
Dress-ups are bolded and underlined
(6)  Very Short Sentences are numbered within parenthesis, bolded, and highlighted with yellow
Vocabulary words are highlighted with light blue.



Week 7

when at first the sisters had permission to ascend to the surface they were each delighted, now as grown-up girls however they could go when they pleased, and had grown indifferent to it.

They wished themselves back again in the water, and after a month had past they said it was much more picturesque down below, and often pleasanter to be at home.

Having still to wait her turn the youngest sister felt quite forlorn. Oh were I but fifteen years old spoke she I know that I should love the world up there, and all the people which live in it.

At last the little mermaid reached her 15th year well now you are grown up said the old dowager her grandmother let me adorn you like your sisters lovingly she placed a wreath of white lilys in her hair.




Information for Mrs. Cortez 
Correlation to 2011-2012 Lesson Plan:Valley Forge
Correlation to 2012-2013 Lesson Plan: 

Saturday, October 13, 2012

for Friday, October 19, 2012 (3-Panel Graphic) fi6

Dear Class,

It is time to ramp-up your papers by matching your topic and clincher sentences. 
• Topic sentences are the first sentences in your paragraphs and are also known as: General Facts
• Clincher sentences are the last sentences in each of your paragraphs.


In class we reviewed these things:
Format Rules ~~~>   
•  Be sure that your Dress-Ups are correctly bolded and underlined in the body of each paragraph. 
•  There should be five bolded underlined words in each paragraph!  Use your checklist to keep track of this.
•  Indicate only the required dress-ups. 
•  No graphics or pictures in your essays.
•  Use a proper header, footer, and title block. 

•  Use vocabulary words correctly and highlight properly for extra credit. 
•  Read the Essay Format Requirements if you have questions about any of the rules.
•  -10 points for formatting errors. The stakes are high so be sure to double check your essays.
Avoid all Banned Words ~~~>  Always remember to choose the most descriptive words to communicate your thoughts and opinions!   
Pictures as Inspiration ~~~> We will finish the mini essays, so hang onto your work. I hope you all had fun creating a KWO and essay from a picture.

Your assignment is to write a 3-paragraph essay using one of the 3-panel graphics in your TWSS binder (pgs 48 or 50 or 51). 
Be SURE to include your KWO. Use this format for EACH paragraph:
TOPIC SENTENCE or GENERAL FACT ___________________________________
1.
2.
3.
4.
You may, of course, have more than 4 sentences here AND in the body of each paragraph.
CLINCHER SENTENCE _________________________________
Your Key Word Outline and Checklist must be attached to your essay.
If you have questions about this assignment, please contact me.  The Fix It for this week is below. 

FIX IT: Week 6
The 3rd sisters turn followed, the boldest of them all, she brazenly swam up a broad river that emptied itself into the sea on the banks she saw hills covered with beautiful vines while castles peeped out from amid the proud trees of the forest.

In a narrow creek, she found a whole troop of human children cavorting in the water, she wanted to play with them but they fled in great fright. Then a little black animal jumped into the water, and barked at her so terribly she became frightened

More timorous the forth sister remained in the sea; she reported that the sky above looked like a bell of glass the dolphins sported in the waves and the grate whales spouted water from its nostrils till it seemed like a hundred fountains were gushing.

Since the 5th sisters birthday occurred in the winter she saw what the others had not seen the first time they went up, immense icebergs were floating about, each like a pearl she said but larger and loftier than the churches built by men.








Information for Mrs. Cortez 
Correlation to 2011-2012 Lesson Plan: Mama Bird and the Worm (taken from November 30, 2011) 
Correlation to 2011-2012 Lesson Plan: The Good Crow (Original lesson plan 2011-2012)
Switch with November 30, 2011
 
Correlation to 2012-2013 Lesson Plan:  
 


 

Saturday, October 6, 2012

for Friday, October 12, 2012 (2 choices) fi5

Dear Class,

I hope you had a marvelous weekend!  The weather was lovely for every kind of activity!

You have 2 choices for your homework assignment this week.
1) You may write a three-paragraph non-fiction essay on a study topic that your teacher/parent chooses. Your resources may be a textbook, informative magazine, encyclopedia, or, if your parents give you permission, the internet.  Please use the resource material to form a key word outline first.  Then, in your own words, take that information to form three paragraphs.
OR
2) You may write a a three-paragraph essay for the HSLDA contest.  If you would like to add an introduction and conclusion before submitting your essay to the HSLDA, you certainly may.  The requirement for this week's essay is 3 paragraphs (minimum).
Please form a key word outline FIRST.

You may use NO BANNED WORDS!  :-)

In EACH paragraph, remember to include and properly indicate  
 -ly adverb
who/which clause
because clause (all underlined & bolded as indicators)
quality adjective
strong verb

You may include vocabulary words if they make sense contextually.  Remember to properly highlight vocab words.

Use correct formatting, for it is costly to not do so (-10 points!).
Watch out for banned words, and use the $10 words instead.  Remember, I will be looking for them and your classmates will be listening for them!

Below is your Fix It for the week.  Be mindful of paragraph changes--topic change, location change, time change, speaker change.  Write the story as if it would be written as a continuing tale.

Have a great week and enjoy God's gift of beautiful weather!



Week 5
As soon as the eldest were 15 she was allowed to rise to the surface of the ocean, and when she returned she had 100s of things to wondrously recount to her sisters.

The exquisitest experience she told her sisters was to lay in the moonlight and gaze on a town where the lights were twinkling like 100s of stars, having heard the voices, and the merry bells pealing out from the churches I pine for them.  

Listening eagerly to all these descriptions the littlest mermaid fancies she can here the hustle and bustle all the way down in the depths of the sea

In another year the 2nd sister was permitted too rise two the surface and too swim about, where she pleased, rising just as the sun was setting she murmured upon her return that was the most pictorial site of all because the hole sky resembled gold.











Information for Mrs. Cortez 
Correlation to 2011-2012 Lesson Plan: Monet
Correlation to 2012-2013 Lesson Plan: Squanto

Monet