Due March 4 (FI&Vocab #28 / 1 or 3Ps)

1) Pick your subject . . . 
2) Brainstorm for topics on that subject . . . .  3) Choose three

VARSITY:  
3 paragraphs due March 4 - factual subject
The required DRESS UPs, OPENERS, and DECs are "per entire assignment" (not per paragraph)
JV,   FIRST YEARs,   WITs:  
1 paragraph due March 4 - factual subject

           1)  DRESS UP requirements:  
        ly, ww, bc, asia, QA, SV
        2)  OPENER requirements:
        (2), (3), (vss)
3)  Fix It
4)  Vocabulary
no banned words & no contractions






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1)  DRESS UP requirements:  
ly, ww, bc, asia, QA, SV 2)  OPENER requirements:
(2), (3), (5), (vss) 3)  No DEC requirements

4)  Fix It
5)  Vocabulary
no banned words & no contractions

  _________________________________________________________________

1)  DRESS UP requirements:  
ly, ww, bc, asia, QA, SV
 
2)  OPENER requirements:
(2), (3), (4), (5), (vss) 
 
3)  DEC requirements: 
allit, met and/or sim, Question, Quote

4)  Fix It & Vocab
no banned words & no contractions  

All FIX ITs can be found in the pdf on the side bar

Due February 25 (FI & Vocab #27)

Story Starters
Writing Prompts
What ifs

What do those three things have in common?
They are fun ways to get your imagination engaged.

Well, this week we had some great story starters! 
The Q was, "Why did this law (you pick one) come into being?"
I can't wait to hear your essays. 

Due February 18 (FI#26& Mrs. Cotham's assignment)

Students were given the vocabulary words on February 4th for this February 18th exam.   
The list they were given contained ALL the words that should currently be on their Master Vocabulary List (Weeks 1-22).  The words they that will be tested on are in bold.
JV and Varsity students had 25 preselected words to study.

• These students should be able to define the word, identify the part of speech, and write a sentence correctly using the word.  This is NOT an open book exam.
• Extra credit is being offered for each sentence that is written without using a subject opener.  Please note that any dress-ups must be used correctly in order to receive extra credit.  (especially -ing or -ed openers since we just reviewed those in class Wednesday)  ;D

WITS and 1st Years had 15 preselected words to study. 

• These students should know the meaning of the words well enough to match them to their definition which will be provided on the test.  This is NOT an open book exam.
• Extra credit will be given for each correctly written sentence using the vocabulary words.

Students will have 45 minutes to complete the exam.  Study, study, study!

 

Due February 11 (FI#25 & Instructional Essay & Demonstration - Transition Words)

I understand that you had a great class on February 4th! I miss each and everyone of you, but I am so very thankful that we have such an amazing teaching team to keep us moving full steam ahead. 

Mrs. Harreslon and Mrs. Cotham are super teachers!

 Sometimes I can hardly believe how well this year has worked out with the combination of all of our strengths and talents.  

Here is a recap of the assignments and a review of the February 4th's class. Remember to study for February 18th's spelling test.
Assignments for February 11, 2015:
1) Please complete Week 25 Fix its and Vocabulary.  
Transitional words and phrases are very important in writing, public speaking, and general communication. They link and connect ideas.  Transitional words and phrases are the focus of the this week's essay assignment. Your writing assignment is an . . . .
 2) Instructional Essay & Prepared 4-8 minute Demonstration
No dress-up requirements  
Focus on using the new words learned in class.
Students should write about a topic that they can demonstrate to the class.   
On February 11th, another person (probably Mrs. Harrelson or Mrs. Cotham) will read each essay as each student conducts their demonstration.   
~~> Please bring the needed props to make sure your 4-8 minute demonstration can be executed smoothly.  

~~>  Demonstrations should last 4-8 minutes.  
Some suggestions for demonstrations were:
making a sandwich
braiding someone's hair
applying make-up
building a model
performing a magic trick
painting a picture
packing a suitcase
cleaning a saddle

~~> Remember to take nothing for granted while writing.  Pretend that your audience knows nothing (or very little) about the topic you are presenting.
~~> This is NOT to be written as a step-by-step instruction but rather an exercise in using transitional words to move through each step.  
Correctly use words such as "first, next, following, after, then, while, during, for instance, in fact, etc. and not Step One, Step Two, Step Three, etc.)  

~~>  Be sure to PRACTICE your 4-8 minute demonstration so that it coincides with the reading of your essay by another person.
Attached to an email that Mrs. Harrelson sent to each family is a .pdf scan of all the transitional words and phrases that were reviewed in class.

Words that show Sequence and Time
Words that show Addition or Link Thoughts

Words that give Examples
Words to Emphasize
Words to show Cause and Effect
Words to Compare
Words to Contrast
Words to Summarize and Conclude 
 
Mrs. Harrelson also attached the IEW Student Resource Handbook to the email.  It is chock full of useful information for reference!! I highly recommend that you download it. It is well worth printing, also. You will use it often.

Due February 4 (FI#24 Timed Writing at Home - Challenger)

Hi All,

I know that Mrs. Cortez did not make an official writing assignment this week, however, I know that some of our students truly want to keep practicing their skills.  Therefore, I'm offering up an extra credit assignment for those who wish to participate.

Timed writings are a valuable skill and offer us a great insight into student's progression in developing ideas and getting them onto paper.  I would like each student to practice a 20-minute timed writing exercise using the prompt listed below.  Please bring papers to be turned in next class.  (along with Fix its and Vocabulary Week 24)

Remember:  
Choose one side of the discussion; yes OR no.  
Use literary, historical, and/or personal examples.  

Write, write, write without stopping!  At the 2 minute mark, try to wrap up your thoughts in a quick conclusion.  

Before completing this assignment, perhaps encourage your child to question you about the event to give them more information about it.  As a high school student at the time, I witnessed the catastrophe and have never forgotten the feelings it left me with.

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January 28th (that was Wednesday) marked the anniversary of the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986.  At 11:39 am EST, the shuttle was 74 seconds into its flight and about 10 miles above the Earth when it unexpectedly exploded.  All seven crew members were killed, Challenger was destroyed, and the United States Space Program was temporarily suspended.  Christa McAuliffe, a teacher who was the first ordinary citizen in space, died along with astronauts Francis Scobee, Michael Smith, Judith Resnik, Ellision Onizuka, Ronald McNair, and Gregory Jarvis. 

The Challenger disaster was a terrible tragedy.  However, most space flights are safe and successful.  The majority of astronauts have flown in space with no accidents or problems. 

Do you think it is  important for people to travel into space?  Why or why not? 
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Happy writing!  See you all on Feb. 4th.   I have many papers to return!

Mrs. Harrelson