Memories Papers

Feel free to post paragraphs from your Memories papers for comment.

Effective Conclusions - Theory

Read this for background information on creating a conclusion for tomorrow's lesson.

Strategies for writing an effective conclusion

 

Here is a brief list of things that you might accomplish in your concluding paragraph(s).* There are certainly other things that you can do, and you certainly don't want to do all these things. They're only suggestions:

• include a brief summary of the paper's main points.
• ask a provocative question.
• use a quotation.
• evoke a vivid image.
• call for some sort of action.
• end with a warning.
• universalize (compare to other situations).
• suggest results or consequences.

 

Play the "So What" Game. If you're stuck and feel like your conclusion isn't saying anything new or interesting, ask a friend to read it with you. Whenever you make a statement from your conclusion, ask the friend to say, "So what?" or "Why should anybody care?" Then ponder that question and answer it. Here's how it might go:

 

You: Basically, I'm just saying that education was important to Douglass.
Friend: So what?
You: Well, it was important because it was a key to him feeling like a free and equal citizen.
Friend: Why should anybody care?
You: That's important because plantation owners tried to keep slaves from being educated so that they could maintain control. When Douglass obtained an education, he undermined that control personally.

 

You can also use this strategy on your own, asking yourself "So What?" as you develop your ideas or your draft.

 

• Return to the theme or themes in the introduction. This strategy brings the reader full circle. For example, if you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof that your essay is helpful in creating a new understanding. You may also refer to the introductory paragraph by using key words or parallel concepts and images that you also used in the introduction.
• Synthesize, don't summarize: Include a brief summary of the paper's main points, but don't simply repeat things that were in your paper. Instead, show your reader how the points you made and the support and examples you used fit together. Pull it all together.
• Include a provocative insight or quotation from the research or reading you did for your paper.
• Propose a course of action, a solution to an issue, or questions for further study. This can redirect your reader's thought process and help her to apply your info and ideas to her own life or to see the broader implications.

 

Memories- Thinking Out of the Box

Make me laugh...
Make me cry...
Make me smile ...
Make me sigh...
Show me what deeply moved you...
Show me how you truly grew...

How will you create a special theme? - AMAZE ME!!!.. please?

e.g. Caroline Swimmer is writing her memories paper as a letter to her younger brother... (DON'T COPY THIS!)...What will you do???
e.g. Survival Guide for Charlotte latin Lower School...
e.g. How to Impress your next teacher...


How will you make your paper 'unique'?

Treasures in a Box  by Pamela Harazim
(NO, you cannot write a poem.. but you could quote some poetry)
Come, look with me inside this drawer,
In this box I've often seen,
At the pictures, black and white,
Faces proud, still, serene.

I wish I knew the people;
These strangers in the box,
Their names and all their memories
Are lost among my socks.


I wonder what their lives were like.
How did they spend their days?
What about their special times?
I'll never know their ways.
If only someone had taken time
To tell who, what, where, when,


These faces of my heritage
Would come to life again.
Could this become the fate
Of the pictures we take today?


The faces and the memories
Someday to be tossed away?
Make time to save your pictures,
Seize the opportunity when it knocks,
Or someday you and yours could be
The strangers in the box.

What will your memories 'sound' like?

Show don't Tell - Week II

Showing not telling - Week II starts on Monday. You will be paired with a classmae for 4 more days of  10min writing challenges.  Can you do better than last time?

Washington Portrait

Go to the website below to read more about our lesson today on the symbolism behind the Washington portrait
http://www.georgewashington.si.edu/portrait/flash.html

Inference Test - Practice Exercises

IMPORTANT - Reminder that you need to send in a $15 check for the end of year party 

Use these resources below to help you practice for Friday's Inference Test. The first one is a reading comprehension exercise.  Read the text then answet True - False or  ? Afterwards, read through the answers. See how many correct inferences you were able to make. This is the exact type of question that is in thew test.

During the rest of the week, work through the other exercises on this list for practice.

Test Story 1

A couple decided to go boating on a sunny summers day. He packed the fishing rods in the speed boat, then asked his wife if the petrol tank was full. She said, "Yes, the petrol tank is full." They drove down to the jetty and launched the boat. The couple then sped out onto the sea in the speed boat. After going for about ten minutes the speed boat's motor spluttered then stopped. They arrived back at the shore several hours later.

Statements about the story - state t-true, f-false, ?-not possible to know

1. The couple went boating.

T F ?

2. The couple intended to go fishing.

T F ?

3. They didn't catch any fish, because the motor stopped.

T F ?

4. The motor stopped because they ran out of petrol.

T F ?

5. They couldn't have run out of petrol because she had looked in the petrol tanks and saw that they were full.

T F ?

6. She said that the petrol tank was full.

T F ?

7. He believed what she said about the petrol was true.

T F ?

8. The boats outboard motor stopped after 10 minutes.

T F ?

9. The boat sped out onto the lake on a sunny summers day?

T F ?

10. Because the motor broke down they had to row back to shore?

T F ?

11. The car they used to tow the boat had a full tank of gas?

T F ?

12. The water was calm?

T F ?
The couple went boating. (T because it states so in the text.)


The couple intended to go fishing. (? because they decided to go boating but the story does not actually say that they actually intended to go fishing even thought they put fishing rods in the boat. They may have just been put there to return to friends.)

They didn't catch any fish, because the motor stopped. (? They could have trawled in those first few minutes before the motor failed and caught something. Or they could have fished later.)

The motor stopped because they ran out of petrol. (? Possible, but it is also possible that the engine overheated, etc.)

They couldn't have run out of petrol because she had looked in the petrol tanks and saw that they were full. (? Because she may have taken someone else's word on it from a previous boat trip. Or she could have misunderstood him and thought he was asking about the car's petrol tanks, etc.)

She said that the petrol tank was full. (T because it states this in the text.)

He believed what she said about the petrol was true. (? The story doesn't say this. He could have checked for himself.)

The outboard motor stopped after 10 minutes. (? The story does not say it was an outboard motor. Could have been an inboard air cooled Porsche motor.)

The boat sped out onto the lake on a sunny summers day. (F It sped out onto the sea, not a lake.)

Because the motor broke down they had to row back to shore? (? They may have rowed back but they may have got it started again, later. Or, they could have waited for a tow.)

The car they used to tow the boat had a full tank of gas. (? The story does not say which tank was full. It could have been the boat's or the car's tank, etc.)

The water was calm. (? The story does not mention how calm or rough the surface of the sea was. You most likely made a double inference. First, that a sunny summers day means no wind. Secondly, that a windless day means no waves.)


singalong


http://www.quia.com/pop/43335.html

http://www.philtulga.com/Riddles.html

Read the examples on pages 1+2 and then try the exercise on page 3
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/learning/bitesize/standard/english/close_reading_exam/quiz/inference/

Easy content but fun to watch

Inference - Test Practice

Use this post to do some practice exercises on inference for next week's test.

Could you list 3 facts and 3 inferences about this picture?

Try this game

http://www.quia.com/pop/43335.html?AP_rand=986388950

Making Judgments - Susan Boyle

What important 'life' lesson did you learn today related to inference and making judgments.
TQ for deep, thoughtful opinions

Inference Picture

Use inference to explain what happened inthe photo.

Field Trip

What did you learn during today's field trip?

Bill of Rights Song

Your table team will have to create your own Bill of Rights song. Bring ideas for tomorrow's class.
e.g. What to put in a chorus, tune, style etc

Verb Tenses Games

Enjoy playing some of these games on tenses. Yours will be better of course, won't they?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/words/grammar/tenses/getting_the_right_tense/game.shtml

http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/quiz/mquiz.asp?filename=kderitteverbtense

Choose the hardest level

http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/games/viper/viper.html

http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=ESL302  (hard!)

http://www.quia.com/mc/61571.html

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/tenses/tenses_frame.html

Past Perfect Progressive....A new tense for those interested. (not on the test.) Win x2 TQ if you bring this exercise printed out with the answers in!

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs13.htm

Tesnes Sentence Construction H/W

This is for your tenses sentences: At least 8 words per sentence.

1. do - simple past
2. forget - past progressive
3. read - present progressive
4. be -future will
5. grow - simple present
6. break - future perfect
7. go- past perfect
8. give- past perfect
9. drink - future perfect
10. know- present perfect
11. wake - past progressive
12 work - future going to

Don't forget the back of the H/W sheet.

Chains - An Introduction

" If a whole nation could seek freedom...why not a little girl?"

Propaganda - Test Review and Practice

Propaganda Questions
http://www.quia.com/jq/16219.html

http://www.thatquiz.org/tq/previewtest?TQYF8792
(answers at the bottom of the page)

These use some types of propaganda that we haven’t studied and that will not be on the test. It will still be good practice for the techniques we did study.
http://www.quia.com/quiz/458050.html?AP_rand=2035609847 http://school.discoveryeducation.com/quizzes31/artentz/PropagandaQuiz.html

Coming Next Week

• Past Tenses
• Past, Present and Future Tenses Review
• Propaganda Techniques review and Test
• Ch. 10 Social Studies - Forming the New Nation
• From...Articles of Confederation to the U.S.Constitution and Bill of Rights
• Watching the movie - 'Amazing Grace'

                                     "... I was blind, but now I see"

Ch.9 Video Review

'Lasting' impressions...

...BE EXCELLENT !

Future Tenses - Review

This is just a recap of what we learned about tenses in class today.

Future - GOING TO
The future verb tense "going to" is used in the following situation:

Planned Events - When a future event that has been planned before the time of speaking.
■I am going to visit Mexico in a few days.
■We are not going to work next week.
■They are going to attend university next year.
 
Future - WILL.

We use the future- WILL tense when there is no plan or decision to do something before we speak. We make the decision spontaneously at the time of speaking. Look at these examples:
•Hold on. I'll get a pen.
•We will see what we can do to help you.
•Maybe we'll stay in and watch television tonight.


In these examples, we had no firm plan before speaking. The decision is made at the time of speaking.

Future PERFECT (needs 1,2,3 things) will/won't +have+participle

The future perfect tense designates action that will have been completed at a specified time in the future.

see  the difference???

Saturday I will finish my housework. (simple future)

By Saturday noon, I will have finished my housework. (future perfect)

Further Examples - Look how all these events will have finished by a time in the future... BY is normally used with the future perfect

3. She'll have read the book by the time you arrive.

4. I'm afraid we won't have finished by the end of tomorrow afternoon.
5. What will you have studied by the time you finish college?

Use blog to ask any questions about these tenses.  What do you think about the 'future' now !!!

These videos recap my lesson almost exactly!!!

Coming Next Week

• Social Studies Chapter 9 Review and Test (Fri)
• Visual Association Study Skill
• Tenses (Future and Past)
• Creating Porpaganda  Ads
• Chains -Directed Personal Reading 'Historical Non-fiction'

Omniscient-NARRATIVE...

Read MG's excellent narrative. What are her best lines?

The smell of herbs and old boxes wafted through the musty air of The Old Wells General Store. The cobbled stone streets were alive with afternoon activity, the summer sun warming the faces of pedestrians. Unusual warm weather on the fall day drew children out to play among the multi colored leaves. A tinkling of bells echoed outside as a bay horse pulled up in front of a shiny wooden carriage, disposing a rosy cheeked child and her drawn-up mother. With the rustling of skirts and lavender perfume, mother and daughter tottered into the General Store. Mrs. Smith gaily picked out parchment and letter stationary for her child’s party, swatting down grubby hands with her gloved one. As she hurried to the counter, she wondered if her apple pie was burning on the coal stove. But all thoughts of apple pie left her mind when she was reminded by the clerk of the extra fee. Her face aghast, her green eyes wide as a gloved hand shook, a vein seemed to pop out of her powdered face. Placing a dainty hand upon its pair, she gave him an icy nod. “I see.” Was all she could muster. Her mouth clamped together like a clam, she dropped the materials and hurried her protesting child out, her mind turning like the worn wheels on the cobbled road.


With another sigh, James Andrews was forced out another wooden door, another bag of coins in his chapped hands. Pulling up his collar, a beautiful red leave flew into his face. Sputtering, he took in the strange warm weather. Maybe it’s a good sign… or not, he thought to himself as his deer hide boots quickened when the mob of shouting Patriot protesters came into view. Swallowing as beads of sweat appeared on his brow, the hated tax collector sprinted for his brick home. The lock clicked as a sigh of relief escaped him, the creases on his pale forehead disappearing. Thoughts of resigning filled his troubled mind as the cry of “No taxation without representation!” paraded in front of his sturdy house. A trembling hand parted the curtain as James looked out. The English flag his heart beat for so dearly wavered above his head. Thoughts of England filled his head, thoughts of the Boston before all this trouble started… “They won a war for them!” he told his tabby. “Why is it suc.h a big deal to pay a mite of pocket money for our King George III, may he reign forever.” His face a drawn out scowl, he lifted his chin and closed the curtain

For many of you, I told you that you didn't effectively describe a scene. Read Caroline's M. first  paragraph that perfectly sets the scene. She used the picture to help her. - Hint! Use pictures to  help you in future.

A blanket of snow lies over the cobblestone streets of Boston. Inside the chocolate brown house sits Mercy Otis Watson and Abigail Adams. The milky tablecloth covered the wooden table topped with crumpets and tea. Hanging on the wall are paintings of British scenery. Mercy dressed in a lovely pale blue ruffled sat chatting about the taxes with Abigail. In a light pink and white, Abigail Adams fanned herself with her ivory fan listening to Mercy chatter on about the king.

Examples of Students' Work - Brag Sheet

The Boston Massacre

Mary Goldman, a patriotic resident of Boston, was appalled by the Townshend Acts along with numerous others. Being just a child, she did not fully understand the situation. The thing she did understand though, was that her father was not bringing home any more money. Mary participated in every protest with her father that she could. She wanted the British gone.

On the other hand, James Howard was a loyalist and actually in the British army. He hated the way people called him names like bloody back and ran away from him in the street. One of his neighbors even moved away because James was a loyalist. He lived alone and desperately needed a friend, someone to talk to, to complain to.

What started out as a beautiful day for Mary Goldman, would soon turn into the worst nightmare of her life. A narrow road with many inhabitants, Glare Drive, sat in the center of Boston. A small townhouse with a worn wooden door on rusty hinges was at the very end of this road. Mary sat on her front steps, her foot started to tap and a loud sigh exhaled from her lungs, “when will father arrive home?” she thought. On any other day she wouldn’t have waited this long, but today her father promised to take her to a protest on the Townshend Acts. How could she resist such an offer? On the other side of town James was finishing up his lunch and grabbing his gear. Dread and regret filled him as he pondered on the thought of struggling with the patriots yet again. All he wanted was the chance to return to England. Little did he know that that chance might just happen later in the day.

“Father!” Mary’s high-pitched squeal echoed through the alley with excitement as her father rounded the last block to her house. He picked her up and swung her around in circles while the laughter of a child filled the air. Once down on the ground she said, “ Remember that you promised to take me to a protest today.” He replied, “ How could I not?” Hand in hand they walked down the road to where the protest would be held. A few blocks away James marched with his troop. Light filtered through the cracks in the alleyway. Muck sat on the edges of the dark road. Not a whisper was heard. Bam, bam, bam, the sound of boots hit the cobblestone road. “Attention, single file line behind me,” projected the commander of James Howard’s troop. Peering off in the distance James could already see a large group of protesters forming where they were about to arrive. A glare spread across his face as he thought of their leader, Crispus Attucks. The one thought raced through his mind, “Not another protest.”

As Mary and her father approached the scene, people swarmed around each other. Mary could not see over the numerous tall men, so her father put her up onto his shoulders to be taller than the rest. People shouted and held signs that read, “NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!” The soldiers were approaching fast. In about a minute’s time they would be straight in front of the crowd. About a half-mile ahead, the soldiers marched on. Eventually they reached to the crowd. People shouted and screamed. A churning rose from deep inside James’s gut. Dirty snowballs whizzed through the air as far as the eye could see. A scream ringed through the air and James saw a man beating one of the soldiers with a club. More people advanced, gunshots fired. James’s finger brought the brown musket trigger back, but right before he did, his eyes caught the face of a terrified little girl on her father’s shoulders in the back of the crowd. Mary heard the gunshots and instinctively her head shot down with her hands over it in a defensive position. When she lifted her head, all the smoke had cleared and five figures lay on the ground lifeless and not moving. Mary screamed and nearly fainted. Being an agile man, her father turned and caught her. Running away with Mary in his arms, he looked back to see the soldiers marching away.

Propaganda - Revisited

This movie recaps what we discussed on propaganda this week. It also introduces a 6th form of propaganda that is also very common in the media 'FRAMING'



F- BOTT Revisited
Faulty Cause and Effect: This technique suggests that because B follows A, A must cause B. Remember, just because two events or two sets of data are related does not necessarily mean that one caused the other to happen. It is important to evaluate data carefully before jumping to a wrong conclusion.

Bandwagon: The "bandwagon" approach encourages you to think that because everyone else is doing something, you should do it too, or you'll be left out. The technique embodies a "keeping up with the Joneses" philosophy.

Over Generalizations: This technique uses important-sounding "glad words" that have little or no real meaning. These words are used in general statements that cannot be proved or disproved. Words like "good," "honest," "fair," and "best" are examples of "glad" words.

Testimonial: This technique is easy to understand. It is when "big name" personalities are used to endorse a product. Whenever you see someone famous endorsing a product, ask yourself how much that person knows about the product, and what he or she stands to gain by promoting it.

Transfer: In this technique, an attempt is made to transfer the prestige of a positive symbol to a person or an idea. For example, using the American flag as a backdrop for a political event makes the implication that the event is patriotic in the best interest of the U.S.

Narratives

Excellent work on the narratives...I'm enjoying reading them... Kudos to all! I will post some next week to share.

Patrick Henry Speech

Not the best, but this at least gives an idea of what the speech delivery might sound like...

Omniscient-v-Limited The differences?

Read these two passages. Can you tell which narrative is omniscient –v- limited. What words/phrases create the omniscient voice?


     She noticed them immediately. Old habits died hard, and her eyes tracked the movement on the road even before her mind registered approaching danger five men striding with the swagger of warriors. The only outward sign of her alarm was the tightening of her grip on the knife as she stripped a dead twig from the branch of the olive tree. There was no point in running. The men had seen her, and if she was their target they would catch her sooner or later. Sooner, she thought ruefully, remembering that her legs were not so limber as they once had been. Drawing a deep breath, she spoke as calmly as she could.    
     "Lyceus, I want you to take those olives to your mother, now." The young boy at her side looked down at the basket he carried and hefted its weight. He could tell it was more than half empty. "But Aunt Gabrielle, we've barely begun."
      "It's enough," she said, more curtly than she had intended. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the warriors step off the road and enter the far edge of the orchard. Softening her tone of voice, she spoke again, "I'm too tired to do any more work today. Run along now, before I change my mind."
     With a grin of delight, Lyceus turned to dash away, then froze.    
     "Auntie...those men..." He was young, but no fool, and his instincts were sharp, if less experienced than hers.
     "Lyceus," she commanded softly. "Do as I say. Don't look back at them. Run."

As you can see, the reader is privy to the opnions/feelings of both Gabrielle and her nephew. As the cast of characters grows, the omniscient viewpoint allows the reader some glimpses into their thoughts as well. Anything that happens in this world can be described because the narrator is all-knowing, all-seeing. The disadvantage to this point of view is that the reader may feel emotionally removed from the storyline — the narrator reveals a little about every character, so it becomes harder to strongly identify with any one person. In fact, if the writer isn't careful, the shifts in viewpoint from one character to another can leave the reader dizzy.

     Xena drove the head of the shovel deep into the loose dirt, then heaved the load up and over, dropping it into the pit by her feet. She steeled herself for the soft thudding sounds the dirt and clumps of grass made when they fell on the heaps below. Another stab with the shovel and she could feel sweat break out on her brow. That was a bad sign. The morning air was cool and she hadn't been digging that long.
     "I wish you'd let me help," came a voice from over her shoulder.
     "Gabrielle, I told you to stay back." She couldn't spare enough breath to adequately convey her anger. Another bad sign. She wiped her brow with the back of her hand, then went back to her task. The next load of dirt seemed a lot heavier than the others.
      Time passed, marked only by the steady rise and fall of her shovel.
     "Xena..." Gabrielle's voice sounded closer than it had before. "It's got to be safe for me by now. These are the last of the dead and they're nearly buried."
    "Stay away!" snapped the warrior, careful to keep her back turned to her friend. A sudden wave of heat swept through Xena's limbs. Its passage robbed her of the strength to hold the shovel. She could feel her body sway, as if buffeted by the fire that raged inside her.
     "Xena!"
     "Stay...back," she cried out, but her voice was parched to a dry whisper.

The reader is aware of everything Xena is thinking and feeling, but Gabrielle's actions remain a mystery because Xena is not even looking at her. Using this perspective allows a writer to keep their own prose style, and to interpret and comment on the character's behavior, while still offering depth of emotion. The same restricted perspective should be used consistently throughout a scene, but new scenes or chapters can start with a different character's restricted viewpoint.

Coming Next Week

• Ch.8 Social Studies book Test - Causes of the Revolution (PS Two BBIC)
• Historical Fiction Narrative Writing - 3rd person omniscient e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third-person_omniscient_narrative 
• Patrick Henry Spech (vocabulary and recitation)
• Chapter 9 Social Studies Readings 'At War'
• Tenses

MI Students' Work - Examples coming soon...

MI - Background Info.

Watch and learn a little more about MI theory and how it is applied in the classroom. Don't ever accept that anybody is 'smarter' than you ever again!

MI Verb Application Example

Application of Verbs

These are examples of how students applied their natural intellegence last year. How will you do yours?
There are 1000's of possibilities. Choose one that  best fits your natural intelligence

Transitive Verb Videos

LWM Sppeches?

Will you be ready to impress on your LWM speech?

The Gang of Brain Freeze Verbs!!!

I hope the antidote is still working! Don't ever let yourselves be inflitrated by these devious linking verbs again!

Lesson Recap... Can you remember/Do you understand:

• The 5 ways to remember the different types of linking verbs?


• The 'test' to decide whether a verb is linking or action?


• How to caluclate a verb ratio?


• How to use a verb ratio to measure the quality of your writing?


• Why we are learning about linking verbs?

If you can answerthese questions then you are doing well.

Six Perspectives

Watch this video to review today's lesson. It shows the link between English and Spanish also. Soon you will be able to manipulate 'voice' to suit your writing

Living Wax Museum Presentations

Living Wax Museum Presentations

Friday 26th Feb - Gra Class (8.15am)
Monday March 1st - Bux Class (8.15am)
Guidelines will be given out tomorrow or Friday, depending on when you hand in your state report

BBC Theatre Presentations
The week of March 8th-12th
(We'll do more practice on these next week.)

State Report - The Finish Line

State Reports - Written components are due ...THIS  FRIDAY -19th
(Whether you are finished or not, you must hand in your report Friday.)

Use this week to do your very best work. You are not being graded on what you did a month ago. You are being graded on your finished product. Don't rush through components this week just to get it finished. Make sure you are giving your very best effort over these last few days and truly thinking about how to make EVERY sentence the best possible. People who finish ahead of time may want to take a second look at their cover pages. The most important stage of the Report is the proof reading and editing. Make sure one component smoothly transitions to the next. You will probably have to add a few additional sentences at the start of your second and third components to achieve this. DO NOT inset pictures until the work is completely edited and corrected. This will avoid wasting ink.  You have all worked very hard on this project. Make sure your final copy is something that you are truly proud to submit.

Coming Tuesday - Living Wax Museum Guidelines

Congratulations on the '50 States and Capitals' Test- A record number of 100% were recorded this year.

Due Dates

See below for upcoming due dates for your work.
Prioritize your work so you are focusing on what needs to be done first.

50 States and Capitals Test- Thu 11th Feb
(both classes)

State Report - Written Component (e.g. intro/three components/conclusion/fun facts/work cited)
Fri Feb 19th

3D Model and State Report Living Wax Museum Speech
Feb 25th (Bux. class) Feb 26th (Gra. class)
You will be give additional guidelines on what to do for the Living Wax Museum speech once you finish the written component of the State Report or on Feb. 16th (whichever happens first)- DO NOT BRING YOUR 3D Model into school before this date. THERE IS NOWHERE TO STORE 50 MODELS

BBC Theatre Presentations
Dates still to be decided

BBC Theatre

How will you make sure your performace in the BBC sitcom presentations is the best possible?

Fifty States Test Practice

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games.htm

This website has made interactive games that you can use to test your 'Fifty States' Knowledge.

Enjoy the video below

Next Week

•  State Report Information

Work on your 2nd Component (If you chose History, leave this until your 3rd component)

Make sure you are able to group your Research into P2s. Examples of possible P2s for the different components are below:

e.g. Tourist attractions
(Examples below- don't just copy these. Devise your own based on your state)
-Historical Importance, Family Actvities, Recreational Opportunities, Outdoor destinations etc...

eg. Commerce and Indusry
-Service Industries, Manufacturing Industries, Major Companies, Industrial Regions, Tourism, Major Products etc...

e.g.Natural Resources+ Crops
Mined Resources, Renewable or Nonrenewable Resources, Scenery, Agriculture Resources, Major Crops etc...

Target Stickers: Between 8-9

You must have all your information collected and written down in order to type out the following:
Next Computing Class: Paraphrased notes for Fun Facts (Fri 5th Feb)
Next Library Class: Gra. Group (This Fri) Bux. Group (Mon 8th Feb)

•  Fifty States and Capitals Test

This will take place on Feb 11th. Use links on the blog to help you with your 50 States Studying. You will need to know each state and capital, its location, the three major bodies of water that border the U.S., and the two major mountain ranges in the U.S. Spelling is not counted; however, you will be expected to spell as accurately as possible.

Mentor Text - Geographical Features

     Enjoy this example of A+ writing. Look at the variety of advanced sentences technqiues used and the succint way the hook is linked to the topic sentence. Count the number of proper nouns in the text as an example of how to integrate precise facts.  Can you apply these elements into your own writing?

    The flapping wings of the brown pelican, Louisiana’s state bird, fill the air as it soars over the ravishing, earthy scented marshland looking for a place to land. Imagine a boot-shaped fertile land of damp, breath-taking marshes, and the ground is partly underwater. The state of Louisiana is truly that place. Louisiana’s unique setting causes a number of this beautiful, marshy wonderland’s terrain features. Because Louisiana sits in one of the closest areas to the equator, it receives ample sunlight. The three states that border Louisiana are Alabama, Texas, and Mississippi. Additionally, this spectacular haven is located in the Southeast region and in the East South Central sub-region. Louisiana overlooks the Gulf of Mexico, so this paradise receives an abundance of dreadful storms during hurricane season.

    One simply could not speak of Louisiana without mentioning its bustling cities. Not only is Louisiana home to numerous thriving metropolises, but nearly 75% of Louisiana’s population lives in urban or suburban areas. New Orleans, the most densely populated city in this beautiful state, is the 38th largest town in the United States. Baton Rouge, the second most populous boomtown in Louisiana, has reigned as the state capital since 1882. The third significant city is Shreveport; furthermore, it is the cultural center of the Ark-La-Tex, the area where Arkansas, Texas, and Louisiana meet.
    Because of all its marshes, lakes, and rivers, the state of Louisiana is often thought of as sodden wetland. In fact, Louisiana is one-third water. The rustling Mississippi River depositing into the Gulf of Mexico impacts both the geography and industries of Louisiana. The mouth of the river has changed the shape of the land in the south of Louisiana and improved the fishing industry. For example, New Orleans sits on land created by silt that the Mississippi carries. This beautiful state has countless lakes, including the rippling, 600 square mile Lake Pontchartain. The Louisiana coastline stretches 397 miles along the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico ranks as planet Earth’s 5th largest body of water.
    Louisiana cannot boast of the lofty mountains of Alaska, but soggy textured bayous, a common feature in Louisiana, are unique in the nation. A bayou is a slow moving body of water connected to a river, ocean, or lake. Either saltwater, freshwater, or brackish water, a mixture between the earlier two, can be found in a typical bayou. Historian Harnett Kane described bayous as, “A place that seems often unable to make up its mind whether to be earth or water, and so it compromises.”¹ Few people live in bayous, but they remain a beautiful part of the state.
    The low land is another factor that renders Louisiana’s geography unique. Although Driskill Mountain, the highest elevation in Louisiana, is just a hill at 935 feet above sea level, the peak stands as sky scraping to Louisiana as Mt. Everest is to Nepal. Additionally, Louisiana’s low point, New Orleans, is actually nine feet below sea level. This statistic explains why hurricane waves are a quandary in the city. Sadly, citizens are forced to make levees, walls made to regulate a body of water. The average elevation in the Pelican State is a lowly 90 feet. Wetland to the south, flat plains in the middle and a few lush forests to the north combine to give Louisiana very little altitude. The brown pelican flies down into a bayou, and lands on a bald cypress, Louisiana’s state tree. The only noise is the buzz of a honeybee, the state insect.

¹Louisiana by Suzanne LeVert
by Robert

State Report - Geographical Features

 Geographical Features
2010 Mentor Texts coming soon...

Will yours be  published as an example to your classmates?

State Report - This Week

Focus: Geographical Features

How is your note taking going?

Target Stickers by EOD Fri: Between 3-5 stickers

Poetry Parties

Congratulations on your wonderful presentations in each of the poetry parties.

Feel free to give 'kudos' to your fellow classmates through 'comments' complimenting them on some of the poems you enjoyed the most. Of course, only polite responses at all times!

State Report Websites

State Report Websites

Use 'only' these sites below to do your State Report online research. If you find a site on your own that you think is better, share it with me first, and I might add it to the list. There is advice under each website to save you a little time.

State Report Websites

1. Encyclopedia Britannica Online School Edition: http://school.eb.com/elementary [ID=latin, PASSWORD=hawks]  You may copy a picture or map from this site. Type the name of your state in the Search box and click Go.

2. NETSTATE.com
http://www.netstate.com/states/index.html  Click on your state.

Advice: (Only good for basic facts about the states)

3. IPL Kidspace: Stately Knowledge: http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/stateknow/  provides basic facts and links to other sources about each state

Advice: (Use the links at the bottom of each state page for detailed information on specific topics)

4. Infoplease: The Fifty States: http://www.infoplease.com/states.html  Choose state from the list below the map.

(Advice: Good for links to famous people for the character sketch)

5. http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/us.htm.

(Advice – Good for geographical features and commerce and industry)

Coming Next Week

• Writing and Performing Tall Tales
• Punctuating Dialogue
• Synthesizing and Paraphrasing Practice
• West Region Activities
• State Report Guidelines
• Poetry Parties

There will be no H/W sheets after this week until Feb 22nd. During State Report time, you have the freedom to plan  and organize your own H/W routine. You will be given clear expectations of what needs to be completed; you will have the choice of when to do the work.  Fifth grade is about learning to become an independent thinker and worker. Now you are given the opportunity to show what you have learned!

Tall Tales

Our next writing topic will be 'tall tales'. Enjoy reading about Tales Tales by browsing through this website attached to this link.

http://42explore.com/talltale.htm

Coming Next Week

• Poetry Recitals (Mon-Fri)
• Northeast Region Test
• West Region - Video and Notes
• Grammar Powerpoint Presentations + Test
• Reading Skills Practice - Main Idea +Details, Synthesizing, Paraphrasing
• Writing and Performing Tall Tales

Grammar Powerpoint Presentations

How will your group make your powerpoint presentation unique, engaging, enticing?