1st Six Weeks

Week 6

   September 26-30, 2016

"There are no shortcuts. Rome was not built overnight. Stone upon stone is the structure built."

MONDAY, September 26

* Quotable Quotes

* The final draft of the essay for the Hispanic Heritage writing contest will be written in the classroom.

* Rough drafts as homework must be ready. 

TUESDAY, September 27

* Quotable Quotes

* Define complex sentences, explain its structure and the subordinating conjunctions ( after,as, although,  while, whenever, until, unless, because, before, if, since-AAAWWUUBBIS) that go with it.

   * Practice combining simple sentences into complex sentences.

   * Fix mistakes found in complex sentences: fragments, runons, and comma splices.

WEDNESDAY, September 28

* Six weeks test: revising-editing; 20 questions

   

THURSDAY, September 29

 * Go over test.

  

 FRIDAY, September 30

 *Continue with the complex sentence; practice using it in sentences.

  *If time allows, show the expository structure of an essay-the expository house

         - roof: introduction with attention grabbers and the controlling idea

         - body: body paragraphs with their points and supports (explanation, examples from history,                              entertainment,literature, personal experience) 

         - floor: conclusion with insight,rephrasing,summary, abstract-concrete extension

First Six Weeks Ends!!!!

Ruminations

       There is no teaching, only learning. Teaching itself is a learning experience if only to instruct better. The classroom is a place where learning in all levels, from the spiritual to the material, can be cultivated. In the interactions of teacher and student, that beautiful thread of ever looping exchange of knowledge and experience binds both in an increasing bond of spirit, mind and feeling, each party weaving a beautiful quilt of shared exploration.

1st Six Weeks

Week 5

   September 19-23, 2016

"There are no shortcuts. Rome was not built overnight. Stone upon stone is the structure built."

MONDAY, September 19

* Our Writer's Notebook will now go to the section "Quotable Quotes".

* Define compound sentences,explain its structure,and the coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or yet, so - FANBOYS) that go with them.

* Practice combining simple sentences into compound using the correct conjunctions.

*  Fix mistakes in compound sentences: run-ons and coma splices.

* Launch National Hispanic Heritage Writing Contest. Prompt: Write an essay explaining what my Hispanic heritage means to me.

* For 7th grade, this essay counts for a grade.

*TODAY IS THE DEADLINE FOR THE BOOK REPORT ON The Old Man and the Sea. 

TUESDAY, September 20

* Quotable Quotes

* Define complex sentences, explain its structure, and the subordinating conjunctions ( after,as, although,  while, whenever, until, unless, because, before, if, since-AAAWWUUBBIS) that go with it.

   * Practice combining simple sentences into complex sentences.

   * Fix mistakes found in complex sentences: fragments, runons, and comma splices.

WEDNESDAY, September 21

*More practice of fixing sentence mistakes

* Cooperative learning and presentations will be done  for evaluation of learning.

* Introduce the writing process and expository writing if there is time.

   

THURSDAY, September 22

 * Define expository writing and the structure it needs

 * Explain and show MAGNIFYING (narrowing down a topic) and TELESCOPING ( staying on topic) as skills needed for a well-written essay.   

  

 FRIDAY, September 9

  * Show the expository structure of an essay-the expository house

         - roof: introduction with attention grabbers and the controlling idea

         - body: body paragraphs with their points and supports (explanation, examples from history,                              entertainment,literature, personal experience) 

         - floor: conclusion with insight,rephrasing,summary, abstract-concrete extension

REMINDER!!!!!

 Book Report  deadline, SEPTEMBER 19, MONDAY!!!! 

The Old Man and the Sea

by 

Ernest Hemingway

September 15-October 15

1st Six Weeks

Week 4

   September 12-16, 2016

MONDAY, September 12

*Continue Image Grammar by Harry Noden. It is a way of painting pictures with words by imitating published authors.

* Practice identifying inverted and natural sentences as well as subjects and predicates.

* Students make their own natural and inverted sentences.

* Have them identify subjects and predicates.

* Some issues with subjects and predicates: compound subjects/predicates, subjects with prepositional          phrases

TUESDAY, September 13

* Start kinds of sentences according to structure: simple, compound, complex.

* Define what simple and compound sentences are.

* Introduce the word CLAUSE.

* Give examples and let students make their own.

* Introduce the common mistakes of FRAGMENTS in short and long simple sentences.

* Start diagramming simple sentences with action verb and direct object, then with linking verbs and predicate noun and adjective.Adverbs and adjectives are included.

WEDNESDAY, September 14

* Go deeper into compound sentences.

   * Students make their own compound sentences and chart of coordinating conjunctions for,and, nor, 

      but, or, yet, so (FANBOYS).

    * Repeat/ emphasize the word CLAUSE.

    * Practice identifying the above.

    * Diagram simple sentences.

    * Relevance: sentence variety

   

THURSDAY, September 15

    * Continue with compound sentences.

    *Familiarize students with errors of RUN-ONS and COMMA SPLICE.

    *Practice fixing the above.

  

 FRIDAY, September 9

    * Explain COMPLEX sentences.

    * Show students their components: independent clause and dependent clause.

    * Practice identifying these components.

REMINDER!!!!!

 Book Report  deadline, SEPTEMBER 19, MONDAY!!!! 

The Old Man and the Sea

by 

Ernest Hemingway

Sentence Diagramming

The Ruminations of a Middle School Teacher

      Teaching can be a spiritual discipline. Actions in the classroom can be given meaning with the power of INTENTION. According to one's meaningfully chosen attitude , it can be a place of sacredness or just an ordinary space with desks and warm bodies inside.

1st Six Weeks

Week 3

   September 5-9, 2016

MONDAY, September 5

*Start Image Grammar by Harry Noden. It is a way of painting pictures with words by imitating published authors.

* Practice identifying main, helping, and linking verbs

* Announce the mini-assessment for the following day.

TUESDAY, September 6

* WRITING MINI-ASSESSMENT with ten STAAR formatted questions

WEDNESDAY, September 7

* Sentences: Kinds: Declarative, Imperative, Interrogative, Imperative.

* Sentences: Order according to arrangement: Natural and Inverted

* Practice identifying the above.

* Relevance: sentence variety

NOTICE: PARENT MEETING AT 5:00 P.M., Paco Zarate Auditorium

THURSDAY, September 8

* Parts of sentences: subject and predicate.

* Sentence smack down activity

  

 FRIDAY, September 9

 * Identifying subjects and predicates in simple and complicated sentences

 * Relevance: sentence analysis for subject-verb agreement, sentence combining

REMINDER!!!!!

 Summary  deadline!!!!