Tuesday, January 31, 2012

1.) No official MUGS practice tonight. Quiz your parents on today's MUG skills  :)

2.) Study Circ-Circum-Trans!!!

3.) No official MCAS practice tonight, however you can expect an in-class open-response test in the next few days.

*Because I question how many of you are actually visiting this blog, please approach me tomorrow, offer me a proper handshake, and reveal to me in a complete sentence your favorite food.*

Monday, January 30, 2012

1.) MUGS Week #13: Nightly practice, quiz Friday
Write two sentences, each using parentheses. Your topic is SPORTS:

- Your first sentence should use parentheses to "hug" a PHRASE:
Example: I was the last player up at bat in the bottom of the ninth inning, tie score (just my luck).

- Your second sentence should use parentheses to "hug" a CLAUSE:
Example: The New England Patriots will play in the Superbowl on Sunday (Let's hope they win!).

2.) Word Attack: Circ- Circum- Trans-
Quiz Monday

3.) MCAS Open-Response practice:
"On a Night of Snow" multiple choice, open-response due tomorrow 1/31

4.) Twenty-minute habit. Always!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

1.) Write TWO erroneous sentences about cats, each including a double negative.
One example sentence might be:  "Our cat never eats no tuna!" (notice this is erroneous)

Now correct the sentence by eliminating the second negative:
Corrected: "Our cat never eats tuna!" or "Our cat never eats any tuna!"

2.) Twenty-minute habit  :)

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

1.) MUGS Week #12:
Write 2-3 lines of dialogue that includes ...
- Commas to introduce quotations
- Quotation marks
- A example of correct pronoun-antecedent agreement

2.) Finish the "Island of the Blue Dolphins" open-response we started together in class.
Please type, if possible. If you cannot type, please prepare a handwritten copy to share in class.

3.) Twenty-minute Habit

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

1.) MUGS Week #12
- Review the I.M.S. school rules in your agenda book (the policies are NOT posted on the school website). Re-write the rules to include DOUBLE SUBJECT and COLON errors. Bring in your erroneous sentence(s) to class tomorrow for a peer to edit.

2.) MCAS Practice: "Island of the Blue Dolphins"
- Margin note
- Multiple-choice questions
- Do NOT write your open-response answer; we'll tackle that in class tomorrow.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

1.) Tomorrow is January 20... as stated in class and on the whiteboard is A101, evidence of your 20-minute habit is due tomorrow.

2.) MCAS Open-response practice: "Lost in Yonkers" due tomorrow.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

1.) MUGS Week #11 Quiz tomorrow
2.) Long-Composition Practice (due 1/19): Describe a time you felt proud and explain why you felt proud
3.) Word Attack: Mis-  Sym-  Syn- Quiz Tuesday 1/17
4.) Twenty-minute habit DAILY.

Coming Events:
We'll continue open-response practice using "Mrs. Smith's TEN Easy Steps for Creating Open-Responses" as your guide. Remember to please type all of your responses.

Wednesday, January 12, 2012

1.) Open-Response Practice: "Rico"
Use Mrs. Smith's TEN Easy Steps for Creating Open-Responses as your guide.
Please type your response.

2.) MUGS Week #11: Write two sentences, each sentence should prove that you can correctly use parentheses:
- With a phrase
- With a clause

3.) Long-Composition Practice: A time you felt proud...

4.) Word Attack: Mis- Sym- Syn-

5.) Twenty-minute habit

Monday, January 9, 2012

1.) MCAS Long Composition Practice: Due Thursday, January 19, 2012

There are often times in life when people feel proud of themselves. For example, this feeling of pride could result from achieving a goal after working hard or from standing up for something you believe in. Think of a time when you were proud of yourself. In a well-developed, five-paragraph composition, describe a time when you were proud of yourself and explain why you felt proud.

Remember to...
- Vomit
- Outline (sentence or topic, you choose)
- Typewritten
- Appealing, Appropriate Title
- Introduction technique to grab the reader
- Thesis statement that provides focus for the reader
- Topic sentences that organize your big ideas
- Transition Devices that unify your writing
- Conclusion technique that leaves the reader feeling satisfied
- Times New Roman font, 12 pt.

2.) MUGS Week 11 Study Guide, Quiz Friday

3.) Word Attack: Mis-  Sym-  Syn-

Friday, January 6, 2012

1.) Word Attack Mal-  Re- Quiz Monday
2.) Twenty Minute Habit

*** ENGLISH MCAS TESTING BEGINS MARCH 20, 2012***

Thursday, January 5, 2012

1.) MUGS Week #10 Study Guide due for tomorrow's quiz
2.) Word Attack: Mal-   Re-    Quiz Monday
3.) If you still do not understand Margin Noting, please see me A.S.A.P.
4.) Twenty-Minute Habit

*** ENGLISH MCAS TESTING BEGINS MARCH 20, 2012***

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

1. MUGS Week 10 Study Guide:
- Using Hyphens
- Using the Right Word
- MUG quiz Friday

2. MCAS Practice: "Rico"
- Read article and MARGIN NOTE
- Try your best to answer the multiple choice questions
- We'll discuss techniques for success with multiple-choice questions.

3. Word Attack: Mal-  Re-
- Quiz Monday

4. Twenty-Minute Habit, log.

***ENGLISH MCAS EXAM BEGINS MARCH 20, 2012***