"Stuff" to Study! Tests Wednesday and Thursday/Friday

Words for Vocabulary test and WABU WABU WATIST. Refer to previous blog for FANBOYS:

1. suburbs
2. rosary
3. tumor
4. loco
5. posse
6. gash
7. alley
8. wailing
9. warily
10. hesitantly
11. barrio
12. zinged
13. cringe
14. bolted
15. gushed
16. concrete
17. endured
18. shard
19. hiss
20. lurched
21. waiver
22. kneel
23. ameliorate
24. machete
25. flinched
26. plodded
27. miser
28. cower
29. monarch

WABU WABU WATIST: when, as, because, until, why, after, before, unless, where, although, that, if, since, though

Homework Adjustment!

I had to do some reteaching on the conjunction lesson. Most of you didn't get it. THEREFORE, THE HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WAS NOT GIVEN!!! You may do it for extra credit if you desire, but it is not required. It is essential that you understand how to use the conjunctions because they are the key to complex sentences and compound sentences. Without those, your writing would be booorrrriiiinnnngggg (boring)! There will be no NEW homework for this week 9/27/10 - 10/1/10 because this is test week for English class. You are expected to STUDY YOUR VOCABULARY WORDS FOR THE TEST ON WEDNESDAY AND STUDY YOUR CONJUNCTION ACROYNYMS (FANBOYS, WABU WABU WATIST) FOR A TEST THURSDAY/FRIDAY. ALSO, complete paragraph one of your imaginative essay to turn in ON YOUR LAST DAY OF CLASS THIS WEEK (THURSDAY/FRIDAY). It is first draft work, so it doesn't have to be perfect, but you should try to write complete sentences and use your best handwriting.

If you have any questions about any of this.....TALK TO ME PLEASE!!!

Homework for Thursday/Friday, September 23/24, 2010

Write 5 sentences using sensory details (write one for each sense)

We all have 5 senses. They are: hearing, smell, touch, taste, and sight. Good writers write so that their readers can experience their thoughts with their senses. Instead of saying, "The fish had smelled bad" a good writer would say, "The fish had a foul odor." Likewise, there are words which indicate that something smells good. "The aroma of the flowers was like nothing I've ever smelled."

Your job is to create one sentence for each of the five senses. Do not use the words: hear, smell, touch, taste, or sight. Use words like noise, stench, texture, sour, and scenic.

Good luck and don't copy my words!!! You may use a thesaurus if you wish. Don't forget Thesaurus.com if you don't have the book.

Homework for Monday/Tuesday September 20-21, 2010

Write 3 Compound sentences using coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS) and 3 sentences using subordinating conjunctions (WABU WABU WATIST) Refer to your notes for the conjunctions.

This assignment is self-explanatory, but I will try to simplify it. You are to write three sentences which have are compound sentences (Compound sentences are TWO simple sentences which are joined by a FANBOY conjunction).

Example: My mother made spaghetti for dinner, but I was not hungry.

Simple sentence - conjunction - simple sentence.

Now write 3 Complex sentences using subordinating conjunctions.

To do this, write a simple sentence, a subordinating conjunction, and another simple sentence

OR

Write a dependent clause, a comma, and a simple sentence (A dependent clause is a simple sentence which has a subordinating conjunction in front of it).

Example: My mother made spaghetti for dinner because she knew I was hungry.

simple sentence - conjunction - simple sentence.

OR

Because she knew I was hungry, my mother made spaghetti for dinner.

Dependent clause, simple sentence.

Homework for Thursday, September 16, 2010

Complete pages 9 and 10 in the English Reteaching Workbook.

Compound sentences are two simple sentences joined together by a conjunction (usually a FANBOY).
F = FOR
A = AND
N= NOR
B = BUT
O = OR
Y = YET
S = SO

You are to write simple or compound for the sentences given. One quick way to do this is to locate the conjunction first in the sentence and circle it.

Now look at the words before the conjunction and the words after the conjunction.

If the words before and after the conjunction are sentences by themselves, then the sentence is compound.
Example:

Bobby is in school, but he should be home any minute.

• circle the conjunction (and)
• Look at the words before the conjunction (Bobby is in school). Is that a sentence? (YES!)
• Look at the words after the conjunction (he should be home any minute) is that a sentence? (YES!)

The sentence is compound.

Example #2

Bobby and Caroline are in school.

• circle the conjunction (and)
• Look at the words before the conjunction. (Bobby). Is that a sentence? (NO!)
• Look at the words after the conjunction (Caroline are in school). Is that a sentence (YES even though the subject and verb do not agree.

The sentence is simple

Page 10 asks you to list the conjunction you find in each sentence. Remember FANBOYS!!!
Get to Work!!!

Homework for Monday/Tuesday September 13-14, 2010

Directions: Punctuate the 5 sentences provided and then make up two of your own. Remember to use a quote.

Punctuating dialogue is easy. People speak to each other all the time. In order to punctuate what is being said, you only have to remember to put quotation marks (" ") around every word that is said in the conversation. For example, if your mom is speaking to you she might say,
"I'm going to scream if you say that one more time!" Notice that the punctuation was inside of the quotation mark. That was easy, but it becomes a little more difficult when YOU are quoting what she said. For instance: My mother shouted, "I'm going to scream if you say that one more time!" Notice the placement of the comma before what was actually said.

In a broken quote, you need two sets of quotation marks. For example,

"I'm going to scream," my mother shouted, "if you say that one more time!" Notice that the second quote does not begin with a capital letter because it is the same sentence. Look at the following examples:

1. "I'm going to scream if you say that one more time!" my mother shouted.
2. "I'm going to scream," my other shouted, "if you say that one more time!"
3. My mother shouted, "I'm going to scream if you say that one more time!"

After punctuating the 5 sentences provided for you, make up two of your own with dialogue (somebody is speaking).

Assignment for Thursday-Friday 9/9-9/10,2010

1. Complete page 1 of the English Reteaching Workbook: Kinds of Sentences
2. Write one original sentence for each type.
Rewrite each sentence and put the correct endmark at the end.

There are 4 types of sentences:
Declarative - It says something (ANYthing). I am 11 years old. I live in Houston. My mother has a small car. Our family visits Louisiana every summer.
This sentence ends with a period.

Interrogative - It asks a question. How are you today? Do you have change for a dollar? When are you coming home?
This sentence ends with a question mark.

Imperative - It tells someone to do something. Clean your room. Take out the trash, please. Call me when you get to your grandmother's house. Do the dishes.
This sentence ends with a period.

Exclamatory - It shows excitement or strong emotion. The Lakers won the playoffs! Stop hitting your sister! Be careful, there's a hole there! How wonderful she looks!
This sentence ends with an exclamation point.

Welcome To Mrs. Dew's Homework Help

This blog was created to communicate with my 6th grade English students and parents (if any are brave enough to be bloggers or followers) about assignments for my class. I will provide examples to the homework and give holiday assignments using this method. Periodically, I will provide links to other sites for assistance in reading, ESL help, grammar, and punctuation. I hope you will use this for the purpose it has been created.

Assignment for Wednesday, September 8, 2010
"Create a Frayer Model using one of the vocabulary words given in class."
Your paper is divided into 4 sections with a diamond in the center (given in class).
1. Put your word in the center diamond
2. Square 1 = definition of the word
3. Square 2 = characteristics of the word
4. Square 3 = examples of the word
5. Square 4 = non examples of the word

The word of the week is miser YOU CANNOT USE THIS WORD FOR YOUR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT BECAUSE I AM USING IT AS AN EXAMPLE!

Center diamond = miser
Square 1 = (definition) a stingy, greedy person
Square 2 = (characteristics) cheap, frugal, close fisted, unfeeling
Square 3 = (example) someone who won't share; someone who always buys the cheapest product
Square 4 = (non example) a giver; a sponsor