Telling Your Tale

Often times in our lives, certain events, people, or moments have defined who we are as individuals. Your task today is to write a narrative story about a moment in your life that helped make you who you are.

Your story is going to be written in NARRATIVE form, so it should be told like a story NOT a letter.
Requirements for your story:

1. 3 – 5 paragraphs long


2. Story includes a beginning, middle, and end


3. Use 3 – 5 words from Context Clues


4. Use Subject-Verb Agreement


5. Tell the story about something, sometime, or someone that influenced you!

Rubric for Story:
Proficient – 4+ paragraphs, identify the major points of your life (events, people, etc), is written in narrative form, written in clear, logical sentences, student utilizes at least 3 new words
Non-Proficient – less than 4 paragraphs, not written in narrative form, writing is not clear or logical

Context Clues and Your Reading

This week we have been talking about using context clues to figure out unfamiliar words and confusing passages while you’re reading.

Today, your task is to answer the questions:

1. Why is it important to identify and understand words you didn’t know?
2. How does increasing your vocabulary help your understanding of the world around you?
3. List 3 (or more) words from your PCR book that you used context clues to give meaning to, and explain how that helped you understand the book more completely.
4. What do you think this mean – “You can never use a new word until you ‘own’ it.”

Blog entry Rubric:
Proficient – 2 paragraphs entered in class blog about their this week using context clues consciously, during their entry students must utilize at least 3 new words that they learned from reading this week
Non- Proficient – less than 2 paragraphs entered in class blog, students use less than 3 new words that they learned this week from reading

**Once your blog entry is completed, read this short selection. **

Using Tone in Your Writing

We have been working with tone for the last few weeks in class, and it is time to start utilizing tone in your writing.

Before we begin, please recall that tone is the overall “attitude” or “feel” of a writing piece. Tone is made up of three main components: 1) Diction 2) Imagery 3) Figurative language. So, as you complete the task listed below be sure to utilize these three writing strategies.

Your Task Today:
Compose a blog entry in which you utilize tone. Describe a time you and a friend went to a sporting event that started off really fun, but quickly turned sour. Write two paragraphs. The first paragraph should be in a “happy” tone and the second in a “negative” or “upset tone.” Use Diction, Imagery, and Figurative Language to create the tone.

(Note: If you cannot think of a time when you and your friends went to a sporting event, make one up!)

Rubric for Writing in Tone:
Proficient – 2 paragraphs entered in class blog about their experience in a sports event, the 1st paragraph is composed in a happy tone, the second in a sad tone – students should utilize words, images, and fig language to create a specific tone, each paragraph is a least 5 sentences.

Non- Proficient – less than 2 paragraphs, paragraphs do not differ in tone, and students do not use words, images, and fig language to their advantage, each paragraph is less than 5 sentences.

Does segregation exist today?

In order to properly comprehend this post, you must first have an understanding of the word segregation. There are several forms of segregation, but for our purposes segregation will be defined as “the enforced separation of different racial groups in a country, community, or establishment.” This means that people are forced to be separate from each other based on the color of their skin, religious views, or other factors. For example, white people would go to different schools than black people OR Christian people would not be allowed to go to the same schools as Jewish people.

Many people believe that segregation in this country ended during the 1960’s with Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. However, many argue that segregation stills exists today. That is: certain groups of people are still essentially separate based on their race, skin color, religious views, sexual preferences or another factor (living areas, grocery stores, etc.)

Now, we all know that segregation is illegal today, but is segregation truly gone from our society?

Your task is to research this topic, and determine whether or not segregation still exists today. Use Google to find articles about this or talk about your own personal experiences. Reflect on your feelings about the topic, and provide examples that support your logic or reason. If you find that segregation does still exist, propose possible solutions for the problem. Post your comment below.

Rubric:

• Proficient – 7+ sentences discussing your thoughts on “segregation today;” students supports his or her ideas with information found on web, experiences from own life, or other examples, all information is cited and explained thoroughly
• Non-Proficient – less than 7 sentences, students thoughts are not supported by examples from life or Internet, no sources cited or explained

Weclome Period 2!

You will practice your reading and writing skills on this blog. Enjoy!