Writing (Eureka Week)

 Writing!

1. Read in your book pages 74-154.  That's to Ally chapter 5.

2. No copy work this week! You will want to read carefully all that is required this week.  There might be some generous vanguard bucks for those that are prepared.

3. Continue working on your research papers.  

This week I want you to add to your papers.  

• Add 1-3 more paragraphs to each main point.  These paragraphs should support your main ideas.
• Try and have the last sentence of your last paragraph in your first point tie into the next point. Do that with each section.  
• Write a concluding paragraph.  
• Your paper should be a full outline or rough draft at this point.  
• You now have all of December to finish it up and have different family members read it for you and help you make corrections.  
• It will be due on January 7th.  You will present your papers as a speech.  So as you finish up your papers, practice reading it as a speech.  We only have 45 minutes in class, so we will break into small groups and you will give your speech to a few others.

4.  Do 2 more pages in your writing books.  You should be through at least 20 pages. Bring your books to class.

5. Some fun grammar! We have previously talked about nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, subject, object and articles.  We didn't have copy work, but I want you to make notecards for these terms from last time and for the new words below.  They will be added to the notecard game.

Now we are going to cover; adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, clauses and phrases.  


adverb - An adverb is like an adjective, but instead of describing a noun or a pronoun, it tells you more about a verb, an adjective, or even another adverb. An adverb describes how, when or where something happens. 

For example: He smiled politely. Liz drives slowly.  We arrived late.  Jo lives there. I'm only joking.

conjunction - A conjunction is a linking word.  It joins other words and groups of words together.  Without conjunctions, sentences would be short and jerky.

For example: He closed his eyes.  He didn't fall asleep.  The conjunction but can turn these into a single sentence:  He closed his eyes, but he didn't fall asleep. Some common conjunctions are: and, but, or, yet, therefore, so, because, although, while.

preposition - A preposition is a word that tells you how one thing is related to another.  It is normally attached to a noun or a pronoun.  A lot of prepositions show where one thing is in relation to another thing. 

For example: The dog is lying on the bed. 

Other prepositions show when something happens in relation to something else.

For example: Mike's parents are coming to stay before Christmas.

Here are some common prepositions: in, on, under, to, before, after, around, near, down, over, up, past, between, into.

Lots of verbs look as if they are followed by prepositions (for example, to break down, to cheer up, to break in), but in fact, in these cases, these little words are thought of as part of the verb.

clauses and phrases - Sentences can be made up of clauses (groups of words that contain verbs) and phrases (groups of words without verbs).

A sentence is a group of words that makes sense on its own.  Most sentences have a subject and a verb.

We will be doing some fun stuff in class with all this new information!  Be prepared by knowing what each thing is!

And now for the spelling words!

assistant - a person who helps in particular work.

extraordinary - very unusual or remarkable.

galaxies - a system of millions or billions of stars, together with gas and dust, held together by gravitational attraction.

globular - globe-shaped; spherical.

telescope - an optical instrument designed to make distant objects appear nearer.

magnitude - the great size or extent of something, of great importance.

priorities - the fact or condition of being regarded or treated as more important.

analyzed - discover or reveal (something) through detailed examination.

information - facts provided or learned about something or someone.

originated - have a specified beginning.

frequencies - the rate at which something occurs or is repeated over a particular period of time or in a given sample.

usually - under normal conditions; generally.

unusual - not habitually or commonly occurring or done.

hypnotic - exerting a compelling, fascinating, or soporific effect.

apologetically - regretfully acknowledging or excusing an offense or failure.

automatically - without conscious thought or attention; spontaneously.

uncontrollably - not controllable. unable to contain.

lawyer - a person who practices or studies law; an attorney or a counselor.

mosquitoes - a slender long-legged fly with aquatic larvae.

electricity - a form of energy resulting from the existence of charged particles (such as electrons or protons),                                either statically as an accumulation of charge or dynamically as a current.

assistant extraordinary

galaxies globular 

telescope magnitude

priorities analyzed

information originated 

frequencies usually 

unusual hypnotic 

apologetically  automatically

uncontrollably lawyer

mosquitoes electricity 

 

November Writing (History Week)

1. Read through page 73 in "every soul a star," by Wendy Mass

2. Write this quote in your book.  This is at the very beginning of the book. 

And when he [the author of the universe] had compounded the whole, he divided it up into as many souls as there are stars, and allotted each soul to a star.  And mounting them on their stars, as if on chariots, he showed them the nature of the universe and told them the laws of their destiny.

-from "Timaeus" by Plato (427-357 BCE)

3. Please go to this website to learn how to cite your sources for your research paper. Citing Sources

What to bring to class:

    1. The beginnings of your paper; Introduction, Thesis Statement, and at least 1-2 paragraphs under each major point. 

    2. Works Cited list. This does not have to be perfect yet, I just want a list of the resources you have used so far.  You should use at least 3 different sources in your research.

4.  Do 2 more pages in your writing books.  Write in your best handwriting.  Is it improving? 

5. Spelling words from "every soul a star."

civilization - the stage of human social and cultural development and organization that is considered most advanced.

eclipse - an obscuring of the light from one celestial body by the passage of another between it and the observer or between it and its source of illumination.

important - of great significance or value; likely to have a profound effect on success, survival, or well-being.

confiscated - take or seize (someone's property) with authority.

humiliating - causing someone to feel ashamed and foolish by injuring their dignity and self-respect.

achievement - a thing done successfully, typically by effort, courage, or skill.

maintenance - the process of maintaining or preserving someone or something, or the state of being maintained.

labyrinth - a complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one's way; a maze.

approaches - come near or nearer to (someone or something) in distance or time.

asteroid - a small rocky body orbiting the sun.

clique - a small group of people, with shared interests or other features in common, who spend time together and do not readily allow others to join them.

click - an act of selecting an option on an electronic interface by pressing a button or touching a screen.

embarrassing - cause (someone) to feel awkward, self-conscious, or ashamed.

participants - a person who takes part in something.

disappointment - sadness or displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one's hopes or expectations.

awesome - extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring great admiration, apprehension, or fear.

experience - practical contact with and observation of facts or events.

conditioning - the process of training or accustoming a person or animal to behave in a certain way or to accept certain circumstances.

materialistic - excessively concerned with material possessions; money-oriented.

appreciate - recognize the full worth of - understand (a situation) fully; recognize the full implications of.

Pictures!!!!

civilization  eclipse 

important  confiscated 

humiliating  achievement 

maintenance  labyrinth 

approaches  asteroid 

clique  click 

embarrassing  participants 

disappointment  awesome

experience  conditioning 

materialistic  appreciate 

 

Writing (Imaginative Arts Week)

 Writing (November IA Week)

1. You should have finished the book already!  If not, get it finished.

2. Write this paragraph from the book in your nicest handwriting. Try practicing your best print and your best italics or cursive.

Many hours later she buried him in the snow. The totem of Amaroq was in her pocket. Her fingers ran over it but she did not take it out. She sang to the spirit of Amaroq in her best English:

The seals are scarce and the whales are almost gone. 

The spirits of the animals are passing away. 

Amaroq, Amaroq, you are my adopted father.

My feet dance because of you.

My eyes see because of you.

My mind thinks because of you. 

And it thinks, on this thundering night, 

That the hour of the wolf and the Eskimo is over.

Julie pointed her boots toward Kapugen.

(Part 3, Page 170)

While the opening passage of a novel sets the tone, the final passage creates the impression the reader will take away. An unsatisfying ending can make a reader reevaluate all that came before, while a profound ending can elevate the reader’s experience of a book. The ending is an opportunity for the author to reinforce or deepen the main character’s development or invite speculation about what will happen next. 

3. Your paper should be all finished and edited.  If you didn't get to have a mentor read it last week, please have a parent read it and make corrections for you.  Make sure it has a title! Does it have an ending that is satisfying to the reader?  Finish your final draft and send it to me at tasha.eagar@gmail.com. I will post them for all to read!  I read some really great stories and I would love for others to see all the creativity!

4. Study ALL of the spelling words from Julie of the Wolves.  You may want to skim through the book and study some other words in case we get to that point again!

5. We are going to shift the work load, so there is not as much to do on History and Eureka week.  So... We are going to start the next paper this week.  Because you have the whole Christmas break to work on it, you should have time to get it done.  It will be due on Leadership week on January 7th.  You might want to get most of it done before the break!

We will be doing a research project. (This could double as a speech for speech and debate!)

There are a wide range of research topics.  I found these statements helpful. I want you to consider these as you decide what to research.

Your Level of Interest: Research papers are time-consuming; you will be spending countless hours researching the topic and related topics, developing several primary and secondary sources, and putting everything together into a paper that is coherent and accomplishes your objectives. If you do not choose a topic you are passionate about, the process will be far more tedious, and the finished product may suffer as a result.

Your Level of Experience: Being interested in a topic is great, but it is even more helpful if you already know something about it. If you can find a topic that you already have some personal and/or professional experience with, it will vastly reduce the amount of research needed and make the whole process much easier.

Available Information on the Topic: Be sure to choose a topic that is not only interesting but also one that has numerous sources available from which to compile your research. A researchable topic with several potential sources gives you access to the level of information you need to become an authority on the subject.

Your Audience: An interesting topic to you may not necessarily be interesting to your audience or whoever is reading your research paper. Before you begin, consider the level of interest of the person(s) who will be reading it. If you are writing a persuasive or argumentative essay, also consider their point of view on the subject matter.

There are different types of research papers that include:

• Argumentative Research Papers; where you research 2 sides of a topic and present both sides and then tell us why you believe in one side or the other.
• Persuasive Research Papers; where you persuade someone that what you are telling them is the absolute best!  Kind of like they do in advertising.
• Education Research Papers; Where you educate someone on a topic, lots of factual information.
• Analytical Research Papers; Where you analyze a topic and figure out what all the perspectives are. Perhaps analyzing a song and what it means.
• Informative Research Papers; Where you inform the reader about what you have researched. 

Informative papers are probably the easiest type, but you are welcome to choose any of the above.  Here is a website with a list of possible topics to choose from. Some of the topics are very controversial, but maybe you are interested in arguing one of those topics.  There is also a teen section on this website.

https://www.myspeechclass.com/good-and-interesting-research-paper-topics.html

You could also choose something as simple as researching about your favorite animal, but I want to know everything there is to know about it, and make it interesting!

Come to class prepared with your topic of research and the type of paper you will be presenting.  Also come with an outline.  Your outline will be similar to that of your narrative.  It should look something like this. Research Paper Outline You may print this and use it, or just use this as an idea and type it up. The major points may change along the way as you do your research, but you should have 3 points that you want to research.  The introduction, obviously will introduce us to your topic.  Right now, you just need to know what you are researching.  The introduction paragraph will become apparent as you start writing.  The thesis will tell us about the 3 major points you will be introducing and have a strong statement about the research. Your conclusion will wrap up everything you have researched.  Remember, we are just getting started.  You will research each of your major points in the coming weeks. Keep a record of the sources you use.  We will learn how to site sources next week.