Day 80!

Today's the day! We will move on to making our own resumes today!

You can do this using the Resume Generator or you can build your own using Pages. Make sure that you are including your objective, all the required information areas, and are using action words!

Day 73!

Happy Tuesday!

I apologize that I cannot be in class today; I am sure you are both really broken up about it too!

Today, I want you to start by revising your research essays. Look through the comments and check list that you received, and make your revisions based on the feedback given. Take your time in doing this, and make sure you make good strong revisions! Please print and turn in your revisions to the 3rd hour tray when you have completed it.

Once you have finished that, please move on to the vocabulary for this week. You can either break them up and do three each like we did last time, or you can do them all on your own. That is up to you. If you choose to break them up, make sure you each take a turn teaching the other person about your new words.

The words for this week are:

Benevolent
Misanthrope
Insipid
Emulate
Besmirch
Kerfuffle

This time, as you present, each person must have a visual presentation that includes: 

• definition of the word IN STUDENT FRIENDLY LANGUAGE. I do NOT want to see the definitions verbatim from Google. 
• part of speech
• image to help remember the word
• an example sentence that gives context clues about the word
• associated word to help remember 

The words will be posted on the Quizlet in the next day or so.  If you have not done so already and would like to have access to the list, please click on that link and ask to join the class! 

Day 67!

Today, we will begin with the vocabulary that we started yesterday. We will talk through each word, its definition, and a fun way to remember it. The words are also linked to Quizlet so you can study them!

After that, we will talk about your next writing assignment! Yay!

We have spent plenty of time discussing APA formatting now, so now it's time to put it into real practice.  Your task will be to write a 2-3 page informational research essay on a current event or issue. This event or issue should not be the same topic that you discussed in your Persuasive essay.

You will need to consult at least 3 sources for this essay; preferably they will be different formats (i.e. they aren't all articles you accessed on CNN). Feel free to quote scholarly articles, videos, printed newspaper articles, etc.

This paper should incorporate information from each source (they should all have in-text citations), and the entire essay should be formatted in APA style.

The rough draft of this essay will be due on Tuesday.


Some tips to help you get started/ pick a topic:

1. Look through the headlines of several media outlets
2. Find an article that interests you
3. Do further research through other sources to deepen your understanding of it
4. Highlight the main ideas of each article or video, noting some important facts, statistics, quotes, etc.
5. Summarize the event or issue in your essay

Your thesis for this essay will look a little different than it did for your persuasive essay.

Here is an example of an explanatory thesis statement from the Purdue OWL Writing Lab:

Example of an expository (explanatory) thesis statement:

The life of the typical college student is characterized by time spent studying, attending class, and socializing with peers.

The paper that follows should:

• Explain how students spend their time studying, attending class, and socializing with peers

Day 65!

Today, we will spend some time playing the APA games from yesterday. We will also take a look at each of your persuasive essays to see how you did turning it into an APA formatted paper.

If we get time, we will start with a new set of vocabulary. I decided to branch out and use ACT Prep words as well as Commonly Confused Words.

We will break the words up and each of you will be responsible for teaching three words to each other. These can go on the same document as our Commonly Confused Words.

You can also view these words on Quizlet Gulley Vocabulary

The words for the week are:

1. tenacious
2. indolent
3. harrowing
4. umbrage
5. gauche
6. that vs who

Day 62!

Okay, today we are going to keep working with the APA Reference page that we began practicing with yesterday.

We will begin with the worksheet that I handed out at the end of class yesterday.

After that, we are going to work on putting APA format into our own work. I want you to work with your persuasive essays that you recently turned in. Your task will be to take that MLA style paper and rework it into APA format. Your focus will be on creating:

• APA Title Page
• Running Header & Page Numbers
• In-Text Citations
• For this one: you may need to add parenthetical citations that you did not include before. Any information that you took from an outside source needs to be documented in an in-text citation! 
• Reference Page
• Remember, you are only including sources that you cited in the essay! You may have to go back to the articles in SIRS to find additional information for the APA citation. 

If you finish that early, I want you to continue to work with APA formatting by playing some of these sweet games!

Reference Page Citation Game
In-Text Citation Game
Compile the Reference Game
Citation Game

Day 60!

Happy day 60!

Today we will continue to talk about APA formatting. Our focus in class will be on how to format an APA essay and how to set up the References page! It's going to be a blast!

Day 59!

Happy Monday!

Today we will begin with a little time for feedback! We will spend the first several minutes filling out the Teacher Report Card posted below. After that, you will have some time to finish up with the Commonly Confused Words from last week; I don't think either of you had enough time to finish in class. We will talk about those, and then we will start talking about how to format in-text citations in APA format. If you would like to follow along with the KeyNote, click HERE!

We will also be doing a practice exercise for in-text citations, if you would like to type the assignment, you may use this document.

Day 57!

Day 57!

Okay, so I only briefly looked through your essays and I saw some errors that you should be way past by now. SO, I am going to give you back your essays. First, I want you to read through them out loud, make sure they make sense. Then I want you to ask yourself the following questions:


- Did I use proper grammar and spelling throughout the entire paper?
- Did I avoid using any untouchables?
- Does the tone of my entire paper match my purpose (to convince your audience)?
- Does my Works Cited page meet ALL of the requirements?

If you answered "no" to any of these questions (both of you have at least one "no"), then this is your chance to fix it. Really think about how I am going to grade this. Look back through all of the requirements to make sure you meet them. I will give you about 20 more minutes to read this paper out loud and do your last revisions.

Once you are done with that, we can finally pick back up with Commonly Confused Words! Remember, you're building your own definitions and examples now!

Please include:  the word, part of speech, definition, and an example of how it can be used correctly! Then, complete the exercises

1. passed vs past

Exercise

1. Carl had many secrets hiding in his shady (passed, past). 

2. Chang-Rae  (passed, past) his driver's test on his first try. 

3. Jim  (passed, past) "Go" four times while playing Monopoly, and not once did he go to jail. 

4. Players from the  (passed, past) were on the field to honor Ted Williams. 

5. In the  (passed, past), I have tried to overlook your rude comments, but I no longer can. 

2. raise vs rise

Exercise: 

1. Write four sentences. Use raise  in two and rise in two

2. Please (raise, rise) for the flag salute.

3. To avoid everyone talking at once, please (raise, rise) your hand to be called upon.

4. Sigmund and Hilda (raise, rise) llamas on their farm for a living.

3. whose vs who's

Exercise

1. Janice is the sophomore (whose, who's) representing the class at the board meeting. 

2. Noah is the soccer player (whose, who's) jersey number is 62.

3. We need to know (whose, who's) fault the accident was so we can initiate legal action. 

4. Tell me, (whose, who's) the one who put that graffiti on the back wall of the school?

5. We don't know (whose, who's) going to be the center on the basketball team. 

Day 40!

Happy 40th day of school!

Today we will start with our Commonly Confused Words for the week! Except, this time, we are going to do it a little differently. Instead of me telling you what the differences between the words, YOU'RE going to do research (if needed) to tell ME what the differences are! (YAY!)I have a feeling that this will help you remember the words a little better.

So, you will need to provide me with the same information that I have provided you throughout the weeks. You will need to give me the word, its part of speech, its definition (in your own words), and an example of how it should be used. You will give yourself a hint as to how you can decide which word to use in your writings. Then, you will complete the exercises listed here! Ready? Okay!

1. among vs between

Exercise: 
1. (Among, Between) the five of you, you ought to be able to come up with a solution.
2. It is difficult for two people to keep a secret (among, between) them and not tell others.
3. The twins were able to divide the candy (among, between) themselves.
4. To paraphrase Ben Franklin, three can keep a secret (among, between) themselves if two of them are dead.
5. Hope spread (among, between) the citizens.
6. He decided (among, between) a red Corvette, a blue Mustang, and a yellow Jeep.

2. angry vs mad

Exercise: 
Let me tell you, I am really (angry with, mad at) you this time! I just finished reading some of Poe's short stories, and your analysis of him and some of his characters is way off. Now, I agree with you that the old man in "The Tell-Tale Heart" is rather strange and possibly (angry, mad). All signs point to his having lost his mind, and the character in "The Masque of the Red Death" was also a bit strange. However, he was hardly (angry, mad)! He was just (angry, mad) with the way the nobility treated the common people at that time.

3. have vs of

Exercise: 
Read each sentence. Correct each mistake involving have and of. Highlight the incorrect word and replace it with the correct word. Remember, contractions are not acceptable in formal writing! 

1. There is no question that I could of won that race!
2. When I think of what might've been, I get angry with myself for not trying.
3. I would have entered the science fair if I could of thought of a project.
4. I should of known you were always a truthful person.
5. I could've graduated early, but I decided to stay for second semester.
6. I never would of thought that you would say such a thing.


Once you have finished these, please highlight the examples of persuasive appeal in your letters to the school board and turn them into the 3rd period tray.

After that, the sub will give you a copy of your assignment for tomorrow. Pick one of the three options to complete for class tomorrow!

Have a good day.

Day 31!

Happy Friday!

Today we will start with our Commonly Confused Words for the week--I know you're probably so sad that we missed them last week!

Then, we will talk about who won our scholarship essay contest! I know you're both so excited to find out  the results!

After that, I want you to spend some time on a few scholarship websites. I want you to set up a free account on the following sites and browse through the available scholarships (or scholarships they've had in the past). Your homework will be to set these accounts up and find 3 scholarships you would be eligible to or interested in applying for.

Here are the sites:
http://www.scholarships.com/
http://www.fastweb.com/
http://www.icansucceed.org/


1. your, you're- this is a big one!

your (adj)- the possessive form of "you"; it belongs to you

Example: Please place all of your books on the floor before we begin the test.

you're- contraction of "you are"

Example: There is no question that you're going to do well in the debate.

(Your, You're) not always sure of (your, you're) own abilities, especially when every time you do something using (your, you're) own talent, (your, you're) immediately criticized for using (your, you're) creativity. As you get older and more experienced, however, (your, you're) confidence will be renewed and (your, you're) going to believe in (your, you're) approach to (your, you're) own original artwork. Trust me, (your, you're) going to be a successful artist in whatever medium you choose.

2. cite, sight, site

cite (vb)- to quote a passage, a book, an author, or another source, especially as an authority; to summon officially to appear in court; to commend

Example: You must cite several sources as you write your research paper.

sight (vb or n)- vb-to observe within one's field of vision; to take aim at; n- the power of seeing; a view; a field of vision


Example: Springfield sighted the tall ships.

site (n)- the exact location or position of something, the position or location of a town building, and so forth, especially in relation to its environment.

Example: The dump site reeked of rotting garbage.

Exercise: Write six sentences, use each word in two sentences.

3. lay, lie

lay (vb)- to put; to place something

Example: The baby laid his head down and immediately went to sleep.

Lay, laid, and laid (past participles)

lie (vb)- to recline or remain in a reclining postition

Example: Linda has lain down for an afternoon nap every day of her  life.

Lie, lay, lain

hint: "lay" takes a object (the head in the first example) and "lie" does not

Exercise: Write four sentences. Use each word twice.

Day 16!

Okay, today we will start as we usually do on Fridays. We will start with our Commonly Confused Words for the week!  After that, we will begin to talk about writing scholarship essays.

1. than, then

than (conj)- used for comparisons; used to introduce the second element or clause of a comparison of inequality

example: You are far more intelligent than you think.
example: He is much more fun than Bert.

then (adv)- at that time in the past; next in time, order, or space; at another time in the future; in that case; in addition; besides; yet; on the other hand

example: Let's go to the movies and then go out to eat.
example: He was much more fun, then.

hint: "than" is used as a comparison word, and "then" tells when. 

1. That building seems taller (than, then) this one.
2. I don't see how you can say one thing and (than, then) change your mind so easily.
3. There is no question that lead is heaver (than, then) silver.
4. Buildings made of steel are much stronger (than, then) those made of wood.
5. I like to get Chinese food every now and (than, then).

2. their, there, they're

their (pronoun)- the possessive case of the pronoun they, indicating ownership (they own it; it is their thing)

example: Grant and Hunter gave their best performance on the second night of the play.

there (adv)-  of or at a place; to into, or toward a place

example: There are several reasons why I don't want to dance.
example: Over there is the door the president will walk through.

they're- contraction of they are

example: They're supposed to save their money instead of spending it on silly things.

Write six sentences. Use each word in two sentences.  Exchange your sentences with a classmate. Read your partner's sentences to make sure the words are used correctly.

3. all ready, already

all ready (adj)-  prepared; completely ready

example: The volunteers at the homeless shelter were all ready to serve dinner to those waiting in the long line.

already (adv)- before some specified time; previously

example: By the time Sylvia arrived at school, classes had already begun.

1. Clarence had his math homework (all ready, already) to pass in.
2. The math test was for one hour, but Scott had  (all ready, already) finished in a half-hour.
3. (All ready, Already) for the prom, Denise discovered a tear in her dress.
4. Kyong had  (all ready, already) selected a topic for her research paper.

Friday, Day 13!

Here are your commonly confused words for the week:

1. to, too, two 

to (prep)- movement toward; in a direction toward; toward or reaching the state of
example: Daren went through the hall, into the room, and up to the front.
example: Please take this letter to the post office and mail it.

too (adv)- in addition; also; more than sufficient; excessively
example: Marich and Meghan wanted to go to the circus, too.
example: Rheatha used too much butter in the cake recipe.

two (n., adj, pronoun)- the number 2; equal to one plus one; having two parts
example: I have told you two times that a negative times a negative equals a positive! Duh.

Often there are (to, too, two) many people (to, too, two) tell a secret. Any more than (to, too, two) poses a serious threat that the secret will be revealed. (To, Too, Two) often we make the mistake of trusting (to, too, two) many people, and we hear the secret coming back to us from (to, too, two) different sources. It is like walking into a stone wall, because the shock is almost (to, too, two) much to bear. The (to, too, two) lessons (to, too, two) be learned are that more than (to, too, two) people can't keep a secret, so tell it only (to, too, two) the one person you trust most.

2. which, witch

which (adj, pronoun)-  the particular one or ones
example: Brian had difficulty deciding which fishing rod to buy.
example: His decision was based upon which of the rods came with a reel.

witch (n)- a woman who practices sorcery; an ugly, old, vicious woman
example: In Salem, Massachusetts, there is an active coven of witches.


1. I always had difficulty deciding (which, witch) dessert I like best.
2. You have given me several reasons, none of (which, witch) is acceptable.
3. The children were afraid of the old woman because they thought she was a (which, witch).
4. (Which, Witch) of these suits do you like better?
5. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the (whiches, witches) tell Macbeth several prophecies.
6. Write two original sentences. Use which in one and witch in the other.

3. woman, women

woman (n)-  an adult female human
example: Madeleine Albright was the first woman to serve as United States Secretary of State

women (n)- the plural form of woman
example: Two of the women in the band played guitar.

1. Gwyneth Paltrow is one of the (woman, women) in show business who has succeeded both on stage and in movies.
2. Four (woman, women) in the United States Senate are from California and Maine.
3. (Woman, Women) have fought for years to receive equal pay for equal work.
4. Eleanor Roosevelt was one (woman, women) highly admired by the American public.
5. Write two sentences of your own. Use woman in one and women  in the other.

Friday, Day 8!

Commonly Confused Words:

1. farther, further

farther (adv)- at or to a greater distance (used to refer to measurable distance)

     example: Texas is farther west that Louisiana.

further (adj or adv)- greater in time, degree, or extent; additionally

     example: Frankly, I have no further interest in arguing with you over such trivia.

     example: The further you go in the study of psychology, the more fascinating it becomes.


1. The company has suspended (farther, further) negotiations for the contract.
2. The evidence was extensive and offered (farther, further) proof of the defendant's guilt.
3. I rode my bicycle (farther, further) down the road than Maggie did.
4. Hawaii is (farther, further) away than Alaska is.
5. There is no question we need (farther, further) review to be ready for the exam.

2. hang, hanged, hung

hang (vb)- to fasten above with no support from below; to suspend; to attach to a wall; to suspend by the neck until dead.

Hang has two past forms and two different past participle forms, hang, hanged, hung and hang, hung, hung.  Hanged is used exclusively in the sense of causing death. Therefore, do not use hung when referring to capital punishment or suicide.

   example: The four pictures were hung along the stairway leading to the balcony.
   example: In some states, prisoners are hanged for capital offenses.

The prisoner was schedule to be (hanged, hung) at dawn. Just before dawn, the warden received an important call from the prisoner's lawyer. He told the warden that Judge Clements was trying to stop the inmate from being (hanged, hung).  Before he (hanged, hung) up, the lawyer told the warden to expect a call from the governor. The warden (hanged, hung) his badge on his shirt and proceeded to the gallows area to wait The prisoner, head (hanged, hung) low, entered. Suddenly, the phone rang. After the warden (hanged, hung) up, he announced a stay of execution had been granted. The prisoner would not be (hanged, hung).

3. its, it's

its (pronoun)- owned by; belonging to
   example: A horse uses its tail to swat flies and other insects.

it's- contraction of it is
     example: I don't want to go into any more detail about your birthday present; it's a secret.

1. The camel stores water in (its, it's) body for weeks, requiring less fluid than most animals.
2. (Its, It's) clear that the answer to the problem is quite complex.
3. One can easily identify the lilac because of (its, it's) distinctive odor.
4. (Its, It's) interesting how the male pheasant shows off (its, it's) plumage by fanning (its, it's) tail feathers.

Days 5 & 6!

So, in case you didn't tune in yesterday, we took the whole class to write the RAFTS exercises that we didn't get to the day before!

Today, we will begin class with some practice with word choice. In order to have professional writing, it is pertinent that you have a good vocabulary!

Once we have finished that, we will share our RAFTS. We will read through each of them, and talk about what is good about each, and about what we can do better. Then, I will give you some time to revise your writing to strengthen your word choice!

Day 4!

Welcome to day 4!

Today we will start with some grammar practice. Today's focus will be parallelism! We will talk about what parallelism is, what it looks like, and how to properly implement it in sentences. Then, you will do some practice.

Afterwards, we will talk more about tone and purpose. You will share the articles, videos, etc. that you found online and talk about how you could tell what the tone and purpose were.

If we have time, we will complete some writing activities! Click this link to view the Tone/Purpose RAFTS that we will be completing!

See you soon!

Day 3!

Today, we will start of with some practice with commonly confused words. I will give you 15ish minutes to work on the exercises below, and then we will take some time to discuss the answers.

After that, we will begin talking about tone and purpose.

Commonly Confused Words Practice: 

as, like

definitions: 

as (conj)- in or to the same degree; in the same manner
      ex. Jesse won the big race just as he had done the year before.

like (prep)- similar to, in the manner of (introduces a prepositional phrase)
       ex. You know, you look just like your mother.

1. Don't do what I do; do (as, like) I say.
2. The crowd applauded and screamed loudly (as, like) hometown fans usually do.
3. The audience swooned in unison (as, like) a chorus at Ali's portrayal of the dying swan.
4. (As, Like) I said, not many people appreciate your crude remarks.

fewer, less

definitions: 

fewer (adj)- a smaller number (refers to things that can be counted)
     ex. There are fewer people smoking cigarettes today than there were ten years ago.

less (adj)- smaller in size amount or degree; not so large, great, or much (refers to things that cannot be counted)

1. Write four complete sentences. Two sentences should contain "fewer", and the other two should contain "less".

set, sit

definitions: 

set (vb)- to put something from one place to another; to fix the value of at a certain amount or rate; to pass below the horizon; to assume a rigid state

    ex. Phyllis set the dish on the table and left the room.

sit (vb)- to be seated; to be located or situated; to remain quiet or inactive
     ex. Please sit at the table.

1. Vera (set, sit) the lamp on the table nearest the French doors.
2. Belinda and Lily (set, sat) patiently, waiting for the secretary to call their names.
3. Once you (set, sit) down, we can begin the class.
4. Carl (set, sit) his alarm clock before he went to sleep.
5. (Set, Sit) the plant nearer to the window so it will get some natural light.

Thursday, August 15!

And we're to day 2!

Today we will be taking a look at some of your essays from last year. You will spend some time re-reading what you wrote so that you can get a closer look at your writing. After you have read your essay and the comments that I made on it, I will have you complete a short written reflection about your writing skills. This reflection will help me get a better idea of where you think you stand with your writing, and what you aim to accomplish before you leave class this year.

THEN, we will take some time to prepare (or re-prepare) for the ACT and/or MAP tests you may end up taking next week! Woo hoo! I know you're all super stoked about that. I've got a brief practice test for you to take, and if we get time at the end of class we will go through the answers to see how you did!

I CANNOT WAIT!!!

Welcome!

Welcome to Real World Writing! In this class, we will focus on a variety of types of writing that you will need in your lives beyond school. This site will serve as our "home base". You will be able to find daily assignments, rubrics, and other necessary information here!

This is a new class at Earlham this year, and I am really excited to get started!