Bailey's Big News

This Week in LA

This week we worked on our PERSONAL NARRATIVES everyday.  We also completed several spelling assignments on the NEW spelling words.

Mon-Wed - NO HOMEWORK was given

Thursday's HOMEWORK - Rewrite draft
DOL Quiz tomorrow!

Friday we will be EDITING our drafts
FINAL NARRATIVES due Thurs., Oct. 5th!

Narrative Paper Information

Narratives are due Thursday, October 5th!

We have been working on these narratives IN CLASS for several weeks.  Students explored MANY types of narratives and short stories and used Chapter 4 in the Grammar Textbook.  Ms. Bailey MODELED EACH revision strategy and students used class time to draft, revise, and work in pairs on their narratives.

The FINAL steps SHOULD be done AT HOME.  Students will be editing and peer editing their narratives on Friday, Sept. 29th IN CLASS.  After Friday, the narratives will be sent home so that students can COMPLETE them/TYPE them.  ALL DRAFTS, post-its, and STRIPS are DUE for a grade WITH THE FINAL NARRATIVE.  They should be STAPLED SEPARATELY!Download Narrative.doc

New Spelling Words

Spelling words were given to students on Monday, Sept. 25th.  These (20) words will be worked on for the next TWO WEEKS. The spelling test is on Friday, October 6th!

penguin, language, parachute, Michigan, examination, executive, exhibit, exhausted, whirlpool, meanwhile, distinguished, guacamole, extinguish, brochure, chauffeur, chandelier, exempt, exotic, exertion, overwhelming

Test Tomorrow

Tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 22nd is the VOCABULARY TEST.  Please check the definitions from last Thursday, Sept. 14th and STUDY!

DOL Quiz tomorrow - STUDY your DOL from this week!

We will be working on our narratives tomorrow:  Good HOOKS, CONCLUSIONS, and building an exciting CLIMAX.

HOMEWORK
Study for tomorrow's TEST and QUIZ

Wed., Sept. 20th

Today was EARLY RELEASE so we worked on our WORD MAPS in class.  Students started word maps for vocabulary words 9-15.  Many students DID NOT finish.

HOMEWORK
Finish your WORD MAPS - all 15 are due tomorrow.
Study your vocabulary definitions (see Thurs BLOG)
Vocabulary Test this FRIDAY!

Word Maps

Word Maps are used to help students connect words with ideas and examples. We completed WORD MAPS for homework yesterday on (1-8) of our Vocabulary Words.  Here is an example of how to complete a WORD MAP.

Download word_map.doc

Narratives

For the past two days, we have been working on our NARRATIVES in class.  Today, we continued to work on our narratives and everyone completed a pink REVISION sheet and started their REWRITES. 

HOMEWORK

Rewrite your narrative and staple the new one (pencil) to the FRONT of the first draft.

PLEASE NOTE:  Yesterday, students had to complete word maps for vocabulary words (1-8) for homework.  Although this homework was NOT collected, students need to have their WORD MAPS tomorrow so they can ADD vocabulary words (9-12).

Vocabulary Words

These vocabulary words are the words we are working on this, and next week:
TEST on Friday, September 22nd

hook - gets the reader's attention
introduction - the opening paragraph
clincher - lets the reader know you are finished/closing
transition -  word/phrase that moves one idea to the next
conflict - a problem or struggle
sequence - order of events/ following one after another
autobiographical narrative - a group of events in a story offering insight
personal narrative - a story about a specific event
audience - the readers that a writer intends to reach
purpose - the goal or reason a writer chooses to write
memoir - autobiographical writing that is about a relationship with another person, animal, or place
plot -  the sequence of events in writing
tone - a writer's attitude toward the subject
mood - the feeling created in the reading or passage
setting - the time and place of a story

Thur., Sept. 14th

Today we read another example of an autobiographical narrative and students completed their narratives.  We will be working on revising tomorrow.

DOL Quiz - tomorrow

Tues., Sept. 12th

DOL: Rewrite sentence vertically and label the parts of speech

Today we continued to work on our narratives.  Our goal is to complete our first drafts by Friday so we can work on some revision strategies.

HOMEWORK
Define your remaining (8) vocabulary words.