9.28- Bell-ringer and Theme Exercise

Understanding Theme with Fables

In Aesop’s fables, there is always a moral. The theme of a story is a universal truth that can be found across many forms of literature. A theme is always going to be a sentence, never just one word.  

Directions: Determine the moral or theme of these fables. Write your themes on a half sheet of paper.

1. The Ant and the Grasshopper

            In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content.  An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.   "Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"  "I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same."  "Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; we have got plenty of food at present."  But the Ant went on its way and continued  its toil.  When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer.  Then the Grasshopper knew. 

What did the Grasshopper learn? 

 2. The Monkey and the Cookies

A monkey put his hand into a jar of cookies.  He grasped as many as he could possibly hold, but when he tried to pull out his hand, he was prevented from doing so by the neck of the cookie jar.  Unwilling to lose the cookies, and yet unable to withdraw his hand, he burst into tears and bitterly lamented his disappointment. 

What is the moral of the story?

 3. The Bundle of Sticks

An old monkey on the point of death summoned his sons around him to give them some parting advice.  He ordered them to bring in a bundle of sticks, and said to his eldest son: "Break it."  The son strained and strained, but with all his efforts was unable to break the sticks.  The other sons also tried, but none of them was successful.  "Untie the bundle," said the father, "and each of you take a stick."  When they had done so, he called out to them: "Now, break," and each stick was easily broken.  "You

see my meaning," said their father.

What was the father’s meaning? 

4. The Dogs and the Hides

            Some dogs famished with hunger saw a number of cowhides steeping in a river.  Not being able to reach them, they agreed to drink up the river, but it happened that they burst themselves with drinking long before they reached the hides. 

What is the moral of the story?

9.27- Bell-ringer and Grammar Exercises

Bell-ringer: Directions—correct the following sentences.

1. After the combined trip are familys will be seperating tommorow.

2. My familie is going to colombus, their family is headed to amish country.

3. We no longer go they’re cause my sister were bitten by a amish rabbit.

4. she nocked a whole jar of home made jelly of the shelve and broked it.

5. She’s payed for the jelly and layed down for a nap. 

Complete each activity and show Mr. Spivy your scores when you finish. If you do not like your final score, then redo the exercise.

There, their, they're--click here
To, too, two-- click here
Its, it's-- click here

9.25 and 26 Bell-ringers

Directions: Write the following sentences. Define the underlined words using prior knowledge and context clues.

1. Everyone knows that Cynthia is a braggart; she even brags about how straight her teeth are.

2. Because of the preacher’s brevity, we were able to beat the other churches to lunch.

3. This plate used to be sturdy, but after many years, it is now brittle.

4. Henry bungled his part of the song and made the whole band look bad.

5.  Even with thousands of people on board, the ship remained buoyant.

Directions: Write an original sentence for each of the following words. Your sentences should be at least ten words long.

1. Braggart—noun a person who does a lot of bragging

2. Brevity—noun. shortness of time or duration

3. Brittle—adj. easily damaged or destroyed; fragile; frail

4. Bungle—verb to do clumsily and awkwardly; botched

5.  Buoyant—adj. tending to float in a fluid

9.22-Bell-ringer, Journal Entry, Discussion Questions

I expect you to work hard today. Don't mess around. Don't be distracted or a distraction. Get your work done. 8th period! Make sure to plug all of the i-Pads in at the end of the day. Do good things; make me proud. 

Bell-ringer (except for 5th period)

In one pond in the forest, scientists found that a sample of pond water contained 45 minnows for every 27 tadpoles. How many tadpoles would they expect to find in a sample that contained 315 minnows? Show your work!

Tuff-Time Journal Entry #4

This week, you have been spending time with people who are outside of your normal clique. Or at least, that is what you were supposed to be doing. Today, you are going to write about your experiences. Following the guiding questions below to help develop each of your three paragraphs. 

Paragraph #1- Write about the different people that you decided to spend time with this week. Why did you choose these people? Did you choose a different group each day or was it the same every day? What were your interactions like? 

Paragraph #2- Write about how you felt as you were interacting with these different people. Was it easy or difficult? What made it easy or difficult? If you interacted with the same people throughout the week, did your interactions become less awkward. Why don't you normally spend time with these people? 

Paragraph #3- Write about the downfalls of cliques at Edison specifically. Write about what you, personally, could do to help create bridges between the different cliques at Edison. Write down something that might be positive if these cliques disappeared. 

The Outsiders: Chapters 7-9 Discussion Questions

Directions: On your own sheet of paper, answer the following questions. Your answers should be complete sentences. If a question has multiple parts, answer all parts of the question. Include text evidence for questions 3, 5, 8, and 10. Period 5: Choose six of the questions below to answer.

1.      What was the content of Ponyboy and Randy’s conversation? Write down at least three things they talked about.

2.      Randy said that the problem with Bob was that his parents never told him “no.” To many teenagers, this does not sound like a problem at all; how could never being told “no” be a problem?

3.      Why did the doctor allow Ponyboy and Two-Bit in to see Johnny? The nurse would not allow it at first. The answer is not obvious.

4.      How did Johnny react when the nurse tells him that his mother is there for a visit? Why did he react this way? Do you believe, in spite of her treatment of Johnny, that his mother does still love and care for him?

5.      What reason does Cherry give for not going to see Johnny? Do you agree with Cherry or do you think you would be upset like Ponyboy was?

6.      What quality in Bob did Cherry love? Who else shared this quality?

7.      In one well-written sentence, describe the mood at the Curtis house just before the rumble. Use at least one quote from the book to support your answer. Make sure to write down the page number from where the quote came.

8.      Ponyboy feels the only reason to fight is self-defense. Using the text, describe why the other Greasers fight. What does Johnny say about fighting at the end of chapter 9?

9.      Which Soc started the rumble with Darry? What relationship do Darry and this Soc share? Why do you think the author included the information about this Soc?

10.  What are Johnny’s last words? What does this reference? What did these words mean?

Period 5: Since I blew through Chapter 7, use the link below to read a summary on that chapter. 

Click here. 

9.21- Bell-ringer and Grammar Activity

Bell-ringer: Directions—Write the quote and answer the questions that follow.

“In order to have great happiness you have to have great pain and unhappiness - otherwise how would you know when you're happy?” Leslie Caron

1) Do you agree with Caron? Why?

2) Think about a time when you were the happiest (or at least a time when you were happy); do you think you would have been happy had you never experienced unhappiness in your life? Explain.

Directions: Combine each set of independent clauses into a compound sentence.

30. I had a peanut butter sandwich for lunch. I ate my apple for dessert.

31. I studied so long for my algebra test. I think I got a really good grade.

32. I will lend you my notebook. I should keep my pencil for writing the test.

33. The water was cool. We still went swimming.

34. Eat your breakfast. Put your dishes in the dishwasher.

35. The oranges tasted absolutely delicious and juicy. The apples were a bit sour.

36. I am tired. I am hungry.

37. You have the right to vote in the election. You are old enough now.

38. Justin will send us some tickets. We can go to Portland.

39. Outside, the wind felt chilly. We were cozy inside by the fire.

40. Jean wrote the entire first chapter. She took a break in the evening. 

9.20-Bell-ringer

Bell-ringer: Directions—Write the sentences correctly.

1.     Madison through the ball threw the hoop and maid too points.

2.     He says that he can dew moor push ups then you.

3.     The teacher told he and I two go to the office.

4.     Most brazillians speak portuguese but there customs are african and indian.

5.     We are not aloud to go to day cause grandma is sick. 

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

As Mr. Spivy told you in class, he is currently in a play called Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde at the Actors Guild of Parkersburg. The director has agreed to let any of Mr. Spivy's students to attend the last dress rehearsal of the show for free tomorrow (Wednesday) evening.

The play is rated PG-13 for a reason. The content is dark and creepy. Talk of dissecting a prostitute who had been raped occurs (though there is no actual scenes with sexuality). There is some violence. There are a few cuss words. Understand that this is NOT a school sanctioned event. Do not be upset with Mr. Spivy if you later decide the content was too mature for eighth graders. Knowing what many eighth graders watch, I do not believe it is too mature. However, that is just my opinion.

The performance starts at 8:00, so please be there by 7:50. The address for the theater is 724 Market St., Parkersburg. While there is no dress code, it is proper etiquette to go to the theater in "church clothes." The show lasts about 1:50.

If you are interested in purchasing tickets for any performance (this weekend and next), please visit www.actors-guild.com

If you have any questions, please message me through LiveGrades.

Mr. Spivy

9.19- Bell-ringer, Grammar Activity, Outsiders Quiz

Directions: Write an original sentence for each of the words below. Each sentence should be at least ten words long. Use the words correctly.

1.     Benign—adj. harmless, kind

2.     Beseech—verb to beg; to implore

3.     Betrothed—adj to be engaged to be married

                                                                                  

4.     Bibliomania—noun an obsession for acquiring and possessing books

5.     Boorish—adj. rude; insensitive

Directions: Add these to your "Clauses and Sentences" notes. Identify the sentence as either simple or compound. Then write down the subject(s) and verb(s) of each sentence. 

21.   Lizzie wrote about her favorite author, and she found lots of information in the downtown library.

22.   Near our school, we found graffiti on buildings, but we left it on the walls.

23.   My favorite flavor is chocolate, but I sometimes eat vanilla ice cream.

24.   He wore the green and white shirt in the park.

25.   I am so happy and excited about the new musical group in the area.

26.   He moved into the other room and led the group in a game of chess.

27.   The winter in Wisconsin lasts a long time and seems intense.

28.   On a cloudy day, Mount St. Helens is difficult to see, and the view is obscured.

29.   My sister vacuums our house; my job is to wash the dishes.

Some of you have not taken The Outsiders quiz from last week. Here it is. Take it. 

The Outsiders: Quiz (Chapters 4-6)

1. Who is the author of The Outsiders?

2. Where are Ponyboy and Johnny jumped in chapter 4?

3. Write down the name of one of the Socials that jumped Pony and Johnny.

4. Whose boyfriend did Johnny stab?

5. Who do Ponyboy and Johnny go to for help?

6. How do Ponyboy and Johnny get to Windrixville? (What type of transportation?)

7. In what type of building do Ponyboy and Johnny hide?

8. How does Ponyboy disguise himself?

9. What book does Ponyboy read to Johnny?

10. Which Greaser does Ponyboy like least?

11. Who insists on returning to Tulsa and turning himself into the police?

12. Which two characters heroically enter the church and save the children?

13. What happened to Johnny towards the end of chapter 6?

14. What article of clothing saves Ponyboy from being severely burned? 

9.19-Bell-ringer, Grammar Activity, Spelling

Bell-ringer: Directions—write the following sentences and define the underlined words using context clues and prior knowledge. 

1.     Dr. Smith was relieved to learn that the tumor was benign.

2.     The mother beseeched the judge to let her son go free.

3.     My friend Cynthia is now betrothed and will be married soon.

4.     My grandfather has bibliomania; he has collected over two-thousand books.

5.     Rolling your eyes is a way to display a boorish attitude.

Identifying the subject and verb--click here 

1.    compete

2.    especially

3.    irritate

4.    suspicious

5.    congestion

6.    sequins

7.    incognito

8.    occupation

9.    withdraw

10.  authority

11.  paralyzed

12.  translation

13.  their

14.  there

15.  they’re

9.15- Journal Prompt and Vocab Words

Tuff-Time Journal Entry #3: Keep these separated from your bell-ringers. Add this to your other journal entries. Write at least two paragraphs. Be honest.

Prompt: The driving conflict in The Outsiders is between two groups of people who share much in common but still tend to focus on that which separates them. While we do not have gangs at Edison, we do have cliques that we are separated into. A clique is a group of friends that share commonalities and tend to exclude those who do not “fit it.”

Paragraph 1: Describe the cliques at Edison. What makes them different from other groups? Is there every any conflict between the cliques? What causes this?

Paragraph: Everyone is in a clique even if you don’t think you are. Describe your clique. Do you think you actually fit in with this group? 

The Outsiders: Vocab Part 2

1.)          Implore-v. to beg for pity or mercy

2.)          Sullen-adj. gloomy or dismal

3.)          Elude- v. to avoid or escape through speed

4.)          Siege- v. the act of surrounding an enemy and depriving it of resources (no syn./ant.)

5.)          Indignant- adj. characterized by strong displeasure

6.)          Hysteric- n. a fit of uncontrollable laughter, weeping, or both

7.)          Aghast- adj. struck with overwhelming shock or amazement

9.14- Bell-ringer, Discussion Questions, Grammar

Bell-ringer: Directions—Write the quote and then answer the questions that follow.

“To be happy with a little is the greatest wisdom; and he that gets more riches, gets more worry; but a content mind is a hidden treasure, which trouble cannot find.” --Akhenaton

1) Why does a person who has more riches worry more than one who has less?

2) What does it mean to have a content mind? Is it easy to be content (happy) with what you have? Why?

The Outsiders: Chapters 4-6 Discussion Questions

Directions: On your own sheet of paper, answer the following questions. Your answers should be complete sentences. If a question has multiple parts, answer all parts of the question.

1.      What did the Socs do to make Johnny kill Bob? How was Bob’s death foreshadowed earlier in the book?

2.      Suppose Johnny has been arrested for murdering Bob. Take on the role of one of the lawyers. Either you can defend or prosecute Johnny (try to send him to jail). Write an argument for why Johnny should or should not be punished for Bob’s murder.

3.      How is cutting a Greaser’s hair a harsh punishment to him when he goes to jail or a detention center?

4.      Who does Johnny say is like the men in Gone with the Wind? What example does he give that shows they are similar?

5.      Ponyboy states that the Greaser he likes the least is Dally because he is too real. What does Ponyboy mean when he says this?

6.      What do you think is the meaning of the poem, “Nothing Gold Can Stay” on page 77?

7.      When Dally comes to the abandoned church, he brings Ponyboy a letter from Sodapop. Describe the contents of this letter.

8.      What is Dally’s reason for not wanting Johnny to turn himself in?

9.      “I caught one quick look at Johnny’s face; it was red-marked from falling embers and sweat-streaked, but he grinned at me. He wasn’t scared either. That was the only time I can think of when I saw him without that defeated, suspicious look in his eyes” (p. 92). Johnny is in a church engulfed in flames and liable to collapse on top of him, and yet it seemed like he was having the time of his life. Explain why Johnny seemed to enjoy being put in this dangerous position. 

10.  What is your definition of a hero? Do the three boys (Dally, Johnny, and Ponyboy) fit your definition? Explain.

Write the subjects and verbs in the compound sentences.

7. My favorite fruits are oranges and grapes, but my friend loves pineapples.

8. Olive should wash the dishes and clean the house, yet she chooses to play instead.

9. The field was green and lush, yet the children could not find any flowers to pick.

10. The wind howled, and the storm gathered strength.

11. The summer sun was warm, so the group spent the day at the beach.

12. You could take the first bus out of town, or you could walk to the train stop.

Identify the sentences as either simple or compound.

13. I can’t believe that you and Alex found the show without directions.

14. Cats often hunt at night and sometimes during the day.

15. We traveled to Belgium last summer and ate Belgian waffles.

16. We studied the Civil War and watched a war reenactment on a field trip.

17. We studied World War II, and we visited a war museum.

18. We read about Greek mythology and created our own Greek myth.

19. Our friends are supportive during stressful times and often help us solve our problems.

20. Liam wrote about his favorite time period in history and found excellent research information on the school database.

9.13 Bell-ringer, Grammar Notes

Bell-ringer: Write an original sentence for each of the words below. Your sentences should be creative, descriptive, and at least ten words long.

1.     Autonomous- adj. independent

2.     Awry- adj. out of the normal or correct plan or position

3.     Badger- verb to pester/bother

4.     Bawl- verb to cry aloud

5.     Benefactor- noun someone who does good deeds

Grammar Notes

•A simple sentence is one independent clause

A simple sentence may have two or more subjects/verbs

•A compound sentence is two or more independent clauses.

•Independent clauses can be combined using a comma and conjunction or a semicolon. 

9.12 Bell-ringer and Grammar Notes

Bell-ringer:

Directions: Write the following sentences. Then, define the underlined words using context clues and prior knowledge.

1.     The once dependent child has now become autonomous and needs no one.

2.     The performance went awry when the dancer forgot her steps and made up new ones.

3.     Because my sister would not stop badgering me, I pushed her down the stairs.

4.     “She doesn’t love me!” bawled the heartbroken middle school student.

5.     The benefactor gave the poor most of his clothes and fed the hungry.

Clauses and Sentences

•An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought.

A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb but does not express a complete thought.

•A subordinate conjunction is a word added to the beginning of an independent clause that makes it into a dependent clause.

•Coordinating conjunctions are used as connecting words at the beginning of an independent clause.

•When the second independent clause in a sentence begins with a coordinating conjunction, a comma is needed before the coordinating conjunction:

9.11- Bell-ringer and Writing Assignment

Bell-ringer: 

Directions—sixteen years ago, an event occurred that changed modern history forever. Many people who were alive then can tell you exactly where they were, what they were doing, and what they were thinking on that day. However, you weren’t born, yet. You have no memories of the day. All you have are the stories you have heard and the history you have learned.

The events of September 11, 2001, have had a lasting effect on our world, especially the United States. Write three ways the 9-11 attacks have affected your life. For some this will be easy: a family member lived in NYC and was killed, a relative or friend has been to Iraq or Afghanistan, etc. For others, this will be more difficult. You could talk about fears that are rooted in terror attacks or stereotypes you might have because of them. You may work with the people at your group to think of ideas. Do your best. 

9/11 Writing Response

Narrative Response: Put yourself in the place of someone who was in New York City or Washington, D.C., on the morning of September 11, 2001. You can write your narrative as a journal entry or as an essay. This can be from the point-of-view of any person that could have been there on that morning. You can write this as if the events have just happened or like it was in the past.  

Your response should be at least three paragraphs. It can, of course, be longer. Take your time with this assignment. Do not make careless errors.

Due Friday, September 15

9.8- Bell-ringer and STAR

For 5th period:

STAR

To access the STAR Website click here 

Your username is your student ID number (9600...) and your password is the first letter of your first name, and the first letter of your last name.

Take the Reading test!

When you are finished:
1. Do the bell-ringer.
2. Read independently.

Bell-ringer: Directions—Read the following prompt and answer the questions. Make sure to show your work.

Rainforests cover only a small part of the Earth, but they are home to more than half the world's plants and animals. It is estimated that rainforests are cut down at the rate of 100 trees in a minute. At this rate, how many are cut down every 24 hours? Every week?  

9.7- Bell-ringer and Journal Entry #2

Bell-ringer: Directions—Write the quote and then answer the questions that follow.

“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.” –Abraham Lincoln

1.     What quality (character trait) do you believe was most important to President Lincoln (after reading the quote)?

2.     What quality is most important to you?

Tuff Time Journal Entry #2

Directions: Journal about the prompt below. Make sure to write at least two paragraphs. I am less concerned about spelling or grammar and more concerned with what is going on inside your brain. Be honest. Take your time.

Prompt: Cherry said that the major difference between the Socials and the Greaser is how they feel emotions differently. The Socials are aloof and try hard not to show any emotion; the Greasers are too passionate and show too much emotion.

Do you show too much emotion or do you work hard to hide all of it?

Are you in the middle?

Is it better to show too much emotion or hide it? Choose one. 

9.6- Bell-ringer and STAR Info

STAR

To access the STAR Website click here 

Your username is your student ID number (9600...) and your password is the first letter of your first name, and the first letter of your last name.

Take the Reading test!

When you are finished:
1. Do the bell-ringer.
2. Work on the discussion questions.

Bell-ringer:

Write one sentence for each of the following words. Your sentences should include a context clue that hint to the meaning of the word. The sentences should be no less than ten words.

1.     Arid- adj. being without moisture; extremely dry

2.     Aroma- noun pleasing fragrance

3.     Assailant- noun a person who attacks

4.     Attest- verb to certify; declare to be correct, true, genuine

5.     Audible- adj. able to be heard