Bell-riner and instructions

 February 25, 2013                                                                                              Mr. Spivy

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

1.      The fallen trees hindered our journey to the beach.

2.      Horace, the criminal mastermind, hoodwinked the cops using a creative story and disguise.

3.      Because of all of the pollen in the air, my eyes are extremely hydrous today.

4.      My teacher is hypercritical and can find fault in anything.

5.      My sister is so comfortable in the water that she has been called ichthyic. 

 Agenda 1st, 4th, 7th, 8th 

 Bell-ringer

 WV Writes

 Agenda Block

 Bell-ringer

 Grammar Exercises click here and here

 WV Writes

 WV Writes Instructions:

 Input your essay for the advice essay into "Essay Check." You must have a pre-write and a four-square completed before you begin writing. You do not have to write a rough draft. The essay must be inputted by Monday, March 4. 5 paragraphs/ 500 words.

 Prompt:

Imagine that you could give advice to someone—it could be someone you know personally, a historical figure, or a famous person living today. Write an essay that identifies the person and the advice you would give. Choose a familiar subject so that you can provide details and elaboration that explain why this person needs your advice.

Bell-ringer and Agenda

Good morning! I apologize for not being there this morning. This figurative language will describe how I am feeling:  My head feels like a clown car with twelve too many creepy clowns stuffed in it. Simile or metaphor?

Regardless of who the sub is, you have work to get done, so do not spend time fooling around today. By the end of the day, you will need to have submitted your narrative essay into WV Writes. Make sure when you have submitted it for the last time, you click finish. I will know who has submitted the essay and who has not at the end of the day. Technology allows me to check that at home. I will take note of who did not finish--there will be no late grades.

Directions:
1.) Bell-ringer: If you knew this was your last day to be in Parkersburg ever, what would you do? Describe this day with great detail in a paragraph no shorter than five sentences.

2.) When you are done with the bell-ringer, finish your four-square, rough draft, and type your final draft into WV Writes.

3.) You substitute should be passing out a checklist to each student. If he/she does not, it is in the top right-hand drawer of my desk (make sure you have this; it is a grade). You need to switch computers with someone close by and have him/her read your essay and you read his/hers. Fill out the checklist on the other person's essay. Make suggestions to improve the narrative.

4.) When you are finished with the narrative essay and you have a holistic score of at least 4, then you may click finish after it is scored.

5.) When you are completely finished and have submitted your essay, you may work on any other school related assignment.

I will be collecting your pre-write, organization, rough draft, and checklist on Tuesday (no school Monday). Do not lose these items as they will be graded--there will be no late grades.

Bell-ringer and Agenda 2/14

Bell-ringer: Write a Valentine for an inanimate (not living) object. Make it at least four lines. You could even make a poem for instance.

For example: 
Dear iPhone, without you I would be able to spell nothing. You have been thrown down too many times, and yet you still stay with me. Thank you for being reliable 72% of the time. You light up my world with your Flashlight App. Love, Mr. Spivy

Agenda 1st, 4th, 7th, 8th
Bell-ringer
Finish 4-square and rough draft
Write your draft into WV Writes (you can write it into Word first and then copy and paste it into WV Writes)

Reminder: your essay needs to be at least five paragraphs and at least 500 words. It would be extremely easy to write more than that.
To start a new paragraph and WV Writes, hit enter twice. Also, do not indent a new paragraph.

Include dialogue in your story (it is interesting and brings up your score!). Look over the rule here, first.  

Agenda Block
Bell-ringer
Silent sustained reading
Finish 4-square and rough draft
Write your draft into WV Writes ( you can write it into Word first and then copy and past it into WV Writes)  

Bell-ringer and Agenda 1/17/13

Directions: write the quote and then answer the questions that follow.

"If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much." Jim Rohn 

If money were not an issue, what would your life look like in five years? 
What steps could you take to make this plan happen?

Agenda:
Acuity
Bell-ringer
WV Writes--choose a prompt to work on (two new ones!)

student.wvwrites.com
Site Code: WR 18-654 

Bell-ringer and Instructions

Bell-ringer: Solve the following problem:
Upon your arrival on Monday morning, you observe a snail making its way up the wall of your cabin. Each day, it carefully works its way 30 inches up the wall. At night, though, it slips back down 12 inches. The cabin wall is 9 feet high. If the snail started on Monday, will it reach the top of the cabin wall before you leave on Friday afternoon? 

Block class--we will be following the same schedule as Tuesday. (Yes, that does mean you get to play that game again today.)
 
Instructions:

1. Today is our last day to work on your essays today in the lab. You need to attempt to finish the final draft.

2. Your essay should be double-spaced, 12 -point font, Calibri, Times New Roman, Arial, or Courier New. If you do not know how to double-space your essay, then please ask for assistance. Do not assume you know how to double-space. 


3. You will also need to create a title page for your essay. This should include the title of your essay, your name, and the date you will be turning it in (December 14, 2012).

4. If you do not finish today, you will need to use your own time to finish.

5. For help with your introduction and conclusion, 

Words to avoid:

amazing
awesome
awfully
bad
beautiful
big
fine
good
great
happy

interesting

look
nice
quite
really
said
so (used as an intensifier)
very
well

“In my essay, I’m going to tell you…”

“I think/believe that”

 
   

Bell-ringer and instructions

December 4, 2012                                                                                     Mr. Spivy

Bell-ringer:

After reading the novel, The Outsiders, and then watching the movie, you should write a paragraph (five sentences) detailing some differences you noticed. Contrast the novel and the film, not compare them.

Agenda 1^st, 4^th, 7^th, 8^th

Bell-ringer

Type rough draft of essay

Agenda Block

Bell-ringer

Silent Sustained Reading 

Grammar: Adverb Battleship Game (it's so easy!)  click

Type rough draft of essay

Instructions:

1.) You must complete the instructions from yesterday before you can do today's. If you have not finished typing the introduction and body of your essay, do that first! 

2.) It is now time to write your conclusion. Your conclusion should rephrase the thesis statement from your introduction. However, change the wording so that the reader does not experience deja-vu. 

Once you have placed your thesis statement at the beginning of your conclusion paragraph you have a few options for how you can end your beautifully crafted essay. 

a.) Challenge the reader--you have just presented them with a great description of two completely different people. The chances are that the reader has at one point judged a person who is like one of your topics because of how they looked or acted. Challenge them to see the world (and the people who are far too often judged) differently.

b.) Looking to the future--speculate what life might be like for the two subject in ten years time. Is life positive or negative for them? Can that be changed through the actions of others?

c.)Posing a question-- think of question that the reader may have (or should have) in his head by the time he is finished reading this. This question should cause the reader to leave your essay thinking!

3.) When you are completely done with your essay, go to WV Writes and click on "Essay Check." Follow the instructions you will find there.

4.) Everyone must have a copy of his/her essay with them tomorrow in class. You will be graded on this. The printer in the computer lab does work. Make sure to select Lexmark T522. Do not select Lexmark T522 (Copy 1). If your computer is not hooked up to the printer, we will find you one that is.

Bell-ringer and Instructions

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

1. The archaeologist was not able to decipher the strange symbols on the walls.

2. His decrepit great aunt is so weak and sickly that she is not able to leave home.

3. Greg and his gang defaced the rival school’s property with spray paint.

4. My defiant niece was too stubborn to take a nap.

5. We deforested the woods, so that it could be used as farm land.

Instructions for the day:

1.) Type the body of your essay. Do NOT type your introduction or conclusion unless you have already written them. Make sure to look at the requirements I gave you last week.

2.) When the body of your essay is done, start writing an introduction. Your introduction should start with a hook. 

Your hook could be an interesting quote from the book (it must tie into your topic), an interesting question (not how am I like Darrel Curtis?), or an anecdote (short story). This should be followed by your thesis.

The  thesis will hit on the points you will be making in your essay. It does not need to be huge, but it should be long enough to cover the important points. When the reader looks at your essay, he should be able to locate the thesis without any problems.

Since this is an introductory paragraph, it should go at the beginning.

3) If you want to try to tackle the conclusion, you may. Tomorrow, you will be given more information on how to write the conclusion.