Grammar Girl Podcasts and Online Grammar Exercises

A colleague of mine just told me about this website that has podcasts about grammar.

Extra credit to any student who checks out this site and downloads podcasts to listen to on their iPod. Bring in your iPod and share the grammar podcast with me to receive your points.

If you find one that is relevant to our coursework we can listen to it in class.

http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/

If this doesn't show up as a hyperlink, just copy and paste it into your browser.

Happy listening! Go Grammar Girl!

I also found some online grammar exercises you can use to practice what we've been working on in class. Feel free to check them out on your own. Most are interactive and will let you know how you're doing as you go along. They can be great practice for you.

http://www.smic.be/smic5022/exercisesgrammar.htm

http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/exercises/main/grammar. html

http://www.english-4u.de/grammar_exercises.htm

Again, copy and paste these addresses. Have fun learning your grammar! A good understanding of grammar leads to better reading comprehension and better writing; so, practice, practice, practice!

Sub Work While I'm at Language! Training 2/21 and 2/22

Hello Students!

My appologies for not giving you the heads up that I would be out this week. I, myself, was not aware that I would be. Some things are very last minute. But, I am at a very important training and will be out until Monday.

So, I have arranged for the sub to give you your quizzes on Friday as well as remind you of your weekend assignments. Therefore, there are a few homework changes in order.

Period 2:

"The Most Dangerous Game" test will be Friday, 2/22. The essay will be due Monday, 2/25.
Grammar Quiz will be Friday, 2/22. Commonplace Books and Reading Logs will be checked Monday, 2/25 (as will grammar homework and notes). Thursday's classwork (Vocabulary workbooks and Word of the Day Do Nows) will be checked Monday as well.

Period 5:

Grammar Quiz will be Friday, 2/22. Vocabulary Quiz will be Monday, 2/25. Commonplace Books and Reading Logs will be checked Monday, 2/25 as well as grammar homework.
Word of the Day Do Nows will be checked Monday as well.

Reading wise. I know you are itching to begin A Seperate Peace. You should begin reading. While you do so, please chart the details that distinguish the Devon School of the narrator's youth, and the one he comes back to as an adult. Make a T chart of these details. Focus on physical differences and the emotions attached to them. We will begin this discussion Monday.


Period 3/4:

I have received notification that we will resume Brockton visits next week on the 29th and that teachers are requesting that you each read a book to the entire class. Please prepare something you would feel comfortable reading (cover to cover) to a large group of kids.

Unit 17 Lesson 2-6 will be checked Monday, 2/25. We have completed most of what you would need my help for. The pages you are doing will be mostly review. Work in pairs or small groups but keep the behavior appropriate. If you are done early work on your Vocabulary Flash Cards or Flip Sheets, or ... READ!

I will check your Commonplace Books and Reading Logs on Monday.


If any of you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me or leave a comment here. I will be online all weekend.

Weekend Homework Reminders

Hello All!

Just a reminder of what you have to complete this weekend.

Period 2: Any and all make-up work. Most of you are behind already!

Period 5: The Old Man and the Sea essay rough drafts are due (typed) Tuesday. Please post a comment or e-mail me with questions or concerns. I suggest you do some Internet research on your own if you're having trouble with the symbolism we've discussed. Just make sure to cite your sources in your essay.

I'm looking for strong thesis statements, examples of symbolism, and textual references/citations/and analysis.

See you all on Tuesday! Enjoy your long weekend with a good book! I know I will. ;)

COMMONPLACE BOOKS: All Classes Reminder

Commonplace Books are due again this Friday. You should have 4 entries for second semester. If you're stuck for ideas, please refer to the previous post, "Catching Up" where I outline various Commonplace Book entry ideas. If you've done all of those, try a variation on one of them. If you're still stuck, see me and I can give you some ideas.

Remember, you can always write about grammar concepts or the stories we're reading! LOL. No, seriously you can do that if you want. It might even be helpful for you!

Period 5 Homework Reminder

Reminder. Finish the take-home grammar test.

Revise your OM+TS questions according to the model.

Brainstorm for your essay question.

We will take classtime tomorrow to discuss the questions and the essay prompt. We will also take that quiz only a few of you were prepared for today! You better read!!! ;)

"The Most Dangerous Game"

Don't forget PERIOD 2, I am collecting your IR Books tomorrow!

Begin working on your "Most Dangerous Game" essay. Check your notes.

Brainstorm: Due Tuesday, 2/12
Outline: Due Thursday, 2/14
Rough Draft: Due Friday, 2/15

The Old Man and the Sea: Question Response Model

Question 3 refers to the dialogue between the old man and the boy. The question specifically asks you to discuss three aspects of this dialogue: content, purpose, and style. A response that fails to discuss all three, or which does so insufficiently, is incomplete.

"In the opening portion of Ernest Hemmingway's short novel, The Old Man and the Sea, the old man, Santiago, and the boy have a conversation that reveals much about their individual characters and their relationship. The conversation begins with the young boy's plea to return to the old man's boat. While he continues to help the old man unload his equipment, the two of them discuss the old man's current and past luck with fish and their faith that after 84 days the old man will again catch a great fish. As well, they discuss what is for dinner and the results of different baseball games. This conversation foreshadows events to come as well as provides a history for each character. Through Hemmingway's simple, yet detailed style, the reader learns the respect the boy has for the old man, and the great love the old man has for the boy. In polite conversation the two characters joke with each other, reminisce, and plan for a future when they might again fish together. In many ways, the boy takes care of the man. This is made evident when the boy asks about what the old man will eat and then goes to get him dinner. As much as the old man depends on the boy, for without him his pride might prevent him from asking someone to provide him with a free dinner, the boy depends on the old man as well. For him, the old man represents a love for the sea, a respect for the art of fishing, and a faith that eventually, the sea will always provide the fisherman with the fish he needs."

Some questions may necessitate that you insert quotations. Please be sure to do so appropriately. The following is an example:

"The clouds over the land now rose like mountains and the coast was only a long green line with the gray blue hills behind it" (32).

If you are quoting a portion of dialogue, do so like this:

"'We're different,' the old man said. 'I let you carry things when you were five years old'" (24).