Writing STARS 11-20-08 WA#6

Sorry for the delay. I have been very busy. I still have two more to publish from this assignment. I will try to post them soon! Thanks for understanding!

Three Ways to Save Electrical Energy

by: PN, grade 6

There are three great ways to save electrical energy that should be used. They are turning out lights, turning off computers, and playing outside. First turn out lights. Lighting takes some money from the community. Next try turning off computers. By turning off computers one might save a cent or more a second. Finally play outside. Playing outside is healthy, fun, and saves money. These are some of the easiest ways, and one more way is using solar panels for generating electricity

Chapter Nine Update

After receiving an e-mail from a parent and seeing my own children struggle with the Chapter 9 Shurley English test, I wanted to send you a brief e-mail to cover a few points.

Please do not worry about this test. I expect most children struggled with it a bit. I prompted my son a little to get him on the right track. The questions on this test were worded differently than anything we have done. In the book, this would have been a lesson one day - to have them list the different types of pronouns, and begin the helping/linking verbs. However, I simply did not have time in class to do it this way. I am teaching the material every minute we are together! Ugh!

However, I gave them a different quiz in class this week and I was very encouraged to see where the kids are with the material. We will be reviewing most of these grammar concepts (while adding new ones) for the remainder of the year. If your child understands the Q & A flow, then she/he is doing great. If I have specific concerns about your child, I will always send you an e-mail.

Although we will continue at a fast pace next semester, be encouraged that we have already touched-on many of the grammar concepts. The trick now is MAKING IT STICK! We will continue to progress with writing and sentence labeling by understanding the function of the different parts of speech.

Each week, please try to do all of the assignments, but remember WE HOME SCHOOL! One of the benefits of this is that we can be flexible! I understand not getting it all done. I have told all of the kids they are welcome to bring in the assignments late. I would much rather them do it late, than do nothing at all. Additionally, (I think I stated this at the beginning of the year) if your child is writing an assignment for another class, and you feel it would be too much to have them do the English assignment, please have them give me the other paper they have written. Although I will not grade it as a paper, your child will receive credit for writing a paper. Please don't make a habit of this, but every once in a while it's fine! I am very flexible!

I hope this helps! Stay encouraged! I'm amazed at how much the children have learned in the few weeks we have had together!

On a final note, I was planning to have your children keep their Thanksgiving poem in the notebook for their "end-of-the-year-book." If you would like your child to have it to share with family for the holiday please remind them to take it home over the break. I've been impressed with the poems I have read! Precious!

Articles for TC Newspaper

Please enjoy the following entries that were submitted for the TC newspaper. I simply "cut-n-pasted" the articles that were e-mailed to me. I did not edit them or proofread them. (Whew! It would have taken me forever!) However, I did use abbreviations to protect identities.

The variety in the submissions was amazing! I believe you will find these entertaining and enjoyable to read! Way to go, class! I'm proud of you.

Why Everyone Should Like Thursday School

by: MB, grade 5

You may ask “why should I like Thursday School; it’s just school?" Well, I have gone around and asked people different grades things they like about Thursday School to get some reasons why. Let’s see what they had to say.
Jo Jo is in 2nd grade and her favorite class is P.E.. She likes P.E. because it is fun. Her favorite thing is to run around and play fun games. She likes Thursday school. Next is Maria, when asked what her favorite class was she said “all of them”. Her favorite thing to do during Thursday School is getting snacks in the break room. Her opinion of Thursday School?....she LOVES it. Now onto Benjamin. Benjamin is in 4th grade and his favorite class is Children’s Literature. He enjoys hanging out with his friends. Next is me. I think my favorite class would have to be Shurley English. Sure, it’s hard work but you get things done. My favorite thing about Thursday School is that you can have fun and be yourself. I like Thursday school. The next person I asked was Rachel. Rachel is in the 10th grade. She likes her history class because her teacher can make it fun. Her favorite thing about Thursday School is all the people. She likes Thursday School. Last we come to Jacob. He is in the 12th grade and his favorite class is Economics. Jacob says he likes Thursday School “good enough”.
So, the next time you ask “why should I like Thursday School?” those are some of the things you can think of. Remember, it’s not just school-it’s Thursday School.

Wasting, Passing, and Using Time
By: CF, grade 3

According to the Scholastic Children’s Dictionary, the definition of time is: the past, present, and future measured in days, hours, minutes and seconds. Once you spend time, you cannot go back. There is no such thing as a time machine. No magic formula can change the way we have chosen to use, pass, or waste time. Let’s examine just what it means to waste, pass, and use. The Scholastic Dictionary is an excellent resource for this. It says that wasting is when you use or spend something foolishly (not wise). Passing is to give up the opportunity to have or do something (I wish I had…). To use is to spend or consume by using. Nobody is perfect, there will be a minute now and then that we don’t use time as wisely as we should.
For now though, from the mind of an 8yr old, here are some uses of time that maybe you can put to use if you are bored.
There are four things you can do if you are bored, they are: spy on and scare a friend, play outside, pretend, and to play chess. There is also what I like to call a “fun scale” from 1-10. 1 is not so fun, 10 is really fun. First, what I think is the absolute best when I am bored is to spy on and scare a friend. I think spying is the best because I can have fun and be active at the same time. It makes me really laugh a lot. Mom says “laughter is the best medicine for a bored mind”. On the fun scale, it is a 10…that is REALLY FUN. I enjoy it a lot. The second thing my bored mind likes to do is play outside. Playing outside is enjoyable and fun. Riding a bike, playing lps (littlest pets), playing soccer, kickball and riding a scooter are all fun things to do outside. My fun scale for playing outside is 10. Third, if you are bored, I suggest playing pretend. I think you should pretend because you can use your imagination. Pretending is a way to be anyone you want to be, anywhere you want to be without leaving home. It is awesome fun!!! I give it a 10 on the fun scale. Finally, playing chess is a wise use of time. It is a strategy game that works your mind. When I play chess, my mind is busy keeping up with how I can capture the enemy king and not be captured. On the fun scale, playing chess is a 10. I know, they are all 10’s. Fun, fun, fun, what can I say (?)....I like it.
There are lots of things you can do if you are bored. I named four, can you name some more? That’s a rhyme, you can do that too. Write a poem if you like. Use your time, don’t waste it and don’t pass it. Trust me, I’ve done that before.

Airsoft Positions

by: WP, grade 6

I have three favorite positions in an airsoft game. These positions are sniper, infantry, and S.A.W. (squad automatic weapon). First, I enjoy being a sniper even though they have a lot of pressure to get that one shot. I like to be far away from the enemy. Snipers do not usually stick with the group; they mostly move quietly and stalk their enemy until they single out someone to shoot.
Second, I like to be infantry. I like to be infantry since there is safety in numbers and their guns (M16) look cool. An infantry squad has to work as a team or else the enemy can easily pick them off with snipers or other infantry. Usually infantry are less feared than snipers or a S.A.W. unless there are a lot of them. In games of capture the flag I like to be infantry because you get to help take forts and bunkers which are not easy.
Third, I like to be a S.A.W. They usually have a box or drum magazine. A box or drum magazine holds more ammunition than a regular magazine. Both magazines hold around 2,500-5,000 BB’s. S.A.W.s are mostly large heavy weapons which have bipods and are not moved around a lot. S.A.W.s are fun weapons to use since they are intimidating and have seemingly endless ammo. In conclusion these are the most common positions in airsoft and will always be the best in an airsoft fight.

Reasons to Play Lego Indiana Jones

by: PN, grade 6

If someone asked me what my favorite game is, I would say Lego -Indiana Jones : The Original Adventures. I love it because of the great battles, awesome gameplay, and special characters. The very best part of the game is the many, varying battles one can replay in story or freeplay mode. As each battle and level is completed, the player gains more pieces to build his own unique characters. My next favorite part is the gameplay. My favorite parts of the gameplay are the levels to complete, the mini kits, and Young Indiana Jones levels you unlock when all the mini kits are found. Lastly, I like the characters, including eight Star Wars characters hidden in the levels. The various clothing, weapons, and abilities of the characters add to the fun by adding unique quirks to them. The battles, gameplay, and characters make a fun game, but combined, make the game eight times more fun then any other game I own.

My Dad, My Hero

by: JB, grade 6

War heroes and their families are right here at TC. My dad has fought in Operation Iraqi Freedom, (OIF), once for 18 months, been a border patrol agent in Mexico, and is currently serving his second tour in Iraq. My dad is my hero and, I believe, a hero for our country.
Osama Bin Laden and his followers are the enemy that America is battling. It all started on a peaceful September morning as passengers started boarding American Airlines, (A.A.), Flight 11 headed for California. After leaving Boston, 5 terrorists went to the cockpit of the plane with box-cutters and bombs. The terrorists took over control of the airplane and headed for New York City. At 8:46am Flight 11 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. As the north tower was burning, everyone thought that this was a big accident. Then seventeen minutes later, 9:03am, United Airlines, (U.A.) Flight 175 crashes into the south tower. After this latest disaster everyone knew this was no accident.
My dad was away on a business trip in Texas as this was happening. My mom called him to let him know what was going on. Being the hero, he wanted to come home immediately to protect us. All flights had been grounded so he had to rent a car and drive. Cars were hard to find since everyone was renting them because they could not fly. He found one and headed home to be with us.
Firefighters from all around came to help people out of the buildings and to douse the flames. While this was happening A.A. Flight 77 leaving Washington D.C. gets turned around and headed straight for the heart of D.C. At 9:38am the flight crashes into the Pentagon. As everyone tries to recover from this epidemic, United Airlines Flight 93 leaving New Jersey headed for California gets hijacked by four terrorists and turns back headed for the east coast. The passengers, by this time, know what is going on. So they team up to get the plane back under control. At 10:05am the south tower collapses. Then at 10:10am Flight 93 crashes in a field in Pennsylvania. The north tower collapses at 10:28, ten minutes later. Over 3000 Americans lost their lives on that day.
My dad does what he does to prevent disasters like this from happening again. My dad has a pretty cool job and is a great dad too. President George W. Bush’s speech on the evening of September 11, 2001stated, “These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong. A great people have been moved to defend a great nation.” My dad is one of those people and I am proud of him.

My Three Favorite Classes at TC

by:JC, grade 5

My three favorite classes at TC are Mind Movers and Mysteries, Shurley Grammar, and Mad Science. Mind Movers and Mysteries is my favorite class. It is very fun, in class my friends and I get to solve mysteries together. When I solve a mystery I have a choice of a piece of candy or a point. I usually choose points, at the end of the year my teacher, Mrs. B will give out the super sleuth award to the person who has the most points.
Shurley Grammar is my next favorite class. My teacher, Mrs. B makes writing and grammar exciting! She has taught my class how to label sentences. Now that I understand how to label sentences correctly I can wiz through my work. Every week I have eight vocabulary words that I have to look up in the dictionary. I enjoy learning the meanings of new words.
Mad Science is my third favorite class. Every class I get to do fun science experiments that my mom probably wouldn’t let me do at home. So far, my favorite experiments were the bubble bomb and making green slimy goo. I wasn’t interested in science until I took this class, now it’s my favorite subject that I do at home! I’m thankful for all of my teachers at TC, however these classes rank in my top three favorites for this semester.

Three Favorite Foods I Recommend

by: JC, grade 4

If I must say so myself I enjoy eating some pretty strange foods. I believe everyone should at least try my three favorite foods: sushi, tomato pie, and refried beans. The sushi roll that I would recommend for beginner sushi eaters is a California roll. In a California roll there is crab, avocado, and cucumber wrapped in seaweed and rice. To complete the sushi roll top it with a little wasabi and soy sauce. I promise that it will melt in your mouth like a cookie right out of the oven.
Tomato pie, you might be thinking, “pie with tomatoes, GROSS!” Where I lived in upstate New York tomato pie was a hit. It’s much like pizza only it’s made in a rectangular pan and topped with sauce and parmesan cheese. It is then baked and served cold. If you ever get the chance to visit Utica, New York you have to try this amazing pizza.
Last but not least I recommend everyone try refried beans. Although, people say that these beans look and smell like cat food, they taste much better, although I have never tried cat food. My favorite way to eat refried beans is to top them with salsa, cheese, and sour cream. I like to eat my beans with tortilla chips. I enjoy dipping my chips into mounds of beans; it’s like a piece of heaven! If your favorite food is macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets you need to put some spice into your life!! Just one little bite of sushi, tomato pie, or refried beans could change your ideas of what good food is.

My Favorite Books

by MS, grade 4

I have two favorite kinds of books. The first book is a series. They are The Little House on the Prairie Books. My other favorite book is The Phantom-Toll Booth.
I think that the Laura Ingalls Wilder series is really interesting. It talks about a little girl named Laura Ingalls growing up. All the books talk about Laura except for the one I'm reading right now. It talks about Laura's future husband.
I also like the Phantom-Toll Booth because if you like fantasy, that's what the whole book is about. The book is about a little boy named Milo who is looking for an adventure when he goes on a jurney to try to find two princess called Rhyme and Reason in the air castel. But on their way they go through many different obstacles.

Three Field Trips Everyone Should Take

by: TP, grade 6

There are three field trips that I think everyone should take. The first is Bodies The Exhibition. It is an exhibit that travels around the world showcasing real human bodies. It is beyond your imagination. You get to see what real bodies look like on the inside in all kinds of stages. Some are healthy and some are not so healthy. They will be showing the exhibit in Atlanta starting this month. Their website is: www.bodiestheexhibition.com. I think everyone should go see Bodies The Exhibition because you get to see the stages of life right before your eyes. It's very cool! The second field trip that I think everyone should take is to The Lost Sea. It is America's largest underground lake. It is located in Sweetwater, TN. You get to explore caverns and ride a boat that you can see through the bottom. It is very interesting. It is not really a sea but still a good exploration. Their website is: www.thelostsea.com. It is open year round. The third field trip that I think everyone should take is Appalachian Caverns. It has lots of fascinating history behind it. It is located in Blountville, TN. It is a bat sanctuary home to seven species of bats within its caverns. It now also has a gem mine. Their website is: www.appalachiancaverns.com. You should really consider some of these awesome places for your next adventure.
That's the three field trips everyone should take and they're awesome!

9 Reasons Why Recycling is Important

by: ET, grade

There are 9 different reasons why recycling is important.
The first reason is recycling always saves trees.
The second reason is recycling protects wildlife habitat and biodiversity.
The third reason is recycling lowers the use of toxic chemicals.
The fourth reason is recycling helps curb global warming.
The fifth reason is recycling stems the flow of water pollution.
The sixth reason is recycling reduces the need for landfills.
The seventh reason is recycling reduces the need for incinerators.
The eighth reason is recycling creates jobs and promotes economic development.
The final reason is buying recycled products contributes to the demand for more recycled products.
There are so many reasons to recycle but I would encourage you to recycle.

Home Schooling Earns a “Thumbs Up”

by: FB, grade 4

Have you ever wondered if going to public school would be better
than home schooling? I have done both and there are several reasons I think home schooling is the best choice.
Home schooling allows flexibility. I’m able to start earlier in the year than public schools. I also get to go on field trips and special trips with my parents. I wouldn’t travel with them if I enrolled in public school.
Another reason I like home schooling better is that I can eat lunch with my mom and my brothers. Lunchtime in public school was disgusting. Everyone chewed with their mouths open! Gross! Also, the unappetizing cafeteria food made my stomach feel lumpy. House food is much better.
I love home schooling because it’s not only fun, but I get to enjoy my family everyday. We play games and take walks together in the morning. If it is someone’s birthday, we’re able to celebrate all day long. Everyone is kind to one another. In public school, not everyone was nice. It’s refreshing to be with my family.

TC’s Top Three

by: WB, grade 3

TC offers some incredible classes for kids. The classes here are fun and informative. However, my three favorite classes at Thursday Connection are Astronomy, Medievel History and Amusing Math.
My first favorite class is Astronomy. Astronomy pleases me because we perform many Science experiments. We have colored radar sticks, and dropped rocks into flour for meteorites. One day we went outside and lined up the planets on toilet paper. I also enjoy Astronomy because my mom teaches it.
My second favorite class is Medievel History. I like Medievel History because I like learning about knights. I’ve learned that Knights have something on their shield to identify them. Mrs. H also taught us that people became knights at age twenty-one. Learning about knights has been fun.
My third favorite class is Amusing Math. I love Amusing Math because my favorite subject in school is math. In class, we get to play fun and fascinating games like Bingo, Connect Four, Roll-n-Subtract and Roll-n-Add. The games help us learn. We also talk about fractions, count money, and practice adding and subtracting. Amusing Math is a fun class where I learn about my favorite subject.
There are many terrific classes at TC. However, Astronomy, Medievel History, and Amusing Math are my favorites.

Identical Titles with Differing Stories

by: MB, grade 6

An amazing fantasy novel, Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis would definitely be one of the top ten books I would recommend to others. Recently, Prince Caspian also hit theaters and was a massive hit. Although the book and movie share the same title, they do not share the same story line.
You are probably wondering why a kid like me would write an article about this subject. To make a long story short… it was a school assignment for Thursday Connection. That fits well in the school newspaper, doesn’t it?
To get to the point, my review is on the book and movie Prince Caspian.
The novel Prince Caspian is very exciting. It is a gripping story about “a prince denied his rightful throne.” He must assemble an army “in a desperate attempt to rid his land of a false king. In the end, it is a battle of honor between two men alone that will decide the fate of an entire world.”
The book did contain a very tiny bit of inappropriate language. Although it is very minimal, it doesn’t make it acceptable. Perhaps, this one word is in the book because in the author’s lifetime, a_s was an acceptable word. C.S. Lewis could have chosen a more satisfactory word.
Also, I think C.S. Lewis could have used better description in a few places. He provided exquisite detail, but there were three or four places where he could have used more descriptive language to give the reader a better vision of what was happening or what something looked like.
Prince Caspian is a splendid novel. However, for the reasons stated above, I would rate the book at “4 ½.” (Scale: 1 = It stinks! Horrible! 5 =Worth the time! Excellent!) Prince Caspian is a must-read!
Grudgingly, the movie only achieves a “3” for it’s rating. It did not obtain a “4” because it was nothing like the book. PERIOD! I was very disappointed by the repulsive replication of the book. If you have not read Prince Caspian then this would be an awesome movie.
Viewing this movie after reading the book reminded me of seeing Eragon after reading the book. I was very angry.
One credible factor about the movie is the producers removed the word I was talking about earlier in this article. At least there is one good thing about the movie!
One suggestion, if you want to watch the movie then read the book first. The reason I suggest this is because if you watch the movie first you will find no point in reading the book. Also I think viewers need to see how much the movie crew altered the story line of the book. You will be surprised at how much the two differ.

Class Syllabus Nov - Dec

11/6 Sentence Labeling and Preposition Test, Helping Verbs, Irregular Verbs, Interjections, Compound Subject Nouns, Homonyms (Ref. 28), Jingle 15 – Eight Parts of Speech
Assignments Due 11/13
Workbook Assignment: Ch. 9 Vocabulary, Homophone Sheet #1, Ch. 9 Sentences Labeled in Practice Booklet, Ch. 9 Test, (optional! You may wish to wait until after the next TC), and at least TWO entries in your Journal. Work on Memorizing the 23 Helping Verbs! You may be surprised with a pop-quiz next week!
Writing Assignments :
Thanksgiving Poem – use the attached instruction sheet to help you. Be descriptive! Use your senses to come up with adjectives! Please illustrate this if possible. Make sure to write a FINAL draft before you illustrate it!
Create a Vocabulary Review Sheet for your classmates. Please type these if possible or neatly write in a dark black pen. Remember to provide your sweet teacher (ha-ha) with a KEY to check them. These will ALL be included in our end-of-the-year book!
3rd and 4th Graders – Create a Word Search Puzzle with at least 10 vocabulary words
5th and 6th Graders – Create a Crossword Puzzle with at least 10 vocabulary words

11/13 Helping Verbs Surprise, Three-Point Paragraph and Essay (Ref. 29), Three-Paragraph Expository Essay (Ref. 30), Capitalization Rules (Ref. 31), Punctuation Rules (Ref. 33A, 33B), Editing (Ref. 34)
Assignments Due 11/20
Workbook Assignment: Ch. 10 Vocabulary, Chapter 10 Exercise (p.70 in Workbook), Ch. 10 Sentences Labeled in Practice Booklet, Homophone Sheet #2 and #3
No journal entries required this week, because you are writing your first essay!
Writing Assignments:
1.) Write a Mad Lib using the parts of speech we have studied in class. (Nouns, Pronouns, Verbs, Prepositions, Adjectives, Adverbs, Interjections, Conjunctions) Please have at least eight blanks for your classmates to fill in! Please type these if possible or neatly write in a dark black pen. These will be included in our end-of-the-year book!
2.) Write a Three-Point Expository Essay on one of the following topics. (If you do not feel that your child is ready for this, he/she may continue writing Three-Point Paragraphs. However, I encourage you to push them to their ability.) Be sure you revise and edit it before turning in a "final draft" copy to me next week. Be sure to underline at least THREE vocabulary words from previous weeks.
Write in First Person
What I Like/Dislike About Shopping
Reasons For Having a Fire-Drill Plan at Home
Important Inventions in America

11/20 Three Paragraph Essay and Five Paragraph Essay (Ref. 35-36), Editing Practice with a Friendly Letter, Explanation of Final Book Project
Assignments Due 12/4
Workbook Assignment: Ch. 11 Vocabulary, Ch. 11 Practice Exercises p. 71-72, Ch. 11 Sentences Labeled in Practice Booklet, Ch. 7 Test p. 103, (optional! You may wish to wait until after the next TC), and at least TWO entries in your Journal.
You have two weeks for these assignments. Do your best! Please begin working on your book project for our final day of class!
Writing Assignments:
1.) Write a Three-Paragraph Essay or a Five-Paragraph Essay on the subject of your choice. (I highly recommend that all 5th – 6th Graders do the five paragraph essay.)
Be sure to underline at least THREE vocabulary words from previous weeks.
2.) Choose your favorite writing assignment you have done this year. Begin creating your illustrated book to share on Dec. 11th at our Rock-n-Read Party!

12/4 Begin consolidating our final book project to share next week! Time permitting, this will be a long-awaited GAME DAY for the kids! We will play games to review everything we have learned this year!
Assignments Due 12/11
Workbook Assignment: None – you deserve a break for your incredible effort this year! No vocabulary, no worksheets, no exercises and no sentences to label! Yeah!
Writing Assignments:
1.) Write two entries in your journal.
2.) Write a Three-Paragraph Essay or a Five-Paragraph Essay on your evaluation of the class. What did you enjoy about it? What could be better? What ideas can you share to make our time together fun? Be sure to underline at least THREE vocabulary words from previous weeks.

12/11 Rock-n-Read Party and Exhibition!
Parents are invited to come hear the children read their "book" as they rock in the special rocking chair. We will also review some of what we have studied this year!

No homework over Christmas break!

I’ll spend time over the break reading your evaluations of our class. If your ideas are permissible, I will attempt to implement them next semester! You all have progressed tremendously this year in your writing and your understanding of grammar! I’m so proud of you!

New Concepts & Where We Are Headed

On Thursday we started our class by participating in a fire drill. Because of the loss of class time, I was not able to cover everything as in depth as I would have preferred. I'm very sorry.


Although I introduced helping verbs with the jingle and irregular verbs with the chart, we did not have time to "label" a sentence with a helping verb. The new label is HV. There is not a new question in the Q&A flow for helping verbs, your children simply need to memorize them. (Hey, they know the 49 prepositions now! The 23 helping verbs are doable also!)

Below is the first Ch.8 sentence with the correct labels and the Q&A that goes with it. Please do these orally with your kids if they seem to be having trouble. Your children were all given a chart with all of the label abbreviations and their definitions. This should help you as well. (Can you believe how much we have covered? I am amazed as I type this!)

Sentence: Our choir has been singing softly for the children at the hospital.
1.) Who has been singing softly for the children at the hospital? choir - SN (Subject Noun)
2.) What is being said about the choir? choir has been singing - V Verb)Note - There are three verbs. Singing is the main verb and will be labeled with a V. Has and been are helping verbs in front of singing and will be labeled with an HV.
3.) Has - HV (Helping verb) - Write HV above the word has.
4.) Been - HV (Helping verb) - Write HV above the word been.
5.) Has been singing how? Softly - Adv. (Adverb)
6.) For - P (Preposition)
7.) For Whom? children - OP (Object of the Preposition)
8.) The - A (Article Adjective)
9.) At - P (Preposition)
10.) At What? Hospital - OP (Object of the Preposition)
11.) The - A (Article Adjective)
12.) Whose Choir? Our - PPA (Possessive Pronoun Adjective)
13.) Pattern - SN V P1 (Subject Noun, Verb - Pattern One)
14.) (For the children) - prepositional phrase ()
15.) (At the hospital) - prepositional phrase ()
16.) Period, Statement, Declarative Sentence
17.) Go back to the verb - divide the complete subject from the complete predicate with a slash mark

PPA SN HV HV V ADV P A OP P A OP
SN V P1 Our choir / has been singing softly (for the children) (at the hospital). D

(The labels will not line-up directly over the words on the blog - sorry! Each label sits over one word in the sentence following the order listed.)

Another tricky label introduced this week is the word "NOT." NOT is typically an adverb answering the question "how." Many negative words are adverbs telling "how" and "to what extent."

Label the word not - ADV. For example - Sandy is not singing in the play. is-HV not-ADV singing-V

HAVE NO FEAR, I WILL COVER ALL OF THIS ON THURSDAY!! However, I would like for your children to finish all of the Ch. 8 material b/c these are the only new grammar concepts. At this point, they should be able to label the rest of the sentences with their knowledge to this point.

Finally, children will have a test on Thursday to list all 49 prepositions and label a sentence. This is so I can gauge their progress. We are moving very quickly now, but I know your incredible kids are ready!

Buckle your seat belts! It's going to be a FUN ride!

I sincerely hope to see all of your children back next semester. By the end of next semester, we will progress in our writing to 3 - 5 point paragraph essays, persuasive papers, friendly letters and occasional poetry. We will also be exposed to MUCH MORE GRAMMAR! There will be several more sentence patterns, Verb-transitive and Verb-intransitive forms, direct objects, compound nouns and verbs, interjections, conjunctions, and differing verb tenses. Finally, we will cover many punctuation and capitalization rules with increased exposure to editing.

I hope this helps you! Thanks a million!

Writing Stars, WA #5

Enjoy these great papers. You will notice the added element of highlighted vocabulary words!

Writing skills are improving for everyone each week!

My Favorite Rides at Disneyworld

by: JB, grade 6

I have three favorite rides at Disneyworld. These rides are the Rockin' Roller Coaster, Stich's Great Escape, and Tower of Terror. My first favorite ride is Rockin' Roller Coaster. The Rockin' Roller Coaster is awesome. My favorite part is at the beginning where you take off at the speed of light. My second favorite is Stich's Great Escape. Stich's Great Escape is so fun. It feels like Stich is in the audience jumping on seats and then eating a chili dog. Afterwards, he burps and it smells like a chili dog. Yuck! My third and final favorite ride is the Tower of Terror. The Tower of Terror is creepy, scary and freaky. That's why I like it. One time when I rode it, I literally soiled my pants. I was busy getting to all these places, but it was worth it. I hope I can ride them again.

Three Things That Make Me Laugh

by: JC, grade 5

Three thing that make me laugh are my dog, my sister, and whoopie cushions. First, my dog can be very wild at times. She runs in circles chasing the light from a flashlight. She even tries to climb the wall to reach her goal. Next, my sister has a very funny sense of humor. She is always busy telling me hilarious new stories. Last, but now least, I love whoopie cushions. This little device makes me crack up, and is very easy to pull off. I love the reaction on my brother's face when he sits in his chair and "whoosh." There are many things that make me laugh, but these are the three things that make me laugh the most.

Writing STARS 10-2-08 WA#4

My Three Favorite Animals

by: JC, grade 4

My three favorite animals are dogs, cats, and bunnies. Dogs are very joyful animals. When they run wildly around the yard, it makes me laugh. I like cats because they're cuddly. Their fur is so soft it feels like a fleece blanket. I think bunnies are cute. Their little round tails look like a handful of cotton candy. I don't have a cat or a bunny, but I'm glad I have a dog. I love all of them so much.

My Three Favorite Animals

by: WP, grade 6

I have three favorite animals. These animals are chinchillas, crabs, and mocking birds. My first favorite animal is a chinchilla. I love these furry little things because they look sort of like a fat squirrel. My second favorite animal is a crab. I like crabs because they can breathe submerged in water as well as on land and they know exactly when the tide will come in. My third favorite animal is a mocking bird. I like mocking birds because they can imitate things such as dogs, cats, hoses, and even pianos as I have heard.

Three People I Would Like to Meet

by: ET, grade 5

There are three people I would like to meet. They are Toby Mac, Peyton Manning, and Nicholas Cage.

The first person I would love to meet is Toby Mac. He is the best Christian singer ever! He is a person to look up to in music.

I would also like to meet Peyton Manning because he knows how to throw a great football.

Last, but not least, I'd like to meet Nicholas Cage. He is an awesome, wonderful, spectacular actor. Everyone should watch him in the movies he stars in!

There are a ton of people in the world to meet but Toby Mac, Peyton Manning, and Nicholas Cage will always be my top three.

My Three Favorite Animals

by: FB, grade 4

I have three favorite animals. These animals are cheetahs, foxes, and black bears. My first favorite animal is the cheetah. I like the cheetah because it is extremely fast and fierce. My second favorite animal is the fox. I admire the fox because it has sharp fangs and it is slim and aggressive. My third favorite animal is the black bear. I enjoy the black bear because it is strong and very frightening. I like these animals because they are splendid, magnificent animals.

My Favorite Animals

by: WB, grade 3

I have three favorite animals. These animals are cats, squirrels, and birds. My first favorite animal is a cat. I like cats because they’re so soft to pet. My second favorite animal is a squirrel. I like squirrels because I admire them for collecting nuts for the winter. My third favorite animal is a bird. I like birds because I like listening to them. I like cats, squirrels and birds because these animals have qualities I enjoy.

Last Call for Pantry Donations - Writing Assgn.

I hope all of the children have enjoyed writing an article for the newspaper. I have heard about some interesting topics! I'm looking forward to hearing/reading them on Thursday! (See the post below for information.)

I will be sending the Test Key for Chapter 7 tonight or tomorrow night. (Sorry, my husband must help me with the scanner so I am at the mercy of his schedule.)

For writing assignment given this week (10/30), the students will be given a choice of the original topics from 10/16 OR the topics for 10/30. I wanted to let you know the kids would still have the opportunity to write about voting, and qualities of a strong president. These will be due on 11/6.

Finally, this will be the last week to bring in donations for the food pantry. We are especially looking for personal hygiene items. Our guest speaker, Mrs. M, motivated us to do this! One of our student's parents will be taking the donations and delivering them to the needy in our community. It would be great if every child could bring in at least one item. I'm having my children use their own money to buy their donations. Just a suggestion...

TC Newspaper Assignment

We are still following the syllabus, but I have changed the writing assignment due this Thursday (10/30).

TC's Mastering Media Class is consolidating a newspaper for TC. This is a FIRST for our Co-op and I was anxious for our class to be a part of it! Therefore, instead of following the assignments on the syllabus, your child should write an article for the newspaper.

Some suggestions are:
1.) Favorite things about Thursday Connection
2.) Field Trips Everyone Should Take (make a list)
3.) Favorite Classes at Thursday Connection
4.) A Review of a movie or book
5.) Ways Politics Affect Every Home Schooler
6.) Write about a contest or competition in which you have competed
7.) Funny things that have happened at TC (your child can conduct interviews)
8.) Calling for Help (write about ways TCers can help/have helped our community - persuasive topic)
9.) Write to Teach (teach about something you are interested in)
10.) Write from Emotion/Passion (write about something you are passionate about!)
11.) If you have experienced both - Compare and contrast homeschooling to public/private schooling and/or Thursday Connection Co-op to other Homeschool Co-ops
12.) Etc....

One child is writing about his father being deployed to Iraq in a few weeks. Your children can write about ANYTHING they would like. However, encourage them to choose something that others would have an interest in reading.

I will NOT be proof-reading or editing these. Take time with your child working on the final draft. I will post all of the articles on our class blog and the Mastering Media class will choose the ones to print in the newspaper.

If possible, please send these to me in a Microsoft Word/document file. I will then e-mail them to the Mastering Media class. If these are already typed it will be much easier to insert them into the newspaper format. BE SURE your child's name and grade level are included on the file. Also, if your child can bring in a hard copy to class when we return, he/she will be able to read it and share their article with the class. These are due the Thursday we return from Fall Break.

Finally, as with any newspaper, these article submissions may be edited by the "newspaper editor." Therefore, do not be surprised if there are a few minor changes to your child's work. :-) If published, your child's name will still be on the byline! Yeah!

Help your child create a nice piece for this FIRST Thursday Connection newspaper!

Thank you for your help!

Pronoun & Subject-Verb Agreement Online Games

Pronoun Clubhouse - Build a custom clubhouse by typing the correct pronouns!



Pronoun Grammar Blast - Test your skills by finding the correct answer! (Geared toward 5th and 6th graders)



Pronoun Buried Treasure - Hunt for buried treasure by finding the pronouns. Advance level of difficulty as you master them!



Pronoun Quiz - Test your knowledge!



Subject Verb Agreement - Hunt for buried treasure by choosing the correct verb form.



Noun Verb Agreement Quiz - short quiz to test is/are and was/were agreement.

Homophones Online Tools

Movie about Synonyms, Antonyms, and Homonyms - Short and informative!



Homophone Games - Several choices to play!

Class Update 10/9

Last week, we enjoyed hearing from Becca Munoz. She talked about narrative, expository, persuasive, business, and creative writing with the kids. She was a great encourager to spurn them on to continue writing everyday! I think everyone enjoyed the class and learned from her! Please remember to have them bring their "thank you note" written to her this week.

Becca's passion is for the homeless in the city of Knoxville. She shared about a research project where she found a great need for hygiene items for the homeless. We decided as a class to contribute to this need in Knoxville. Additionally, one of our student's mother works in a food pantry assisting the homeless and needy in our community. If you would like to have your child donate soap, toothpaste, tooth brushes, shampoo, or even canned food...we will be sending donations to Redeemer Church on the UT campus.

Our family spent Sunday afternoon in downtown Knoxville, and we saw numerous homeless men wandering the streets. It broke my heart. If your family would like to help, please send items into the class for the next two weeks.

Becca also talked about working at The Daily Beacon newspaper at UT, and being published in USA Today. I think your children were intrigued by Becca's passion for writing, and being published in a newspaper. Therefore, when I received word that the Mastering Media class would be producing a newspaper for Thursday Connection, I quickly asked if our class could contribute articles! Your children will find our more tomorrow! However, hopefully some of them will see their name as a byline in the TC newspaper! Won't that be incredible!?!

Last week everything was covered on the class syllabus, and we will be moving into direct and indirect objects this week. PLEASE work on the prepositions if your child doesn't know them yet. Last week, it was obvious most of the children had studied them! Nearly every child could list over 40 prepositions! YIPPEE!!

Your children are improving weekly with their writing. I am so encouraged to see them express themselves through words!

Another Writing Star!

This paper was not with the rest last week. P's family was out of town. If I had read it then, it would have been included with the Writing Stars! PN used descriptive words and excitedly expressed his love for video games through this assignment.

My Three Favorite Video Games

by: PN, grade 6

My three favorite video games are Roblox, Lego Indiana Jones, and Lego Starwars: the Original Trilogy. My favorite game is Roblox. I adore Roblox because I can create challenges for myself and others to play, make friends, and earn Roblox currency to buy clothing and tools to build even more fun places. Lego Indiana Jones is my second favorite game. I love Indiana Jones because of the many battles and difficult puzzles. My third favorite game is Lego Starwars. I like Lego Starwars because I can switch between the numerous characters with different and funny abilities. I love these games most of all, but I like most battle games.

Preposition Online Games

Basketball Game - Choose the best preposition for each sentence to win the game!

Mouse Game - Find the hidden mouse using prepositions to locate him!

Concentration and Word Search to learn all the prepositions!

Preposition Desert - Determine if the word is a preposition of the object of the preposition to get the baby kangaroo rats home before it rains! Great game!

Preposition Quiz - Read this informative page and try the quiz to see if you have mastered prepositions!

Class Update 10/2

Here is a very brief update on yesterday.

I covered everything on the syllabus yesterday with the exception of Noun, Verb agreement. If you could review this reference with your child, that would help tremendously. It simply shows them how to connect plural nouns with plural verb forms. I did cover all of the pronoun topics, and the students will be using these frequently in labeling their sentences this week. The students were also reminded to avoid using the word "you" in their writing.

Your children were surprised by a "pop quiz" on prepositions. I asked them to list all of the ones they could remember. Many of the students had a "deer in headlights" look, so please continue working on them this week. I'll give them another quiz next week. This is to help them recall them by memory easily.

Addition to Blog entry - added 10-6-08

I was looking over the "pop quiz" from Thursday, and would like to ask you to review the preposition jingle with your children. If possible, I would have them copy the prepositions in the order of the song a few times. In lieu of a writing assignment last week, I asked them to work on memorizing the prepositions. It was evident that several students worked on this. It was also apparent that several students did not. Uh-oh! :-0!

Time permitting, I am hoping to give another pop quiz on Thursday. They will be asked to list all of the prepositions they know. By copying the prepositions in order, they will be learning the prepositions in alphabetical order and committing them to memory. An added bonus to this approach is they will also learn to spell them correctly.

October Syllabus

Shurley English Grammar Class
Fall Semester 2008

10/2
Writing in First Person or Third Person, Pronoun Jingle, Subject Pronoun Jingle, Possessive Pronoun Jingle, Subject Pronoun, Possessive Pronouns, Understood Subject Pronoun, Subject/Verb agreement (References 18-22, p. 18-19)
Assignments Due 10/9
Workbook Assignment: Ch. 6 Vocabulary, Ch. 6 Practice p. 69, Ch. 6 Sentences Labeled in Practice Booklet p. 5, Ch. 6 Test p. 102, (optional! You may wish to wait until after the next TC), and at least TWO entries in your Journal.
Writing Assignment : Be sure you bring in a FINAL draft to class.
Three Point Expository Paragraph in First Person
(Choose one of the topics below.)
1. My Favorite Animals 2. People I Would Like to Meet
OR, Three Point Expository Paragraph in Third Person
(Choose one of the topics below.)
1. (Person’s name) Favorite Animals 2. People (Person’s Name) Would Like to Meet (ex. Emily’s Favorite Animals)

10/9
SURPRISE GUEST SPEAKER! Meet a young woman who is using her writing skills to impact the city of Knoxville! My friend will be sharing the importance of strong writing skills and how they are implemented in her career with Compassion Coalition.
Additionally, she was home educated in her elementary years by her mother. Come with questions for this gifted writer!
Singular and Plural Points, Paragraphs Using Different Writing Forms, Time Order Forms [References 23, 26 (p.20-22)]
Assignments Due 10/17
Workbook Assignment: Ch. 7 Vocabulary and at least two entries in your Journal. (You will be doing the exercises and sentences next week for Ch. 7)
Writing Assignments:
1.) Write a thank you note to our guest speaker for her time with our class. Please share what you liked about her presentation and something you learned from her. Use your best handwriting. I will be mailing these from the class! (Refer to Reference 68 on p. 55 if you are unsure about writing a thank you note.)
2.) Write a three-point expository paragraph on one of the following topics. Be sure you revise and edit it before turning in a “final draft” copy to me next week. Be sure to underline at least two vocabulary words from previous weeks.
Write in First or Third Person, Use Time Order Form.
Remember the first person pronouns are I, we, me, us, my, mine, our ours
The Third Person pronouns are he,his, him, she her, hers, it its, they their, theirs, and them
(Avoid using the word “you” in your paragraphs!)
1. Things That Make Me Laugh
2. Problems Faced by Early Settlers
3. My Favorite Rides at the Fair or My Favorite Rides at Disneyworld

10/16
Possessive Nouns, Object Pronouns, Object Pronoun Jingle[References 24, 25 (p.20-22)]

You have two weeks for these assignment. Do your best!
Assignments Due 10/30
Workbook Assignment: Ch. 7 Practice p. 70, Ch. 7 Sentences Labeled in Practice Booklet, Ch. 7 Test p. 103, (optional! You may wish to wait until after the next TC), and at least TWO entries in your Journal.
Writing Assignment: Write a three-point expository paragraph on one of the following topics. Be sure you revise and edit it before turning in a “final draft” copy to me next week. Be sure to underline at least two vocabulary words from previous weeks.
Write in First or Third Person, Use Time Order Form.
Remember the first person pronouns are I, we, me, us, my, mine, our ours
The Third Person pronouns are he,his, him, she her, hers, it its, they their, theirs, and them
(Avoid using the word “you” in your paragraphs!)
1. Reasons Americans Should/Should Not Vote
2. Qualities Of A Strong President
3. Three Things I Would Do As President of the United States

10/30
Helping Verbs Jingle, Irregular Verb Chart [References 27 (p.23)], Name Acrostic
Assignments Due 11/6
Workbook Assignment: Ch. 8 Vocabulary, Ch. 8 Sentences Labeled in Practice Booklet, Ch. 8 Test p. 104, (optional! You may wish to wait until after the next TC), and at least TWO entries in your Journal.
Writing Assignments:
1.) Write an acrostic for your name. Use adjectives or short phrases that begin with the letters of your name to describe yourself.
2.) Write a three-point expository paragraph on one of the following topics. Be sure you revise and edit it before turning in a “final draft” copy to me next week. Be sure to underline at least two vocabulary words from previous weeks.
You choose the point of view and the writing form.
Remember the first person pronouns are I, we, me, us, my, mine, our ours
The Third Person pronouns are he,his, him, she her, hers, it its, they their, theirs, and them
(Avoid using the word “you” in your paragraphs!)
A.) Things I Remember Most About Grandma
B.) Ways to Stop Hiccups
C.) Ways to Conserve Energy

WRITING STARS 9-24-08 WA#3

Why I Love to Camp

by: MB, grade 5

I love to go camping. Let me tell you why. I love going camping because you're outside. You can hear the birds singing. It's just so cool. Did you ever take the time to take a break and look around? Well, when you go camping you can. It's like a vacation, but you're outside. Or, have you ever stopped to feel the breeze on your face? Camping helps you do that too. If you want to get away from everything and just relax, then camping is great for that also. I love to camp because I can be outside and hear the birds sing. I can also stop and look around me. Camping helps me to feel the breeze. Last, but not least, camping helps me relax and get away from everything. Those are some reasons why I love to camp. I like other things too, but camping will always be my favorite.

Why I Like Basketball

by: ET, grade 5

I like basketball in many different ways. I enjoy playing basketball. I like to watch basketball. I even like to read about basketball. The best part about basketball is to watch the ball go through the hoop. I also enjoy watching the Lady Vols play against Duke. It is a great sport to play with family and friends.

Baseball

by: FB, grade 4

My favorite sport is baseball. The three things I like about baseball are pitching, running and catching. The first thing I like is pitching. I like to pitch because it is fun to strike someone out. The second thing I like is running. I like running because it is an exhilarating workout. The third thing I like is catching. I like to catch because I can get someone out. I enjoy baseball because I like pitching the ball, running the bases, and catching to get someone out.

Three Reasons Why I Like To Go Camping

by: TP, grade 6

I have three reasons why I like camping. They are being with my family, being outdoors, and fishing. My first reason is family. I like camping with my family because I enjoy being with my family. My second reason is we are outdoors. I like being outdoors because you are not in the blazing sun. There are no crowds and it is just you and your family. My third reason is fishing. I like fishing because you may not have ever been there before and you don't know what's ahead of you in that adventure. That's my three favorite reasons why I like camping and I love them all!

Why I Like Figure Skating

CF, grade 3

My favorite sport is figure skating. There are three main points. They are: learning the details, performing, and competition. The first part of figure skating is learning details. Learning details may not be fun at first, but when you are performing it pays off for what you did. The second part of figure skating is performing. You do not have to perform, but I think it is a great reward for all that learning I did. The third part of figure skating is competition. You do not have to do competition, but once you try, you will love it! You may not be excellent at first, but all it takes is practice.

Three Things I Like About Camping

by: MB, grade 6

There are three things I like about camping. My favorite things about camping are getting to use a hatchet, campfires, and being outside. My first favorite thing about camping is using a hatchet. I like using a hatchet because this is pretty much the only time I am allowed to use a one. My second favorite thing about camping is campfires. I like campfires because I like putting logs and twigs on. I also like campfires because they kind of hypnotize me. My third favorite thing about camping is being outside. I like being outside because I can get away from the everyday routine and it just gives me a really good feeling. If I had to choose ten of my favorite things, camping would definitely be on the list.

Class Update 9/25 - Prepositions!

Yesterday in class, I covered all of the information about prepositions listed on the syllabus.

Prepositions, Object of the Preposition, Prepositional Flow, An adverb, a helping verb or prepositional phrases at the beginning of a sentence, All Preposition Jingles

We then labeled several sentences as a class together using the Question and Answer Flow for the different parts of speech, and placed the prepositional phrases in parenthesis. I introduced prepositions with the Christmas song, "Over the river, and through the woods..." :-) Our class was blessed to hear JC sing a Prepositon Jingle that he wrote himself! It is posted below! Way to go, JC!

After returning the students' writing assignments, I went over three points.

1.) The students should avoid using "frivolous" words. These are words that are not needed in the sentence or words that restate points verbatim. Encourage them drop unnecessary words and to use synonyms to restate points.

2.) The students (especially the older ones) need to use quality adjectives and adverbs to make their writing interesting.

Example of the two points stated above:

I like my cat, because, well, he is black.

Rewritten -

Drop - well -because it is not needed.
Use more descriptive words - change like to enjoy, add intelligent as an adjective to describe the cat, and give a reason why you enjoy the cat. Use a descriptive adverb to modify the verb - "aggressively chases" instead of "chases."

I enjoy my intelligent black cat because he aggressively chases balls.

These points were introduced based on the writing assignment from this past week. These are areas where the students can improve. Their current papers are "good," but I am striving to help them become excellent writers! :-) The "key" is not to be wordy, but to be descriptive!

3. Capitalization Rule #8 (from Reference 31 on workbook page 27)
Rule #8 - Family names are capitalized when used in place of or with the person's name.
(Grandmother, Auntie, Uncle Joe, Mother - Do NOT capitalize my mother or my mom.)
I noticed this on several papers this week. I decided not to mark it because we had not gone over it in class, and it was a frequent error on the papers. Please watch for this in the future.

We ended the class with a fun game to reinforce their weekly vocabulary. After finding the synonyms and antonyms students then had to think of their own synonyms and antonyms for the pairs of words. Very soon, I will be asking students to implement some of their vocabulary words in their writing assignments.

HOMEWORK COUPONS - For clarity, completed homework coupons may be turned in to replace one journal entry, one exercise or one set of sentences to be labeled. Homework Coupons do not replace all of the weekly homework. (I know your children wish otherwise!) Homework coupons may never be used for a writing assignment. (Although I am planning to have two writing assignment coupons available at the silent auction for TC!)

I hope this blog is helpful to you. Please let me know if you are reading this, and if you find it beneficial at home. It takes me some time to communicate all of this to you, and I want to be sure I am not wasting my time. :-) Thank you in advance for e-mailing me your comments and/or suggestions.

Your children are a blessing to teach! I enjoy them tremendously!

We have now reviewed References 1-17, and introduced Jingles 1-9 in class. Use these for review at home.

Assignments Due 10/3
Workbook Assignment: Ch. 5 Vocabulary, (there are NO exercises for Ch. 5) Ch. 5 Sentences Labeled in Practice Booklet, Ch. 5 Test p. 101, (optional! You may wish to wait until after the next TC), and at least THREE entries in your Journal.Writing Assignment: NONE this week. Use your extra time to understand prepositions. Work on memorizing all 49 in the jingle! You can also play online games, or make-up sentences with prepositional phrases.

Preposition Jingle! WOW!

Here is a preposition jingle written by one of our students! JC is one creative fifth grader! Thank you for sharing this with all of us! Perhaps you will be writing English curriculum later in life!



Preposition preposition how are you so small?

Preposition preposition do we ever use you at all?

Preposition preposition we use you every day.

Preposition preposition we can use you in every way:

outside, inside, below, behind, off, and on,

in and out, up and down, and all around.

Learning is the greatest thing ever found!!

Writing STARS 9-18-08 WA #2

Congratulations to our four Writing STARS for Writing Assignment #2! Way to go! Students were assigned a Three Point Expository Paragraph on their Favorite Adults.

(I am "indenting" these paragraphs as I type them. However, when they post, they publish without the indent. Sorry! Yes, I do realize these should be indented.)

My Favorite People

by: WB, grade 3

I have three favorite people. These people are Mom, Dad and Papaw. My first favorite person is Mom. I like Mom because she’s a great teacher. My second favorite person is Dad. I like Dad because he makes the best burgers. My third favorite person is Papaw. I like Papaw because he’s funny. I like all three because they’re in my family.

My Three Favorite Adults

by: MS, grade 4

(written as an essay instead of a paragraph)

I have three favorite adults outside of my family. They are Chuck, Rachel, and Ms. Tamie. These are my reasons why they are my favorite adults.
My first favorite adult is Chuck. I like Chuck because he is fun and he loves to make people laugh. He also has really long, cool, brown dreadlocks!
My second favorite adult is Rachel. Rachel is Chuck’s wife. She is one of my favorite adults because she’s really energetic and crazy. I like it when she leads the kids worship. She just had a baby, Kennedy. She is so cute.
My third favorite adult is Ms. Tamie. She is my best friend’s mom. I like her because she takes care of me when I go over to play at her house with my friend Anna. One of my favorite things about her is she is a really good cook. My favorite thing she cooks is her vegetable soup. It’s really good!
Out of all my favorite adults, my favorite would have to be Chuck. He’s my favorite because he is a great role model and he loves kids. One day I hope I’m as cool as he is.

My Three Favorite Adults

by: JC, grade 4

My three favorite adults are Dad, Mom, and Grandpa. My Dad is the best! He helps me with sports, school, and always helps me make good choices. My Mom is so fun. We play games, cook, and have tea parties. My Grandpa loves life. He loves plants, animals, people, and, most of all, he loves God. I have a great family. I love them and they love me.

My Three Favorite Adults

by: JC, grade 5

My three favorite adults are Dad, Mom, and Grandma. My Dad is a very joyful man. He always has a smile on his face. My Dad loves and cares for me. He works very hard to make money so I can have a beautiful house, good food, and stay at home to do school. My Mom is a super woman. She does laundry, makes meals, and cares for me so I can stay healthy and active. My Mom is also a great teacher. She teaches me school and how to love other people. My Grandma has a heart filled with love. She has shown love to me my entire life. Every time we're together, we always do special things. I don't really know how I could live without my family. They're awesome!

A Few Grading Errors

It has been brought to my attention that there were a few errors with grading your children's work this week. I extend my sincerest apologies. I have a helper that comes in to help check the work. I do not get to look the books over before they are handed back to the students. I wanted to send you the corrections because these were a bit "tricky."

In the Practice Booklet:
Ch. 3, Lesson 3 - 1. The incredibly talented musician ...Incredibly is an ADV not an ADJ. Incredibly modifies talented. The question to figure out the part of speech would be HOW talented? How is an adverb question (as stated in the jingle - how? when? where?), and adverbs can modify a verb, adjective or another adverb.

Ch. 3, Lesson 2 - 3. The extremely late flight ...Extremely is an ADV not an ADJ. Extremely is an adverb because it modifies an adjective - late.

Ch. 3, Lesson 3 - 3. The very excited fans ...Very is an ADV not an ADJ. Very is an adverb modifying excited (adj)!

In the Workbook:
Ch.3 Lesson 3 Practice 1 (p.66)The students were to underline the complete subject and the complete predicate. It was corrected to the simple subject and predicate.

I am so sorry! I am sorry for the confusion. I will try to make sure this doesn't happen again. Thank you for understanding!

Updated Class Syllabus 9-18

Here is the updated class syllabus for the next three weeks. I am continuing to introduce new concepts, and trying to keep the class enjoyable for your children. ALL of the children participate in class. We have a lot of interaction and dialogue with one another!

I covered everything listed on the syllabus today. We congratulated our "Class Stars" who have been published on the blog!

The first writing assignments were returned to the students. There are lots of notes on them, so be sure to look over the paper with your child. These assignments impressed me!

Additionally, I introduced two more banned words! The following words are "No-No Words" for their writing assignments... Good, Bad, Big, Little

We ended the class with a very silly Mad Lib! It was a fantastic way to review different parts of speech. The kids loved it! It thrilled me to hear them giggle and laugh!

Please let me know if you are not receiving e-mails from me weekly to link you to this blog. I am sending additional information via e-mail.


Shurley English Grammar Class - Syllabus Part II - Fall Semester 2008

9/18 Predicate Words Located in the Complete Subject, Writing Improved Sentences, Different Parts of Speech [References 14-16 (p.17)]
Assignments Due 9/25
Workbook Assignment: Ch. 4 Vocabulary, Ch. 4 Practice p. 68, Ch. 4 Sentences Labeled in Practice Booklet p. 3, Ch. 4 Test p. 100, (optional! You may wish to wait until after the next TC), and at least two entries in your Journal.
Writing Assignment: Write a three-point expository paragraph on one of the following topics. Be sure you revise and edit it before turning in a “final draft” copy to me next week.
Why I Like to Camp
Why I Like to Play (You name the sport – Soccer, Baseball, Football, Swimming, Karate, etc…)
My Favorite Movies / Games

9/25 Prepositions, Object of the Preposition, Prepositional Flow, An adverb, a helping verb or prepositional phrases at the beginning of a sentence, All Preposition Jingles
Assignments Due 10/3
Workbook Assignment: Ch. 5 Vocabulary, (there are NO exercises for Ch. 5) Ch. 5 Sentences Labeled in Practice Booklet, Ch. 5 Test p. 101, (optional! You may wish to wait until after the next TC), and at least THREE entries in your Journal.
Writing Assignment: NONE this week. Use your extra time to understand prepositions. Work on memorizing all 49 in the jingle! You can also play online games, or make-up sentences with prepositional phrases.

10/3 Writing in First Person or Third Person, Pronoun Jingle, Subject Pronoun Jingle, Possessive Pronoun Jingle, Subject Pronoun, Possessive Pronouns, Understood Subject Pronoun, Subject/Verb agreement
Assignments Due 10/10
Workbook Assignment: Ch. 6 Vocabulary, Ch. 6 Practice p. 69, Ch. 6 Sentences Labeled in Practice Booklet p. 5, Ch. 6 Test p. 102, (optional! You may wish to wait until after the next TC), and at least TWO entries in your Journal.
Writing Assignment: Be sure you bring in a FINAL draft to class.
Three Point Expository Paragraph in First Person
(Choose one of the topics below.)
My Favorite Animals 2. People I Would Like to Meet
OR, Three Point Expository Paragraph in Third Person
(Choose one of the topics below.)
1. (Person’s name) Favorite Animals 2. People (Person’s Name) Would Like to Meet (ex. Emily’s Favorite Animals)

First Writing Assignment Class STARS

I will try to display at least 3 of the best writing assignments from class. To be published on the BLOG, the student must include a rough draft with his/her final draft. There must not be many grammatical, spelling, or form errors. Consider it an honor to be PUBLISHED on the Class Blog. My hope is that all students will see their work here at least once during the semester.

Assignment : Three Point Expository Paragraph about three favorite school subjects.

My Favorite Subjects
by: WP, grade 6

I have three favorite subjects. These subjects are English, science, and math. My first favorite subject is English. I like English because it helps improve my spelling. My second favorite subject is science. I like science because of all that you can do in science such as experiments. My third favorite subject is math. I like math because I like to write numbers which is different than writing words. I enjoy studying all kinds of different subjects, but my favorites will always be English, science, and math.

My Favorite Subjects

by: MB, grade 5

I have three favorite subjects in school. They are math, history, and Shurley English. My very favorite subject is math. I like math because it is fun and I like to add and subtract. My second favorite subject is history. I like history because it is fun to learn about stuff from long ago. My third favorite subject is Shurley English. I like Shurley English because it is fun and you can learn a lot. I like other subjects in school but those are my three favorite.

My Favorite Subjects

by: CF, grade 3

I have three favorite subjects. These subjects are reading, writing, and Spanish. My first favorite subject is reading. I like reading because I can use my imagination. My second favorite subject is writing. I like writing because I can be creative. My third favorite subject is Spanish. I like Spanish because I can learn a different language. I like all subjects but my favorite subjects are reading, writing, and Spanish.

Common, Proper, Singular, Plural 9-11

The title should give you a few hints about what was covered in class today! :-)

Our class today was sweltering hot because the church's air conditioning unit was broken. Thankfully, it was Teacher-To-The-Rescue with a few ice-pops to break the heat! Hee-hee!

Today we started with all six jingles, and your kids sang with enthusiasm and smiles! :-) I had them listen to the preposition jingles while they enjoyed the popsicles. We will be moving into prepositions soon.

We went over Ch. 2 test, reviewed some of the homework, labeled sentences from Chapter Three, and learned about the Subject/Verb Pattern of a sentence. (This is the first of seven sentence patterns.) We also reviewed finding the simple subject and simple predicate of the sentence.

Today, I introduced the "Noun Check." We walked through the terms in the title above...common, proper, singular, plural. Students were exposed to the roles and rules for each noun form.

After our grammar lesson, we moved into writing. Several of your children shared their papers with the class. I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT I HEARD! In the paragraphs I listened to, it seemed that your children are easily following the form of a three point expository paragraph. Yeah!

As part of the writing instruction, I introduced two "NO-NO Words." (I could have labeled them "banned" words, but NO-NO seemed more fun!) I have asked the students to avoid using good and bad in their writing. There are many quality adjectives that are enticingly more descriptive. I used the following two sentences in class to demonstrate the point. (These seemed fitting because of today's date.)

1 - September 11, 2001 was a bad day for America.
2- Firefighters performed some good deeds on September 11, 2001.

Don't these two sentences completely diminish the catastrophic happenings of this date in history? The students came up with more descriptive adjectives and we listed them on the board. As you review your child's writing assignments, please help them expand their vocabulary by choosing words that convey the purpose they desire.

Finally, to address writing. YOU have the freedom to alter the assignments I send home. If your child needs to write a thank you note; this can replace one journal entry. If your child is writing a report for a class; have them bring in a copy to me in lieu of a formal writing assignment. The assignments I send home are important, but, because we home educate, there will be weeks where other subjects requiring writing will need to take precedence. Please know you have that freedom!

Here is the homework due next week:
ALL Ch. 3 Exercises in Workbook (p.66-67)
ALL Ch. 3 Vocabulary
ALL Ch. 3 Sentences in Practice Booklet (p.2) - labeled with simple subject, simple predicate, type of sentence, and sentence pattern indicated as we have done in class.
2 Journal Entries (or writing assignments you choose)
3 Point Expository Paragraph on My Three Favorite Adults - Have FINAL DRAFT stapled to the rough draft to hand in - Avoid using the words good and bad :-)

Have a great week! Your children are doing FANTASTIC!

9-4 Update and Homework

We had a fantastic day in class yesterday. We covered a lot of material!

In class, I taught the Abverb Jingle and the Adjective Jingle. We have now learned Jingles 1-6 (pp. 2-3 in your Shurley Workbook). I can not emphasize enough how important it is that your child learn these jingles. We will continue singing them in class, but please review them during the week as well.

I taught how to label sentences adding adverbs, adjectives, underlining the simple subject once, underlining the simple predicate twice, and labeling the "type" of sentence at the end. (D = Statement, Declarative)

We also talked about the importance of editing and proofreading our writing. We reviewed Reference 5 and 6. I brought in some funny examples of things that have been mass produced with spelling and grammatical errors! Your children can bring in "editing errors" for the rest of the year. I would love for them to "have an eye" for misspelled words!

Finally, I went over the points of a three-point paragraph. This is Reference 12 in your book. Please have your child follow this format for the writing assignment.

NEW HOMEWORK:
We will not follow the syllabus. Here is the homework due next week.
Writing Assignment -
Write a Three Point Paragraph about your Three Favorite School Subjects - your child needs to turn in a FINAL DRAFT to me stapled to the rough draft. Please follow the editing guidelines, and review with your child.

Workbook -
Chapter 2 Test (Optional) p.98
Finish Ch.2 Introductory Sentences in Practice Booklet p.1 (Be sure they add the labeling elements introduced in class - simple subject, simple predicate, type of sentence.)
Three Journal Entries - your choice of subjects...

Great Grammar Online Games

Here's a fun online grammar game to help your child become comfortable with different parts of speech. H/She can start at beginner, and move to advanced.

Enjoy grammar gorillas!

http://www.funbrain.com/grammar/index.html

Here is a great one to review the four types of sentences. (I like all "Quia" games!)

http://www.quia.com/pop/35934.html

8-28 Four Types of Sentences, Q & A Flow

I am going to adjust the syllabus to cover some necessary fundamentals before we move on. Please review the jingles with your child, and references we have covered over the past two weeks. This is an optional supplement, but if your child hasn't studied English grammar, please consider making the investment in the introductory jingle CD.

I have also e-mailed an attachment of additional sentences for them to label. Please have them do this in lieu of the homework I dropped from this week's assignment.

Important things taught in class to review with them this week -

Reference 2 p. 10 - be sure your child is following this Vocabulary Plan
Reference 3 p. 11 - most kids have this one, but you may wish to review
Reference 7 p. 14 - Four types of sentences - be sure they understand
Reference 8 p. 14 - Article Adjectives - need to know a, an, the
Reference 9 p. 14 - Question and Answer Flow - the sentences in the attachment introduce this concept

Jingle 1 p. 2 - Noun Jingle
Jingle 3 p. 2 - Sentence Jingle
Jingle 6 p. 3 - Article Adjective Jingle

PLEASE be sure your child understands (for now) that a VERB is an action word. (Later, we will separate these into action verbs and linking verbs.)
Also, please review ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS. I will introduce these next week, but if your child has never had exposure to them try to give them a brief overview before Thursday. You may refer to the Adverb Jingle #4 on p. 3, and the Adjective Jingle #5 on p. 3.

Your kids are doing great completing their homework! Yeah! Thank you for making sure they get it done. It helps tremendously, and they are anxious to answer and participate when they know the answer. I also enjoyed hearing a few journal entries today! It's exciting to see them enthusiastic about sharing their writing! Keep encouraging them!

NEW HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT FOR THIS WEEK -
All Chapter 2 Vocabulary following the Vocabulary Plan
All Chapter 2 Exercises on p. 66 in Workbook
Label the first set of Chapter 2 Sentences in the Practice Booklet
Three Journal Entries
Complete the attachment of sentences to label
DO NOT HAVE YOUR CHILD TRY TO DO THE TEST THIS WEEK!

I did not have time to cover Reference 5 & 6 today, but plan to do so next week. I will be modifying the homework assignments to a small degree, but will communicate via e-mail and on this blog.

Journal and Grading Questions

How much should my child write in his/her journal?
Journaling - I suggested to the class that 3rd graders write 1-2 paragraphs, 4th graders write 2-3 paragraphs, and 5th and 6th graders write 3-4 paragraphs. If your child writes more than this, that is fine! I'm not concerned with the length, but desiring the kids to be able to communicate effectively with the written word. Remember, journals are NOT graded or corrected. These are to encourage kids to record their thoughts on paper. I would like them to write in their journals at least three times per week.

How will you send grades at the end of the semester?
I will e-mail grades at the end of the semester. The grade I will give you will cover the form of your child's writing, completed homework assignments, and classroom participation. You may then include the scores from the chapter tests to determine the final grade. Please let me know ASAP if you want a grade from me.

8-21 Update

We enjoyed a great first day of class! I enjoyed meeting all of your children and learning a little bit about them with our “ice breaker.” Everyone had to introduce themselves with an adjective that began with the same letter as their first name!

We covered an overview of the semester, class supplies, and quickly moved into the material. I was able to cover the first three references in their workbook! Whew! We are moving fast. I also introduced "narrative" writing which is what they will be doing in their journal.

Homework assignments are on the syllabus, and I went over them in class. If you have misplaced your syllabus, it is listed in a post below and will be available on this site for the semester.

Today all of the children were given a Webster's Dictionary. This would be a great reference for their vocabulary words. Please be sure your child knows how to use a dictionary before allowing them to use a computer dictionary. One child asked if the vocabulary words and definitions could be typed. That is your decision as the parent, but if you allow it I suggest having your child type the definition rather than allowing them to "cut-and-paste" it.

Please e-mail me with any questions or concerns. Finally, please make sure your child completes the homework each week. They will be rewarded for their efforts by me, but, much more than that, they will gain a foundational grasp of the English language.

Web Links for Grammar

Here's a great list of grammar resources on the Internet. Having your child play these games on the computer is a great way to fortify learning.

Grammar

Language Arts

Syllabus

This syllabus only covers the first four weeks of assignments because I will need to assess the "speed" of the class. I am hoping to move at the pace of the book, but I want to be sure all of the children understand the concepts before we move on.

All assignments are due the week after they are assigned. Students will be expected to turn in a typed or neatly handwritten "final draft" copy of all writing assignments. (This does not apply to Journal entries.)

8/21 Semester Overview, Goals for the Year, Vocabulary Plan, "A and An" Usage, Journal Writing, [References 1-4 (p.10-11)]
Workbook Assignment: All vocabulary for Ch. 1 (Group 1 & 2) p.8, Ch. 1 Practice p. 66, Ch. 1 Test p. 98 (optional!)
Writing Assignment: Write at least three entries in your Journal.

8/28 Revising and Editing, Rough Drafts and Final Paragraphs, four Kinds of Sentences, Article Adjective Information, Q & A Flow, Three Jingles, [References 5-9 (p. 12-14)]
NEW HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT FOR THIS WEEK (updated 8-28)
All Chapter 2 Vocabulary following the Vocabulary Plan
All Chapter 2 Exercises on p. 66 in Workbook
Label the first set of Chapter 2 Sentences in the Practice Booklet
Three Journal Entries
Complete the e-mailed attachment of sentences to label
DO NOT HAVE YOUR CHILD TRY TO DO THE TEST THIS WEEK!


9/4 Skill Builder Check, Noun Job Chart, Q & A Flow for Classifying, Three More Jingles, [References 10-11 (p. 15)]
Workbook Assignment: All vocabulary for Ch. 3 (Group 1 & 2) p.8, Ch. 3 Practice Sets p. 66 and the first one on p. 67 – do NOT do the "Practice Writing Page" (Ch. 3 Lesson 5), Ch. 3 Sentences Labeled in Practice Booklet p. 2, Ch. 3 Test p. 99 (optional!)
Writing Assignment: Write at least three entries in your Journal.

9/11 Expository Writing and Writing Definitions
[References 12-13 (p. 16-17)]
Workbook Assignment: All vocabulary for Ch. 4 (Group 1 & 2) p.8
Writing Assignment: Ch. 3 "Practice Writing Page" (Ch. 3 Lesson 5) p.67, Revise and Edit this paragraph, Type or neatly hand-write a "final draft" of your paragraph to turn in during the next class. Write at least three entries in your Journal.

9/18 Predicate Words Located in the Complete Subject, Writing Improved Sentences, Different Parts of Speech [References 14-16 (p.17)]
Workbook Assignment: Ch. 4 Practice p. 68, Ch. 4 Sentences Labeled in Practice Booklet p. 3, Ch. 4 Test p. 100, (optional!)
Writing Assignment: Write a three-point expository paragraph on one of the following topics. Be sure you revise and edit it before turning in a "final draft" copy to me next week.
*Why I Like to Camp
*My Favorite Adults
*My Favorite Movies / Games
Also, write at least three entries in your Journal.

The assignments from week 9/18 are indicative of what you can expect during the semester if we move at this pace. I will assess the needs of the class and adjust accordingly.

Class Text and Supply List

Required Text: Shurley English Level 4 Student Workbook and Shurely English Level 4 Practice Booklet

Class Supplies needed each week: one spiral notebook to be used for three purposes: vocabulary words, class notes and writing assignment "rough drafts," one spiral notebook or composition book for journaling, one folder, sharpened pencils, required workbooks (listed above) and a "willing to learn" attitude!

Parental Keys for Success

Parents,

I am excited about our upcoming year at TC. We will have a fun, but academically intensive class this year in Shurley Grammar. The class will move at a fast pace to cover the material, but I think you will be AMAZED by what your child will know by the end of the year. If you would like to see what we will cover, please look at this Scope and Sequence for Level 4. It's rather impressive!

However, I must have your help to have a successful year.

Here are some suggestions to help your child succeed. If these things are not accomplished at home, it will be difficult for your child to learn the material. Everything taught in class will need to be fortified at home.

For many of you, this is your plan for English for the year. Therefore, it is imperative that it become part of your daily routine at home. Please think of me as a teaching partner with you. As a parent, you will need to help your child at home to be sure the work is accomplished.

Here are suggestions for an enjoyable and successful year.

1.) Incorporate the class assignments into your DAILY home school schedule. All assignments are given for the week, so you may break them down into "doable" daily segments. Accomplishing a small bit each day will be much better for your child than trying to "cram it in" at the last minute. The assignments will take about 20 minutes (+/-) each day. Here is a suggestion for modifying** at home:
Monday - Vocabulary Group 1, Practice Sentences, Exercises, Writing Assignment Rough Draft
Tuesday - Vocabulary Group 2, Practice Sentences, Journaling, Edit Writing Assignment
Wednesday - Finish Practice Sentences and Exercises, Neatly Write or Type Final Draft of Writing Assignment, Be sure you have all assignments completed
Thursday - Come prepared to Co-Op with completed assignments and class supplies
Friday - Chapter Test (optional), Journal Entry
**Assignments will vary each week. Some weeks will not have a writing assignment.

2.) Order the audio CD with the jingles and review it several times a week. This CD is optional, but I highly recommend purchasing it and using it at home until your child knows the songs by memory. (Our family listens to them in the car!) We will review the jingles weekly in class, but it will be difficult for your child to remember all of them if they only hear them once per week. If you would like additional reinforcement of the Question and Answer Flow to classify the sentences along with the jingles, then I would suggest ordering the Practice CD Set.

3.) Go over your child's writing assignments with him/her. Help them find spelling, capitalization, and grammatical errors before they are turned in. Your child will be expected to turn in a "final draft" to me. We will discuss editing and proofreading in class, but until these skills are strengthened, I suggest spending time with your child to boost their confidence. When I grade these papers, I will be primarily looking at their writing "form and structure."
I prefer these final draft papers to be typed. Hand-written copies are fine, but please have your child use their neatest handwriting. I would like to post some of the writing on our class blog (without names) to encourage the students.

4.) Remember that "Journaling" is not a graded writing assignment. The purpose of journaling is to help your child develop the habit of developing his/her thoughts with the written word. Please do not criticize, correct, or change their journal entries. If you read these entries, always try to provide encouragement and praise for your child's efforts. You will see a vast improvement in content over the course of the year. However, always remember that the purpose of your child's journaling is very different than their writing assignments.

5.) Tests are located in the back of your student's workbook. I am not planning to administer these in class because I am going to need to use all of our class time to teach the concepts. If you desire your child to take the tests, I will be happy to provide the Test Key so you may grade it at home. I am hoping to have my weekly class assistant help grade the practice exercises and sentences each week.

Finally, I am available to help you. Please let me know how I can help you. I am happy to do so. Together, we are going to have a wonderful year!