Study Notes

Here is the information from the PowerPoint that we went over on Thursday. 

Figurative vs Literal Language

Can you identify which is which?

1. I am starving! I could eat an elephant.
2. You can drive 100km/h on some highways.
3. His heart was full of lead.
4. I waited a million years just to buy the tickets.
5. Her pink dress swayed with the gentle breeze.
6. As the giraffe ran gracefully across the savannah, its legs moved like so fast it was as if they disappeared.
7. My mind is like a rushing hurricane.

Literal language is to be taken seriously and as truth. It is a real meaning.  Figurative language uses images, comparisons, and exaggerations to express an idea.

Poetry Terms

—  Assonance: repeating a vowel sound

—  Consonance: repeating a consonant sound (especially at the end of a word)

—  Alliteration:  repeating the beginning sound of a word

What are they?

1. I raised the flag high so it could fly freely
2. I thought that if I bought you a present you’d be happy
3. Not guns, not thunder, but a flutter of clouded drums
4. I must confess that in my quest I felt depressed and restless
5. I think I will get sick if I drink milk every day
6. Almost all of them felt angry that they already missed the airplane

Answers: alliteration  (f), consonance (t), assonance (u), assonance (e), consonance (k), alliteration (a)

Citations

A citation is used to give credit to the author and document your work.

(_____________, _____________) 

(author’s last name, page number)

Punctuating Dialogue

*Refer to the hand out you received during our short story unit for more details.

Are they done correctly?

1.  I said, “The fable by James Thurber will surprise you.”
2. And then he said, “Mind your own business”!
3. “This fable” our teacher said, “is a twist of an old tale,”
4. Did she say, “I’m quitting?”

Answers: 1. correct  2. And then he said, “Mind your own business!”   3. “This fable,” our teacher said, “is a twist of an old tale.” 4. “Did she say, ‘I’m quitting’?”

Showing vs Telling

When you TELL you SAY it SIMPLY

            The kitten is cute.

When you SHOW you PAINT a PICTURE

            The kitten’s soft grey fur and big blue

            eyes made my heart melt.

Paraphrase vs Summary vs Main Point

Paraphrasing

Steps to paraphrasing:

1.     Read the passage carefully

2.     Identify the main point

3.     Underline important key terms and phrases

4.     Write it in your own words

5.     Cite your source

*to avoid plagiarism do not use more than 3 words in a row from the passage.  A good tip is to rearrange the order of the sentences.

Practice paraphrasing paragraphs from the newspaper articles that I gave you, from one of your textbooks, or from online :)

Sample paragraph:  

“Personification is a type of metaphor, and thereby involves a comparison. When we use personification, we attribute human characteristics and behaviors to non-human entities or to inanimate objects.” (Mosdos, 2001)

A good paragraph: 

One form of figurative language is a comparison called personification. Personification means that you give human characteristics and actions to something that is not human, like an animal, or a tree (Mosdos, 2011).

A bad example (too much of the information is the same, this is plagiarism): 

Personification is a type of figurative language. Personification means we attribute human characteristics and behaviors to things that are not human (Mosdos, 2011).

Another bad example (this is too short and is more of a summary):  

Personification compares human behaviors to non-human things (Mosdos, 2011).

*Don't forget to refer to the study guide (green paper) and your VLD booklet :) 

VLD Week 3

Give your new post this title: VLD Week 3

Instructions:

Interview one of the women in the story (Ly, Xuyen, Aunt Binh, or Ah Soong), and create a transcript of the interview.  Ask your character 4-6 questions about events that have happened in Parts 1-3 of the story.  Your character should reveal their thoughts, feelings, and actions when answering the question.

Remember to write in the format of an interview, as shown below.

Your entry should be 250-300 words in length.

Transcript Example:

Reporter: How did you feel when you finally finished your new book?

Author: I felt absolutely fantastic!  I had been writing my book for the last four years.  So when I finally finished I had a big celebration with my family and friends. We went to a fancy restaurant and I read my favorite section to all of my guests.  Seeing their happy faces made me proud of my work.

Reporter: What inspired you to write this story?

Author: Well, when I was 13 I had my first love.  Of course, now that I am married I have moved on, but I wanted to write a book that teens would understand and enjoy.  My favorite section is inspired by the day he asked me out for the first time.  I was standing by the bus stop and he pulled up with a couple of friends and I had to choose which seat I should take:  the front or the back.  Clearly, I chose the one next to him.  And the rest is history!

VLD Week 2

Give your new post this title: VLD Week 2

Write a summary of the important events in chapters 9-12 from your family's perspective, as if you and your family escaped Vietnam, just like Phan Thi Chi's family did. You may write it as a letter to a friend, or as a story.

Think about what each member of your family would be like in that situation.  Would they be a leader like Quan, a planner like Uncle Tan, negative like Phan Thi Chi...etc. 

Your letter should be written in paragraph form and be 350-400 words in length. 

This completed post is due at the end of class today.

Sample Post: VLD Week 1

Here is an example of one way you could structure your letter in Part A

Dear…

I have some sad news to share with you…

This frustrates me because…

My family has decided to…

This makes me feel…

I hope that….

Sincerely…

VLD Week 1

Give your post this title: VLD Week 1

Part A:

Scenario: The government has wrongly accused your family of doing something that has made them very angry. Since they are threatening to take your home, your money, and separate your whole family in different parts of the country, your family has decided to escape. You are leaving tomorrow morning.

Imagine you will be leaving your home for a new, unfamiliar place. Your destination and future are both uncertain. In a letter, describe your fears, expectations, frustrations, hopes, and feelings about this situation. Your letter could be to a close friend or relative.

Your letter should be in paragraph form, 300-350 words in length (So write thoughtfully with plenty of detail!)

Part B:

Re-read the beginning of chapter 8 (pages 607-608). These paragraphs describe what each person in the family dreamt or did the night before they left. Think about the letter you wrote in Part A, and explain which character best shows how YOU would have felt the night before leaving. Explain your answer. (4-5 sentences)

This post is due at the end of class today (you may NOT finish at home).

Project #5 - Biography

Assignment Instructions:
1.  Create a new post with the title, "Project #5 - Biography"

2. Type the final draft of your biography into the new post.

3.  When you are finished, look back at your writing and highlight areas were you included specific elements of biography. (please highlight phrases and sentences, not whole paragraphs.)
      a) Accomplishments/things that the person is proud of = BLUE
      b) Problems/obstacles the person faced = RED
      c) Important people/places in the person's life = GREEN
      d) Quotations from the interview = PURPLE

4. Finally, add you answer to the following question at the bottom of you post:
      1. What did you learn while doing this project?  (4-5 sentences)

This project is due Sunday, February 19th, at 8pm.

Reminder: Interview

Instructions:

You will be writing about the life of someone in your family. You should choose someone in your family who is older than you to interview about their experiences. 

First, write down 8-12 questions to ask. Your need to find out the following information from your relative:

• Details about his/her birth, family, and significant events in his/her life
• Stories about their accomplishments or things they are proud of
• Stories about difficult experiences or problems they had to overcome
• The most important people in his/her life (and why)

In addition, you should ask one other family member how they would describe your chosen relative.

After you have decided on the questions you will ask, talk to the person and write down the answers they give you.

A

Your notes (questions & answers) from your interview are due in class on Wednesday, Feb. 15.

Sample Post #4 Alphabiography

S is for Sydney, the city I grew up in.  When I first arrived, at age three, I was quick to proclaim, "this can't be Australia!  There are no kangaroos!". What I love about this bustling city is that it is very multicultural, there are tons of fascinating places, and public transport is a breeze. And, yes, kangaroos can be found in the city (at the Darling Harbor zoo), but I jump for joy when I see these furry creatures out in the bush. 

P is for Portland, the city of Roses.  It was in this city that I lived with my Grandma for five year while attending college.  Although Portland is very wet, it is also extremely lush, green, and very fresh.  My Grandma and I would often explore downtown, in search of our new "favorite" place.  Stumptown Coffee shop, Voodoo Donuts, and the street carts on 3rd Street quickly became some of our most visited sites.

Project #4 - Alphabiography

Instructions:

1. Create a new post with the title, "Project #4 - Alphabiography".

2. Type the final draft of your 12 autobiography paragraphs into the new post.

• Include a heading for each paragraph -- to make each letter stand out.
• Put your paragraphs in alphabetical order -- (unless it makes most sense in the order you wrote).

3. When you are finished, add your answers to these questions at the bottom of your post.

1. In 4-6 sentences, describe the process of writing your alphabiography. (Did you decide on 12 letters first, or did you write a paragraph at a time? What did you enjoy? What did you do well? Which stories are your favorites? How did you decide which parts of your life to include vs. leave out?)
2. List & Explain 3 objective details and 3 subjective details you have included in your writing.
3. What did you do really well in your autobiography (being descriptive? developing characters?), and what was hardest for you (explaining things in only a few sentences? using strong, vivid words?)? 

This completed post is due by Sunday, February 12 at 8:00pm.

Project #3 - Bible Story

Assignment Instructions:

1. Create a new post with the title, "Project #3 - Bible Story".
2. Type the final draft of your rewritten Bible Story in the new post.
1. Include a title for the story, as well as the Bible Reference (for example, Exodus 2:1-19 or Mark 7:15-32)
3. When you are finished, add your answers to these questions at the bottom of your post.
1. In 4-6 sentences, describe the process of writing this story. (How did you choose your story? How did you decide which parts to include, and which to leave out? What did you do well?)
2. In 3-5 sentences, explain what was most difficult about writing your story.
3. In 3-5 sentences, explain what you enjoyed about writing your story.

This completed post is due by Thursday, February 2 at 8:00pm.

Reminder: Bible Story Assignment

Reminder: Bible Story Assignment

[This is an in-class assignment. You do not need to post this in your blog.]

Guidelines for writing your Bible Story:

• Choose a Bible Story that you would like to re-write. It should be a passage of about 10-15 verses in length
• Take notes on the important parts of the story--the ones you will need to include in your story.
• Re-write the same story creatively, from the perspective of the main character. 
• Your story should be in first person.
• Include dialogue (conversations)
• Add extra details (feelings, descriptions of people and places, etc.) to make the story interesting, while making sure it is still an accurate story.
• The entire story should be around 300 words in length.
• Please come to class on Wednesday knowing which story you will write about. (You do not need to have any of it written yet.)

Sample Post #2 Newspaper Article

This is the screen shot of the article.

Content of Article:

 

Catchy Heading

By Ruth Prouty

THIS is my LEAD PARAGRAPH.  Here I will provide information about WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and HOW.  I will keep this short and concise, and use accurate language.  This is all in PAST TENSE.

The next paragraphs will describe the EVENTS of my story.  I will go into more detail and include at least THREE DIRECT QUOTES from people who have observed, or were involved in the story I am reporting.  The paragraphs will be short in length.

Why is the moon sometimes out during the day? Why is the sky blue? To help prove to your kids that you're no dummy, here are the easy-to-understand answers to their most burning questions.

The moon is just as likely to be visible during the day as it is at night — it orbits Earth independently of the sun. When its orbit brings it to your part of the sky during daylight hours, it is illuminated by the sun, and we can see it.

When the different colors of light pass through the atmosphere, they run into molecules, water droplets and bits of dust. Because all these particles are closer in size to shorter wavelengths of light, they tend to scatter violet and blue light much more than red, and so they send rays of violet and blue ricocheting toward the ground — and your eyes. More violet light actually gets scattered by atmospheric particles than blue light, but your eyes are more sensitive to blue, so the sky appears blue.

            Sunsets are orange-red because in the evening, with the sun low on the horizon, sunlight must pass through more atmosphere to get to your eyes, and only the red light can make it all the way through. The shorter wavelengths have all been scattered toward the ground in the part of Earth where it is still daytime. 

This is where I WRAP-UP my report.  This is known as the TAIL.  I will include either a) an alternative view about the report OR b) future action due to events that have taken place.

Analysis of Features: 
1. Here I have describe feature #1 in detail.  I have also explained how this feature helps the purpose of my newspaper article.
2. Here I have describe feature #2 in detail.  I have also explained how this feature helps the purpose of my newspaper article.
3. Here I have describe feature #3 in detail.  I have also explained how this feature helps the purpose of my newspaper article.
4. Here I have describe feature #4 in detail.  I have also explained how this feature helps the purpose of my newspaper article.

Sample Post #1 Adventure Advertisement

Including your advertisement is OPTIONAL.  If you are unable to upload it, that is fine.

1. The purpose of my advertisement is to ____________________________________.  ______________________________________________________________________.

2. I have included many language and structures in my advertisement.  Two of my best are X and Y.  Explain X  in detail _____________________________________________.

Explain Y in detail _________________________________________________.

Project #2 - Newspaper Article

Assignment Instructions:

Now that you have finished your final draft of your newspaper article, please follow these steps:

1. Create a new post on your blog with the title, "Project #2 - Newspaper Article".

2. Take a screen shot of your article (save it as a PNG or JPEG) and upload your article.

(How to print your screen on Windows)

• To do this, hold down ALT while pressing PRINT SCREEN.
• Open Paint, and select Edit, Paste. You may then crop your picture.
• Save as a JPEG file.

(How to take a screen shot on a MAC)

• Hold SHIFT, APPLE and 4 at the same time.
• Drag the cursor over your document.  
• The image will be a PNG file.

3. Next, copy and paste the content of your newspaper article into this post.

• The content should be in a single column and easy to read (you may need to reformat it).  

4. Then, type your answer to the question below. (Be sure to use spell checker before you click Publish!)

• Identify four language and structure features from your article and, in detail, explain how each feature helps the purpose of your news report.

This completed post is due by Tuesday, 31st January by 8:00pm.

Project #1 - Adventure Advertisement

Assignment Instructions:

Now that you have finished with making your advertisement, please follow these steps:

1. Create a new post on your blog with the title, "Project #1 - Adventure Ad". 
2. OPTIONAL:  If you are able, upload your advertisement (or an image from it).
3. Then, type your answers (make any necessary changes) to the two questions about the purpose and features of your advertisement.

• Be sure to use spell checker before you click Publish!)

This completed post is due Sunday, January 29th, at 8:00pm.

Welcome to all year 8 English bloggers!

Dear students,

Welcome to the blogging world!

I hope that you will enjoy this little break from sitting at your desk and handwriting :) .  Your blog is intended to give you a chance to create and submit projects in paper-free way. In addition, your blog will help you track your progress and test your understanding of the content we learn in class.

I look forward to visiting your blog, learning more about you and reading the ideas you have to share!

Happy typing,


Miss Ruth