Monday (10 Sept. 2012)

1. Monday (10 Sept. 2012) • On the first page of your notebook or a blank piece of paper, write a brief description of yourself. • What do you enjoy doing? • What was the last book or thing you read, and enjoyed? • What do you find to be the most challenging about English courses? • Finished? Please get out your (hopefully) signed syllabus.

2. Welcome to Practical Writing Skills! But who is Mrs. Fritz?

3. Just a small town girl…. *Born on December 27, 1982 (?) in Seoul, South Korea *Pinckneyville, Illinois (population 3,300) *Older sister, Desiree

4. McKendree University • B.A. in Speech Communication • McKendree Community Action Team (Coordinator for Soup Kitchen) • Resident Advisor • Student Ambassador

5. St. Louis, Missouri • English II, ACT Prep • Key Club Advisor • Masters in Education Faculty Dodgeball MVP!

6. My Turn… • What do you enjoy doing? Spending time with my husband traveling, walking our dogs, and seeing friends and family. • What was the last book or thing you read, and enjoyed? Game of Thrones • What do you find to be the most challenging about English courses? Reading things that don’t interest me and making myself focus on the text.

7. What’sDifferent from TAKS? • TAKS did not require a cumulative score. • The STAAR EOC English exams must cumulate into 11, 250 points (minimum) in order to graduate! **Every single EOC English exam ‘counts’!** • TAKS did not have minimum scores. • On the STAAR EOCs, not meeting the minimum = 0 pts.

8. Minimum Plan(English requirement only) • Student must have a cumulative score of at least 11, 250 after taking the English I – III EOC Reading and Writing exams. *6 EOC exams total in English alone! ***If you graduate on the minimum plan you are NOT eligible to attend a four-year college or university unless you transfer from a community college first.***

9. Recommended Plan(English requirement only) • Students must meet or exceed a cumulative score of 11, 250 points in English I – III Reading and Writing EOC exams • in addition to scoring ‘Satisfactory’ (scale score of 1875 pts. – Level 2) on both the English III Reading and Writing EOC.

10. Distinguished Plan(English requirement only) • Students must meet or exceed a cumulative score of 11, 250 points in English I – III Reading and Writing EOC exams • In addition to achieving a scale score of at least 2135 (Level 3) on both English III Reading and Writing.

11. Reminders • Not only do the EOC English Reading and Writing exams determine ifyou graduate, they also determine on which plan. • If you do not meet the minimum scale score on Reading (1813) you receive ZERO points toward your cumulative score. • If you do not meet the minimum scale score on Writing (1798) you receive ZERO points toward your cumulative score.

12. Conclusions • Every English EOC Reading or Writing exam ‘counts’! • Even if you fail to meet satisfactory, if you at least meet the minimum scale score you will have points in your cumulative bank. • Pay attention in class/ go to tutoring and re-test in order to get your score up (cumulative score is calculated using the highest score on each English EOC)!

13. Tuesday (11 Sept. 2012) • Please answer the following questions in your Practical Writing Skills notebook. • What do you know about 9/11? Where do you learn the information?

14. Wednesday (12 Sept. 2012) • Please get out your signed syllabus form if you have not turned one in already. • Then, get out your dialogue paragraph from yesterday so I may check that it is complete.

15. Thursday (13 September 2012) • Please get out your notebook and log-in to a computer. Then, go to www.killeenisd.org. • While you’re waiting, write the following terms on a new sheet of paper in your notebook (skip 3-4 lines after each term so you have room for notes): • Independent Clause • Dependent Clause • Simple Sentence • Compound Sentence

16. Coordinating Conjunctions • Coordinating conjunctions may join parts of a sentence. • I like tea and coffee. • He likes to read and write. • We went to the store but forgot to buy milk. • Coordinating conjunctions may join independent clauses. • I want to pass the EOC Writing test, so I am going try my best in all of my English courses. • There are several coordinating conjunctions: and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so

17. Practice How would we combine the following sentences? • 1. I wanted to go to sleep. My teacher wouldn’t let me. [but] • 2. She always studies hard. She gets good grades. [so] • 3. He is very happy. He gets to go on vacation soon. [for] • 4. I would be happier if it were Saturday. I would even be happy if it were Friday. [or] • 5. The class was almost over. I didn’t want it to end. [yet]

18. Friday (14 September 2012) • Using the sheet from yesterday, please rewrite sentences 4-5 (top section) and combine the two sentences using the coordinating conjunction that’s in [ ]. • Finished? Pass in the sheet to Mrs. Fritz and she will give you the handout titled “Rainy Wedding,” which you will then begin to read.

19. “Rainy Wedding” (Shorter stories/ texts and article titles have quotation marks around them) • As you read “Rainy Wedding,” underline the dialogue of the characters and circle the punctuation marks that set the dialogue apart from the speaker’s tag or marks the end of what the speaker is saying. Example: “ Today I get married, right ?” he said with a smile.

20. Then, answer these questions: • 1. Who are the two main characters? • 2. How old is the boy? • HOW do we know (what clues are in the text)? • 3. What’s going on? (BRIEFLY summarize the story)

21. Now What? • If you did not have any mistakes on punctuation (combining sentences or dialogue), please get out your essays from English II and sit at one of the tables. • However, if you need to work on spelling, stay at your computer and log in to my teacher website. • If you still need to work with punctuation in dialogue or combining sentences, please get out your purple workbook. • Quotations p. 176 • Sentence Combining p. 85 & 86

22. Monday (17 September 2012) • Please log-in to a computer and go to my teacher connect website. • Click the ‘Socrative’ hyperlink on my webpage, type in room ‘02305’ and begin the warm-up.

23. Literary Writing • Please work on your English II fictional essay (literary composition). If you do not have one to work on, look at the picture below; then, write a story about lost relationships. • Be sure the story is focusedand complete and that it has an interesting plot and engaging characters.

24. Tuesday (18 September 2012) • Please get out your notebook AND purple workbook. In your notebook, write the correct word to complete the following sentences: • 1. The students got out (they’re/there/their) notebooks for class. • 2. Has anyone been over (they’re/there/their) lately? • 3. (They’re/There/Their) doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with the television. • 4. (They’re/There/Their) always on time and ready to begin when the bell rings.

25. Using Commas • Basic comma usage • Commas when combining SENTENCES with a coordinating conjunction • I went home, and I went to sleep. **comma goes BEFORE the coordinating conjunction** No comma when the coordinating conjunction combines a subject or verb: Amanda and I went home. We ate and talked after school.

26. Commas with Items in a List • Commas separate items in a list. • Ex. 1: All I wanted to do today was sleep, eat, and read. • Ex. 2: She bought apples, oranges, and bananas from the grocery store.

27. Commas with Adjectives • Use commas to separate adjectives of equal rank but not adjectives that must stay in a specific order. Ex: We walked over to the new football field. (‘new’ and ‘football’ are adjectives, but they must stay in that order) Ex.: The noisy, playful dog wouldn’t stop barking at the cat. (‘noisy’ and ‘playful’ are adjectives of equal rank/weight, so they are separated with a comma)

28. Practice on Your Own • Please turn to p. 165 in your purple workbook and complete Exercises 1 & 2. • Example: • Ex. 1 - 1. The actor delivered the soliloquy in a clear, strong voice. • Ex. 2 – 1. equal adjectives (‘clear’ and ‘strong’ have equal rank)

29. Brainstorming / Prewriting • ALWAYS have a plan before you begin writing! • Remember your 5 Ws & How • Who is involved? • Where & When does the story take place? • Why is there conflict? • How does the climax affect the ending? • What eventually happens at the end?

30. Always Prewrite! • How does the climax affect the ending? • Who is involved? • Where & When does the story take place? • What eventually happens at the end? • Why is there conflict?

31. Types of Conflict • ExternalInternal • Man vs. Man Man vs. self • Man vs. Nature (one’s thoughts • Man vs. Society or feelings)

32. Please get to work! • Work on your English II short story essays (remember to PREWRITE!). • Or please get out your purple workbooks (Mrs. Fritz will assign you individual pages) to strengthen weaknesses.

33. Wednesday (19 September 2012) • Please rewrite the following sentences, inserting punctuation (if needed). • 1. We went to the store but it was closed. • 2. The bright large sign was still on inside. • 3. My brother and I looked more closely yet saw no one.

34. Wednesday (19 September 2012) • Please rewrite the following sentences, inserting punctuation (if needed). • 1. We went to the store, but it was closed. • Two independent clauses are being joined by the coordinating conjunction ‘but’. • 2. The bright, large sign was still on inside. • ‘bright’ and ‘large’ are equal adjectives modifying ‘sign’ (the adjectives can switch order) • 3. My brother and I looked more closely yet saw no one. • ‘and’ is a coordinating conjunction joining two SUBJECTS, not sentences while the clause following ‘yet’ is dependent

35. Independent or Dependent? • Identify whether the clause is independent (a complete sentence) or dependent (an incomplete sentence). • 1. My father and I walked • 2. The dog ran to us • 3. Dave or he can give you directions • 4. Laughed loudly at the joke

36. Dictation Exercise • On the same page as today’s warm up, listen closely as I read you a sentence. Then, on your paper write down which there/their/they’re is being used in the sentence.

37. Thursday (20 September 2012) • Please complete #1-5 on the comma worksheet that’s on the first round table (look at the bottom of the paper, and it should be p. 150). • Then, open your notebook in order to take notes over the Spring English I EOC literary composition. • Reminder: TEST TOMORROW over the terms on the white board to the right and the punctuation we’ve reviewed for the last two weeks.

38. Friday (21 September 2012) • Please get out a blank piece of paper in preparation for your test. • In the top left-hand corner write the following: Student’s name Mrs. Fritz Practical Writing Test 21 September 2012

39. Monday (24 September 2012) • Please pick up the worksheet off of the first round table and complete the side that asks you to use ‘they’re,’ ‘there,’ and ‘their.’

40. Literary Composition #1 • Today you will be REVISING your composition. When you revise, you do not worry about spelling, grammar, or punctuation. You are only concerned with the ideas/content in your composition. • Is the story specific? It shouldn’t take place over a long period of time. • Is the story interesting? How can you pull the reader into your story? • Do you answer the 5 Ws?

41. Tuesday (25 September 2012) • Please get out the worksheet that reviews the use of ‘to’, ‘too,’ and ‘two.’ You will also need your notebook and literary composition #1. Assigned seats, please! • To – preposition (We went to the park.) • Too – in addition / excess (I ate too much.) • Two – number (I ate two big macs.)

42. Wednesday (26 September 2012) • In your notebook, please write the sentence using the correct homophone: • 1. We went (to, too, two) (there, their, they’re) house. • 2. Shelby wanted to go (there, their, they’re) (to, too, two), but she was grounded. • 3. I have (to, too, two) bags. Should I place them over (there, their, they’re)? • 4. (There, Their, They’re) wanting (to, too, two) go (to, too, two) the game Friday.

43. Wednesday (26 September 2012) • In your notebook, please write the sentence using the correct homophone: • 1. We went to their house. • 2. Shelby wanted to go there too, but she was grounded. • 3. I have two bags. Should I place them over there? • 4. They’re wanting to go to the game Friday.

44. Friday (28 September 2012) Please copy this slide in your notes. • Conjunctive adverbs can connect independent clauses. They include the following: Accordingly however nonetheless Also indeed otherwise Besides instead similarly Consequently likewise still Conversely meanwhile subsequently Finally moreover then Furthermore nevertheless therefore Hence nextthus

45. Combining Sentences with Conjunctive Adverbs • Independent clause;conjunctive adverb,independent clause. • Examples: • 2 Sentences: The dark skies dissuaded Claire from her run. She had thirty calculus problems to solve for her morning class. [moreover] • Combined Sentence: The dark skies dissuaded Claire from her run; moreover, she had thirty calculus problems to solve for her morning class. TIP: When joining sentences, if the word that connects the 2 sentences is 3 letters or less (and, for, so, but), use a comma before it. If the connecting word is 4 letters or more (however, therefore, indeed, also) use a semicolon before it and a comma after.

46. Put the Tip into Practice! • 1. Leon’s apartment complex doesn’t allow dogs over thirty pounds. He would have bought the Great Dane puppy. [otherwise] • 2. He answered the phone. No one was there. [but] • 3. The cat ate a bowlful of tuna. The fat feline fell asleep. [then]

47. Conjunctive Adverbs May NOT Combine Sentences (Look Closely!) • Paul was supposed to be taking his exam. Instead, he was sleeping in. • Maria declined Jeff’s third invitation to go out. This young man is determined, nevertheless, to take her to dinner one night soon. • After mowing the yard in the hot sun, Pedro was too hungry to shower. He did wash his dusty hands,however. • ***The conjunctive adverb may introduce, interrupt, or conclude a single main clause. In this case, you will need a commas to separate it from the rest of the sentence.

48. Conjunctive Adverbs Without Commas • If the conjunctive adverb in the clause is a weak break, you do not use a comma. • 1. Anna called to say her care would not start. Rafael will therefore have to walk to school. • 2. The long noodles splashed tomato sauce all over the front of Brenda’s shirt. Ordering spaghettis was a mistake indeed. • *Tip: Read the sentence aloud. If you need a pause, add punctuation. If not, no punctuation is needed.

49. Identifying Conjunctive Adverbs • Read the first paragraph of “Like Characters in a Book” and identify the conjunctive adverb. • Does the conjunctive adverb join two independent clauses?

50. “Like Characters in a Book” • She closed the book, placed it on the table, and finally, decided to walk through the door. • Why do we need a comma before ‘and’? • Why do we need a comma after ‘finally’?