“Horribly Hard Middle School”

1. “Horribly Hard Middle School” Read the beginning of the story, “Horribly Hard Middle School,” from Giggles in the Middle, by Jane Bell Kiester. You will be reading more of this story weekly as part of our editing practice.

2. Caught Ya! Grammar Twice a week, you will read a short passage from the story, “The Bizarre Mystery of Horribly Hard Middle School.” Copy the day’s passage into the right column of your Cornell note form, editing as you go. Correct as many errors as you can find. To earn extra credit, find and correct the day’s “Caught Ya!” error. Your teacher will be moving around the room giving you a hint as to whether you found it or not. You can also earn extra credit by defining the bold print vocabulary in your own words, or looking for special features to locate and markin the passage before time is called.

3. Caught Ya! Grammar How to Check Your Answers Once time is called, you will see the passage written correctly. As your teacher goes over the errors, use a different color pen to put a check mark () over any error that you found on your own. If you found and corrected the day’s Caught Ya! error, put an extra check mark on it. For every error that you missed, use the appropriate editing mark to correct it. If you use an editing mark, you can still receive credit for the correction if you record the rule in the left column of your notes.

4. Caught Ya! Grammar How to Grade Your Answers You will calculate two scores for this exercise. First Score: Count the number of checks and put that number over the total errors. For example, if there were 20 errors, and you found 10, you would write10/20. Then divide the bottom number (denominator) into the top number (numerator) to find your percent. Remember that your answer will be in decimal form. To turn this into a percentage, move the decimal two places to the right. In this example, 10/20 = 0.50. Move the decimal to get 50%. This score tells you how much you know. The rules you recorded in the left column tell you what you need to learn.

5. Caught Ya! Grammar How to Grade Your Answers You will calculate two scores for this exercise. Second Score: Count the number of checks + editing marks that you recorded as the answers were given. Put that number over the total number of errors. Then, divide the numerator (total possible) by the denominator (total points you earned). Remember to move the decimal. If you add all those you got on your own and add the corrected editing marks for the errors that you missed, and you recorded all the rules for those errors, you should make a 100%. The good news is that for the first semester, this is the grade that goes in the grade book!

6. Caught Ya! Grammar How to Earn Extra Credit! Once you have calculated both scores, you can add in your extra credit to the second score. Let’s say that your final grade for the second score is 100%. (Remember, you can only make the 100% if you use the editing marks and record all the rules for the errors that you didn’t catch on your own.) To add extra credit, you can do any of the following: • Correctly define the bold print words in the passage for one additional point per word (e.g., if you defined two words and your second score is 100%, your final grade for this exercise would be 102%!). • Correct the Caught Ya! error before the time limit. If your “got it,” you will receive one extra credit point. • Mark any additional elements of the text as indicated on the exercise. These may include literary devices, figurative language, word structures (prefixes, suffixes, and roots), or other elements. You will receive one additional point for each of these you complete correctly before the time limit.

7. Caught Ya! Grammar Today’s Practice Just to make sure we all understand how this process works, we are going to use the first paragraph of our story as a practice. Copy the passage and make as many corrections as you can find. Try it now. You have 10 minutes.

8. the bizarre mystery of horribly hard middle school isabelleingenuous always animated twirled in nervousness and a excess of energy, paulinepuerile whined in a babyish manner about the tardiness of oliviaotiose about having to return to horribly hard middle school for another year and the homework the teachers loved to pile on her Seven Extra Credit Points Available: Correct the “Caught Ya!” error, define the five bold words, and circle a suffix that changes adjectives to nouns. Passage 7.1

9. “TheBizarreMysteryofHorriblyHardMiddleSchool” ¶ Isabelle Ingenuous,always animated,twirled in nervousness and an excess of energy. Pauline Puerilewhined in a babyish manner about the tardiness of Olivia Otiose,about having to return to Horribly Hard Middle School for another year, and about the homework the teachers loved to pile on her. • Center the title of a short story on the page • Quotation marks around titles of short works (short story, poem, song , article) • Capitalize major words in a title • Indent paragraph • New topic • New speaker • Capitalize the first word in sentence x2 • Capitalize proper nouns x10 (4 are in title) • Comma(s) to separate participial phrase • Adjective Error: Use the article, “an” before a word beginning with a vowel • Run-On sentences x 2 • Separate into 2 sentences • Separate with comma and conjunction • Separate with semi-colon • End punctuation x2 • Commas to separate series x2 • Parallel construction (about…) • Extra Credit: • Add an extra check to the Caught Ya! error if you got it right on your own. • Vocabulary • ingenuous(adj.) free from reserve, restraint, or dissimulation; candid; sincere • animated (adj.) full of life, action, or spirit; lively; vigorous • puerile (adj.) childishly foolish; immature or trivial • tardiness (n.) the state of being late; the quality of being behind time • otiose (adj.) being at leisure; idle; indolent; lazy • Suffix: -ness is a suffix that changes adjectives (i.e., nervous, tardy) to nouns (nervousness, tardiness); -ness means “the state or quality of” Passage 7.1 Errors: 29

10. another girl was garbed all in black even her hare was died black it was feliciafey who acted in a bizarre manner and whom was known for her spells that always went awry felicia began to mutter words of a spell to encourage her best friend oliviaotiose to hurry isabelleingenuous put her hand over felicias mouth to stop her from uttering her spell you know it will backfire on you feliciaisabelle warned you dont want to ruin you’re knew black hairdo or start the seventh grade with putrid purple streaks in your hair as you did in the sixth grade last year Nine Extra Credit Points: Correct the “Caught Ya!” error, define the seven bold words, and circle a compound word. Passage 7.2

11. Indent paragraph x2 • New topic • New speaker • Capitalize first word of sentence x7 • Capitalize proper nouns x10 • Run-On sentences x6 • Separate into 2 sentences • Separate with comma and coordinating conjunction • Separate with semi-colon • End punctuation x7 • Homophones (hair hare; died, dyed; your, you’re; knew, new) • Comma to separate non-restrictive (unnecessary) dependent clause • Pronoun error: Subjective pronoun for dependent clause subject • Apostrophe: possessive noun • Comma to separate tag line from dialogue • Quotation marks around dialogue x2 • Apostrophe in contraction (don’t) • Punctuation marks inside quotation marks x2 • Comma to separate noun of address • FANBOYS error: Use nor for negatives • Parallel construction (to ruin, to start) ¶Another girl was garbed all in black.Even her hairwas dyed black. It was Felicia Fey,who acted in a bizarre manner and whowas known for her spells that always went awry. Felicia began to mutter words of a spell to encourage her best friend,Olivia Otioseto hurry. ¶Isabelle Ingenuousput her hand over Felicia’s mouth to stop her from uttering her spell.“You know it will backfire on you,Felicia,” Isabelle warned. “You don’t want to ruin your newblack hairdo norto start the seventh grade with putrid purple streaks in your hair as you did in the sixth grade last year.” • Extra Credit: • Add a second check to the Caught Ya! error if you got it right on your own. • Vocabulary: • garb, garbed (v.) to dress; clothe • fey(adj.) supernatural; unreal; enchanted; whimsical; strange; otherworldly • otiose(adj.) at leisure; idle; indolent • ingenuous(adj.) free from reserve, restraint, or dissimulation; candid; sincere • utter, uttering(v.) speak or pronounce • Compound words are two words connected to form a new word with a new meaning. Backfire and hairdo are both compound words in this passage. Passage 2 Errors: 40

12. williamwaggish made a tasteless but funny joke about girls and there wierd habits but no one listened they were use to his lame limericks vapid jokes and strange sense of humor the last member of the troop samsagacious simply stood wisely and silently waiting for the clamor to die down a erudite young man sam held a book the count of montecristo by alexander dumas in his hand and he read as he waited Seven Extra Credit Points: Correct the “Caught Ya!” error, define the six bold words, and underline an example of alliteration. Passage 3

13. Indent paragraph x2 • New topic • New speaker • Capitalize the first word in sentence x4 • Capitalize proper nouns x10 • Comma to separate series of 3 or more x2 • Run-On sentences x4 • Separate into 2 sentences • Separate with comma and conjunction • Separate with semi-colon • End punctuation x4 • Homophones (their, there, they’re) • Spelling: weird • Comma to set off appositives x5 • Pronoun Error: Use the article “an” before words beginning with a vowel • Title Error: Long works (books, movies, albums) in italics, underlined, or all caps ¶William Waggishmade a tasteless but funny joke about girls and theirweird habits,but no one listened.They were use to his lamelimericks,vapidjokes,and strange sense of humor. ¶ The last member of the troop,Sam Sagacious,simply stood wisely and silently, waiting for the clamor to die down.Anerudite young man,Sam held a book,The Count of Monte Cristoby Alexander Dumas,in his hand,and he read as he waited. • Extra Credit: • Add an extra check to the Caught Ya! error if you got it right on your own. • Vocabulary • waggish(adj.) roguish in merriment and good humor; funny • lame(adj.) impaired or disabled through defect or injury; weak; inadequate; unsatisfactory • vapid(adj.) lacking or having lost life, sharpness, or flavor; without liveliness or spirit; dull or tedious • sagacious(adj.) having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense; shrewd; wise • clamor(adj.) a loud uproar, as from a crowd of people • erudite (adj.) characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly • Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds within a line of poetry or prose. Sam, Sagacious, simply, and silently all begin with the consonant sound, /s/. The names in this story are also alliterative. Why doesn’t “stood” belong in this list? Passage 7.3 Errors: 34

14. since his joke had fallen flat and no one had laughed williamwaggish regaled his freinds with a new limerick about girls whom wear black brown faced with expressive dark pupils william composed mischievous poems to hide his real aspirationtwo be as eloquent and articulate a poet as his secret hero langstonhughes there once was a strange girl from mack who’s hair and clothes were all black she looked like a crow and she should have said no to trying a magical act Eight Extra Credit Points: Correct the “Caught Ya!” error, define the five bold words, underline a complex sentence, and circle the suffix that changes nouns to adjectives and means “full, full of.” Passage 4

15. Indent paragraph x2 • New topic • New speaker • Capitalize the first word of a sentence x4 • Parallel construction (since) • Capitalize proper nouns x6 • Run-On sentences x4 • Separate into 2 sentences • Separate with comma and conjunction • Separate with semi-colon • End punctuation x4 • Capitalize the first word of each line in a poem x5 • Comma to separate tag line from quotation • Quotation marks around dialogue • Punctuation inside quotation marks ¶Since his joke had fallen flat,and since no one had laughed,William Waggish regaled his friendswith a new limerick about girls whowear black.Brown-faced with expressive dark pupils,William composed mischievous poems to hide his real aspiration:tobe as eloquent and articulate a poet as his secret hero, Langston Hughes. ¶ There once was a strange girl from Mack Whosehair and clothes were all black. She looked like a crow, And she should have said, “No,” To trying a magical act. • Extra Credit: • Add an extra check to the Caught Ya! error if you got it right on your own. • Vocabulary • waggish(n.) roguish in merriment and good humor • regaled(v.) to entertain lavishly or agreeably; to delight • aspiration (adj.) strong desire, longing, or aim; ambition • eloquent(adj.) having or exercising the power of fluent, forceful, and appropriate speech • articulate(adj.) expressed, formulated, or presented with clarity and effectiveness • Underline a complex sentence. • Suffixes are affixes that are added to the end of sentences. Suffixes that change adjectives to nouns include –ous, changing mischief, conduct or activity that playfully causes petty annoyance; a tendency or disposition; to tease, vex, or annoy, to mischievous. which literally means “full of mischief.” Passage 4 Errors: 38Z

16. samsagacious put his book in his backpack and he laughed feliciafey threatened to zap william with a spell but that didntdeterhim isabelleingenuoussmiled at williams poem and the image of felicia as a crow but she dared not laugh because she didnt want too affront her friend feliciafeliciaglowered stuck out her tongue at william and than muttered something rude under her breath williamcant you right anything accept those insipid limericks she snapped how about giving us a break and trying another form of poetry for a change • Nine Extra Credit Points: Correct the “Caught Ya!” error, define the six bold words, underline a compound sentence, and [bracket the sentence with compound predicates (verbs).] Passage 5

17. ¶Sam Sagacious put his book in his backpack, and he laughed. Felicia Fey threatened to zap William with a spell, but that didn’t deterhim.Isabelle Ingenuoussmiled at William’s poem and the image of Felicia as a crow,but she dared not laugh because she didn’t want toaffront her friend,Felicia. ¶ [Felicia glowered,stuck out her tongue at William,and then muttered something rude under her breath.] “William, can’t you write anything accept those insipidlimericks?”she snapped. “How about giving us a break and trying another form of poetry for a change?” • Indent paragraph x2 • New topic • New speaker • Capitalize the first word of a sentence x6 • Capitalize proper nouns x13 • End punctuation x6 • Run-On sentences x9 • Separate into 2 sentences • Join with comma and conjunction • Separate with semi-colon • Apostrophe in contraction x2 (didn’t, can’t) • Apostrophe in possessive (William’s) • Commas to set off appositive x2 • Confused words: (then, than) • Comma to set off noun of address • Homophones (to, two, too; write, right) • Question mark for interrogative sentence (x2) • Extra Credit: • Add an extra check to the Caught Ya! error if you got it right on your own. • Vocabulary • sagacious(adj.) having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense; shrewd • fey(adj.) supernatural; unreal; enchanted • deter(v.) to discourage or restrain from acting or proceeding • affront (v.) to make ashamed or confused; to embarrass • glower, glowered(v.) to look or stare with sullen dislike, discontent, or anger • insipid(adj.) without distinctive, interesting, or stimulating qualities • Underline the compound sentence. There are actually three compound sentences in the first paragraph. • [Bracket] the sentence with compound predicates (verbs). Passage 5 Errors: 40

18. isabelle ingenuous deftly changed the subject before a argument ensued. i dread going back to horribly hard middle school for another year she groaned. i dislike all the teachers except msamicable artist and idont want to be laughed at by orsonodious and his stuck up freinds she concluded yes im with you isabelleconcurredsam sagacious with fervor but we also need to curb william and his limericks. doesnt he know any other form of poetry. would other types of poetry have the same effect on the teachers he queried further always curious Nine Extra Credit Points: Correct the “Caught Ya!” error, define the seven bold words, underline an interrogative sentence. Passage 6

19. Indent paragraph x3 • New topic • New speaker • Capitalize the first word of a sentence x4 • Capitalize proper nouns x10 • End punctuation x4 • Run-On sentences x4 • Separate into 2 sentences • Separate with comma and conjunction • Separate with semi-colon • Exclamation point for emphasis • Verb tense error: Consistent verb tense (past) • Punctuation inside quotation marks x3 • Correct personal pronoun order (first person pronouns [I, we] last in a series) • Subjective 1st Person Pronoun (I) • FANBOYS error: nor for a negative • Apostrophe in contraction • Commas to set off noun of address x2 • Question mark for interrogative sentences • Homophone error (here, hear) • Comma to set off mild interjection (Hey) ¶ isabelle ingenuous deftly changed the subject before a argument ensued. i dread going back to horribly hard middle school for another year she groaned. i dislike all the teachers except msamicable artist and idont want to be laughed at by orsonodious and his stuck up freinds she concluded ¶ yes im with you isabelleconcurredsam sagacious with fervor but we also need to curb william and his limericks. doesnt he know any other form of poetry. would other types of poetry have the same effect on the teachers he queriedfurther • Extra Credit: • Add an extra check to the Caught Ya! error if you got it right on your own. • Vocabulary • bizarre(adj.) odd or unusual, esp in an interesting or amusing way; weird • sagacious(v.) having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense; wise • sotto voce (adj.) in a low, soft voice so as not to be overheard; whisper • waggish(adj) roguish in merriment and good humor; funny • mausoleum(n.) a stately and magnificent tomb • surreptitiously (adv.) acting in a stealthy or secretive way; sneakily • survey, surveyed (v.) to take a general or comprehensive view of something or some place • Underline the interrogative sentence. Passage 6 Errors: 38