Words to Live By
Personal Narrative Essay
7th Grade Language Arts


Objectives:
- to read all of the directions, objectives, and topic ideas on this blog
- to pick quotes for all important parts of your life; two quotes per idea (family, friends, sports, hobbies, etc.)
- to copy and paste quotes onto a google doc and/or a Word document that you save in your LA folder in your school account
- when you copy and paste your quotes onto a document, you must also copy and paste the URL (web address) of where you found the quote

Procedure:
- Read this entire post.
- Start using the links to read through as many quotes as you can.
- When you find a quote that you like (must be attributed to a noteworthy person- may NOT be unknown), copy and paste it into a google doc, an e-mail document, and/or a Word document that you save in your LA folder in your school account.




QUOTATION WEBSITES
- Use these websites to start your search for quotes. When you find a quote that you connect with, copy and paste it (including the author) into a google doc, an e-mail, and/or a Word document in your LA folder (school account).

http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/

http://www.famous-quotations.com/asp/categories.asp

http://en.proverbia.net/citastemas.asp?letra=F

http://www.inspirationalquotes4u.com/
- scroll part of the way down the page to see quotes organized by subject/topic

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics.html

http://www.quoteworld.org/browse.php

http://www.quoteland.com/topic.asp

http://www.famousquotes.com/by_category.php?letter=a

http://www.quotationreference.com/subject_index.php

http://en.thinkexist.com/topics/


Homeowork- 1/31/2011
- Find more quotes if necessary!

Extra Credit
* If you have read this far, come to me for five points of extra credit (CSK) and tell me three parts of speech.

Writing Contest!

LA Classes:

Check out this link if you have time today. Read about the topic and previous entries!

Writing Contest

Google Docs Link

Google Docs

Music Lyrics

- Here are search results that you can use to find your lyrics:

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=song+lyrics&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=active

• Find your lyrics.
• Copy and paste them into a Word document.
• Double space.
• Separate into stanzas if not done already.
• Give credit (copy and paste) to the website from which you are taking your lyrics.
• Make sure you have the title of the song, the artist, and the performer.
• Print two copies of your lyrics.

7th and 8th Grade LA- Monday, Nov. 15

7th and 8th Grade- Extended Writing

Revising, (Improving), and Editing

- Goals Today:

- Finish work from Friday; you may have to re-read those directions.

- Share your Google doc with a few classmates; receive feedback from others, give feedback.

- Do a word count on your document. Less than 600 is probably too short, more than 1,200 is probably too long. Talk to Ms. Collopy for clarification.

- Print at least one copy to have your parents read/ use for LA tomorrow.

When asking for and giving feedback to others:

- Read the entire essay/story/letter.

- Give the author ideas about paragraphs that need more details, elaboration, examples, etc.

- When giving feedback about the personal narrative and the creative short story, give ideas on places for more dialogue and imagery.

- Give feedback on sentence fluency and variety.

- Offer ideas for improving the writing.

- Give all feedback on the Google doc, not by yelling across the room.

Homework - Monday, November 15, 2010-

- *Print a copy of your writing. It might be easier to copy and paste your document into Word; save it in Word; print to MSLABHP4200.

- Ask a parent or another adult (older siblings are fine) to read your essay/story/letter. Ask them to read it at least once and give you feedback on your ideas, sentence fluency, word choice, creativity, etc. Have them help you find CUPS errors too.

Language Arts- 7th and 8th Grade

Language Arts- Friday, November 12

*Please read this entire blog post before you start your work today.

8th Grade Students

- Publish your Lois Lowry paragraph on your blog. Then, read all of the directions and proceed with today's work.

Do you have all four of your rough drafts?

Re-read all four (or however many you have with you today). Which one do you like the most? Which one is the best?

Objective:

- To revise, edit, and publish one full extended writing piece by the end of class on Monday. (*If you don't finish by Monday, November 15, you will have to arrange access to technology to turn your essay in by Wednesday).

Step 1- REVISE

- You've re-read your rough draft.

- Do you understand the topic, the mode of writing, and the audience for whom you are writing?

- Type your piece into a Google Doc (school account).

- Just TYPE! Don't worry about any formatting or editing issues.

- Let Ms. Collopy know when you have it typed into your Google Doc.

*REVISION STRATEGY #1- Go through your rough draft. Do you have enough IDEAS? Have you elaborated, given examples, provided evidence throughout the piece?

- If you have chosen the black and white picture short story....

- Is it creative?

- Does it tell a story?

- Does the story follow the plot principles of Freytag's Pyramid?

- Is there a conflict?

- Is there dialogue?

- Does it make sense?

- If you have chosen the hero essay...

- Is it on topic? Do you have enough ideas, examples, elaboration, evidence, and examples?

-Write a well-developed essay (4-6 paragraphs) about the following topic. Make sure to plan your writing first.

Imagine you could be a hero for a day. Write a well-developed essay describing what you would do and why. Be sure to include a description/definition of what a hero is. Would you be a super-hero or more ordinary? Who would you help? How? What might an ordinary day in the life of a hero look like? Explain why the world needs heroes.

- If you have chosen the Letters About Literature...

- Is it on topic? Remember, it's a letter connecting to the author, the characters, the conflict, the resolution. It's not a book report. Perhaps you've shared how the book has changed you or affected you. Do you have examples that connect to the experiences or parts of the book that have affected you?

- If you have chosen your personal memory/memoir...

- Does the story or memory itself relay its importance? In other words, do you have to state, "This is why this memory is important to me." Instead, the story speaks for itself. Have you used dialogue, imagery (descriptive writing), similes, or metaphors?

REVISION STRATEGY #2:

- Sentence Variety.

- List the first word in every sentence of your writing piece. Look for repetition. Change the beginning of at least five sentences. Use your topic sentence packet for inspiration on how to start sentences in a variety of ways.

- Do any of your sentences begin with SO, AND, BUT, or OR? Change them.

- Does the length of your sentences vary?

*Check your grade on PowerSchool. Feel free to print a grade report if you want. I will not give you print-outs today.

Students: Come up to Ms. Collopy and quietly whisper your favorite movie to her for five extra credit points! Good job reading all the directions! Shhhhh, don't tell your neighbor...

When You Are Finished with Franklin Work...

7th Graders

- Use this link and take a few grammar quizzes. Start with the quiz on capitalization.

Grammar Quizzes

8th Graders

- Use this link and take a few grammar quizzes. Take the punctuation quizzes in order.

Grammar Quizzes