Surprise, Surprise

I hope fourth hour is not reading this. So, fourth hour, stop reading this blog right now! Now that it is Thursday, you call read the blog.

All classes continued forward with vocab experts, analyzing patterns of syntax in conjunction with purpose, and writing to a prompt for Cindy Syntax. For homework, you are to identify all of seventh hour's syntax (highlighters optional).

In first hour today, we spent a little time on prepositional phrases, what they are, what purpose they serve, and how they do not create a dependent clause. So, here are a few links to help any of you are unfamiliar with prepositions, phrases, and the like.

https://www.englishgrammar101.com/module-6/prepositions/lesson-1/prepositions-and-prepositional-phrases
https://www.englishgrammar101.com/module-6/prepositions/lesson-11/commas-with-prepositional-phrases
http://www.k12reader.com/term/dependent-clause/
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/what-is-a-subordinate-clause

All About That Cindy

Syntax week (or week and a half) continues as we work on fourth hour's syntactical samples and work in groups to share the syntactical patterns of sections and then chapters as a whole. If you were absent today, you will need to do as much syntactical analysis as possible on the entire chapter - that includes the "Big 6" syntax forms and additional rhetorical strategies connected with syntax. You will need all of this information for tomorrow's class as we work on identifying overall patterns of syntax, looking at examples on how to bring in evidence in paragraphs, and - as you may have surmised - be ready to write to a prompt regarding the syntax in the essay.

1: Vocab experts began - finally! - and then we continued into fourth hour syntax, which needs to be completed for tomorrow's class. In groups, you shared your syntactical findings, which you will use for homework to identify patterns of syntax utilized by Orenstein in her text. Be ready for vocab, syntax, Cindy patterns, and a lot more tomorrow.

3: Vocab experts continued forward as we have completed 12 words at this point. Afterwards, you finished up the back side of fourth hour's syntax samples and reconvened in groups to share your syntactical identifications. For homework, look over Cindy and see what patterns you notice in Orenstein's syntax.

4: We finished up the last of unit 4, which means a review on Thursday and a quiz on Friday. Following our vocab excursion, you finished identifying your class syntax and worked in groups to share all those syntactical forms in which Orenstein peppers her passage. For homework, look over Cindy and see what patterns exist in the introductory chapter.

7: We added four more words to the kitty today, and then you completed the fourth hour syntax handout. To round out the hour, you worked with your group and a new group to study the syntax of Cindy, which will be needed for tomorrow's discussion of syntactical patterns. Make sure you have some notes jotted down regarding these patterns.

For all classes, I would recommend looking over the entirety of the Cindy passage - even if you have heard about syntax from your classmates, you may want to have greater ethos and understanding of syntax throughout the whole text.

And, a new addition arrived last night. Ingram and Tango are happy to announce they have a new baby sister named Elinor Octavia. She is named after Elinor Dashwood and for her place as the eighth rabbit that I have been fortunate to love. At close to three months, she is an absolute cuddle bunny, very curious while playing with her toys and her big sister, and a strong eater. The picture below is from her baby cage (you should see her big girl cage that is about twice the size), the location where we have already begun litterbox training.

Fourth Hour's Syntax

Thank you to fourth hour for your plethora of syntax samples that featured band thoughts, Scholar Quiz advertisements, random frog and rabbit conflict, and Brett's self-aggrandizing note. We will be using these sentences tomorrow too - so make sure you have your handout with you. (And, look forward to the other classes helping our practices during this week and, possibly, into next week.)

1: We began with the fourth hour syntax practice and then ended the hour with Cindy syntax - the purpose, the style of syntax, other elements of syntax (anaphora, hypophora, epistrophe, polysyndeton, asyndeton). For homework, groups are to highlight their assigned pages for specific syntax and any other syntactical strategies of notice.

3, 4, 7: After vocab experts today, we spent quality time with fourth hour's syntax. Then, you had a short time to reconvene with your groups and ask questions about Cindy syntax - which is due tomorrow!

Cindy Syntax Continues

First things first, the next close reading club will be Tuesday after school for any students wanting to close read with each other and me for a half hour. We will be including syntax analysis too -- as syntax week continues forward.

And, don't forget the big comma rules that we worked on today: compound sentences require a comma before that FANBOYS https://www.englishgrammar101.com/module-11/punctuation-end-marks-and-commas/lesson-5/commas-in-compound-sentences; complex sentences beginning with a dependent clause need a comma before progressing to the independent clauses https://www.englishgrammar101.com/module-11/punctuation-end-marks-and-commas/lesson-6/commas-in-complex-sentences.

1: We copied down the next unit of vocab, number 14. Afterwards, we reviewed clauses, syntax types, and comma rules for compound & complex sentences. To wrap up the hour, we returned to Cindy and looked at the purposes of each section. Alas, we did not finish the purpose portion of the day, so we will finish that on Monday.

3 & 4: We began with our traditional vocab experts, moved into a review of clauses, syntax types, and comma rules, and then finished up the purpose of our Cindy passage. In groups, you then worked on clarifying the main purposes of the text, and then decided who would become a syntax expert for each form of syntax. Starting this weekend, continuing onto Monday's class in groups, and due on Tuesday, you each have a section of the text that you will use to highlight your assigned syntax type (or types for those 3 people in fourth hour). You will also look for other forms of syntax including telegraphic, declarative, imperative, interrogative, exclamatory, fragments, hypophora, ananphora, epistrophe, polysyndeton, and asyndeton. 

7: After copying down Unit 4 vocab, we reviewed all those clauses, syntax types, and comma rules for compound and complex sentences. Afterwards, we spent quality time wrapping up the purpose of Cindy Syntax and dividing into groups. In groups, you then worked on clarifying the main purposes of the text, and then decided who would become a syntax expert for each form of syntax. Starting this weekend, continuing onto Monday's class in groups, and due on Tuesday, you each have a section of the text that you will use to highlight your assigned syntax type (or types for those 3 people in fourth hour). You will also look for other forms of syntax including telegraphic, declarative, imperative, interrogative, exclamatory, fragments, hypophora, ananphora, epistrophe, polysyndeton, and asyndeton. 

Hello, Cindy

Fourth hour, today we commenced with vocabulary unit 4, continued forward with a review of clauses and syntax, and ended with a reading of Cinderella Ate My Daughter, which we analyzed by paragraph and small sections for purpose. For homework, finish the passage and identify the purposes.

The EKS

As Jalen pointed out in first hour, many of us suffer from English Kid Syndrome, which is diagnosed by the never-ending need to correct grammar, punctuation, and diction (and sometimes demand consistent color-coding of clauses). So, all those EKS Langers out there, this is for you...

1 & 7: We finally made our way to the vocab quiz for unit 13. As with all quizzes, any absentees have 48 hours to either take the quiz or schedule a time to take the quiz. Following that momentous occasion, we concentrated the rest of the class on syntax, reviewing independent and dependent clauses, the six types of syntax, and the purpose of cumulative and periodic sentences. And to end class, we began reading and analyzing the purpose of Chapter 1 of Cinderella Ate My Daughter. For homework, finish identifying the purposes of each section and be ready to share on Friday. If absent, you should stop by tomorrow to pick up a copy. (Oh, you also turned in your sentences and the Capote paragraphs.)

3: After jotting down vocab for unit 14, we spent the rest of the hour on clauses, syntax styles, and Chapter 1 of Cinderella Ate My Daughter. For homework, make sure to finish reading the text and identifying the purposes for each section.

The Six

With block days looming so close, the plan for today was reversed, and we started with something new and ended with something old. The new - that all classes are now aware of - are the 6 types of syntax that we will be utilized for rhetorical analysis. (You are still more than welcome to go declarative, imperative, interrogative, exclamatory, telegraphic, hypophora, anaphora, and the like too.) We focused upon simple, compound, complex, compound-complex, cumulative, and periodic syntax today - what these are and what purpose they have in writing. If you were absent, you will need to know these sentence types either from a friend's notes or from online research. Expected for your class tomorrow will be 2 original examples of each sentence type, which will be turned in and used for future practices, reviews, and quizzes.

1: After our syntactical "introduction" - those quotation marks are for Andrea - we returned to the Capote prompt, shared our introductions, and peer evaluated the body paragraphs. For tomorrow, you will need to turn in your introduction, body paragraph, and concluding paragraph for this prompt.

3: After diving into the world of syntax, we returned to the Capote prompt, and the class peer evaluated the body paragraphs. You then turned in this assignment for my turn at evaluating. To end the hour, you had vocab quiz 13. As a reminder, anyone missing the quiz has 48 hours to either take the quiz or schedule an appointment to take the quiz.

4: Just like first hour, syntax was quite popular as a topic. After all that fun, the class peer evaluated the body paragraphs, and you turned in this assignment to me. To end the hour, you copied down vocab unit 14, and you know your new expert word for tomorrow's class.

7: I never realized how impactful air quotes are until teaching the forms of syntax today! After all those air quotes, we looked to the Capote prompt by sharing introductions in class and peer evaluating the body paragraphs. For tomorrow, you will need to turn in your introduction, body paragraph, and concluding paragraph for this prompt.