My Brilliant Students

Last week, eight hard-working students handed in their research papers and gave presentations about their topics.

"The Hunger Games:  Fact or Fiction?"  by Alayna

"Gun Control"  by Daniel 

"Birth Order"  by Drew

"The Brain"  by Noah







 

"A Proactive Look into Natural Nutrition"  by Elise

"Wolves"  by Ruth Ann 









 

"Airpower in World War Two"  by Luke

Writing 3 Class Notes -- December 12

CONGRATULATIONS!!  YOU DID IT!!!

I am so very proud of this group of students.  They worked hard all semester researching, writing, and thinking.  Their hard work showed as they gave their presentations yesterday.  They spoke with confidence about the subjects with which they've spent countless hours.  It was obvious that they'd become experts and "owned" their material. 

Yesterday we had the following presentations:

Daniel -- The Second Amendment and Gun Control

Luke -- Air Power in World War 2, focusing on Pearl Harbor

Noah -- The Structure and Functions of the Brain

Amanda -- Ballet and Inspiration

Alayna -- The Hunger Games and Dystopian Societies

Elise -- Auto Immune Diseases, esp. Celiac, and Healing with Food

Ruth Ann -- The Gray Wolf, Ecosystems, and the Endangered Species Act

Drew -- Birth Order

As you can see, we covered a lot of information.  It was really wonderful to sit and learn from them.  

I will read their final drafts and get them back in the next couple of weeks.  Because we've gone through two rounds of rough drafts, these last versions of the papers will probably read quite smoothly with few, if any, errors.  

Thank you for being such a wonderful class.  Have a blessed Christmas! 

Mrs. Prichard

PS.  My other two writing classes did Christmas Jokes as their Quick Writes.  If you need a little chuckle, I add a post to the Writing 3 blog with the jokes.  Happy Holidays!!

Christmas Jokes

Below is the list of jokes from our Quick Write.  Enjoy!

What did Adam say on the day before Christmas?
It's Christmas, Eve!

Who is never hungry at Christmas?
The turkey - he's always stuffed!

How do you know when there is a snowman in your bed?
You wake up wet!

What would a reindeer do if it lost its tail?
She’d go to a “re-tail” shop for a new one!

Q: Why was Santa's little helper depressed?
A: Because he had low elf esteem.

Q: What do snowmen eat for breakfast?
A: Snowflakes.

Last year's Christmas pudding was so awful I threw it in the ocean.
That's probably why the ocean's full of currants!

What's the first thing elves learn in school?
The "elf"-abet!

What do the elves call it when Father Christmas claps his hands at the end of a play?
Santapplause!

What do you call people who are scared of Santa Claus?
Claustrophobic!

What do you call Santa when he has no money?
Saint "Nickel"-less!

What do you call someone who doesn't believe in Father Christmas?
A rebel without a Claus!

What do you get if you cross Santa with a flying saucer?
A UF ho, ho, ho

What do you get if you cross Santa with a gardener?
Someone who likes to hoe, hoe, hoe!

And what goes oh! oh! oh?
Father Christmas walking backwards.

What nationality is Santa Claus?
North Polish!

What's red & white and red & white and red & white?
Santa rolling down a hill!

Where does Santa stay when he's on holidays?
At a Ho-ho-tel

What do snowmen eat for lunch?
Icebergers !

How do snowmen travel around?
By iceicle!

How do snowmen greet each other?
Ice to meet you!

What do you call a snowman in the summer?
A puddle

What's a snowman's favorite Mexican food?
Brrrrrr-itos!

Q: What do you get if you cross Father Christmas with a detective?
A: Santa Clues!

Sherlock's favorite Christmas song:
"I'll be Holmes for Christmas"

How do sheep in Mexico say Merry Christmas?
Fleece Navidad!

What is green, covered with tinsel and goes "ribbet ribbet"?
A mistle-"toad"!

What did the grape say to the peanut butter?
"'Tis the season to be jelly!"

Why did the gingerbread man go to the doctor?
Because he was feeling crummy!

What kind of money do they use at the North Pole?
Cold cash!

What kind of music do elves like best?
"Wrap" music!

Who sings "Blue Christmas" and makes toy guitars?
Elfis!

Writing 3 Class Notes -- December 5

Greetings!

We are quickly approaching the finish line for our Research Papers and Presentations. I'm confident in the work and process for each of the students and am excited to read their final products.  We only briefly talked about the papers; I think we've covered all of the material so much that there's nothing left to say.  However, be sure to contact me if you have any questions.  Until Sunday, I'll be glad to read and go over any sections from their papers.

We took the bulk of yesterday's class to talk about writing the College Entrance Essay.  Most colleges require a short essay to accompany the applications.  These are especially important as home school students.  We didn't give our children grades, so we had to supplement our applications with extra samples of their work.  I had the students brainstorm about what makes them special and would help them stand out.  Areas to think about are particular passions, interests, hobbies, jobs, travels, and experiences.  Some helpful links include About.com's site, Quintessential Careers, and the College Board site.

Next week the class will begin at 12:15 (fifteen minutes earlier than usual).  Not everyone will make that time, but I don't think we'll get through all of the presentations if we don't start a little earlier.  Luke may possibly bring a projector for those who are planning PowerPoint presentations.  I'll bring treats to class, and the students may also contribute any goodies they'd like to have.  Let's celebrate all of the hard work they've done!

Drew Miller came to class with his arm in a sling due to a dislocated shoulder.  Remember to pray for a speedy recovery!

Next Week:

-- Bring your final copy of your Research Paper

-- Be prepared to give your presentation

Have a great week!

Mrs. Prichard

Presentation Tips

As part of the Research and Writing class, students must prepare a presentation of the their topic for the class.  Condensing the work they've done into a 5 - 10 minute presentation is an important skill.  It challenges the students to really "own" the material to such an extent that they can freely select the most important points and share them with an audience.  This is a common practice in college and graduate schools.  Two of my children have been asked to present their work at national conferences.  It's both difficult to abbreviate the work of many weeks, but it's also very rewarding.

Below are some links that might prove helpful as they put the finishing touches on their own presentations.

Toastmaster -- This international organization is dedicated to helping people with their public speaking skills. They have some good information on Visual Aids, Gestures & Physical presentation, 10 Tips, and 10 Common Mistakes.

Youtube -- Always a wealth of information:  10 Things NOT to do; Body Language Tips; 5 Tips; Overcoming Stage Fright;

My best bit of advice -- Have fun!  You've worked hard, and you can do this!

Writing 3 Class Notes -- November 28

Greetings!

Another great week in class!  Parents, you should feel proud of your diligent, bright, and thoughtful young adults.  Most of these students were in my first Writing 1 Class, and I've grown quite attached to them.  It's a real joy to watch them grow as writers and as thinkers.

For our Quick Write today, I had them reflect on their own personal process of writing the research paper.  The specific writing prompt was "What would I do differently."  Besides the obvious (not putting it off/ procrastinating), they had some great insights.  All along, I've been telling them that this paper is as much about the process as it is about the result.  My hope is that they would learn more about themselves as writers, researchers, and learners. 

They also had some great ideas for ways in which I could make changes to improve the class for the next batch of students.  Some of the items mentioned were a part of the instruction but need to be emphasized and explained more clearly.  They also mentioned more intermediate writing opportunities.  I love it when a student asks for more to do!

We are moving into the home stretch.  We have two weeks left of classes for this term.   I've gone over the two rough drafts, but if a student wants to e-mail me any portions of their paper to read before the final draft is due on December 12, I would be glad to read and comment on anything they send.   As of this Wednesday, none of the students felt they would be ready for giving his/her presentation next week.  If that changes, they can let me know.  

Our last week is December 12; all of the papers and presentations are due that week.  I haven't talked with the students about having parents there for the presentations.  I don't mind if parents want to attend, but this should be a conversation that you have at home.  Sometimes my kids want me at their school events, and sometimes they don't.

We closed the class with another group response to an ACT/SAT writing prompt.  With 4 girls and 4 boys in the class, we divide pretty evenly.  They also like to pick the question that the other group has to answer.  This week we discussed teacher tenure and fast food restaurants in schools.  These cooperative discussions help everyone think more broadly about a topic.

Assignment for Next Week:

-- FINISH!!

Have a great week!

Mrs. Prichard

Writing 3 Class Notes -- November 14

Greetings!

As always, we had a productive class.  I really enjoy this group of students.  For our Quick Write today, we played a word game, Give Me Five, that I had gotten while in England.  The game consists of a deck of cards with categories (Fruits and Vegetables, Items found in a Bedroom, Pets, Types of Meals, etc.) and letters of the alphabet.  Either I or a student drew a card, and the students had to write 5 things that fit that card. The students got points for any answers they had written that were unique; in other words, they were the only ones who had written that answer.  We played a few rounds.  I like activities like this because it 1) plays with words; 2) causes everyone to be involved; 3) forces the students to think creatively; and 4) is interactive and helps us to continue to develop good class dynamics.

We had another in-class writing activity.  I had the students write a paragraph or two about why they had chosen their topics.  As we're nearing the finish line, I wanted them to refresh themselves regarding their chosen topics.  It's very easy to lose that initial enthusiasm and get lost in the details of the researching and writing.  I asked each of them share with the class their thoughts and perceptions about their topic and their thesis.  Hopefully, they were encouraged by hearing from each other.

I handed back some rough drafts with my comments and corrections.  With the first draft, I looked for content and organization.  With this draft, I was primarily focused on mechanics and grammar.  I made a few comments about content, but for the most part, we're in the "fine tuning" stage.  We talked this week about looking at the paper paragraph by paragraph.  And then sentence by sentence.  I had one professor who challenged us by saying, "Pretend you have to pay for every word.  Since none of us wants to waste money, make every word count."

We also had some discussion about the MLA citation guidelines.  If the students have questions about how to cite a specific type of source, they can check one of these places:
Son of Citation Machine
Easy Bib
Purdue OWL MLA Formatting
Class Notes from Oct. 24 (which has other links to other blog posts)
Week 6 Handout
Week 10 Handout

No Class Next Week!  Have a great Thanksgiving!
Mrs. Prichard

Writing 3 Class Notes -- November 7

Greetings!

This was an interesting day of classes.  Most students were processing the election results.  I talked at length about our responsibility to pray for and bless all those who were elected into office last night.  1 Tim. 2: 1-4 commands us to do this.  It's always good to align ourselves with God's plan.

I gave the students 2 options for the day's Quick Write.  They could either discuss how an elected politician should represent his constituents OR a quote from John Steinbeck about words.  They had thoughtful responses.

We did some Grammar work this afternoon.  One challenge students seem to have is knowing where to place commas, so we discussed restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses.  Commas are used with nonrestrictive clauses.  Hopefully this will help them as they continue to work on their rough drafts.

We went around the class and talked about the research and writing process for each student.  They have really worked hard and are becoming experts on the topics they have chosen.  With this kind of project, the process is as important as the final product.

They handed in their Rough Draft #2 this week.  We discussed that if only a portion of the paper was ready for me to go over, they could hand in a portion and e-mail  other portions later.

We're nearing the end of the term and the final days of this class. Good work, y'all!

Have a great week!
Mrs. Prichard

Writing 3 Class Notes -- October 31

Greetings!

Before our Quick Write today, the students got a history lesson.  Yesterday was not only Halloween, but it was Reformation Day.  We discussed Martin Luther and the 95 theses.  We did a word study of "reformation," "rebellion," and "catholic."  To top of the lesson, we watched the "Reformation Polka," a youtube cartoon.

For this week’s Quick Write, the girls chose an SAT question for the boys, and the boys did likewise for the girls.  Coincidentally, they chose the same question.  This week they not only brainstormed the pros and cons of the question, but formulated thesis statements.  Next week, they will be writing introductions and an outline for an essay.

We discussed important considerations when working on the next rough draft.  They should think about content (Do they have enough of the right information?), organization (Is the information presented in a logical way with smooth transitions?), format (Have they checked margins, headers, and MLA format guidelines?) and mechanics (Spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structures). 

The second rough draft is due next week.  They should hand in whatever they have ready.  If some sections are incomplete, they can hand those in the next week.  As we near the end of the term, we have fewer weeks together which means fewer opportunities  to hand in portions of their papers and less time for me to read through them.

Feel free to contact me with any questions (both students and parents)

Have a great week,

Mrs. Prichard

Writing 3 Class Notes -- October 24

Greetings!

We had a good and productive class this week.  This is a hard-working group of students!

We've been working hard on ACT/SAT writing test questions, so we took a break for something more light-hearted.  For our Quick Write this week, we used cards from a game entitled "Man Bites Dog."  Each student got 6 cards; a noun, adjective, adverb, or verb was on each card.  They object of the game is to develop a headline using those words.  For our writing exercise, they not only created headlines, but wrote a news story to go with it. Once again, we had some creative endeavors.  I love those first minutes of class when their heads are bent down towards their papers, and their pens or pencils are working quickly.

We discussed how the students are progressing on their research papers.  I think it's helpful to do this as a group.  Many times one student asks a question that others are wondering about, too.  Most of them are needing to do more research and increase the quantity of material which they are presenting in their papers.  As I read through the rough drafts last week, I gave some ideas for expansion of their topic.

Re-organizing is also a common task at this point.  Thanks to computers and word processing software, editing and reformatting does not mean having to re-type the entire paper.  Many parents remember the days of typewriters, carbon paper, and "white out."  Do you think we can convince our children that they have it so much easier?

As a class we brainstormed a bit about what the presentation portion of their work could look like.  Some topics may lend themselves more easily to this than others.  Their presentation needs to have two components:  an oral presentation and a visual aspect.  For the oral presentation, we discussed that they can either give the primary points of their paper or choose one section that is representative of the whole.  For the visual part, they can bring in charts, maps, poster, pictures, etc.  They can also put together a PowerPoint presentation.

We also looked at some examples of MLA formating.  On the newest version of Microsoft Word, the reference dropdown menu gives you boxes to fill in and then formats it according to the MLA styling for you. (Again, kids these days have it so much easier than we had it.)  If you're working with another word processing software, a handbook will give the exact formatting.  Another help is the Son of Citation website.  Web pages can be confusing to cite; this site is especially helpful for that.  Some college professors like this website and encourage their students to use it.  Others consider it "cheating."  Since my goal is to have students learn this format, they can use it .... but there may be a test to see if they really know it!

Next week we'll discuss some specifics regarding writing styles and editing paragraphs and sentences.

Assignments for next week:

-- Presentation plan --- something to hand in!

-- Continue working on the rough draft

Keep up the good work!

Mrs. Prichard

Helpful Blog Entries:

This week's blog

Citing Sources

Plagiarism 

Helpful MLA Websites

Helpful MLA Citation Sites

Research papers are challenging.  Not only are you required to come up with an original, thought-provoking thesis, but you have to research primary and secondary sources for enough information to back up your position.  And on top of that, you need to use your sources with integrity and give credit to those who are experts on your topic.  And if that's not enough, you need to follow specific guidelines for letting your reader know where you found this information.  Whew!!

Below is a list of helpful websites that will help with the MLA format.

Son of Citation Machine:  This website does the formating for you.  Type in the essential information, click on "Make Citation" and it gives you the entry that you can copy and paste into your paper.  Some college professors encourage their students to use this so that they have the correct format.  Others consider it cheating and the lazy student's way out.  I don't mind if students use it because I feel it's part of the learning process.

Easy Bib:  This site is similar to Son of Citation.  Like the above site, I think these are especially helpful with non-traditional sources.  Citing books with one author is not difficult.  Other print and non-print forms are challenging.

Purdue OWL:  One of my favorite writing resources is the Purdue Online Writing Lab.  If you go to the homepage, you will find just about any topic related to writing essays.

MLA formating videocast:  This Youtube video helps students format their papers.  It refers to Microsoft Word 2007. Some students already know a lot about using Word; others have parents who can help.  This is a helpful video if this information is needed.

MLA Works Cited videocast:  Another Purdue OWL video specific to the Works Cited page.

Durham College MLA style:  This is a longer video, but it's very complete!  In fact, I'd really like everyone to take the 30 minutes and give this video a careful "listen."

These are only a few websites.  If you need more help, google "MLA citation," and you will find a plethora of options.

Writing 3 Class Notes -- October 17

Greetings!

We had a great class today.  This is a wonderful group of students and I have enjoyed every class time with them. 

Today we took some time with ACT writing prompts.  I divided the class into 2 groups, boys and girls.  They could choose their groups question and were to brainstorm how they might answer the question.  They then presented their ideas to the other group and fielded questions and other ideas.  We had a lengthy discussion about whether girls and boys should have combined or separate class rooms. We also talked about whether a person should be content with who they are or should try to better himself.  Lots of great critical thinking going on!

Our primary discussion was focused on the rough drafts that they had handed in last week.  Firstly, I need to say that they are doing a lot of hard work.  I'm very proud of them and was delighted to read through these first drafts of these research papers.  I read this draft for content and organization (with a few grammatical corrections thrown in "for free.")  Each student had a page of individual notes and one of general comments about revising their papers.  Some papers need more material and to be expanded.  I gave some ideas and suggestions for this.  Some papers need some reorganization, and I also gave some suggestions in this area.  If a student has any questions about the remarks that I've made, he/she should be sure to send me an e-mail.

Writing a research paper is a rather convoluted process.  It's a cycle of planning, researching, and writing and then starting over again.  It's important that they not get discouraged if it feels as if they are taking some steps backward, especially if they need to do some more research or some re-organizing. 

A note to parents:  Check in with your student to see how he/she is progressing.  You may be needed as a sounding board for ideas or for proofreading sections.   

Assignments for Next Week:
-- Write an initial Presentation Plan
-- Continue to work on revising the rough drafts
-- Continue to work on Works Cited page

Have a great week!
Mrs. Prichard

Writing 3 Class Notes -- October 10

Greetings!

Once again, we had a great Writing 1 class.  I really enjoy working with this group of student.  Since I had a lot planned today, our Quick Write was brief.  Using the first line from Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities, "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times," they were to write the first line of the great novels they plan to write.  Or the last line. Or the title.  Even in brevity, they were creative.

We also took time to go over another ACT Writing Test prompt.  This question concerned whether uniforms improved a learning environment or denied a students freedom of expression.  We looked at this question from a different angle; whether than discussing the pros or cons of uniforms, I had them think about how a learning environment is affected.  I also had them think about how they might weigh a good learning environment against freedom of expression.

We are at Step 20 in our process of writing the research papers.  We discussed the rough drafts which were handed in yesterday.  We also discussed at lengths the Peer Edits.  Each student drew another student's names and will read through those papers this week.  Our primary focus is the content and organization of these papers.  Each student has a rubric to use for evaluating and making students. 

Peer Editing Assignments:

Danial has Amanda's paper

Ruth Ann has Lukes's paper

Elise has Drew's paper

Alayna has Elise's paper

Noah has Alayna's paper

Luke has Daniel's paper

Drew has Noah's paper

Amanda has Ruth Ann's paper

Some students need to e-mail copies of their rough drafts.  Please send them ASAP.

Drew to me; I will then send it to Elise.

Luke to me.

Amanda to me; I will then send it to Daniel

Ruth Ann to me; I will then send it to Amanda

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Complete the Peer Edit of your classmates paper.

-- Read handouts on Citing Sources

-- First draft of Works Cited page

-- Read handouts and websites for the MLA format.

It's time to get out the hats and mittens!  Enjoy the weekend.

Mrs. Prichard

Writing 3 Class Notes -- October 3

Greetings!
My apologies for the later-than-usual class notes.  Some weeks just seem to be busier than others.

In lieu of a light-hearted Quick Write, we took time with one of the ACT writing questions.  This question asked the students to respond to the idea of whether or not high school should be increased to 5 years giving students more time for academic work, community involvement, and extra-curricular activities.  As we've worked through some of the sample ACT or SAT questions, we discuss strategies for brainstorming ideas and them organization.  Rather than work all together, I divided the students into 2 groups to do their own brainstorming and organizing.  Both groups did a great job thinking seriously and critically about the question, coming up with valid points for each side of the argument, and organizing their ideas into a chart.
Discussed MLA styling, plagiarism, presentation plan.

This week, they handed in the Detailed Outlines for their papers.  Some were more detailed than others, but we discussed that outlines will continue to develop and even change as they write.  Next week, the first Rough Draft is due.  They will write 2 rough drafts for this paper; for this one, I will be looking specifically for content and organization.  In other words, is the content presented logically and is there enough information to support the claims and thesis?  I may mark the occasional grammatical error, but that won't be the focus of this paper.  By the second rough draft, the content/ information and the organization should be in good shape, and I will read for mechanics.

The two steps of the paper that we discussed this week were MLA citations and the initial plan for the presentation.  The MLA formatting can be a challenging topic, and I anticipate that we'll cover it a number of times.  Also, what information and ideas must be cited is often unclear for writers.  I will have more information on that for them.  If time permits, I'll send them some links that will be helpful before the class next week.

Assignment for Next Week:

-- Rough Draft #1!

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Prichard

Week 5 Videos

I've found that some students are helped by extra instruction in the form of written materials or videos.  Below are some videos that have good information.  For next week, I'd like the students to watch 3 of the videos and write a sentence summary for the videos viewed.

Grammar Videos
Dependent Clauses #1
Dependent Clauses #2
Mr. Grammar Sub. Clauses
Clauses
Subord. Clauses, part 1
Subord. Clauses, part 2
Subord. Clauses, part 3
Parallel Construction
Parallel Construction, again

Writing Videos
Taking Notes
Making Note Cards
How to Avoid Plagiarism
How to Write a Great Paper
Note-Taking Strategies
MLA Style
Writing a paper
Thoughts on Writing

WEEK 6 – Parallel Structure

WEEK 6 – Parallel Structure

            One of the ways writers can improve their writing is to use parallel structure when the text demands the use of a coordinating conjunction to join words, phrases, or clauses; also, when the text demands items in a series (three or more); and finally when the text demands the use of correlative conjunctions.  In each of these three cases, the writer is obligated to “express himself in the same grammatical form,” pairing like items together.  Parallel structure is also effective with comparisons.

Using parallel structure consists of writing using like grammatical terms.  ‘Like grammatical terms” means nouns with nouns, gerund phrases with gerund phrases, etc.

            Examples:

–   Wrong:  Prevent dust buildup by cleaning your computer monthly and dust your house weekly.

–   Corrected:  Prevent dust buildup by cleaning your computer monthly and by dusting your house weekly.

–   OR:  Clean your computer monthly and dust your house weekly in order to prevent dust buildup.

–   Wrong:  I love to read and writing.

–   Corrected:  I love to read and to write.

–   OR:  I love reading and writing.

USING COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS IN PARALLEL STRUCTURE

“Coordinating” means equivalent.  When a coordinating conjunction is used, those elements must be the same grammatical form.  Items (words, phrases, clauses, and sentences) in a series (three or more) demand the use of parallel structure.

Words in a Series

Examples:

–   Wrong:  Most students consider the SAT impossible, useless, and a waste of time. (adj., adj., & noun)

–   Corrected:  Most students consider the SAT impossible, useless, and wasteful.  (adj., adj., & adj.)

–   Wrong:  Tony considers himself a good father, a loving husband, and in a good occupation.  (noun, noun, prep. phrase)

–   Corrected  Tony considers himself a good father, a loving husband, and a hard worker. (noun, noun, noun)

Phrases in a Series

Prepositional, gerund, participial, and infinitive phrases by simple definition are groups of words that do not contain a verb, although the last three will have words resembling verbs (designated as verbals).  When phrases are used, each must be the same, grammatically as the others.

Prepositional Phrase

Example:

–   Wrong:  Over the river, through the woods, and climbing the mountain, we trekked to grandmother’s house.  (prep. phrase, prep. phrase, verb)

–   Corrected:  Over the river, through the woods, and up the mountain, we trekked to grandmother’s house.  (prep. phrase, prep. phrase, prep. phrase)

Gerund (Noun) Phrase

Example:

–   Wrong:  Rushing the quarterback, protecting their own players, and when they recovered a fumble won the game for the Colts.  (gerund, gerund, participial phrase)

–   Corrected:  Rushing the quarterback, protecting their own players, and when they recovered a fumble won the game for the Colts.  (gerund, gerund, participial phrase)

Participial Phrase

Example:

–   Wrong:  Captain Ahab, pacing the deck, while he was exhorting his crew, and seeking only one thing, turned the Pequod into a nightmare for the mates and the crew.  (part. phrase, adverb clause, part. phrase)

–   Corrected:  Captain Ahab, pacing the deck, exhorting his crew, and seeking only one thing, turned the Pequod into a nightmare for the mates and the crew.  (part. phrase, part. phrase,, part. phrase)

Infinitive Phrases

Infinitive phrases are the most complicated only because they can be used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. 

Examples:

Nouns:  To pet a cat, to sit in the woods, and to handle weeds makes one itchy.

Adjectives:  Kathy developed a plan to ride her bike, to clip coupons, and to budget for vacations.

Adverbs:  For punishment, I was made to sit in the corner, to read a grammar book, and to write essays.

Clauses in a Series

Examples:

Adjective Clauses:  The crew of the ship was composed of men (who drank great quantities of beer on land,) (who lived wildly while not at sea,) but (who knew their business and toiled bravely in the terrible conditions of the sea.)

Noun Clauses:  (The Joe Dimaggio connected himself to the Mafia,) (that he carried the Yankees to a record number of World Series wins,) and (that he attracted beautiful women define him as a complicated character.)

Adverb Clauses:  Mark Twain reigns as an unforgettable literary figure because he traveled the Mississippi River,) (because he wrote for newspapers,) and (because he lectured about his many books.)

Sentences in a Series

Sentences in a series are actually compound sentences.  The writer can string as many  sentences together as he wants, as many as he needs to convey ideas.  When combining a series (three or more) it must remain parallel.

USING CORRELATIVE CONJUNCTIONS IN PARALLEL STRUCTURE

The correlative conjunctions include either … or, neither … not, etc.  “Correlative” means that these pairs of words always go together and that they join two items only.  To use these correlative conjunctions correctly, the writer must place the same grammatical forms after each words in the pair.

Example:

–   Since the field trip has been postponed, the students will either go to the gym or go to their homerooms.

Words with Correlative Conjunctions

            Examples:

–   The man remained not only calm but also cool during the traffic accident. (two adjectives)

–   Neither snow nor sleet can keep the postman from his appointed rounds. (two nouns)

–   My rich uncle will leave his fortune to either him or me. (two pronouns)

Phrases with Correlative Conjunctions

Examples:

–   Instant replay is popular not only with the fans but also with the coaches.  (two prep. phrases)

–   We prevented erosion by both digging a trench and rerouting the water.  (two gerund phrases)

–   Whether sailing at Lake Pepin or skiing at Welch Village, my family always enjoys themselves.  (two participial phrases)

–   Because the plane was low on fuel, the pilot did not know whether to land in the farmer’s field or to try making the airport.  (two infinitive phrases)

Clauses with Correlative Conjunctions

Examples:

–   Newport, Rhode Island, shines in the summer not only because yachtsmen from all over the world bring their vessels to the harbor but also because the tourist trade is in full swing.  (two adverb clauses)

–   Because the scores of the top scholars were so close, the academic prize went to either whoever had the highest English score or whoever scored the best in math.  (two noun clauses)

Using words, phrases, clauses and sentences in parallel structure shows maturity in writing and a definite grasp of grammar.  Using parallel structures also clears up incorrect or awkward comparisons.

WEEK 5 – Coordination & Subordination

WEEK 5 – Coordination & Subordination

Coordination and subordination:  When writing, a writer must decide what to emphasize and what not to emphasize so that the reader will know exactly what the writer intends.  Words, phrases, clauses, and sentences (main clauses) may be coordinated and subordinated.

Coordinating conjunctions:  The following coordinating conjunctions join main clauses:  and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet.

Correlative conjunctions:  The following join two main clauses only:  both … and, not only … but also, whether … or, either … or, and neither … nor (usually with no comma).

With semicolons but not with commas, the following connectives can be used to introduce the next clause:  consequently, however, in fact, moreover, subsequently, in addition, also, indeed, then, nevertheless, therefore, in contrast.

            Example:

–   Malcolm rode the bus to school; however, he prefers to walk.

–   Shannon bought a new car; moreover, she purchased a motorcycle, too.

            Any of the subordinating conjunctions, placed at the beginning of a main clause, subordinates that clause and makes it now “less important,” although still adding interesting facts to the sentence.  Some of these subordinating conjunctions function as prepositions.  “Before,” for example, can be either a preposition or an introductory adverb, depending upon how “before” is used.  Following are the subordinating conjunctions:

after

although

as

as far as

as long as

as soon as

as if

because

before

even if

even though

if

inasmuch as

insofar as

provided that

since

so that

that

though

until

unless

when

whenever

where

wherever

whereas

while

why

           

The challenge:  When to subordinate a clause?  When should a clause be written as a main clause and when should it be a dependent clause?

Examples:

Compound sentences:  Two simple sentences together are related, meaningful, and grammatically equal and are joined by a coordinating conjunction and a comma.

            Ex:  Venice floods during a full moon, and tourists use raised walkways.

Complex sentences:  A complex sentence can be formed by combining two main clauses into a more complex sentence.  In a compound sentence example, the writer implies that both statements are of equal value.  However, in a complex sentence example, the author implies that the flooding becomes an interesting detail subordinate to people using the raised walkways, stressed because of the main clause.

            Ex:  When Venice floods, tourists use raised walkways.

Simple sentence:  The same information can be combined into a simple sentence using prepositional phrases.

            Ex:  Tourists use raised walkways in Venice during floods of the full moon.

When writers coordinate (combine ideas of equal value) or subordinate (present one idea as more important than another), they must use the proper forms of coordination or subordination.

RELATIONSHIPS IN COMPOUND SENTENCES

‘and’ – shows addition, something added

‘but’ – indicates an opposite thought is about to happen

‘or’ – signals an alternative to the first thought

‘nor’ – indicates a negative alternative thought is about to follow

‘for’ – shows a reason for the first thought or clause

‘yet’ – indicates another opposite thought about to follow

RELATIONSHIPS IN COMPLEX SENTENCES

time – after, as long as, as soon as, before, since, until, when, whenever, whil

condition – if, when, provided that, unless

contrast – although, even though, though, while, whereas

degree – as far as, inasmuch as, insofar as

place – where, wherever

cause – because, since, as

When is a main clause appropriate and when is a subordinate clause appropriate?  Obviously, the answer lies with the writer, who should know the differences between these handy elements.

Writing 3 Class Notes -- September 26

Greetings!

We had a good class this week.  For our Quick Write, the students wrote 5 alliterative sentences.  We had short and long sentences in which the students used words that began with the same beginning sounds. I also drew a tree with an apple on the ground telling that that it was a clue about a significant event of the day.  A couple had an idea that it was connected to Johnny Appleseed.  In fact, September 26 was Johnny Chapman's birthday.

The students are to be researching, taking notes, outlining, and refining their thesis statements.  We discussed the informal outlines and the directions the papers are going.  As they continue to research and take notes, their informal outlines will become more detailed and give the framework for their rough drafts.  Next week they should have a Detailed Outline to hand in to me.  (And they should have a copy for themselves.)

During our Grammar discussion, we talked about the concepts of subordination and coordination.  This is really an aspect of style and emphasis in writing.  As the students are crafting their rough drafts, they should consider carefully the construction of each sentence. 

I've found that some students are helped by extra instruction in the form of written materials or videos.  Below are some videos that have good information.  For next week, I'd like the students to watch 3 of the videos and write a sentence summary for the videos viewed.

Grammar Videos
Dependent Clauses #1
Dependent Clauses #2
Mr. Grammar Sub. Clauses
Clauses
Subord. Clauses, part 1
Subord. Clauses, part 2
Subord. Clauses, part 3
Parallel Construction
Parallel Construction, again

Writing Videos
Taking Notes
Making Note Cards
How to Avoid Plagiarism
How to Write a Great Paper
Note-Taking Strategies
MLA Style
Writing a paper
Thoughts on Writing

Next Week's Assignments:
-- Continue researching and taking notes
-- Develop a detailed outline from the informal outline
-- Have a detailed outline to hand in
-- Watch 3 of the videos and write a one sentence summary of them.

Keep up the hard work!!
Mrs. Prichard