Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Class Topics:
Participial Phrases and Logical Fallacies.

In-Class Notes and Work:

• Combined sentences from page 2.
• Went over Logical Fallacies and supplied examples of each.

Assignments:

• Vocab due Friday
• 12 AR points Friday

Monday, November 3, 2014

Class Topics:
Vocabulary, Forbidden List & Advanced Participial Phrases

In-Class Notes and Work:

• Introduced week 8 vocabulary.
• Remember you can head over to Quizlet to study our words.
• Crossed off Forbidden List rules D1-D3. We didn't spend too much time talking about them as they should be rules 8th graders are already familiar with.
• Advanced sentence combining:
• Combine three sentences into one new sentence by changing two of the original sentences into participial phrases by clicking here.

Assignments:

• Study for quiz on Friday: Vocabulary, Participles, Forbidden List and Logic.
• Friday - Vocabulary Packet
• Friday - 12 AR points

Friday, October 31, 2014

Class Topics:

• Analyzing and creating syllogistic arguments. 

In-Class Notes and Work:

• Explored Quizlet resource for studying vocabulary.
• Read others' argumentative paragraphs. Broke it down into a syllogism. 
• Re-wrote paragraphs so syllogisms are clearer.

Assignments:

• Next Friday - 12 AR points
• Monday - Rough draft and final draft of syllogism paragraph.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Class Topics:

• Combining sentences using participial phrases.
• Analyzing arguments for their syllogisms. 

In-Class Notes and Work:

• Used the last pages of this presentation to combine sentences together so the new sentence has a participial phrase.
• Read this article from the Washington Post and analyzed it for its syllogism.

Assignments:

• Friday - 8 AR points
• Friday - Vocabulary
• Friday - Finish syllogism writing

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Class Topics:

• Breaking down an argument into a syllogism
• Identifying Participles in sentences

In-Class Notes and Work:

• Completed this worksheet about participles.
• We read the argument at the end of this presentation. We broke the paragraph into a syllogism, and analyzed how the author used facts and details after each premise to strengthen the premise.
• Began using facts on page 5 of above presentation to create a syllogism. Turn than syllogism into an argumentative paragraph. 

Assignments:

• Friday - 8 AR points
• Friday - Vocabulary packet
• Friday - Argumentative paragraph 

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Class Topics:

• Participial phrases
• Analyzing an argument for a syllogism.

In-Class Notes and Work:

• Continued working with participles.
• Need more help with participles? Click here for a great video explanation!
• Continued working with syllogisms. 

Assignments:

• Friday - 8 AR Points
• Friday - Vocabulary

Monday, September 27, 2014

Class Topics:

• Participles
• Vocabulary

In-Class Notes and Work:

• New vocabulary words. See "resources" for vocabulary packet.
• We covered Forbidden List rules C2 - C4 (Click "Resources" above to get Forbidden List). We then rewrote a passage so it had none of those mistakes.
• Discussed participles.

Assignments:

• 8 AR Points by Friday
• Vocabulary packet by Friday

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Class Topics:
I will use the Forbidden List and practice parts of speech

In-Class Notes and Work:

• Handed out the Forbidden List
• These are rules you may not break in Mr. Conaway's class for any type of writing (essay, test answer, etc.)
• Once an item has been highlighted, you are expected to know that rule and will lose points for breaking that rule.
• We will cover about three of these per week until we've covered the whole list.
• Do not lose it.

Assignments:

• September 19 - 15 AR Points
• September 15 - Hand in vocabulary packet
• Quiz on Thursday

Monday, September 8, 2014

Class Topics:
I will improve my vocabulary.

In-Class Notes and Work:

• Handed out vocabulary packets.
• Used this week's vocabulary roots to fill in these sections of the vocabulary packet: ROOT / ETYMOLOGY & DEFINITION.
• Fill in these sections on your own by Friday: COLORED PICTURE (a picture or symbol that represents the meaning of the root); WORDS THAT USE THE ROOT & THEIR MEANING (find words that contain the given root and explain what that word means); and any SYNONYMS and ANTONYMS (whole words or roots) to the given root.
• On the last page, find five words that are unfamiliar to you in the course of your independent reading.
• Make a guess to the word's part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, etc.)
• Guess the meaning of the word and explain why you think it has that meaning.
• Find out what the word really means and write it down if your guess was wrong.

Assignments:

• September 19 - 15 AR Points
• Friday - Vocabulary Packet
• Thursday - Word Job Quiz

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Class Topics:
Use knowledge of parts of speech to label silly words in a poem.

In-Class Notes and Work:

• Collect Class Dojo ticket
• Jabberwocky Challenge

Assignments:

• Jabberwocky Challenge (front and back) due Monday.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Class Topics:
Understanding word jobs

In-Class Notes and Work:

• MANY of us did not have all of our supplies. I will bug you each day until you do, and deduct Class Dojo points, too.
• Many of us still do not have an appropriate book. Make sure you have a book that matches your LEXILE and has an AR quiz.
• Checked supplies
• Checked homework
• We took these notes on filling in blanks with different types of words and figuring out what kind of words silly words in a sentence might be by understanding what the word's job was.
• More help on figuring out a word's job. Go to the bottom of the page to watch a video for each part of speech (e.g. verb, noun, etc.)

Assignments:

• Sep. 19 - 15 AR points due
• Fix mistakes on previous homework assignment (see last blog entry).

Friday, August 29, 2014

Class Topics:

I will figure out what job a word has in a sentence.

In-Class Notes and Work:

1. Finish notes on word jobs.
2. Go to lab to work on:
1. Word Job Activity 1
2. Word Job Activity 2
3. Work on assignment 

Assignments:

• Tuesday - Finish word job assignment.
• Tuesday - Have independent reading book.
• Tuesday - Have all supplies.
• September 19 - 15 AR points finished.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Class Topics:


In-Class Notes and Work:


Assignments:

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Class Topics:


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Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Class Topics:


In-Class Notes and Work:


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Monday, August 25, 2014

Class Topics:


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Friday, August 22, 2014

Class Topics:
Get to Mr. Conaway & his classroom.

In-Class Notes and Work:

1. Collect homework
2. Name game
3. Review syllabus
4. Tour blog
5. Philosophy
6. Reader / writer map

Assignments:

1. Create a map (i.e. a representation) on a blank piece of computer paper that shows me who you are as a reader and a writer. This map could show me what types of things you like to read or write, how much you like to them, specific characters and genres that you find interesting, etc. Here's how I will grade it:
1. Must be colorful
2. Must be neat
3. Must take up entire page (I will not accept one simple picture that fills the whole page - that does not express who you are as a reader or writer)
4. Must be creative (that means I can tell you've put some thought into expressing yourself and organizing this project).
5. Expresses yourself as a reader or writer.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Class Topics:
I will get to know Mr. Conaway & his classroom.

In-Class Notes and Work:

1. Procedures
2. Classroom Tour
3. Go over papers
4. Review Syllabus

Assignments:

1. Bring these back with parent signatures:
1. Nurse's form
2. Consent form from student handbook
3. My syllabus