th
7
Week 4 Agenda
9/24/12-9/28/12
 Monday: The Luckiest Time of All
 Tuesday: Testing! See office if you miss this day.
 Wednesday: Narrative Writing
 Thursday: Barrio Boy
 Friday: Grammar/Vocab
Daily Writing: What would…
09/24/12
Choose one prompt to respond to and explain with detail:
 If you could do whatever you wanted to right
now, what would you do?
 If you were principal of this school, what would
you do?
Seating Chart – 7A
Front/Teacher’s
Desk
Front/Door
 Nabil &
 Hafsa & Miski
 Khadija &
Caisha
 Abdisalan &
Anwar
 Hana
 Zakariya &
Ramadan
 Aisha &
Danielle
 Samira &
Hibaaq
 Asha
Sundus
 Abdulqadir &
Abdulwahab
 Abdulahi &
Mohamed
Seating Chart – 7B
Front/Teacher’s
Desk
 Idil & Sagal
 Saynab & Ali
 Omar & Zuhayb
 Kiin & Cumar
Front/Door
 Muna &
Abdullahi
 Habso &
Suhaib
 Suheib & Smal
 Siyad & Rakia
 Najma &
Mohamed
 Latifa &
Umulkhayr
 Ishwaq &
Abdirahman
Monday: Reminder
 Reminder from Friday:
 Notebook title: Vocab I
 Write the words and the correct definitions in your notebook
(words inside the left margin, definitions to the right of the margin
line).
 Notebook title: Vocab I Sentences
 Write your own sentences using the vocabulary words
 Make sure your sentences are detailed enough to prove to me
you understand what the word means. Be creative!
 Due by Friday
 Go to my website by Wednesday! larsons-classsite.weebly.com
 I want to make sure everyone can access my website. Even if
you’ve gone to it before, visit it again by Wednesday night. I may
have a 1-question quiz tomorrow asking about something on my
website. 
Monday: The Luckiest Time of All
 Popcorn read The Luckiest Time of All (Pg. 60)
 Exit slip.
 Recall: Why do Ovella and Elzie go to the Silas Greene show?
 Infer: What does this tell you about Elzie as a young woman?
 Journal title: Hyperbole Writing
 Mrs. Elzie Pickens uses hyperbole (an exaggeration for effect) to describe how
impressed she was with Mr. Pickens: “right behind him was the finest fast running
hero in the bottoms of Virginia.”
1. Generate a circle web of people you know well.
2. Then, write adjectives that describe them next to their names.
3. At least 4 people with at least 3 adjectives describing each person.
4. Then, write a description that includes hyperbole.
 Example: If you’re describing someone very smart, you might write, “She knew
more than all the professors at the university. She had answers to questions that
hadn’t even been thought of yet.”
 When you’re done, raise your hand. I’ll collect your exit slip, and check
your hyperbole writing. Then you can start working on your book talk due
October 11.
 Let’s try putting books away one by one…
Tuesday: Testing
 NWEA TESTING
 If you miss this day, you need to see
someone in the office for a retake.
Daily Writing: Change
09/26/12
Choose one prompt to respond to and explain with detail:
 “Change your life today. Don't gamble on the
future, act now, without delay.” ~Simone de
Beauvoir
 “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I
cannot change, the courage to change the things I
can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
~Reinhold Niebuhr
Wednesday: Reminders
 Go to my website by tonight if you haven’t visited it since Friday! larsonsclass-site.weebly.com
Due by Friday:
 Notebook title: Vocab I
 Write the words and the correct definitions in your notebook (words inside the left
margin, definitions to the right of the margin line).
 Notebook title: Vocab I Sentences
 Write your own sentences using the vocabulary words
 Make sure your sentences are detailed enough to prove to me you understand
what the word means. Be creative!
 Introduce new library books! Don’t forget: You should have read and prepared a
book talk by October 11!
 Notebook checks:
 Don’t forget to TITLE and date your work! I will start taking points off if you don’t.
 Use your three minutes wisely! You should have 4-5 sentences for each daily
writing.
 Anytime I write, “Journal Title,” the assignment goes in your journal and doesn’t
need to be ripped out.
 Anytime I write “Notebook Title,” the assignment goes in your Language Arts
notebook and doesn’t need to be ripped out.
 If you forget your journal/notebook, make sure to paste or rewrite the missing
daily writing or assignment into your journal or notebook after class.
Wednesday: Narrative Writing
 Objectives:
 Demonstrate knowledge of characteristics of narratives (ex.
sequence, storytelling)
 Compose a series of events for a traditional plot.
 Read “The Three Little Pigs.” As I read, write down specific
events that happen. Journal title: The Three Little Pigs.
 Plot is:
 the things characters do, feel, think, or say that makes a
difference to what comes afterward.
 It’s a set of events structured to achieve an effect.
 Significant events in a story (significant because they have
important consequences).
Wednesday: Narrative Writing
 Read the story again.
 Stop me (raise your hand!) when I should write part of the
plot (a significant event) on the board.
 Class discuss:
 What have we written that’s significant to the story?
 What’s just random or background events?
 Review the traditional plot structure (intro., rising action,
etc.) and place events we’ve listed from the story on the
plot diagram.
Wednesday: Narrative Writing
 You’ll be writing your own Personal Narrative. 
 Journal title: Brainstorming Topic for Narrative.
 First, brainstorm topics you can write about. For 3 minutes write down





times in your life when you’ve:
Had to ask for money, a new toy/present, permission to do something.
Won something or accomplished something.
Made a serious mistake.
Had to make a choice.
Been injured.
 Journal title: Brainstorming Events for Narrative
 Next, make a list of different events that led to the final resolution.
 You should have at least 10 bulleted sentences of steps you took.
 Star the sentences that were significant to the resolution.
 Raise your hand when you’re done. You may work on your book talk if
you’re done early.
 If you’re not done by the end of class, this is homework due tomorrow.
Daily Writing: Igloo Living
09/27/12
Directions: Write with detail! If you’re in two classes with
me, continue with your last story (using a different
notebook), or reflect on your weekend.
Prompt: If you knew you were going to be banished to an
igloo for the rest of your life, what five items would you
take along? (Assume you would get all the food, water,
heaters, and warm clothes you needed.) Write a
paragraph about what you’d take, and why.
Thursday: Barrio Boy
 Quiz: Besides a tree, what is the other image on the
homepage of my website?
 Check in with narrative progress (brainstorming topics &
events on
 Reminder of homework due tomorrow:
 Notebook title: Vocab I
 Write the words and the correct definitions in your notebook
(words inside the left margin, definitions to the right of the margin
line).
 Notebook title: Vocab I Sentences
 Write your own sentences using the vocabulary words
 Make sure your sentences are detailed enough to prove to me
you understand what the word means. Be creative!
Thursday: Barrio Boy
 Pre-reading for Barrio Boy
 Keep this vocabulary worksheet! You’ll need it tomorrow.
 Read Barrio Boy (pg. 68)
 Journal title: Barrio Boy
 What could you do to help a newcomer feel welcome and
secure at your school?
 Reminder of homework due tomorrow:
 Notebook title: Vocab I
 Write the words and the correct definitions in your notebook
(words inside the left margin, definitions to the right of the margin
line).
 Notebook title: Vocab I Sentences
 Write your own sentences using the vocabulary words
 Make sure your sentences are detailed enough to prove to me
you understand what the word means. Be creative!
Daily Writing: Jobs
09/28/12
Choose one prompt to respond to and explain with detail:
 “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't
matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we've
done something wonderful, that's what matters
to me.” ~ Steve Jobs
 “Remembering that you are going to die is the
best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you
have something to lose. You are already naked.
There is no reason not to follow your heart.” ~
Steve Jobs
Vocab/Grammar Friday
 Get out your notebook and turn to your
vocab homework due today, and open
your journal to the brainstorming that was
due today.
 Finish reading Barrio Boy.
 Journal title: Barrio Boy
 What could you do to help a newcomer
feel welcome and secure at your
school?
 Vocabulary review of this week’s words.
Quiz Thursday on Vocab I, Vocab II,
commas and semicolons.
Vocab/Grammar Friday
 Listen to grammar podcast from
Grammar Girl on semicolons and
colons:
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/s
emicolons.aspx
 Paste or staple handout on semicolons
in your notebook.
When?
When do I use a semicolon?
 Use a semicolon when you want to form a
bond between two statements that are
related.
 Ex: It was below zero on a cold winter day;
Squiggly wondered if he would freeze to death.
 Don’t use a semicolon with coordinating
conjunctions (and, or, but). Use a comma in
this case.
 Ex: It was 10 below zero on a cold winter day,
and Squiggly wondered if he would freeze to
death.
When? Continued…
When do I use a semicolon?
 Use it as a SUPER comma!
 Ex: This week's book winners are
Herbie in Milligan College, Tennessee;
Matt in Irvine, California; and Jan in
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
 Because each item in the list requires a
comma to separate the city from the
state, you have to use a semicolon to
separate the items themselves.
Vocab/Grammar Friday
 Semicolon/Comma review worksheet due Wednesday.
 Vocabulary homework due Wednesday:
 Notebook title: Vocab II
 Using the vocabulary worksheet from yesterday (Barrio Boy & A
Day’s Wait vocab), write the words and the correct definitions in
your notebook (words inside the left margin, definitions to the right
of the margin line).
 Notebook title: Vocab II Sentences
 Write your own sentences using the vocabulary words
 Make sure your sentences are detailed enough to prove to me you
understand what the word means. Be creative!
 Quiz Thursday on:




Commas
Semicolons
Vocab I
Vocab II