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“Warm Up, 3/15 – Theses.” (Theses is the plural form of thesis.)
Which thesis statement is the better of the pair? Why? (Hint: Choose statements that avoid being neutral.)

1. A.) In the last two decades, many new diseases such as AIDS, West Nile Virus, and SARS have appeared on the scene.
   B.) Newly discovered diseases such as AIDS, West Nile Virus, and SARS are a serious threat to the health of millions of people the world over.
2. A.) The fast food industry has taken much of the blame for America’s health problems, but recent research suggests the problem is far more complex.
   B.) Because health concerns have become a widespread problem in America, many people have begun to avoid fast food and to eat healthier foods.
3. A.) Unlike many other professional sports, baseball provides no way of keeping small market teams competitive with teams from larger cities.
   B.) Unable to keep up with competition from other sports, Major League Baseball has become an outdated institution in need of serious reform.
4. A.) The USA PATRIOT Act, however well-intentioned, deals a serious blow to the civil liberties of all Americans.
   B.) The USA PATRIOT Act gives the government access to voice mail and electronic surveillance, not to mention other means of investigating suspected terrorists.
5. A.) With his bluesy style and guitar pyrotechnics, Jimi Hendrix set the standard that has influenced two generations of electric guitar players.
   B.) The great guitarist Jimi Hendrix became famous for his flashy riffs, bluesy style, and outrageous onstage behavior.
6. A.)  Without a widespread grass-roots movement to put pressure on the U.S. Congress, the Voting Rights Act would never have been passed.
   B.) The Voting Rights Act passed by Congress in 1965 included a mass movement of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people.
7. A.) Igor Stravinsky’s orchestral ballet, The Rite of Spring, symbolizes the beginning of the modern era of symphonic music.
   B.) Stravinsky’s famous symphonic ballet, The Rite of Spring, was first performed in Paris in 1913, after the turn of the 20th century.

 

Tomorrow’s assignment.

What did you read last night?

Usual Format:

• Intro (w/thesis as last sentence)
• argument + cited evidence
• argument + cited evidence
• opposing view/rebuttal (3rd argument + cited evidence)
• conclusion (restate thesis.)

Example essays and rubrics for grading.

 

Copy homework into planner.

Review MC portion of Test #26.
Correct Vladek portion.

“What is a Thesis? 3/14”
Prequiz! Write the answers in your notebook. (7/7 = +2, 6/7 = +1)

Practice

Should schools reduce the amount of homework given at the middle school level?

• Discuss and decide. Try to come up with three reasons why/not.
• Then in your notebook, answer the question in this form:

___________ because, _______, ________, and ________.

Share and decide.

 

I think…

Prep sheet for Test #26:
Husker Du Warm Up:  ___/10     Vocabulary Homework: ____/20
Vocabulary Practices: _____/14  _____/18
Other Extra Credit… may include: +1 or +2 for blog, +3 for per5, +2 for per3&4 for vocab relay.

Mental Floss.

1. Susan needed to go to the store to buy some ingredients to cook with. She started writing them down: butter, milk, eggs, duct tape, cashews, toilet paper, oranges, vinegar, lemon juice…     What was Susan making?
2. Why can’t a man marry his brother’s wife’s mother-in-law? (Assume she’s not dead.)
3. How many numbers between 1 and 799 can be divided by 2? (Alert: Math!)
4. Wacky Wordy:
   

   OVERS

5. Wacky Wordy:   CLOU__ __
6. The first word in each pair begins with “qu.” The second word is the first word with the “qu” missing. Go!
   a) stop doing – that thing  b) peculiar behavior – annoy  c) unit of liquid measure – product of creativity 

 

 

Test #26. Fixes: #6-Click and write A on the line, #13-Change choice E to ESTEEM.

Doodle Theme: Illustrate a vocabulary word. +2 automatically if it makes sense. More, if I like it.
BUT! Your first priority is to finish and print and post your Bio Sketch!

Tomorrow’s Test: Vocabulary, Husker Du Test #___, Vladek.

Bonus Question: What is the word blog actually short for?  ______  ______

“Husker Du, 3/10.” Per. 1. Write the answer, not the letter.

1. When Vladek says meshuga he means…  a) stupid  b) smart  c) frustrated  d) crazy  e) NOTA
2. Vladek thinks Mala cares only about… a) comfort  b) herself  c) her family  d) Artie  e) NOTA
3. A bunker is another name for a…  a) gun  b) secret stash of food  c) bed  d) hiding place  e) NOTA
4. Being called a kombinator is a compliment.  a) True  b) False
5. It seemed essential to eat broccoli, but I watched tv instead.  a) S  b) CD  c) CX
6. The cheese is on the table with little toothpicks in it.  a) S  b) CD  c) CX
7. Claudio ate several hotdogs, went on a ride, and ate several more.  a) S  b) CD  c) CX
8. Rudolpho was upset because his mom ate the last of the cheeselog.  a) S  b) CD  c) CX
9. The FANBOYS are all a type of… a) noun  b) clause  c) phrase  d) conjunction  e) NOTA
10. Good writing contains more _____ sentences.  a) simple  b) compound  c) complex  d) cheesy

“Husker Du, 3/10.” Per. 3. Write the answer, not the letter.

1. She speaks French and German with equal _____.   a) compelling  b) aplomb  c) fathom  d) grueling  e) defunct
2. My mom didn’t find my reasons for “needing” an X-Box8 very ___________, and I was denied.  a) compelling  b) diligent  c) fathom  d) wistful  e) facade
3. I was ______ when I saw the 5/10 rating from the guest teacher!!!   a) aloof  b) aplomb  c) incredulous  d) nonchalant  e) bleak
4. Everyone promised to ______ by Judge Judy’s decision.    a) compelling  b) diligent  c) abide  d) wistful  e) facade
5. Which word best describes the Soc’s attitude  (attitude!) toward the greasers? _______   a) grueling  b) defunct  c) adversary  d)  contemptuous  e) diligent
6. Why does Jane the Midwife not notice that Alyce is gaining skills and respect in the village? a) Because she hates Alyce.  b) Because she isn’t, really.  c) Because Jane is too self-centered.  d) Because Alyce doesn’t tell her.  e) NOTA
7. “Intensifies” an adjective:______    a) verb  b) adverb  c) subject  d) adjective  e) predicate
8. Only these have a past, present, future:______  a) verb  b) adverb  c) subject  d) adjective  e) noun
9. Answers the questions, Which one? What kind? How many? ____  a) verb  b) adverb  c) subject  d) adjective  e) predicate
10. An example of a first person pronoun:___   a) you  b) it  c) she  d) us  e) NOTA

“Husker Du, 3/10.” Per. 4. Write the answer, not the letter.

1. Aspirin is a ______ of the bark of the willow tree.  a) boon  b) sham  c) derivative  d) disreputable e) NOTA
2. He bought his computer from a ____ dealer, and when it broke the next day, they told him he was out of luck.  a) stanch  b) tumultuous  c) resounding  d) disreputable  e) taunt
3. Their relationship was rather _____, with lots of ups, downs, and in-betweens over the years. a) tumultuous  b) sham  c) incompetent  d) derivative  e) NOTA
4. “He looked like I felt when I saw that boy doubled up and still in the moonlight.”  a) foreshadowing  b) flashback  c) simile  d) irony  e) NOTA
5. We have three ______ in our class.  a) Morris’s  b) Morris’  c) Morrises  d) NOTA
6. The ______ softball team is not allowed…    a) woman’s   b) womans’  c) womens’  d) women’s  e) NOTA
7. …in the _______ lounge.  a) teacher’s  b) teachers’  c) teachers’s  d) NOTA
   When you take your gray llama on vacation, it is best to leave early and travel rather lightly, so you do not slow him down.
8. your    a) adverb   b) adjective  c) neither
9. gray   a) adverb   b) adjective  c) neither
10. early   a) adverb   b) adjective  c) neither

“Husker Du, 3/10.” Per. 5. Write the answer, not the letter.

1. Mr. Coward does not _______ the use of phones in class.  a) approach  b) conduct  c) aspect  d) sanction  e) NOTA
2. Some people think that the Narnia series is a religious  _______.  a) approach  b) conduct  c) aspect  d) sanction  e) NOTA
3. In some poorer countries, the police are paid so little that they have to resort to ______ to survive.   a) infinitesimal  b) poised  c) graft  d) resilient  e) expendable
4. Since he didn’t want to embarrass the llama, he didn’t act affectionate.  a) S  b) CD  c) CX
5. Ziggy ate his doctor-recommended doughnut for breakfast this morning.  a) S  b) CD  c) CX
6. His doctor recommended buying a goat and going water-skiing.  a) S  b) CD  c) CX
7. It seemed essential to eat broccoli, but I watched tv instead.  a) S  b) CD  c) CX
8. belongs to them : ___ :: location : ___  a) their/they’re  b) there/their  c) their/there  d) they’re/there
9. it is : ___ :: it owns : ___  a) it’s/its  b) its’/its  c) it’s/its’
10.  The upstairs library is a great place for quiet study.  Adjectives?  a) upstairs  b) great, quiet  c) upstairs, great, quiet  d) upstairs, great  e) NOTA

 

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VOCABULARY RELAY RETURNS!

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Finish your Biographical Sketch.
Copy and paste it into your blog. (Control-A, Control-C, Control-V)
No NDP on the blog version, but make sure you fill in the title box.
To PRINT your composition:

1. Make sure the GoogleDoc has your name, date and period.
2. Click HERE to set up the printer for your Chromie.
3. Click “Add This Printer.”
4. From the File menu choose Print and, click “Change,” and then choose the printer that has D5 in the name somewhere.
5. Staple and put in the basket.

 

Finished? Do extra credit vocab sentences.

Checking: Show-Me-You-Knows.

“Vocabulary, 3/9.” (18p)
   

1. _____
2. _____
3. _____
4. _____
5. At grocery stores, they like to put the candy, gum, and other such things right near the cash to tempt you into buying one last thing on ______.
6. The root of this word means “to feel.” ________
7. (3) We _______(ed) that we would work together with _______to ______ the conflict. (Be careful!)
8. (2) Lack of ______ is a sign to a ______(ist) that a person probably has personality disorder. (not esteem)
9. (2) Too many flashy special _____(s) in movies can sometimes _____ people with epilepsy and cause seizures.
10. (2) ______ advertising can lead to ______ buying by people who don’t think closely about the claims the advertiser makes. (“Ooooh, shiny!”)
11. (3) _______(ing) by peers can lead to low self-______, which can make you even more  _______ to bullying.

 

Biographical Sketch.   Create a Google Doc First! We will print it and copy it to your blog on Thursday!

• At least 650 words. At least 5+ paragraphs:
  • Introduction: Setting. Description of scene/setting. How it was set up. Why you chose this person. Relationship to this person.
  • Description of person. Show, don’t tell.
    • Looks. (Details.)
    • Voice and choice of words. Delivery.
    • Personality. (Bitter? Enthusiastic? Happy? Lost in memories? Crabby?  What?)
  • Interview.
    • Questions you asked, followed by answers and follow up.
    • You may summarize their answers, but please include at least three good quotes (word for word, as close as you can get) that use the person’s actual words.
  • Conclusion: Discuss what you learned, most surprising info, most interesting, change in attitude, etc.
• Come up with a creative title that sums up the interview.
• Please print it and then post it on your blog.
• Extra Credit: pics.

 

Some Previous Examples:

• http://caelanandschrodinger.blogspot.com/2015/05/from-american-land-in-germany-to-hippie.html
• http://www.info-tainmentfun.blogspot.com/2015/04/read-my-teacher.html
• http://bellatano.blogspot.com/2015/04/a-walk-in-papas-past.html
• http://thebombblogspot.blogspot.com/2015/05/biographical-sketch.html
• http://lillymnunes.blogspot.com/2015/05/v-behaviorurldefaultvmlo.html
• http://jacobe227.blogspot.com/2015/05/jacob-evans-5-4-15-notso-calm-after-all.html
• http://jjhacknslash.blogspot.com/2015/05/getting-to-know-anothers-past.html