September 5, 2013: In class writing - Finish Your Body Paragraphs

By tomorrow, you should have an introduction and three body paragraphs.  If you do not know how to write an introduction or a body paragraph, please see the notes from our previous lessons or email me with your questions.

I will be at school, in my room, from 3:30-7:00 p.m. this evening for parent teacher conferences. During this time, I would like people to come in and work on their essays with myself and Mr. Wells.  I will help you when I am not conferencing with parents.

September 5, 2013 - Daily Warm Up - Understanding Essay Parts

1. Take out your essay, which should be at least an introduction paragraph and a body paragraph.
2. Underline your topic sentence in your body paragraph.
3. Highlight your textual evidence (quotes from the text)
4. Use a different color to highlight the comment (after the textual evidence) that connects to and supports your thesis.

* You need to writing your essay or doing the above as I come around and check your work.

September 4, 2013 Writing Assignment - Body Paragraphs

See notes from September 3, 2013.  I will be available after school on Thursday for additional support with your essays.

September 4, 2013 Grammar Daily Warm-Up: Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives

Using pg 543, create a chart to list all the nouns, verbs, adjectives on pg 543. (see class example or a classmates example for help).

September 3, 2013 - Writing Assignment - Body Paragraph

Purpose: I can write a body paragraph with a topic sentence, textual evidence that supports my thesis, and a transition. I can identify a hook, a transitional or connecting sentence, and a thesis in my introduction paragraph.

Topic Sentence: A topic sentence introduces the main topic of the first body paragraph. A topic sentence can be one or more sentences and is the begins each body paragraph.

• Example: In 1961, Adolf Eichmann was placed on trial in Israel for the mass murder of millions of Jewish People.  He claimed he was innocent because he was obeying order from Germany's military leader, Adolf Hitler

Using Textual Evidence: Use the textual evidence you found in class to support your thesis.  The quote or passage you pick from the Eichmann, Hoess, Milgram, or Julius article should help prove your thesis. For instance, if you said people feel less responsible for their actions when they were following orders, then you should use a quote that shows that Eichman, Hoess, or the test subjects in those articles did not feel responsible for hurting innocent individuals. 

• Example: Although Eichmann was seen selecting apparently innocent Jewish people for a "hanging party," he claims to only be "guilty of having been obedient, [and] having subordinated [himself] to [his] official duties and the obligations of war service and [his] oath of allegiance" (Eichmann). 

*VERY IMPORTANT: FOLLOW UP QUOTE WITH AN EXPLANATION OF HOW THE QUOTE SUPPORTS YOUR THESIS

• Example: Eichmann claims to be a victim for having to follow such terrible orders from his superiors, but ultimately he still assisted in the murder of millions of Jewish people by following orders that should have went against his morals. 

Transition to next paragraph (connect your idea): This part of writing takes mad skill.  Imagine that your body paragraphs are puzzle pieces that are missing a middle piece that will connect the two.  The transition sentence has the main idea of the paragraph you just finished writing and an idea of what is to follow.

• Example: Eichmann is not the only person in history who was willing to an obey an order to commit horrendous acts upon other humans. 

September 3, 2013 Grammar Daily Warm Up: Verbs, Nouns, & Adjectives

Using pg 543, create a chart to list all the nouns, verbs, adjectives on pg 543. (see class example or a classmates example for help).

August 31, 2013 Grammar Daily Warm Up - Adjectives

Read and take notes on the different types of adjectives on pg. 42-543

Then, complete #1-5 of concept check on 543