Mrs. Speach's English 1 Honors & Advanced Communications Web Portal
Grammar
Ok....Let's hear the groans..."UGH!!! I hate grammar!"
I understand the feeling many of you have toward grammar, believe me, I was probably taught in some of the same, dry, boring ways you have experienced the workings of grammar, but the truth is, it is a necessary part of your English curriculum and education. Grammar not only will help you become a better student, but a better speaker and writer.
Proper use of grammar seems to be getting lost these days in the world of texting, emailing, IMing, Facebooking, MySpacing and almost everything else associated with the technology boom we are experiencing. I am not saying that all these advancements aren't a good thing, but the need to be able to express yourself verbally and through writing in a sophisticated and educated manner....You need to have good grammar to do that!
But the good thing is, hopefully you will see it as a good thing, is that we will be tackling our reviewing, learning and understanding of grammar in a different manner than you may have been exposed to previously. I will not "drill and kill" you with grammar exercises and workbooks. We will be looking at our study of grammar in a more meaningful way through
mentor texts and creative writing. You will be applying the lessons of grammar to real writing situations, not handouts that you complete robotically and forget everything the minute you turn them in.
Hopefully with this way of learning grammar, it will stick!
The method of how I will teach grammar is from a fellow teacher and author, Jeff Anderson. A lot of the power points you will see, mentor texts, writing exercises, etc. are all modeled after Anderson's philosphy of teaching grammar.
I understand the feeling many of you have toward grammar, believe me, I was probably taught in some of the same, dry, boring ways you have experienced the workings of grammar, but the truth is, it is a necessary part of your English curriculum and education. Grammar not only will help you become a better student, but a better speaker and writer.
Proper use of grammar seems to be getting lost these days in the world of texting, emailing, IMing, Facebooking, MySpacing and almost everything else associated with the technology boom we are experiencing. I am not saying that all these advancements aren't a good thing, but the need to be able to express yourself verbally and through writing in a sophisticated and educated manner....You need to have good grammar to do that!
But the good thing is, hopefully you will see it as a good thing, is that we will be tackling our reviewing, learning and understanding of grammar in a different manner than you may have been exposed to previously. I will not "drill and kill" you with grammar exercises and workbooks. We will be looking at our study of grammar in a more meaningful way through
mentor texts and creative writing. You will be applying the lessons of grammar to real writing situations, not handouts that you complete robotically and forget everything the minute you turn them in.
Hopefully with this way of learning grammar, it will stick!
The method of how I will teach grammar is from a fellow teacher and author, Jeff Anderson. A lot of the power points you will see, mentor texts, writing exercises, etc. are all modeled after Anderson's philosphy of teaching grammar.
Writer's Notebook
"Your main venue of grammar and writings!"
For the majority of the work, writing, practicing and tinkering we will be doing with your writing and grammar will be done primarily in your "Writer's Notebook."
Your Writer's Notebook will be a composition book that you will foster your skills as a student writer. In this book we will practice your grammar skills, try out new writing methods, become observant writers, and hopefully discover that you actually like writing again.
I promise we will stay away as much as possible from the completely formulatic testing style of writing you have grown to find boring and stale. But understand, that part of that formula is a necesary part of writing.
In order to get your Writer's Notebook ready for the school year, we will navigat through several Power Point presentations that will get your notebook all set up and started.
Below are the presentations you are welcome to view and work through.
Your Writer's Notebook will be a composition book that you will foster your skills as a student writer. In this book we will practice your grammar skills, try out new writing methods, become observant writers, and hopefully discover that you actually like writing again.
I promise we will stay away as much as possible from the completely formulatic testing style of writing you have grown to find boring and stale. But understand, that part of that formula is a necesary part of writing.
In order to get your Writer's Notebook ready for the school year, we will navigat through several Power Point presentations that will get your notebook all set up and started.
Below are the presentations you are welcome to view and work through.
| writers_notebook.pptx |
| writing_freewriting.pptx |
| bedhead_day_2_freewritng.pptx |
| writers_eye_i.pptx |
| authors_word__phrase_palatte_and_gems.pptx |
Sentences
Simple & Compound
Well, you might say, "I know how to write simple and compound sentences." "I learned this stuff in elementary school."
And I TOTALLY believe you, but the thing is, I still see incomplete sentences, or improperly formed sentences of all types in the writings of students. (I have even seen it when I taught seniors!).
So, because of these errors I see happen time and time again, I feel it is necessary for us to revisit the construction and importance of simple and compound sentences.
Below are the Power Point presentations we will cover in class, if you have been absent or just feel you want a refresher, download the presentations and review. You will also see a pdf file that breaks down the parts of a sentence (a handy study guide!!)
And I TOTALLY believe you, but the thing is, I still see incomplete sentences, or improperly formed sentences of all types in the writings of students. (I have even seen it when I taught seniors!).
So, because of these errors I see happen time and time again, I feel it is necessary for us to revisit the construction and importance of simple and compound sentences.
Below are the Power Point presentations we will cover in class, if you have been absent or just feel you want a refresher, download the presentations and review. You will also see a pdf file that breaks down the parts of a sentence (a handy study guide!!)
| simple_sentences.pptx |
| compound_sentneces.pptx |
| partsofsentencechart.pdf |
Run-On Sentences
"Can't Keep Runnin' Away..."
We are all guilty. Even the best writers are guilty of the cardinal "run-on" sentnece error. Sometimes these run-on sentences are also called comma splices.
Many times these sentences happen because the writer has so much to say, wants to get it all out, and just doesn't know or realize when or the need to stop. Many times run-on sentences are quite simple to fix, either with the aid of a comma or an end punctuation mark.
Below is the Power Point presentation/lesson we will cover on run-on sentences and comma splices, what they are and how to avoid them.
Many times these sentences happen because the writer has so much to say, wants to get it all out, and just doesn't know or realize when or the need to stop. Many times run-on sentences are quite simple to fix, either with the aid of a comma or an end punctuation mark.
Below is the Power Point presentation/lesson we will cover on run-on sentences and comma splices, what they are and how to avoid them.
| run-on_sentences.pptx |
| comma_splice.pptx |
Prepositions....Who Needs Them???
Your Writing Does!
Prepositions are necessary to show a relationship between the noun in your sentence and the other parts. Without the proper preposition or if your sentence is missing one altogether, your sentence is lost. Is makes your sentence stumble instead of flow.
These seemingly insignificant words also allow you as a writer to transition between other sentences and ideas, so as unimportant as they may seem, they are quite critical to making your writing clear.
These seemingly insignificant words also allow you as a writer to transition between other sentences and ideas, so as unimportant as they may seem, they are quite critical to making your writing clear.
| wrong_or_missing_prepositions.pptx |
