Understanding Theme and Avoiding Run-On Sentences

What lesson does Tarik learn in "Nadia the Willful"? Could this be a clue to the theme of the story?

Identifying and Understanding Theme in "Nadia the Willful"  Today we will closely examine two suggested themes of the short story "Nadia the Willful," which can essentially be considered two different claims. We will select the the claim that best fits our understanding of the story's theme and provide evidence from the story to support our ideas. You can find the assignment Nadia the Willful - Understanding Theme in your Language Arts Google Classroom. This assignment will be due next Friday, October 21. 

Grammar Lesson: Avoiding Run-On Sentences  Let's learn more about what a run-on sentence is and how can you put a stop to them by watching our friends Tim and Moby from BrainPop. (Remember you can access BrainPop through the Apps section of your Google Drive.)  

Run-on Sentences and Academic Business Time

Appropriate Behavior with the Substitute  I'm sorry I couldn't be with you today. I fully expect you to be on your very best behavior with your substitute today. Please stay in your seats, stay focused on the work outlined here on the Blog, and, most importantly, treat your substitute with decency and respect. Remember, I can monitor your computer use from home and expect to see that you focused on your assignments and not goofing around.If you don't have a working Chromebook today, partner up with someone at your table and work with them. I expect to receive a positive report form the substitute upon my return. Students that choose to not to be their best selves today may receive serious consequences upon my return. Have a great day!

Grammar Practice: Run-on Sentences  Something problematic that I have noticed in some of your writing is the frequency in which you are using run-on sentences. A run-on sentence is two more sentences that are not properly joined or separated. A couple of examples can be found below. 

There are different ways to repair run-on sentences. Review the image below for ideas on how to fix them.

Now that you better understand what a run-on sentence is and some of the different ways to fix them, let's practice. Practice identifying run-on sentences here. Next, practice repairing them here. Finally, play a game in which you identify fragments, run-on, and sentences for cash and prizes here. 

Academic Business Time  If need be, you may use the remainder of class time to work on completing your assignments. Otherwise, you may use this time to silent read, take AR quizzes, read Newsela articles of your choice, or practice your typing.   

Homework  (1.) Read for at least 30 minutes at home each school night. (2.) Complete the assignment Nadia the Willful - Characters and Theme, which will be due tomorrow, Friday, October 14.  

Identifying Theme in "Nadia the Willful"

"Nadia the Willful" Background: The Bedouins, the group featured in today's story, are an Arab people of the Sahara and the desert lands of the Middle East. The leader of a Bedouin tribe or clan is called a sheik. Bedouins live as nomads, or wanderers, searching the desert for oases (placed with water and pasture) where they can settle with their goats, sheep, camels, and horses. When water becomes scare, the group moves on. Life in the desert is hard and dangerous. Food is scarce, sandstorms are common, and temperatures can reach up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. 

 Today's Learning Objective   Identify the theme of a story.

Identifying Theme in "Nadia the Willful"  Today will be reading a wonderful piece of short fiction entitled "Nadia the Willful" and try to identify its theme. You can find the story here, as as well as on page 67 of your Language of Literature textbook. First, examine the "Background to the Story" section, as well as the images featured throughout the text. Take note of the setting of this story. Read the "Text Analysis: Conflict and Theme" section to remind yourself what a conflict is and how it can help a reader determine the theme of a story. 

As we read "Nadia the Willful" together, we will also pay special attention to the characters and their actions, speech, thoughts, and how they change, as clues to determining the story's theme. You can find the assignment Nadia the Willful - Characters and Theme in your Language Arts Google Classroom. 

Homework  (1.) Read for at least 30 minutes at home each school night. (2.) Complete the assignment Nadia the Willful - Characters and Theme, which will be due on Friday, October 14.  

Quizzing Vocabulary and Introducing Theme

What is Theme?

Flocabulary Vocabulary Quiz  Happy Monday! You've learned, practiced, and studied your vocabulary words this past week. Now it's time to show me what you've learned! You can find your Vocabulary Quiz below. Good luck! 




Introduction to Theme in Literature  One of the elements of fiction that may not be very familiar to you is theme. You probably have been asked: What is the theme of the story? What exactly does that mean? Watch the video below to learn more. 

Now you understand that theme is the meaning or moral of a story. It is a message about life or human nature that the writer shares with the reader. Most themes are unstated. You must figure them out by paying attention to what happens in a story. You can gather clues to the theme of a piece of literature by looking at the characters, the plot, the setting, and the story title.

Next, let's consider some of the pieces of literature we've studied so far this year, including: Thank You, Mr. Falker, "Eleven," "Who's the New Kid?", "Dear Future," and "On Turning 10." What are some of the themes or messages about life of these various texts? Do any of these stories or poems have similar or shared themes? Head over to your class's Padlet wall (Period 3, Period 5, Period 6), choose one or more the pieces of literature we've read, and identify the theme.

Homework  Read for at least 30 minutes at home each school night.

Flocabulary Vocabulary and Academic Business Time

Appropriate Behavior with the Substitute  I'm sorry I couldn't be with you today. I fully expect you to be on your very best behavior with your substitute today. Please stay in your seats, stay focused on the work outlined here on the Blog, and, most importantly, treat your substitute with decency and respect. Remember, I can monitor your computer use from home and expect to see that you focused on your assignments and not goofing around.If you don't have a working Chromebook today, partner up with someone at your table and work with them. I expect to receive a positive report form the substitute upon my return. Students that choose to not to be their best selves today may receive serious consequences upon my return. Have a great day!

Flocabulary Vocabulary with Digital Flashcards  Today we are going to continue to work with this week's Flocabulary vocabulary words:

allegiance / chronological / context / diligent / generate / majority / meager / negotiate / obstacle / possess / poverty / prejudice / prosecute / remote / transform

First, work on the activity Vocabulary - Unit 3 (Mandela is Free) - Fix the Mistake, which can be found in your Language Arts Google Classroom. 

Next, to help you remember the meanings of these words I've created a set of digital flashcards using Quizlet that you can find here, as well as below. Please spend some time making sure you understand your words and make sure to study for Monday's quiz. 




Academic Business Time  On Monday several important assignments are due, including Vocabulary - Unit 3 (Mandela is Free) - Fix the Mistake and Text Marking: “On Turning 10”. If need be, you may use the remainder of class time to work on completing your assignments. Otherwise, you may use this time to silent read, take AR quizzes, read Newsela articles of your choice, or practice your typing.   

New Flocabulary Vocabulary

This week's Flocabulary vocabulary unit is inspired by the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela.

Flocabulary Vocabulary  Welcome to Unit 3 of Flocabulary's vocabulary program, which this week is inspired by the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela. With Mandela as the backdrop, we have a new set of words to interact with, learn, and hopefully begin to incorporate into our own vocabulary. This week's words are: 

allegiance / chronological / context / diligent / generate / majority / meager / negotiate / obstacle / possess / poverty / prejudice / prosecute / remote / transform

After watching and interacting with the video and song a couple of times, study the words and their meanings and work on the activity Vocabulary - Unit 3 (Mandela is Free) - Fix the Mistake, which can be found in your Language Arts Google Classroom. 

Homework  (1.) Read for at least 30 minutes at home each school night. (2.) Complete the activity Text Marking: “On Turning 10” which is due Monday, October 10.  (3.) Complete the activity Vocabulary - Unit 3 (Mandela is Free) - Fix the Mistake, which is also due on Monday, October 10. (4.) Study for 'Mandela is Free' vocabulary quiz, which will take place on Monday, October 10. 

Introducing Poetry and Marking Poems

 Today's Learning Objectives   * Explain how the author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text. * Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics. * Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details. * Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.

Poetry Marking: "On Turning 10"  In this activity, you will explore how the speaker of the poem “On Turning 10” feels about growing up by marking the text and answering questions. The activity Text Marking: “On Turning 10” can be found in your Language Arts Google Classroom.



Homework  (1.) Read for at least 30 minutes at home each school night. (2.) Complete the activity Text Marking: “On Turning 10” which is due Monday, October 10.