English

Today we looked at capturing the reader's attention and transitions. Building on our expository paragraphing, students were introduced to three ways to grab the reader's attention:

1: starting with a question.
2. starting with a quotation.
3. starting with a key fact.

We also looked at transition words and phrases. We looked at examples online and discussed their relevance. https://www.msu.edu/~jdowell/135/transw.html

Students were then asked to write a paragraph on a topic of their choice using the model they were shown in class. Students can achieve 15 marks for this assignment.

Write a "hook" and a topic sentence: 5 marks (be sure to underline or highlight the hook)
Include three sub-topics, examples and a transition word: 5 marks (underline or highlight the examples)
Write a concluding statement that restates the topic sentence: 5 marks (underline or highlight)

*look at my previous blog to see writing exemplar

This assignment is due Wednesday, Oct. 1st.

English

Continuing with expository writing, students are to compare and contrast two dissimilar items. We started with a graphic organizer, such as a Venn diagram, and wrote a simple, but organized, multi-paragraphed response.

Compare and Contrast

A Baseball and the Great Wall

          There are many similarities and differences between a baseball and the Great Wall of China. Firstly, both objects are man-made.  Secondly, both have ridges that weave around like a meandering river. Finally, they are both hard objects. Like the similarities, there are also differences that can be detected.

          The differences are much easier to spot. A baseball is round, while the Great Wall is long and tall. The Great Wall is made out of bricks, mud, and stone, while a baseball is made from leather and string. A final difference is in the colour. The Great Wall mostly grey, whereas a baseball is white. As mentioned, there are many similarities and differences between a baseball and the Great Wall of China.

English

Model the example of expository writing seen below. Choose your own animal to write about and be sure to highlight or use a different colour pen as seen in the second example.

Expository Writing

What is the best pet?

    The best pet is a cat.  The first reason is cats are smart.  The second reason is they are clean animals.  The third reason is they are good friends.  For these reasons, cats are the best pet.

The best pet is a cat.  The first reason is cats are smart.  The second reason is they are clean animals.  The third reason is they are good friends.  For these reasons, pets are the best pet.

The best pet is a cat.  The first reason is cats are smart.  They can learn and adapt to people and environments.  The second reason is they are clean animals.  They bury their waste and keep their bodies clean.  The third reason is they are good friends.  They can sense when people are down and always do what they can to support them.  For these reasons, cats are the best pet.

Welcome to a new school year at G.P. Vanier.

Hi all,

After a long summer, it is time to get down to business. I am positive that this will be an exciting and productive year. I am pleased to be teaching your son/daughter this year and will be working very hard to help them achieve success both at school and on the ice.

Please feel free to contact me anytime at david.miller@sd71.bc.ca