Journals 4th 9 Weeks• Worth 100 points EACH Semester• Must be ¾ a page.• 1st 5 minutes of each class.• Every entry must be formatted with

– The Journal #– The Date– The “Title”

Every entry must have the 3 formatting items in the top corner of the page. Only 1 entry per page. Longer entries may take up 2 pages if necessary.

Journal Entry #1Journal Entry #70March 19, 2014Comma Practice

Practice using COMMAS using the following rules (write examples in complete sentences): Separate two INDEPENDENT CLAUSES joined by a

conjunction (, and/, but) Set off introductory SUBORDINATE CLAUSES and long

PHRASES (When…..,) Set off NONESSENTIAL CLAUSES (APPOSITIVES) Separate two adjectives that MODIFY a single noun (could replace the comma with AND)

Journal Entry #1Journal Entry #71March 20, 2014Pronoun Practice

Practice using the following indefinite pronoun & pronoun combinations in sentences: “Nobody” & “his or her” (singular verb)Ex. Nobody will want his or her skin to get sunburned while at the beach over Spring Break. “Many” & “they/their” (plural verb) “Someone” & “his” (singular verb) “Several” & “they/their” (plural verb) “Anyone” & “his or her” (singular verb)

Journal Entry #1Journal Entry #72March 27, 2014Gratitude Day!

Topic: Showing Gratitude for ________________

Detail 1: ___________________ Detail 2: ___________________

Monthly Challenge:Your paragraph

MUST use 3 DIFFERENT comma

rules, at least 1 semicolon, 1 dash (double hyphen),

and 1 set of parenthesis!!

(Remember: TDSSDSSC)

Write your TOPIC & 2 DETAILS at the top of your page, then wait for the timer!!

Dear Mrs. Carter,I just wanted to take a minute to let you know how much you are truly

appreciated here at Murray Middle School. For one thing, your job is filled with stresses, obligations, and thankless duties; however, you handle all of it with class and a sense of humor. In the early days of your tenure here at MMS, we could read the stress on your face—now, after years of experience, you face each challenge with a positive attitude and a smile. It is nice to walk into the office every morning to either a compliment, a giggle, or just a smile from our principal, the queen of our Tiger realm. Another reason you deserve some gratitude is way that you truly epitomize the "eye of the Tiger" attitude that our district uses as it's motto. Indeed, it can't be easy for a "Graves County Girl" to bleed black and gold, but there is NO question where your loyalty lies. You have a Tiger attitude and live by the Tiger motto every day, every month, every year (even years after your baby graduated, you still remain a Tiger fan in the stands—tried and true). All in all, you're a great principal who is 100% dedicated to this school—its staff, its students, and its reputation in this community and beyond. Saying "thank you" might not be enough (and I know those words aren't shared enough), but I DO hope you know how much you mean to all of us here at MMS.

Sincerely, Hope Foster

Journal Entry #1Journal Entry #73April 7, 2014Scavenger Hunt-Punctuation

Look through a novel of your choice to find sentences where the author used the following punctuation: SEMI-COLON PARENTHESIS PAIR of COMMAS (APPOSITIVE) COMMA/CONJUNCTION COMBO COMMA to set off an introductory phrase DASH—DOUBLE HYPHENLeave room to note any interesting punctuation or text features.

Journal Entry #1Journal Entry #74April 8, 2014Aspire Practice-English

Number your page 7-12 and be ready to answer some ASPIRE questions.

7. 10.

8. 11.

9. 12.

Journal Entry #1Journal Entry #75April 9, 2014Aspire Practice-Writing

The ACT ASPIRE test will ask you to write an essay. You will have 2 hours to plan and draft (you will be drafting and submitting online).

Create a 1 Page SPAM plan on your page and get ready to plan a sample essay.

Journal Entry #1Journal Entry #76April 14, 2014Digging Deeper:In-depthDraw a soil chart on your page. Choose ONE line from the “Changes” poem on your desk and place it at the top of your page (GRASS/Surface).

Now DIG DEEPER: Make an inference about

that line Draw a conclusion based

on that inference Make a meaningful

connection Connect all your ideas to an overall THEME.

Journal Entry #1Journal Entry #77April 15, 2014Digging Deeper

Turn your page into a soil chart—include surface and all 3 horizons. Choose another line from the poem “Changes” (one with hidden meaning) and put it on the SURFACE…now Dig Deeper!

Make an inference about that fact (surface)

Draw a conclusion based on that inference

Make a meaningful connection

Connect all your ideas to an overall THEME.

Journal Entry #1Journal Entry #78April 16, 2014Sentence Complexity Search

Look through one chapter of the novel you are reading to find sentences at the varied degrees of complexity: Simple Sentence—short/minimal punctuation A Bit More Complex Sentence—still short/some internal

punctuation (likely one comma to separate a phrase) Compound Sentence—Two complete thoughts

(Independent Clauses) combined with either a comma/conjunction or a semi-colon (;).

The Longest/Most Complex Sentence you can find! Lots of internal punctuation (of various types)

Journal Entry #1Journal Entry #79April 17, 2014The Art of the Argument

ar·gu·ment (ärgyəmənt)1. an exchange of diverging or opposite views, typically a heated or angry one.2. a reason or set of reasons given with the aim of persuading others that an action or idea is right or wrong.

Write down the definitions above in your journal.Using the 2nd definition of “ARGUMENT,” write a script of a recent “ARGUMENT” that you have had with another person (no heat, no anger…just persuasion).

Journal Entry #1Journal Entry #80April 21, 2014Concession/Counterargument

Go back to the ARGUMENT you drafted last week. Write 2 sentences of concession/counterargument for EACH side of the argument (4 sentences total).

I concede that…; howeverYes, …, but…I recognize that…, but I must point out thatWhile I agree that…, I doubt that…While it is true that…, we must remember that…Although I understand that…, I still believe that…

Journal Entry #1Journal Entry # 81 April 28, 2014Fortune Cookie Speeches

Read the following fortune & write it on your journal page, INTERPRET IT (explain, describe, explore multiple meanings) Plan out a three point speech ().

Journal Entry #1Journal Entry # 82April 29, 2014Fortune Cookie Speeches

Read the following fortune & write it on your journal page, INTERPRET IT (explain, describe, explore multiple meanings) Plan out a three point speech ().

Journal Entry #1Journal Entry #83 April 30, 2014Gratitude Day!

At the TOP of your journal page LIST your TOPIC & 2 Details!

Topic: Showing Gratitude for ? Detail 1: Detail 2:

Challenge:• MUST use the RULE

OF THREE• Three IS Key!!

EVERYTHING COUNTS: Format (indent/SPAM), Organization, Spelling, Capitalization, Punctuation, Grammar, etc.

DRAFT your gratitude note in your journal and then show REVISING & EDITING notes!!

Dear Mr. Lomax,I just wanted to take a minute to let you know how

much our group enjoyed our experience at your facility. For one thing, the grounds and facility itself are well-maintained. Every year, I’m impressed with the cleanliness and organization of the grounds. This year we took full advantage of the entire grounds by fishing, hiking and, of course, using the activity areas—literally, every path and station was clearly organized. Another amazing feature of Brandon Spring is the staff. The patience, enthusiasm, and overall encouragement from the “leaders” (Sarah, Jeffry, David, & Patrick) were outstanding and I just can’t say enough about the staff in the cafeteria. Not only are they friendly and welcoming, but (more importantly) they give cafeteria food a GOOD reputation. All in all, I feel like Brandon Spring just keeps getting better and better with every visit. I hope that we will continue to work together for years to come.

Sincerely,Hope FosterTeacher, MMS

Showing gratitude for Richard Lomax (manager, Brandon Spring)Detail 1: FacilityDetail 2: Staff

Journal Entry #1Journal Entry # 84May 1, 2014Fortune Cookie Speeches

Read the following fortune & write it on your journal page, INTERPRET IT (explain, describe, explore multiple meanings) Plan out a three point speech ().