Literacy Menu Literacy Objectives (DFSWBAT ): Identify the components of a personal narrative. Create an effective personal narrative from a writing prompt. Identify and demonstrate knowledge of past, present and future verb tenses. Define and spell text- related vocabulary. Determine the appropriate use of commas and semicolons. Analyze two or more texts on the same topic. Required Activities: Complete Vocabulary Homework words, definitions, and part of speech Spelling Sentences write a sentence using each vocabulary word Literature Book pages: 190 (scope chart) 195 Blues: A National Treasure reading & study questions (pgs. 190-194) Write a personal narrative Verb Tenses sheets Optional Activities (only if you have completed everything required): o Select an autobiography from the classroom library; write a summary on what you learned about that person. Friday Reflection: What did you accomplish this week? What was your favorite activity? How did you feel about the amount of work assigned? Reflect on your week. Student Signature Date: T1
Personal Narrative In a personal narrative, the writer tells about a personal experience. A personal narrative is autobiographical, but it typically focuses on a specific event. A personal narrative: is written in the first person point- of- view. usually reveals the writer s feelings. has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Directions: Read the personal narrative below. Then answer the questions that follow. (9 points total) The family birthday party began as usual. First, my family gathered after dinner with my presents. I was excited, but I thought I knew what I was getting. My parents had never been able to surprise me. After I had opened one gift, I heard a faint rustling noise. I paused for a moment, but I heard nothing more. A minute later, I noticed that a large box moved! It was creepy! I jumped to my feet in alarm. Laughing, my father then picked up the moving present. The box had no bottom at all. A fluffy white kitten was curled up where the present had been. I was finally surprised with the best birthday present I had ever received. 1. From what point of view is this narrative told? 2. What words are clues to this point of view? 3. How did the writer feel at the beginning of the narrative? 4. How did the writer s feelings change by the end of the narrative? 5. List the events of the narrative in the order in which they happened. Write a signal word or phrase if one is given for each event. a. b. T2
c. d. e. Using Examples Good writers give a reader enough information by using: effective examples the right number of examples Directions: Read the following paragraphs. Label each paragraph as having the right number of examples, too many or too few. If the paragraph has too few examples, write the examples that you would add. If the paragraph has too many, underline the examples that are not effective. (6 points total) 1. Aaron was a forgetful person. He was always leaving books on buses and benches. He often forgot to take his homework assignment home. When he did remember, he forgot to bring his completed assignments back to school. On those few occasions when he did bring a completed assignment back to school, Aaron usually forgot to turn it in. 2. That day everything went wrong for me. My breakfast was burned. My mother refused to buy me a horse. My hair would not go right. I had to iron my shirt. The dog chewed up my homework. I studied the wrong pages for my test. Joan won the spelling bee, and I only came in second. Worst of all, Aaron was assigned as my partner for the oral science report. 3. Working with Aaron, however, turned out better than I thought. He came up with some good ideas for our report. T3
Talk About Yourself First- person narratives are written from the point of view of the author. The word I is used to describe the writer. First- person narratives can be fiction or nonfiction. Write a first- person narrative that describes something you did this week. Remember to use I and to write from your point of view. Be sure to indent! (6 points) T4
Review: Action Verbs An action verb tells what the subject of a sentence does or did. She sleeps every day. She slept yesterday. Directions: Underline the action verb in each sentence. (10 points) 1. Dr. James Naismith originated the games of basketball. 2. The Hillside team and the Seaside team compete every year. 3. The two centers leaped for the ball. 4. They stretched their arms high into the air. 5. A Hillside forward grabbed the ball. 6. The forward dribbled the ball to the end of the court. 7. She aimed for the basket. 8. The ball flew through the air. 9. The ball bounced off the backboard. 10. Several players jumped for the ball. T5
Present, Past and Future Tenses The tense of a verb tells the time of the action or being. Present tense tells that something is happening now. Liyah laughs at the jokes. Zakki walks home. Past tense tells that something happened in the past. The action is over. Liyah laughed at the jokes. Zakki walked home. Future tense tells that something will happen in the future. Use will with the verb. Liyah will laugh at the jokes. Zakki will walk home. Directions: Underline the verb found in each sentence. Label it present, past or future. (2 points each/16 points total) 1. Dazmir works in her garden every day. 2. Yesterday she prepared the ground for the tomatoes. 3. Tomorrow she will set the plants in the ground. 4. She planted carrots last week. 5. Leaves will appear in a few days. 6. Dazmir will pick radishes tomorrow. 7. She pulls weeds everyday. 8. The garden will soon be full of vegetables. Directions: Write a complete sentence with each verb, using the tense in parentheses. (3 points) 9. dig (present) 10. grow (future) 11. help (past) T6
Feeling Tense? A verb s tense tells when action takes place. The past tense tells about actins that have already taken place. The present tense tells about actions that are happening now. The future tense tells about actions that have not yet taken place. For example: Past Tense: Armani tried to blow up the balloon. Present tense: Armani tries to blow up the balloon. Future tense: Armani will try to blow up the balloon. Directions: Read each sentence. Determine what tense it is written in. Write past, present, or future on the line provided. (3 points) 1. Angel made cookies for her birthday party. 2. The guests will be here any minutes. 3. Angel is still getting ready in the bathroom. Directions: Rewrite each sentence in the future tense. (3 points) 4. Each guest puts his or her gift on the table. 5. The kids play party games and eat snacks. 6. Parents pick up their children at 3:00pm sharp. T7
Perfect Tenses There are three perfect tenses: present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect. Form the perfect tenses with the past participle and helping verbs have, has, had or will have. Present perfect: Mr. Boyd has arranged a comedy show for us. Past Perfect: Mr. Boyd had arranged a comedy show for us. Future perfect: Mr. Boyd will have arranged a comedy show for us. Directions: Underline the verb in each sentence. Label it present perfect, past perfect, or future perfect. (7 points) 1. We have started a reading club. 2. By next year, we will have discussed eight books. 3. Nayyar often had suggested the book Little Women to the club members. 4. I will have finished the book before the next meeting. 5. The school newspaper has written about our group. 6. The reporter had interviewed us last year. 7. We have chosen the book The Secret Garden as our next selection. Directions: Complete each sentence. Use the correct perfect tense of the verb in parentheses. (1 point each/ 4 points total) 8. Eduardo (enjoy) sitting next to Skyy this year. 9. Next week they (know) each other for six months. 10. They often (share) their favorite books this year. T8
Commas and Semicolons Use commas to separate words or phrases in a series. Example: I studied for the test on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Use commas to set off mild interjections. Example: Wow, I did really well on the test! Use commas and conjunctions, or use semicolons, to separate the clauses in compound sentences. The book is entertaining, and interested people should read it. The book is entertaining; interested people should read it. Use a comma after a dependent clause that begins a complex sentence. Example: After I studied for the test, I passed it. Directions: Add commas or semicolons where they are needed in each sentence. (15 points total) 1. As her plane touched down on the small runway Chanel felt excited. 2. Selena made a dollhouse out of construction paper cardboard and fabric. 3. Her luggage was unloaded sorted and returned to her. 4. Ms. McGee teaches Greek Latin and classical literature. 5. Do Khristian Christopher and Yasmine still volunteer? 6. Many people were traveling to Philadelphia Boston and Los Angeles. 7. The weather is getting worse we should cancel the outdoor concert. 8. Capri Green is our team captain Jordan Foster is his assistant. 9. Oh I thought I d surprise you! 10. Even though the wind is low the boy tries to fly the kite. T9
Appositives An appositive is a noun or a noun phrase that identifies or renames the word or words that precede (come before) it. Use commas to set off an appositive from the rest of the sentence. Our steward, Marcellus Pettus, speaks three languages. His home is in Rome, the capital of Italy. Directions: Insert commas where they are needed in each sentence below. Then, underline the appositive. Circle the noun or pronoun that it tells about. (32 points total) 1. The company High Flyers forgot to include instructions. 2. The Falcon our only car would not start. 3. Our neighbor Joshua Scott came to help. 4. Even Cameron a good mechanic could not start it. 5. The starter an electric motor was not working. 6. The pilot Captain Bashir said to fasten our seatbelts. 7. A prairie a kind of grassland is home to many kinds of plants and animals. 8. Our teacher Ms. Logan does not agree. T10