PSAT Results!

Sophomores got their PSAT results back this week through English classes. If you were absent when they were given out, please check with me.

Here are some materials that can help you understand what these scores mean, and how you can improve them. This is the video we watched in class:

This is another video that goes more into depth about your student score report:



There are many things you can do to increase your SAT score. Some companies, such as Kaplan, Testmasters, and Princeton Review, offer group classes and private tutoring options. These options cost money, but I thought it was important to let you know they do exist. It all depends on what your personal goals are. 

Here are some resources for FREE SAT practice:
Khan Academy SAT Practice
SAT and ACT Practices at March2Success

Ayn Rand Interview

Our next piece is a novella called Anthem by Ayn Rand. During block day this week, we watched a few minutes of an interview she did with Mike Wallace in 1959. In this video, she explains some of her ideas. For most of you, her ideas are very different than what you've been taught at home and at school (and at church, if you attend). We watched the first 9 minutes during class, and I encourage you to watch the whole interview. By watching it, you learn more about her ideas, and understanding her ideas may make Anthem easier for you to understand.

Aristotle once said, "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." Rand's ideas may be very different than your own, and I think that's what makes her interesting to read. 

Anthem Intro Notes and Anticipation Guide Assignment

Here are the notes we covered today in class:

Click here to download the Fill-In-The-Blank Student Notes for the Intro to Anthem.



After we took these notes, we did an anticipation guide for topics to be covered in Anthem.

Click here to download a copy of the Anthem Anticipation Guide Assignment.

Grammar Exam Review Answers

Here are the answers for the Grammar Review.

Front Page

Pack Page

Grammar Exam Review

Click here to download a copy of the grammar review.

Grammar Unit: How to write Complex Sentences

Complex sentences join 1 dependent and 1 independent clause with a subordinating conjunction. 

Because I plan to eat a large plate of Mexican food on Friday after work, I will probably not lose too much weight this week. 

Notice that the yellow parts express a complete thought, and if they were taken out of the context of this sentence, they would both be a complete sentence. "I plan to eat a large plate of Mexican food on Friday after work" is made to be a dependent clause by the presence of the subordinating conjunction immediately before it. "I will probably not lose too much weight this week" is an independent clause. Notice that because the dependent clause comes first in this example, the comma is needed. 

You can also put the dependent clause after the independent clause, like this:

I will probably feel guilty about eating Mexican food unless I make up for it by exercising a little bit extra this weekend. 

Again, both yellow segments of this sentence have a subject and a verb, and if taken out of the context of this sentence, they both would be complete sentences. Because we add the subordinating clause to the front of "I make up for it...," it becomes a dependent clause. 

The only trick with complex sentences is the punctuation. If the dependent clause comes first, you need a comma. If the independent clause comes first, you do not.

More examples of complex sentences:

A. When he handed in his homework, he forgot to give the teacher the last page.
B. The teacher returned the homework after she noticed the error.
C. The students are studying because they have a test tomorrow.
D. After they finished studying, Juan and Maria went to the movies.
E. Juan and Maria went to the movies after they finished studying.

When a complex sentence begins with a subordinating conjunction (AWUBIS) such as sentences A and D, a comma is required at the end of the dependent clause. When the independent clause begins the sentence with subordinators in the middle as in sentences B, C, and E, no comma is required.

Here is a Khan Academy video about complex sentences:

Source for some of the sentences: http://eslbee.com/sentences.htm

Grammar Unit: How to write a dependent clause

So far, we've done our grammar practicing with independent clauses.

For example:

• He goes.
• You write.
• She smells.

Each of these contains a subject and a verb. Each of these expresses a complete thought.

A dependent clause is the same thing as an independent clause, but it has a subordinating conjunction stuck to the front of it. You can use Google to find a complete list of subordinating conjunctions

For example:

• Before he goes... notice that this is the same subject and verb combo I used above. I just added an AWUBIS on there. Without the AWUBIS ("He goes.") it makes sense on its own. It expresses a complete thought. With the AWUBIS, it no longer expresses a complete thought.
• Because you write... same deal, right? There's a subject and a verb, but because there's the word because (an AWUBIS) in front of it, it no longer makes sense on its own.
• Since she smells... same deal. There's a subject and verb, but it doesn't make sense now that since is there.

This is a Khan Academy video that explains the difference between independent and dependent clauses:

This is an excellent list of subordinating conjunctions (AWUBIS):

Grammar Unit: Compound Sentences, Coordinating Conjunctions (FANBOYS), and semicolons

As far as grammar concepts go, I really like compound sentences because they are very easy to understand. You just take two indpendent clauses and "glue" them together with a comma and a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS).

First, let's review independent clauses:

An independent clause just has to have two things. A subject and a verb.

For example:

• He goes.
• You write.
• She smells.

Notice that each one of those also expresses a complete thought.

Simple sentences can also have other things, like prepositional phrases, adverbs, adjectives.

• He goes slowly. Slowly is an adverb. It modifies goes. This is still a simple sentence.
• You write on the board. On is a preposition; on the board is a prepositional phrase. It gives the location of the writing.
• She smells the scratch-and-sniff sticker. The scratch-and-sniff sticker is a noun, yes, but it is not the subject. The subject of a sentence is who or what is doing the action.

REMINDERS: An independent clause is also known as a simple sentence, which makes sense. That's easy to remember because "independent" pretty much means that something can stand alone, right? And that's what a simple sentence can do. Simple sentence = can stand alone = independent clause. 

This Khan Academy video explains simple sentences and compound sentences:

Compound sentences are easy. Just put two independent clauses together with a FANBOYS (coordinating conjunction) + comma in between them.

• I ate the chips, and I got fatter. Notice that there are two complete sentences. They're just stuck together. If you read both of them independently, they both make sense.
• I wanted queso, so we went out to eat. Two complete sentences stuck together with a FANBOYS and a comma. 

Do you see the formula? 

Complete sentence + comma + FANBOYS + complete sentence.

The ONLY variation is that you can use a semicolon instead of a FANBOYS + comma. Save this for a dramatic moment in your writing.

He lied to me; I left the room without saying a word.

Click here for a Khan Academy practice with simple and compound sentences.

Grammar Unit: Simple Sentences - Subjects, Verbs, and Predicates

Today, we made a new kind of foldable named a quincunx (pronounced "kwin-chunks") for all of our grammar notes. According to our calendar, the first formative for this quarter is a grammar and writing test in a few weeks. To do well on that test, you'll have to know the following things:

• How to find the subject and the verb in a sentence.
• How to find the subject and verb in an independent clause.
• How to tell the difference between an independent and dependent clause.
• How to use a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) to write a compound sentence.
• How to use a subordinating conjunction (AWUBIS) to write a compound sentence.
• How to correctly punctuate simple, compound, and complex sentences.
• How to correctly capitalize sentences.

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Practice links are posted at the end of this post!

Today, we discussed simple sentences. Simple sentences and independent clauses are the same thing. Simple sentences express one idea, containing one clause (subject + predicate).After

Let's look at some simple sentences and label these parts.

Students walk to class.

Think: What action is being done? "Walk" - that's the verb.

Who or what is doing the action? "Students" - that's the subject.

Anything other than the subject is the predicate. "Walk to class" - that's the predicate.

After class, the lunch ladies serve lunch.

Think: What action is being done? "Serve" - that's the verb.

Who or what is doing the action? "The lunch ladies" - that's the subject.

Anything other than the subject is the predicate. "after class / serve lunch" - that's the predicate.

Prepositional phrases cannot be part of the subject or verb. Sometimes it's hard to tell where the subject and verb are because you have so much extra stuff in the sentence. Eliminating prepositional phrases can help you see where the subject and verb are.

Let's look at a few examples with prepositional phrases:

The dog's owner searched for her through the night and into the next day.

The dog's owner searched for her through the night and into the next day.

For her, through the night, and into the next day are all prepositional phrases. Once you cross them out, it's easier to see where the subject and verb are.

Think: What action is being done? "searched" - that's the verb.

Who or what is doing the action? "The dog's owner" - that's the subject.

Anything other than the subject is the predicate. "searched for her through the night and into the next day" - that's the predicate.

Need more help understanding prepositions and how they work? This is my favorite grammar website. Check it out. They explain things and give lots of examples to illustrate what they mean. 

Khan Academy is my favorite grammar practice website. Check it out! That link right there will take you to an interactive preposition practice page.

Here is a Khan Academy video which explains subjects, predicates, and other basic grammar information:

Vocabulary Unit 3 Notes

Here are the notes for vocabulary unit 3. Consult course calendar for quiz date.

I posted a Quizlet for Unit 3

 

Welcome back!

The spring semester started today! You were given a calendar and information sheet during class, and here are the digital copies of that information:

Third Calendar Class Calendar

And here is the information page - it has information about how to sign up for my Remind messages.