Week 9 Recap & Notes

Here's what we covered today in class.

EEL:  We began a new section of EEL today.  We're still sticking with compound sentences, but we've added a new pattern:  S-Vl-PN.

We began our coverage of linking verbs today.  Please work with your students to have them memorize the list of linking verbs.  They will do this later this year in Foundations, but it is beneficial to have them memorize the list now.  You can find the definition of a linking verb and a list of verbs on the Verbs chart (chart C).  This is also a good time to review the principal parts of a verb.  For further information about the verb to be, review chart K in the gear section of your EEL.  Remember the linking verb test: you should be able to replace the linking verb with an equal sign without changing the meaning of the sentence.

We also added a new noun usage today: the predicate nominative (you will find this listed on your Nouns chart (chart E).  Review the definition of a predicate nominative with your students, making sure to emphasize it can also be a pronoun and it renames or replaces the subject of the sentence.

Speaking of renaming/replacing, make sure to work through the question/confirmation for each practice sentence.  This is critical for determining whether the nouns in the predicates of our sentences are direct objects or predicate nominatives.  Students need to be very familiar with both the list of linking verbs and also the question confirmation process.

Task sheet, as always, is found on page 435.  Weekly sentences are found on page 433.  You can always scale back days 4-5 if the sentences are too difficult for your students (but this will require some creativity on your part!).

IEW:  We are continuing summarizing references, and this week we have added a new dress up:  the sentence opener #2 or the prepositional phrase opener.  If your students are having trouble with the #2 opener, pull out the list of prepositions from EEL and do the exercise we did in class today - find a subject opener sentence and try different prepositional phrases as openers.  The assignment is lesson 7, writing a paragraph each on the Sphinx and the mummies.  Work each sentence opener we've learned thus far into each paragraph at least once.  Make sure both paragraphs are completed for next week, because you will need them for lesson 8.

Remind your students to keep their KWOs of facts to no more than 5-7 sentences.  We're going for most interesting or most important, not writing an encyclopedia article!

Please let me know if you have any questions!