Monday, May 3, 2010
Bar Mitzvah Blog
Monday, April 26, 2010
Hair Blog
Practice:
1. The chef _______ the vegetables into tiny pieces.
2. The sailor demonstrated the art of ___________ complicated knots.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Welcome Spring
Too bad, though, about those nasty trees. Without regard for the humans who live, work, and play all around them, they spew "pollen" into the air. While the buds and leaves fill out, the trees continue to emit their nasty dust. Worst of all, that dust is aimed at those sensitive allergy sufferers like me, causing weeks of red eyes and flu like symptoms. Maybe we should just have plenty of palm trees, or giant cacti that never bloom. Oh! how I miss those clear, crisp, cold days of winter.
Vocabulary:
1. barren (adjective) - devoid of life
2. sprouted (verb) - began to grow
3. regard (adjective) - the ability to care
4. spew (verb) - gush out
5. buds (noun) - initial growth
6. symptoms (noun) - ill effects
Practice:
1. The surface of the moon appeared _____________.
2. After the first rain, the seeds all ______________.
3. The children show __________ for protecting the environment.
4. The smokestacks continuously ________ black smoke in the air.
5. The little flower ________ showed a tinge of color to come.
6. The school nurse carefully checked each child for _________ of the disease.
Grammar point:
It is important to maintain the correct "verb" tense. If you are writing about something that happened in the past, the verbs in the writing must also be written using the past tense.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Cardinal Guilt
3. The hurricane survivors struggled across the flood to reach a safe _______.
4. Bread and water provided enough ______ to keep them alive.
5. The students watched in awe as three little _____ emerged from their eggs.
6. The truce provided a much wanted ____ from the fighting.
Grammar Point:
A description tells what someone or something is like. You can describe a real or made-up person or place. Make sure you use "details" to help your readers "see" the place you are describing. You can use sensory words to tell your reader how things look, sound, feel, smell, or taste.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Hurricane or Just Insane?
Grammar Point:
Did you notice that my writing style is using the past tense?
Activity:
Find the verbs that are used in the past tense. Have fun!!
Monday, March 8, 2010
What do you think about travel?
Traveling also provides a fabulous look at the manner in which people from other cultures live their lives. When I have visited El Salvador, I have seen many more people living without the luxuries we in the United States are accustomed to. However, the people's character and interactions with others are admirable, just their daily routines are harder. In other parts of the United States, the people may own similar things like me, but perhaps their values differ from the typical New Yorker. I would say, for example, that the typical Californian is more sensitive to the environment than we are, although going green is certainly spreading everywhere. Seeing the world from the perspective of others far away gives great insight into our own lives.
Vocabulary:
1. tedious (adjective) - repetitive and boring
2. quality (adjective) - of good substance
3. relieved (verb) - free of
4. fabulous (adjective) - especially good
5. typical (adjective) - most common
6. perspective (noun) - point of view
Practice:
1. Doing the same math questions everyday became ___________.
2. The pieces fit perfectly together, so it was clear the carpenter had done _____ work.
3. Since I had studied all the class notes, I was ________ of my worries about the test.
4. The famous chef made a ________ dessert.
5. It is a ______ day when my dog does nothing but eat and sleep.
6. The astronauts had an amazing ___________ of the clouds over the earth.
Grammar Point:
When you write, it is a good idea to add "details". Details make your writing more interesting. You can add details to tell what, when, where, and how.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
~ Finally, what a beautiful day! ~
Upon returning to my house, I found my two dogs enjoying the nice weather in their own special way. In other words, they were sleeping. Sleeping, yes, but seemingly dreaming of a far off land, where dogs ran free and ate whenever they wished to eat. Yet, because of that occasional howl of a wolf that they could discern in the distance in that land, my dogs never let their dreams transport themselves too fully there. Lying in the sunshine on a human couch was wild enough for them.
Vocabulary:
1. luxury (adjective) - non-essential, not necessary
2. items (noun) - things
3. acceptable (adjective) - having approval
4. discern (verb) - become aware of
5. transport (verb) - carry to another place
6. occasional (adjective) - every so often
Practice:
1. The high priced store sold mainly ___________ goods.
2. Please remove those _________ that are made of metal.
3. None of the budget cuts were __________ to our department.
4. If you listen closely, you can __________ a faint voice.
5. The fantasy writing allowed the book to __________ me to a far away place.
6. Even bad people do an ___________ good deed.
Have fun practicing!!!
Grammar Point:
In this paragraph, my writing style includes sentences that demonstrate "cause and effect". For example, a beautiful day (cause) led my daughter and I to go shopping (effect). Another example, the nice weather (cause) led my dogs to take a dreamy nap (effect). "Cause and effect" help the reader to understand the reasons for an action to develop in the story.