Arduino and English

Last week I started programming for the Arduino boards, and found many instances of the syntax where similar uses in the classroom could be shown.  So far, I have only run a few LEDs and a motor, but plan on doing a lot more this summer with my kids.

This site is getting ready for its after-thesis makeover, and the Arduino projects will be a big part of it.

Watch Kickstarter.com  I am following a few boards and some games to use here on this site for the teaching of English.  And, as always, check out my Teacherspayteachers pages to see what lessons I am using in the classroom.

School ends this week.  Check back here next week for my first Arduino/English lesson.

Bell Ringer

Identify the words below according to their use in the text.

Syntax: the structure of natural languages It is a well-observed fact that natural languages have structure. Words in the sentences of any natural language are not strung together arbitrarily; rather, there are underlying rules that determine how words combine to form phrases, and phrases combine to yield sentences. Such rules are based on the observation that the context constrains, to a great extent, the possible words and phrases that can occur in it.

1. Syntax
2. The
3. Structure
4. Natural
5. Languages
6. It
7. Fact
8. Words
9. The
10. Sentences
11. Underlying
12. Rules
13. Determine.

New Vocab and Crossword

Today's Vocabulary: Abolish Abode Ablution

Abolish: to eliminate something.
Abode: a home.
Ablution: a cleansing, usually religious in nature.

Complete these sentences:

1. The man went to his ______ and relaxed for the rest of the day.

2. In order to _______ the negative behaviors, we must first identify them.

3. Many people around the world engage in _________ as a religious ritual. 

You will find these and 19 more in this week's test.

Extra Credit: Includes all 22 words

EC1.  Which word has its roots in the word 'dust' ?
EC2.  Which word, in its original French form, literally means 'to bite' ?
EC3. Which word is a product of 'away' + 'horror' ?

New crossword is available in the "Test" section. 

Study and use the following words as answers: 

abacus/ abandon/ abase/ abash/ abate/ abatement/ abbey/ abbreviate/ abdicate/ abdomen/ abduct/ aberrant/ abet/ abeyance/ abhor/ abide/ abject/ abjure/ ablate/ ablution/ abode/ abolish/

Grammar Exercise Videos

Try and answer all the questions before the slide changes.  You may pause, if you need to.

Baseball Word Chunk Game

Baseball Word Chunk Game

On an entire sheet of paper, make a tic-tac-toe chart -- three columns and three rows.
The idea is to have nine equal squares.

I am going to give you nine words that will go at the top of each of the nine boxes. Each box will then have two other words that must be added from the pool of words at the bottom. What you are trying to do, even before we start learning the words, is to group them into "chunks" of similar words. This will be much easier to do than to learn 27 words all at once. Each of the boxes will have three words that have similar meanings.
Example: cake, dessert, pie

I took the words from a list of top ACT words and from one of my textbooks. Cake is not one of the words.
Ready? Let me add that I am typing this on my iPad, and I am sure there are a few spelling errors. Don't be acrimonious towards me.
Words 1-9 to be placed at the top of the squares:

Digraph
Acumen
Benign
Anachronistic
Censure
Collaborate
Asylum
Conditional
Acrimonious

Word Pool: (Use these words to fill up the squares so that they each have three words)
Graphemes
Criticize
Belligerent
Auspicious
Condemn
Harbor
Archaic
Co-act
Phoneme
Petulant
Benevolent
Ability
Provisional
Acuity
Unfashionable
Join
Concealment
Contingent

All of the words will be at dictionary.com or in your local dictionary.

Hint: two of the boxes will have three words which all have the same first letter.
Self-assessment: When you are done, make another tic-tac-toe chart with the same words at the top of each box. Without using a dictionary or your first sheet, fill in the words from your own memory.


Scoring:

Regular game:
9 boxes with 3 words in each.
Start from the top left and mark each correct word. If you get an entire group correct, you earn 1 run. For every wrong word in a group, you get a strike. When you get three strikes, you're out - this game is ova! Try again.
World Series: Print out all the words, even the ones that go at the top of the boxes. Cut them out and mix them up.
See how well you do with putting all the words into their 9 groups without having knowledge of what word should be at the top. The scoring is the same as a regular game.

Grades: 23 runs - White Sox

20 runs -B

17 runs - C

14 runs - D

Less than 14 runs - Cubs

Paul Leroy Robeson Sentence Combining Quiz

Sentence Combining Quiz

Sentence Combining Quiz

Sentence comb 2 from Christopher Anderson

My Thesis Is Almost Complete

For the past 6 weeks, I have been working heavily on my vocabulary/reading comprehension correlation thesis.  As exciting as that does not sound, I have discovered many interesting and education changing studies that deal with the areas of High-Utility Vocabulary and the differences in the importance of vocabulary training when dealing with different 'text types'.  

In the coming weeks, as I incorporate the many studies into my own work, I will post recommended strategies for vocabulary and reading comprehension growth.  The main focus of this blog (a place for my students to glean some information they may have missed from the classroom)  will change to a more vocabulary intensive workplace.

Also, I am currently taking a class through MIT in from their online campus. "Learning Creative Learning" is a fascinating class, and it has many resources for the classroom.  I recommend signing up for the next go-around of this online class.

Hello to my friends in Australia!  I have not chatted with you guys in some time.  I hope to get in touch with you when my thesis is completed and share some valuable ideas I have found.

-Best Regards

Mr. A

Grammatics Bell Ringer:

Make three columns and identify the parts of speech and what the word does in the sentence.  Use every word in the sentences, there will no longer be any underlining and chosen words!

Here are 3 for you to do:

1. Once upon a time there was an old woman, blind, but wise.  She was sitting in her old rocking chair and waiting for the sun to rise over the treetops.  Three children approached her.


2. One child asked her if she was God.  The old woman replied that she was not.  Another child asked her if she was going to die soon.  She replied that she was.  The last child asked her if she could tell him a story.  She stopped rocking in her chair and told all three children a tale.


3. Once upon a time there was an old woman, blind, and wise.  She sat on her porch and rocked in her chair.  She waited to see the sun rising through the trees.  Three approaching children came to her.

Finish Me Story

                The street was wet with the morning rain.  Small puddles had formed where the streets intersected, and the water dripping from the rooftops slowed as the morning progressed.  It was still very early, the sun had not yet risen, and the traffic on the streets was slight, and only a few cars lit the wet blacktop.  I looked out of my bedroom window to see if I could go back to sleep.  My bedroom clock had stopped working last week, so I used the amount of light in the sky as my determiner for when to get out of bed.  It was still dark, so I knew I had at least an hour before I had to get up.  I pulled the covers back over my head, and that’s when the loud crash into my door happened.

                I thought my bedroom door was going to come off its hinges, but the crash just made it crack slightly.  I couldn't see the crack, but I heard the wood splintering.  I was sitting up in my bed now, listening for who or what had made the sound, and if another crash was coming.  Several seconds passed.  I breathed as quietly as I could.  My breath was the only thing I could hear.  No footsteps, knocking, or wriggling of the handle of the door.  Whatever had made the sound was either gone or being as silent as I was.  “Hello?”  I said.  Nothing.   “Who is there?”  Again, nothing.

                I turned my body and feet towards the floor.  Ever so slowly and quietly, I placed two feet on the ground and started to get out of bed.  As I stood, another crash at the door came.  This time the door gave way.  It splintered at the handle, and the door opened in a flash.  He stood there.  As tall as the door frame, his gaze lowered to me. It was hard to look back into those eyes.  They were red, and pierced the darkness of my room.  I could hear him breathing then.  They were heavy breaths, and each one was determined and full.  Then, when I was wondering who would speak first, he said “It is time to go.”  I nodded agreement. 

                I grabbed my clothes and dressed quickly.  He stood there waiting while I rushed to join him.  “Do I have time to eat?” I asked.  He said nothing.  I guess that was not important where we were going.  As I walked towards the broken door, he put his hand on my shoulder and said “This time will be more dangerous, but I am glad you are coming with me.”  

Together we walked out of the house, and ...

Syntax Quiz

Parts of Speech Quiz

Finish Me Stories

Finish Me Stories

There is a new Finish me Story for students to complete.  At the top navigation bar, you will see a tab for "Finish me Stories". On that page, you will see the beginning of a story about someone finding something on a   cold November day in Chicago.  Read the story and complete it by making your own ending.

Syntax World Part 4 (With Zombies!)

Will you be able to survive another syntax puzzle?  In this episode, it is getting closer to the dark hour, and giant spiders and zombies will try and distract you from breaking the code and choosing the correct tower.  And all of this is going on while the sun is setting, and the darkness is bringing more monsters!

Fight zombies and figure out the syntax of poetry, just like Colt Seavers wants you to do!