A complex sentence has a dependent and an independent clause. The dependent clause can come first or last in the sentence. If it comes first, a comma is needed to separate the two clauses. The comma allows for the natural pause we make when saying the sentence aloud.
Dependent clauses tend to begin with a special type of word called a subordinateconjunction.Here are the most frequently used subordinate conjunctions:
as
although after when while unless until because before if since
Notice that the dependent clauses below all begin with a subordinating conjunction. Knowing the list by memory can help you to identify dependent clauses. This will help you avoid sentence fragments. It will also help you know when your complex sentence will need a comma. Practice with the song: AAAWWUUBBIS.
There is no scientific evidence that aliens have visited earth, but have events like on Maple Street ever occurred?
At the end of the epilogue, the narrator states:
“For the record, prejudices can kill and suspicion can destroy and a thoughtless frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all its own for the children...and the children yet unborn. And the pity of it is... that these things cannot be confined to...the Twilight Zone.”
The makers of the Simpsons also addressed the issue of scapegoats. View this short clip. Who are the scapegoats? Why are they being targeted?
The Simpsons episode is inspired from the true Salem Witch Trials that occurred in what is now the United States in the year 1692. Go to Edpuzzle and view "The Story of the Salem Witch Trials." Answer the questions as you go. Now open the document, Scapegoating: Fiction and Reality, in your Google classroom folder. Complete the chart as you compare the science fiction story with the actual historical events.
2. The Twilight Zone was a television series created by Rod Serling in the 1960's. As you view the opening for this science fiction series, think about the mood that Rod Serling was trying to create.
3. Read along with the audio of the teleplay for "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street." As you read, think about a possible theme or message about human behavior that Serling is trying to convey.
4. In each of the Twilight Zone episodes, screenwriter Rod Serling, would narrate a short epilogue. Often, his epilogue provided hints as to the episode's theme, or message. Listen to and view the closing of "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street."
4a. Follow the directions on your document to reread the last scenes with your group. 4b. Compose a statement of the theme. What is the point that Serling is trying to make about our flaws as humans? Possible sentence starters: People tend to... if... when... so... One of our flaws is that we have a tendency to... if... when... so... 5. Reread the teleplay to collect evidence about the theme. Use the Evidence Chart to record text evidence and the inferences that you make.
Dialogue is an excellent technique for bringing your narrative to life for the reader. You can also combine dialogue with other techniques to create more intense and lifelike scenes. After viewing the presentation, revise your dialogue to make it into a realistic scene that plays like a movie in the mind of the reader.
Dialogue is an excellent technique for bringing your story to life. As you continue your drafting today, use dialogue to show what was being said at those most important moments in your nonfiction narrative.
Here is Geo's dialogue from "Burnt Memories." What does the dialogue show about Geo's neighbors and family?
Leslie also uses dialogue at that most important moment when the tragedy is revealed.
View the short video as a review on how to correctly punctuate dialogue.
A. Setting: Create a setting using sensory detail The sensory details you use will help the reader walk into your story and experience the setting the same way you did. Here are just a few examples: There was a tremendous panic in the old, rusty van one windy afternoon. The smell of dirt and smoke filled the air. Cars honking and my mother telling us to get out of the van. Flashbacks of the black car and white air bag striking both of us. --Evelyn (Period One) It was early in the morning. The air was fresh and cold. I had my basketball gear on and was getting ready for the game. I went inside the court and the court was all ready and the floor shiny. Then I went with my team. We practiced shooting for a while before the game started. We practiced our lay-ups, free throw shots, three pointers, and two pointers. Suddenly, the loud siren rang for the game to start. --Nathanial (Period One) The “Get Acquainted Area” of the Watsonville Animal Shelter is a small fenced yard littered with slobbered-on chew toys and tennis balls. My ten-year-old daughter Andrea had been begging for a dog for the last several years. So we found ourselves there, surrounded by the yapping and barking of a variety of mutts, all seeming to cry,“Pick me! Pick me!” --Ms. Rainey B. Conflict: Has the conflict in your narrative been revealed? Try using dialogue and thought-shots as you reveal the problem.
The adoption coordinator came out and said, “You know, we have a real hard-luck case here, a dog that really needs a home. He’s already been here for eight months… .” Her voice trailed off, but I knew what she didn’t want to say in front of Andrea. I thought to myself, this is a “problem dog,” and his days at the shelter, and on this earth, are numbered.
--Ms. Rainey
C. Characters: If you haven't yet begun to develop characters, now is the time. You want your characters to have a living, breathing presence in your story. Here are some ideas for bringing the characters to life:
Name
Age
Physical appearance: hair, clothing, etc.
Personality traits: shy, energetic, funny, etc.
Behaviors: what do they do and say?
Notice how Leslie describes her grandfather's character and appearance:
One of my main characters is actually my dog. I want to show the reader what my dog was like: hyper, undisciplined, but very distinctive looking. That dog ran in such fast circles around the little yard, it was hard to even get a good look at him. When he did finally stop, it was only so that he could growl at my husband. He was medium sized for a dog, with a brindle coat. This means orange, brown, and black tiger stripes. He had a white streak down his snout as clean as snow. He was long-legged and broad-chested like a typical boxer. But unlike a boxer, he was covered by longish fur that stuck up like a hair brush.
--Ms. Rainey
How might you describe your human and/or animal characters? What do they look like? What do they say, think, and do? 1. Find the description you wrote about an important character in your narrative (or add a description now). Revise the description so that it is at least 35 words in length. Try using a showing sentence: S/he is the kind of person who always... S/he is the kind of person who would never... Telling Sentence: My cousin Janet is very shy. Change to a Showing Sentence: My cousin Janet is the kind of person who always turns red whenever the teacher calls on her. My cousin Janet is the kind of person who would never go up to a boy and ask him his name. Copy and paste that description on the Padlet Wall so that others can be inspired to write their own awesome description.
Important clues to the theme can be found in the character, Ma. Is Ma a "good" mother or a "bad" mother? What do mother and daughter learn from each other? Group Leaders Only: Make a copy of Categorizing Character Traits. Share the copy with your group mates and the teacher. a. You will notice that the word card colors match your group color assignments: red, blue, green, yellow. Each group member will take turns sorting the words ONE WORD AT A TIME. Please discuss each word before it is sorted on the chart. Please do not move the words if they are not your color. b. Be ready to share your word sort with the class.
In the year 1955, author and poet Langston Hughes wrote the famous story, "Thank You, M'am." This was shortly after the song "Blue Suede Shoes" came out and was an instant hit. The song and the story are connected in a special way. As you enjoy the song, think about what would be the "blue suede shoes" of our times.
1. Before reading, complete the Agree/Disagree statements in your "Thank You M'am" document in your Language Arts classroom.
2. Now, as you read the short literary work, use the text evidence, along with your own knowledge, to draw a conclusion about a possible theme. What point is Langston Hughes trying to make about life or human nature? Audio Recording
When getting to know someone new, we often ask them, "Where are you from?" But what does their answer really tell us about their life?
Using George Ella Lyon's poem as inspiration, write your own "I am from" poem. You may also view the poet's multimedia presentation of her poem.
George Ella Lyon's poem uses sensory details to describe the important people, places, and things that influenced her life. In this student version of the poem, the focus is on certain challenges the poet has faced and his dream for the future.
1. Use the I am FromPoem scaffold as a guide to writing your own "I am from" poem. There are many other versions of the poem on Youtube if you need further inspiration. (Please use your earbuds when listening from your own Chromebook.)
Your poem will be shared with the class on your personal blog. Sensory Detail
Sensory details, also known as sensory language, are describing words that appeal to the five senses:
touch, smell, sight, sound, taste.
Sensory details will bring your writing to life. What sensory details do you notice in George Ella Lyon's poem?
I am from clothespins,
from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride.
I am from the dirt under the back porch.
(Black, glistening
it tasted like beets.)
2. Revise your "I am from" poem by adding sensory language that will bring the images to life in the mind of your reader. Please highlight your revisions so that the teacher can see the additions you made.
