Last last Sunday, my wife Laura and I went on a grand road trip across the United States to visit my family in Southern California for Christmas... we just arrived home tonight! It was a pretty great trip, filled with a lot of very memorable moments, both good and bad. I thought you might enjoy a timeline of the trip.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Concluding Paragraph for the Feature Article
Click "Read more" to see the rest of the instructions
Concluding Paragraph for the Feature Article
The concluding paragraph is a modified APE paragraph. This means that you must have a topic sentence and four main points in each paragraph, and each point should be explained in at least another sentence. The final sentence should state that the rewards outweigh the challenges in your occupation, and that you look forward to having that job some day.
Concluding Paragraph: The Challenges and Rewards
Monday, November 22, 2010
Body Paragraphs for the Feature Article
I know the window is small so you can find the whole text underneath the window, just click "Read More"
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
Another short fable from James Thurber
This one is called: "The Tortoise and the Hare"... but I don't think it's the story you think it is! Click the link or the Read More button below to see the fable and learn a valuable lesson!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
The Unicorn in the Garden
Here's a fun short fable that you may enjoy; tell me what you think in the comments!
The Unicorn in the Garden
by James Thurber
reprinted from
Fables For Our Time
by James Thurber
reprinted from
Fables For Our Time
Next Book Review - Due December 15!
You can always turn it in early! Please e-mail the Review to me or share it with me via Google Docs if you can, although typed or VERY neatly written hard copies will be accepted.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
October 11-15 Slideshow
This is the last week of the first nine weeks! Make sure that you have everything turned in!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Tomorrow's Pop Quiz
Here's a preview of it to reward folks checking the blog!
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1dFewBymzIfTOYZCw-vdCkgeSiQK-5B_kNqjhfGJSiy8
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1dFewBymzIfTOYZCw-vdCkgeSiQK-5B_kNqjhfGJSiy8
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Help with Sentence Diagramming
Great help can be found here:
http://1aiway.com/nlp4net/services/enparser/
Once you have diagrammed the sentences, go there to check your answers. Remember, it does you NO GOOD to use it before you try to diagram the sentences yourself... you won't be able to use it on a quiz!
UPDATE: You will need Microsoft Silverlight to use the sentence diagrammer; you can download that here:
http://www.microsoft.com/getsilverlight/Get-Started/Install/Default.aspx
http://1aiway.com/nlp4net/services/enparser/
Once you have diagrammed the sentences, go there to check your answers. Remember, it does you NO GOOD to use it before you try to diagram the sentences yourself... you won't be able to use it on a quiz!
UPDATE: You will need Microsoft Silverlight to use the sentence diagrammer; you can download that here:
http://www.microsoft.com/getsilverlight/Get-Started/Install/Default.aspx
Monday, August 30, 2010
August 30-31 Homework
Monday's homework is the first two pages, Tuesday's is the next two pages. Complete the diagramming on a separate sheet of paper!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Get to know Mr. Foster!
One of the best ways to get to know a person is by their favorite books. Below, I will list 10 young adult books that I love that will let you know more about me as a person. These are not only some of the best young adult literature I have ever read, but some of the best books I have ever read. Check them out from the library and enjoy.
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Book Review Template - Due October 12!
Book Review Template
Royal Spring Middle School
Language Arts
The Book Review should be typed, or written very neatly on loose leaf paper in pen.
Title of Book: (Underline the title of the novel!)
Author:
From whose Point of View is the novel written? (1st person narrator [from whose eyes and mind] or 3rd person omniscient?)
Royal Spring Middle School
Language Arts
The Book Review should be typed, or written very neatly on loose leaf paper in pen.
Title of Book: (Underline the title of the novel!)
Author:
From whose Point of View is the novel written? (1st person narrator [from whose eyes and mind] or 3rd person omniscient?)
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Two Great Book Series for Young Adults
Last night I finished The World We Live In, the third book in the "Moon Trilogy" by Susan Beth Pfeffer.
It was pretty good, but lacked the drama of the first two books of the series, Life As We Knew It, and The Dead and the Gone. The first two books showed the world slowly, and then more rapidly, deteriorating after an asteroid hit the moon and brought it closer to the Earth. Life as We Knew It was an easy A+ book, and it really sucked you into the drama of the situation. The Dead and the Gone, with different characters in a different place going through the same situation, was also very good. Pfeffer brought the characters that survived both books together in The World We Live In, and it felt really forced. Also, the addition of all the relationships that were seemingly painful and not meant to be for all the characters seemed like a desperate attempt to drum up some of the Twilight audience. Still, Pfeffer has created a very interesting new world, and it stayed interesting to see how the characters navigated that world and each other.
An even better series than the "Moon Trilogy" is The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. These books are great for all readers, albeit a little violent for some. In a dystopian future, the country has been divided into labor districts, each of which send two teenage candidates every year to compete in a televised deathmatch known as "The Hunger Games." The winner is the candidate that doesn't die. The plot is very much like a cross between The Lottery and Running Man, but Collins does a great job establishing this crazy new world and the characters that inhabit it. The second book, Catching Fire, starts very slowly compared to The Hunger Games, but once it gets going, it is just as fun and riveting as the first. The third book, Mockingjay, is releasing today, and already has had very positive reviews. I am looking forward to reading it very soon!
All six of these books are great reads for students, and I of course advise you to start at the beginning! Good luck and good reading!
It was pretty good, but lacked the drama of the first two books of the series, Life As We Knew It, and The Dead and the Gone. The first two books showed the world slowly, and then more rapidly, deteriorating after an asteroid hit the moon and brought it closer to the Earth. Life as We Knew It was an easy A+ book, and it really sucked you into the drama of the situation. The Dead and the Gone, with different characters in a different place going through the same situation, was also very good. Pfeffer brought the characters that survived both books together in The World We Live In, and it felt really forced. Also, the addition of all the relationships that were seemingly painful and not meant to be for all the characters seemed like a desperate attempt to drum up some of the Twilight audience. Still, Pfeffer has created a very interesting new world, and it stayed interesting to see how the characters navigated that world and each other.
An even better series than the "Moon Trilogy" is The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. These books are great for all readers, albeit a little violent for some. In a dystopian future, the country has been divided into labor districts, each of which send two teenage candidates every year to compete in a televised deathmatch known as "The Hunger Games." The winner is the candidate that doesn't die. The plot is very much like a cross between The Lottery and Running Man, but Collins does a great job establishing this crazy new world and the characters that inhabit it. The second book, Catching Fire, starts very slowly compared to The Hunger Games, but once it gets going, it is just as fun and riveting as the first. The third book, Mockingjay, is releasing today, and already has had very positive reviews. I am looking forward to reading it very soon!
All six of these books are great reads for students, and I of course advise you to start at the beginning! Good luck and good reading!
Monday, August 23, 2010
The Weekly Slideshow August 23-27
If you have any questions or comments, just click "Comments" below the slideshow!
Monday, August 16, 2010
The Weekly Slideshow - August 16-20
Now that we are hitting some semblance of normalcy, I give you the weekly slideshow! This is the slideshow my students in 7th grade Language Arts will be seeing this week.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
The first two days of Enrichment Class
Here is some of what we have been getting into in my Enrichment Class. What do you think?
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Sign up for a Google account!
Students and Parents,
Please sign up as soon as possible for a Google account. This can be done here. We will be using many of the Google functions this year, and it will help your student be able to take work home without having to carry a disc or flash drive. It really is a great service, and I look forward to showing your students how to interact responsibly and professionally in a Web 2.0 world! Thanks!
Please sign up as soon as possible for a Google account. This can be done here. We will be using many of the Google functions this year, and it will help your student be able to take work home without having to carry a disc or flash drive. It really is a great service, and I look forward to showing your students how to interact responsibly and professionally in a Web 2.0 world! Thanks!
August 11th, 2010
Today in Language Arts class, we:
Went over the syllabus.
Learned how to correctly head a paper in the Endeavor Community.
Learned about the five things that make a complete sentence a complete sentence (begins with a capital letter, ends with appropriate punctuation, has a subject, has a predicate, and completes a thought).
Some classes went over the syllabus and began the district entrance exam. Either way, the homework tonight is the same!
Homework tonight: Get your syllabus signed and have all of your class supplies by Monday, August 16th!
Went over the syllabus.
Learned how to correctly head a paper in the Endeavor Community.
Learned about the five things that make a complete sentence a complete sentence (begins with a capital letter, ends with appropriate punctuation, has a subject, has a predicate, and completes a thought).
Some classes went over the syllabus and began the district entrance exam. Either way, the homework tonight is the same!
Homework tonight: Get your syllabus signed and have all of your class supplies by Monday, August 16th!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
7th LA Syllabus
| COURSE TITLE | 7th Grade Language Arts |
| INSTRUCTOR | Mr. Foster matthew.foster@scott.kyschools.us www.twitter.com/FosterRSMS mrfostersclass.blogspot.com |
| DEPARTMENT | Language Arts |
| COURSE DESCRIPTION |
| Welcome to seventh grade Language Arts! We will be covering the Kentucky Core Content this year by reading novels, short stories, and poetry, and creating many different types of writing pieces from creative writing to open responses to On-Demand essays. If that sounds overwhelming, don't worry! We have nine months to get it done. I have no doubt every student will make significant gains this year in their reading and writing abilities. |
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Reflective Letter Outline
Reflective Letter Outline
The purpose of a reflective letter is to show how much you have grown as a reader and a writer.
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