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CONVENTIONS COMMANDO
TRAINING MANUAL
IT’S INTENSE!
LESSON 1: STANDARDS
Essential Question:
• How does efficient
and correct
grammar improve
my writing?
• How can I become
a Conventions
Commando?
• ELACC8L1- Demonstrate
command of the
conventions of standard
English grammar and
usage when writing or
speaking.
• ELACC8L2 – Demonstrate
command of the
conventions of standard
English capitalization,
punctuation , and
spelling when writing.
LESSON 1: COMMANDO BASIC
TRAINING
• Grammar Girl Audio Clip –
“Ten Grammar Myths”:
• As you listen, write down one
grammar myth that you
thought to be true.
Sergeant Fogerty: 10 Grammar
Myths
LESSON1: SCAVENGER HUNT
DEBRIEFING
Warning: Highly Classified
For Your Eyes Only
Answer these questions from your Scavenger Hunt:
You may use your resources!
1.) On what day will you break down the enemy’s
(i.e. the sentence’s) Parts and Phrases?
2.) What procedure do you use to mark:
• Complete subjects
• Complete predicates
• Phrases
3.) When does a VERB function as a transitive verb?
4.) How do linking verbs ALWAYS function?
DEBRIEF CONTINUED:
4.) On what day will you break down a verb’s TENSE?
5.) What exactly is an APPOSITVE PHRASE? Report!
6.)When is an appositive phrase NONESSENTIAL?
7.) List THREE REASONS why I would use QUOTATION
MARKS?
8.) Would I use an APOSTROPHE to make words
PLURAL? Explain yourself, Soldier! (Why or why not?)
9.) How would I mark a PROPER NOUN? Why is this
different from the way I would mark a COMMON
NOUN? Report!
10.) What in the world is an INDEFINITE PRONOUN?
Lesson 2: Basic Training Continued
from Lesson 1
Essential Question:
• How can I enhance my
writing with “Yoda”
grammar?
Standards:
ELACC8L2 – Demonstrate
command of the
conventions of Standard
English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling.
Lesson 2: Goals
Learning Targets: Today I
am Learning…
• to edit work for correct
standard English
capitalization,
punctuation, and
spelling.
• to play with semantics
(word order); using
object-subject-verb
format to create style in
my writing.
Lesson 2: Physical Training
What exactly is Yoda Grammar?
Activator: (10 min.) Grammar Girl Audio Clip - Yoda
Grammar:
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/subjectverb-object-order.aspx
Task: Rewrite these sentences using “Yoda
grammar”:
• I like to swim.
• I am really excited to see you.
• We will go to the park after lunch.
TRAINING SESSION 2
• Go forth, Soldiers! Become
communicators that your country
can be proud of!
• You MUST now execute the
training and instructions that are
provided to you to exceed:
A Week’s Training in a Day
Report to Grammar Warm Up PowerPoint immediately!
Practice Sentence: "Matthias drew himself up to his full height,
which admittedly wasn't much."
- Margaret Peterson Haddix. Among the Enemy. (79)
One Week’s Training in One Day:
• Write the sentence in your journals – leaving space between
lines for text marking.
• Monday – label parts of speech – use the abbreviations from
Appendix B and your Notes.
• Tuesday – Sentence Parts & phrases: underline complete
subjects 1X; complete predicates 2X; label simple subject &
simple predicate; put ( ) around phrases – label type of
phrase.
• Wednesday – Clauses, Sentence Structure, Purpose
• Thursday – Capitalization, punctuation, spelling
• Friday – Commando Commendations (Assessment): Write
a complex sentence using a relative pronoun to start your
introductory, subordinate clause. Hint: set off introductory
phrases or clauses with a comma.
Lesson 2: Closing (“At Ease”)
Ticket Out the Door: Identify the purpose of PUMPED
UP Conventions Commando training and how it will
help you to become a better writer.
Basic Training Lesson 3:
Essential Question:
• How do writers breathe life
into their sentences?
• ELACC8L1: Demonstrate
command of the
conventions of standard
English grammar and usage
when writing or speaking.
Training Session 3: Goals
Learning Targets: Today I am
Learning…
• to determine how words,
phrases, or clauses used as
modifiers enhance the
author’s message.
• to identify and find new
homes for dangling and
misplaced modifiers
• to evaluate the modifier’s
use in language.
Training Session 3:
Physical Training (P.T.)
• Hip-Hop review of the parts of speech:
www.flocabulary.com =>Language Arts
=>grammar=> “Running Through the Parts of
Speech”
• View
• Challenge – use the challenge link to review
information (flashcard style)
Training Session 3: Warm Up
Conventions Commando Mission 1: Monday
• Directions: Write out the sentence; leave room to label each
word. Identify parts of speech including: noun, pronoun,
adjective, verb, adverb, preposition, conjunction, interjections
and articles.
• Sample Sentence:
everyone should listen to the teacher
• Challenge: What kind of pronoun is everyone?
Training Session 3:
• Modifiers: are words, phrases, or clauses that
provide description in sentences.
• Purpose: Modifiers allow writers to “take a
picture” that they have in their heads and
transfer it accurately to the minds of their
readers.
• Use: Modifiers breathe life into sentences!
Take a look at this “dead” sentence:
Stephen dropped his fork.
UGGHH!!
What effect do several well-placed modifiers
have?
Poor Stephen, who just wanted a quick meal to get
through his three-hour biology lab, quickly dropped
his fork on the cafeteria tray, gagging with disgust
as a tarantula wiggled out of his cheese omelet; this
was a sight requiring a year of therapy before
Stephen could even eat eggs again!
• Pick out modifiers that function as single words
• Pick out phrases that function as modifiers
• Pick out clauses that function as modifiers.
Mistake #1 with modifiers:
The dreaded Dangling Modifier…
Dangling Modifiers:
Unintentionally say something
they don’t mean; words are
left out.
EX: While driving on
Greenwood Avenue
yesterday afternoon, a tree
began to fall toward Wendy’s
car!
This modifier is dangling
because the word it
modifies is “tree”, not
“Wendy”.
The way this is written, it
appears as if the tree
were driving!
HUH???!!
Mistake #2 with Modifiers:
The mean-spirited Misplaced Modifier…
Misplaced Modifiers: occur
when the word, phrase or
clause is not placed close
enough to the word it is meant
to modify.
• These modifiers aren’t
dangling – no extra words are
needed to clarify the meaning
• These modifiers are in the
wrong place!
EX: I had to take down the
shutters painting the house
yesterday.
Yikes! It sounds as though the
shutters painted the house!?
• Quick Fix: move the
modifier painting the house
near the word it is meant to
modify:
Correction: While painting the
house yesterday, I had to
take down the shutters.
• Now the modifier works with
the person doing the action
- “I”.
Your Mission:
Rewrite these sentences to correct any misplaced or
dangling modifiers
1.) Looking back, the dog was following us.
• Hint: Who was looking back?
• Correction: Each time Dante and I looked back,
the dog was still following us.
2.) Lying on a stretcher, they carried Zion out.
3.) Flying out the window, he grabbed the papers
• Hint: What was flying out the window?
4.) Mollie came over while I was playing the piano
with a piece of pound cake.
5.) I tried calling to tell you about the TV show five
times.
Deployment: Time for you to practice your
skills for real!
Warning: Highly Classified
For Your Eyes Only
(That means this is a Quiz!)
*On a separate sheet of paper, write the
sentences on the worksheet correctly, fixing
any misplaced or dangling modifiers.
QUIZ DEBRIEF:
Ex. 2 – Worksheet A:
1. I got stopped by the guard at the door because I
had left my invitation at home.
2. Arlene, wearing her new leather boots, got into
the blue car.
3. After serving dinner, the crew of the ship signaled
to the captain to continue on our journey.
4. I always prefer a room with a window in a motel.
5. I missed the appointment, because of my alarm
failing to go off.
QUIZ DEBRIEF:
Exercise 2: Worksheet C
1. The writer wearing glasses read from his new
book.
2. Every day except Thursday, you are welcome to
visit the cemetery where famous composers, artists
and writers are buried.
3. Please take time to look over the enclosed
brochure with your family.
4. After staying out late, I had a hard time finding the
house again.
5. The room with a view of the lake is too expensive.
Training Session 3: “At Ease”
(Closing)
Sticky Note Reflection – how do I take a
“dead” sentence and breathe “life” into my
sentences?
• Write in complete sentences.
• Place reflections on the Conventions
Commandos bulletin board before you
leave.
TRAINING SESSION 4:
Essential Question:
What happens
when verbs go on
strike?
• ELACC8L1:
Demonstrate
command of the
conventions of
standard English
grammar and usage
when writing or
speaking.
a.) explain the function
of verbals in general and
their function in
particular sentences.
TRAINING SESSION 4: GOALS
Learning Targets:
Today I am
Learning…
• to distinguish
gerunds and
infinitives from verbs
• to create sentences
enhanced with
gerunds and
infinitives to clarify
meaning in writing.
VERBS OF THE
WORLD UNITE!
STRIKE!
TRAINING SESSION 4: P.T.
Hip-Hop Review of Subjects and
Predicates: www.flocabulary.com
=>Language Arts =>grammar=>
“Subjects and Predicates”
• View
• Challenge link – review (flashcard
style)
TRAINING SESSION 4:
Tuesday: underline the complete subject once;
Underline the complete predicate twice; Put ( )
around phrases – label them. Find and label
any complements: D.O., I.O., P.N. or P.A.
Everyone should listen to the teacher.
TRAINING SESSION 4: TACTICAL
APPLICATIONS
*Read this paragraph; in your journals, write a list of
as many verbs as you can find in this paragraph:
The laughing girl was the only one we could hear. Everyone
else stood in a stunned silence. All around the yard were the
tree’s fallen branches. To think that the only thing left of the
house was the roof, sitting majestically on top of a small pile of
steaming rubble. Calling to the crowd, the policemen
attempted to remove the neighbors who had come out to gaze
upon the destruction. Humming and singing, the formerly
laughing girl played hop-scotch, dancing around the debris
that the storm had deposited in the street. Enjoying this new
excitement was she; blissfully unaware, the little girl served as a
symbol, that though great, the damage was only propertybased. Reminding us all that life goes on was her message.
DEBRIEF: VERBS FOUND
The laughing girl was the only one we could hear.
Everyone else stood in a stunned silence. All around
the yard were the tree’s fallen branches. To think
that the only thing left of the house was the roof,
sitting majestically on top of a small pile of steaming
rubble. Calling to the crowd, the policemen
attempted to remove the neighbors who had come
out to gaze upon the destruction. Humming and
singing, the formerly laughing girl played hop-scotch,
dancing around the debris that the storm had
deposited in the street. Enjoying this new excitement
was she; blissfully unaware, the little girl served as a
symbol, that though great, the damage was only
property-based. Reminding us all that life goes on
was her message.
VERBS ON STRIKE: VERBALS
VERBS
GERUNDS
PARTICIPLES
INFINITIVES
Was (5)
enjoying
Laughing
To think
Could hear
reminding
Stunned
To remove
stood
fallen
To gaze
Were
Steaming
attempted
laughing
Had come
sitting
played
humming
Had deposited
Singing
served
dancing
Played
calling
goes
CLASSIFIED: EXCERPT FROM THE
COMMANDO TRAINING MANUAL
• Verbals are VERBS ON STRIKE: meaning that the
form of the word is a verb (usually with an –ing or –
ed added) that functions as another part of
speech.
• See! Even verbs like to take a break and try
something new!
• Gerund: a verb form ending in (-ing) that functions
as a noun.
• Ex: My best friend and I love swimming in the pool
every day. (The gerund functions as a noun, the
d.o.)
• OR: Writing is my favorite subject. (The gerund
functions as a noun, the subject)
GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES
• An infinitive is a verb in its basic form that usually
functions as a noun. Adding a (to) prior to the basic
verb form is the infinitive.
EX:
To grow To gain To extrapolate
Sentences:
• To grow flowers in my garden is very relaxing.
• Geoffrey has everything to gain by making good
grades.
• The quiz instructs us to extrapolate information from
a text.
GERUND/ INFINITIVE REVIEW:
IDENTIFY THE VERBAL IN EACH
SENTENCE
1.) There are few people who question the benefit of
encouraging teens.
2.) Kristen’s dream was singing in the local musical.
3.) Her idea of breakfast is to have a cup of coffee.
4.) Some people enjoy mowing the lawn.
5.) He had no choice except to go.
TRAINING MISSION 4:
Highly Classified (Quiz)
For Your Eyes Only
Directions: Write down the gerund or infinitive phrase
in each of these sentences.
1.) There are few people who question the benefits
of encouraging teens.
2.) Working hard is often its own reward.
3.) Ayinde decided to see the movie tomorrow.
4.) My father’s job is managing the New York office.
5.) To reach that number is not possible on this
phone.
PRACTICE: IN YOUR JOURNALS, WRITE THE FOLLOWING
SENTENCES CORRECTLY BY ADDING EITHER GERUNDS OR
INFINITIVES. IF THE SENTENCE IS CORRECT, JUST MARK C ON
YOUR PAPER NEXT TO THAT NUMBER.
1.) I want helping you, but I just don’t have time
today.
Correction: I want to help you, but I just don’t have
time today. (I replaced the gerund “helping” to the
infinitive “to help”).
2.) Fishing is Derek’s favorite sport, and he’s done it
all his life.
3.) Every night, Louise enjoys to read a book before
she falls asleep.
4.) After dinner, the cat wants going outside.
5.) This Science project has had me to work late
every night!
CRCT-STYLE QUESTIONS THAT
ADDRESS CORRECTIONS WITH
GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES
• Read the hand out with the
passage titled: “Amsterdam: a
Very Bike-Friendly City”.
• Answer the Multiple choice
questions, located on the back
of the passage, on your own
paper.
CLOSING: TIMED MANEUVERS, LESSON
4
Timed Brainstorming: In 5 minutes,
create as many infinitive and
gerund phrases as you can on one
sticky note.
Place on the Commando Training
Wall!
TRAINING SESSION 5
“Readers want a picture –
something to see, not just a
paragraph to read…
A good author writes with a
camera, not with a pen.”
HOW IS WRITING LIKE PAINTING?
• ELACC8L1:
Demonstrate
command of the
conventions of
standard English
grammar and usage
when writing or
speaking.
• explain the function of
verbals in general and
their function in
particular sentences.
Learning Targets:
Today I am
Learning…
• to distinguish
participles from
verbs
• to evaluate what
quality participles
bring to descriptive
writing.
SUMMATIVE MISSION 5: WARM UP
ASSESSMENT
• Students will create a simple
sentence employing an indefinite
pronoun as the subject and
including at least one participle
and a prepositional phrase.
PARTICIPLES
A participle is a verb with an (-ing)
ending that functions as an adjective in
order to describe.
EX:
Sliding on the loose gravel, the car went
into the parking lot.
DESCRIBE THIS CAR USING
PARTICIPLES
DEBRIEF:
The rusting, parked car in front of
my neighbor’s yard sat there
mocking all of the expensive SUVs
in the sleek driveways.
DEBRIEF:
Using the following images, create
sentences that use vivid participles
to describe the objects or people.
DESCRIBE WITH PARTICIPLES
DESCRIBE WITH PARTICIPLES
DESCRIBING WITH PARTICIPLES
TRAINING MISSION #5
Poetry Journals: While we review
for our CRCT assessment, you will
be creating poetry to demonstrate
your skills.
Poem 1: Diamante – follow the
directions on the worksheet to
create a Diamante using participles
in the 3rd and 5th lines.
TRAINING SESSION 5 CLOSING
Student volunteers share Diamante
poems – student peers evaluate
their use of participles by engaging
in a P.Q.S. session.
• P = praise
• Q = question
• S = suggestion
•
TRAINING SESSION 6: H.O.T.
“When all is said
and done, will
you have said
more than you
have done?”
- Respond in
Writing
TRAINING SESSION 6:
Essential
Question:
How do writers
give verbs a
voice?
ELACC8L3: Use
knowledge of language
and its conventions
when writing, speaking
or listening.
a.) Use verbs in the
active and passive voice
and in the conditional
and subjunctive mood to
achieve particular
effects (e.g. emphasizing
the actor or the action)
•
TRAINING SESSION 6: GOALS
Learning Targets:
Today I am
Learning…
• to determine the
proper occasions to
write in the passive
and active voice.
TRAINING SESSION 6: P.T.
Conventions Commando Mission 2: Monday
• Directions: Write out the sentence; leave room to label each
word. Identify parts of speech including: noun, pronoun,
adjective, verb, adverb, preposition, conjunction, interjections
and articles.
• Sentence:
“The pole beans looked better and the
squash leaves spread like wide green
hands shortly after I watered them."
Laurie Halse Anderson. Fever 1793. (135)
Training Session 6:
“Active vs. Passive Voice” – Flocabulary =>L.A.=>
Grammar
Active vs. Passive Voice
• View
• Review with Challenge questions
Guided Training Exercise: Lesson 6
Missing Lines – guided practice:
• Training Exercise: this important
communication (the lyrics to the “Active vs.
Passive Voice” rap) has been compromised.
• Fill in the missing lyrics using the correct verb
voice: active or passive to put emphasis on
the speaker or the action.
Training Session 6
1.) Independent Practice – students are given Lesson
22: Verb Voices and Moods (from Crosswalk
Coach). Students practice activities and writing
tasks choosing the active and passive voice where
appropriate.
2.) Students will use the resources from Lesson 22 to
identify the Moods verbs create: indicative,
imperative, subjunctive, conditional and
interrogative.
Training Mission 6:
Highly Classified (quiz)
For Your Eyes Only
I will show evidence of my learning by…
• engaging in a CRCT-style quiz to evaluate and
correct errors in mood;
• switching from active to passive voice to meet the
purpose of a writing task.
Training Session 6: Closing
Create two CRCT review goals:
• one in the passive voice, subjunctive mood
• the other in the active voice conditional mood.
• Write your goals on a note card. Submit to
instructor.
Training Session 7: H.O.T.
“When you are
her age, what
will be most
important to
you?”
Training Session 7
Essential Question:
• How can you tell
what mood a
verb is in?
Standards:
ELACC8L3: Use knowledge of
language and its
conventions when writing,
speaking or listening.
a.) Use verbs in the active and
passive voice and in the
conditional and subjunctive
mood to achieve particular
effects (e.g. emphasizing
the actor or the action)
Training Session 7: Goals
Learning Targets:
Today I am Learning…
• to evaluate the
author’s tone and
meaning from the verb
voice and mood used.
• To determine the
proper writing purpose
for using both active
and passive voice.
Training Session 7: P.T.
Commando Mission 2: Tuesday
• Underline complete subjects 1X
• underline complete predicates 2X
• Label simple subject (ss); simple predicate (sp)
• Label each verb as transitive (carries a d.o.)or intransitive
• Place ( ) around phrases – label type
• Find complements, objects – label type
Sentence:
“The pole beans looked better and the squash leaves
spread like wide green hands shortly after I watered
them."
Laurie Halse Anderson. Fever 1793. (135)
Training Session 7: Modeled Instruction
• Refer back to the descriptive paragraph
(from verbals lesson 4).
• Find main verbs – identify as action or linking
• What voice (active or passive) is this
account of the event written in?
• What is the impact of using this voice?
• Where is the emphasis in this paragraph?
The laughing girl was the only one we could hear.
Everyone else stood in a stunned silence. All around
the yard were the tree’s fallen branches. To think
that the only thing left of the house was the roof,
sitting majestically on top of a small pile of steaming
rubble. Calling to the crowd, the policemen
attempted to remove the neighbors who had come
out to gaze upon the destruction. Humming and
singing, the formerly laughing girl played hop-scotch,
dancing around the debris that the storm had
deposited in the street. Enjoying this new excitement
was she; blissfully unaware, the little girl served as a
symbol, that though great, the damage was only
property-based. Reminding us all that life goes on
was her message.
PARAGRAPH 1 DEBRIEF
The laughing girl was the only one we could hear.
Everyone else stood in a stunned silence. All around
the yard were the tree’s fallen branches. To think
that the only thing left of the house was the roof,
sitting majestically on top of a small pile of steaming
rubble. Calling to the crowd, the policemen
attempted to remove the neighbors who had come
out to gaze upon the destruction. Humming and
singing, the formerly laughing girl played hop-scotch,
dancing around the debris that the storm had
deposited in the street. Enjoying this new excitement
was she; blissfully unaware, the little girl served as a
symbol, that though great, the damage was only
property-based. Reminding us all that life goes on
was her message.
PASSIVE VOICE
VS.
• Use of “to be” verbs, helping
verbs or linking verbs.
• Reader is an observer
• Focus of writing is not the
storm’s destruction, but
rather a little girl.
• Sentences are constructed
with an unclear, or
unnamed subject
OR
The subject of each
sentence comes after the
verb.
ACTIVE VOICE
• Use of strong, action
verbs
• Reader is part of the
action
• Focus is the destruction
of the storm and how
the neighbors react to
it.
• Sentences are
constructed in
standard Sub.-VerbObject order.
Read this account of the same event; answer the
same questions from the previous slide:
The neighbors stood around in a stunned silence, except for the
laughing, little girl. She sang and hummed as she played
hop-scotch, dancing around the debris the storm deposited in
the street. Fallen tree branches littered the yards, but most
houses remained intact, except for one. The roof of the house
at the end of the block sat majestically on top of a pile of
steaming rubble, all that remained of the Johnson’s home.
Policemen called to the crowd, encouraging the gawking
neighbors to disperse. The playful child, blissfully unaware of
the destruction around her, continued to marvel at the new
surroundings she found herself in. As neighbors migrated back
to their own homes, the girl’s parents gently touched her
shoulder. She smiled back at them, reminding us all that
amidst the destruction, we still had our health and our lives;
that property could be replaced.
Active vs. Passive debrief
The neighbors stood around in a stunned silence, except for the
laughing, little girl. She sang and hummed as she played hopscotch, dancing around the debris the storm deposited in the street.
Fallen tree branches littered the yards, but most houses remained
intact, except for one. The roof of the house at the end of the block
sat majestically on top of a pile of steaming rubble, all that remained
of the Johnson’s home. Policemen called to the crowd, encouraging
the gawking neighbors to disperse. The playful child, blissfully
unaware of the destruction around her, continued to marvel at the
new surroundings she found herself in. As neighbors migrated back to
their own homes, the girl’s parents gently touched her shoulder. She
smiled back at them, reminding us all that amidst the destruction, we
still had our health and our lives; that property could be replaced.
*Is this written in Active or Passive voice? What is the impact? Where is the
focus?
*Determine the parts of speech for the green words and phrases.
*find prepositional phrases; circle prepositions, label their objects (O.P.)
Training Mission 7:
Highly Classified (quiz)
For Your Eyes Only
I will show evidence of my learning by…
• evaluating the short selection “Your
Grandma Can’t Cook” for voice shifts
• correcting errors to maintain unity in the
paragraph.
• Mark your evidence on your own paper; do
not write on the quiz paper.
Training Session 7: Closing
Give Me Five • take 5 minutes for quiet thinking
• share your reflections on the activities:
=>What skill have we practiced so far do you think
you could apply to your writing immediately.
Training Session 8: H.O.T.
(get pictures with reflective questions from Ruh; select
one for each of the remaining H.O.T. slides)
Training Session 8:
Essential Question:
• How do I breathe
life into my
writing?
Standards:
ELACC8L3: Use knowledge of
language and its
conventions when writing,
speaking or listening.
a.) Use verbs in the active and
passive voice and in the
conditional and subjunctive
mood to achieve particular
effects (e.g. emphasizing
the actor or the action)
Training Session 8: Goals
Learning Targets:
Today I am Learning…
• to create written accounts
that represent different
points of view on one event,
using both the passive and
active voice.
• to breathe life into my
written narratives by using
verbals to create imagery.
Training Session 8: Warm Up (P.T.)
Conventions Commando Mission 2: Wednesday
• Put ( ) around the different clauses – label them as
independent clauses or dependent (subordinate) clauses
• Count clauses to determine sentence structure: s, cd, cx, cdcx
• Identify sentence type (purpose): dec., imp., inter., excl.
Sentence:
“The pole beans looked better and the squash leaves
spread like wide green hands shortly after I watered
them."
Laurie Halse Anderson. Fever 1793. (135)
Training Mission 8: Summative Assessment
I will show evidence of my learning by…
• Creating two short narratives that explore the same
(one) event: (see handout)
1.)one paragraph written in the passive voice;
2.) the other in the active voice
• Incorporating verbals – (at least) two gerunds,
participles and infinitives into writing to create vivid
description and imagery.
• Final drafts must be handwritten and doublespaced; label your verbals; circle passive verbs in
paragraph 1; circle active verbs in paragraph 2.
• Submit at the end of the period
Training Session 9: H.O.T.
Training Session 9
Essential Question:
• Why does the
clock mock me?
ELACC8RL4: Determine
the meaning of words
and phrases as they
are used in a text,
including figurative and
connotative meanings;
analyze the impact of
specific word choices
on meaning and tone,
including analogies or
allusions to other texts.
Training Session 9: Goals
Learning Targets:
Today I am Learning…
• to identify
personification as a
figurative language
device
• to evaluate the impact
personification has on
the meaning of the
text.
Training Session 9: P.T. (warm up)
• Conventions Commando Mission 2 – capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling
Sentence:
“The pole beans looked better and the
squash leaves spread like wide green hands
shortly after I watered them."
Laurie Halse Anderson. Fever 1793. (135)
8TH AC ENGLISH WARM UP: WEEK 3
Monday: Label each word for its part of
speech (form).
"They called him Moshe the Beadle, as
though he had never had a surname in
his life."
Ellie Wiesel. Night. (1)
8TH ELA WARM UP: WEEK 3
Monday: Label each word for its part of
speech (form); ALSO correct
punctuation, capitalization and spelling
both of the classes are noisy but mrs
jacksons class is noisier
Training Session 9:
Flocabulary – “Figurative Language”
Figurative Language
• View
• Challenge link (reviews info. flashcard style)
Training Session 9:
How to Train Your Dragon: How to Cheat a
Dragon’s Curse (Book 4) by Cressida Cowell:
• “On this particularly cold morning several
hours before breakfast, it was as if the whole
world was holding its breath, frozen in time”
(Cowell 1).
• This is an example of …
• Personification
Training Session 9: Mission
TASKS:
1.) I will work through the poems
“Hope is the Thing with
Feathers”, “Dreams”, and “The
City is So Big” in the Reader’s
Journey (pgs. 314 - 316 ) –
quoting and citing examples of
personification from the texts.
EX:
“Car engines coughing and
sputtering/ fighting against the
blizzard” (McShane l.4-5 322).
2.) I will create a poem based on
personification in order to
showcase this skill in my poetry
journal. Directions on the
worksheet.
PURPOSE:
I will show evidence of
my learning by…
• correctly identifying
personification in
poetry and prose.
• creating my own
examples of figurative
language (making a
picture come alive in
words) in a
personification poem.
Training Session 9: Closing
Personified:
• Look around the room; focus on an object
• Use the object as the subject in a statement
using personification
• Write your example on a sticky note
• Place it on or near the object you
personified.
Training Session 10: H.O.T.
Training Session 10:
Essential Questions:
• How do Similes change
smiles into imagery?
• How do metaphors make
moments?
Standards:
ELACC8RL4: Determine the
meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in
a text, including figurative
and connotative meanings;
analyze the impact of
specific word choices on
meaning and tone,
including analogies or
allusions to other texts.
Training Session 10: Goals
Learning Targets:
Today I am Learning…
• to identify simile and
metaphor in both prose
and poetry.
• to evaluate how the
comparisons that
similes and metaphors
make enhance the
theme of the text.
Training Session 10: Mission 1
Conventions Commando: Summative
Grammar Assessment:
• Create a compound-complex sentence
that includes a simile, metaphor, or
personification.
Training Mission 10:
How to Train Your Dragon: How to Cheat a Dragon’s
Curse (Book 4) by Cressida Cowell:
• “The air was a sharp as broken glass; no sound
disturbed the pure snowy silence”(Cowell 2).
• In the first clause, what figurative language
technique is used?
• Simile
• Challenge: In the second clause, what technique is
used?
• Alliteration – repetition of the “s” sound.
Training Mission 10: Guided Practice
• “[Gobber] was an enormous monster of a
man wrapped up in furs…”(Cowell 3).
• What technique does this demonstrate?
• Metaphor
• What two unlike things are being
compared?
• Gobber to a monster
Challenge 1
• “One gigantic furry arm lashed out with a
whip that curled through the air like a great
black serpent..” (Cowell 3).
• What image device is being used here?
• Simile
• What two things are being compared?
• His arm to a black serpent
Challenge 2
• “ ‘I will be staying here to guard the sleigh,’
yelled Gobber. ‘Hiccup Horrendous
Haddock the Third will be in charge of the
hunting party when you get to the
mountain’” (Cowell 8).
• What poetic device is used in the
character’s name?
• Alliteration
Training Session 10: Mission 2
I will show evidence of my learning by…
• I will revisit the three poems from the Reader’s
Journey (pgs. 314 - 316) – find, quote, and cite
examples of simile and metaphor from each one.
EX: “light/ like a green/lattice work of branches…”
(Neruda l.3-5 313).
• I will work on creating a poem or a rap using similes
and metaphors to create comparisons and
establish tone. Both of these pieces will be added
to my poetry journal to demonstrate mastery of
simile and metaphor.
Training Session 10: Closing
Poetry Reading (volunteer):
Student volunteers can read their poems to
the whole group for “feed-forward”.
• P. = praise
• Q. = question
• S. = suggestion