Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Star Wars Style Practice Sentences

Weekly Practice Sentences (Weeks 3-22)
Star Wars Style


Week 3:
1. Finn escaped.
2. Yes! Finn escaped!
3. Yoda sensed.
4. Wow! Han and Leia attacked!
5. Anakin, his most powerful Jedi, has fought for all of us.

Week 4:
1. Escape.
2. Attack.
3. Destroy.
4. Quickly escape.
5. Escape with the help of the Force.

Week 5:
1. Who escaped?
2. Did Finn escape?
3. Finn escaped?
4. Did Luke fight often for me?
5. Did the rescuing Luke fight?

Week 6:
1. Palpatine hates me, and Palpatine hates you.
2. Palpatine hates everyone, and he expects obedience.
3. Qui-Gon greatly loved me, and he fought for me!
4. Han wanted to fight, but he also wanted to flee.
5. R2D2 whistled and beeped excitedly.

Week 7:
1. R2D2, take the message, and C3POwatch the astromech.
2. Fight, and we will rest tomorrow.
3. Finn, man the laser cannons, and Reybypass the compressors.
4. Love the good Republic, and you will never experience war again.
5. Wicket, fight the stormtroopers, and Chirpa, declare war.

Week 8:
1. Who fought him, and who won?
2. Did Finn find him, and has he brought war?
3. Windu loved him, and he died?
4. Who loved flying, and who flew in my ship?
5. Who fought to save me, and who died for me?

Week 9:
1. Their emperor is Palpatine, and Vader is their leader.
2. The Jedi is my twin, and he is my brother.
3. The co-pilot is a Wookie, and he is a warrior.
4. Our allies are an amazing team, and Leia became their wise general.
5. The droid, who found me, is a reliable messenger, so I became his friend.

Week 10:
1. Obi-Wan is strong, for he is wise.
2. The Ewoks are kind, so they are happy.
3. The Sith is strong, and he is angry.
4. The stormtroopers of the Empire are reliable, for they are always obedient.
5. The Jedi of the Republic are marvelous, but not every Jedi is always faithful.

Week 11:
1. Alderaan is destroyedbut it was beautiful!
2. The Sith is infuriated, for he is my enemy!
3. The girl is a scavenger, and she is lonely!
4. The X-wings and the A-wings are ships, and they look aggressive!
5. The marching clone is a trained soldier, and he looks menacing!

Week 12:
1. Who is Vader, and who loves him?
2. Is Jabba evil, and does he enslave anyone?
3. The Count is Dooku, and he fought you?
4. The Death Star is one part of the evil Empire, and it destroyed a whole planet?
5. Is the raging battle part of Sidious’ plan, and is it a threat to the whole galaxy?

Week 13:
1. Lando, who fought for me, made me a ship.
2. The rathtars who chased people gave Finn a scare.
3. The owner gave me, who visited her, a Light Saber.
4. Darth Sidious, the Sith of Siths, who fought against me, gave me a terrible memory.
5. Daring Poe, who fought for me, gave those who escaped a jacket.

Week 14:
1. Give all who train a lightsaber.
2. Quickly give the Wookie who saved me a bandage.
3. Offer your friend who is dueling some rest.
4. Give all of the AT-ATs who fire a devastating grenade.
5. Award all of the heroes who fight a special medal.

Week 15:
1. Did Maz, who ran after her, give her the saber?
2. Did the X-wings that chased me give me a wound?
3. Will your droid give us any messages when we arrivetomorrow?
4. Did Count Dooku, who was tempted by our worst enemy, give Anakin a wound that changed him?
5. Did JarJar Binks, who became respected by his fellow Gungans, give the galaxy a battle that inspired Jedi?

Week 16:
1. Sidious, who fought us, made him a Sith.
2. The Jedi who trained Padawans elected me Master.
3. Your friend called me “traitor” after I escaped yesterday.
4. Kylo-Ren, our son, who abandoned us, made me a broken-hearted father.
5. Leia, Princess and General, who led the Alliance, appointed me a pilot.

Week 17:
1. Kylo-Ren, who threatens us, makes me afraid!
2. The stormtrooper who detained me dropped the deadly weapon obediently!
3. Your Padawan made me uneasy since he was not being merciful!
4. Padme, who loves to serve Naboo, made me faithful!
5. Snoke, who orders all to be obedient, considers you traitorous!

Week 18:
1. Make me, who is skilled, a co-pilot.
2. Leave the cell, which is confining, open. 
3. Call me, who found my nephew evil, a failure.  
4. Consider me a gunner because you find my aim extraordinary.
5. Consider me, who fights and pilots for you, an amazing partner.  

Week 19:
1. Who made you an emperor so that you shall rule eternally?
2. Who made you a senator so that you may serve others?
3. Who made you Chancellor so that you will command battles?
4. Who made her slave when she was away from rebels?
5. Who appointed him baron when smuggling was common in Bespin?

Week 20:
1. What made you hopeful as if you shall rule indefinitely?
2. Who made the Ewoks courageous so that they squashed stormtroopers?
3. What made FN2187 defiant when he flew swiftly away?
4. Who let the ravenous rathtars loose so that they became vicious?
5. Did Boba Fett make the terrible carbonite solid when Han was captured?

Week 21:
1. Rey, who understood Han, declined, for she needed to find lostfamily.
2. The clones who followed the Jedi rebelled, and Palpatine won the war.
3. The marketgoers, who watched Finn, cringed, but he gulped the water as it slurped filth beside him.
4. My father, the Sith, who fought viciously against his enemies, turned, and he enjoyed seeing them lose.
5. The Falcon, which won many heroic battles, rotted, but it would again fly missions.

Week 22:
1. Veers, who attacked, is General, and he is powerful.
2. The Kaminoan who created the clones is Chief Scientist, but I am perplexed.
3. The droid is determined when he carries messages, and Leia is sometimes the recipient.  
4. The fighter that disappeared in the quicksand is Hux’s piece of property, so Hux is infuriated.
5. The freighter that achieved twelve parsecs is the famed Falcon, so it is known in legends throughout galaxies.




NOTE:  WE TRIED TO MIMIC THE SENTENCE STRUCTURE OF THE PRACTICE SENTENCES VERY FAITHFULLY, BUT WE DID OCCASIONALLY REPLACE A NOUN WITH A PRONOUN OR A TWO-WORD DIRECT OBJECT WITH A ONE-WORD DIRECT OBJECT, FOR INSTANCE.  HOPEFULLY THOSE FEW INSTANCES WILL BE OBVIOUS TO YOU.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF WE MADE ANY MISTAKES!  (INCLUDING ABOUT STAR WARS HISTORY)  J

Monday, September 26, 2016

EEL Flashcard Link



Are you a Flashcard learner?

I'll be honest; I'm not. I'd rather learn from a list or a chapter. But some learners respond well to Flashcards. If that's the case for your student, here are Flashcards for some of the basic grammar of Essentials (EEL).

https://lookaside.fbsbx.com/file/EEL%20CARDS.docx?token=AWwzDDAAfM29EsIiXm__Pwzn0V3rbPmaiKaPEZEJ2bgGyTtW5Fa5LzU4T9qjkgXfNngYeQOpmhEcczO9_t1lfhhLSk_Rr0do9wV2kfh-CPW1tlpW5hvKpS1MyAz1KCRKvtRv5TB5aOAoJz1kjxdPeB-R2M163MzKoj1JEJePSJn-e--RGFs8d8KCtDG-Aoc3vJo

https://lookaside.fbsbx.com/file/EEL%20CARDS.docx?token=AWwzDDAAfM29EsIiXm__Pwzn0V3rbPmaiKaPEZEJ2bgGyTtW5Fa5LzU4T9qjkgXfNngYeQOpmhEcczO9_t1lfhhLSk_Rr0do9wV2kfh-CPW1tlpW5hvKpS1MyAz1KCRKvtRv5TB5aOAoJz1kjxdPeB-R2M163MzKoj1JEJePSJn-e--RGFs8d8KCtDG-Aoc3vJo

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

National Number Knockout Boards and Scouting

Here is the site you can go to for printing more of the N2K boards (Boardslam), as well as answer ideas, and a harder board which is being used for scout out the competitors for this years N2K competition!

http://nationalnumberknockout.com/how-to-play/

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Mom's Night Out



Mom's Night Out
Aimee's, Monday Sept 12, 7-9pm

Ok, so it's not actually a party but rather a training night for TWSS (Pudewa), units 1-2...but WE are the party! We can't help but have fun when we get together, right? 😄

This one is hosted by Aimee (check the directory for her address) at 7pm Monday night, ending around 9.

Bring your TWSS binder/curriculum.

Hope to see you there!

Bronwyn

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Link to YouTube songs for English Grammar, Cycle 2



This is really helpful to let your kids watch over and over. The songs stick and so does the grammar!


Thursday, August 18, 2016

Welcome Letter for Essentials, 2016-2017



In Preparation for Essentials
“Ants are creatures of little strength
Yet they store up their food in the summer.”
Proverbs 30:25


Dear Essentials Teacher (yes, parent, you are the teacher),

We are embarking on an incredible journey beginning this September, and now is the time to prepare. It will be an exciting learning adventure for each of us. These are some suggestions to help us all rise to the challenge of Essentials. Please review the following list and prepare accordingly.

Our class starts on Thursday, September 8 at 1pm. We meet for 2 hours and below is a chart that explains how the time is divided.  During Language Arts, we will be studying the grammar of the English language using the Essentials of the English Language Guide.  Our Writing portion will focus on the 9 structures of writing while introducing different stylistic devices as outlined in Teaching Writing: Structure and Style (TWSS).  The time allotted for math focuses on drilling the essential math facts necessary for upper level mathematics.
Essentials Class Layout
Language Arts
Writing
Math Games
45 minutes
45 minutes
30 minutes

Here are some items you should prepare prior to our first class meeting:

Purchase the Materials:
  • The Essentials of the English Language Guide 4th Edition by Leigh Bortins. This is the parent and student book. It is REQUIRED.
  • Trivium Tables: English Grammar and Quit et Quo. (Optional, but amazing!!!)
  • The Medieval History Based Writing Lessons in Structure and Style by Lori Verstegen.  This book contains the source texts we will be using in class. (Student and Teacher editions are REQUIRED)
  • Institute for Excellence in Writing’s Teaching Writing: Structure and Style (TWSS) Workbook. You can purchase just the workbook for $29 (Syllabus is REQUIRED).  If you purchase it with the DVD’s, it is closer to $200. You know your budget. There is also the option to purchase the upgrade if you already own the older DVD’s for $29. A real bargin!  We will be having Popcorn and Pudewa sessions throughout the year to view the DVDs. The TWSS is the primary writing curriculum used in conjunction with the Medieval History text for Essentials class.

Read and Study
  • The Essentials of the English Language (EEL Guide) by Leigh Bortins.  This is our language arts source for parents and students in Essentials.  You will not need another language arts program. Please read The Expedition portion (about 3 pages) prior to our first meeting.  There will be prizes for those who have done their homework. Prior to each class, you will want to read through the lesson for the week so you will be prepared for the new grammar and prepared to teach your student.
  • IEW Teaching Writing: Structure and style Syllabus, Units 1 & 2. We will be viewing the Units 1&2  DVD’s together at the Parent Meeting. As a community, we will host evenings called “Popcorn and Pudewa”.  This will give us the opportunity to view the remaining videos together.  They are sure to be inspiring evenings that you will NOT want to miss. 
  
Of course, preparing for our first class is paramount, but I also want to take a moment to give you an overview of what to expect on a weekly basis because two of the most frequently asked questions are: “What do I do at home and how long will it take?”

 Weekly Structure:
  • For teaching Essentials of the English Language: Essentials is a 5-day class.  One day will be spent in community and the other 4 will be spent at home drilling with you, the teacher.  The following is a suggested plan to help you get through the EEL work.  Read pages 19-20 of the EEL guide (4th edition) for more detail.

     1.  The first 10-15 minutes should be spent on the Student Mastery Charts, which is also   
     referred to as the “grammar”/memory work portion of the program, the “Grammar     
     Trail” The student can typically do this work independently after the first 6-8 weeks.
           2.  The second 10-15 minutes focuses more on the dialectic trail.  This is where the      
                parent will dictate a sentence and complete the different analytical tasks.  How far         
                your student goes will be determined by you, the teacher.  

  • For teaching Writing lessons at home: Incorporating IEW into your day is also laid out in the EEL guide on pages 21-22.  Additionally, I will provide a syllabus for you to know our specific class schedule. The time spent each week varies with the ability of your child.  It usually takes 30-45 minutes a day.  This is a suggested schedule
     1.    Day 1: Class day where structure and style is introduced and modeled
           2.    Day 2: Completing outlines and brainstorming activities and teaching any concepts
                             from TWSS that were not fully covered in class
           3.    Day 3: Writing the rough draft
           4.    Day 4: Completion and editing of the rough draft
           5.    Day 5: Completing the Final draft and labeling the paper.

Math is another portion of our Essentials class. My goal is for our class to be ready to participate in the National Number Knockout if a student desires to do so! Just think, one of our students could win $10,000! We can do this and have a great time sharpening our computation skills. At home, you should simply drill the basic mental math facts of adding, subtracting, and multiplying numbers quickly and accurately.  Have fun—don’t make it stressful!! Math drills can take between 5-15 minutes.

Class will begin promptly at 1:00 and end at 3:00 PM each Thursday. It is expected that you will pull up a chair next to your student and help him/her through the lessons each week. You will also be a beautiful example to your child as you model how to be a good student. Remember I am here as a resource for you and an encouragement to your student, but you are still your child’s teacher. Your presence in class is required for the program to be implemented as it was designed. My job is to model how to teach grammar at home. 

I am so encouraged by this curriculum. I know that this information can be overwhelming but rest assured the One who has called us is Faithful.  He has given us the calling to home school our children, a desire to teach our children how to learn, a plan with which to prepare, and someone to help you (other home schooling families and your child’s tutors). Please pray for the Lord to help us and our students walk in the Holy Spirit’s fruit of self-control and self-discipline so we can experience the joy and pleasure of a job well done.

I consider it an honor and privilege to partner with you. Please don’t hesitate to call on me if you have any questions or concerns.  I look forward to working with each one of you.

Your Humble Essentials Tutors,

Bronwyn and Aimee