Reading "Toward a Rainbow Nation"

Students will begin reading the article, "Toward a Rainbow Nation," tomorrow in class.  The article is written by a girl post-apartheid South Africa.  She discusses the differences between the old South Africa and the new South Africa focusing on the many diverse friends she is able to have now that apartheid has ended.  Students at HW Smith have a keen awareness of diversity and will likely connect to the author's story.

"Meet the Chipsons"

Students in Mrs. Earl's ELA classes have begun an informational text unit.  To help practice determining relevant and irrelevant text-based details, students read the informational article, "Meet the Chipsons."  Use the link below to go to the original Time magazine article.


http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,214099,00.html

Introducing Informational Texts

A New Name

Ms. Short was married on October 27th and is now Mrs. Earl!

All About Dialogue

Earn Five Bonus Points!

How would you like to start out the second marking period with five bonus points?  Simply rewrite the dull sentence below using the figurative language (simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification) of your choice.  Be sure to:

• put your name with your entry
• rewrite the sentence using figurative language
• identify the type of figurative language being used

EXAMPLE

The class was as noisy as a crowded mall.  (simile)  Written by Mrs. Earl

REWRITE THIS DULL SENTENCE:

It was a rainy day.

All entries must be received by midnight on Friday, Novemeber 16th, 2012.

A Look at Simile School

Here is a reason why we should know how to use figurative language in both our writing and speech.

Notes on the Basics of Figurative Language