Cockroach Brains May Hold New Antibiotics?

Cockroach Brains May Hold New Antibiotics?

Would you knowingly take antibiotics that originated from a cockroach's brain?

Two-paragraph response, please. Leave your response in the comments section of THIS post.

Photos: Africa's Disappearing Dragonflies, Fish, and Wildflowers

View the following pictures. Write a two-paragraph description of what you see. Be sure to use flowery (excuse the pun!) language - that is, plenty of descriptive words (adjectives, of course!). And if you are feeling extremely ambitious, you may write a short story that includes these images. Proofread and edit your paragraphs BEFORE you post your journal response.

Photos: Africa's Disappearing Dragonflies, Fish, and Wildflowers

"The Hunter Gracchus" by Franz Kafka

"The Hunter Gracchus" by Franz Kafka.   This short story is four pages long, but it contains a tremendous amount of detail.  It's in your best interest to take notes as you read the story, including page numbers where you find important information.  You will take a quiz over its plot elements: <i>exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution</i>. 

Alice Walker's "The Flowers"

Directions

Students read "The Flowers" during the first week of school. Review the story, if necessary, so that you can answer the questions below.

In a Word document, please answer the following questions in complete sentences:

1. Identify two examples of exposition
2. Identify two examples of rising action
3. Identify the story's climax
4. Identify one example of falling action
5. Identify the story's resolution

At the beginning of the story, Myop, the story's ten-year-old protagonist, engages in playful activity around a farm. Myop seems content (happy/satisfied) with her environment. The story's tone (mood) is positive, uplifting, and free from external constraints (pressures, problems, etc.). However, the story's tone changes at one point.

6. Identify where the tone changes, use the text to support your answer, and explain why the tone changes.

7. Identify one example of onomatopoeia in the story, use the text to support your answer, and include your own example of onomatopoeia.

8. Flowers are associated with many occasions - some happy, some sad. For example, most families order flowers for weddings and funerals. What do the flowers symbolize in this short story? Explain your answer.

9. What is a noose? What does the noose tell the reader about the setting (time and place/location)? A strong inference can be made when the reader considers what a noose is, how a noose was used, and what a noose was used to do. Explain your answer.

10. Identify two compound sentences in the story. You may copy and paste your answer; however, you need to explain why your two chosen sentences are compound sentences.

Finally, respond to the story with one paragraph in this post's comments section: Did you relate to the story? How would you feel if you experienced the same thing as Myop? When do children "grow up"? Did you enjoy reading this short story?

Sentence Structure Explanation and Practice: Simple Sentences

Examples of Simple Sentences

John ran.
The dog ate.
Stop!
People laugh.
The young lady wore one purple shoe and one pink shoe with her delicately ruffled prom dress.
No one in the house could find the dust-covered computer.

Simple Sentence Characteristics - The Rules

1. Simple sentences can be short or long.
2. Each simple sentence will include a simple subject and a simple predicate.
3. Simple sentences are also called independent clauses.
4. A simple sentence is a complete sentence. It expresses a complete thought.

Steps for Identifying Simple Subjects and Simple Predicates

1. Identify the verb (action word in the sentence)
2. Ask who or what did the action

For example:

John ran to the store.

What is the action in this sentence? Running!
Who or what ran? John!

Simple Subject = John
Simple Predicate = Ran

It has a subject and predicate; thus, it is a simple sentence, a complete sentence or a complete thought.

Here is a more difficult example:

The old man and young woman at the grocery store found and ate a dirty piece of gum on the floor.

What is the action in this sentence? Found, Ate
Who or what is doing the action? Man, Woman

Simple Subject = Man, Woman
Simple Predicate = Found, Ate

You might have compound subjects and/or compound verbs in simple sentences, like the above example.

Assignment:

1. Write ten simple sentences in a Word document. Highlight (yellow) the simple predicate (verb/action word) and highlight (light blue) the simple subject (person, place, or thing doing the action). Email the document to me as an attachment.

2. In the comments section of this post, explain what a compound subject and/or verb is. An educated guess is encouraged, welcomed, and appreciated!

3. Identify the COMPLETE subject and COMPLETE predicate in the following sentences:
 
The dog ate pizza for breakfast and lunch.

Stop!
People at the comedy club laugh all night.
The young lady with a genuine smile wore one purple shoe and one pink shoe with her delicately ruffled prom dress.
No one in the house could find the dust-covered computer.

4. What is the difference between a complete subject/predicate and a simple subject/predicate?