Good Morning Gentlemen

This is where you come to find your English lessons for Vance's Academic Composition classes

Navigation:

Finding your way around this website

On the Front Page you'll find your current projects and assignments

At right you'll see a SIDEBAR --> 

• You can see how you compare with others in your class

• Old assignments will be moved there 

Here is what we've done so far in this class

Each of these assignments has a mark.  You will find your marks in the sidebar (click on your class)

1. You got a Gmail account. Why? Because now you can use

• Google Docs at http://docs.google.com 
• Blogger at http://blogger.com 
• See how to get to Google.com in English: http://screencast.com/t/Ocb6t5KNIK  

2. You got on the HCT system

• You have an Other User icon where you can log on to the HCT system
• You have a working password
• Your name appears at the top when you click on the Windows START button 
  see: http://screencast.com/t/qwV3U0LqYCg5 

3. Write a paragraph about "Why are students so sleepy in English class AND/OR what are students interested in doing in classes - what will keep them awake?"

• If you did it you can see your mark in your class link in the sidebar
• If you didn't do it yet you need to do it right away 

Now we're going to do more work on paragraphs. A good paragraph has

1. A topic sentence
2. supporting details
3. a conclusion

TO BE DONE BY NOV 3

Write a GOOD PARAGRAPH on the topic of ...

Why are students so sleepy in classes?  What can teachers do that will WAKE THEM UP and keep them interested?

For the week after Eid, Nov 13-17

TASK 1

Find the topic sentences here

• This one is easy: http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/g/topicmainp.cfm
• This one is more difficult: http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/writing/science/paragraphs/1.2.xml

TASK 2

Your teacher will give you this paper exercise. 

http://www.mce.k12tn.net/reading39/paragraph_unit/lesson4.htm

• Put your name on it
• fill it in
• hand it back to your teacher

TASK 3 - You can start this in TitanPad, finish it in GoogleDocs or Word

TITANPAD RULE #1 http://screencast.com/t/7JK588WJvw 

See some examples here: http://tinyurl.com/01nov-c 

Copy everything below into a Google Doc or Word Document (if you haven't set up Google Docs yet)

SHARE your Google Doc with vancestev@gmail.com

or you can email your document to your teacher at the above address

You will be marked on completion of these two tasks during this class period

Write a topic sentence for each paragraph below

Passage A: Patience

Create a topic sentence.

(group a write a topic sentence)

For example, recently I began taking my two-year-old dog to obedience school. After four weeks of lessons and practice, she has learned to follow only three commands--sit, stand, and lie down--and even those she often gets confused. Frustrating (and costly) as this is, I continue to work with her every day. After dog school, my grandmother and I sometimes go grocery shopping. Inching along those aisles, elbowed by hundreds of fellow customers, backtracking to pick up forgotten items, and standing in the endless line at the checkout, I could easily grow frustrated and cranky. But through years of trying times I have learned to keep my temper in check. Finally, after putting away the groceries, I might go out to a movie with my fiance, to whom I have been engaged for three years. Layoffs, extra jobs, and problems at home have forced us to postpone our wedding date several times. Still, my patience has enabled me to cancel and reschedule our wedding plans again and again without fuss, fights, or tears.

Passage B: A Frightful Imagination

Create a topic sentence.

(group a write a topic sentence)

For instance, when I was in kindergarten, I dreamed that my sister killed people with a television antenna and disposed of their bodies in the woods across the street from my house. For three weeks after that dream I stayed with my grandparents until they finally convinced me that my sister was harmless. Not long afterwards, my grandfather died, and that sparked new fears. I was so terrified that his ghost would visit me that I put two brooms across the doorway of my bedroom at night. Fortunately, my little trick worked. He never came back. More recently, I was terribly frightened after staying up late one night to watch The Ring. I lay awake until dawn clutching my cell phone, ready to ring 911 the moment that spooky little girl stepped out of my TV. Just thinking about it now gives me goosebumps.

Passage C: A Love of Reading

Create a topic sentence.

When I was a young girl, I would make a tent out of my blankets and read Nancy Drew mysteries late into the night. I still read cereal boxes at the breakfast table, newspapers while I am stopped at red lights, and gossip magazines while waiting in line at the supermarket. In fact, I'm a very talented reader. For example, I've mastered the art of talking on the phone while simultaneously reading Dean Koontz or Stephen King. But whatI read doesn't matter all that much. In a pinch, I'll read junk mail, an old warranty, a furniture tag ("DO NOT REMOVE UNDER PENALTY OF LAW"), or even, if I'm extremely desperate, a chapter or two in a textbook.

TASK 4 - You can complete this in GoogleDocs or Word. Write it on the same document as the one above

This is the start of a short essay on a common problem in English classes:

     Every Sunday, Cadets come to classes tired and sleepy because they did not get enough sleep. This has become a problem for the instructors. There are several reasons for this. However, there could be a way to solve this problem.

Write two topic sentences that will start two more paragraphs.

• The first paragraph is on reasons for students being so tired in class,
• the second paragraph is about solutions to the problem.

Topic sentence 1

Topic sentence 2