Clause Drama #2

Clause drama #2 by osterkal on GoAnimate

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Marco Rubio, Dry Mouth, and the Invisible Primary

There is a new post on November Surprises, Lucy's political blog. To read more about Marco Rubio, the invisible primary and campus politics, click here.

Clause Drama

I try to make grammar as interesting as possible for my 10th grade students. I made this video today, and I'm pretty proud of my efffort! (Of course, when I show it to them I will back it up with examples and practice exercises, but hopefully this will help them get down the concept of what a clause is.)

independent clause vs dependent clauses by osterkal on GoAnimate

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Review For Matched Trilogy

I just finished the third book in the Matched Trilogy - Reached - by Allie Condie, and all I can think is that at some point, perhaps this summer, I will have to read the whole thing all over again. I felt so torn throughout... on the one hand, I wanted to read fast because I was anxious to find out what was going to happen. Then I'd get to one of the many, many truly profound and poetic passages in these books, and I'd think, "Wait. That was some beautiful writing. I need to stop and reread that." Now that I know what happens, I want to read it again so I can go slowly, and try and appreciate all the wisdom and beauty in the writing.

Condie has written a story that's not completley original. It's a lot like The Giver, from what I hear. It's in the same league as The Hunger Games and Divergent. But the theme of this trilogy is about creation versus capture, possession versus loss, and finding the strength to both love and let go. I was very impressed with how seamlessly all the plot points tied in together to form a complete, almost effortless whole (although I doubt it was effortless at all) and I had true writer's envy as I read these books. Condie is a real talent, and while I am a huge advocate for the lit part of young adult lit, I worry that she will get less credit than she deserves for her writing chops because her books are obstensibly meant for young people.

Anyway, this is my highest reccomendation for a trilogy I can give. While the plot, at times, gets a little weighted down, everything else about these books soars. Read them. You won't regret it.

10 Word Post ~ Break During Inservice Day

Teachers talking
6 traits of writing
Cynicism
Hope
Blah blah

Incomplete Journey

There is a new post on November Surprises, Lucy's political blog. To read about her honeymoon trip with Monty to D.C, and Obama's inaguration, click here.