Name ______

1

On the lines below the passage, rewrite it using formal English. Then answer the question.

Ol’ Febold, he spied a wagon train headed his way. He ran to the road

and started wavin’ his hat in the air like a madman, he was that glad ter see

folks.

The wagon train folks waved back, and soon they were ridin’ their

wagons right on up to ol’ Febold.

“Is there gold in this-here state?” one of the wagon-train folks asked.

“We’ve got somethin’ here in Nebraska that’s way better’n gold,” said

Febold.

“What’s that you say?” another member of the wagon train asked.

“Why, we’ve got hundreds of acres of the best prairie land in the whole

wide world, just itchin’ to be farmed,” Febold answered.

The folks in the wagon train looked at the dry land around them, peered

up at the sky (where there was nary a rain cloud), and started laughin’ their

heads off.

______

Read the following passage, noting the register of a typical family conversation between adults and children. On the lines below the passage, rewrite it in a register that you would use while talking with a good friend in the cafeteria at school. Then answer the question.

A family is seated around a table having dinner. The familyincludes MOM, GRANDMA, and ten-year-old MARISOL.

MOM: Would anyone like more mashed potatoes? No? Well, there’s

more if you change your minds! So, Marisol, what was school like

today? Did your teacher give your science tests back?

MARISOL: Oh, school was okay, Mom. We did get our tests back.

GRANDMA: Did you get an A, Marisol? You studied so hard!

MARISOL: (smiling): Yes, Grandma. Thank you for helping me study!

Mr. Coban wrote a note on my test—look, here it is . . .

GRANDMA: “Congratulations on a job well done!” Oh, Marisol, that’s great!

MOM: I think you—and your best study partner, your grandmother—

have earned some extra ice cream for dessert tonight!

______

Two pieces of literature : excerpts

1. The Cay

2. Summer of the Monkeys

1) Contrast the language between the two characters in the passages.

2) How can you determine the location of the character based on the way the

character is speaking?

Week 1: You are a member of the Sports Club. This club gives members the chance to talk with other people that share a similar enthusiasm for sports. Besides sharing their knowledge with others, members get an opportunity to try new sports. The club has decided to create a web page that will give people information about the different types of sports that club members participate in. The club hopes that in addition to being informational, the website will help bring in new members. Your job is to research your favorite sport and write an informational essay that can be posted on a website. Start by brainstorming sports that are of interest to you.
Week 2: Write an informational essay describing the one book you would choose to save for future generations
Week 3: You are a member of the Hobby Club. This club gives members the chance to talk with other people that share the same interests. Besides sharing their knowledge with others, members get an opportunity to try new hobbies. The club has decided to create a web page that will give people information about the different types of hobbies that club offers to its members. The club hopes that in addition to being informational, the website will help bring in new members. Your job is to research your favorite hobby and write an informational essay that can be posted on the website. Start by brainstorming hobbies that are of interest to you.
Week 4: Write an informational essay introducing IndependenceHigh School to an exchange student from a different country. Include information about school customs, clubs, teams, and extracurricular activites.
Week 5: You are a member of the Travel Club. This club gives members the chance to talk with other people that share a similar enthusiasm for traveling. Besides sharing their knowledge with others, members get an opportunity to travel to faraway and exotic places. The club has decided to create a web page that will give people information about the different places that club members visited. The club hopes that in addition to being informational, the website will help bring in new members. Your job is to research a city or country that you would like to travel to and write an informational essay that can be posted on the website. Start by brainstorming places that you would like to travel to.