Do Now Make sure your Grammar HW is on your DESK to be checked. At the bell, begin to silently and independently work on your Do Now. HOMEWORK: Grammar HW 10-5 ONLY 6 SCHOOL DAYS UNTIL THE FIRST QUARTER INTERIM!

Objectives Draft thesis paragraphs introducing context for whether or not English should be the official language of America. Distinguish between correct and incorrect usage of this week’s vocabulary words. Identify and use absolute phrases in our writing.

Agenda Do Now: Participial Phrases Review (10) Grammar: Absolute Phrases (15) Composition: Writer’s Workshop (20) Vocab (10) Summarizer (10)

Absolute Phrases An absolute phrase is a sentence part that describes the rest of the sentence. Absolute phrases can occur as sentence openers, subject-verb splits, or sentence closers. It is important to note that absolute phrases must be separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma because they are dependent clauses and cannot stand alone by themselves. Most absolute phrases begin with the words my, his, her, its, our, their (possessive pronouns) and can be changed into independent clauses by adding was or were into it.

Composition: Essay Outline I. Thesis Paragraph A. Context – What does it mean to be American? B. Transition – Is speaking English a pre-requisite to being American? C. Thesis Statement – Should English be the official language of America? What are at least three specific reasons why? How do the authors of the text support or refute your claim? II. Body Paragraphs A. Reason 1 – with evidence & explanations from the text B. Reason 2 – with evidence & explanations from the text C. Reason 3 – with evidence & explanations from the text D. Counterarguments and Rebuttals – why might people feel differently from your claim? How would you refute their arguments. It would be great to use examples from the texts that would disagree with your viewpoint. III. Concluding Paragraph A. In a different way, restate the thesis. B. Create an extension that connects back to the context of your thesis paragraph and whether or not speaking English is necessary to be considered and America.

Thesis Paragraph Example 1 Being American means many things, from having the freedom of speech to the right to express yourself however one would like. It means being able to speak in Chinese, Spanish, or any other language at home or in public. However, not everyone feels this way. People like Greg Lewis and Dennis Baron argue in their respective essays that diversity is hurting America and that the English language is deteriorating because it is not being used and promoted in our country. Despite these claims, authors Myriam Marquez and Chang-Rae Lee make stronger arguments advocating that English should not be the official language of America so that people can preserve their cultural heritage and continue to learn English in a way that benefits them without a government mandate.

Thesis Paragraph Example 2 Being American means many things, from having the freedom of speech to the right to express yourself however one would like. It means being able to speak in Chinese, Spanish, or any other language at home or in public. However, while people should still be allowed the freedom to speak their own languages, there are still many good reasons to make English the country’s official language. Authors Myriam Marquez and Chang-Rae Lee give personal examples of why other cultures and languages should be appreciated and respected in America. However, they also concede that in order to be very successful in this land of opportunity, that it helps for people to know English. Therefore, as supported by the essays of Dennis Baron and Greg Lewis, English should be made the official language of America so that people of all different cultures can have a better chance of success, while still being able to keep their cultural heritage intact.

Thesis Paragraph: Example 3 Being American means many things, from having the freedom of speech to the right to express yourself however one would like. It means being able to speak in Chinese, Spanish, or any other language at home or in public. There is much public debate about whether English should become the official language of America. Immigrant writers Myriam Marquez and Chang-Rae Lee argue through personal experiences that this is not necessary, whereas the essays of Dennis Baron and Greg Lewis tend to support the idea of making English the official language. What this dichotomy in thought proves is that there is no clear solution. Rather, Americans should be able to see both sides of the argument and be open to discuss different possibilities and be able to celebrate the diversity of the country while encouraging immigrants to learn the language that will lead them to greater success in America.

Vocabulary Ameliorate – to make the condition of something better You can ameliorate a someone who is sick, but not necessarily a bad meal. Baleful – harmful, with evil intentions Berate – to criticize vehemently Circumvent – to avoid something in a sneaky way that allows you to still get what you want Compunction – anxiety or nervousness caused by feelings of guilt

Exit Ticket 1. Unscramble the following sentence, underlining the absolute phrase and using commas, where necessary: her parents being immigrants should not be the official language of America Myriam Marquez argues while beneficial to learn that English 2. Create a sentence, similar to the one above, for your essay that contains a absolute phrase. Be sure to underline your absolute phrase and add commas, where necessary.