1. 8 th Language Arts Room 203

2.   Creative  Fun to read  Interesting Pro’s

3.   Format  Proofread  Spell out words  Spell small numbers  Punctuate  OUR vs. ARE  “I’m going to tell you…”  *Be sure to check your entries Common Errors

4.   Always start each journal entry as: Journal #TitleDate in MLA Format Journal # 2Fair Week 10 October 2012 Format

5.   Re-read your journal entry after you are done  We’ll grade or peer review periodically  You’ll be given time before hand to check your work  Re-read each entry to make sure that it is:  Complete  Edits are made  All entries are accounted for Proofread

6.   DO NOT USE:  idk  gonna  thru  Use:  …I don’t know…  Going  Through Spell Out Words/ No Slang

7.   When using small numbers, write out the numeral  One  Two  Five  Ten  Twenty Spell Out Small Numbers

8.   Capitalize proper nouns  Names: George  I (not “i”)  Beginning of sentence  Do NOT capitalize random letters in the middle of the word/ sentence! Punctuate Correctly!

9.   Our vs. Are  Our—possessive  Are—verb OUR vs. ARE

10.   Do not say what you are going to write about:  “I’m going to tell you what the national anthem means to me…”  Just state the topic or prompt clearly  “When I hear the national anthem, it brings many emotions to many people. For me, the national anthem means honor, courage, and patriotism.” Stating the Obvious

11.   Don’t just look at what you numbered the journals  (some people number incorrectly)  Count and make sure you have the correct amount  A list will be posted—check the prompts  One missed entry can be an automatic 10+ point deduction! Check and Check Again