All Chapter Projects

Project Assignment

Goal

In Chapter 1, you learned how to identify parts of speech and recognize their functions in sentences. For this project, you will create a game for matching parts of speech to specific examples.

Directions

Part 1

Review the parts of speech listed in the key in the Materials section. Then, write ten example sentences, each on its own note card. Make sure each sentence uses at least four parts of speech from the key, and underline them. On the back of each note card, label each underlined part of speech. Here's an example:

Aim to have this total number of parts of speech among your ten example sentences:

At least three adverbs

At least three adjectives

At least three linking verbs

At least four helping verbs

At least five action verbs

At least eight nouns

At least three prepositional phrases as adjectives

At least three prepositional phrases as adverbs

At least four subordinating conjunctions

At least four coordinating conjunctions

Part 2

Now, it's time to play the game:

1. Roll the dice. (If you don't have physical dice, see the Materials section for an online simulator.)

2. Use the key in the Materials section to determine which part of speech you should find. For instance, if you roll a 3, search for an example sentence with an adverb.

3. Check your answer on the back of the note card.

Materials

Two dice or online dice simulator: hawkes.biz/virtualdice

Ten note cards

Key:

2 - adverb

3 - adjective

4 - linking verb

5 - helping verb

6 - action verb

7 - noun

8 - prepositional phrase as adjective

9 - prepositional phrase as adverb

10 - subordinating conjunction

11 - coordinating conjunction

Checklist

Writing Assignment

Goal

The goal of this writing assignment is to use parts of speech in writing. You will choose a location and write an article explaining why it's a great travel destination.

Directions

Part 1

Choose a travel destination, such as a country, city, region, or major landmark. For ideas, see the article linked in the Materials section.

Part 2

Make a list of the destination's features:

• Location (country, state, region, etc.)

• Activities or things to do (use adjectives and adverbs)

• Unique landmarks, geological features, or points of interest (use prepositional phrases)

• Historical events (real or fictitious) that have occurred there (use verb tenses)

• Notable people (real or fictitious) who have lived here

• Festivals, celebrations, or other events (use verb tenses)

Part 3

Using your list of features, create at least four sections with headings. Here are some examples:

• Location

• Local history

• Activities

• Events

Part 4

Under each heading, write one to two paragraphs in your own words that describe the feature and explain why visitors should be interested. Optionally, add images. Do not use wording or images from the article in Materials.

Materials

Word processing program or pen/paper

Browser/search engine

Tripadvisor's most popular destinations: hawkes.biz/traveldestinations

Checklist

Project Assignment

Goal

In Chapter 2, you learned how to identify clauses and sentence patterns and how to revise fragments, fused sentences, and comma splices. You will demonstrate your understanding of these concepts by revising four paragraphs, each of which has a unique issue to address.

Directions

Part 1

In the Materials section, read each paragraph one at a time, along with the directions for how to revise it. Choose at least three paragraphs to rewrite.

Part 2

Copy and paste or rewrite your chosen paragraphs from scratch to make the necessary revisions. Keep in mind that there is no single "correct" way to revise each paragraph.

Materials

Paragraph 1

This paragraph is one long fused sentence. Split it into multiple complete sentences. Remember to add punctuation and update capitalization.

Many writers prefer to write alone however, joining a writing community can benefit writers in ways that solitary writing cannot writers are often shy about sharing their writing, not because they are writing about personal topics but because they struggle to separate their writing from their personal identities it's important to remember that criticism and feedback about a piece of writing is not criticism of the writer's personality, intelligence, or value when writers share their work with each other at various stages of the process, they can perceive the quality of their writing more clearly and learn to accept feedback without feeling hurt or personally scrutinized.

Paragraph 2

This paragraph only uses simple sentences. Combine the sentences using the following patterns and parts of speech:

• Compound sentences

• Complex sentences

• Relative clauses

• Prepositional phrases

• Conjunctive adverbs

First drafts can be frustrating. Many writers do not look forward to them. It is common to focus on correctness. Experienced writers know a first draft will not be perfect. First drafts have grammar or punctuation errors. It's okay to make many mistakes in a first draft. The ideas are more important. A messy first draft might be more useful. It allows room for growth. A draft with perfect grammar and weak content is not useful. Writing a first draft is an opportunity to experiment. It's a safe place to take risks.

Paragraph 3

This paragraph uses nouns repetitively. Replace nouns with pronouns, remembering to use pronoun-antecedent agreement and clear pronoun reference.

Twyla has been working on Twyla's sociology essay for the past two weeks. When Twyla first began, Twyla knew Twyla needed to focus on the key ideas Twyla wanted to communicate to Twyla's audience. Twyla knew Twyla's audience would be interested in an essay that connected directly to Twyla's audience's lives instead of one that discussed abstract concepts. By the time Twyla was working on the second draft of Twyla's essay, Twyla realized the essay's focus was too broad and that the focus would need to be narrowed if Twyla was going to address Twyla's audience's personal concerns. When Twyla finished the final draft, Twyla finally took the time to address grammatical errors. Twyla knew Twyla didn't need to focus on the grammatical errors earlier in the writing process, when the grammatical errors would have distracted Twyla from the focus of Twyla's essay.

Paragraph 4

This paragraph contains both complete and incomplete sentences. Identify and revise the fragments, fused sentences, and comma splices.

Talented, professional writers who appear to write effortlessly. However, they make many errors in the first several drafts, they also know they need to trust the writing process. To trust the process that the writing will improve until it has achieved a certain level of quality. Each stage of the writing process. Which focuses on a different objective. Allows the writer to develop their thoughts without the burden of writing well. Great writers aren't people who can write without making errors they are people who that perfect first drafts don't exist. And that the best writing has been through every stage of the writing process.

Materials

Word processing program or pen/paper

Checklist

Writing Assignment

Goal

The goal of this writing assignment is to apply your knowledge of clauses, sentence patterns, agreement, and reference to writing a review of a book, movie, or place/activity (such as a theme park, restaurant, museum, etc.).

Directions

Part 1

Select a book, movie, or place/activity to review. Choose something that you know well enough to discuss confidently and in detail.

Part 2

Choose three aspects of your topic that you consider to be strengths or weaknesses. If you prefer, you can write about two strengths and one weakness or two weaknesses and one strength. See the Materials section for more guidance on each topic (book, movie, or place).

Part 3

Choose one of these purposes for your writing.

• Persuade your audience to read the book, watch the movie, or visit the place.

• Persuade your audience to avoid the book, movie, or place.

• Without recommending a specific action, invite your audience to draw their own conclusions about the topic based on the information you provide.

Part 4

Write your review with the purpose in mind. Include an introduction, three body paragraphs (one for each strength or weakness), and a conclusion paragraph, for a total of five paragraphs.

In the introduction, write a short explanation of what the book or movie is about. If you are writing about a place, explain the location and theme. Then, state the purpose for your review.

In each body paragraph, start with a strong claim about the strength or weakness you're going to discuss. Explain why this topic is worth discussing. Include specific examples from the book, movie, or place of its strength/weakness.

In the conclusion, restate your purpose. Review the three strengths or weaknesses you discussed. Finally, state why your audience should or should not read this book, see this movie, or visit this place.

Materials

Word processing program or pen/paper

Browser/search engine

Book

Make sure you have access to a copy of the book or a detailed summary for reference.

Some strengths/weaknesses could include but are not limited to the following:

• How is the plot structured? Is it interesting?

• Do you have a strong reaction to a specific event or moment?

• Are the characters interesting? Are they realistic?

• Is there a clear message?

• Is the ending satisfying and/or believable?

Movie

Make sure you have access to the movie or a detailed summary for reference.

Some strengths/weaknesses could include but are not limited to the following:

• Does the movie keep you engaged from beginning to end?

• Is the acting believable?

• Does the soundtrack contribute to the story?

• How do camera angles, lighting, or colors affect the story?

• Are the special effects believable and realistic?

• Do you have a strong reaction to a specific scene?

Place/Activity

If possible, look up the place or activity online so that you can review details and key information. If you have photos or mementos, use them to remember your experience.

Some strengths/weaknesses could include but are not limited to the following:

• Is the place easy to navigate?

• Is there a variety of options for all age levels and interests?

• Is it a cost-effective experience? Is it meant to be one?

• How effective are the decorations, landscaping, and colors?

• Which attractions or elements are the best, and why?

• Which food options are the best, and why?

Checklist

Project Assignment

Goal

In Chapter 3, you learned how to use and format punctuation, numbers, and capitalization. For this assignment, you will develop a mini lesson based on what you learned and present it to the class.

Directions

Part 1

Optional: Complete the project with a partner.

Select a pair of topics for your lesson, reviewing Chapter 3 if necessary.

• Commas and apostrophes

• Quotation marks and italics

• Ellipses and semicolons

• Numbers and colons

• Hyphens and parentheses

• Dashes and brackets

• Capitalization and abbreviations

Part 2

Create a handout that you will distribute when you present your mini lesson. This handout will have three sections:

Section 1: Explanation

In your own words, write a brief explanation (two to three sentences) for each topic.

Section 2: Examples

Create four unique examples for each topic: two that show correct or conventional use and two that show incorrect or unconventional use. Do not use examples from the lesson; yours should be original. Be prepared to explain each example when you share your mini lesson with the class.

Section 3: Exercises

Create three exercises for each topic. They can be true or false, multiple choice, or an incorrect example that needs repair. Feel free to be creative with your exercises, but focus on testing your classmates' knowledge rather than tricking them with difficult or confusing questions.

Part 3

Distribute your handout and present your mini lesson to the class. Aim to make your presentation ten minutes or less.

Materials

Chapter 3 of Grammar Foundations

Word processing program or pen/paper

Printer (if using pen/paper)

Checklist

Writing Assignment

Goal

For this assignment, you will write an original conversation between two or more people, paying close attention to punctuation and formatting.

Directions

Part 1

Select one of the following scenarios for your conversation or create your own.

• You travel back in time and have a conversation with your younger self. What do you say?

• A foreign exchange student has just arrived at your school. They speak the same language as you, but their upbringing and culture are different. What do you talk about?

• Your dog, cat, or other pet is suddenly capable of speech. What conversation does it have with you?

• You interview a visitor from another planet. What do you talk about?

Part 2

Jot down some notes about the topic of conversation for the scenario you chose. What topics are discussed? What is each side's personality? What vocabulary would they use? Will one side ask more questions than the other? Will one side take charge of the conversation? How will the conversation end?

Part 3

Write a one-page (minimum) conversation in which these two parties talk back and forth. Use correct punctuation and formatting.

Materials

Word processing program or pen/paper

Checklist

Project Assignment

Goal

In Chapter 4, you learned about spelling and word choice, stylistic sentences, proofreading, and inclusive language. You will apply this knowledge by proofreading an essay.

Directions

Part 1

Read the essay in the Materials section.

Part 2

Identify the following items by underlining them and labeling them in the passage with the corresponding letter. Then, track your work by completing this outline.

1. Three misspelled words

   1. (blank)

   2. (blank)

   3. (blank)

2. Four incorrect word choices

   1. (blank)

   2. (blank)

   3. (blank)

   4. (blank)

3. Two incorrect verb tenses

   1. (blank)

   2. (blank)

4. One dangling modifier

   1. (blank)

5. One misplaced modifier

   1. (blank)

6. Two examples of weak parallelism

   1. (blank)

   2. (blank)

7. Five correctly used coordinating conjunctions

   1. (blank)

   2. (blank)

   3. (blank)

   4. (blank)

   5. (blank)

8. Three correctly used subordinating conjunctions

   1. (blank)

   2. (blank)

   3. (blank)

9. Two correctly used conjunctive adverbs

   1. (blank)

   2. (blank)

10. Two sentences with passive voice

    1. (blank)

    2. (blank)

Here's an example:

Materials

Word processing program or pen/paper

Essay:

As a child, Neveah thought she lived on the flattest, most barren expanse of land on the entire planet. Somewhere too hundred miles north stood a lonely tree. It was another hundred miles before the first grove of trees will be visible. To the east and west, countless miles of highway trailed off into the distance. Neveah loved to stargaze with her telescope, and she beleived she could see the great bluffs to the south if not for the curvature of the earth. She didn't want to except her fate as a lifelong plains dweller. She appreciated her home but wanted to live somewhere else; in fact, she thought anywhere would be better.

Looking through her telescope for hours, unknown landscapes covered the surfaces of other worlds. After she saw the Milky Way for the first time, she realized how full the universe was. She wondered why people thought it was so unlikly that alien life existed somewhere out there. She dreamed of what interstellar civilizations looked like and imagining that she could study them one day.

Neveah's life changed when her family started traveling. They visitted places that felt as remote as the other side of the galaxy. One time, they were taken by her mom's job to Portland, Oregon, a short drive from Mt. St. Helens. Neveah had seen footage of the 1980 eruption. She stared at the active volcano and watched smoky plumes rise from it's rocky crown. Spraying liquid gold into the sky instead of lava, she imagined a volcano on some distant planet. She thought of the lava that formed Hawaii. What would islands made from gold look like?

On another trip, her family went to Carlsbad Caverns National Park in El Paso, Texas. During the three-hour underground tour, Neveah will have seen enormous stalagmites, a 750-foot elevator went to an underground gift shop, and experienced total darkness for the first time. She wondered if people on other planets live underground instead of on the surface. Since they were accustomed to darkness, would the sun blind them? She decided she would rather have eyes then navigate by echolocation.

By the time Neveah graduated from high school, she had visited nearly all fifty states. Her travels had fed her curiosity about the universe. As a college student, she worked hard; consequently, she qualified for her dream job as a science teacher. More excited than she had ever been, Neveah felt like the whole universe was created just for her.

Checklist

Writing Assignment

Goal

The goal of this assignment is to write a one- to two-page letter that applies what you've learned about spelling and style.

Directions

Part 1

Choose one of these options. For guidance on formatting business/personal letters, see the links in the Materials section.

• Write a cover letter to a potential employer. Explain why the company should hire you. Explain why you want the job and why you're a good fit for the position. Include details about your job experience, education, skills, and volunteer work.

• Ask your employer for a raise. You believe your contributions to the company are worth more than you're currently making. Explain why your skills, years of experience, and/or accomplishments are worth a higher salary. Keep in mind who your audience is and what kind of tone is appropriate.

• Ask your state representative to vote a certain way on a piece of legislation. Identify the legislation, discuss the topic, and voice your concerns. Consider discussing the impact of the potential legislation on your state, region, community, and/or yourself and loved ones.

• Reply to a letter from the past that asks what to expect in the future. Imagine a list of questions the letter has asked, and write responses. Consider whether or not you should answer certain questions or what tone you should use to describe the future (your present-day reality).

Part 2

Make a list of ideas for your letter. Ideas will vary depending on which option you selected. For example, if you chose to write a cover letter, you will write mostly about your interests, experiences, and qualifications. If you chose to persuade a state representative, you will write about why the legislation should or should not be passed, what effect it will have, and what will happen if the representative votes against your advice.

Part 3

Write the letter. Be sure to use an appropriate tone for your audience. If you chose to write to an employer or representative, use business letter formatting. If you chose the final option, use personal letter formatting. Be sure to review and revise your letter once you've written a first draft.

Materials

Word processing program or pen/paper

Check out Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL) for guidance on writing letters:

• Business letters (hawkes.biz/owlbusinessletters)

• Personal letters (hawkes.biz/owlpersonalletters)

Checklist