Foundations and Modelsfor Proficiency

CURRICULUM ASSOCIATES®, Inc.

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Foundations and Modelsfor Proficiency

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Part I: foundations

Part II: models

Part I: foundations

A. Using Words in Writing

Lesson 1: Common and Proper Nouns ....4

Lesson 2: Plural Nouns.............................6

Lesson 3: Possessive Nouns ......................8

Lesson 4: Pronouns.................................10

Lesson 5: Pronouns Before and After Verbs ........................12

Lesson 6: Action Verbs and Linking Verbs ......................................14

Lesson 7: Present, Past, and Future Verbs.........................................16

Lesson 8: Irregular Verbs ........................18

Lesson 9: Main Verbs and Helping Verbs ......................................20

Lesson 10: Subject-Verb Agreement ......22

Lesson 11: More Subject-Verb Agreement ...........................................24

Lesson 12: Exact Verbs...........................26

Lesson 13: Adjectives..............................28

Lesson 14: Adjectives That Compare .....30

Lesson 15: Exact Adjectives ...................32

Lesson 16: Adverbs.................................34

Lesson 17: Homophones ........................36

B. Giving Form to Writing

Lesson 18: Kinds of Sentences ...............38

Lesson 19: Sentence Fragments..............40

Lesson 20: Joining Sentences..................42

Lesson 21: Run-on Sentences.................44

C. Giving Voice to Writing

Lesson 22: Capitalization .......................46

Lesson 23: More Capitalization .............48

Lesson 24: Commas................................50

Lesson 25: Apostrophes in Contractions ........................................52

Lesson 26: Quotations in Dialogue ........54

D. Giving Structure to Writing

Lesson 27: Paragraphs ............................56

Lesson 28: Main Idea and Details ..........58

Lesson 29: Varying Sentences inParagraphs............................................60

E. Revising and Editing

Lesson 30: Proofreading .........................62

Prepare for a Test, Part I .........................64

Part II: modelsLesson 31: Descriptions..........................76

Lesson 32: Personal Narratives ...............86

Lesson 33: Fictional Narratives ..............96

Lesson 34: Expository Essays ...............106

Lesson 35: Opinions .............................116

Lesson 36: Summaries ..........................126

Lesson 37: Research Reports ................138

Prepare for a Test, Part II .....................141

4

Whenever you write, you use naming words called nouns. A noun is a word that names a person, place, or thing.

Nouns such as mayor, school, and month are called common nounsbecause they name any person, place, or thing. Nouns such as Mayor Ruth Stein, Hill School, and February are called proper nouns.They name a particular person, place, or thing. Begin all importantwords in a proper noun with a capital letter.

In the first sentence, the wordteenager does not name a particularperson. It’s a common noun. Sallynames a particular person. It’s a proper noun and is capitalized.

Some proper nouns, like StanfordUniversity, have more than oneword. Each important word in a proper noun begins with a capitalletter. Find two more proper nounsthat have more than one word.

Read the true story about Dr. Sally Ride. The words in red are common nouns,and the words in blue are proper nouns.

ThinkAboutThinkAbout

Stud

y A Model

Stud

y A Model

LESS

ON 1

PART I

People

Places

Things

RobinNelson MandelaLake Huron UtahJulyGolden Gate Bridge

cousinteacherzooapartmentcomputersunset

Common Nouns Proper Nouns

As a teenager, Sally was ranked

highly in the National Junior Tennis

Circuit. For a while, she planned to be

a tennis player. Instead, she went

to Stanford University in California

and earned degrees in English and

science. Later, she earned a Ph.D. in

physics. Next came a job at NASA.

In 1983, Sally Kristin Ride joined the

crew of the Challenger. She became

the first American woman in space.

5

Common Nouns Proper Nouns1. river a. Boston Red Sox2. state b. Governor Lombardo3. politician c. Hudson River4. country d. Mt. Hood5. team e. Kansas6. mountain f. Ecuador

1. How did the Baltimore Ravens get their name?2. Several years ago, The Baltimore Sun held a contest.3. Fans in Maryland voted for their favorite name.4. People wanted the team to be called the Baltimore Ravens.5. The name comes from a famous poem called “The Raven.”6. A man from Baltimore named Edgar Allan Poe wrote the poem.

B

C

Write a true story about a person youknow who has done something special.Remember to capitalize all proper nouns.

Writing TipWhenever possible, use proper nounsinstead of common nouns because they willmake your writing more exact and exciting.• The store hands out treats on the

holiday. (vague and dull)• Suellen’s Sweet Shop hands out treats

on Halloween. (more exact and exciting)

Practice

Write

A

Practice

Write

A common noun names any person, place, or thing. A proper noun names a particularperson, place, or thing. Always capitalize each important word in a proper noun.

Last june, my class visited the plimoth plantation in plymouth,

massachusetts. It’s a reconstruction of the village settled by the

pilgrims from england. Guides in costumes led us through the

village. A man dressed as a native american showed us hobbamock’s

homesite, where a family of wampanoags once lived. Finally, we

went aboard the mayflower II. The crew of the ship acted as though

they were just about to land on the shores of america.

LESS

ON 1

Match eachcommon noun witha proper noun.

Read each sentence.Write the commonand proper nounsthat are in the sentence.

Read the paragraph.Write the 10common nouns. Alsowrite the 11 propernouns that should becapitalized. Don’tinclude a noun more than once.

A Desert Hike

I adjusted my cap and checked my backpack

for my water bottle. Then I eagerly began my

hike on a scenic desert trail. I took a deep

breath. The dry air had the wet-concrete smell

of the creosote plant. The sandy soil crunched

with every step I took. On either side of me

were tall green cactus and low gray shrubs.

A cactus wren chirped just out of view, and

a bold hummingbird darted ahead of me.

My footsteps startled a small lizard warming

itself on a rock. It skittered away.

The clear blue sky stretched like a silk

canopy overhead. It was interrupted only by

rows of purple mountains in the distance. I

stopped to snack on slices of a sweet orange.

As I set out on the trail again, I picked up a

pink and white rock. It felt warm and grainy in

my hand. When I get home, this small souvenir

will remind me of the desert’s beauty.

76

In your writing, you often describe people, places, or things. Whenyou write descriptions, your purpose is to create clear and vivid imagesin your readers’ mind. To do this, use exact words and words that relateto the senses.

Here is a sample writing prompt for a description.

Read the description written in response to the prompt. Then readthe Writing Tips to learn more about descriptions.

❉ Show instead of tell. Use your fivesenses to think of words and detailsthat describe the subject. Whendescribing a scene, ask yourself thesequestions: What can I see? Hear? Smell?Taste? Touch?

❉ Create a clear beginning, middle, andending. Arrange the details in a sensibleorder.

❉ Introduce the subject clearly at thebeginning.

❉ Use transition words or phrases, suchas above, below, in the middle, next to,or far from, to connect the details.

❉ Use comparisons to paint pictures withwords. A simile uses the word like or as to compare two different things. (The thunder sounded like a drum roll.)A metaphor does not use like or as. A metaphor suggests that one thing isthe other thing. (The cat’s green eyesare sparkling emeralds.)

❉ In your ending, sum up your impression ofyour subject with a concluding statement.

Write a description of a scene in nature.

Writing Tips

PART II In Lessons 31–37 you write. Use what you’ve learned in Part I to WRITE!LE

SSON

31

77

USING GRAPHIC ORGANIZERSUSING GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS

Before you write, use graphic organizers. These charts and diagrams canhelp you think about, gather, and arrange information for your description.

The person who wrote the description of a desert hike on page 76might have used a Senses Chart, such as the one below.

A Sensory Words Web is another way writers can gather sensorywords. Read the description of the desert hike on page 76 again. If youhad written this description, how would you have filled in this web?Two sensory words have already been entered in the Sound oval. Fill inthe other ovals with sensory words used to describe the desert hike.

A Senses Chart helpswriters gather sensorydetails about theirsubject. These detailscan then be used towrite the description.

A Sensory Words Web helps writersthink of the best words to create clear,vivid images in readers’ minds.

DesertHike

Sight green cactus, gray shrubs, wren,hummingbird, lizard, blue sky, purplemountains, pink and white rock

Sound footsteps crunching, wren chirping

Taste sweet orange slices

Touch sandy soil, warm and grainy rock

Smell wet concrete

Sight Sound

Touch

Smell Taste

crunched, chirped

3

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Read the description below, which was written inresponse to the prompt on page 76. The descriptionscored a 4 on a scale that ranges from 1 to 4 (with 4being the best). Next, read the comments to understandwhy this description scored a 4.

TAKING A LOOK AT DESCRIPTIONSTAKING A LOOK AT DESCRIPTIONS

▲ Your many details help meeasily imagine the beach.

▲ I like the comparisons youmake, especially the similecomparing the salt marshesto green arms.

▲ You organize your detailsskillfully and use appropriatetransition words.

▲ Exact verbs like glitters,bob, screech, and smashmake your description come alive. Good work!

Your TurnNow it’s your turn to helpthe writer. Find and fix theerrors in writing. Go backto the pages in green if youneed help.

1. Find and fix thecontraction error.See pp. 52–53.

2. Find and fix the missingcomma in a compoundsentence. See pp. 42–43.

TeacherComments

Partner Comments

2

4

Score:

I knew right from the start that you weredescribing an ocean beach. Your words and detailsmade the beach and the ocean seem real to me.

Mother Ocean

Every time I see the ocean beach, I smile in happy

surprise. Its always so different and fascinating! The

wind tosses the salty air against my face. To my right,

the beach looks like a long highway of sand. Off to

the left, salt marshes look like green arms stretching

far into the bay. Out where the ocean is calm, the

water glitters from the bright sun and reflects the deep

blue sky. Far away, white sails bob up and down like

tiny moths. Closer to me, sea gulls screech and the

waves smash the shore with a boom. The lacy white

surf splashes toward me and rolls back.

Should I take a swim? I shiver at the very thought.

As I approach the water, the hot sand scorches my

feet, but that doesn’t stop me from plunging into

the cold surf. This is the best treat of all!

1

3

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▲ It’s good that you introduce yoursubject right at the beginning.

▲ The order of your details makes sense,and you use some transitional words.

▲ You could include more exact wordsand sensory details? See pp.26–27, 32–33, and 58–59 for help.

▲ Try to join some of your shortsentences. See pp. 40–41.

Your TurnNow it’s your turn to help thewriter. Find and fix the errors in writing. Go back to the pages in green if you need help.

1. Find and fix the missing commain a compound sentence.See pp. 42–43.

2. Find and fix the contractionerror. See pp. 52–53.

3. Find the sentence fragment andrewrite it as a complete sentence.See pp. 40–41.

4. Find and fix the incorrecthomophone. See pp. 36–37.

5. Find and fix the error in endpunctuation. See pp. 38–39.

TeacherComments 4

Read the description and the comments that follow.Think about why this description scored a 3.

A Great View

I like to look at this ocean beach. It always

looks so different and Im fascinated by it. The

wind blows air in my face. The long sandy

beach on the right. On the left are the green

salt marshes. They stretch into the bay. There

is bright sunlight on the water. It looks blue

like the sky. I can see lots of white sails far

out in the water. They look like tiny bugs.

I here the waves and the sea gulls. The surf

rolls in and out.

Should I take a swim. I run across the sand

and jump into the water. It really feels good!

Partner Comments

1

2

Score:

I liked reading about the beach, but yourdescription could have included more details.None of your words appealed to the sense of sound.

80

TAKING A LOOK AT DESCRIPTIONS continuedTAKING A LOOK AT DESCRIPTIONS

Read the description and the comments that follow.Think about why this description scored a 2.

3

▲ I know that you were trying to describe abeach. However, can you provide some moredetails? What is full of colors?

▲ Because your details are not arranged in asensible order, I don’t have a clear picture ofthe scene.

▲ You need to add more exact verbs andsensory words to show the beach.See pp. 26–27 and 32–33 for help.

▲ Please combine your sentences. Most of themare too short. See pp. 42–43.

Your TurnNow it’s your turn to help the writer. Findand fix the errors in writing. Go back to thepages in green if you need help.

1. Find and fix the paragraph that isn’tindented. See pp. 56–57.

2. Find and fix the two errors in subject-verbagreement. See pp. 22–23.

3. Find and fix the incorrect spelling of aplural noun. See pp. 6–7.

4. Find and fix the incorrect homophone.See pp. 36–37.

5. Find and fix the contraction error.See pp. 52–53.

6. Find the sentence fragment and rewrite itas a complete sentence. See pp. 40–41.

7. Find the run-on sentence and rewrite it astwo shorter sentences. See pp. 44–45.

TeacherComments

The Swim

I like the beach. The wind blow salty

air in my face. It looks very long and

sandy. The salt marshs over their are

very green. The waves and sea gulls

are noisy. Its full of colors. The sky is

blue. The sun is bright. Lots of sails

way out in the water.

I run out to take a swim the sand

is very hot and burns my feet. The

waves comes in and out. The sea is

good and cold.

Partner Comments

1

2

Score:

4

I knew that you were describinga beach, but your description wasn’tvery clear. The details were not inany order that made sense to me.You also used some wordsincorrectly.

81

4

Read the description and the comments that follow.Think about why this description scored a 1.

I like to come here. The beach look so good. Water

and sand and lots of colors. Surfing is a cool sport.

the air smells salty. Out their I see sails. Big waves

go in and out. Sea gulls dive into the cold water. I

knowed it would feel good. I like this place. I dont

want to leave

▲ Your description needs a title.▲ In your opening sentence, you need to identify

the place you are describing. Add more details.▲ Because your details are not in an order that

makes sense to me, the image is not clear. Usesome transitional words to connect the details.

▲ The detail about surfing has little to do with thesubject and should not be in the paragraph.See pp. 58–59 for help.

▲ Try to vary your words and types of sentences.See pp. 26–27, 32–33, 38–39, and 60–61.

Your TurnNow it’s your turn to helpthe writer. Find and fix theerrors in writing. Go back to the pages in green if youneed help.

1. Indent the paragraph.See pp. 56–57.

2. Find and fix the error insubject-verb agreement.See pp. 22–23.

3. Find and fix the sentencefragment. See pp. 40–41.

4. Find and fix thecapitalization error.See pp. 46–47.

5. Find and fix the incorrecthomophone.See pp. 36–37.

6. Find and fix the incorrectirregular verb.See pp. 18–19.

7. Find and fix thecontraction error.See pp. 52–53.

8. Find and fix the missingend punctuation.See pp. 38–39.

TeacherComments

Partner Comments

1

2

3

Score:

It was hard to tell at first just what you weredescribing. You should have started the paragraphby naming the place. Your details had no order,and most sentences were too short. One sentencemade no sense at all because it was about youropinion of surfing.

This rubric is based on a point scale of 1 to 4. It was used to score the descriptions on pages 78–81. Use the rubric to remember the kinds of things that are important in descriptions.

A score of 4 means that the writer❑ connects the writing directly to the prompt.❑ almost always uses the correct forms of words.❑ almost always uses capitalization, punctuation,

and indentation correctly.❑ almost always uses clear and complete sentences

and includes variety in sentences.❑ introduces the subject clearly at the beginning

of the description.❑ creates a clear beginning, middle, and ending.❑ includes many interesting details and sensory

words to create a strong image for readers.❑ arranges details in a sensible order and uses

appropriate transition words to connect them.❑ uses comparisons that make the image clear.

A score of 3 means that the writer❑ connects the writing to the prompt.❑ usually uses the correct forms of words.❑ usually uses capitalization, punctuation, and

indentation correctly.❑ usually uses clear and complete sentences and

includes some variety in sentences.❑ introduces the subject toward the beginning

of the description.❑ creates a beginning, middle, and ending.❑ includes some interesting details and sensory

words to create a clear image for readers.❑ usually arranges details in a sensible order

and uses some appropriate transition words to connect them.

❑ uses some simple comparisons.

A score of 2 means that the writer❑ connects the writing to the prompt in

a general way.❑ uses some incorrect forms of words.❑ uses some incorrect capitalization, punctuation,

and indentation.❑ uses little variety in sentences and includes

some run-on sentences or sentence fragments.❑ presents the subject somewhere within the

description.❑ creates a weak beginning, middle, or ending.❑ includes too few interesting details or sensory

words to create a clear image for readers.❑ fails to arrange details in a sensible order

and uses few transition words to connect them.❑ uses no comparisons or uses them

unsuccessfully.

A score of 1 means that the writer❑ does not successfully connect the writing

to the prompt.❑ uses many incorrect forms of words.❑ often uses incorrect capitalization, punctuation,

or indentation.❑ uses almost no variety in sentences and includes

several run-on or sentence fragments.❑ creates an unclear beginning, middle, or ending.❑ names the subject in an unclear way or not at all.❑ includes words and details that fail to create a

clear image for readers.❑ fails to arrange details in a sensible order and

uses no transition words to connect them.❑ uses no comparisons.

82

USING A RUBRIC TO SCORE DESCRIPTIONSUSING A RUBRIC TO SCORE DESCRIPTIONS

Now it’s your turn to score some descriptions. The four descriptionson pages 83–84 were written in response to this prompt.

Read each description. Write a few comments about it and then giveit a score from 1 to 4. Think about what you’ve learned in this lesson asyou match each description with its correct score.

A Big MuseumThis museum is so big. Too real airplanes hang fromthe lobbys ceiling. The 1903 Flyer belonged to thewright brothers. The Spirit of St. Louis is a smallplane. I also saw the apollo 11 that goed to the moon.

I sat in a pilots seat for a pretend flight. I wasscared the engine was very loud. I was dizzy from thefeeling of being all over the sky Then I left to see moregreat things. In the rest of the museum.

83

M

odel A

M

odel A Score:

SCORING DESCRIPTIONSSCORING DESCRIPTIONS

Write a description of an interesting place you have visited.

Comments: ____________________

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The National Air and Space MuseumI had fun at the National Air and Space Museum

in Washington D.C. It has lots of famous aircraft.Hanging from the ceiling in the huge lobby is theWright brothers 1903 Flyer and Charles Lindbergh’sSpirit of St. Louis. The Apollo 11 spacecraft is alsothere. That’s the one that first carried astronauts upto the moon.

The flight simulators were in the west wing. I sat inone and it made a loud noise like an engine. Thefeeling of flying up, down, and sideways threw the skywas exciting. But I left and hurryed to see the rest ofthe awesome exhibits before the end of the day!

M

odel B

M

odel B Score:

Comments: ____________________

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84

SCORING DESCRIPTIONS continuedSCORING DESCRIPTIONS

Airplanes

That day I learned about airplanes and flying. In thebig lobby in the museum. Two real planes hangsfrom the ceiling. one belonged to two brothers. Thatreally brave charles lindbergh flew across the oceanall alone! It was fun to see the spacecraft thatcarryed those guys to the moon. The best part waswhen I took a pretend flight. Over in the west wing.I was scared. Everything up and down and sideways.I got dizzy then I went off to see more.

M

odel C

M

odel C Score:

Comments: ____________________

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Up, Up, and Away to an Incredible Museum

During my vacation, I visited the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. The museumis like a storehouse of flying machines. Straight aheadin the lobby are some of the most famous aircraft inhistory. The Wright brothers’ 1903 Flyer hangs fromthe ceiling. Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louisalso dangles from above. He was brave to fly thatsmall plane alone across the Atlantic. The Apollo 11spacecraft is also on display. It carried the firstastronauts to land on the moon.

Flight simulators fill the museums west wing. I sat in a pilot’s seat and experienced the thrill offlying. As an engine roared, I zoomed up, down, and sideways through blue sky and pillowy clouds.However, I left quickly. I only had one day to visitall the amazing exhibits.

M

odel D

M

odel D Score:

Comments: ____________________

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Now you get to write your own description. Use the prompt below.

When You Write Your Description

1. Think about what you want to write. Close your eyes andpicture the place you want to describe. Ask yourself somequestions.• Why do I dislike this place? • What do I see there? • What do I hear? • What can I touch, and what does it feel like? • Can I smell or taste anything?

Use graphic organizers to gather and sort your information.

2. Write your first draft. Name the place you are describing at the beginning of the description. Then describe the placewith sensory words and details that make the place seem real.Use comparisons if they help your description.

3. Read your draft. Use the checklist that your teacher will giveyou to review your writing.

4. Edit your description until it paints a clear picture of the placeyou’re describing.

5. Proofread your description one last time.

6. Write a neat copy of your description and give it to yourpartner.

Work with a Partner

7. Read your partner’s description.

8. Score your partner’s description from 1 to 4, using the rubricon page 82. Then complete the Partner Comments sheet thatyour teacher will give you. Tell what you liked about thedescription and what you think would make it better.

9. Switch papers.

10. Think about your partner’s comments and make changes that will improve your description.

11. Write a neat final copy of your description.

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◆ ◆Making Connections

◆ One way to help youlook at somethingclosely is to make acircle with your thumband forefinger. As youlook through the circle,notice specific detailsabout your subject andwrite them down. Movethe circle about slowly.Does this help yougather details?

◆ Use your journal tocollect notes aboutpeople, places, orthings that would befun to describe. Noticehow people talk, look,and behave. Watch howanimals behave. Saveyour notes for futurewriting.

◆ Notice how TV, books,and magazines usedetails related to thefive senses. In yourjournal, keep a sensoryword bank. It will comein handy when youwrite descriptions.

WRITING DESCRIPTIONSWRITING DESCRIPTIONS

Write a description of a place that you dislike.