The most common way to form a series is with commas and a conjunction. Notice that we DO include the "Oxford comma" at the end of the series:

We read The Arabian Nights, Comedy of Errors, Cyrano de Bergerac, and Cry, the Beloved Country in English class this year.

We will read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Monkey, selections from Greek and Roman mythology and from Aesop's Fables, George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, and Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days next year.

Another way to form a series is to use the commas but to leave out the conjunction at the end. It is used to indicate that the list is incomplete. It is not used often! 

I love so many of the Pixar movies: Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3, Monsters, Inc, Finding Nemo,  Up! 


Another way to form a series is by eliminating the commas and separating each item with a conjunction. It is used to slow the reader down and draw attention to each item. It is not used often!

I love so many of the Pixar movies: Toy Story and Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 and Monsters, Inc and Finding Nemo and Cars and Cars 2 and Rataouille and Up!

For the last two weeks of the year (for units 29 and 30), you will use series in your sentences. Use at least one of each kind each week, just for practice.

Go to the Teacher Resources section and look under Reading for my two new Power Point presentations on poetry terms: one on terms that have to do with forms of poetry and one on terms that have to do with sounds and meanings in poetry. Students said they learned lots of new things--including an increased respect for poets and the writing of poetry!

For your sentences, use conjunctions--any of the ones listed below EXCEPT the word and. Try different conjunctions, and try using them in different ways!

There are coordinating conjunctions that work alone:

• and
  
• but
  
• or
  
• nor
  
• for
  
• yet
  
• so
  

And there are correlative conjunctions that work in pairs:

• either ... or
  
• neither ... nor
  
• both ... and
  
• not only ... but also
  

Either kind of conjunctions can join together all kinds of sentence parts.

Compound subject:
Madison and Mariah raise rabbits.

Compound adjective:
The girls are busy but responsible.

Compound predicate:
They clean the cages and groom the rabbits for a 4-H show.

Compound adverb:
They work quickly and carefully.

Compound direct object:
They need a ride to the exhibit hall. Madison will ask her mother or her father.

Compound object of a preposition:
After the demonstration and the judging the girls decide it is time to go home.

Compound indirect object:
Mariah will give either her mother or her father a call to ask for a ride.

Either kind of conjunctions can join together independent sentences. You will be using them to create compound sentences. Notice that the comma in front of the conjunction is required when you join two complete independent clauses!

• Either the girls will continue to work with rabbits, or they will decide to do a different project next year.
  
• Mariah loves taking care of her rabbits, so she will probably choose to do them again.
  
• Madison wants to raise horses, but she doesn't have enough money to do that.
  
• Madison would like to continue to work with Mariah, for they are best friends.
  
• Not only do the girls want to continue to work together, but they also want to continue in their same 4-H club.
  
• The other girls in the club want to continue next year, too, yet they will need to find a new leader. 
  

We took 11 projects to State and SIX projects placed! That's amazing! That’s HALF!

None of our groups won 1st or 2nd place, but three groups came in 3rd place. That makes them alternates, which means they have the opportunity to go to Nationals at Washington, DC, in June, even if they don't get to compete. (All the fun and none of the pressure!)

Our third place winners are:
·         Ali Meyer and Corben Roszak for their documentary on the New York City Subways
·         Devin Horn, Catherine Massie, and Cody Warren for their website on Strategic Deterrence
·         Robyn Harvey, Erin Molello, Kristyn Schroder, and Rainey Woodward for their exhibit on Starbucks

Jocelyn Grant, Lilia Scrafford, Anneli Seaberg, and Annika Taylor took 6th place for their website on the Berlin Wall.

Annika Maule and Carmen Adams took 5th place for their documentary on the Berlin Wall.

Abby Ryan and Briana Ryan took 4th place for their exhibit on Women’s Suffrage. In addition, Abby and Briana won the Washington State Historical Society Award. They will get a special WSHS museum tour this summer and their exhibit will go on display at the museum. Oh, and they get $100 prize, too. :)

Way to go, Team Poulsbo!