Simple to Complex with Badger Claws
Writer's use many different techniques to improve their writing. We have been working hard at two different strategies. One thing writer's do is use extensive vocabulary. Using high or strong vocabulary words add detail and can draw your reader's into your writing.
Today, we brainstormed a few words to describe how Badger Claws must have been feeling and some character traits. Here is an example.
Badger claws was feeling melancholic. He missed his dad.
This sentence is a great example of using vocabulary. However, it is also an example of a simple sentence.
What is a simple sentence you ask?
Badger Claws was feeling melancholic.
Badger Claws is the subject and was feeling melancholic is the predicate.
Another way a writer can improve their writing is by changing simple sentences into complex sentences. These sentences elaborate on ideas by answering where? why? what? when? or how?
Here is an example.
Badger Claws felt melancholic when the memory of his father came to him.
Not only am I combining two shorter sentences, but I am elaborating by adding why and when he felt melancholic.
Writers can also enhance their writing by making simple sentences into complex sentences by adding a conjunction.
Here is an example.
Badger Claws felt melancholic when the memory of his father came to him.
Not only am I combining two shorter sentences, but I am elaborating by adding why and when he felt melancholic.
Writers can also enhance their writing by making simple sentences into complex sentences by adding a conjunction.
Badger claws was feeling melancholic when the memory of his father came to him.
Badger claws was feeling melancholic is the independent clause. That simply means it is a complete sentence.
Badger claws was feeling melancholic when the memory of his father came to him.
when the memory of his father came to him is not a complete sentence. It is considered a dependent clause because it "depends" on the independent clause to be a complete sentence.
What conjunction did I use in the sentence?
Badger claws was feeling melancholic when the memory of his father came to him.
Some other conjunctions writers use are:
because, since, if, so, although, and, but, when, unless, even though, and after.
Find two simple sentences in chapter 1-4 of Badger Claws. Copy them into your comment. Then, enhance the sentences by adding vocabulary or making a complex sentence. Be sure to use a conjunction. Look at the examples for help.
Dear Room 9,
ReplyDeleteHere are the simple sentences we found together:
I can make a fire. I can make a house for myself.
We are going to change these two sentences into one complex sentence.
I can make a fire with dry sticks and bark, as well as make a house out of wooden sticks.
Sincerely,
Lev
Evan
Oliver
Dear Leo Carillo and Ms. Broussard,
ReplyDeleteWhen is the conjunction you used in your sentence.
Here are my sentences:
1. Badger Claws was terrified because the Shaman fiercely gripped his arm even though the Shaman was elderly.
The sentence was: But the Shaman took him by the arm. He pulled.
2. The blazing sun rose in the sky increasing the scorching heat, but Badger Claws’ persistence led him to endure.
The sentence was: It grew hot. In the sun it was very hot.
What conjunctions did I use in my sentences?
From,
Zoe
Dear Room 9,
ReplyDeleteHere are two sentences we have enhanced from the book Badger Claws of Ojai:
The original sentences were "The air began to grow colder. At the bottom of the canyon a lovely creek sang a merry song as it splashed along the rocks." Here is the sentence that we enhanced: "The air began to grow even colder and at the bottom of the canyon a lovely little creek sang a merry song as it splashed along the rocks at night." Can you see how these small changes made big differences?
Your friends that are eager to finish Badger Claws of Ojai,
Sophia S and Jordyn
Dear room 9,
ReplyDeleteThis are my two sentences together, and then my complex sentence that puts them together with a conjunction:
Badger Claws was very hungry.
He looked around for something to eat.
Badger Claws was famished, so he looked for some nutritious food to eat.
I hope you like my sentence. What is your favorite food to eat?
Your food loving friend,
Ben
Dear Room 9,
ReplyDeleteHis pounding heart was beating very fast because he was feeling very nervous .
Badger Claws was terrified since he didn't know what his punishment was going to be.
Sincerely,
Maxim
Dear Sophia N,
ReplyDeleteMy simple sentences are: He found a flint rock. He threw it against the boulder.
Here is my 3rd grade sentence: When Badger Claws found a sharp flint rock, he threw it with
all of his energy against the huge boulder. That is my third grade sentence!!!
sincerely,
Aanshi
Dear Aanshi,
DeleteMy simple sentences are: Badger Claws did not have a fire. He needed a fire to cook his rabbit.
My 3rd grade sentence is: Badger Claws did not have the hot and toasty fire that he needed to cook his yummy rabbit.
Love,
Sophia N.
Dear Mrs. Broussard,
ReplyDeleteThis is our complex sentence we worked on in class. Here it is: Badger Claws was famished, so he went looking for some nutritional food in the canyon to eat. These are the two sentences we used to conjunct: Badger Claws was hungry. He looked around for something to eat. That is our complex sentence and the two separated sentences we used.
Sincerely,
Judah
Dear Room 9,
ReplyDeleteWe were supposed to choose 2 sentences from the book Badger Claws. We had to come up with two better astonishing sentences. The first sentence I chose from the story was, he sent his arrow flying and killed the rabbit. I knew I could have made that sentence better. So then I came up with the following sentence. He pulled his arrow back and released it then as it flew in the air, it hit the rabbit. The second sentence from the story was, now he knew that he was going to eat rabbit tonight. Instead of writing that I wrote, he was thinking in his mind that he was going to have a juicy rabbit that night. What did you think of those two sentences? Did you like them?
Sincerely,
Raana
Dear Room 9,
ReplyDeleteI have been working on fusing sentences. These are my sentences.
The long slow colossal trail had cool tall trees that cut out the burning sun light. This is what
that looked like before I fused them . The trail was cool.
The tall trees cut out the light of the sun.
From,
Jacob
Dear Room 9,
ReplyDeleteHere are two sentences from the book Badger Claws Of Ojai that I fixed up with Raana.
The first sentence was:He sent his arrow flying and killed the rabbit. We changed it to:He pulled his arrow back and released it,then as it flew in the air he watched it hit the rabbit.Our next sentence is: Now he knew he was going to eat rabbit tonight,we turned it to:
He was thinking in his mind that he was going to have a juicy rabbit that night.
Warmly,
Kimia
Warmly,
Kimia
Dear Room 9,
ReplyDeleteHere are the two sentences from the book: The air began to grow colder. At the bottom of the canyon a lovely creek sang a merry song as it splashed over the rocks. Now here is the enhanced sentence: The air began to grow slightly colder and at the bottom of the canyon a lovely creek sang a merry song as it splashed over the rocks at night.
Sincerely,
Jordyn and Sophia S
Dear Mrs. Broussard,
ReplyDeleteMy simple sentences are: They had walked for a long time. Badger Claws wanted to sit down.
My complex sentence: After they had walked for a really long time, Badger Claws wanted to sit down and rest by a shady oak tree.