Monthly Archives: January 2012

Happy Birthday, Wolfgang!

January 27, 2012
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On this day in 1756, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born. 

I used to use that fact to work with students when they were learning about the calendar and how to count months, days, years etc.  The standard assignment was to find out how old I was.  Yes, it is true that not too many teachers share their exact age with a student, but I have never hidden my age, so this was a natural.  You see, I was born 2 days shy of Mozart's 200th birthday.  

So, the assignment basically included research (they had to find Mozart's birth date) and then figuring out what 2 days shy of his 200th birthday would be.  It was a fun assignment, because even the students that didn't like homework, were always intrigued to try and figure out my age.

One of my favorite Mozart compositions is the Concert Rondo in D.  It is a delightful, light piece of music and was used in the movie called "Hopscotch" starring Walter Matthau. 

Bill Gates’ Rules for Success

January 20, 2012
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Misplaced Prepositional Phrases

January 18, 2012
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Many people think the writing section of the SAT is only the essay, but that couldn't be further from the truth.  The essay is small part of the writing section.  Recognizing and correcting misplaced prepositional phrases is one of the skills tested on the SAT writing section.

A prepositional phrase is a group of words starting with a preposition and ending with the object of the preposition, usually a noun.   Examples include: to the store; between the cars; into the pool etc.  These phrases usually modify something else in the sentence.  And the phrase needs to be next to the word/noun that it modifies.

There is a famous Groucho Marx joke that goes something like this:  "I shot an elephant in my pajamas…. How the elephant got in my pajamas, I will never know."  In this example "IN MY PAJAMAS" is the prepositional phrase that is supposed to be modifying the subject of the sentence I.    Of course since Groucho Marx laughed at his error and corrected it, we know that he knew it was incorrect.

Tonight on the news:  "A 65 year old woman boarding a plane with a gun."  Uh???  What was the plane doing with the gun???  YUP!  That's incorrect.  WITH A GUN is a prepositional phrase that is telling more about, or modifying, the WOMAN and so should be attached to that subject.  It should read "A 65 year old woman with a gun was boarding a plane."  Once you get used to writing/saying it the right way, the wrong way is actually funny. 

Upcoming SAT tests

January 1, 2012
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The next SAT test is scheduled for January 28.  That is only 27 days away!  If you are registered to take this test it is time to buckle down and finish your preparation. 

What should you be doing? 

Sign up for word of the day by Dictionary.com  Pay attention to the derivatives of the word when you get each new word.  Don't worry so much about memorizing the word, although that is a good thing, but try to memorize the prefixes and suffixes of that word.

Review the most basic math formulas and practice using each one a few times.  This includes finding the area of squares, rectangles, parallelograms, trapezoids, circles and triangles.  You will also need perimeter of quadrilaterals and other polygons and the circumference of a circle.  Add to that finding the surface area of cones, cylinders, cubes and pyramids and the volume of those figures are well.  Yes you are provided these formulas at the beginning of each math section on the SAT, but you don't want to spend time shuffling through the pages to find them each time you need to use one and you certainly don't want to have to spend time staring at them to figure out what the letters in the formulas stand for.  The best way to do this is to put each formula on one side of an index card and put at least 2 examples on the other side of the card.

Don't complain about the critical reading.  Yes, everyone knows you aren't interested in the subject matter of each reading; they are boring; they use tough vocabulary.  Remember, the SAT is a measure of how well you will do in college and there will be many times in college when you will be required to read something that doesn't interest you, even in your major subject.

The night before the test don't study at all.  Do something you like to do, but don't go out partying; watch TV, listen to music, read for fun or play video games.  Gather your pencils and make sure they are sharpened.  Be certain you have fresh batteries in your calculator.  Get a good night's sleep and be sure to eat a good breakfast before you leave for the test.  Include some protein in that breakfast to provide you with long lasting energy. 

Most of all, don't panic.  Enjoy the experience.  GOOD LUCK!!

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