This week and next students will be wrapping up in a couple of different ways. First, we are finishing up our preparation for the ELA MCAS test which will take place on April 2 and 3. Students worked on a practice essay, analyzed essay exemplars, and are taking the online practice test provided by the MA Department of Education.
Secondly, students are finishing up reading their nonfiction books and their final log is due on Wednesday. On Thursday, they will begin preparing slide show presentations. These will include an analysis of text features, author's purpose and point of view, and language. Next week, after MCAS, students will present their slide shows so that they get a taste of each other's topics, and maybe are inspired to pick up another nonfiction book to read!
Homework:
Mon-Tue: finish reading book; submit log 3 to google classroom (due WED)
Wed-Fri: work on slide show as needed (you will work on these in class Thurs, Fri, Mon; presentations begin Thursday 3/4)
Nonfiction Slide Show
Monday, March 25, 2019
Monday, March 18, 2019
Signs of Spring!
Signs of spring were evident in my yard this weekend. A flock of bluebirds was followed by a flock of robins flitting through bare branches and pecking in patches of grass emerging through the snow. A small herd of deer gathered for a raucous game of chase that left large divets in the thawing earth and a pungent scent of zoo. And a large owl has been stealthily perched on low lying branches, its head swiveling to scan for rodents waking from their winter's nap.
Spring is an exciting time at school, too. We begin to see the home stretch and realize there is still so much to do. We will glide into poetry next month, then set sail for ancient Greece in May. But before those adventures take flight, we'll pass through the MCAS exam in the first week of April. Students will engage in practice activity, this week with paper and next week with the online practice test. That will familiarize them with the format and tools so they are ready to take the test the following week.
Besides the MCAS practice we are doing in class, students are reading their nonfiction books and writing their log responses for homework. They are also playing with new vocabulary words; today they played "Sell It!" in which they worked with a partner to create an ad or infomercial for their word(s) in order to sell it/them to the class. Next up...charades!
Homework:
Monday-Thursday: read nonfiction book; LOG #3 due FRIDAY.; study vocab: QUIZ Friday.
Friday: read book...
Vocab quizlet
Spring is an exciting time at school, too. We begin to see the home stretch and realize there is still so much to do. We will glide into poetry next month, then set sail for ancient Greece in May. But before those adventures take flight, we'll pass through the MCAS exam in the first week of April. Students will engage in practice activity, this week with paper and next week with the online practice test. That will familiarize them with the format and tools so they are ready to take the test the following week.
Besides the MCAS practice we are doing in class, students are reading their nonfiction books and writing their log responses for homework. They are also playing with new vocabulary words; today they played "Sell It!" in which they worked with a partner to create an ad or infomercial for their word(s) in order to sell it/them to the class. Next up...charades!
Homework:
Monday-Thursday: read nonfiction book; LOG #3 due FRIDAY.; study vocab: QUIZ Friday.
Friday: read book...
Vocab quizlet
Monday, March 11, 2019
Exploring Author's Purpose and Perspective
Last Friday, students explored the meaning of "author's purpose" and considered purpose in The Giver, the "Shamwow!" infomercial, and an article on drones that they had read during our reading of The Giver. Overall, they identified three main purposes of writing: to persuade, to inform, and to entertain (remembered by the acronym PIE). Students are now working in groups to create posters and radio ads aligned with a secret purpose. Presenters will see how effectively they communicated their purpose as audience members attempt to guess at it. Finally, students will be thinking about the author's purpose in their nonfiction books, as well as the author's perspective: is it objective or biased and how do you know?
Students will be reviewing prepositions and prepositional phrases this week in preparation for a quiz on Thursday. Quizlets to review and practice are linked below, and students can use their class activity sheets from last week as well. Finally, students will be treated to a new vocabulary list later this week!
Homework:
Monday: nonfiction reading log #1 due tomorrow!
Tuesday-Friday: read; log work (next log due Monday 3/18)
Tuesday-Wednesday: review for preposition quiz (use quizlets and class activity sheets from last week)
Preposition Quizlet #1
Preposition Quizlet #2
Students will be reviewing prepositions and prepositional phrases this week in preparation for a quiz on Thursday. Quizlets to review and practice are linked below, and students can use their class activity sheets from last week as well. Finally, students will be treated to a new vocabulary list later this week!
Homework:
Monday: nonfiction reading log #1 due tomorrow!
Tuesday-Friday: read; log work (next log due Monday 3/18)
Tuesday-Wednesday: review for preposition quiz (use quizlets and class activity sheets from last week)
Preposition Quizlet #1
Preposition Quizlet #2
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Switching Gears: Segue from Fiction to Nonfiction Reading
I hope that students enjoyed some down time during our snow day yesterday to play in the snow or just hang out. I also hope that this found time helped them complete their Giver projects. We've been enjoying a gallery walk through projects today.
This week we will segue from fiction to nonfiction reading. Today we looked at differences between them as well as features they have in common. Tomorrow, students will visit the library to choose a nonfiction book (or they may bring one from home if they have one waiting to be read!). On Thursday, they will do a scavenger hunt in their books for nonfiction text features, and they will consider how each of these helps to convey information to the reader. One aspect that students will be considering as they read their books is the author's purpose in writing it, and the author's perspective on the subject. On Friday, students will engage in a mini-lesson to better understand author's perspective and viewpoint.
Students will be dividing their book into sections and completing reading logs four times throughout their reading. For the logs, students will pull at least two quotes for which they write responses. These will be submitted through Google Classroom. After finishing their books, they will compose slide show presentations based on the unique features of their book.
Meanwhile, we continue to study prepositions and prepositional phrases leading up to a short quiz, perhaps later this week.
Homework:
Tuesday: finish preposition activity; finish and turn in anything owed.
Wednesday: finish scavenger hunt chart if needed; begin reading to make sure you like your book!
Thursday/Friday: Read book; log #1 due: 3/12
Reading Log Due Dates
This week we will segue from fiction to nonfiction reading. Today we looked at differences between them as well as features they have in common. Tomorrow, students will visit the library to choose a nonfiction book (or they may bring one from home if they have one waiting to be read!). On Thursday, they will do a scavenger hunt in their books for nonfiction text features, and they will consider how each of these helps to convey information to the reader. One aspect that students will be considering as they read their books is the author's purpose in writing it, and the author's perspective on the subject. On Friday, students will engage in a mini-lesson to better understand author's perspective and viewpoint.
Students will be dividing their book into sections and completing reading logs four times throughout their reading. For the logs, students will pull at least two quotes for which they write responses. These will be submitted through Google Classroom. After finishing their books, they will compose slide show presentations based on the unique features of their book.
Meanwhile, we continue to study prepositions and prepositional phrases leading up to a short quiz, perhaps later this week.
Homework:
Tuesday: finish preposition activity; finish and turn in anything owed.
Wednesday: finish scavenger hunt chart if needed; begin reading to make sure you like your book!
Thursday/Friday: Read book; log #1 due: 3/12
Reading Log Due Dates
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)