MONTHLY UPDATES:
Thank you for checking out my web page! I update this site monthly to inform you of what students are doing and learning in each of my classes.
OCTOBER:
3rd graders finished reading the book Frindle and learned about identifying character traits and backing them up with evidence from the text. We also learned how to find clues in statements made by "unknown" characters to deduce who made the statements. Students are now reading Ragweed by Avi. 3rd graders discussed their answers to some "big" questions such as, "Should people take risks?" and "Should parents be strict with their children?". These are topics that come up in Ragweed and will be revisited at the end of the book.
4th graders finished reading The Great Gilly Hopkins and are working on writing Bio-poems from the points of view of Gilly "before" and Gilly "after," since the character went through so much change. We will shortly be starting to read The Bridge to Terabithia by the same author.
5th graders just finished reading Ungifted, throughout which we examined how the author weaved together many smaller story lines, yet made them all come together in the end! 5th graders also learned new vocabulary words throughout the novel and are now writing an essay in which they take what they know about a main character and make a prediction about their future.
6th graders are finishing up a unit on short stories in which they explored the genres of realistic fiction and science fiction. They reviewed finding the theme of stories as well as learning new vocabulary. All middle school students learn Greek/Latin roots and will be assessed on them by the end of the quarter. Next, 6th graders will read the story Tuck Everlasting.
7th graders finished their unit on short stories and have now started to read the dystopian novel, The Giver. Students are learning new vocabulary as well as focusing on Notice and Note strategies we learned in class. An example of a Notice and Note strategy is noticing when an a word, phrase, or situation is mentioned over and over. You should ask yourself, "Why does this keep happening again and again?" The answer may tell you about the theme and conflict, or will foreshadow what might happen later in the story. Additionally, ll middle school students learn Greek/Latin roots and will be assessed on them by the end of the quarter.
8th graders are finishing their unit on short stories that all have a "dark and twisted" theme. Throughout the reading of these many stories, students learned about the craft moves authors make in order to have certain effects. For example, what does an author do to create suspense? Additionally, all middle school students learn Greek/Latin roots and will be assessed on them by the end of the quarter.
SEPTEMBER:
3rd graders were introduced to the wonders of the dictionary. Yes, actual paper dictionaries. We did a dictionary scavenger hunt so that they would understand what was happening in the novel they're reading, Frindle, by Andrew Clements. As one student put it, "Looking up one word takes so loooong!" Third graders are learning to read text closely, using Post-It Notes as a tool for marking their text. Sometimes I charge them with a specific task while reading, such as, "Tab evidence that shows how the main character is feeling during this chapter." While reading Frindle, students will learn to make connections between different parts of the text (cause and effect), as well as learning about plot development and theme.
4th graders are reading Katherine Patterson's award-winning book, The Great Gilly Hopkins. Before reading, we built some background knowledge about the foster care system so that student would understand Gilly, a complex character who goes through changes throughout the novel. Students are learning to look for details in the text that hint at character development and to identify the causes of her behavior and her change.
5th graders are reading Ungifted, by Gordon Korman. This book has a different narrator for each chapter and requires the reader to follow the story line through multiple perspectives. The book is funny and contemporary, and it challenges what we think we know about intelligence. Students are also learning new vocabulary words found in the book.
6th graders are reading a collection of short stories at the 6/7 grade level and examining how the writers designed the stories to reach a desired effect (examining the Author's Craft). Sixth graders are also learning and practicing annotating so that they may refer to certain parts of the text during discussion.
7th graders are reading a collection of short stories at the 7/8 grade level and examining how the writers designed the stories to reach a desired effect (examining the Author's Craft). Students are also learning and practicing annotating so that they may refer to certain parts of the text during discussion.
8th graders are reading a collection of short stories at the 8/9 grade level. The stories are all slightly "scary" or dystopian. Eighth graders are focusing on examining the choices the writer made to reach his/her desired effects. Students also practice finding the theme of each story and participate in discussions.
3rd graders finished reading the book Frindle and learned about identifying character traits and backing them up with evidence from the text. We also learned how to find clues in statements made by "unknown" characters to deduce who made the statements. Students are now reading Ragweed by Avi. 3rd graders discussed their answers to some "big" questions such as, "Should people take risks?" and "Should parents be strict with their children?". These are topics that come up in Ragweed and will be revisited at the end of the book.
4th graders finished reading The Great Gilly Hopkins and are working on writing Bio-poems from the points of view of Gilly "before" and Gilly "after," since the character went through so much change. We will shortly be starting to read The Bridge to Terabithia by the same author.
5th graders just finished reading Ungifted, throughout which we examined how the author weaved together many smaller story lines, yet made them all come together in the end! 5th graders also learned new vocabulary words throughout the novel and are now writing an essay in which they take what they know about a main character and make a prediction about their future.
6th graders are finishing up a unit on short stories in which they explored the genres of realistic fiction and science fiction. They reviewed finding the theme of stories as well as learning new vocabulary. All middle school students learn Greek/Latin roots and will be assessed on them by the end of the quarter. Next, 6th graders will read the story Tuck Everlasting.
7th graders finished their unit on short stories and have now started to read the dystopian novel, The Giver. Students are learning new vocabulary as well as focusing on Notice and Note strategies we learned in class. An example of a Notice and Note strategy is noticing when an a word, phrase, or situation is mentioned over and over. You should ask yourself, "Why does this keep happening again and again?" The answer may tell you about the theme and conflict, or will foreshadow what might happen later in the story. Additionally, ll middle school students learn Greek/Latin roots and will be assessed on them by the end of the quarter.
8th graders are finishing their unit on short stories that all have a "dark and twisted" theme. Throughout the reading of these many stories, students learned about the craft moves authors make in order to have certain effects. For example, what does an author do to create suspense? Additionally, all middle school students learn Greek/Latin roots and will be assessed on them by the end of the quarter.
SEPTEMBER:
3rd graders were introduced to the wonders of the dictionary. Yes, actual paper dictionaries. We did a dictionary scavenger hunt so that they would understand what was happening in the novel they're reading, Frindle, by Andrew Clements. As one student put it, "Looking up one word takes so loooong!" Third graders are learning to read text closely, using Post-It Notes as a tool for marking their text. Sometimes I charge them with a specific task while reading, such as, "Tab evidence that shows how the main character is feeling during this chapter." While reading Frindle, students will learn to make connections between different parts of the text (cause and effect), as well as learning about plot development and theme.
4th graders are reading Katherine Patterson's award-winning book, The Great Gilly Hopkins. Before reading, we built some background knowledge about the foster care system so that student would understand Gilly, a complex character who goes through changes throughout the novel. Students are learning to look for details in the text that hint at character development and to identify the causes of her behavior and her change.
5th graders are reading Ungifted, by Gordon Korman. This book has a different narrator for each chapter and requires the reader to follow the story line through multiple perspectives. The book is funny and contemporary, and it challenges what we think we know about intelligence. Students are also learning new vocabulary words found in the book.
6th graders are reading a collection of short stories at the 6/7 grade level and examining how the writers designed the stories to reach a desired effect (examining the Author's Craft). Sixth graders are also learning and practicing annotating so that they may refer to certain parts of the text during discussion.
7th graders are reading a collection of short stories at the 7/8 grade level and examining how the writers designed the stories to reach a desired effect (examining the Author's Craft). Students are also learning and practicing annotating so that they may refer to certain parts of the text during discussion.
8th graders are reading a collection of short stories at the 8/9 grade level. The stories are all slightly "scary" or dystopian. Eighth graders are focusing on examining the choices the writer made to reach his/her desired effects. Students also practice finding the theme of each story and participate in discussions.
