Everyone should also be prepared to present the propoganda they found in some type of media over the past week.
SCIENCE BONUS:
1. How fast do scientists think the polar ice caps are melting?
2. How much land do scientists predict will remain (or be covered) after the melting of the ice caps?
Everyone should have also finished reading The Other Side of the Island and completed their jobs.
Dave - Passage Picker and Amazing Artist (This can be anything creative.)
Noah - Savvy Summarizer
Abigail - Creative Connector and Fortune Teller
Hope - Discussion Director
David - Creator's Craft
I'll be checking my email around 6ish tonight for the last time before class tomorrow. Shout back by then if you need guidance or have a question.
Best,
Rachel
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Update: December 2, 2009
Hi folks,
Here's the update from yesterday's class and assignments for next week. I look forward to our next book discussion and to reading your personal event stories!
GRAMMAR: Yesterday we started learning about subject-verb agreement. While I am glad to have introduced the concept and some of the rules, I think we may have gotten a little ahead of ourselves. My plan is to back up and focus on verbs (including conjugation in various tenses, linking verbs, and helping verbs) and prepositional phrases. Then, with that knowledge, subject-verb agreement should be easier and make more sense.
SPELLING: Noah, Abigail, and Hope all received new sets of words to work with over the next week. I also gave them a list of suggested learning activities, a crossword puzzle, and another handout/activity. Next week, I will assess them on this week's words. I will also assess Abigail and Hope on the words I gave them before Thanksgiving, as we did not do that yesterday.
WRITING ASSIGNMENT: Write about an event that has happened to you. (If it's too personal to share with the group, you don't have to, but I am going to read it. I promise to keep it confidential if that is your desire.) It should be something interesting! Keep in mind that the follow-up assignment is to take this piece of writing and turn it into a tall tale. In your writing, use literary devices such as similes, metaphors, and onomatopeoia to make it more interesting. You can also try experimenting with writing in third person (hint: refer to yourself by name). This assignment is DUE NEXT WEEK. If you want feedback before then, send me your writing by TUESDAY at 3:00.
READING ASSIGNMENT: Read to the END of PART TWO
Noah: Discussion Director; Remember to use the questions starters to help you. Have at least one question from each level (right there, thinkand search, you and the author, adn on your own). Write the questions down. Answer the questions in complete sentences. Check for COPS (capitalization, organization, punctuation, adn spelling). It all matters. Be prepared to ask the questions to the group and call on people to answer them. Remember, you give your answers last. You may want to anticipate people's answers and be prepared with follow-up questions to help guide the discussion.
Dave: Fortune Teller and Creative Connector; As fortune teller you need to make a detailed prediction about what might happen next in the story. The more detailed and descriptive your prediction, the more interesting it is and the more we have to discuss. Remember to support your prediction with evidence from the text (I think this will happen because....). As creative connector, make at least one connection between the book and another book, a movie, the world, or yourself. Identify the type of connection (text to text, text to media, text to world, text to self). Write everything down in complete sentences, with indented paragraphs (you might find you need paragraphs for your prediction). Check for COPS (capitalization, organization, punctuation, and spelling).
Abigail: Creator's Craft: Identify at least two literary deviced used by the author. (Refer to the handout for a list of devices and their descriptions). Record either the text or where in the text you found a particular device (page number and paragraph). Explain how the author used each device to enhance the story. Write in complete sentences and check for COPS (capitalization, organization, punctuation, and spelling). Good luck with this job. You're the guinea pig, so to speak. Feel free to call or email me with questions or for feedback.
Hope: Passage Picker: Select a section of the story to discuss with the group. Write down the page number(s) of your selection. Be prepared to read it to the group or summarize it for us. Write about why you pciked that passage and why it is important to the story. Create a piece of art to illustrate the passage. It could be a drawing, collage, diorama, song, etc. Be creative!
David: Savvy Summarizer: Summarize from the beginning of chapter 4 to the end of part 2. You can use the Somebody Wanted Because But So format, a Who What When Where Why How format, go chapter by chapter, or your own strategy. Remember you only have to record the major events and important information, although hightlights make your summary more interesting. Remember to write in paragraphs with correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. Be prepared to read your summary to the group.
Anyone who needs help or would like feedback on their job or writing before we meet next Thursday should email me by Tuesday afternoon or call. I'm generally available Tuesday afternoon/evening and Wednesday morning.
Best wishes,
Rachel
Here's the update from yesterday's class and assignments for next week. I look forward to our next book discussion and to reading your personal event stories!
GRAMMAR: Yesterday we started learning about subject-verb agreement. While I am glad to have introduced the concept and some of the rules, I think we may have gotten a little ahead of ourselves. My plan is to back up and focus on verbs (including conjugation in various tenses, linking verbs, and helping verbs) and prepositional phrases. Then, with that knowledge, subject-verb agreement should be easier and make more sense.
SPELLING: Noah, Abigail, and Hope all received new sets of words to work with over the next week. I also gave them a list of suggested learning activities, a crossword puzzle, and another handout/activity. Next week, I will assess them on this week's words. I will also assess Abigail and Hope on the words I gave them before Thanksgiving, as we did not do that yesterday.
WRITING ASSIGNMENT: Write about an event that has happened to you. (If it's too personal to share with the group, you don't have to, but I am going to read it. I promise to keep it confidential if that is your desire.) It should be something interesting! Keep in mind that the follow-up assignment is to take this piece of writing and turn it into a tall tale. In your writing, use literary devices such as similes, metaphors, and onomatopeoia to make it more interesting. You can also try experimenting with writing in third person (hint: refer to yourself by name). This assignment is DUE NEXT WEEK. If you want feedback before then, send me your writing by TUESDAY at 3:00.
READING ASSIGNMENT: Read to the END of PART TWO
Noah: Discussion Director; Remember to use the questions starters to help you. Have at least one question from each level (right there, thinkand search, you and the author, adn on your own). Write the questions down. Answer the questions in complete sentences. Check for COPS (capitalization, organization, punctuation, adn spelling). It all matters. Be prepared to ask the questions to the group and call on people to answer them. Remember, you give your answers last. You may want to anticipate people's answers and be prepared with follow-up questions to help guide the discussion.
Dave: Fortune Teller and Creative Connector; As fortune teller you need to make a detailed prediction about what might happen next in the story. The more detailed and descriptive your prediction, the more interesting it is and the more we have to discuss. Remember to support your prediction with evidence from the text (I think this will happen because....). As creative connector, make at least one connection between the book and another book, a movie, the world, or yourself. Identify the type of connection (text to text, text to media, text to world, text to self). Write everything down in complete sentences, with indented paragraphs (you might find you need paragraphs for your prediction). Check for COPS (capitalization, organization, punctuation, and spelling).
Abigail: Creator's Craft: Identify at least two literary deviced used by the author. (Refer to the handout for a list of devices and their descriptions). Record either the text or where in the text you found a particular device (page number and paragraph). Explain how the author used each device to enhance the story. Write in complete sentences and check for COPS (capitalization, organization, punctuation, and spelling). Good luck with this job. You're the guinea pig, so to speak. Feel free to call or email me with questions or for feedback.
Hope: Passage Picker: Select a section of the story to discuss with the group. Write down the page number(s) of your selection. Be prepared to read it to the group or summarize it for us. Write about why you pciked that passage and why it is important to the story. Create a piece of art to illustrate the passage. It could be a drawing, collage, diorama, song, etc. Be creative!
David: Savvy Summarizer: Summarize from the beginning of chapter 4 to the end of part 2. You can use the Somebody Wanted Because But So format, a Who What When Where Why How format, go chapter by chapter, or your own strategy. Remember you only have to record the major events and important information, although hightlights make your summary more interesting. Remember to write in paragraphs with correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. Be prepared to read your summary to the group.
Anyone who needs help or would like feedback on their job or writing before we meet next Thursday should email me by Tuesday afternoon or call. I'm generally available Tuesday afternoon/evening and Wednesday morning.
Best wishes,
Rachel
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)