What Christmas song did the monkey sing? Jungle Bells, Jungle Bells...Jungle all the way...
I know it is a lame one but I will be publishing better ones later......
Students are rewriting "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and making it "The Twelve Days of Reading Class".....it was hilarious! There were some questionable verses about their teacher (me)
giving a lot of hard work....sorry, students...Ha!
The scores on the constructed responses were very good....I am proud of their efforts. They incorporated vocabulary, sequenced events, and compared emotions that Brian, the main character, felt during the whole ordeal. I was very pleased with this first effort. I can tell they have been listening.
Only FIVE days to go before Christmas break! Two days before their projects are due! I am excited about seeing them....Have a wonderful Christmas..if I have not already shared this with you.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Brian's Winter (Constructed Responses)
Students will begin working on an excerpt from BRIAN'S WINTER. This book is written by Gary Paulsen. Students will be reading the excerpt and underlining key vocabulary. The next step is to answer the multiple choice questions that follow the story.
Students need to know the difference between context clues, inference, cause and effect and summarizing. We have been reading articles in the newspaper and writing summaries about those articles. These summaries include the most important details from the articles. The context clues are words that surround a key vocabulary word and help students decipher the meaning. Causes and effects are tricky....one might that it snowed this morning (cause-the weather was below freezing/precipitation was falling to the ground in the form of snow) and the effect was the slippery roads this morning. An inference is what Mrs. Basham calls "reading between the lines"....when you read a passage..what clues and information does the author present but not come out directly and state....Reading can be like a secret code and you as a student must be a detective....
Finally, we will be dissecting the question, preparing to write the answer, identifying vocabulary and writing the best answer possible.....students often how much they have to write..my answer is that writing is like wearing a skirt..you must make sure it covers everything! Students usually get a kick of this! Ha!
Students need to know the difference between context clues, inference, cause and effect and summarizing. We have been reading articles in the newspaper and writing summaries about those articles. These summaries include the most important details from the articles. The context clues are words that surround a key vocabulary word and help students decipher the meaning. Causes and effects are tricky....one might that it snowed this morning (cause-the weather was below freezing/precipitation was falling to the ground in the form of snow) and the effect was the slippery roads this morning. An inference is what Mrs. Basham calls "reading between the lines"....when you read a passage..what clues and information does the author present but not come out directly and state....Reading can be like a secret code and you as a student must be a detective....
Finally, we will be dissecting the question, preparing to write the answer, identifying vocabulary and writing the best answer possible.....students often how much they have to write..my answer is that writing is like wearing a skirt..you must make sure it covers everything! Students usually get a kick of this! Ha!
PAS testing/Constructed Writing Responses!
We are testing in the media center on Monday and Tuesday of this week. The students are taking the PAS test for the second time this year. They are tested in the areas of math and reading....this test usually indicates how the student will be performing at the end of the year. They will be taking the MAP test next week. I appreciate their hard work and focused attention.
On a personal note, the snow was beautiful but slippery this morning. As I came to school, I noticed several cars had a difficult time with the highways. Students need to wear warm coats and layered clothing.
AR Points can be earned until December 16th...that is next Wednesday...I think...Students have done so much better this nine weeks. They have really been reading..I am proud of them. Keep up the good work...
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and is gearing up for a fabulous Christmas!
On a personal note, the snow was beautiful but slippery this morning. As I came to school, I noticed several cars had a difficult time with the highways. Students need to wear warm coats and layered clothing.
AR Points can be earned until December 16th...that is next Wednesday...I think...Students have done so much better this nine weeks. They have really been reading..I am proud of them. Keep up the good work...
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and is gearing up for a fabulous Christmas!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Ghosts of Christmas Past
The Ghosts of Christmas Past want to warn Miss Sidebottom and Mrs. Bowlds about trying to wear shirts instead of sweaters....chains will be shackled to wrists and ankles if your efforts do not improve in the Christmas Sweater Extravaganza!
C'mon, girls....you can do better!
The Ghost of Christmas Present is disappinted by the lack of creativity found on the first day...
I see REDEMPTION on the horizon....can they turn it around in time?.....That remains to be seen........
C'mon, girls....you can do better!
The Ghost of Christmas Present is disappinted by the lack of creativity found on the first day...
I see REDEMPTION on the horizon....can they turn it around in time?.....That remains to be seen........
On the First Day of December, My Teacher Gave to Me!
PROJECTS are being assigned....the students will receive the paperwork on Wednesday, December 2. Their projects are due on December 15, 2009.
They have their choice of three products: Origami mobile, Puppets/Stage and Game!
Each of these is based on a book they have read in class. Yippee! Get your creative groove on and get ready to knock your classmates' socks off......Please feel free to ask questions concerning the project! You can do it...they will be awesome!
By the way, the classes read articles in the paper entitled, "Alaska". They are perfecting their note-taking skills and then summarizing their notes cohesively in a wonderfully written paragraph........
Have a terrific Christmas and I am looking forward to a fabulous new year....
We will be taking the PAS test and MAP test again soon...keep focusing and working hard.....
They have their choice of three products: Origami mobile, Puppets/Stage and Game!
Each of these is based on a book they have read in class. Yippee! Get your creative groove on and get ready to knock your classmates' socks off......Please feel free to ask questions concerning the project! You can do it...they will be awesome!
By the way, the classes read articles in the paper entitled, "Alaska". They are perfecting their note-taking skills and then summarizing their notes cohesively in a wonderfully written paragraph........
Have a terrific Christmas and I am looking forward to a fabulous new year....
We will be taking the PAS test and MAP test again soon...keep focusing and working hard.....
Monday, November 30, 2009
HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GREAT THANKSGIVING!
IN FIRST PERIOD, WE ARE READING "MARTIAN CHRONICLES" BY RAY BRADBURY AND DISCUSSING SETTINGS WITH EMPHASIS ON COMPREHENSION AND VOCABULARY!
Second Period: We read the story,"Ta-Na-E-Ka" dealing with rites of passage and how a young girl creatively uses to her wits to survive five days in the wilderness.
Third Period: The focus is Making Predictions! "The Bracelet" is a story about Japanese interrment during World War II. We also address the United States' response when the country apologized in 1989 after the Japanese Americans were imprisoned in 1942 for a period of several months to years.
Fifth Period: Japanese Folktales are read with emphasis on details. The two stories are " The Spider Weaver" and "The Grateful Statues". We are character diagramming and focusing on comprehension:)
Sixth and Eighth Periods: We are reading "Ta-Na-E-Ka". These stories are dealing with girls and boys being treated equally. The Kaw Indians (subtribe of the Sioux) were the first Indians that allowed women and men to be treated as equals.
Second Period: We read the story,"Ta-Na-E-Ka" dealing with rites of passage and how a young girl creatively uses to her wits to survive five days in the wilderness.
Third Period: The focus is Making Predictions! "The Bracelet" is a story about Japanese interrment during World War II. We also address the United States' response when the country apologized in 1989 after the Japanese Americans were imprisoned in 1942 for a period of several months to years.
Fifth Period: Japanese Folktales are read with emphasis on details. The two stories are " The Spider Weaver" and "The Grateful Statues". We are character diagramming and focusing on comprehension:)
Sixth and Eighth Periods: We are reading "Ta-Na-E-Ka". These stories are dealing with girls and boys being treated equally. The Kaw Indians (subtribe of the Sioux) were the first Indians that allowed women and men to be treated as equals.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Suffixes/Root Words/Synonyms/Multi-meaning Words/Words in Context/Comprehension
Students have been working on Suffixes (word parts added at the end of words), root words (base words), Synonyms (words that are not exactly spelled the same but have similar meanings), Context Clues (Looking at words in the sentence to provide clues for the correct word) and reading passages that are followed by comprehensive questions---plot events, conclusions and detailed character sketches!
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