Friday, October 04, 2002
ALL CLASSES
We discussed our R.E.A.S.S. strategies today.
LA 1
We heard the story in Rope Burn by Jan Siebold with the proverb, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." We looked for pictures and headlines to fit in with the proverb.
LA 4 & LA 7
We looked at the book Zoom and Re-Zoom by Istvan Banyai. Then we compared it to Elaboration techniques of zooming in or out to create more depth to our stories.
The day ended with our Six Weeks' Awards Assembly
Have a great weekend. Read something today and every day!
We discussed our R.E.A.S.S. strategies today.
LA 1
We heard the story in Rope Burn by Jan Siebold with the proverb, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." We looked for pictures and headlines to fit in with the proverb.
LA 4 & LA 7
We looked at the book Zoom and Re-Zoom by Istvan Banyai. Then we compared it to Elaboration techniques of zooming in or out to create more depth to our stories.
The day ended with our Six Weeks' Awards Assembly
Have a great weekend. Read something today and every day!
Thursday, October 03, 2002
A note to ALL Parents and Guardians of my students:
Your children have been extremely sweet and caring during my latest personal life trauma. (Have shared it with them, they may share with you.)
I have received notes and cards made with special care and wonderful words of encouragement. I commend you on raising such fine, thoughtful, young ladies and gentlemen.
I want to thank you for loaning them to me for this year of their development. I will try to be as considerate of each individual’s feelings as they have been of mine. I will still get upset and fuss at them because now I care even more than I did before. (sorry kids!)
Your children have been extremely sweet and caring during my latest personal life trauma. (Have shared it with them, they may share with you.)
I have received notes and cards made with special care and wonderful words of encouragement. I commend you on raising such fine, thoughtful, young ladies and gentlemen.
I want to thank you for loaning them to me for this year of their development. I will try to be as considerate of each individual’s feelings as they have been of mine. I will still get upset and fuss at them because now I care even more than I did before. (sorry kids!)
ALL CLASSES
We are learning the R part of REASS (rhymes with grease).
“R” stands for Ratiocination (we are also learning to SAY the “R” word!)
The part of "R" that we discussed today, helps us focus on following:
* the first word in each sentence –we looked for repeated words such as They, They, They
*sentence length—should be different lengths
*capitalization and punctuation mistakes
*bad words—and, but, because, so, well--Students need wait until they are taught the correct way to begin a sentence with
these words.
*spelling mistakes—read the selection backwards to catch spelling mistakes!!
LA 1
This class also did another Play by the Rules activity
LA 4
This class "begged" for the next Rope Burn proverb story. 5th Proverb = "Absence makes the heart grow fonder"
ASSIGNMENT Read Chapters 19 & 20 in Run Away Home...and be Free by Patricia C. McKissack and write at least one Dialectical Journal (D.J.) Entry
would like all students to have finished this book by Monday, October 7 with one D.J. entry for every ten (10) pages. We will be comparing this book to Journey to Jo'Burg using graphic organizers. (big on the TAKS test) It should be interesting to compare treatment of Black Americans in the 1880's to that of Black South Africans in 1980's.
Keep forgetting to pass out the Vocabulary Workshop Unit 3--will try again tomorrow.
LA 7
to be announced!
We are learning the R part of REASS (rhymes with grease).
“R” stands for Ratiocination (we are also learning to SAY the “R” word!)
The part of "R" that we discussed today, helps us focus on following:
* the first word in each sentence –we looked for repeated words such as They, They, They
*sentence length—should be different lengths
*capitalization and punctuation mistakes
*bad words—and, but, because, so, well--Students need wait until they are taught the correct way to begin a sentence with
these words.
*spelling mistakes—read the selection backwards to catch spelling mistakes!!
LA 1
This class also did another Play by the Rules activity
LA 4
This class "begged" for the next Rope Burn proverb story. 5th Proverb = "Absence makes the heart grow fonder"
ASSIGNMENT Read Chapters 19 & 20 in Run Away Home...and be Free by Patricia C. McKissack and write at least one Dialectical Journal (D.J.) Entry
would like all students to have finished this book by Monday, October 7 with one D.J. entry for every ten (10) pages. We will be comparing this book to Journey to Jo'Burg using graphic organizers. (big on the TAKS test) It should be interesting to compare treatment of Black Americans in the 1880's to that of Black South Africans in 1980's.
Keep forgetting to pass out the Vocabulary Workshop Unit 3--will try again tomorrow.
LA 7
to be announced!
Wednesday, October 02, 2002
LA 1 & LA 4 & LA 7
We completed a listening and following directions activity. I read pieces of information, and students had to follow the directions on their paper. I will be using these activities as the year continues because it is a fun way to strengthen these skills.
Today we spent the second part of class in the Library Lab typing up some of our compositions. We have tried to save the stories to disks, but for some reason the computers are having trouble recognizing the disks. It is a slight problem, which should be under control shortly.
Over the next few days will use our editing techniques on the typed papers to create more interesting stories.
REPORT CARDS SHOULD COME HOME TODAY! WATCH FOR THEM.
We completed a listening and following directions activity. I read pieces of information, and students had to follow the directions on their paper. I will be using these activities as the year continues because it is a fun way to strengthen these skills.
Today we spent the second part of class in the Library Lab typing up some of our compositions. We have tried to save the stories to disks, but for some reason the computers are having trouble recognizing the disks. It is a slight problem, which should be under control shortly.
Over the next few days will use our editing techniques on the typed papers to create more interesting stories.
REPORT CARDS SHOULD COME HOME TODAY! WATCH FOR THEM.
Tuesday, October 01, 2002
Today is Library Day. We checked out books and then had Silent Reading.
NO TESTS THIS WEEK.
REPORT CARDS SHOULD COME HOME ON WEDNESDAY!
NO TESTS THIS WEEK.
REPORT CARDS SHOULD COME HOME ON WEDNESDAY!
Monday, September 30, 2002
ALL CLASSES
Today we are expanding our knowledge of R.E.A.S.S (rhymes with Grease).
R = Ratiocination
E = Elaboration
A = Adjectives
S = Senses
S = Similes and their cousins (proverbs, alliteration, onomatopoeia are a few of these cousins)
We have done some lessons on Cousins of Similes in proverbs.
We discuss using more and better adjectives (A) every day during D.O.L.
Elaboration is essential to making writing more interesting (Students write a sentence; circle one word in that sentence and write another sentence to extend that idea. This process is continued for two or three more sentences.
Today we used our Senses to explore a cookie. First we used sight, then touch, then smell, and then we broke it for sound. We talked about our emotions and feeling before we were finally able to taste the cookie.
Last item of the activity was writing a sentence about the cookie.
The second period of each class is being spent in the Library Lab typing up some of our stories.
Today we are expanding our knowledge of R.E.A.S.S (rhymes with Grease).
R = Ratiocination
E = Elaboration
A = Adjectives
S = Senses
S = Similes and their cousins (proverbs, alliteration, onomatopoeia are a few of these cousins)
We have done some lessons on Cousins of Similes in proverbs.
We discuss using more and better adjectives (A) every day during D.O.L.
Elaboration is essential to making writing more interesting (Students write a sentence; circle one word in that sentence and write another sentence to extend that idea. This process is continued for two or three more sentences.
Today we used our Senses to explore a cookie. First we used sight, then touch, then smell, and then we broke it for sound. We talked about our emotions and feeling before we were finally able to taste the cookie.
Last item of the activity was writing a sentence about the cookie.
The second period of each class is being spent in the Library Lab typing up some of our stories.
Sunday, September 29, 2002
ALL CLASSES:
This week we will go to the Library Computer Lab to type up some of our stories. Then we will continue the editing process we have been practicing. We will have to do the entire Writing Process without the help of the computer at times as this class will be required to take the TAKS Writing Test in Seventh Grade. Computers aren't allowed on that little jewel!
Tuesday is Library Day. All students need to remember to bring Library books to class. All classes will have Silent Reading Time every Tuesday. We need to really work on getting our AR points this six weeks. Lack of points brought some grades down for the first six weeks since a TEST grade is given for the number of points earned.
Students should carry an AR book with them to ALL classes. You never know when a teacher might give a few minutes for reading.
All students should be reading at home EVERY day.
This week we will go to the Library Computer Lab to type up some of our stories. Then we will continue the editing process we have been practicing. We will have to do the entire Writing Process without the help of the computer at times as this class will be required to take the TAKS Writing Test in Seventh Grade. Computers aren't allowed on that little jewel!
Tuesday is Library Day. All students need to remember to bring Library books to class. All classes will have Silent Reading Time every Tuesday. We need to really work on getting our AR points this six weeks. Lack of points brought some grades down for the first six weeks since a TEST grade is given for the number of points earned.
Students should carry an AR book with them to ALL classes. You never know when a teacher might give a few minutes for reading.
All students should be reading at home EVERY day.
