5PA Odes

This week students are beginning to write their own odes after a week of investigating this genre of poetry.  We used a process called immersion which allowed students to read several examples of odes. Students were then asked to identify what they noticed by studying the authors' work.  Here is a list of ideas we brainstormed as a class:

What is an Ode?

• clearly written explanations of topics
• poems which include stanzas
• can be open to interpretation
• written in story-like fashion
• topics can be sentimental-have personal importance or value
• written in first person
• helps audience realize that the topic is a special thing
• there is a grander meaning or purpose (not just an ordinary idea/topic)
• it is a "shout out'-an appreciation of the topic
• can be serious or humorous
• includes figurative language-hyperbole, idioms, similes, metaphors, etc...
• importance is based on author's perspective
• shows or exposes results, impact or effect

Students will complete their poems on Wednesday and will begin to publish their work using an app called Pix-n-Tell.  Below is a video of how this app works.  If possible, students may bring in a device (iPad, cell phone).  It would be helpful if students download the app on their device prior to bringing it to school. Devices can be brought to school on Wednesday, December 16th.  Please be aware that students have permission to use their device during Project Arrow.  Their devices may not be used in the classroom setting unless it is approved by the classroom teacher.  I anticipate using the devices on Wednesday and Thursday only. However, I will inform the students if they are to bring in their devices on Friday.  Also, the app is free. I did inform students that they can upgrade the app to prevent an unsightly logo from showing up on their finished product.  This upgrade is $0.99.  Please email or call if you have any questions.

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4PA Homework

This weekend students are to read chapter 7-"The Key to the Garden".  I know the students are looking forward to finding out what secrets Mary uncovers in this chapter.  Please feel free to have a discussion about the symbolism within this portion of the text and previous readings.  Have a great weekend! Please click here to listen to the audio version.

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4PA Homework

We are continuing our reading adventures with the Secret Garden.  Today, most of our time was spent investigating the symbolism in Chapter 4 "Martha".  We did a fun activity called Webs of Understanding to help share the ideas found in the text.  Students sat in a circle and a ball of yarn was passed around  to hold one another accountable for active participation.  At the end of our discussion, it was evident that students had shared  an abundance of wonderful ideas and the web that was created was as complex as their thinking.  Tonight students are to read Chapter 5 "The Cry in the Corridor."  Please click here to listen to the chapter online.  Enjoy!

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4PA Homework

Tonight the students are to complete a reading for the Secret Garden.  They are to read Chapter 3-"Across the Moor".  The students are extremely excited about their reading experiences.  However, I prefer that they only read this chapter.  I made them promise NOT to read any further.  Also, students have NO written assignments.  This may be an expectation in the future.  Students please click here to be taken to the audio recording of chapter 3.  Enjoy!

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5PA Update

Students have been quite busy over the last couple of weeks.  We finally finished our work with the story All Summer in a Day.  The students had the opportunity to view the video and discuss the similarities and differences when comparing it with the story.  Students also completed a homework assignment which focused on plot development.  One of the tasks students had to perform was writing an ending to the story.  They were so excited to share their endings with their peers, and I was extremely impressed.  It was as if Ray Bradbury himself had stepped into Room 218 to share his work.  Students were able to capture the tone and language of the text. We have some wonderful authors in 5PA.  The students also completed a performance task in connection with the story.  

We then moved on to reading an article titled Beaming Good Cheer to a Norwegian Town's Dark Days.  The basic premise of this article is that a town in Norway is located near a mountain that blocks the sun for six months out of the year.  The decision to use mirrors to reflect the sunlight in the town changes the life of the people; however, there are those that oppose the mirrors for a variety of reasons.  We investigated both perspectives of the article and began an activity called Tug-of-War.  The goal is for students to think of reasons or "tugs" that either support the use of mirrors or oppose the use of mirrors.  They then had to determine which reasons were the strongest "tugs" that would convince someone of a  particular view. The engagement of the students was very high.  We will complete this activity on Monday and then continue our work with Capstone on Tuesday.  Below is a video that will provide you with information about the Norwegian town from the article.

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3PA Update

Last week, the students spent time analyzing a piece of artwork entitled "Day and Night" by a famous artist named M.C. Escher.  His work uses various optical illusions which enables someone who is observing his work to interpret it based on things that they notice.   To help students examine his work, we used a strategy called See Think Wonder.  First, students were asked to be good investigators and identify what they saw.  Next, they were asked to make interpretations based on evidence within the art piece.  Finally, students were challenged to ask broad questions that they had related to the work of Escher.  The goal for students was to ask questions that Escher himself would only be able to answer.  I was very impressed with all of the students' thinking.  

We then moved on to a wordless picture book called Free Fall by David Wiesner.  Many of the illustrations found in this book were similar to the style of Escher's work. We completed a gallery walk and had the opportunity to look at each illustration from the book.  I placed them in order on the floor and students were asked to think about what could be seen upside down that could also be seen right-side up.  Again, they were asked to be good observers and look for things that may not be easily seen upon first glance.  Below is a video of the book that I shared with students.  Afterwards, they had to sequence the illustrations.  We will continue our work with Free Fall over the next two days.

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4PA Update

4PA students have been very busy over the past two weeks! We have spent a great deal of time with a text titled "Lenny's Red-Letter Day", which is about a boy named Prakash  who struggles with whether or not to befriend a boy named Lenny who is different than he is.  Prior to reading the text, students were surveyed anonymously and required to answer the following questions:

When you choose a friend, how much are you influenced by:

• What your friends or classmates think of this person?
• What your parents think of this person?
• How the person looks or dresses?
• How much money he or she has?

Afterwards, we viewed a video called "My Shoes" that had a significant impact on the students and made them think about the perspective of someone that is less fortunate than they are. They realized that it may be extremely difficult to make friends when one is different and unable to fit in.  Please feel free to view the video below.

We also spent time annotating the text and discussing literal and inferential ideas.  We tried out a new strategy from a book that many teachers are reading at Gombert called Making Thinking Visible.  The strategy is called Chalk Talk.  We did a variation of this particular strategy and used technology rather than chart paper.  The basic gist of the activity is to provide students with open-ended questions that will allow them to make interpretations about the text. The students worked at stations and responded to questions using the interactive bulletin board from a site called Padlet.  Students were encouraged to link their ideas to their peers and/or add additional information.  The students really enjoyed this task.  Next week we will be participating in our very first Socratic Seminar and will begin creating a Google slide presentation about fractured fairy tales. 

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3PA Update

Students have been spending time reading and examining "The Ugly Duckling" by Hans Christian Andersen. Prior to reading the text, they were given mirrors and asked to identify two things that they liked about themselves and two things that they would change.  I was very surprised and amazed by some of their responses.  We then viewed a video which gave students a perspective about how others in our world see themselves.  The short video also connected wonderfully to the theme of the story. Please feel free to view it below.  

Another task they were given was to identify generalizations of change within  the text.  We took some time to discuss the examples of change that were found, and the students did a great job of justifying their thinking.  I can tell that they are becoming more clear about how an author uses change throughout his or her work.  Each individual was also asked to locate parts of the text that showed change in setting, change in a relationship and change in the main character. As we came to an end of our time exploring "The Ugly Duckling", we were able to learn about the  life of Hans Christian Andersen by reading a biographical sketch.  The students were shocked  that he was bullied by other children and even his teachers.  Students saw a clear connection between his life and the story.  We then  completed a venn diagram by identifying similarities and differences between the ugly duckling and Andersen's life. Next week, students will be completing an assessment which contains both literal and inferential questions. They will also be writing diamante poems which depict change.  Diamante poems are in the shape of a diamond and consist of seven lines. Each learner will be required to use specific words to create meaning. 

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Capstone Project

Today was a pretty exciting time in  our 5PA classroom.  Students participated in the "Capstone Kick-Off" to begin our year long research project.  We viewed a motivational video from Kid President about making a positive change in the world (see below), and we discovered how to bring "Genius Hour" to our classroom. I encourage you to visit www.geniushour.com for more information about how this program works, why it was used at Google, and how it can be adapted in our classroom to ensure high achievement in our students.

We also viewed a news report about an 8 year old girl named Peighton who had a passion to help others by creating warm blankets for people with cancer, elderly people and anyone who was in need of comfort.  It is truly a story of how a little girl turned a small idea into a reality.  If you are interested in viewing the video please click here.  I also promised that I would include Peighton's GoFundMe page so that students could learn more about the Warm Hearts Club she created.  Click here to go to the website.

This weekend, students are to share this information with you.  I've asked students to have a conversation with you about his or her passions and write them down in their PA notebooks.  Monday, we will participate in our very first Genius Hour.  We're so excited!

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3PA Update

Students have been reading "Shells" by Cynthia Rylant.  This story was about a boy named Michael who has to live with his Aunt Esther because his parents passed away unexpectedly. We read the text multiple times for a variety of purposes.  Students analyzed the story to determine how the elements of change applied to the text.  We also did a fun activity to compare and contrast the two characters.  We created a venn diagram by using two hula hoops.  Next, students used sticky notes to write down their ideas.  They then placed them in the appropriate category.  This was a twist on the traditional use of  a venn diagram, and the students enjoyed it immensely.  Our main focus during this story was to come to an understanding about what the author meant when she used the phrase "came out of its shell". We did some research using a website called Wonderopolis to learn about the purpose of a hermit crab's shell. Then we talked about the literal and figurative meanings of this word and also discussed the different types of shells that people have that prevent them from reaching their full potential in life. Some of the ideas we came up with were fear, anxiety, grief, sadness, anger, etc..We are finishing up with a culminating activity in which students will need to write about a time in their lives when they had to come out of their shell. I am eager to read them.

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5PA-Socratic Seminar

I am so excited to announce that the students in 5PA have completed their very first Socratic Seminar of the year.  Words cannot express how amazed I was with the thoughts and ideas that were presented.  Students were SO articulate during the discussions.  They were also able to clearly cite evidence from the text to support their thinking.  Before participating, all individuals were exposed to the expectations and routines that must be followed during a Socratic Seminar. Below are the ground rules that were discussed.  We also viewed two videos that depicted what students should do during a seminar.  During the video, students had to  take notes on what they saw and heard.  Afterwards, students had a discussion to share out their noticings.

Socratic Seminar Ground Rules:
1. Speak so that all can hear you.
2. Listen closely.
3. Speak without raising your hand.
4. Refer to the text.
5. Talk to each other not just the leader.
6. Ask for clarification.  Don't stay confused.
7. Invite and allow others to speak.
8. Consider all viewpoints and ideas.
9. Know that you are responsible for the quality of the seminar.

The students were so excited during the seminar that they didn't want it to end.  I was so proud of all of the students, and I can't wait until our next Socratic Seminar.  Next time, I promise to take pictures.

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4PA Update

Last week, we zoomed in on point of view and are well on our way to becoming POV experts! After learning about point of view, students were given several opportunities to apply their learning.  They were given a specific strategy to help them identify the voice being used within a text.  Below is a sample of what students were taught:

1. Read the passage.
2. Cross out dialogue (spoken or internal thoughts).
3. Focus on pronouns.

As a culminating activity, students completed a project in which they were asked to identify the POV of several different passages.  I placed this project in our hall so that you will be able to view their work when you attend fall conferences.

This week students will continue to discuss and annotate a poem entitled "Birdfoot's Grampa". We had some interesting conversations about stanzas, metaphorical language and perspective.  If you are interested in reading this poem click here.  I would encourage you to have your child explain their thinking about the poem to you. Students will continue to explore poetry by reading another thought provoking poem called "Famous". Our purpose for reading both poems is to infer the different themes present within the text. I am eager to see what students come up with!

Below is a fun video to review point of view that we didn't have to time to watch in class.

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5PA Update

Last week students enjoyed reading "The Hemulen who Loved Silence".  It was somewhat lengthy but the students were so engrossed in the story that they didn't mind at all.  After our first read, the students were asked to go back into the text and find examples of systems and change.  They were given the opportunity to share their thoughts with their peers through the use of a Kagan structure called Round Robin. As students were conversing, I walked around and listened in on their conversations.  I was very impressed with their thoughts and justifications for their thinking.  This week, students will be encouraged to annotate the text in order to receive a deeper understanding of the author's work.  Students will again be given the opportunity to discuss their thinking with their peers.  We will also share our thinking as an entire group.  This week, they will be assessed over the ideas learned from the story through the use of exit slips.  I am confident that students will do well as the ideas assessed will be covered throughout the week.  Finally, the expectations of Socratic Seminar will be reviewed in preparation for our very first seminar.  I had the opportunity to attend a conference last week on how to implement and use the Socratic Seminar within the classroom setting.  I am very excited to be able to provide an experience that will allow the  students to take charge of their learning and have collaborative conversations with one another.

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5PA Update

Students had a blast last week!  They participated in the "Cup Challenge" in order to learn about systems.  I was so pleased with the effort, determination, teamwork and collaboration that I observed.  The students were able to clearly see how this activity related to a system, and I was so impressed with their thoughts about this concept. Also, last week,  the learners in 5PA were introduced to an online site called Padlet.  This site is like an interactive bulletin board. Students are able to type their thoughts and post them so that all can view.  This allows learners to link their thinking and their comments to another individuals.  We used this online tool to review change.  The students' first task was to brainstorm what they remembered about change. This week students will finish up this activity by revising their ideas and categorizing them into groups.  Then, students will be asked to identify generalizations that can be made about change.  Students will also begin reading "Hemulen Who Loved Silence."  This will be our first experience with a major piece of literature.  We will be analyzing the text to discover places in the story where the author has embedded systems and change.  In addition, students will  be doing close reading in order to grasp the authors ideas/messages.  They will also be annotating specific excerpts to receive a deeper meaning of the text.  I am anticipating that students will have very strong opinions about this text and I can't WAIT to hear them!

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4PA Update

4PA is continuing to put their best foot forward!  Last week, the students began learning about theme and worked with partners to read passages in order to infer themes.  Students realized that there can be multiple themes present in a text.  The students were asked to justify their thinking with evidence from the text and share their ideas with their partners.  We will be wrapping up this activity and moving on to point of view. Students will be learning about first person, second person, third person, third person limited and third person omniscient.  A method will be taught to assist all learners in identifying  what point of view is being used. Students will  also participate in many hands-on activities to practice and solidify their learning.  We will then move on to learning about how to appropriately cite text evidence.  I am looking forward to another amazing week in PA!

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3PA Update

Last week, the students in 3PA did a great job of sharing their knowledge of theme.  We used a PowerPoint presentation to review this concept, and the students were able to identify several themes from passages that were read aloud. They were also able to support their thinking with evidence from the text.  Next week, we will be finishing up theme and will move on to learning about generalizations.  Generalizations are broad statements based on information, observations or experiences.  They can be logical, but unproven.  This will be a concept that students will return to throughout our unit.  Students will also be reading their first piece of literature.  They will be reading "Shells" by Cynthia Rylant.  This story is about a boy named Michael who loses his mother and has to move in with his Aunt Esther.  They both come to the realization that change is difficult and eventually, they are able to come out of their shells and relate to one another.  We will be discussing literal and figurative language.  We will also be comparing the main characters in the story and looking for similarities and differences.  

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5PA Update

Students had a fun-filled day in PA today!  We celebrated the completion of our grammar unit by eating a tasty snack and watching "Grammar House Rock".  I believe that the students had a much clearer understanding of what the video was depicting because of the learning that had taken place over the last few weeks.  For the remainder of the week, the students will be reviewing systems.  Students will be asked to consider the following key points about systems:

1. Systems can be productive or dysfunctional.
2. The interactions and outputs of a system change when the system's inputs, elements, or      
     boundaries change.
3. Over time, human systems adapt, change in prominence or are replaced.
4. Systems are interdependent.
5. Many systems are mad up of smaller systems.

They will also participate in an activity that will help them to realize how systems can personally affect them in the classroom setting.  My hope is that they will be able to make connections and internalize the importance of systems in their everyday lives.

Students will also review change.  This is another major concept that students will see throughout the year. The following ideas will be introduced and discussed:

1. Change can be positive and/or negative.
2. Change can be orderly or random.
3. Change can be natural or caused by people.
4. Change happens over time
5. Change is everywhere.

Students will be asked to consider some thought provoking questions and to share their ideas with their peers.  I am looking forward to listening in on these conversations and fostering positive learning opportunities this week!

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Prepositions

I promised the students  that I would include a post about prepositions to help them remember how to identify these words....so here it is!

HOW TO FIND A PREPOSITION: First of all, remember to find the nouns, articles, adjectives, and pronouns before you do anything else. Then, looking among the words left over, find the prepositions. It's easier than you think! Almost all prepositions will fit into the following little sentence (it's very handy, so memorize it!).

The package under the tree is mine. The package in the tree is mine. The package near the tree is mine.

I will see you before lunch. I will see you during lunch. I will see you after lunch.

"THE MOUSE GOES ___________ THE BOX (OR BOXES)."

Take each preposition that was used in the sentences above, and put it in the blank of the "mouse-box" sentence. It works for every one of those prepositions except during, doesn't it? The "Mouse-Box" sentence will help you find most prepositions, but what about the ones that don't fit?

Some prepositions won't fit into the "mouse-box" sentence. There are nine very common ones, which may seem like a lot to remember. To help you with this, here's a little memory trick. Remember: you may not be able to remember them, BUT AL DOES! B = but A = as D = during U = until L = like O = of T = than E = except S = since

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4PA Update

4PA students are eager to move on to literature during the upcoming week.  We are wrapping up our learning of the eight parts of speech and celebrating our accomplishments by watching "Grammar House Rock". We will also enjoy a little snack.  Before we dive into our literature unit, the students will be taking a pretest.  They will be asked to read a short story entitled "Poor People" by Leo Tolstoy.  Students will then be asked to answer open-ended questions about the theme, conflict and change that happens throughout the story. This week students will also be introduced to three very important skills: identifying the theme or underlying message within a text, understanding how point of view shapes the content and style of a text and the importance of citing specific textual evidence when sharing their opinions/ideas about a text. This is sure to be an exciting week for the students in 4PA!  I can't wait to see what wonderful ideas your children will share.

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3PA Update

This week 3PA will be wrapping up our learning on the eight parts of speech.  The students have shown progress with their knowledge of grammar and have learned an abundance of information about the use of words. They will continue to practice their skills each day by analyzing one sentence and identifying the parts of speech present.   We will celebrate our learning by having a snack and viewing "Grammar House Rock".   I am excited to move into our new unit titled "Literature Journeys".  This week students will be taking a pretest in which they will be required to read a brief passage and answer open-ended questions regarding the text. They will also review theme.  Theme is the underlying message present in the story.  Theme often has to be inferred and is the big idea present in the story.  In addition, students will spend some time discussing generalizations.  They will learn that a generalization is a broad conclusion drawn from specific examples. Below are some generalizations of change that we will be examining throughout our unit:

1.  Change is everywhere.

2.  Change can be positive or negative.

3.  Change can be random or orderly.

4.  Change can be caused by internal or external forces.

5.  Change is linked to time.

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5PA Update

5PA students have continued to move full steam ahead on their grammar voyage.  Last week we reviewed adjectives and learned about the three degrees of adjectives: positive, comparative and superlative.  We had great fun investigating these different forms and were able to figure out one of our lingering questions, "What is a positive adjective?"  We found out that it is an adjective in its simplest form (i.e. cold).  The students learned that we form comparatives by adding "-er" to the end of a word when comparing two things (i.e. colder), and we form superlatives by adding "-est" to the end of a word when comparing more than two things (i.e. coldest).  We also viewed a fun video about these types of adjectives.  

Students were given the challenging task of identifying nouns, pronouns and adjectives in an excerpt from Herman Melville's Moby Dick.  They did an outstanding job and were able to justify their thinking by providing accurate reasons which were based on their knowledge of nouns, pronouns and adjectives.  Students also learned about possessive adjectives.  Students realized that it is important to remember that these adjectives show ownership and can often be confused with pronouns.  It essential to consider how the word is being used in the sentence. Next week students will continue to learn about the two different types of verbs, action and linking.  They will also be introduced to adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions and interjections.

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4PA Update

Last week students continued to learn about the eight parts of speech by delving into the text Grammar Town. Students briefly reviewed the noun system which includes three kinds of words: nouns, pronouns and adjectives.  Students also reviewed the two parts of a sentence, the subject (who or what the sentence is about) and the predicate (what the subject is or does).  4PA participated in a simple, but fun way to practice this understanding.  They worked with a partner and took turns writing the subject part of the sentence and the predicate part of the sentence.  They alternated roles, which provided the opportunity for each student to write both the subject and predicate.  4PA also viewed the video about Mr. Norton which solidified their understandings and was an absolute hit!  

Another focus for the week was verbs.  Students learned about the difference between action verbs and linking verbs and analyzed a passage titled "The Day that Push Came to Shove".  By completing this analysis, students realized the importance of using strong action verbs within their writing.  They were also exposed to a list of linking verbs and were surprised that I had to memorize these words as an elementary student.  They learned that a linking verb's job is to connect ideas.  Sentences that include these types of verbs are very similar to number equations.  For example, we know that 2+2=4.  This is an equation in which both sides are equal.  In the sentence, "John IS a good sailor." John=good sailor.  John and sailor are the same.  This helped students to distinguish the difference between a linking and action verb. Next week students will be learning about adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions and interjections.

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3PA Update

This week the students continued their journey through Grammar Island.  Students discovered that adjectives are words that modify nouns or pronouns.  They were asked to apply their learning by identifying adjectives within a text. Students also learned about three little words named articles.  These are special adjectives.  I was excited that students knew that the word "a" should be used before nouns that begin with consonants and the word "an" should be used before nouns that begin with vowels. They were taught that "the" is a definite article and should be used to refer to a specific noun and "a" and "an" are indefinite articles that refer to non-specific nouns.  

We also reviewed the two parts of a sentence, the subject and the predicate, and enjoyed watching a video about Mr. Norton which enhanced their understanding of this topic. Towards the end of the week, students learned about the difference between action verbs and linking verbs.  Next week we will continue our journey and will investigate adverbs, conjunctions, interjections and prepositions.

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Welcome to PA Blog!

Welcome to the new Project Arrow Blog.  I am excited to use our blog to share what we will be doing in PA during the 2015-2016 school year.  Our blog will be up and running by Monday, September 21st. 

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