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!


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.

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.

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.


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.

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!




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!

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.