Last week, students began a project entitled CSI (Color, Symbol, Image). They will continue to work on this learning task throughout the upcoming week. I will be performing periodic check-ins with students to ensure understanding and progress. The goal will be for ALL students to complete their writing by Wednesday. If they are unable to complete their work during this time frame, they will be asked to complete it for homework. I've been very impressed by students who have chosen to take their work home without any encouragement from me. This shows the level of effort and motivation students have to accomplish their learning goals. During the remainder of the week, students will complete any necessary writing revisions, complete illustrations and put together their project. I am looking forward to viewing their final work.
Showing posts with label 5PA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 5PA. Show all posts
5PA Update
This week, students will wrap up their annotations for "Literary Lessons" by Louisa May Alcott. Students will then begin working on a Color, Symbol, Image project which I strongly believe will deepen their understanding of the text. Students will consider the big ideas and important themes in what they have just read and will be required to do the following:
There will also be a writing component that will require students to support their thinking with text evidence and appropriately explain and justify why they selected specific evidence. Prior to beginning the project, the students will be provided with various examples and will review a rubric that outlines the product expectations. Students will have approximately a week and a half to complete this learning task.
- Choose a color that best represents the essence of that idea.
- Create a symbol that best represents the essence of that idea.
- Sketch an image that you think best captures the essence of that idea.
5PA Update
Last week, we began working on imagery in connection with Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. I have been so impressed with their artistry. Students will continue this learning activity next week. We also did a cold read of "Literary Lessons" by Louisa May Alcott. This is a very complex text so I felt that it was essential to use Padlet, an online discussion board, to share out understandings as well as any actions or events from the story that may have been confusing for them as readers. Please click the link below the image to view our online discussion board. The thinking is outstanding!!! Students will be spending the entire week annotating the text. Also, please be aware that students will have annotation homework for at least two nights this week. See a menu of annotation options below. They will have access to this throughout the week.
5PA Update
I am so happy to be returning to our normal routine. Last week, I was able to meet with students on Thursday and Friday. We spent this time responding to some higher-level thinking questions which were related to "The Great Blackberry Pick". Students used a routine entitled "Chalk Talk" which encourages learners to respond to questions through written conversations rather than oral. Students worked collaboratively in groups and were given 5-7 minutes to respond to each question. At the end, we shared out two thought-provoking responses per team. It was evident that students used critical thinking skills and analysis to compose their comments.
During the upcoming week, we will be taking some time to discuss race and the role it plays in our everyday lives. I will be reading aloud Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester as an introduction to this topic. We will also begin reading Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson and focusing on imagery. This piece of work is an autobiography of the author's life and is written in a poem format. Students LOVE sketching! Our focus on imagery will enable them to "doodle" about our learning. Finally, we will begin building background for an upcoming story entitled "Literary Lessons" by Louisa May Alcott. If time permits, we will begin reading the text. I am looking forward to a great week of learning!
5PA Update
Last week, we had to be somewhat flexible due to some cancellations. We had a last-minute assembly as well as a visit from Still Middle School. As a result, we were unable to accomplish some of the learning tasks that were previously scheduled. This week, students will wrap up their reading of "The Great Blackberry Pick" and begin the annotation process. We will spend less time on annotating in order to focus on completing a Depth and Complexity frame. This frame will allow students to focus on specific questions that relate to specific icons within the framework. The learners will be focusing on Big Ideas, Change Over Time, Multiple Perspectives and Ethics. They will answer the following questions: Why do you think the author chose to write this reading selection? What is she trying to communicate? Take on the perspective of either Val or the Father. Defend one of the choices made by the character during the story. Were there any actions or conflicts that some readers might find controversial? What changes did you notice within a character from the reading selection? Provide examples to support your answer.
If time permits, we will answer various questions that will enable students to focus on the ethical issues within the text. Please be aware that PA will be canceled the week of January 27th and February 3rd due to Project Arrow Testing.
If time permits, we will answer various questions that will enable students to focus on the ethical issues within the text. Please be aware that PA will be canceled the week of January 27th and February 3rd due to Project Arrow Testing.
5PA Update
During the upcoming week, students will begin reading a story entitled "The Great Blackberry Pick" by Philippa Pearce. Students will be reviewing vocabulary from the story using Quizlet, an interactive site that enables learners to use collaborative skills to identify the definitions of words. As a class, we will complete a first read of the text. For the remainder of the week, students will be closely reading the text and annotating. They will be given 2-3 days to annotate. We will continue to use concepts/icons from the Depth and Complexity framework as a guide during the annotation process. Students will be encouraged to take a close look at the ethical issues within the text; this will be a major focus. Prior to annotating, we will review ethics and discuss ethical issues that are happening in our world. I am looking forward to observing the complex ideas that students will unearth when reading this literary piece.
5PA Update
Happy New Year!! I just wanted to do a brief check-in regarding the week of January 6th. We have only been able to meet two days due to benchmarking (the second day being tomorrow). However, students were able to consider their personal goals for the upcoming year. I was able to share a wonderful picture book entitled There by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick. The text had an inspirational message about discovery and exploration. This will align extremely well with our writing task. Tomorrow, students will begin their resolution writing and complete a countdown to 2020!! Be sure to ask them about it. I will be sending out a new blog post this weekend. I just wanted to make sure I shared a few of this week's highlights!
5PA Update
5PA Update
This week, students will continue working on their literary essays. Students have learned how to write a strong thesis statement and cite evidence from the text. During the upcoming week, learners will review how to explain their evidence and will be encouraged to include elaborative details. Again, I will model the process for students so that they are confident about their abilities when required to work independently. The essays should be completed by Wednesday. If students are unable to complete it in class, they will be assigned homework. Towards the end of the week, students will be introduced to a new literary piece entitled "The Great Blackberry Pick".
5PA Update
During the upcoming week, students will be viewing the video of the story "All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury. We will compare and contrast the events in the story with those that occur in the video. Students will then return to a story entitled The Raft by Jim LaMarche. We began this story a few weeks ago and were unable to finish it as a result of other curricular expectations. There will be a new purpose for this text. We will use it to complete a literary essay that will focus on the change that the main character undergoes throughout the story. Learners will be exposed to the following terms: literary essay, thesis statement, claim and supporting evidence. Throughout the week, students will be observers as I model the process of writing a literary essay. Then, each learner will be expected to become an active participant by completing their own essay for the story "All Summer in a Day." This process will, most likely, take 2 weeks to complete.
