We have covered so much ground so far with our writing! The students are in a routine now and are starting to internalize the writing process and they show this to me by being able to tell what the five steps of the writing process is, and why we do each one. So far, I can't say that they are clear about the differences between the revision and the editing process, but I am sure they will have that down soon.
The books that we are reading, The Giver for sixth grade, and Breaking Through for seventh, will be finished before the holiday. Those were put aside for a short time while we finished the compare/contrast papers, but now that those are done, we are concentrating on finishing the books so that we can start something new when we return.
As the seventh graders learn more about Francisco Jimenez, they are finding many things to be thankful for in their lives. Francisco grew up with very little, except a set of parents who loved him and a work ethic that pushed him into working hard enough to make his dreams happen. They are seeing a different side of California than the one they are growing up in.
The sixth graders are learning to be thankful in a different way. The Giver is a look at a utopian society that seems perfect, at first glance, but the choices that the protagonist is forced to make are daunting. As the protagonist makes these choices, we discuss them as a class which gives the students a chance to "make" these choices as well.
Once they come back from the break, we will start a literature circles, which means that three to five students will read the same book and discuss it among themselves. I will be moving from group to group to facilitate the discussions.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Oral Narrative
This week we are finishing the oral narratives that we started last week. The stories the students have written have been imaginative and fun to read. I expect them to be even more interesting when they tell them to the class. A rubric will go home with them tonight, so if you are interested in seeing what I will be looking for, you can ask to see the rubric (the pink sheet). The next writing piece we do will be a compare and contrast paper.
About a week ago, our class acquired a mascot of sorts. A gopher snake found its way into the path of one of the students and they decided that it would make a great class pet. Ms. McGillivray has taken charge of Checkers and the seventh grade students are taking turns visiting with him.
The sixth graders have started reading the book, The Giver by Lois Lowry. This book was the Newberry Award winner in 1994 and deals with choices people make when they attempt to create a utopian government.
The seventh graders are reading Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez. It is a true account of the author's life, from the time he crawled under a fence to enter the US to his graduation from college. Currently, Mr. Jimenez is a professor at Santa Clara University.
About a week ago, our class acquired a mascot of sorts. A gopher snake found its way into the path of one of the students and they decided that it would make a great class pet. Ms. McGillivray has taken charge of Checkers and the seventh grade students are taking turns visiting with him.
The sixth graders have started reading the book, The Giver by Lois Lowry. This book was the Newberry Award winner in 1994 and deals with choices people make when they attempt to create a utopian government.
The seventh graders are reading Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez. It is a true account of the author's life, from the time he crawled under a fence to enter the US to his graduation from college. Currently, Mr. Jimenez is a professor at Santa Clara University.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Off and Running
So, it has begun, the start of the school year. The kids are in the groove now and I have most of the names down. Each of the two grades I teach have distinct personalities, partly based on the difference in ages, and partly just because the kids are so different. The unique personalities delight me, and often they make it hard for me not to laugh at their antics.
We started the year with a narrative, a personal story about something that happened to them. So far, they make delightful reading. The sixth grade narratives will be given three grades: a spelling/grammar score, a score for following the narrative guidelines, and a score for their word choice. Each element is worth five points, making the grade based on 15 points. This will then be translated into a percentage grade. The seventh graders will have their papers graded in grammar and spelling and will be given a grade for that, and I will grade them for word choice and following narrative guidelines.
The next paper we work on will be given orally, and it will be a narrative again, in order to give them practice working with my way of doing things. I will be looking for word choice in that one, as well. We are doing this to practice something familiar, and add the new element to it of public speaking.
As we move through the school year, I am looking forward to meeting you. I am always available quickly through email. If you ever have questions about homework, or what is being done in class, that is the quickest way to contact me.
We started the year with a narrative, a personal story about something that happened to them. So far, they make delightful reading. The sixth grade narratives will be given three grades: a spelling/grammar score, a score for following the narrative guidelines, and a score for their word choice. Each element is worth five points, making the grade based on 15 points. This will then be translated into a percentage grade. The seventh graders will have their papers graded in grammar and spelling and will be given a grade for that, and I will grade them for word choice and following narrative guidelines.
The next paper we work on will be given orally, and it will be a narrative again, in order to give them practice working with my way of doing things. I will be looking for word choice in that one, as well. We are doing this to practice something familiar, and add the new element to it of public speaking.
As we move through the school year, I am looking forward to meeting you. I am always available quickly through email. If you ever have questions about homework, or what is being done in class, that is the quickest way to contact me.