Last week we looked at an old copy of the New York Times inferencing activity pertaining to the garbage strike in Lebanon. Yesterday, the first image was posted for this school year for students to check out. Here is the link to the image that we will explore in our journals:
Here is a teaser image, from the page:
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| Checking out the full sized image before journaling |
Similar to learning the basics 1-10 Multiplication table, understanding how to write a paragraph is an important thing. I remember last June, during a planning session, Mr. Fuller (Grade 4/5) suggested I try teaching my Sentence unit in conjunction with the skill of paragraphing.
First, we began working on a KWL (what we know, what we want to learn, and what we learned) chart on the topics of sentence writing and paragraphs. We will add to this as we move forward:
I often used YouTube videos, in conjunction with handouts, in-class lessons, and practice time. The following videos will assist us when looking at the type of sentences we will work with.
Proudfoot example:
Today, we only worked on practicing Simple and Compound sentences. We will return to these videos and explore Complex Sentences at another date. Here are some of the students at work:
One of the groups, who posted up a sign claiming themselves to be the Diva group, wanted to present. This is not the best quality, but here is the video:
A shot of the sentences, awaiting my feedback after the trip to the Island School.
This is a topic or post we will have to return to. Learning how to write a variety of sentences and a solid paragraph does not happen in one day. It is my hope that we will carry these skills into the other subject areas.
Although some of my students found this song annoying, this is a short and catchy video to explain the workings of a basic paragraph.
I have not started recording things on the Homework chart in the back of the class. In light of the Cross Country Check Up link I posted yesterday, I will confess that there will be homework and assignments from time to time. Generally, I have two methods to help the students keep track of the work:
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| This is on the front board. Most students will write down what they need to do in the agenda. |
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| An image of the Homework/Assignment chart from several years ago. A simple smile acknowledges the completion of an assignment and a red X indicates that you have something to complete. |
I may not bring my computer to the Island School and will not blog until the weekend. At that point, I will post some images from our trip. See you soon! Thanks for helping your son or daughter prepare for this trip.
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| http://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/island/logo.gif |
