Monday, February 29, 2016

Classroom Newspaper

A lot of work goes into writing a newspaper.  Because newspapers are so extensive, they are divided up into sections.  Some common parts of a newspaper include:
-Front page (breaking news)
          -Answers the question who, what, when, where, and why.
          -Is objective (absent of opinion or personal feeling.)
-Photos
          -A good photo tells a story without needing words.
-Opinion section
          -You should be able to express your opinion without hurting or belittling others.
          -A valuable opinion writer is well-versed in both sides of the argument.
-Weather
          -You better be a really good artist to tackle this one! 
-Comics
          -The comics section requires you to be a great artist AND have a funny joke to tell.
          -Rated "G."
-Sports
          -People want to read about a sports event as if they were there themselves.
          -This should be as accurate as possible.  An athlete is not going to appreciate his/her winning moves to be reported as less or more than what they were. 
-Design
          -A newspaper should be typed up and organized in a way that looks awesome.  It requires formatting skills and typing skills, and a good eye for details. 
-Classifieds
          -This is a super fun section of our newspaper if it is done in the right way.  Kids can advertise for things they want or things they have to offer.  Who knows?  You may end up getting a good deal!
-Obituaries
          -This section tells about people (or in your case, perhaps pets) who have passed away recently.
          -It would need to be handled in an EXTREMELY sensitive and tasteful way.
-Hashtag
          -#thatwasawkward  #worstdayever  #myweirdfriend
-Entertainment
          -Sudoku's, contests, upcoming movies, etc. 
-Editor
          -The editors are students who have EXCELLENT writing skills.  They should be able to catch and correct grammar, spelling, and other errors.
-Editor in Chief
          -That would be me, Mrs. K.  :)

Friday, February 12, 2016

The Rich Man and the Shoemaker

The Rich Man and the Shoemaker
by Jean de La Fontaine

Once upon a time there lived a poor but cheerful shoemaker. He was so happy he sang all day long. The children loved to stand around his window to listen to him. Next door to the shoemaker lived a rich man. He used to sit up all night to count his gold. In the morning he went to bed, but he could not sleep because of the sound of the shoemaker’s singing. One day he thought of a way of stopping the singing. He wrote a letter to the shoemaker asking him to come by. The shoemaker went at once, and to his surprise the rich man gave him a bag of gold. When he got home, the shoemaker opened the bag. He had never seen so much money before! He sat down at his bench and began, carefully, to count it. The children watched through the window. There was so much there that the shoemaker was afraid to let it out of his sight. So he took it to bed with him. But he could not sleep because he was worrying about it. So he got out of bed and went to hide it in the attic, but he was not sure if that was a good place. Very early in the morning he got up and brought his gold down from the attic. He had decided to hide it up the chimney instead. But after breakfast he thought it would be safer in the chicken house. So he hid it there. But he was still uneasy, and in a little while he dug a hole in the garden and buried his bag of gold in it. It was no use trying to work. He was too worried about the safety of his gold.
And as for singing, he was too miserable to sing a note. He could not sleep, or work, or sing—and, worst of all, the children no longer came to see him. At last the shoemaker felt so unhappy that he seized his bag of gold and ran next door to the rich man. “Please take back your gold,” he said. “Worrying about it is making me ill, and I have lost all my friends. I would rather be a poor shoemaker, as I was before.” And so the shoemaker was happy again and sang all day at his work.

Questioning Take-Away Notes

Evaluative vs. Interpretive
Interpretive and evaluative questions are closely related to each other. The easiest way to figure out which type of question it is, is by looking at the type of answer you get.

A question could be either evaluative or interpretive:

  •  If the answer is supported by real life experiences, it is an evaluative answer.
  •  If there are at least two different possible answers, and both of them can be supported by the story, then it is an interpretive answer.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

What is a Discussion Group?

A discussion group consists of about five people, all contributing equally to a thoughtful conversation about a given text or video.  What kind of skills do you need in order to successfully participate in a group discussion?

-SL 6.1  I can effectively participate in different types of discussions with different people about 6th grade topics, texts, and issues.
-SL 6.1  I can build on others' ideas and express my own ideas clearly.
-SL 6.1A  I can come to discussions prepared to share my ideas because I have read or studied the required material.
-SL 6.1A  I can participate in discussions more effectively by using examples and evidence from the text to help me reflect on the ideas in the discussion.
-SL 6.1B  I can follow rules, set goals, meet deadlines and carry out my assigned role in shared discussions with peers.
-SL 6.1C  I can ask and answer questions using appropriate explanations or details that add to the discussion of a topic, text or issue.
-SL 6.1D  I can think through the ideas in a discussion and show that I understand different perspectives by sharing my thoughts and restating what others have said.
-SL 6.3  I can explain a speaker's arguments or claims and separate those that are supported by reasons and evidence from those that are not. 

ROLES
In our discussion groups, we will have different jobs that aid us in talking about our text.  
1.  Discussion Director:  this person DOES NOT contribute to the conversation.  We never hear their opinion on any subject.  Rather, they quietly guide the discussion and keep careful track of who talks and how often.  When necessary, they draw out students who are reluctant to share.
2.  Vocab Verifyer:  this person's task is to look up tricky words and, when the discussion begins, share those definitions with the group.
3.  Question Creator:  this person reads the text and creates a list of thoughtful questions to ask which will stimulate conversation.  If the discussion lags, the Discussion Director can call upon the Question Creator to reignite the talking.
4.  Record Reporter:  this person takes brief notes (AFTER the discussion) of the ideas exchanged during group time and then reports them to Mrs. K.  
5.  Grade Giver:  this person pays careful attention during the discussion to see that everyone completes their assigned job.  When the conversation is over, they will look over the Discussion Director's tally of student comments to make sure everyone participated equally.  They will give each student in their group a fair, honest grade and hand those grade-sheets to Mrs. K.

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Valentine's Day Pass-Around

This pass-around is an opportunity for you to uplift someone else.  It's not a time for you to be funny, sarcastic, dismissive, or rude. Here are some tips on how to brighten someone's day with your words:

1. Be specific.
Memorable compliments are specific.  Don't be vague when you give a compliment.  Notice what it is that compelled you to want to give the compliment in the first place, and then articulate it to the person.

2. Acknowledge their character.
When complimenting an accomplishment, don't just acknowledge what the person did.  Acknowledge who they had to be in order to accomplish it.  In other words, what did it take for them to make it happen?  Point to a person's character traits, such as perseverance, kindness, thoughtfulness, loyalty, humor, calmness, creativity or courage.  For example, "It took a lot of courage for you to speak up like that" or "You are so creative.  I love the way you put together your outfit."

3. Be authentic.
If you don't really mean the compliment, don't give it. Everyone has some character strength or gift worthy of acknowledgment.  Make a habit of finding the good in others.  Sometimes you may be the only person to point it out.  And your authentic compliment will be an extraordinary gift for that person because they rarely hear something positive about themselves from others.

4. Express your appreciation.  
When complimenting someone about something they did that benefited you, be direct in your praise.  "It meant a lot to me that .." or "I appreciate you for ..", for example.  You might assume that the people in your life know you appreciate them, but don't leave them wondering.  Say so.

Friday, February 5, 2016

Toy Love Story

A Toy Love Story

Watch video once.  Then review these questions and watch the movie a second time, paying special attention to HOW the key events and emotions are revealed. 

After you watch this movie, answer each of the following questions in complete sentences:
1.  How do you know Robot likes Doll?
2.  How do you know they are falling in love?
3.  How do you know they become in engaged?
4.  How do you know they get married?
5.  How do you know they had a happy marriage?
6.  How do you know Doll was dying?
7.  How do you know the way in which Robot saved her life?