Semester Book Assignment

The end of the semester is upon us and it is time for our ever popular BOOK ASSIGNMENT!!! I was shocked by your creativity last semester and can not wait to see what you can come up with this semester. Below I have put a few examples of ways you can show your knowledge of a book. I am open to going as far as your minds will take it. If you have a great idea not on the list, come TELL ME! At the bottom I have included a list of the final portfolio items needed before the end of the year. Create a Google Drive folder for the portfolio and share it with me.


1.  Sign Posts- Our sign posts we have learned come to life in real signs to explain our favorite sign posts of the book. Must include at least 3 sign posts. You can find the sign posts explained here.

2. Movie Trailer- Any medium, as long as you can share a link with me to view it. Please remember not to give away the ending. Example here.

3. Day in the life of- A video journal or vlog acting as a character in the book (give internal thoughts)

4. Write from a different point of view- A different character tells the story and changes the events that happen. Type this please.

5. Character analysis- What characteristics, personality traits, etc does that character have? Draw, write, or write a poem.

6. Setting analysis- Look at the setting, why it impacted the story. How would it be different if it was in a different setting or time?  Illustrate a new setting and analysis of how it would impact the story.

7. Characters iPhone- What would be on the main characters iPhone? Draw an illustration or make one online to print off. Also include explanations of why you think that would be on their phone.

8. Coat of arms- If the book was explained only with a coat of arms to illustrate it what would it look like? Create a coat of arms that shows the aspects of the story-line or the characters. Please provide an explanation of what you included and why.


Printed copies will be available to take home

End of Year Portfolio items:
- Beginning of year, middle of year, and end of year Lexile levels
- Favorite writing piece of the year
- Favorite journal assignment typed out
-Reading log (full year)

Friday Goals

Below are the goals for Friday's class:

Finish persuasive performance event

Self grade/assess goals

Discuss book clubs/ notice and note signposts found

Explain our prior knowledge on the Civil War (our NEW unit)

FYI: Our summative on Perspective and POV was 89%!!!!! That is great growth, sooo proud! 

Basis for our book club discussions this week

Introduction paragraphs 

Our basic outline for opinion essays

Reminder: plant your Arbor Day trees!

HS FFA shares trees and knowledge with all 5th graders

Professional Email

In the last few years you have written countless "Friendly Letters" in school. I am here to tell you that I have honestly never, being a 23 year old, written a "Friendly Letter" in  my real life. I grew up just as you are writing them in school, but that is where it ended.

On the other hand, do you know what I do write? EMAILS. In my professional life I email principals, and other teachers. When I was interviewing and looking for jobs I wrote emails to the people who would be interviewing me. Don't you think you should know HOW to write a professional email? That is why, instead of writing your writing performance event as a letter (who writes letters?) you will be writing an email! You can write the email to any local or state government official that you think has the ability to pass or influence laws about your subject.

Here are the 6 steps to writing an email:

1.    Specific subject matter to alert the purpose (written in the subject line)

2.    A greeting where the recipients name is correctly spelled.

3.    A nicety to begin the body of the email; how are you can go a long way to start a pleasant conversation.

4.    Specificity in their request.  Not just “I need help,” but instead “I need help with…” and also including when they are available and would like to meet.

5.    A wrap up sentence thanking for help or time.

6.    An ending with their own name attached.
      By Pernilles Ripp  (see, I gave CREDIT)

Plus, a little reminder- even though it is an email, I am still an English teacher....soooooo

Friday (Monday) Update

Good morning,

I hope you all enjoyed your beautiful weekend! This week is going to be a bit different in ELA and social studies. Our students have been working hard on getting mastery on opinion essays in the last weeks. This week will be their chance to show what they know. This performance event is a check in to see how the students can plan, write, and edit on their own with much less guidance. We also have our summative for Perspective and Point of View on Wednesday. During this unit I have been so impressed with the students initiative to work hard and share their learning with their class. We have had some amazing collaboration and work times. 

Reminders:
I will be updating several things online for parent portal by Friday.
Wilson's Creek permission slips are due signed by Friday

As always, email  me with any questions or concerns. 

Enjoy the field trip pictures below and I hope you have a great week!

We had a great time exploring nature

Some time drying off after the stream exploration

Student exploration

Our small scavenger hunt team

Taking a break from our hike

Took us a while, but we finally found the last clue

Trail Hiking

Even found some critters

Learning about potential pollution in the Ozarks

Examining the critters

Serious science journaling

We were all just a bit excited

Marshland Observations

Some of the team

Water cycle games

Comparing perspectives of the 3 Little Pigs

Point of View/ Perspective Activities

3 Little Pigs Activity and Video

Enrichment

Enrichment this unit will be used as a MAP review for the class. You will be in charge of creating a review booklet that each student will use as a review packet for the MAP test. I will bind the pages together as a book. Below are all of the subjects that need to be covered in order.

Reading Units
1. Compare and Contrast
2. Nonfiction and Fiction Summary
3. Nonfiction text features
4. Text Structures
5. RACE
6. Figurative Language
7. Main Idea
8. Theme
9. Perspective
10. Authors Opinion/Purpose
11. Point of View
12. Inference


Writing Units-
1. Parts of a narrative
2. Essay Format
3. Differences between narrative/ information/ opinion writing

Each review page must include

• Title
• Review information
• an activity/ questions to practice (may need a reading passage)

Friday Update

Happy Friday!

This week we focused on finishing up our opinion essays and continuing working on the Revolutionary War (pictures below). Opinion essay grades will be sent home and updated online next week.

Next Week:
Field Trip- TUESDAY THE 5th: Students should have brought home a field trip permission slip for our annual Watershed Field Trip. They will need to wear comfortable clothes and shoes that are good for walking.

Volunteers- A few parents have volunteered to help out on the field trip and turned in the volunteer paperwork. The Aristocat team is extremely thankful for all your help! If you are volunteering you will need to either follow the bus from the school or meet us at the Watershed (2400 E. Valley Water Mill Rd,Springfield MO).

Schedule:
8:45am- buses loaded
9:15 am-  Volunteers meet us at this time. Students arrive at the Watershed Center. Welcome from James River Watershed and Springfield Watershed.They will be dividing us up by classes. You will take your advisory class to 4 different stations. Parent volunteers are to stay with your class. (about 20 minutes per station)Lunch – around 11:15 12:00- 1:00pm scavenger hunt – divide your students among your parent volunteers to do the Nature Walk/Scavenger Hunt 1:15pm load buses

Creating Revolutionary War Soldiers

Peer Conferences 

 

Revolutionary War Letters

More Peer Conferences