Ms. Madrid Language Arts Class

Friday, September 26, 2008: Literacy Wheel

Today's Agenda is:

Opening: 1) Reading Log Check   2) Literacy Wheel: Part 1

Work Session: 3) Reading Group 1: "Read Aloud, Think Alout" - Memoirs    4) Reading Group 2: Reading to others

Closing: 5) Memoirs- Narrative Talk

Homework: Read for 20 minutes and record it in the reading log. Bring your memoir prompts checklist for Monday.

Today in class we checked reading logs. We also talked to the students about the 25 book campaign that will begin next week. The students will tell the teacher by Tuesday of next week what book they will start reading. If for some reason they decide to abandon the book, they have to fill out an abandon book form to tell us why they abandoned the book. There will be a poster in the class with their names and the books they have completed. Each student received a literacy wheel handout that they had to fill out to tell us who they are as readers. After they filled it out they were paired and they had to share their information with their partners. After time was up they came up in front of the class to present their partners as readers. After presentations we divided into groups. In Group 1 Ms. Madrid read aloud memoirs from The Roald Dahl Treasury and as she read she prompted questions that the students had to answer mentally. In Group 2, Ms. Schlanger conferenced with the students individually and they had to read aloud to him. During the closing, the students shared some of their memoirs connected to the ones read aloud to them.

Download literacy_wheel_1.ppt

Thursday, September 25, 2008: Pre-Writing a Memoir

Today's agenda is:

Opening: 1) Warm-up: Showing Word-Splash   2) Starting Activity: Sharing Showing Paragraphs

Work Session: 3) Pre-writing a Memoir

Closing: 4) What steps did you follow during your pre-writing?

Homework: Read for 20 minutes and record it in the reading log. DON'T FORGET! READING LOGS ARE DUE TOMORROW

Today in class the students are going to take their writing notebooks out. They will go back to their "show not tell" paragraphs and as a class we are going to do a word splash of the telling sentence. After doing the word splash, the students will share their showing paragraphs. Using a power point we will introduce what a memoir is and how to write one. Then the students will receive a handout with different memoir writing prompts. They have to complete the 20 writing prompts to come up with ideas. They will choose from the twenty prompts one to write their memoir about. They will start brainstorming and using a graphic organizer to pre-write their memoir. After they finish their pre-writing, we will talk about the steps we took in the pre-writing process of the memoir.

Download memoir_writing_prompts.doc

Download memoir.ppt

Wednesday, September 24, 2008: Showing Others in Class

The agenda for today is:

Opening: 1) Warm-up: Word Splash of descriptors   2) Starting activity: How to make writing more concise with concrete Language

Work Session: 3) Writer's Workshop: Collaborating in Creating Showing Paragraphs

Closing: 4) Sharing paragraphs with peers

Homework: Read for 20 minutes and record it on the reading log.

The students were given the following sentences:   The room was a mess. The puppy was a terror. The girls were snobs.  The pizza tasted good.  The test was hard. He eats like a pig. In their writing notebook, under the "Writing Explorations" section, the students were to write a paragraph for each of the sentences. Then they had to switch with a partner. That partner was to add more details to that paragraph. Then they switched with another person who added more details as well. They have to share with a total of three other students. At the end they had to share what their paragraph ended up sounding like.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008: Show Don't Tell Paragraphs

Today's Agenda is:

Opening: 1) Warm-up: Short Stories Vocabulary Matching Worksheet   2) Starting Activity: Read p. 83-85 and compare it to your paragraph.

Work Session:  3) Choose a sentence and write a showing paragraph from it.

Closing:  4) Read your showing paragraph aloud.

Today the students received a worksheet with the vocabulary words for narrative and they had to match it to its correct definition. They were allowed to use the dictionary if they needed any extra assistance. By using the Prentice Hall Writing and Grammar textbook, p. 83-85, the students learned how to correct a previous piece of writing and turn it into a showing paragraph. So what is a showing paragraph? Well, instead of saying "The girls were excited" they could say "Giggles and screams filled the arena. The soft curls were now damp with perspiration and the anticipation of the event. They held tight to each other in a mock effort to contain themselves. Arms flailed upward, and voices echoed in varying tones. The moment was here." What is the point of this? To create a vivid image on the reader's mind. As closing, the students shared their showing paragraph. To see more examples of showing paragraphs click on the link below.

http://www.writedesignonline.com/assignments/shownottell.html

Monday, September 22, 2008: Evaluating Illustrations

The agenda for today is:

Opening:  1) Warm-up: Identifying Points of View   2) Starting Activity: Comparing your monster to your reader's monster

Work Session: 3) Writer's Workshop: Journal 1- Explain how and why illustrations are similar and/or different.

Closing: 4) Sharing Journal Writing

Homework: Read for 20 minutes and record it in the reading log.

Today in class we showed the students for different paragraphs. They had to read the paragraphs and determine whether it is written in first person, second person, or third person point of view. We then asked for different students to volunteer and change the paragraph to a different point of view. The students then received back their monster description with the picture that their partners drew following the descriptions. We asked them to open the card and compare the two pictures. Are they similar? Are they different? We then chose whose pictures looked alike the most and they won a prize. In their journal # 1, the students had to write and explain how and why the illustrations were similar and/or different. When they finished writing they shared their thoughts. To view the warm-up click on the link below.

Download warmup_sep_22_la.ppt

Friday, September 19, 2008: Reading Day

The agenda for today is:

Opening: 1) Warm-up: Point of View Chart

Work Session: 2) Group reading. Group 1: Popcorn Reading. Group 2: Analyzing Story's Plot

Closing: 3) Overview of upcoming instructional methods

Today in class the students created a chart divided into three sections: 1st Person Point of View, 2nd Person Point of View, and 3rd Person Point of view. In each section they had the pronouns used to write in accordance to that point of view and they had to write an example. When this was completed we shared ideas as a class. We then divided the class in half. One half went with Ms. Madrid to the media center where she assigned a reading partner to each student. Each group had a specific plot element that they had to identify as the story was being read aloud by the teacher. The groups then shared what the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution of the story was. The group with Mr. Schlanger took turns reading in a popcorn reading activity. After half-time was up, the groups switched. Have a nice weekend!

Download 918.pdf

Thursday, September 18, 2008: Monster Description

Today in class we started by going over the quiz and reviewing the points that most students missed. We created a plot diagram and identified its parts in relationship to Shrek and then in relationship to our personal lives. Then we distributed the description of the monster sealed card randomly. The students were provided with another piece of paper. Without opening the card to see the drawing of the monster, the students were to read the monster description and illustrate the monster based on the descriptive paragraph. They had to turn it in after they were finished. 

Wednesday, September 17, 2008: Focus on Description

Today the students started by taking a formative assessment over personal narrative structure. The quiz included the parts of a plot diagram and point of view. To see the quiz click on the link below. After the quiz, the students were provided with a white piece of paper. They had to fold it hamburger style and write their name, block, and date on the top of the front page of the card. On the outside of the card they had to write a paragraph describing a monster. Inside the card they had to draw the monster they described. After they finished the drawing the card was taped and turned in. To see an example of the monster description and drawing click on the link below.

Download unit_2_part_1_quiz.doc

Download monster_description.ppt

Tuesday, September 16, 2008: Where do stories come from?

Today is early release day. Students will be dismissed at 2:15. For the warm-up we did an adjective/adverb activity in which the students had to choose the word the fitted in the sentence correctly. Then we talked about the story "The Drive-In Movie" and we discussed where the author got this idea from. We talked about the many things we could write in our journal. As a class we came up with a set of procedures and routines for Writer's Workshop. Students have to read tonight for 20 minutes and record it in the reading log. 

Monday, September 14, 2008: Fairy Tale Plot Presentation

Today for opening activity we opened our Prentice Hall Literature book and read "The Drive-In Movie" from p. 558-561. We did this as a popcorn reading activity. After we finished reading the story, the students received a diagram that they had to complete for the setting, conflict, point of view, resolution, and theme of the narrative they read. After completing it we went over the answers on the active board. Then the students went back to their fairy tale groups and finished the plot diagram. Each group presented their plot diagram. To see the resources for today click on the link  below.

Download warmup_sep_15_la.ppt