Author: Rachel Swift

Read the Newsela article posted in Google Classroom and answer the quiz question under the activity tab!

Week 1 Writing Exercise – choose one of the prompts to write about in the assignment in Google Classroom!

Today’s assignment: Sassy Sentences Review

Changes Ahead in Language Arts

Tentative Daily Schedule Going Forward:

• Mon: Mentor Sentences
• Tues: Journal (creative/reflective)
• Wed: Reading with skills application
• Thurs: Journal (respond to Wednesday’s reading)
• Fri: Reading with skills application

Each assignment should take you 20 minutes or less!

Discussion Day! Your discussion thread is posted in Google Classroom. Follow the directions on this assignment sheet and read over the example to get a sense of the expectations. You will need to come back several times throughout the day today to respond to other people’s comments!

Lit Circle Role Sheet – due tonight by 11:59pm in Google Classroom

Google Meet for office hours at 11:00am today! Go to Google Classroom for the link to join. (Again, optional — tune in if you have specific questions or want to chat about your book)

I will be hosting a Google Meeting (like a FaceTime call) on Thursday (03/19) at 11:00a.m. for anyone who has questions about their books or assignments. This is OPTIONAL because I won’t be giving any new information during this meeting. I’ll only be providing additional support for those who ask for it! The link will be posted in Google Classroom Thursday morning at 11:00.

Keep reading! I’ve also posted your role sheet assignment in Google Classroom. This is due to be submitted tomorrow night by 11:59pm. Make sure you finish your reading for the week before you click submit on this!

Keep up on your reading! I recommend breaking it down into 3 or 4 equal sections so that you can make a plan for your reading each day. For example, if you need to read 60 pages in 3 days, divide 60 by 3 to get 20 pages per day.

Lit Circle Novel Assignments — Double Check as there have been some changes

Book Confirmation Form – Fill this out in Google Classroom

Week 1 Page Requirements

Google Classroom

Parents, you are welcome to join our Google Classroom in order to monitor your student’s assignments each week. If you would like to do this, please tell me the name of your student and the email you would like to use. I’ll use this information to invite you to join our course.

Weekly Assignments

Each week, your student will be required to read a set number of pages from their literature circle book. Many students received their lit circle books prior to leaving on Thursday; however, some did not. I’ve shifted some reading groups to accommodate this. Even if your student already received their book, they should check the list in Google Classroom to see if their novel assignment has changed. Their first assignment is to complete the form titled “Lit Circle Book Confirmation” in Google Classroom.

Beyond this, students will have a routine for the work they complete each week. It goes as follows:

• Monday: check Google Classroom to see how many pages are assigned and start reading
• Tuesday: continue reading
• Wednesday: continue reading and begin work on the lit circle role sheet they’ve been assigned in Google Classroom
• Thursday: finish reading the assigned section for the week and turn in the role sheet in Google Classroom by 11:59pm
• Friday: engage in an online discussion of that week’s reading (more guidance to come)

Parents, thank you for all you are doing to support your student’s continued education during this unprecedented time. And students, I know this must be a difficult change for you. I admire your strength and resilience as you work through all of this. I’m always here for you via email if you need additional support. 

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.