Welcome to the first day of school for 2016! I am so excited to be back and I hope you are too!  We began the new year by doing a good fit book activity.  We reviewed what good fit books are as well as our reading strategy that we should be focusing on.  The students were given the opportunity to look at good fit books they may not have noticed in the classroom or library before.  Then, they were given time to go to the library and check out these good fit books.

The students were also given their figurative language quizzes back.  We reviewed these in class.  The grades have been posted online for all of break.

Lastly, the students were introduced to the theme of a story.  This is something we will be focusing on for the next few weeks of class.

Have a great evening and once again, welcome back!  I hope we have a great 2016!

Homework:

1. Read for 20 minutes

In Language Arts today the students took their figurative language quiz.  They also peer edited their argumentative essays. I will have grades updated by the end of the day.

I hope everyone has a wonderful break and I will see you in 2016!

Homework:

1. Write Argumentative Final Draft
2. Read for 300 minutes
3. Have lots of fun!

In Language Arts today the students were given time to work on the conclusion of their rough drafts.  They were also given the opportunity to meet with me for feedback.  The rough draft of this paper needs to be completed by tomorrow morning.  If it was not finished in class, it was homework.

The students also reviewed for the figurative language quiz tomorrow.

Due to the rough draft and quiz, I will not be collecting reading logs tomorrow.  Students are still expected to read 20 minutes but I will not look at the minutes until after break

Homework:

1. Read for 20 minutes
2. Study for Figurative Language Quiz
3. Have Rough Draft ready for editing tomorrow

In Language Arts today the students continued to work on their argumentative writing.  They worked on their introductory paragraph where they described the topic and stated their claim.

The students also continued to learn about figurative language.  Today they applied what they have learned to some of the literary stories we have read this year in class.

For the remainder of our class time, the students spent time in the library getting reading material for the break.

Homework:

1. Read for 20 minutes
2. Study for Figurative Language Quiz
3. Finish Introductory Paragraph

In Language Arts today the students continued to apply their knowledge of figurative language to song lyrics.  Our quiz on figurative language is scheduled for Friday.

The students continued working on their Human Impact Project in my class today.  This is a project that they have been working on with Mr. Blake, Mrs. Thomas, and Ms. Cosenza.  We have been using the information we learned from the project to write an argumentative essay focusing on whether or not the impact humans have on the environment is affecting our region. The body paragraphs for this essay need to be completed as homework this evening.  We will be working on the introduction and conclusion tomorrow.

Homework:

1. Read for 20 minutes
2. Finish Body Paragraphs
3. Study for Figurative Language Quiz

I apologize for not posting on Friday.  I became ill and was unable to be at school.  Hopefully, the blog post from today will catch everyone up to speed on what we are doing in Language Arts.

On Friday the students were given more time to finish up their debate presentations.  They will be presenting today in class.  Their presentations are summative.  My goal is to have grades completely updated by the end of the day.

In addition to debating today in class, the students continued to practice identifying figurative language.  Our quiz on figurative language will be on Friday.

Lastly, the students applied their knowledge of QAR by reflecting on the types of test questions they frequently missed.  They wrote down strategies to help them answer these test questions in the future.

Tonight is our Bryant PTA Fundraiser at On the Boarder on the hill.  Any student who goes can present their receipt to me in class tomorrow for a homework pass to be used in Language Arts.

Homework:

1. Read for 20 minutes
2. Study for Figurative Language Quiz

In Language Arts today the students learned about the last two types of figurative language, idiom and adage.  I have added a video to this blog post that helps explain the difference between the two, as well as videos that describe each individually.

The students continued to work on their debate in class.  Each student began preparing their portion of the the debate.  We will continue to work on this in class tomorrow and the debates will be taking place on Monday.  This will be the first summative grade of the marking period.

Lastly, the students continued to look at QAR.  Today we looked at the questions from our most recent test.  Tomorrow the students will look at their old tests and determine which type of question they need to gain more practice answering.

Don’t forget!  Tomorrow reading logs are due.  This will be the first grade on the new marking period.

Have a great evening!

Homework:

1. Reading log due tomorrow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS7Dkijz3Ww

In Language Arts today the students continued to learn about figurative language.  Today we focused on allusion.  A video that gives examples of allusion has been added to this blog post.

The students also continued researching for their debate presentations.  We watched a debate example in class so that the students would understand how debate works.  We also started organizing our debate presentations with our teammates.  Debates will take place on Monday.

Lastly, the students continued to learn about QAR.  They began reflecting on the types of questions they struggle with.  Tomorrow, we will come up with strategies to help us gain a better understanding of these questions.

In Language Arts today the students learned about symbolism as another form of figurative language. The students also continued to look at examples of QAR questions.  Lastly, the students spent time researching facts that would support their debate claim.

Have a great evening!

Homework:

1. Read for 20 minutes

In Language Arts today the students continued to learn about figurative language.  Today we focused on onomatopoeia. The video that corresponds with the lesson has been added to this blog post.

The students also continued to focus on argumentative writing. The class broke into debate groups and worked with the people in their group who share the same topic.  The students were given time to look for facts that support their thinking.

Lastly, the students reviewed QAR strategies.  Today they applied these strategies to test questions they have had in the past.

Have a great evening!

Homework:

1. Read for 20 minutes