Native Americans in New York

Today we immersed ourselves in books about the Native Americans in New York.

We wrote down 5 interesting facts from our research.

Share your five interesting facts.

Don’t number your facts. Write your response in a paragraph using complete sentences.

Rules by Cynthia Lord

If you were making word cards for Jason, which words would you pick?

Explain why you chose those words.

Our Classroom Culture

What do you think is important to include in the culture of our classroom?

We are a classroom that ________________ because...

Be sure to explain your thinking with details.

Here are a few example comments from our class discussion:

We are a classroom that respects each other's opinions because...

We are a classroom that adds on to each other's thinking because...

We are a classroom that is inclusive because...

Who am I as a reader?

Answer the following questions.

Explain your answers with specific details.

Where do you like to read?

What genres do you like to read?

What other types of things do you like to read besides books?

Who are your favorite authors?

Do you have a favorite series of books? Why?

How does reading make you feel?

What do you like most about reading?

What is the most challenging thing about reading?

Name one of your favorite books and explain why it’s your favorite.
Do you ever read books you have already read before?

Choose one character in a book you have read that inspires you. Why does that character inspire you?

You should write your blog response on paper if you have technical difficulties or don’t have access to the internet. You may also email your response to me.

Who am I as a writer?

Answer the question: Who am I as a writer? Use what you wrote in your Writer’s Notebook to help you and include specific details in your answer.

Here are some helpful suggestions:

- Tools you use and why

- Graphic organizers that help you

- Pictures / artwork that inspire you

- Writer's Notebook seed ideas

- Books / mentor texts that inspire you

- Places you like to write in

- Authors / genres that inspire you and why

The American Revolution

Why is it important to learn about the American Revolution today?

How does what we learned through our research about the Revolutionary War affect our lives today?

Are we still fighting for democracy today? Does everyone have equal rights?

A Letter to Incoming Fourth Graders

What advice would you give new fourth graders next year?

Write a letter to explain your advice in detail.

If you have technical difficulties, write your letter on paper.

Book Talk: Wonder

Choose one book talk topic from the list below to discuss. Give at least two pieces of evidence from the book to defend your thinking.

For example... The author's message in Wonder is ___________________.

I know this because in the text ___________________________.

Also, ___________________________________________________.

Book Talk Topics

-Author's message

-Main problem

-Character motivation

-Themes           

-Big idea

-Symbols           

-Patterns

-Character belief system

Wonder: Character Study

Wonder is a story told from different points of view. Choose one character from the book, Wonder, by RJ Palacio. How does the character behave? What motivates their behavior? (Why do they act that way?) Why do you think the author included that character in the book? How does the character show the author's message? Explain your thinking with details from the story.

American Revolution Continued

We are continuing our study of the American Revolution.

Share at least three more new facts you have learned and explain why they are important to the American Revolution.

Field Trip to The Old Stone House

What did you learn today from our field trip to the Old Stone House?
Explain in detail at least 3 things you learned.

American Revolution

Think about what you have learned about the American Revolution in your research so far.

Share at least three facts you have learned and explain why they are important to the American Revolution.

Myself in Metaphors

Read the poem, "Myself in Metaphors" by Joseph O. Legaspi.
Click the pic below to read the poem again.

The author uses lots of metaphors to describe himself in this poem. A metaphor is a figure of speech in which two unlike things are compared.

1. After reading this poem, do you think the speaker likes the way he looks? What clues does he give you about his feelings?  

2. What do you think the speaker means in the last line when he says, "I am my world, and of the world?"
 
3. Write your own metaphor to describe yourself.

Ode Poems

Today we read and discussed, “Ode to the Lizard” by Pablo Neruda and worked on writing our own ode poems. For your blog homework tonight you will write another ode poem.

Remember, an ode is a poem meant to praise and describe something in detail.

Choose an ordinary object to write an ode about (such as a pencil, trash can, fire hydrant, apple, etc.) Be sure to use figurative language in your ode. Remember figurative language includes simile, metaphor, vivid imagery, etc.

Arts Week: The Scream by Edvard Munch

Look closely at the painting, “The Scream” by Edvard Munch. 

What details do you notice in this painting?

Why do you think the screamer is screaming?

How does this artwork make you feel?

What choices does the artist make to cause you feel that way?

Who am I as an independent writer?

Answer the following questions about your independent writing:

Who am I as an independent writer? 
What is my writing territory? Is my writing territory changing?

How do I write independently? What is my writing process? How do I use my Writer’s Notebook for independent writing?

How do I manage my time to finish independent writing? Do I use a calendar?
What evidence do I have that I have grown as a writer?

Book Talk: The Watsons Go to Birmingham

Choose one book talk topic from the list below to discuss. Give at least two pieces of evidence from The Watsons Go to Birmingham to defend your thinking.

For example...

The author's message is ___________.

I know this because in the text _____________.

Also, _________________________________.

Book Talk Topics

-Author's message

-Main problem in the story

-Character motivation

-Character belief system

-Themes

-Symbols

-Patterns

Book Talk: The Watsons Go to Birmingham

Choose one book talk topic from the list below to discuss. Give at least two pieces of evidence from The Watsons Go to Birmingham to defend your thinking.

For example...

The author's message is ___________.

I know this because in the text _____________.

Also, _________________________________.

Book Talk Topics

-Author's message

-Main problem in the story

-Character motivation

-Character belief system

-Themes

-Symbols

-Patterns

100 Ways to Show Kindness

Happy Valentine’s Day!

How can you show kindness to the people around you?

We want to come up with a list of 100 ways with no repeats!

We have 25 students in our class, so everyone should come up with at least 4 ways.

Look on the blog before you post to see which ways to show kindness were already written by your classmates so you can post some different and unique ways.

Empathy

empathy [em-puh-thee] (noun) the understanding of or the ability to identify with another person's feelings or experiences

• What does it mean to put yourself in someone else’s shoes?

• What kinds of behaviors show that you understand someone’s feelings?

• How can you show empathy towards others?

• Why is empathy important? How can it change a community?