Crain's Nest

Moving on Up- to the 7th grade...........

Getting there ladies and gentlemen!  This week in my first period class we will be working on several different assignments at various times.

Depending on the lab usage, students will be finishing their book reports - probably on Friday the 15th.  This will be their last large graded piece.

We are also focusing on verb usage, using the student LA workbook and some websites (LCD projector- because the overhead is broken AGAIN- for about the 4th time this year.....must be an omen that we need a smart board....teehee!)

Another semi-large grade will be the final Daily Grammar Practice that the students will be able to use their notes to answer.  They must tell each word's part of speech, the type of sentence, and be able to diagram the sentence.  Hopefully we will be able to breeze through these tasks and spend some time playing LA games online for the last few class period.

I've really enjoyed this class this year, and hope that all of you have a wonderful and fun summer.  Don't forget to come back and visit us next year!!  Mrs Crain

May 5, 2009

As we move along to the end of this school year, we will mainly be focusing on two tasks in my small group class.

#1- finish book report.  During class time students who are prepared with their notes/prewriting will be able to work on the book review in class.  By following the guidelines given to them previously, students are putting their thoughts into a word document, which is revised and edited before being turned in for a final grade.  Some students are still have difficulty because they did not really read their book or they keep leaving their work elsewhere; under these circumstances it is hard to get your work done, and I am sorry that they are struggling.  It is, however, their responsibility to bring the 'tools' that they need to class, and if they do not have their previous work, then I have review worksheets for them to complete until they remember what they need.  Grades will be due soon however, so something will need to be turned in at that time. 

#2- for the last couple of weeks we will be practicing subject verb relationships in preparation for the first unit that students will be covering in 7th grade.  We are doing this in conjunction with the next grade level to give the students a head start, and to let the other teachers get a feel for the group they will have next year. 

Please let me know if you have any questions!  thanks!

Two Down, Three to Go!

From what I can tell, 6th grade students are doing a great job of completing their CRCT's so far. Everyone has come in rested, full of a good breakfast, and ready to show off their stuff!

Because of the schedule changes, my first period class will be meeting in the computer lab on the 7th grade hall thru next Monday. Our long-term assignment for the next 2 weeks or so will be to complete a book report  Hopefully, we will be able to put our prewriting notes on WORD documents so students will be able to go stright from there into their rough drafts, and edit/revise using them as well.

Starting Thursday, students need to bring their library book (the one they checked out before the spring break) to class until further notice.  Here is a tentative guide to how we will be going about working on the report ----

Wed- read short story "The Good Deed" and model how to take notes on character

Thur- finish short story- do individual notes in WORD

Fri- Draw and complete plot chart- HW- FINISH BOOK IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO!!!!!

We will write the book report in class over the next week.

 

PRONOUN OR NOT????

Today in school we celebrated our unit on pronouns by having a "no pronoun" day.  Students were given a tally sheet where they were supposed to put a hash mark each time they accidently used a pronoun in normal conversation.  It has been hilarious listening to them all day; much of the time the talk was of cavemen-style, even after we explained that verbs were OK to use.  It was a definite reminder of how many pronouns are used in everyday conversation, and the students raised their sense of awareness of what pronouns are and how they are used.

REMEMBER- THERE WILL BE A PRONOUN QUIZ ON FRIDAY!!!

also- please don't forget that all you have to do at home is google pronoun games or grammar games and you will come up with many options that your student can practice with at home...... 

My first period class just finished their CRCT poster that they have been working on for a few days- On it they wrote all the different types of senverbs that can be used in questions, then they added a short and sweet definition and a picture illustrating it.  This will be a visual reminder for them to look at each day in class up until the CRCT.

HAPPY ST. PADDY'S DAY

Hope you're wearing your green today!!  I know I am; the story we read yesterday in class, 'The Stone", really put me in the mood for the holiday...We language arts teachers really enjoyed audiotaping the short story for you, but since it is also in your lit book,  you were asked to re-read it last night

In my 1st period class there was a mini field trip to Mr. Bristow's office this morning, so he could give us feedback on our letters to the editor.  Tomorrow we will reflect on those pieces in our portfolios.  We will also continue our practices this week; here is a quick rundown on what I'd like to accomplish for the rest of this week 

Wed- Practice-white boards showing subject/demonstrative pronouns.    Add reflexsive and interrogative pronouns to booklet- Demonstrate limericks and finish  CRCT POS pre-test or practice own limericks.

THURS- Practice- limericks together. Do class DGP ( sit down on that chair or I will call the principal). Add indefinite and possessive pronouns to booklet. Finish pre-test and/or grade.

FRI- Practice- find pronouns in magazines- Watch pronoun powerpoint (LSV- anticipate). Revisit the short story 'Eleven" by Sandra Cisernos and discuss theme.

Next week we will use short paragraphs to illustrate theme and continue discussion it as a topic.

I also plan to serve breakfast to the students who met my challenge from the beginning of the 3rd quarter, which was to achieve 10+ points on their overall grade average.  

Update on classwork

After grading the last test- on persuasion and sentence types- we have decided that the students need to simply memorize the list of subordinate conjunctions, just like they did the coordinating conjunctions (or FANBOYS).  Here is a quick list

after, although, as, as if,

 as long as, as soon as, as though,

 because, before, even, even though,

if, in order that, just as, like,

 once, provided that, rather than, since,

so that, than, though, unless,

 until, when, whenever, while

ALS0- We are starting a letter to the editor, which will be sent to our favorite editor, Mr Bristow.  He has agreed to assist us by answering  to what the students write about, which are school based issues of their choice. We will be MOST of this in class, butyou need to be aware of what we are doing. 

On Tues (look up facts and type rough draft) and Thurs (type final) of next week we will be going into the computer lab.  There is the checklist  (SEE THREE- SEE ME)that students need to complete on THEIR ROUGH DRAFTS FIRST to make sure they have each portion BEFORE starting their FINAL----- this is a process that students need to use REPEATEDLY when doing more involved writing assignments  Let me know if you have any questions- I'd like this grade to be on their report card, therefore it would be best for everyone to be done on time.  Thanks!@

 

 

Study Guide for Quiz next Tuesday

Today in 1st period we took time to clean out our LA binders.  I made sure students had compies of the TYPES OF PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES notes and some handouts on compund/complex sentences.  They need to study these over the weekend to be fully ready for this on Tuesday.  Thanks!@

Newest Developments 2-18-09

This week in Mrs Crain's 1st Period LA class- We have decided to move back into the 7th grade hall so we can focus on more specific goals and objections ini a closer, one to one setting.  Even though we might go back into Mrs Dent's LA class later on in the year, right now it's best for us to work in a smaller group. 

Each day the first thing we will do is participate in some type of CRCT practice- it may be a verbal activitiy or a short test-taking strategy or even a quick reading task with questions following it.  There are many of those types of assessments on the CRCT, and students need as much practice as they can get!! The students are also keeping track of the practice we do in class on a blank calendar they received today in class.

  I have challenged this class by offering to serve them BREAKFASTafter report cards come out at the end of the 3rd 9 weeks if their grade is 10+ points higher than their 2nd 9 weeks grade.  FOOD usually works!  ha!!

Tomorrow (Thurs) we will start to work diligently on our Letter to the Editor- today we brainstormed topics to write about, and students will be completing this task in class.   Please ASK TO SEE THE RUBRIC when they get home tomorrow.

Also, in their agenda will be a note regarding a quiz next week (Tuesday Feb 24th) over persuasion techniques, types of appeals, and types of sentences, including compound-complex sentences. A study guide will follow soon.  Peace!

Recent Activities in Class

In our Language Arts class we are still working on persuasive writing.  Today we drew names in class, an on Friday your student will be required to bring a tacky or UGLY gift to the student they drew.  Then, on Tuesday, an ugly gift thank you letter will be due.  We gave students written guidelines and a rubric today in class. 

PLEASE MAKE SURE THEY KEEP THIS SHEET NEARBY AS THEY ARE WRITING THEIR THANK YOU LETTER.  This is something that we stress in class, so kids will learn to follow directions and know where to look for answers to their questions.

There is a DGP QUIZ on Friday- students will be able to use their notes to label the parts of speech- (Monday's task)- and there will 4-5 short answer questions, such as identify the subject, direct object, what type of sentence is it, etc.

Let me know if you have any questions!@

Conference Week Lessons

What does this look like an advertisement for?  If you said dog food or photo-shop options you'd be right!  Poor Kandy has green-eye, instead of red- eye, like some pictures come out, and you certainly can't ignore her funny tongue sticking out.  I think somebody put peanut butter on her nose..... WHO would do that???!!!!

Don't forget to bring pictures of advertising types to class this week.  It's fun to determine who they are targeting and how they use words and pictures.

Monday- power-point and 2 column notes in class

Tues- Computer lab analyzing web-site ads- can do more at home with worksheet

Wed- Fact and Opinion discussion, CHOICE BOARD ASSIGNMENT, pre-test for unit

LOOK ON MRS DENT'S BLOG FOR CHOICE BOARD OPTIONS