Unit 2 Research

Wrap Up 

We wrapped up Unit 1 Personal Narratives this week. The students revised and edited their baseline personal narrative essay for a final grade. Updates will be made on Empower within the next week. 

Unit 2 Research

We will begin research/argumentative essay writing next week. Students will write their baseline essay on Monday then we will work on skills and strategies that will build our writing. 

Please look for the Research Unit Matrix to come home. It goes over the targets we will cover in Unit 2. Please sign and return the entire form. 

October 19th

- Grammar Quiz

- Skill Vocabulary Quiz

Upcoming Assessment for Unit 1

Quiz Info

There will NOT be a grammar quiz this or next week, because of the days off.

Next week, 10/12/18 we will have a vocabulary quiz with list #3. 

Vocabulary #3

Sample Vocabulary Quiz

This is just an FYI for parents. This is what the bi-weekly vocabulary quiz looks like. This is from weeks 1 and 2 (the quiz we just took). 

Vocabulary Lesson 2

Root: photo         Meaning: light

Prefix: im-   in-   il-         Meaning: not

1. photocopy - a paper copy of a document or picture that is made with a special machine
2. photograph - a picture made by a camera
3. photon - a tiny particle of light or electromagnetic radiation
4. photosynthesis - the process by which a green plant turns water and carbon dioxide into food when the plant is exposed to light
5. telephoto - a lens for a camera that makes far away objects appear to be closer
6. incapable - not able to do something
7. ineligible - not allowed to do or be something
8. imbalance - a state or condition in which different things do not occur in equal or proper amount
9. illiterate - not knowing how to read or write
10. illogical - not thinking about things in a reasonable or sensible way

Quiz will be September 28th!

Personal Narrative Writing

Our class started the year with personal narrative writing. The skills needed to craft a good story with a strong lead, transitions, resolution, organization, elaboration, and grammar will help students with all forms of writing and reading. 

This is the rubric used for scoring students work. 

You will notice that the scoring scale looks like this: 

Score 1 - Grade Level 4

Score 2 - Grade Level 5

Score 3 - Grade Level 6

Score 4 - Grade Level 7

What does a check mean?

Grading can be tricky, it is different from the traditional grading scale we are used to as parents. There are two things you will want to monitor as a parent.

1. Papers that are coming home.
2. Report cards with Learning Target information

1. Papers that are coming home from weekly work should have a check on them. If they don't it may mean the student didn't finish the work during their class time. We go over these assignments as a class, so your student should have it finished and corrected. 

2. Report cards show what students know about broader topics like grammar skills, writing and reading comprehension. The scale is 1-4.

Vocabulary

Each week students rotate through stations in ELA. One of the stations is "Skill Practice" where they work on Greek and Latin word parts. This is the list they will be working on for the first two weeks.

Root - graph          Meaning - write

Prefix - ir- and non-         Meaning - not

1. autograph - the signature of a famous person
2. graffiti - pictures or words painted or drawn on a wall, building, etc.
3. graphite - a shiny, black substance that is used in pencils
4. paragraph - a part of a piece of writing that deals with one subject, begins on a new line, and is made up of one or more sentences
5. telegraph - an outdated system of sending messages over long distances by using wires
6. irrational - not thinking clearly
7. irregular - not normal or usual
8. irrelevant - not important or relating to what is being discussed right now
9. nonexistent - not present or real
10. nonverbal - not involving or using words; not able to speak

Our Class Site

As much as I would have loved to use Google Classroom, we have had technology issues getting everyone signed in.

By using Blogger I can still share the information you need without it being password protected. Be assured that I will not post student pictures or information now that we are on an unsecured site.

That being said I will have links to our daily agenda and will post information about upcoming events, activities, projects and more. It would be a good idea to bookmark this page and check back every few days.

We have had an amazing start to our year! Our class is simply the best!

Please let me know if you have any questions. The best way to contact me is through Class Dojo.