Wednesday

High school looms in the not-so-distant future, in case anyone needs a reminder, or in my case, a memory jog. About ten years ago one of my guitar students stated that she didn't see the point of high school. So many "points" come to mind, and most of them involve life after school and the development of productive, responsible citizens--take a look at "A Very Important Day" in the Reading book. The story fits so well with our report project on Family Histories. And, since Friday is a teacher workday and the kids won't be here, we will make Monday, February 1st, the official due date for the report project. I'm looking forward to reading anecdotes about relatives and ancestors. Have a good (and productive) weekend!

Friday

The kids have been working hard on their Family History Reports, and rough drafts of the interviews are nearly done for most. Next week we'll work on the final drafts and do the remaining components, including a bibliography and pictures/drawings before the project is due a week from today. I have report covers but students are welcome to make their own if a fancier design is desired.

Lots of current events came in this week, and bonus questions challenged several students. Did you know soap and water beats hand sanitizer for killing germs? We're reading a story about immigrants in New York City becoming United States citizens and one family has the name Dionetti which led to another bonus question: From what country did this immigrant come from? Several students correctly found the answer-Italy. Way to go!

Monday

January is dark. We've been talking in class about how late the sun rises in the morning and how early it sets. During current events our "weather reporters" tell the exact time of sunrises and sunsets along with forecasts for rain and cold weather. But January is also filled with activity, including our Family History Report Project. Students should be finishing their three interviews this week and taking care of their notes on cards so we can start working on rough drafts next week. The reports are due Friday, January 29th. Below is a list of the report components.

FAMILY HISTORY REPORT


1. Interview family members (at least three). Take notes on cards. 10 pts.

2. Notes can include jobs, traditions, interests, and place of birth. Ask for an anecdote(personal story from a person’s life) because that is always the most interesting part of report. 20 pts.

3. Rough draft: convert the notes from the interviews to paragraphs so there is at least one page for each of the three people interviews. Add and introduction and a conclusion to your report. 20 pts.

4. Final copy: Revise and edit your rough draft. Rewrite for the final copy. 40 pts.

5. Indicate on maps (U.S. and world) where your family and ancestors have come from and lived. 20 pts.

6. Include a family tree. Use diagram provided or make your own. 15 pts.

7. Include a self-portrait and;/or family pictures. 20 pts.

8. Copy a family recipe or favorite recipe and include it in the report.15 pts.

9. Make an attractive cover for your report. 10 pts.

10. Give a three minute presentation of your report to the class. 30 pts.


Out of 200 possible points, I received_____________total points.

Thursday

After finishing the second essay project, "How I Spend My Free Time," the kids are showing marked improvement in the organization of their Writing. They really stepped up to the plate when told the second essay needed to be "ten times" better than the first (which itself was pretty good for a start.) Most of the kids have become the "boss" of double-digit multiplication after weeks of practice, and they learned how to do an interview for their Familiy History Report project which isn't due until the end of January. I give the assignment before the break so some can choose to interview relatives they might see over the holidays. Some might want to take digital pictures for use in the project, and you might want to take a look at Voicethread.com on your home computer because the kids are learning to use it as a possible component of their Familiy History. I hope all of you have a terrific holiday season. Carry on!

Wednesday

No, those aren't former students doing their fifteen minutes of silent reading homework, but it sure looks like a great way to spend some free time even if the current weather forbids the swimsuits.

Speaking of "free time," that is exactly the topic for our latest Writing assignment. The kids are writing an essay on how they prefer to spend their free time. Today we finished up the prewrite part of the process where the focus is narrowed, a strong opening paragraph is started, and supporting paragraphs are outlined, and tomorrow we'll write the rough draft of the essay. We will work on adding details and examples that support their main idea.

For example, if my main idea is that I like to spend my free time reading at the beach, then I need a paragraph supporting that idea that includes what kinds or books or magazines I take with me to the beach. Maybe a second paragraph talks about or describes a particular beach that is well-suited to reading a favorite book.

Give a listen to "Grammar Girl" over in the right margin. She has an entertaining way of explaining writing tips with a new offering each week.

Wednesday Before Thanksgiving

Today the kids finished up their Thanksgiving cards and craft projects with their kindergarten buddies. They are pretty good at distinguishing proper from common nouns so you might ask them for some examples of each.
Have a happy Thanksgiving! See you on Monday.

Tuesday

Over five inches of rain has fallen already this month, and it's only half over! The kids checked our weather station in the library. Julia regularly brings the weather section of the Peninsula Daily News for the weekly forecasts, and we often check the weather in Las Vegas for some perspective.
This week we'll finish up the friendly letter project with the proper way to fold the letter and address the envelope. Later this year we'll learn how to write a business letter for another project in which the kids will receive some free materials from the American Quarterhorse Association.