Happy 2013! Here is the assignment page for the Family History Report. Over the break is often a good time to conduct interviews with family members. The whole report is not due until the end of January, however. Students need to do a minumum of three interviews, and the recommendation is a full page for each family member in the finished report. The anecdote is always the most interesting part of the report. More on the report project will posted soon.

Family History Report

 

1. Interview family members. Take notes on notecards.                     5

 

2. Take notes about your family members:                                       20

          a. traditions

          b. background/childhood

          c. jobs

          d. hobbies

          e. anecdotes/stories

 

3. Write paragraphs from your notes. Add an introduction and

     conclusion to your report.  (rough draft)                                    20

 

4. Proofread your report. Revise and make corrections. Write final

    draft.                                                                                             40

 

5. Indicate on the maps (U.S. and World) where your family and

    relatives have come from.                                                             20

 

6. Include Family Tree.                                                                     15

 

7. Include a self-portraits and/or family photos.                               20

 

8. Make an attractive cover for your report.                                      10

 

9. Copy a favorite family recipe for your report.                              20

 

10.Present your report orally in class.                                               20

 

11.Make a bibliography for your report.                                          10

 

 

 

Out of 200 possible points, I received _____________total points.

 

 

 

Writing good essays and stories takes lots of focused effort and the willingness to spend time and energy in order to produce a piece of work worth the reader's attention.

This week we are developing proofreading skills using an essay that contrasts fantasy fiction with realistic fiction. Fourth graders must learn to read every word--this is not the place for scanning and skimming!

A typical problem such as, "The storys we read fantasy fiction because they all had at least one talking animal for a character," is easily fixed with a closer read. Did you find the error? That's right--it should be 'stories' not 'storys.'

The fourth graders also had some fun learning about figurative expressions, particularly the expressions known as idioms.

"You might find yourself sitting on top of the world after the next Math test. Just make sure you're not down in the dumps when the test is completed because you didn't do all of the assignments or let your mind go off track during an important lesson.

Here's to a great holiday weekend! Follow this link to watch a slide show about the history of Thanksgiving: http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving

It's easy to feel grateful when you live in Port Angeles. Even the rain, and we get lots of it, has its benefits.

Report on a Current Event

With the internet, as well as television, radio, and newspapers, the availability of news items for current events reports far exceeds what was available only a few years ago. The report only needs to be about a paragraph long, summarizing the topic and point made by a news item. Try to find out where the event happened (setting) and then write a few sentences telling about the item.

Cards are available in the classroom for writing the current event report.Of course you can use notebook paper or write it in the Readers' Notebook as well.  There are lots of different kinds of news items as you may already know. Try to find the non-sensational and the non-horrifying kind. Lots of good and worthy things happen in the world, too.

STRONG BEGINNINGS

This week we started working on strong beginnings for our stories and essays. Sometimes it works to begin with a quotation:

In the Attic
by Mei Ann Lee

  "Achoo!" Sarah sneezed in the dusty air. "Looks like no one's been in this attic for years." There was dust everywhere. Camping gear, old toys, furniture, and trash were stacked along the walls. "This is so cool!" she said to her friend Matt.

  The idea is to get the reader's attention and make them want to read the rest of the story or essay. However, use the quotations sparingly. Too much dialogue gets in the way of the plot and cause the reader to become confused and give up. Try to make the reader curious while establishing the setting and characters.

  A strong beginning for an essay can start with a question:

                                                               Clouds
                                                                by Mr. Burnett

  With as much rain as we've had this October, one wonders, will the skies ever clear again? Yet, there is something wonderful about the clouds in the sky during this rainy time of the year. Looking at the clouds is a bit like looking at an oil painting that changes from one day to the next. Let's consider some of the reasons for nature's art work.

  Like in a story, you want to grab the reader's attention in the first sentence or two, and make them want to read what you've written. A question at the beginning of an essay just might make the reader curious enough to read on.

Problem-solving Steps

Were you good at solving word problems? Probably not. Most of us struggled with 'story problems' in school, and many have difficulty with them as adults trying to help fourth graders. Fortunately, difficulty solving word problems in Math is not a permanent condition.

Here are the steps that will help make the process of doing word problems easier:


1.What is the problem?
2. What do you know?
3. What is your plan or strategy?
4. Write the solution (answer) in a complete sentence.

Let's apply those steps to the following word problem.

A penguin can swim 11 miles per hour. At this speed, how far can it swim in 3 hours?

1. What is the problem? How far can it swim in 3 hours?

2. What do I know? The penguin can swim 11 miles per hour, or 11 miles in 1 hour.

3. What is my plan? I will make a table and look for a rule.   Hours      MPH
                                                                                                   1              11
                                                                                                   2              22
                                                                                                   3              33
Rule: add 11

4. The penguin will swim 33 miles in 3 hours.

Most people, at least at one time or another, are capable of getting excited about their favorite dessert. Therefore it makes a good topic for learning to write an essay. Try to decide if the writer below was excited about his favorite dessert. Do you hear the voice of a robot or does it, in fact, make you hungry as you read it?

My Favorite Dessert

  My favorite dessert is blackberry pie with vanilla ice cream. The cold ice cream slides down my throat while the berries crunch beneath my teeth. If the crust is just right you can taste a hint of cinnamon at the tail end. The joy lasts a long time.

 The first time I tasted blackberry pie with vanilla ice cream was at my grandmother’s house a very long time ago. It must have been my birthday or some other special occasion. Otherwise, there probably would not have been any form of dessert after dinner. Dessert is uncommon in my family.

 

  Besides the cold of the ice cream, the crunch of the berries, and the final hint of cinnamon, the appearance of this fine dessert is a thing to behold. It looks a bit like Mount Rainier if the light and the mood are just right. With the vanilla ice cream on top of jagged pie crust and blackberries, you can imagine the majestic mountain right before devouring it.

 

  Much more could be said in praise of blackberry pie with vanilla ice cream, but the experience of eating it should not be delayed any longer. Don’t spend too much time deciding which brand of ice cream to use. Instead get down to the business and joy of actually eating this fine dessert.