Friday, December 16, 2011

A Winter Wonderland!

We've worked so hard this month,
We feel lucky we've survived,
But now it's time to relax
Because winter break has arrived!

We made decorations for the season,
Just as cute as they could be.
Can you think of anything better
Than your face and macaroni?

A classmate read a story
With the help of her dog named Jingles.
She would read, he would sing
The sound of it gave us tingles!

The snowball fight was exciting
especially since there was no snow.
Ball up a sock, stand across from your friends
Ready, aim, throw!

Auntie Claus stopped by for a visit,
Pulled out a book and took a seat.
She read the story, then said goodbye
And left us with a holiday treat!

We captured the fun in photos.
So many, we could fill a book.
If you're curious about the fun we had,
Scroll down and have a look!


























Happy Holidays!

Monday, December 5, 2011

A Book So Good, It's Scary!

I don't know about you, but I have really been enjoying our current read aloud, School of Fear: Class is NOT Dismissed.  Mrs. Z's voices just crack me up!  Her British accent is awesome and I giggle every time I hear Hyhy's voice.  Hyhy and Celery kind of remind me of me and Hobbs...two peas in a pod!  What do you think of the book so far?  Are you interested in reading the rest of the series?  I know I am!  Can you relate to any of the characters?  If you were going to the School of Fear, what would be the reason...what is your fear?  Mine is the dark!  Yikes...so spooky!  For more School of Fear fun, check out an interactive site, dedicated to the books by clicking here!  

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Persuasive Writing Info


This week we have been focusing on different persuasive strategies that can be used to convince an audience of your claim, or position on a particular issue.  

Claim – States the main  
point or stance 

Persuasive Strategies
Big Names –  Mentions experts and important people to support the argument 
Example:  Former President Bill Clinton thinks junk food should be taken out of vending machines.

Logos – Uses logic, numbers, or facts to support the argument
Example:  People who own dogs ____ years longer than people without dogs

Pathos – Appeals to the audience’s emotions 
Example:  Include a cute picture of a puppy with a caption that reads "Donate to the Humane Society to save this dog!"

Ethos – Tries to build trust and credibility 
Example:Get me this wallet, Santa, and I can organize all my money and cards.  You know what it's like trying to stay organized.  I know you have to keep all your lists in order.  

Kairos – Builds a sense of urgency for the cause 
Example:  Mom and dad, if you buy me a Nook Color this week, you can get it for 15% off the normal price.

Research – Uses studies and information to make the argument seem more convincing;  
this can be in the form of words, graphs, tables, or illustrations 
Example: A recent study reported in The New Yorker indicated that kids who play video games have faster reaction times.


P.S. Refer to the menu of choices in an earlier post to see whether you chose to create a letter, poster, advertisement, or dialogue.  If you chose to create a friendly letter, check out this site to review the five parts.


This is a copy of the persuasive writing rubric students will be using to assess their work next week.  Copies were distributed during the drafting phase, so that students would be aware of the expectations and could include all of the elements in their piece.


Persuasive Writing Project
Project Elements
Description of Project Element
Self Assessment
3  2  1
Peer
Assessment
3  2  1
Teacher Assessment
3  2  1
Followed Directions
-An option from the menu of choices was used
-Students made a letter, poster, or conversation as indicated on the menu of choices



Claim




-It is clear what your position is on the issue
-The audience can easily tell what you are trying to convince them to think/do



3 Persuasive Strategies




-Three reasons are used to convince the audience
-Reasons must be logical and truthful, with no repeats



CUPS




-An effort should have been made to correct errors in capitalization, awkward wording, punctuation, and spelling



Total Score (+2 on time):