Field Trip Cancelled Tomorrow

After talking with Mrs. Phillips and the Tree Hill staff, we have decided to cancel tomorrow's field trip.  The inclement weather has made the trails wet, muddy, and slippery which poses a risk of injury (falling).  The cold weather adds to our concern.  

Money you paid for the trip will be deducted from the cost of the next trip.

Instead, we will remain at school and have a normal school day.  Thanks for your understanding and have a great holiday!

The Kitchen Sink for the Week of 12/10/12

Readers’ Workshop

Winter break is approaching and we know everyone is looking forward to some rest and relaxation.  That being said, we have had several parents request ways their children can practice and maintain their reading progress over the break.  Please make sure your child continues to read daily over the break.  Also, last week we placed a label in student planners, with login information for district provided websites.  These websites can be located in the sidebar of our blog under the heading, District Dishes.  FCAT Explorer is a site that provides reading support aligned with state standards and our weekly comprehension tests.  Compass Odyssey provides support for students in reading, math, and science.  Leveled books online is a site that provides…leveled books online!  This is a great site to visit if your child can not find a book that is “just right.” 

Please note that there will be no reading responses due the week of January 2, 2013 (the week we return from winter break).

 

Writers’ Workshop

We will edit & publish our persuasive writing this week.  Published pieces will be due on Friday, December 14th.  We will peer & self-assess these pieces the first week in January.

Our second week back, we will begin a new unit:  report writing.  Our class will be writing biography reports (a true account of someone else's life).  Help your child start the new year off right by helping them find a book now.  It should be about someone they are interested in, and they need to be able to read it on their own.  A great series of biographies is the "Who Was...?" series.  They are widely available in any bookstore and online, and they are a perfect reading level for the typical third grader.  (P.S.  We have a few different ones in our classroom, but if you are feeling generous and would like to help us attain more, we would appreciate a donation of any book from this series.)

Skills Block

There is no spelling homework or test this week.

Convincing Arguments

Our persuasive writing project is nearing completion.  We spent the entire week working on convincing arguments that could be used to persuade our audience.  Take a look at some of our work!

Ethan wants to convince his mother to get him a python!!!

Adela thinks she can get her parents to buy her a phone for Christmas...

And Miles is using his powers of persuasion to get a dog for the family.

What do you think about their arguments?  How is your project coming along?  Are you staying on track and keeping the deadline in mind?  Leave a comment!

Reading Response Strategies

Each week in their Reader's Response Journals, students are responsible for using one strategy we have practiced in class.  Students should apply the strategy to the book they are currently reading, providing evidence of deep thinking and supporting details from the text.  In order to help students meet expectations, we have provided samples of appropriate strategy use.  These samples can also be found in their Reader's Response Journals.  

Prediction

            I think that Rob will go back to visit the tiger in the near future.  He keeps thinking about the tiger to distract him from the difficult times in his life.  When Billy and Norton were bullying him on the bus, he was able to keep from crying by thinking about the tiger.  He is obviously very interested in the tiger and I know when I am interested in something, I want to investigate.  Also, looking at the cover of the book, I see two kids with the tiger in the woods.  I think those two kids are Rob and Sistine.  They might release the tiger together.  The title of the book is The Tiger Rising, so I imagine the tiger must play an important role in the story.

Connection

            When I read about Rob disliking school and not wanting to go, I could relate.  When I was in middle school, there was a girl who was unkind to me every day.  She called me names and made me miserable.  I dreaded going to school each morning.  Whenever I saw her, my heart would pound and my face would get all red.  I had to fight back tears whenever she was mean to me.  This makes me realize how Rob must feel every time he waits for the bus.  As it approaches, I bet his heart is pounding and with each step up into the bus he is probably more and more miserable.  I bet when he gets onboard and sees Billy and Norton smiling with anticipation, he wants to turn around and run right back off the bus.  That’s how I always felt. 

Clues in the Context

            As I was reading, I came across an unfamiliar word.  As Rob was waiting for the bus, he tried not to think about many things.  “He specifically did not think about Norton and Billy Threemonger waiting for him like chained and starved dogs, eager to attack.”  The word I did not recognize was “eager.”  Looking at the clues, it mentions dogs that are chained and starved.  This makes me think they are angry and hungry.  It makes them seem vicious and menacing.  Based on these clues, I would guess that eager means excited.  An angry, hungry dog would be excited to attack.  This makes sense when I plug it in, “He specifically did not think about Norton and Billy Threemonger waiting for him like chained and starved dogs, excited to attack.” 

Questioning

I wonder what inspired the author to write this story.  Maybe she had a difficult childhood, just like Rob.  Maybe she lost a parent at a young age and kept all of her emotions bottled up inside.  I wonder how Rob’s life would be different if his mom had not passed away.  The book says he “couldn’t stop crying the great heaving sobs that made his chest and stomach hurt.” This shows me that he loved her very much, so she must have been a caring woman.  I bet if she were alive, he would be more open with his emotions; he wouldn’t have to lock them up in the “suitcase” inside.  He seems unable to talk with his dad about things, but I bet he could have talked to his mom. 

Inferring

            I infer that Sistine is a very confident girl.  When she walks onto the bus and Billy and Norton make fun of her fancy pink dress, she responds by saying, “It’s not my fault you don’t have good clothes.”  She looks them right in the eye when she says this.  I know that when people are nervous or insecure, they usually look at the ground, but when someone looks you right in the eye, they have confidence.  When Sistine gets to school and has to speak in front of the class, she does not hesitate.  I get nervous in front of big groups of people.  I move slowly and look at the ground when I talk, but Sistine does not.  She stands up and insults everyone right to their faces, calling them “ignorant” and then looks around the room “defiantly.”  These examples prove she is not afraid of what others think.  She is a very confident girl!

Envisioning

            This author did a wonderful job painting a picture with words.  The morning Rob sees the tiger, the author writes, “The sky was gray and the air was thick and still.  Fog was hugging the ground.”  I envision Rob standing by the edge of the woods.  His feet are hidden by a thin layer of fog as he stares at the majestic caged tiger.  The text says, “It seemed as if the tiger was some magic trick, rising out of the mist.”  I imagine the dreary gray sky and the bright orange of the tiger, appearing through the fog.  “He was so astounded at his discovery, so amazed, that he stood and stared.”  I see Rob staring at the tiger with his mouth hanging open and his eyes almost bulging out of his head.  I bet he is thinking, “How in the world did this tiger get here?  Who is taking care of it?”  He probably wants to go and pet it, but he’s nervous it will bite him!  

The Kitchen Sink for the Week of 12/3/12

Readers’ Workshop

This week we will be exploring how the objects a character keeps close almost always reveal something important about the person. We will use this opportunity to reflect on our own lives, considering what objects we hold dear and what that might reveal about what is important to us.  Check out the blog for strategies to help students connect with characters on a deeper level.

Please note that, as of this week, Reader’s Response Journals will no longer be accepted late.

 

Writers’ Workshop

We will begin our persuasive drafts this week.  These drafts will take on different forms (i.e. letter, article, conversation), depending on which menu choice your child chose.  Regardless of form, every student's first paragraph should clearly state their intent/opinion on the issue they are addressing.  From there, the following paragraphs should introduce and support three arguments.  Different argument styles were discussed and recorded in your child's notebook last week.  Look for their notes and ask them which arguments they are planning to use; they should choose the three that will best convince their audience that their opinion is right.  Each draft will end with a conclusion paragraph, which restates the author's opinion and summarizes the main points of the piece.  The tentative due date for final drafts is Friday, December 14th.

Skills Block

Students will be tested on spelling List 12 this week.

Persuasive Writing Project: Brainstorming is Coming to an End

Have you chosen your topic for the persuasive writing project?!?  If you haven't, here's the list.  Brainstorming time is coming to an end, so look over the choices and make your selection!

Persuasive Writing Menu Choices

Pretend you are a Christmas tree at a Christmas Tree Farm.  You really want a family to choose you.  Here comes the family now.  Write an article that describes why you are the perfect tree.

Pretend you are Belle.  Convince Beast that beauty lies within.

Write a letter to your parents convincing them to get you a pet.

Write a letter to Santa convincing him that you’ve been good and deserve a certain gift this Christmas.

Write a letter to the lunch lady convincing her that she should serve your favorite foods more often.

Students are throwing trash on the ground, leaving empty soda cans and bottles outside on benches, and dropping napkins and other trash on the cafeteria floor rather than carrying them to the trash can.  Your principal has reacted by cancelling all outdoor recess until the problem is taken care of.  What is your position on this issue?  Write a letter to the students in your school convincing them to listen to your ideas.

Think about where people live.  People live in small towns, large towns, or even big cities.  Some people live on farms or in houses in the country.  Some people live inland and some live at the beach along the coast.  Think about where it is best to live and why.  Choose the one place where you would like to live and give reasons why you think it is the best.

You are Happy, one of Snow White’s seven dwarves.  Write a letter to your fellow dwarf, Grumpy, convincing him to be less of a grump.

Because of budget cuts, your school district is thinking of getting rid of resource classes for next year.  Write a letter to the school board that states your position and convinces them to change their minds.

We all know what happened to the gingerbread man when he rode on the foxes’ back to cross the river.  Write a conversation between you and the gingerbread man, where you convince him to use another method to cross the river.  Save yourself from being eaten by that villainous fox!

Tomorrow we will take the plans we created and use them to help us get started on our drafts.  If you want to keep on track, it's important not to get behind in the beginning stages of a new project.