English Language Arts
T.U.S.C. ~ The Ultimate Speaking Club
Speaking and listening are skills in Language Arts that are used the most in the real world. Every person is required to communicate in public at some point in his/her life. T.U.S.C (The Ultimate Speaking Club) provides your child with an opportunity to learn how to speak confidently. Learning specific speaking skills, observing other speakers, planning, researching, and practicing how to speak in a public setting are integral pieces of the learning process. The purpose of this program is not just to improve confidence and abilities, but also to encourage students to delight in speaking publicly.
As the program progresses throughout the year, please talk to your child about his/her roles. Their booklet contains a detailed description of each role and the date of the next meeting. It is very important that your child be well prepared for each T.U.S.C. meeting.
Students will be evaluated on both content and presentation. Areas to focus on include: a strong introduction and conclusion, creativity, oral fluency, expression, volume, eye contact, and detailed preparation. Unprepared students who do not fulfill their roles will be asked to apologize to the class for not preparing adequately and they must then prepare additional reports for the following T.U.S.C. session.
As the program progresses throughout the year, please talk to your child about his/her roles. Their booklet contains a detailed description of each role and the date of the next meeting. It is very important that your child be well prepared for each T.U.S.C. meeting.
Students will be evaluated on both content and presentation. Areas to focus on include: a strong introduction and conclusion, creativity, oral fluency, expression, volume, eye contact, and detailed preparation. Unprepared students who do not fulfill their roles will be asked to apologize to the class for not preparing adequately and they must then prepare additional reports for the following T.U.S.C. session.
I Am Poem
Each student created their very own I Am poem using a three stanza format. They edited, revised with a partner, typed a final copy and designed accompanying background art. They're excited to show you their final product at Open House on Thursday, September 15.
The I Am poem is a wonderful segue to their autobiography which we hope to begin towards the end of September.
Each student created their very own I Am poem using a three stanza format. They edited, revised with a partner, typed a final copy and designed accompanying background art. They're excited to show you their final product at Open House on Thursday, September 15.
The I Am poem is a wonderful segue to their autobiography which we hope to begin towards the end of September.
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
Synopsis
The first time she saw him, she flipped. The first time he saw her, he ran. That was the second grade, but not much has changed by the seventh. Juli says: “My Bryce. Still walking around with my first kiss.” He says: “It’s been six years of strategic avoidance and social discomfort.” But in the eighth grade everything gets turned upside down: just as Bryce is thinking that there’s maybe more to Juli than meets the eye, she’s thinking that he’s not quite all he seemed
What We're Working On
Summarizing with SWBST (Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Then). One of the hardest things for young children to understand is the difference between retelling and summarizing. While a retell is a detailed "play by play" of all the events in a story, told in a sequence, a summary is a brief overview of the story as a whole. The SWBST format is a great way to guide students to give a summary and NOT a retell. Almost all fiction stories can be summarized with SWBST.
We are enjoying listening to the book on cd in the classroom. For the first half of the story, at the end of each chapter, students complete a SWBST graphic organizer. Students will continue to complete the SWBST graphic organizer but will also complete chapter comprehension questions for the last half of the book. A final project will be discussed towards the end of September. Expect to see a note home regarding watching the movie Flipped in class.
Synopsis
The first time she saw him, she flipped. The first time he saw her, he ran. That was the second grade, but not much has changed by the seventh. Juli says: “My Bryce. Still walking around with my first kiss.” He says: “It’s been six years of strategic avoidance and social discomfort.” But in the eighth grade everything gets turned upside down: just as Bryce is thinking that there’s maybe more to Juli than meets the eye, she’s thinking that he’s not quite all he seemed
What We're Working On
Summarizing with SWBST (Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Then). One of the hardest things for young children to understand is the difference between retelling and summarizing. While a retell is a detailed "play by play" of all the events in a story, told in a sequence, a summary is a brief overview of the story as a whole. The SWBST format is a great way to guide students to give a summary and NOT a retell. Almost all fiction stories can be summarized with SWBST.
We are enjoying listening to the book on cd in the classroom. For the first half of the story, at the end of each chapter, students complete a SWBST graphic organizer. Students will continue to complete the SWBST graphic organizer but will also complete chapter comprehension questions for the last half of the book. A final project will be discussed towards the end of September. Expect to see a note home regarding watching the movie Flipped in class.