From Mrs. Ford

Language Arts

Reading- In Reading we are still working in the genre of Realistic Fiction.  Students are really starting to take ownership of noticing and naming the superstructure of a narrative story (setting the stage, initiating event, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution). 

As we continue to consume this genre, we are noticing craft elements.  This week we will wrap up our work on dialogue and inner thinking.  Yesterday, we shared our own inner thinking and reflected on how this helps us know more about one another.  Students then dove into their independent reading to see how the inner thinking of our book characters can help us know more about who they are, what they think and how they feel!  As we move through the week, we will start to look for and discuss the imporatance of backstory in narrative.

Writing- We are spiraling back to review and practice conversations.  You can help us at home!  We are trying to talk without raising our hands about our favorite part of a book.  Students are great at coaching each other about how to make the discussion go better.  We are just working on taking our own words of wisdom and applying in the situation! J  Students will work this week to identify voices an author uses to tell a story.  We will take a close look at how to use a narrator and dialogue in our own writing. 

 Word Work-Students will receive new spelling words for their word work this week.  Your support at home helps them internalize the spelling and patterns of words they encounter in their reading and writing.  Thank you for talking about how words work at home!  We will have our spelling test on Tuesday, November 17.

Social Studies-Students did an AMAZING job last week writing their first expository essay about geography and landforms.  It was BIG work!  This week, we will focus on the celebration of Veteran’s day with our performance on Wednesday at 8:30 in the café.  We will then move onto discussing the importance of maps and globes through a fun imaginative scenario.  What if you were lost at sea with no technology?!  Here is some academic language that you can discuss and study at home to support your learner through this unit: grid, map, globe, longitude, latitude, compass rose, cardinal directions, hemisphere, Columbus, key, symbols, legend, equator, city, continents, states, oceans, and geographer.