In Writing, each day was spent working on a portion of the imaginative stories that are being written, following some mini lessons to review techniques. We reviewed the plot pyramid, character conflict, ways to say "said," transitional phrases, and punctuating dialogue. From the homework, I can tell the students are beginning to grasp the concept of adding quotation marks appropriately in dialogue, but still get confused with the correct punctuation that needs to be added. This can be tricky, and we will keep working on it. At this point, I've heard almost every student's rough draft, given feedback, and sent them on their way to conference with peers and begin final drafts. The FIRST due date for final drafts is April 22nd. Most students are submitting this on Google Drive, as it's the easiest way for me to read them efficiently and offer feedback immediately. In addition, it's MUCH easier for the students to make corrections without having to start ALL over again. Kids have a very difficult time remembering to start a new paragraph every time a new character speaks, so I predict there will be many mistakes made.
Once I respond to your child's writing on Google Drive, he or she will receive a second turn in date in my comment section. This date will be different depending on the types of changes that need to be made. Most of next week will be spent finishing up our first final drafts and listening to each other's stories. The kids will also get to finally hear MY story that I've worked on as I modeled different techniques with them. :)
Klein's Kids only:
In Social Studies, we have finished learning about Texas in the Civil War, rejoining the United States, and Reconstruction. Currently, students should be working on their Reconstruction poem that was assigned last Monday. They each have the directions and examples. I've gone over expectations for neatness and effort a few times, as many students tend to rush. Please remind your child that effort goes a long way. We completed our open notes test following a review. All students who kept up with their newspapers and highlighted and underlined as we read together, had all the answers readily available. Scored tests went home in the Friday folder today.
Next week, we will finish up Reconstruction and begin looking at farming and ranching in Texas and how it changed the Texan way of life. We will be playing a game where students will design cattle brands and take part in a simulated cattle drive. I don't believe I've added any new dates to the Upcoming Dates tab, but please check back often just to be sure.
Have a fantastic weekend!