In Writing this week, we are stepping back a step or two and reviewing some basic spelling rules (long u sound spelling patterns), capitalization, and editing practice. In addition, based on the types of errors I am still seeing in student writing, we will be having a 2-day focused instruction on simple, complex, and compound sentences where students will not only discover the reasons and uses for the dreaded comma, but learn to apply the rules in their own writing. This will be an ongoing focus as we move forward in our writing.
Yesterday, 1-25-16 ALL students should have submitted their final expository on their favorite season or time of year on line in the Google Classroom. In addition, our in-class expository poem on a Texas figure who shaped the state was due last Friday, with the allowance of using the weekend to finish without penalty. Those were collected yesterday as well. I do have outstanding assignments from some students. You will see it turn up on my gradebook (if you check grades) this week as "msg," until the assignment is turned in. "Msg" averages in as a ZERO, so it's really important for students to get the work turned in, even if it's late. As long as something is turned in, a 50 is better than a 0.
Next week we will begin our next expository piece of writing. We will be focusing on "how to" writing next. I introduced the concept today in class.
I did hand out homework today. It's a short passage to read called "Sprouts" followed by 6 STAAR like questions for editing. This is due Thursday, 1/28.
Texas History has taken a bit of a backseat lately as we pushed to get those two major writing projects completed. We are still looking at Week 15, the colonization of Texas, under Mexican control.
Please check with your child daily by looking at the agenda and homework folder. Green conference forms are due this week.
**If anyone has any extra Clorox Wipes (or the equivalent), we are on our last container. :( Pretty germy around school lately. Bleck!