Week beginning: 5-12-08

This week my ILA classes, as we did last week, will continue developing their knowledge of various forms of poetry as presented in collection 7 of their “Elements of Literature” text. In writing we will also continue developing a series of supplemental poems that will be included in a poetry portfolio. These poems will include both traditional and nontraditional forms. Both reading and writing lessons will involve a variety of poetry selections from the student text and other selected sources. All students will be taking the MAP reading tests this week. Social studies students will continue investigating the growth of the cities after the turn of the century.

Reading:

Elements of Literature:

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-Students complete text pages 656-657

-Students read, discuss and complete related work for text pages 658-669

Writing:

-Students continue to examine and write multiple forms of both traditional and nontraditional poetry. Write Source pages 221-236

-Students complete “Poetry Portfolio” (20+ poems)

Spelling: Review Unit #3

Social Studies:

Northern Lights:

-Students read chapter 12

-Students complete “Get it Guide” chapter 12

-Students complete chapter evaluation Friday

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Week beginning: 5-05-08

This week my ILA classes will continue developing their knowledge of various forms of poetry as presented in collection 7 of their “Elements of Literature” text. In writing we will continue developing a series of supplemental poems that will be included in a poetry portfolio. Both reading and writing lessons will involve a variety of poetry selections from the student text and other selected sources. Social studies students will conclude investigating the mining and milling era dating from 1839 to the turn of the century.

Reading:

The Giver:

Students complete and present “Utopia Projects”

Elements of Literature:

-Students review “The Sea” (text page622-623) and complete the work found on page 625.

-Students read text pages 641-642 and complete the work found on page 644 -Students read, discuss and complete related work for text pages 646-656

Writing:

-Students create new Haiku poems based on text pages641-644

-Students continue to examine and write multiple forms of both traditional and  nontraditional poetry

Spelling: Review Unit #2

Social Studies:

Northern Lights:

-Students review chapter test 11 and text pages 158-168

-Students read selected passages on the flour milling era

-Students review chapter 11 “investigation” examining personal photos

-Students complete chapter evaluation (Wednesday)

-Students begin chapter 12

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Week beginning: 4-28-08

We made it through the MCA’s!!!!!

MCA testing, although very challenging, was completed by our students with diligence and a high level of concern. Our students put forth their very best effort.

This week my ILA classes will complete a culminating activity for Lois Lowry’s award winning book The Giver. Students will present the projects they have been designing (“utopian communities” based on the thematic elements found in the book). As I have mentioned several times, two companion books written by Ms. Lowery that your child might be interested in reading are Gathering Blue and The Messenger. Although these books were not written as sequels to The Giver, they do provide additional information about the story. In writing we will begin developing a series of poems based on our reading series. Reading lessons will involve a variety of poetry selections both from the student text and other selected sources. Social studies students will investigate the mining and milling era dating from 1839 to the turn of the century.

Reading:

The Giver:

Students present “Utopia Project”

Elements of Literature:

-Students reread portions of the story “Flood” found on text page 737

Students complete “Reading Check” page 754

-Students read “The Sea” (text page622-623) and complete the work found on page 625.

-Students read “The Sneetches” (page627) and complete the work found on page 632

-Students read, discuss and complete related work for text pages 633-634

Writing:

-Students begin poetry packet

Spelling: Review Unit #1

Social Studies:

Northern Lights:

-Students review chapter text pages 160-163

-Students read text pages 164-173

-Students complete chapter 11 “Get it Guide” (due Wednesday) and the chapter investigation

-Students view “Hibbing” and “Lumberjack ‘ videos

-Students present complete group presentations from chapter nine

-Students begin chapter 12

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Week beginning: 4-21-08

This week my ILA classes will continue to bring closure to our unit work on Lois Lowry’s award winning book The Giver. Students have been designing utopian communities based on the thematic elements found in the book. As I have mentioned previously, two companion books written by Ms. Lowery that your child might be interested in reading are Gathering Blue and The Messenger. Although these books were not written as sequels to The Giver they do provide additional information about the story. In writing we will continue to revise our character stories. Reading this week will involve investigating “irony” as students compare two fictional stories. MCA testing will also continue this week as we enter the math phase of the test battery. We will be taking the math portions on Tuesday and Wednesday. Once again, be sure your child is adequately rested. A good breakfast is a prerequisite for all test days! Social studies students complete their moccasin projects and will begin working on the time period immediately following the “Dakota Conflict”.

MCA Testing:

Tuesday and Wednesday

Reading:

The Giver:

Students continue “Utopia Project”

Elements of Literature:

Students review Isaac Asimov’s “The Fun They Had” (Text assignment page 588)

Students read and discuss” Meet the Author” page 587

Students read “”The Nightingale” (Text pages 589-601)

Students complete text page 602

Writing:

Students complete final revisions of their short story based on their “birthed” character (multi week project)

Spelling: Unit 33

Students are introduced to the Latin roots “ject” & “rupt”.

Social Studies:

Northern Lights:

Students review chapter 9 materials

Students complete “Putting it Together” project

Students complete chapter 9 evaluation (Tuesday)

Students begin chapter 10

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Week beginning: 4-14-08

This week we will conclude our unit based on Lois Lowry’s award winning book The Giver. Students will design a utopian community based on the thematic elements found in the book. As I mentioned last week, two companion books written by Ms. Lowery that your child might be interested in reading are Gathering Blue and The Messenger. Although these books were not written as sequels to The Giver they do provide additional information about the story. In writing we will continue to revise our character stories. MCA testing begins this week. We will be taking the reading portion of the battery on Tuesday and Wednesday. Be sure your child is adequately rested. A good breakfast is a prerequisite for all test days! Social studies students complete their moccasin projects and will begin working on the time period immediately following the “Dakota Conflict”.

Reading:

MCA Testing

Monday: Students complete test preparation

Tuesday: Segments one and two

Wednesday: Segments three and four

The Giver:

Students review unit test and vocabulary

Students begin “Utopia Project”

Elements of Literature:

Students correct text page 763

Students begin collection seven

Writing:

Students complete first and second revisions of their short story based on their “birthed” character (multi week project)

Spelling: Unit 33

Students will study and master new vocabulary words.

Social Studies:

Northern Lights:

Students complete moccasin project

Students complete “Putting it Together” group projects

Students read Chapter ten

Students complete “Get it Guide”

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Week beginning: 4-07-08

This week we will conclude reading Lois Lowry’s award winning book The Giver, a gripping novel of a world gone awry. Students were on the edge of their seats as we progressed through the novel. Two companion books written by Ms. Lowery that your child might be interested in reading are Gathering Blue and The Messenger. Although these books were not written as sequels to The Giver ,they do provide additional information about the story. We will conclude the unit with a written evaluation later in the week. In grammar we have completed our review of prepositions and adverbs. The use of the conjunction will occupy us this week. In writing will begin the process of editing our character stories. Since we will be preparing for our upcoming MCA tests I do not expect to complete the stories until the fourth week in April. Social studies students will conclude their work in chapter nine of the text regarding the “Dakota Conflict” On Tuesday we will begin creating a “story board” moccasin project.

Reading:

MCA Practice:

Students review writing constructed response test items

Students review and practice test strategies

The Giver:

Students read concluding chapters

Students complete unit review and test

Writing:

Students complete, revise and publish a short story based on their “birthed” character (multi week project)

Spelling: Unit 32

Students will study and master new vocabulary words.

Social Studies:

Northern Lights :

Students will conclude chapter nine study of the “Dakota Conflict”

Students will read and begin to outline chapter number eight.

Week beginning: 3-10-08

In reading we will continue to mix genera’s for the next few weeks. We will again be using an "ancient world" text to cover the reading of nonfiction materials. In addition, we will continue reading Lois Lowry’s award winning book The Giver, a gripping novel of a world gone awry. For those of you who missed last week’s message, this novel deals with the disturbing topic of euthanasia. Again, I would like to remind you that all children have different readiness levels. You might want to check in with your child as we progress through the novel to see how he or she is receiving the content of the book, particularly as we approach chapter 19 which has a disturbing scene in which an infant is euthanatized. However, we have used this novel for a number of years and find that it is appropriate for this grade level. Among the awards this book has received are the ALA Notable Book for Children award and the John Newberry award. This is an excellent novel. In grammar we will continue our review of prepositions and continue to compare them with the adverb. In writing we will continue to develop our short stories. Social study classes will continue to study Minnesota history during the Civil War era.

Reading:

“The Ancient World”:

Students read text pages 8-13 “Summer in the Pits”

Students complete chapter vocabulary sentences

Students complete “Reading Check” page 13

The Giver:

Students read chapters three-six

Students complete pages 41-43 of vocabulary guide

Students complete chapter 3-6 study guide

Writing:

-Students complete, revise and publish a short story based on their “birthed” character (multi week project)

-Students review and rewrite constructed response paragraphs

Spelling: Unit 28

Students will study and master new vocabulary words.

Social Studies:

Northern Lights :

Students continue to read and outline chapter eight.

Students complete “Get it Guide” for the chapter

Students complete worksheet 48-49

Week beginning: 3-03-08

I am BACK!!!!! My arm is finally out of a sling, and I am now able to do a limited amount of keyboarding. Thank you for all of your notes of concern and “recover quickly” messages. My original goal was to miss only a few days of school. After going for over twenty years without taking a sick day, it was strange, to say the least, to be off for two full weeks and all of the ensuing one-half days needed for rehabilitation. I am genuinely delighted to be back! In reading we will be mixing genre for the next few weeks. We will be using an ancient world text to cover the reading of nonfiction materials. In addition, we will begin reading Lois Lowry’s award winning book The Giver, a gripping novel of a world gone awry. This novel deals with the disturbing topic of euthanasia. Since all children have different readiness levels, you might want to check in with your child as we progress through the novel to see how he or she is receiving the content of the book. Chapter 19 has a disturbing scene in which an infant is euthanatized. However, we have used this novel for a number of years and find that it is appropriate for this grade level. Among the awards this book has received are the ALA Notable Book for Children award and the John Newberry award. This is an excellent novel. In grammar we will review prepositions and begin comparing them with the adverb. In writing we have created (“birthed” ) our own special characters. We are in the process of placing them in a conflict situation. The fun is just beginning! Since we are at trimester break I will have a new social studies group. We will begin with a review of the first one-half of the book and commence with chapter number eight.

Reading:

“The Ancient World”:

Students read text pages 3-7 “The Permafrost Crumbles”

Students complete chapter vocabulary sentences

Students complete “Reading Check” page 7

The Giver:

Students read chapters one and two

Students complete pages 39 and 40 of guide

Writing:

Students complete, revise and publish a short story based on their “birthed” character (multi week project)

Spelling: Unit 27

Students will study and master new vocabulary words.

Social Studies:

Northern Lights :

Students will review early Minnesota history (chapters 1-7).

Students will read and begin to outline chapter number eight.

Week beginning: 1-14-08

This week Mr. Mark Stephan will assume responsibility for all of my classes. He will be introducing your child to a number of new stories as his ILA classes begin to explore folk literature. In writing, his students will investigate and begin to write an informative essay. Social study students will review the flour and lumbering era and begin to study the rapid expansion of the cities during this period. Mr. Butterfield has now completed his student teaching responsibilities and he will assist Mr. Stephan while I am away from my school. I will return to full time teaching duties after what I hope will be a very short recovery period from shoulder surgery. If, for any reason, you need to contact me please call either Mr. Stephan or Mr. Butterfield (702-8064) and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Have a great week,

R. Fredlund

Monday: 1-14-08

Elements of Instruction (reading text)

Pages 376-381 Author Study, Story “How the Snake Got Poison”

Optional: pages 382-395

*Write Source 2000

Grammar review: parts of speech- noun, pronoun, verb (action and forms of be- linking &helping) adjectives, adverbs

Text pages by section: (Nouns: 719-721, 725-726, 729-730) (Pronouns: 733-742) (Verbs: 749, “develop755-760”, 761) (Adjectives: 771-774, 776-778, “develop779-783”) (Adverbs:785-787)

-Sections labeled “develop” are new areas

-The Elements of Literature text contains grammar review exercises

*Writer’s Workshop: (Elements text 518-523)

Tuesday: 1-15-08

Summative Test

Collection 4: Forms of Fiction (correct constructed response questions based on review format)

Element of Instruction: (pages 420-425)

Story “Hans Christian Andersen”

Students complete page 425

Wednesday:

Elements of Instruction: (text pages 426-433)

Story “Storm” by Gary Paulson

Students complete:

“After You Read” (pages 434-435)

“Finding and Analyzing” (page 436)

Thursday:

Science Museum field trip

Friday:

Elements of Instruction: (text pages 437-421)

Story “Bringing Tang Home”

Students complete:

Analyzing and Connecting (page 442)

After You Read (page 443)

Social Studies:

-Chapter 11 review

-Chapter 11 test (Tuesday)

-Chapter 11 “Investigation”

-Chapter 12 introduction

Spelling:

-Lesson 21

R. Fredlund

Week beginning: 1-07-08

Both Mr. Butterfield and I wish you the very best of the new year. We hope that you had a restful and beneficial break. Your children came back to school ready to learn, and we are in “full swing” preparing for some new adventures. This week in ILA your child will complete the story entitled “The Gold Cadillac”. Skills acquired include analyzing a novella and using semantic maps to learn new vocabulary. They will begin a new focus studying folk tales. Skills developed in this unit will include presenting an oral narrative, cause and effect, and multiple meaning vocabulary words. In writing they will continue to develop and publish a one page phase auto biography. Grammar lessons will continue to develop and expand your child’s knowledge of verbs. Social study students will continue to study early development of agriculture and industry.

Reading:

“The Gold Cadillac” (“Elements of Literature” text pages 316-328)

-Students complete story map

-Selection test – Tuesday

Folk tales (Elements text pages366-370)

-Students complete a graphic organizer

Folk tales (Elements text pages 371-373)

-Students complete work from text pages 374-375

-Selection test and review of constructed response questions

Writing:

Students complete, revise and publish a phase autobiography based on a personal incident of volunteerism connected to their school, home, or community experience.

Spelling: Unit 20

Students will study and master new vocabulary words.

Social Studies:

Chapter 11 of Northern Lights text.

Students will complete two “Get it Guides” on early Minnesota’s industry and infrastructure.

Students will work with new vocabulary words.

Students will read pages 156-173 in order to identify and understand the role of industry in the development of our state.

Week beginning 12-17-2007

Dear parents;

This week will be a challenging and stimulating experience for your student. Your student will be finishing up a major piece of writing; their persuasive essay. Alongside their essays, they will be working on Gary Soto’s story La Bamba.

Writing

Students will finish working on their persuasive essay. They will work on editing, grammar and mechanics. Students will read and use the revision and evaluation criteria in their Elements of Literature textbook ( pages 766-767). Students will participate in peer editing of one another’s essays.

Students will be reviewing and refining their editing skills found in Write Source

(344-349).

Literature

Students will be reading their Elements of Literature textbook pages 344-347. The story is La Bamba. We will be learning how to analyze a short story; analyze sequence, and identify and interpret multiple meaning words.

Grammar and Mechanics

Students will be studying the parts of speech. They will be working on Identifying Helping Verbs worksheet. Students will also be working on Using words as Different Parts of Speech handout.

Social Studies

Students will be finishing up chapter nine, Minnesota’s Civil War, of their Northern Lights Text. They will be working on chapter ten of their text, The Sodbusters.

They will be completing three different take home worksheets.

It is a privilege and joy to participate in the education of your child.

Thank You;

Frank Butterfield

Mr. Fredlund’s student teacher

R.Fredlund
F. Butterfield

Week beginning 12-10-07

This past trimester it was my privilege to welcome Mr. Frank Butterfield, a graduate student at Bethel University, to our language arts classroom. Mr. Butterfield is serving as a full-time student teacher throughout a significant part of this trimester. He will be carry a full teaching load and serve as your child’s teacher for the next three to four weeks. As always, I am available to answer your questions and work with your child. However, for this period of time it is essential for Mr. Butterfield’s training that he assumes full responsibility for your child’s academic progress. I will be his primary supervisor. He is an excellent teaching prospect and comes well prepared to meet the challenges that a classroom offers. This next week will involve my ILA students in the reading of a second Greek myth and the writing of a persuasive essay. Grammar lessons will continue to develop your child’s understanding of parts of speech. Social study students will continue in a unit on the Civil War. Have a productive and satisfying week.

R. Fredlund

ILA

Reading

Complete reading of Medusa’s Head

Complete plot diagrams for story

Complete list of characters activity

Complete independent practice (page 364 –Elements of Instruction)

Work on vocabulary words for Medusa’s Head

Work on identifying sequence

Recognizing irony

Language

Review literary elements such as metaphor, stereotype, and bias

Write Source: 346-355

Using language and thinking logically

Vocabulary

Writing

Students complete rough draft of a persuasive essay

Review Write Source: 118-123

Students will write one peer critique for another student.

Review Holt Elements book: persuasive essay: 763-766

Social Studies

Test chapter 8: American Civil War (Monday)

Chapter 9: Minnesota’s Civil War

Investigation guides Minnesota’s Civil War

R. Fredlund

Week beginning 11-12-07

It is almost frightening how quickly we are moving through the school year. We are almost at the end of our first trimester. We find ourselves hurrying to complete as much as we can before grades are due and posted. This past week your child read and enjoyed two very suspenseful tales that will provide discussion material for your supper table. We will continue our reading with some poetry and a delightful story about growing-up as a Native American. In writing we will complete a second short narrative and continue our work on a comparison/contrast essay. Grammar lessons will examine the use of action verbs as well as helping and linking verbs. My social study students will complete a review of the period from 1805 -1851 and begin studying the period following the treaty of Traverse des Sioux.

Reminders: Please remember that your help in guiding and monitoring your child’s progress is crucial to their success. Please read and review your child’s writing projects. A quick read through with suggestions for content and structure will greatly increase your child’s skills. Feel free to correct any and all spelling or punctuation errors. The more often your child is involved in creating and seeing a quality paper, the quicker his/her writing skills will evolve. The trick is for you to guide the writing without doing it. It is also beneficial to have your child share their reading with you. I encourage you to actively participate with your child as often as is possible. I know this is all very easy for me to suggest. The doing is another matter. Have a wonderful week, and once again, thank you for all you do.

Reading:

-“In the Fog” & “The Hitchhiker”

Text page 104 #5 (Writing “constructed response” test questions)

Text pagesn106-107

Text page 104 #4 (Prediction-“creative response”)

Text pages 114-115

-“Tanaeka”

Text pages135-141

Writing:

Elements text page 105

Spelling: lesson #11

Grammar:

Worksheets 4&5

Social Studies:

Video: Fort Snelling

Quiz: chapter 6 (Monday)

Text: pages 90-99

Week beginning 11-5-07

After studying the importance of setting in driving the outcome of a story, your child examined the importance of atmosphere and mood as we read and studied “Pushkin’s” “The Bridegroom”. In the story poem a suspenseful plot was unveiled. We will continue with two equally suspenseful tales as we compare and contrast the elements of suspense as presented in a radio broadcast and a play. In writing, we began the first steps in the process of keyboarding and revising our personal narratives. This week we will develop a descriptive piece of writing and prepare for the writing of a compare/contrast essay. Grammar lessons will continue to involve the parts of speech. We will continue to work with word modifiers. I am encouraging your child to complete as much “home reading” as possible. Generally your child should complete one book every two weeks. Your child may earn one “extra credit” point for each one-half hour he/she reads at home per day. Simply send me a note at the end of each week verifying the amount of reading your child has completed. They may earn up to a maximum of five points per week. In social studies we will begin looking at the settlement of Minnesota by non-native people. I am really enjoying all my students. They are excited and active learners. Thanks for your hard work. As usual, if you have questions or information that will help me to assist your child, please do not hesitate to call me (651-702-8064).

Reading:

Students are introduced to the concepts of “foreshadowing” and “suspense”

Milton Geiger’s “In the Fog” is introduced and developed

-Students read text pages 74-84

-Students complete text page 85 and draw a plot diagram for the story

-Students construct an “elements comparison” grid

Lucille Fletcher’s “The Hitchhiker” is introduced and developed

-Students read text pages 87-103

-Students complete page 104

Grammar:

Students continue to study and examine “Write Source 2000” sections 771-784

-Students continue working on worksheet #3&4

-Students complete “Quiz” on adjectives (Wednesday”)

-Students review and study verbs (work to be determined)

Writing:

Students complete personal narratives and begin to write a descriptive paragraph. Students follow text pages 104-105 in developing either a point by point or block format compare/contrast essay.

Spelling: Lesson #10

Social Studies:

Students review and correct Chapter 5 “Putting it Together”

Students complete Chapter 5 test (Monday)

Students read and discuss Chapter 6 “The Land Changes Hands”

Time-line developed

Investigation 6

Moccasin project

******Student’s choice activity: Extra credit points available for Chapter 5 Investigation (text pages 66-73)

Mr. Fredlund
Language Arts

Week beginning 10-29-07:

After your child’s short break on Monday we will once again return to developing an understanding of plot structure. Alexander Pushkin’s story poem “The Bridegroom” provides readers with a surprising climax that will give your child an appreciation of how story elements help create excitement and drama. We will continue this study by comparing two dramatic plays that your child is sure to enjoy. Last week we began finalizing our narrative paragraphs, and we also completed a prewriting task in preparation for some descriptive writing. Grammar lessons will begin looking at modifiers. In spelling we will continue our pattern of taking a pretest on Friday with the final test on the following Thursday. Spelling assignments are usually due on the day before the final test. My social studies class will begin studying the fur trade.

I hope you had a rewarding conference experience. Raising and educating a child is a blessing and at the same time an incredibly complex task that truly does require a community. Please feel free to discuss your child’s needs with any of the staff here at Skyview. Our business is your child. I am most easily reached just prior to the start of the school day and shortly after 2:30. I am usually at my desk school until about 5:00 p.m. (651-702-8064).

Reading:

“The Bridegroom” (Elements text pages 62-71) Students:

-read text pages 67-71

-complete page 73 “After You Read” #s 1-5 & “Writing”

“In The Fog” & “The Hitchhiker” (Elements text pages 74-103) Student:

-read text page 74 “elements of suspense”

-read text pages 75-84

-complete text page 85

-read text pages 87-102

-complete 104

Writing:

Building Paragraphs (Write Source sections 075-089) Students

-Review sections 081-085

-Revise and edit narrative paragraphs

-Create first draft of descriptive paragraph

Spelling: (Lesson #9)

Grammar:

The Adjective (Write Source sections 771-784) Students:

-complete worksheet 3 “Identifying Adjectives

-complete “Quick Check 3’ “Elements text page815

Social Studies:

The Fur Trade (Chapter 5 -Northern Lights-pages56-73) Student:

-Read text pages 57-65

-complete “Get it Guide

-partial chapter quiz (emphasis on constructed response questions)

Week beginning 10-22-07

I hope you found some time to relax and share satisfying moments with your families. I am sure your children enjoyed the break. Due to the previous short week, we will carry forward much of the work initiated last week. We did manage to continue and develop our work on plot. Your child read and began to identify the elements of plot found in the story “All Summer in a Day” written by Ray Bradbury. We will continue to work with short stories as well as a web page and magazine article I intended to complete last week. Writing lessons will focus on capturing “the moment” in autobiographical narration. Grammar lessons will continue to emphasize parts of speech. My social studies students will continue to work with the “Ojibwa” and “Dakota” cultures. Thanks are in order for those of you who contacted me concerning your child’s progress. I enjoy working with you to ensure your child’s success. It is what this business is all about!

Reading

Students:

-review “All Summer in a Day” completing plot diagrams

-continue story retelling (paired practice)

-complete text page 52

-study text page 53

-read and complete work for text pages 53-60

Writing

Students:

-review “Write Source” sections 072-.075-082

-evaluate writing samples (group process)

-rewrite writing samples for final draft

Grammar

Students:

-review nouns pronouns

-study the use of modifiers (“Write Source” sections 771-784 & 127)

-complete worksheet #3 “Identifying Adjectives”

Spelling

Lesson #8

Students:

-read and discuss chapter #4

-complete “Comparison and Contrast’ chart

-complete “Putting it Together” & “Mapping Minnesota”

Week Beginning: 10/15/07

Last week flew by leaving several unfinished tasks. We were able to complete all work associated with our Tuck Everlasting unit, and we completed a review of figurative language devices. However, we will need to continue the journal writing that was initiated the last several weeks concentrating on short personal narratives. In grammar, we will continue to extend our knowledge of the parts of speech. Story retelling is an important reading developmental skill. We are currently studying the elements of plot and story telling techniques. We will practice retelling the story “Dragon Dragon” found in your child’s Elements of Literature text. You might ask your child to share the story with you. As you know mid-trimester grades were mailed out last week. Be aware that these grades are for informational purposes only. They serve as an indication of your child’s progress. In the majority of cases those students who received low grades have missing assignments that need to be completed. Once a student’s assignments are caught up that student may do extra credit work to raise his/her point totals. If your child did not receive a satisfactory grade at this time, be sure to encourage them to either seek additional help or discuss the possibility of extra credit work. As always, please feel free to call me and discuss your child’s progress (651-702-8064).

Reading:

- Complete reread of “Dragon Dragon”

-Complete plot diagrams for story

-Retell story concentrating on plot elements (text pp. 16-17)

-Complete conflict notes

-Read and complete text activities page 41

-Read and discuss “All Summer in a Day”

-Complete plot diagram for the story

-Complete text pages 51-52

Language:

-Review Write Source sections 077-080

-Read and study sections 771-784

-Complete worksheets #s 3&4 (adjectives-pronouns)

Spelling:

Unit #7

Writing:

-Students complete three “Quick Writes”

-Students develop a personal narrative plan

Social Studies:

This week students will conclude their study of the Dakota  by viewing a video that will serve to introduce our next area of study, the Ojibway. We will view the video "Wild Rice.  Please ask your child to share what they have learned about the Dakota culture with you.  Readings for the week will include text pages 40-45.

Week Beginning: 10-8-07

ILA

This week we will conclude studying the writing techniques of Natalie Babbitt. Your child is now familiar with a multitude of creative writing tools including the use of similes, metaphors, idioms, foreshadowing, and symbolism. We will review these techniques on Monday and complete a unit test on Tuesday. Last week we compared two separate film versions of the book. Your child learned techniques for evaluating the quality and value of films. We will begin a study of short stories by reading several stories found in our “Elements” text. Our focus of study will concern plot analysis. We will continue our study of pronouns including the person of a pronoun and a variety of uses for pronouns, particularly as subjects and objects. We will also continue to review nouns and complete the quiz I intended completing last week! This will help evaluate your child’s understanding of both nouns and pronouns. Writing lessons will again continue to include “Quick Writes” as well as development of the “personal essay”.

Reading:

-Students complete the following:

-Unit review Monday

-Unit test Tuesday

-Readings from “Elements” text pages 18-26, 30-38

-Assignments from text pages 27-28, 39-40

Writing:

-Students complete daily “Quick Writes”

-Student review text sections 144-149

-Students review (critique) personal writing

-Students continue writing a personal experience essay

Grammar:

-Noun/Pronoun review

-Review quiz (Wednesday or Thursday)

Spelling: lesson #6

Social Studies

Your child has been examining how the Dakota people preserved their history and tracked time. They have read several “oral histories” preserved by Dakota story tellers. In addition they have created a personal “winter count calendar”. This week we will view the Dakota as a people on the move. We will create a carrying case called a “parfleche”. Your child will need to bring a brown grocery bag for the project. We will also begin readings that examine the lives of the Ojibwe.

-Chapter #3 review test (Wednesday)

-Student text pages 34-39 (chapter #3) & 40-45 (chapter #4)

Week Beginning: 10-1-07

ILA

Your child has been studying the writing techniques of Natalie Babbitt. They should be familiar with a multitude of creative writing tools including the use of similes, metaphors, idioms, foreshadowing, and symbolism. This week we will conclude our study of her book and we will begin comparing two separate film versions of the book. Your child will learn techniques for evaluating the quality and value of films. We will extend our study of pronouns to include the person of a pronoun and a variety of uses for pronouns, particularly as subjects and objects. We will also review nouns and complete a quiz which will help evaluate your child’s understanding of both nouns and pronouns. Writing lessons will continue to include “Quick Writes” as well as an introduction to the “personal essay”.

Reading:

-Students complete the following:

-Match These (page 24)

-Explain (page 25)

-Figure it Out (page27)

-The Birthday (page32)

-Students view film #1 Tuck Everlasting (old version)

-Students view portions of film #2 Tuck Everlasting (new version)

-Students complete film evaluation process

Writing:

-Students complete daily “Quick Writes”

-Student text sections 144-149

-Students begin writing a personal experience essay

Spelling: lesson #4

Social Studies

The history of Minnesota will continue to be viewed through the eyes of the Dakota people. Students will be involved in examining the lives of the Dakota through stories the Dakota have preserved. They will be involved in several projects which will include the creation of a “winter count calendar” and a “parfleche” (a storage pouch).

-Student text pages 24-39 (chapter #3)

-Student “Winter Count” packet