This week in ELA
- Common Sense media lessons on digital safety (continued from last week)
- “How to Tell a Story,” by Donald Miller (chapters 1, 2) continued via a Nearpod lesson. In this lesson, we lay the foundation for understanding story structure and how it applies to not just writing but also reading. If you understand how authors write, you can dissect a novel. Why dissect a novel? Consider these points from MaryAnn Diorio, Ph.D, in her blog post “Why Dissect a Novel?”
- Structural Understanding. We analyze in order to understand.
- Language Understanding. Modeling gives the writer an understanding of the author’s use of language. This use includes literary devices such as metaphor, simile, synecdoche, and personification, among others.
- Character Formation. Characters drive fiction and are its raison d’être.
- Theme Recognition. Another reason to learn how critically and objectively to analyze a published author’s work is to understand how an author weaves theme into his fiction.
- Quarter 1 “Culture” Kickoff via presentation, discussion, and readings
- Review of narrative, informative, and argumentative writing
Homework
| To Do | Due When? |
| On notebook paper, compose the answer to the following two questions after deciding what minor event/problem you faced in life.
1. Who were you at the time and what did you want, or what were you trying to accomplish? 2. What was the problem you encountered, and how did it make you feel? HAVE YOUR PARENT OR GUARDIAN SIGN YOUR TRACKER. |
Each night, you will build part of your written response, which has to be turned in Friday. Do this part Monday night. |
| On the same piece of paper, compose the answer to the following two questions.
1. Who did you meet or what did you read that helped you? This would be your “guide.” 3. What plan did you come up with after meeting the guide? HAVE YOUR PARENT OR GUARDIAN SIGN YOUR TRACKER. |
Each night, you will build part of your written response, which has to be turned in Friday. Do this part Tuesday night. |
| On the same piece of paper, compose the answer to the following two questions.
1. What did it feel like to take action on that plan? 2. What could have been lost (or what might have happened) if your plan had failed? HAVE YOUR PARENT OR GUARDIAN SIGN YOUR TRACKER. |
Each night, you will build part of your written response, which has to be turned in Friday. Do this part Wednesday night. |
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YOU MUST SELECT YOUR FIRST NOVEL TO READ AND BEGIN IT. See below for details.
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Select it by Wednesday and begin reading! |
| Give your parents your Wednesday folder. Remember to have it signed on the back.
HAVE YOUR PARENT OR GUARDIAN SIGN YOUR TRACKER. |
Return your Wednesday folder by Thursday or Friday at the latest. |
| On the same piece of paper, compose the answer to the following final question. Then edit and revise all of the sentences you wrote this week to make your writing flow, using transition words and adding any other information you think it needs.
1. What was the happy ending you experienced? HAVE YOUR PARENT OR GUARDIAN SIGN YOUR TRACKER. |
Each night, you will build part of your written response, which has to be turned in Friday. Do this part Thursday night. |
| TURN IN YOUR WRITING ASSIGNMENT
HAVE YOUR PARENT OR GUARDIAN SIGN YOUR TRACKER. |
FRIDAY |
Your child must select a book for his or her first required reading. As a general rule, a book should be completed every two weeks so that the test can be done on Whooo’s Reading. The first test will be done on August 24th. Please download the information letter here.
- The ELA department is currently in discussions about required weekly reading homework. When a decision has been reached, you will be notified via Bloomz, this blog, and a letter home.
- To reach me with questions, comments, praises, or concerns, please use the private message feature of Bloomz. Thanks!
