Thursday December 9th, 2015

Vocabulary

1. politically
2. actually
3. squint
4. embarrassed
5. goth
6. phobia
7. photographer
8. aversion
9. avoid
10. portrait

Reading

Five Minute Reading Challenge

Students listened to a passage Miss Adrienne read out loud in class for specific details, so they could illustrate what they heard. Students encouraged to use creativity while strengthening their listening and comprehension skills. 

Read passage from "Wonder" by R.J. Palacio

Spelling Challenge

"Comic Words"

Students created a comic strip using 6 of their vocabulary words!

Class Reading

Continued reading "Wonder" by R.J. Palacio; chapters "Halloween" and "Class Pictures".

Writing

Five Minute Creative Writing Challenge: "King"

Students took 5 minutes in class to creatively write. They used an  image they selected off of https://storybird.com for their creative inspiration. Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization skills are not the focus of this challenge! Students have five minutes to dig deep into their creative minds and write about what they see! 

"Wonder" Writing - Reading Comprehension Challenge

Students were provided Ms. Adrienne's Reading Comprehension Challenge and requested to answer the questions on the work sheet. Students required to: 

• Use complete sentences 
• Use beginning, middle, and end format 
• Write neatly.
• Include correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and capitalization
• Use 4 of the vocabulary words, one vocabulary word in each answer 

For extra credit, students could answer:

1. What did Auggie, and Summer, want to be for Halloween? 
2. Why did Auggie  have an aversion to having his class picture taken? 

Thursday December 17th, 2015

Last class of 2015!!

What a year! The semester flew by, but our class completed many objectives. Our class focused on strengthening our reading comprehension, visualization, and writing skills using worksheets, challenges, prompts, class discussion, and assigned reading. Overall the class progressed nicely, and I am looking forward to our Spring 2016 semester to help students continue their progress. 

Vocabulary

1. snowperson
2. season
3. mistletoe
4. decorations
5. celebration
6. ornaments
7. chimney
8. poinsettia
9. rejoice
10. sleigh

Reading

Five Minute Reading Challenge "Finish the Snowman, Tell the Story"

Students read a short, incomplete paragraph about a snowman. The exercise requested students to read the story, finish the ending of the story, and illustrate the story in the space provided. Exercise help students strengthen their comprehensions and visualization skills. Student also instructed to use 5 vocabulary words in their writing and follow our class writing checklist. 

Class Reading

Continued reading "Wonder" by R.J. Palacio; chapters "

Writing

Five Minute Creative Writing Challenge: "Happy Holidays!"

Students took 5 minutes in class to creatively write. They used a holiday themed worksheet to enhance their creative writing skills. Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization skills are not the focus of this challenge! Students have five minutes to dig deep into their creative minds and write about what they see! 

Class Writing Activity

"Is Winter Fun?" 

Students followed a writing prompt that asked if they thought winter was fun. Instructions requested students to describe if they liked or disliked winter, and explain why they do or do not like winter. Students were requested to include the following in their writing:

• Complete sentences
• Beginning, middle, and end format 
• Correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and capitalization. 
• Legible handwriting
• 5 vocabulary words (underline vocabulary words)

"Holiday Paper Chain"  

Students created paper chains using holiday themed sentences and phrases. 
They used cut out strips of paper to write their holiday sentences and phrases on. Students then began to construct each strip together to form a paper chain. Students glued and stapled their chains together so they may be used as holiday decorations! Students were requested to include the following in their paper chains: 

• Complete sentences
• Beginning, middle, and end format 
• Correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and capitalization. 
• Legible handwriting
• 5 vocabulary words (underline vocabulary words)

Thursday December 2nd, 2015

Welcome back!

Vocabulary

1. deeds
2. monuments
3. history
4. honor
5. outlast
6. memories
7. reasons
8. impatient
9. remember
10. invite

Reading

Five Minute Reading Challenge

Students listened to a passage Miss Adrienne read out loud in class for specific details, so they could illustrate what they heard. Students encouraged to use creativity while strengthening their listening and comprehension skills. 

Read passage from "Wonder" by R.J. Palacio

Visualize Reading Activity

Continued reading "Wonder" by R.J. Palacio; chapters "Mr Browne's October Precept" and "Apples".

Writing

Five Minute Creative Writing Challenge: "Master of Potions"

Students took 5 minutes in class to creatively write. They used an  image they selected off of https://storybird.com for their creative inspiration. Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization skills are not the focus of this challenge! Students have five minutes to dig deep into their creative minds and write about what they see! 

"Wonder" Writing

• Write 8 complete sentences using beginning, middle, and end format. Please write neatly.
• Include correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and capitalization.
• Use 4 of the vocabulary words in your essay. Please underline your vocabulary words.
• Tell me what happened in the story with your own words. Be sure to include the following answers:

1. What is Mr. Browne's October precept? Describe what Auggie thought the precept meant.
2. What does the October precept mean to you?
3. What did Auggie's mom mean when she said that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree? Did she mean something good or bad?

Thursday November 19th, 2015

Last class of November! We are on holiday next week and class to resume on Thursday December 3rd at 3:30pm. We had two worksheets assigned for homework, and students should bring any assignments not yet turned in from previous weeks when we reconvene. Have a great week off! 

Vocabulary

1. deeds
2. monuments
3. generous
4. honor
5. outlast
6. darkness
7. doubt
8. impatient
9. fear
10. endure

Reading

Five Minute Reading Challenge

Students listened to a passage Miss Adrienne read out loud in class for specific details, so they could illustrate what they heard. Students encouraged to use creativity while strengthening their listening and comprehension skills. 

Read passage from "Parts", by Tedd Arnold

Visualize Reading Activity

Our goal in this activity is to listen (and read), understand, visualize and draw our reading!

"Wonder" by R.J. Palacio and "Anna's Fish"

Writing

Five Minute Creative Writing Challenge: "Potion"

Students took 5 minutes in class to creatively write. They used an  image they selected off of https://storybird.com for their creative inspiration. Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization skills are not the focus of this challenge! Students have five minutes to dig deep into their creative minds and write about what they see! 

Class Writing - Vocabulary Comic Activity

This activity helps strengthen our comprehension, association, spelling, and writing skills! 

• Use 6 out of the 10 vocabulary words and create a short comic strip.
• You may pick any, appropriate, subject in the universe and turn it into a comic strip. Read the vocabulary words out loud and think about their meaning. Do you see a theme in the vocabulary words? It may help you to first visualize, then write the story on another piece of paper. Once you've gotten the story written out and visualized, draw the comic strip and add the words. 
• Include correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, capitalization. Make sure to include setting, characters, and a plot.

Thursday November 12th, 2015

We had students absent, so we've pushed our regular class lesson for November 19th. Today, we worked on extra reading and writing challenges!

Vocabulary

1. seriously
2. favorite
3. anxious
4. hunger
5. together
6. escaped
7. chocolate 
8. nicely
9. flee
10. yuck

Reading

Five Minute Reading Challenge

Students listened to a passage Miss Adrienne read out loud in class for specific details, so they could illustrate what they heard. Students encouraged to use creativity while strengthening their listening and comprehension skills. 

Read passage from "Marcelline Goes to Music School" and "Petite Grey Cat"

Writing

Five Minute Creative Writing Challenge: "Message in a Bottle" and "Super Punch".

Students took 5 minutes in class to creatively write. They used an  image they selected off of https://storybird.com for their creative inspiration. Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization skills are not the focus of this challenge! Students have five minutes to dig deep into their creative minds and write about what they see! 

Class Writing

• Write 10 complete sentences using beginning, middle, and end format. Please write neatly.
• Include correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and capitalization.
• Use 3 of the vocabulary words in your essay. Please underline your vocabulary words.
• Create a story about anything. Include a drawing to illustrate your writing. 

Thursday November 5th, 2015

Vocabulary

1. eventually
2. coincidence 
3. imagine
4. contagious
5. unsuspecting
6. assigned
7. pretended 
8. staring
9. curious
10. awful

Reading

Five Minute Reading Challenge

Students listened to a passage Miss Adrienne read out loud in class for specific details, so they could illustrate what they heard. Students encouraged to use creativity while strengthening their listening and comprehension skills. 

Read passage from "Unnatural Creatures". 

Class Reading

Continued reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio; chapters "Wake Me Up When September Ends" and "Jack Will".

Writing

Five Minute Creative Writing Challenge: "The Library"

Students took 5 minutes in class to creatively write. They used an  image they selected off of https://storybird.com for their creative inspiration. Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization skills are not the focus of this challenge! Students have five minutes to dig deep into their creative minds and write about what they see! 

"Wonder" Writing

• Write 8 complete sentences using beginning, middle, and end format. Please write neatly.
• Include correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and capitalization.
• Use 4 of the vocabulary words in your essay. Please underline your vocabulary words.
• Tell me what happened in the story with your own words. Be sure to include the following answers:

1. Describe how Auggie's first month of school went. What were the ups and down of attending his first month of school? 
2. How did Auggie feel about the way the other kids treated him when they saw him at school? Was he mad at the other kids for looking at him this way? 
3. Discuss Auggie's friendship with Jack. How does Auggie describe their relationship? What classes do they have together? 
4. Do you think the teachers put Jack Will in the same classes at Auggie and sat them next to each other in class on purpose? Why? 

Vocabulary Baseball

Baseball to strengthen writing skills and vocabulary comprehension!

Student sat at "home-base" with pencil and paper. 
Teacher "pitched" a vocabulary word to student. Student wrote a complete sentence using the "pitched" vocabulary word. A hit occurred when if the sentence was complete and the vocabulary word usage was correct; a strike occurred when the student did not use a complete sentence or the word was used incorrectly. Students were also thrown out on base if they were unable to use the thrown word correctly. 

Thursday October 29th, 2015

Vocabulary

1. impatient
2. monument
3. beast
4. coincidence 
5. touched 
6. costume
7. disappeared
8. contagious
9. unsuspecting
10. aversion

Reading

Five Minute Reading Challenge

Students listened to a passage Miss Adrienne read out loud in class for specific details, so they could illustrate what they heard. Students encouraged to use creativity while strengthening their listening and comprehension skills. 

Read passage from "Scaredy Cat and the Shadowy Monster". 

Class Reading

Continued reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio; chapters "The Summer Table", "One to Ten", and "Padawan".

Writing

Finish the Story Activity

"Dark, Dark Room" Worksheet

Students took 5 minutes in class to creatively write. They read the beginning of a story and completed the story in their own words. This activity helped students strengthen their writing skills as well as their reading comprehension skills. 

"Wonder" Writing

• Write 8 complete sentences using beginning, middle, and end format. Please write neatly.
• Include correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and capitalization.
• Use 4 of the vocabulary words in your essay. Please underline your vocabulary words.
• Tell me what happened in the story with your own words. Be sure to include the following answers:

1. Describe lunch time and what the "Summer Table" is. 
2. What does one to ten mean?
3. How did Auggie describe he and Summer's relationship?
4. Why do you think Auggie cut off his braid? 
5. Why do you think Auggie was mad at his mom? Why did he cry when she read to him?

Vocabulary Baseball

Baseball to strengthen writing skills and vocabulary comprehension!

Student sat at "home-base" with pencil and paper. 
Teacher "pitched" a vocabulary word to student. Student wrote a complete sentence using the "pitched" vocabulary word. A hit occurred when if the sentence was complete and the vocabulary word usage was correct; a strike occurred when the student did not use a complete sentence or the word was used incorrectly. Students were also thrown out on base if they were unable to use the thrown word correctly. 

Thursday October 22nd, 2015

Vocabulary

1. slaughter
2. precept 
3. deformed
4. decisions 
5. expected
6. concentrated
7. apologize
8. prehistoric
9. except
10. character

Reading

Five Minute Reading Challenge

Students listened to a passage Miss Adrienne read out loud in class for specific details, so they could illustrate what they heard. Students encouraged to use creativity while strengthening their listening and comprehension skills. 

Read passage from "Almost Home". 

Class Reading

Continued reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio; chapters "Lamb to the Slaughter", "Choose Kind", and "Lunch".

Writing

Finish the Story Activity: "The Halloween Costume"

Students took 5 minutes in class to creatively write. They read the beginning of a story and completed the story in their own words. This activity helped students strengthen their writing skills as well as their reading comprehension skills. 

"Wonder" Writing

• Write a 8 sentence essay with beginning, middle, and end format and include correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and capitalization. Please make sure I can read your essay.
• Use 4 of the daily vocabulary words in your essay; please underline your vocabulary words.
• Tell me what happened in the story with your own words. Be sure to include the following answers (in complete sentences) in your essay:

1. When Auggie Googled "Lamb to the Slaughter", what did he find out? 
2. Explain what Auggie thought Julian meant when Julian asked if Auggie liked Darth Sidious. Do you think Julian meant something mean? 
3. Describe Auggie's first class and lunch experience. 
4. What is a precept, and what does Mr. Browne say is the most important precept? What is Mr. Browne's September precept? 
5. Why did Auggie say he hated the way he ate?

Thursday October 15th, 2015

We are making great progress in our book, "Wonder"! Students were asked today if they'd like to switch books or continue with "Wonder", and encouraged to bring a favorite book to read in class next week. 

Vocabulary

1. nervous 
2. combination
3. frustrated
4. relieved 
5. noticed
6. pursue
7. hesitate
8. combination
9. annoyed
10. definitely

Reading

Five Minute Reading Challenge

Students listened to a passage Miss Adrienne read out loud in class for specific details, so they could illustrate what they heard. Students encouraged to use creativity while strengthening their listening and comprehension skills. 

Read passage from "Froggie Apocalypse". 

Class Reading

Continued reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio; chapters "First Day Jitters", "Locks", and "Around the Room".

Writing

Five Minute Creative Writing Challenge: "Cat and Dragon Share the Food" 

Students took 5 minutes in class to creatively write. They used an  image they selected off of https://storybird.com for their creative inspiration. Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization skills are the focus of this challenge! Students have five minutes to dig deep into their creative minds and write about what they see! 

"Wonder" Writing

• Write a 8 sentence essay with beginning, middle, and end format and include correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and capitalization. Please make sure I can read your essay.
• Use 4 of the daily vocabulary words in your essay; please underline your vocabulary words.
• Tell me what happened in the story with your own words. Be sure to include the following answers (in complete sentences) in your essay:

1. Why did Auggie's avoid neighborhood blocks with lots of kids on it and why did he stick to his block of the neighborhood? Describe Auggie's neighborhood and what he felt/thought walking to school for the first time. 
2. Describe Auggies first homeroom experience. How did the teacher and other students treat him? Was anyone nice?What was Auggie able to do that other students were not? 
3. What was the difference between Mrs. Garcia's smile and Ms. Petosa's smile? 
4. What did Ms. Petosa do before teaching, and why did she leave her job? 
5. What are two things people don;t know about you? 

Thursday October 8th, 2015

Our class continued working our vocabulary, reading, and writing. Homework was assigned and due next class period. 

Vocabulary

1. shiny
2. donated
3. realize
4. electives
5. signal
6. surprised
7. especially
8. shocked
9. lying
10. confused

Reading

Five Minute Reading Challenge

Students listened to a passage Miss Adrienne read out loud in class for specific details, so they could illustrate what they heard. Students encouraged to use creativity while strengthening their listening and comprehension skills. 

Read passage from "Summer Extravaganza Emu Mystery". 

Class Reading

Continue reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio; chapters "The Deal" and "Home"

Writing

Five Minute Creative Writing Challenge: "Something in the Sewers" 

Students took 5 minutes in class to creatively write. They used an  image they selected off of https://storybird.com for their creative inspiration. Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization skills are the focus of this challenge! Students have five minutes to dig deep into their creative minds and write about what they see! 

"Wonder" Writing

• Write a 8 sentence essay with beginning, middle, and end format and include correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and capitalization. Please make sure I can read your essay.
• Use 4 of the daily vocabulary words in your essay; please underline your vocabulary words.
• Tell me what happened in the story with your own words. Be sure to include the following answers (in complete sentences) in your essay:

1. How did Julian act in front of Mr. Tushman and Auggie's mom, and how was it different from the way Julian acted in front of August, Charlotte, and Jack Will? 
2. What did August do when he got home from the tour?
3. What was the code-phrase Auggie used with his mom signaling that he wanted to go home?
4. What did Auggie tell his mom about school when he got home? How did his mom react? 
5. Did August want to return to school? Would you?

Homework

Homework assigned last week not yet completed by students; students reassigned last weeks homework again. Students need to bring completed homework next week for class. 

• "Humming Birds" Reading comprehension worksheet
• "Responding to Literature" worksheet