Wednesday, January 28th

We completed our daily grammar and continued reading/discussing Messenger.  Then we did a notes check so students between both classes could make sure all of our notes are consistent.  Then we continued learning about the Great Depression by focusing on the Dust Bowl.  We watched, discussed, and took notes on a video clip.  Then students read "Children of the Dust" in their social studies textbooks.  They answered some reading comprehension questions and finished the lesson by writing a reflection about minorities during the Great Depression.

Tuesday, January 28th

Students completed a snapshot today of RI5 and RI6.  Those standards focus on comparing/contrasting text information and analyzing multiple accounts of the same event.  I'll be using that data to make the small reading groups for the rest of this week.  We then continued reading Messenger.  Students were able to discuss the symbolism of Forrest and also identify other literary elements.

During social studies we continued discussing the causes of the Great Depression.  Students took notes and discussed Hoover's perspective on the role of business and government intervention. 

During homeroom for the ext several days, both classes are doing an independent film study of The Grapes of Wrath.

Monday, January 26th

Students signed up for Explorations this morning and then we reviewed our daily grammar.  Then we discussed this week's vocabulary words.  Our final ELA task of the day was to finish up last week's poetry practice.  Overall, there were some really funny, sweet, and interesting poems.  

During social studies we read a document about Hoovervilles.  This week we are focusing on the Great Depression and the New Deal.  I am currently working on writing the directions and rubric for this term's mini-project so students should have that by the end of this week.   

Homework:  Vocab, social studies reading, read personal book for 30 minutes daily

Some of the text on this week's homework was cut off.  Here's the text and the directions.

Here are our Hooverville notes.  Tomorrow both flex groups will look at the other group's notes to see how they match up.  Since students read the document and tell me what to write, sometimes they find different facts from the same text.

During library time this week, Mrs. Smith read the beginnings of two books by Sharon Draper.  If you want to order the books, the forms are due THIS Wednesday.

Friday, January 23rd

We continued reading Messenger and then we finished our 1920s notes.  At the end of the lesson, students discussed Herbert Hoover and his role at the beginning of the Great Depression.  We concluded our day by reviewing the poetry elements we've already discussed and a few new concepts.  Next week they will finish the activity and review for the upcoming literary assessment (date TBD).

Students who want to get a head start on next week's vocabulary can go to the vocabulary quizlet.

Students successfully identified the alliteration and personification in Shel Silverstein's "The Farmer and the Queen."

After they finished the notes, students worked together to answer the question, "What was Herbert Hoover's role in America's economic decline?  Was the 1929 Stock Market Crash and/or the Great Depression his fault?"

1920s Economics Notes

Thursday, January 22nd

Today we spent our ELA time working on grammar.  Students shared their alliteration and personification sentences and I taught a lesson about commas and correlative conjunctions.  After ELA, we continued taking notes and discussing 1920s economics.  

Wednesday, January 21st

We had another productive day.  After we corrected our daily grammar, we completed a preposition review.  My second group also completed the Babe Ruth reflection.  We read a passage about him and students identified facts from the text that showed how he expressed himself and influenced others.  

We continued working on finding text evidence by examining an excerpt from the Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. DuBois.  We discussed the concept of double consciousness and what it meant in a historical sense.  We then finished our discussion about women and economics.  Overall, some aspects of these readings are difficult to stomach.  I know it's not fun to learn about inequality and struggle; however, the students have open minds and are interested in looking at the world through a lens of honesty.

We concluded our time together by starting our 1920s economic notes.  As a reminder, homework is due tomorrow.

Here are today's notes about double-consciousness and Women & Economics.  I've included the notes from both classes.

Tuesday, January 20th

As usual, we completed our daily grammar.  Then I passed out homework.  It's just one sheet; however, it's still due on Thursday.  We continued discuss the literary elements and real world connections in Messenger.  If we continue at this pace, we will be done with the book by the end of this term and we'll be able to begin the final book in the series, Son.

During social studies we watched two short videos about the Harlem Renaissance.  Students finished the BrainPop worksheet with the first video and then they took notes on the second video in their notebooks.  We concluded our time together by discussing an excerpt from Charlotte Perkins Gilman's book, Women & Economics.

Lastly, there are many forms, including the report cards, being sent home today.  Please remember to check your child's red folder.