Collaborative Story

The story we started on the wiki was brought to a close today! Everybody did such a good job! Here is the link to that story:
http://writeonwsfcs.pbwiki.com/The-Story

New Book!!! New Book!!

We are starting to read Tall Tails: Wingin' It with the Wright Brothers by Dona Smith. Students are completing various activities before, during, and after reading. Some of the activites they are doing are ones they thought of while others come from a list of 10 activities to do with novels. The activities students are choosing from is listed under the first comment.

Students, you can share your thoughts and ideas about the book here for us all to see! :)

Questions for Authors . . .

What questions do you have about an author? What information would you like to find out? What information could help you make an outstanding presentation about an author? Do you want to just find out the boring facts or some interesting tidbits?

Image from ClassroomClipart.com

Author Presentation Challenge

Several years ago, I created a PowerPoint presentation about an author. I enjoy reading books by this author, so I did some research and found out more information about her.

I challenge you to choose an author and create a presentation about him or her. Think about all the books we have read and all the technology tools we have learned about. See if you can combine any of those things to create something wonderful!

If you accept this challenge, I will too!

Identify Similarities and Differences

• Do you need to read a fictional story in a different way than you read a piece of nonfiction?
• What is the author’s goal when writing a fictional story?
• What is a reader’s goal when reading a fictional story?
• What is the author’s goal when writing a piece of nonfiction?
• What is the reader’s goal when reading a piece of nonfiction?
• Why do you think this?

Fractions! Fractions! Fractons!

Tell me all you can about Fractions!!!!

Clipart provided by Classroom Clipart

Retelling Because of Winn-Dixie

Students used watercolors to create pictures to represent scenes from certain chapter. We scanned and uploaded those to voicethread for the students to add narration.
http://voicethread.com/#q.b401461.i0.k0

My students saw a box of math manipulatives under the bookcase. They decided to use those wooden shapes to create characters and objects from the story Because of Winn-Dixie. They used these things to retell portions of the story. We are at a magnet school for the visual and performing arts, so I guess this project qualifies :) Their retellings were filmed with a Flip Video camera.

Author: Sharon Creech

As a class, we have have chosen the author Sharon Creech to focus on right now. I have several of her books in my class library for you to check out to read. When you read one, please post a summary of that book (make sure you mention the title of the book you read). You can also write about why you think she wrote certain stories or how you think she got the ideas for what she wrote. You can read things about her and find lists of the books that she has written at her website: http://www.sharoncreech.com/
Have fun reading this great author! She is one of my favorites!
Here is a wiki page with author information, a book plan, and book reviews all by us!