Weekly Reader's Response Due 12/24/10

Now that we have completed some research on a holiday topic,
tell me what resources you have found the most helpful.  Which
resources were hard to work with?  Why?

Thinking forward to January when we begin our BIG research
projects, what sorts of topics would you have an interest in
learning more about?  These topics can range from something
or someone that you have a special interest in or a historical
event that you have questions about.  Tell us why you want to
know about the topic.

Happy Holidays!

Let it Snow!

Now that winter is truly upon us, let's talk snow!

When it snows what do you like to do?  Share some
examples or traditions that you, your friends or your
family do when it snows.  Are there any special activities
you like to do or foods you like to eat or drink? 
Write a 5-8 sentence response using good punctuation,
grammar and word choice.

Prediction:  How many snow days do you think we
will have this year?

You are a Poet and you don't even know it!

5th graders, you have had an opportunity to read many types of poetry over the last several weeks.
Which type do you like the most?  Is it narrative, haiku, diamante, cinquain, or free verse?
Tell us why you like the structure of the poem type and if there are any poems you especially
like that you have read.

Remember to use correct spelling and punctuation!

Book Talk Discussion

Talking about what books you're reading is what its all about! 
Think about the book talk discussions that I modeled for you this week with The Last Holiday Concert by Andrew Clements.  Can you think of books you have read recently that you want to share?  Tell us about experiences you have had in the past sharing books you have read.  For example, have you participated in a book club or literature circles?  Explain why you liked or disliked the experience and what you think could be done to make the discussions more interesting.

MIddle School Students

Hello to all my old students who are communicating to me from middle school!  It is nice to hear
from you and I hope you are doing well!  I miss you guys!

Would you be interested in posting comments to our blog about middle school, of course I would
moderate them, so that our 5th graders can get some insights into what to expect?   Maybe the 5th graders could ask you questions and you could respond.
Let me know and we can set something up soon! 
Hope all is well!  Love, Mrs. French

Conflict and Short Stories

We have been learning about the elements of fiction the last couple weeks.  For a moment reflect on what you have learned about conflict and characters.  Share with us a character from a story or movie that is a favorite and tell us why.  Along with explaining the character's traits tell us what type of conflict the character faced in the story and how they resolved it.

Remember to use complete sentences, proper punctuation and spelling.

Class Pet

Due to our sad loss of Lucian on Thursday we need to discuss a new class pet.
Please tell us what type of pet you would like to have in our class and why.

Use complete sentences, puncuation and check your spelling before submitting
a comment.

Weekly Reader's Response 9/17/10

Wow, I am so impressed with how well you posted comments last week!  You are already experts and I am looking forward to all our future responses!

Remember to watch punctuation and spelling!

This week's post will be about the book you are reading independently...
Select two of the reader's response questions from the pretty,
purple paper I handed out today.  In no less than 5 complete sentences,
write a response to the questions you selected about the book you are reading now.
Please include the question numbers that you answered.
Once your comments have been posted, make sure to respond to someone else's.

Can't wait to hear about all the books you are reading!

Weekly Reader's Response 9/10/10

Welcome to your new classroom blog! 

We have been reviewing reading strategies for the last several weeks such
as before, during, and after, as well as 6 ways to actively read.
Thinking about all of these strategies, which of them do you find the most
useful and why?
Make sure to write complete answers and check spelling and grammar.

Weekly Reader's Response

Now that you have researched some specific travel destinations, think about where you could travel if you could go anywhere in the world. Why would you go there? What do you think you do if you had a chance to visit this location? What kind of food would you expect to eat and what do think the weather would be like? Explain your answers in detail and with interesting insight.

Weekly Response Question Due 5/7/10

With 28 school days left before you move onto middle school,
how are you feeling about the change? Are you excited, happy
sad, confused? What will you miss most about Oakdale? What
will you miss least? Share your thoughts.

Weekly Reader's Response Journal

Write me a journal entry about the book you are reading at this time.
If you are not reading a book at this time, respond to the following
questions about a book you have recently read.

What is the title of the book, who is the author and who are the main
characters? What is the story about and how is the plot developing?
Is there a character in the book who you wish you could trade lives with?
Make a prediction about how you think the story will end.

Weekly Reader's Response Journal Due 4/23/10

You have been assigned a person in history to read a biography about.
As you search for the biography you will read, think about the person you have chosen,
what do you think you might learn about the person?
Do you think they are connected to another person
during the time period that you are familiar with?
What are you hoping to find out about the person you are
reading about?

Weekly Reader's Response Due Friday 4/9/10

We are getting ready to move onto a new unit where you will be selecting a famous person in a particular period of history to read about and study. Think about the people from Social Studies that you have been reading about or are familiar with...are there any people that you find interesting and why?
Tell me who you think you might be interested in learning more about
from the early explorers up through the American Revolution.

Weekly Reader's Response Due Thursday 4/1/10

You are almost finished with your research papers! (Due 4/6/10)
How do you plan to present the interesting information you have
learned about your topics?
Without giving too much away, tell me what ideas are you going to
focus on and what format you plan to present with. For example,
a play, podcast, Power Point or song.

Weekly Reader's Response Due 3/19/10

We are embarking on the world of research...you have selected topics you want to know more about and we are going to be practicing all sorts of skills in order to gather information you will need to be successful on your projects.

What types of resources do you think you will use for your research? Do you know of specific websites or books that would help you find answers to questions you have? List them here.

Weekly Reader's Response Journal Due 3/12/10

If you could interview anyone in th world, who would it be and why?
Make a list of 5 questions your would ask them if you could.

Ode to Poets!

You have become published poets in our classroom,
now become published poets on the WorldWideWeb!

Please post the poem you have been working on in class
or something new if you prefer.

Weekly Reader's Response Journal Due 2/26/10

Tell me about the book you are reading independently now.
Who are the characters, what is the setting, what is the plot?
Is the book part of a series and who is the author?

Word of the Day

Use the Weboword of the day to write a sentence that proves that you understand the meaning of the word.

Weekly Reader's Response Due 2/19/10

I miss you all! What do you think of all this snow? I have never seen so much snow in my life.
What do you think the city should do with it all? Any ideas for where it will all go?
Share your thoughts and tell us what you are doing with your time off.

Weekly Readers' Response Due 2/5/10

We have been studying many forms of poetry such as Haiku, Cinquain, and Diamante in class.
Based on the poems you have read and what you have learned about sound elements and structure in poetry tell me what your favorite poem types are and explain why in detail.

Lastly, write your own poem of the type you selected.

Weekly Reader's Response Due 1/29/10

We have been learning about different types of poetry this week. Write your own Haiku poem and post it for others to read and enjoy. Remember to use the correct structural elements of a Haiku poem.

Weekly Reader's Response Journal Due 1/15/10

We have completed the "Reading Science" unit. Now that you are experts on how to read science texts, explain what you see as the benefits of using the reading strategies you know to understand science more fully.

Weekly Reader's Response Journal Due 1/8/10

You had an extra long winter break, in a 4-6 sentences tell us what your favorite trips, events, and gifts were over the holidays.