Literacy Project

My Literacy Project was done with Maryann Castrilli and Jen Nagel. We created a Wiki called Fun 5th Grade Reads! We decided to have the students write book reviews! These book reviews would eventually be posted to the wiki for all of the students to use. Students from Portland, Southington, and Rocky Hill can communicate through this wiki. We allowed chapter books, picture books, and magazine/newspaper articles to be reviewed. This enabled every student to participate in the project. I wrote this lesson as a persuasive writing lesson. I taught the students the steps that are involved in writing a persuasive paragraph. We discussed beginning, middles, and ends. We talked about certain vocabulary terms to use in a persuasive paragraph.  We discussed the importance of details! We talked about making the book sound as good as possible. We discussed ways in which to give the reader enough information without giving away the ending. We discussed how asking questions in the book review was a great way to involve the reader and interest him/her more! Please feel free to visit the Wiki today!

http://5thgradefunreads.wikispaces.com/

Course Reflection

I just used my Web 2.0 tool to create my project. I used the tool Bitstrip and it was a blast!!! It may be a bit short, but the whole point of the comic is that I didn't know a thing about computers when I came into this class, and now I do!!! Thanks to Judy Arzt for teaching me about how to implement all of these tools in the classroom and for having the patience to deal with me. I once was technology illiterate and now I'm not!!!!!

Group Blogging Members

I borrowed this idea from the genius Maryann! Here are the links to my fellow comrades' blogs!!!!

Maryann's Blog  http://fabulous5thgrd.blogspot.com/2013/09/group-blogger-addresses.html

Jen's Blog  http://teachernagel.blogspot.com/

Tara's Blog http://taralinfo.blogspot.com/

Final Digital Story

My final digital story - it's a bit long, but everything is included - I hope you like it!

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Second attempt at the American Revolution

This is my second attempt at my digital story. It now has music and narration - check it out!

Digital Story of American Revolution

I am currently working on my digital story. I had never used Photo Story before. so it took some time to get used to. However, once I figured it out, it was actually quite easy! My digital story ties into my social studies curriculum at my school. It focuses on the American Revolution - the causes, all of the battles, and finishes with the Patriot victory at Yorktown and the surrender of the British troops. I think I will show this prior to starting the chapter on the Revolutionary War in our textbook in order to entice the students into wanting to learn more about how and what happened during that time in American history. Showing the video will not only excite the students, but being told through the use of my voice might make it seem more important and "real." The images I chose depict what was happening at that time, and the music that's playing in the background makes it even more vibrant and alive! This is only a rough draft, so keep in mind I will makes changes if necessary, but let me know what you think!!!!!!!

Faith and the Electric Dog

Faith and the Electric Dogs: My students are currently reading Faith and the El...: My students are currently reading Faith and the Electric Dogs by Patrick Jennings. It's a story about a young girl named Faith who recen...

Who Really Discovered

I always wondered why the issue of Christopher Columbus was so controversial. Once I began teaching grade 5, I found out why so many people dislike him. When Columbus found land in the 1400s, he assumed he found Asia. He never realized that he found an unknown piece of land. He died thinking he was the first explorer to discover a water route westward from Europe to Asia. It was Amerigo Vespucci who later realized he had found a whole new continent. America was even named in honor of AMERIGO Vespucci. Should we be celebrating Columbus Day or Vespucci Day???

Open House Blues

Every year...I dread Open House. I get all nervous and break out in hives! Do you feel this way? It's crazy, right? We talk all day in front of children, but we're scared to death to talk to a room full of adults!!! Watch this Animoto, and tell me if you feel the same way.

Animoto about the Book Wonder

 I am reading this book as a read-aloud to my class right now. Last year was the first time I read the book, and I absolutely fell in love with it. It contains such powerful life lessons. The message to "accept yourself and others the way they are" is such a powerful one. The entire fifth grade class is being read this book as a read- aloud except my teammate. He has a girl in his class with a facial deformity. He asked the mother what she thought he should do, and she said she would prefer it not read to the entire class. She was afraid her daughter would feel as though the spotlight was even more on her. I understand her concerns, but if she just read the book herself, she might have a change of heart.

                                             

Class Post 9/4

I really love this video. My fifth grade class is reading Wonder ,a story about a young boy who was born with a facial deformity. Before starting the book, I showed this video first. It was perfect! The video is all about being brave enough to be yourself. August, the young boy from Wonder, is starting fifth grade and going to school for the first time. He had been home-schooled, but his parents decide that he is old enough to deal with society. He has to be brave enough to face the world and strong enough to not care what others say. Watch the video and tell me what you think!

Here's my blog...I hope!!!

It's Labor Day weekend, and I'm nervous about starting school on Tuesday. Every year I feel this way, and every year it's fine. I get worried that I didn't plan enough stuff for the first day, but then I always end up with a list of things to do the next day. It sounds like I have a good group of students...only 17! I'll probably get 5 new students the first week!! Well, wish me luck!