In Reading Workshop, we just completed a unit on persuasive texts and media. Scholars analyzed editorials, catalog advertisements, commercials, and procedural texts. Scholars determined the texts’ main ideas and identified the persuasive words that the writer used to influence the reader. They also discussed how advertisers use what viewers see and hear in commercials to persuade them to purchase the product. Scholars did a great job writing persuasive texts, catalog ads, and procedural texts in class, and they followed the steps of different procedural texts too!
We will soon be making inferences to draw conclusions about how characters feel at different times in a story. Scholars will use these inferences to summarize picture books. The next step will be to discuss how the actions of one character can lead to the action of another character. At home, be sure to discuss why scholars choose to do what they do. This helps them to think through the causes of actions, effects of actions, and motivations. Also, when scholars are reading, ask them questions, such as: What caused a character to act a certain way? What were the effects of his actions for himself or for others?
In Writing Workshop, scholars have been working on using Freeze Time descriptions in their narrative writing and practicing to plan expository writing. This week, scholars will be working on elements of poetry, including gaining exposure to free verse, lyric, narrative, haiku, limerick, and shape/concrete poetry. Scholars will also become familiar with figurative language, including the use of personification, metaphors, similes, alliteration, and idioms. Scholars will practice identifying these elements as well as writing their own free verse poetry about nature. These poems will be on display during Open House!
Coming up in Writing Workshop, students will focus on STAAR Tips for Success. Scholars will review grammar skills that we have used throughout the year, including what makes a complete sentence, subject-verb agreement, how to use commas and apostrophes, and ending punctuation. Scholars will continue to practice planning, writing, and revising personal narrative and expository writing to fit a prompt, using Freeze Time descriptions, and supporting a controlling/central idea.
