Hello class! Today we read in small groups from Nothing but the Truth and I heard many amazing voices to personify characters like Miss Narwin, Mr. Lunser, Phillip Malloy, his parents, Dr. Doane, Allison, and the other key characters in this saga.
Thus far, we are beginning to see how a tiny seed of misinformation and anger can fester and germinate and eventually grow into a crisis.
Tomorrow, we'll have Vocab Quiz 16--and come ready to be creative as you use our words for the week in your writing:
SUBTERFUGE
DUBIOUS
ANTIQUITY
TRANSPIRE
INSOLENCE
And be sure to bring your copy of the novel with you tomorrow as well.
Peace!
Mr. R
Monday, March 14, 2016
Thursday, March 10, 2016
The Plot Thickens...
Thus far in our reading of Nothing But the Truth by Avi, we have characterized Miss Narwin as very strict and somewhat uptight. Yet she does have a lot of passion for literature and teaching, as some of you astutely pointed out!
As the plot thickens in our novel, we are beginning to see tensions develop, and tomorrow we'll continue acting out scenes from the novel.
As we begin to think about Phillip and Miss Narwin--along with the other characters--share a few insights regarding this question: Would you want Phillip Malloy as a friend of yours? Why or why not?
Our word of the day today is SUBTERFUGE, which means a great deception or trick.
See you tomorrow, and peace!
Mr. R
As the plot thickens in our novel, we are beginning to see tensions develop, and tomorrow we'll continue acting out scenes from the novel.
As we begin to think about Phillip and Miss Narwin--along with the other characters--share a few insights regarding this question: Would you want Phillip Malloy as a friend of yours? Why or why not?
Our word of the day today is SUBTERFUGE, which means a great deception or trick.
See you tomorrow, and peace!
Mr. R
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Of Picture Books and Perspectives...
Today, we are handing in our final drafts of the SYNTHESIS essay. You made it! I really appreciate your hard work on an arduous skill--and I am very proud of each of you writing and revising these essays paragraph by paragraph.
Yes!
Yesterday, after reviewing the proper heading and workshopping engaging titles, we had the chance to channel our inner five-year old selves. We left our seats and gathered on the floor in the center of the room for a reading of the awesome picture book Emmanuel's Dream by Laurie Ann Thomspon. Since we had just finished writing our synthesis essays based on the documentary about Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah and the novel The Breadwinner, it was a great time to read a fabulous picture book.
WE ARE NEVER TOO OLD FOR PICTURE BOOKS!
Our word of the day yesterday was ANTIQUITY, which simply means ancient times. An example of the the word in a sentence is One of my favorite people is Socrates, who lived in antiquity, but whose wisdom still resonates today.
Our word of the day for today is DUBIOUS, which means causing doubt or untrustworthy.
Today, we are beginning our new novel, Nothing but the Truth by Avi. We read aloud from the opening pages and for tonight, share a couple of sentences on the class blog with your response to this question: WHAT IS PATRIOTISM, AND HOW IMPORTANT (or unimportant) IS IT?
Yes!
Yesterday, after reviewing the proper heading and workshopping engaging titles, we had the chance to channel our inner five-year old selves. We left our seats and gathered on the floor in the center of the room for a reading of the awesome picture book Emmanuel's Dream by Laurie Ann Thomspon. Since we had just finished writing our synthesis essays based on the documentary about Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah and the novel The Breadwinner, it was a great time to read a fabulous picture book.
WE ARE NEVER TOO OLD FOR PICTURE BOOKS!
Our word of the day yesterday was ANTIQUITY, which simply means ancient times. An example of the the word in a sentence is One of my favorite people is Socrates, who lived in antiquity, but whose wisdom still resonates today.
Our word of the day for today is DUBIOUS, which means causing doubt or untrustworthy.
Today, we are beginning our new novel, Nothing but the Truth by Avi. We read aloud from the opening pages and for tonight, share a couple of sentences on the class blog with your response to this question: WHAT IS PATRIOTISM, AND HOW IMPORTANT (or unimportant) IS IT?
Monday, March 7, 2016
Rounding the Bend with SYNTHESIS!
Today in class, we did a double- peer revision of our synthesis essays. Yes! We talked about some of the key areas to look for in our essays. As you continue editing at home, be sure to check these KEY WRITING GUIDELINES before printing out your final draft.
The final draft of our synthesis essays will be due this Wednesday, March 9. Be sure to include all your rough draft work stapled behind the final draft. And here is the overview of the mission in case you need an extra copy of you'd like to print out one to frame for your bedroom wall, or you want to double-check that you've followed the outline.
Also, remember to include our WORD OF THE DAY words within your synthesis essay:
SYNTHESIS
PANACEA
ASTUTE
NEFARIOUS
RUMINATE
PERPETUAL
ARDUOUS
Be sure to check in the blog posts below if you need more information, to watch the video clip explaining synthesis, or to be sure your paragraphs follow some of the examples we explored in class. YOU CAN DO THIS!! I am very proud of the work you have each put into this essay so far, and I'mm really looking forward to the final drafts.
Rock on!
Peace,
Mr. R
The final draft of our synthesis essays will be due this Wednesday, March 9. Be sure to include all your rough draft work stapled behind the final draft. And here is the overview of the mission in case you need an extra copy of you'd like to print out one to frame for your bedroom wall, or you want to double-check that you've followed the outline.
Also, remember to include our WORD OF THE DAY words within your synthesis essay:
SYNTHESIS
PANACEA
ASTUTE
NEFARIOUS
RUMINATE
PERPETUAL
ARDUOUS
Be sure to check in the blog posts below if you need more information, to watch the video clip explaining synthesis, or to be sure your paragraphs follow some of the examples we explored in class. YOU CAN DO THIS!! I am very proud of the work you have each put into this essay so far, and I'mm really looking forward to the final drafts.
Rock on!
Peace,
Mr. R
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Examples of Synthesis...Yes!
Hello Class!
Yesterday, we dove into our Synthesis essays, but we did so backwards. Instead of beginning at the, well, beginning,, we began with our second and third paragraphs. Even though it seems crazy, the easiest way to write a synthesis essay is to figure out each part first, and THEN combine them together to make the whole.
So, yesterday we write our theme paragraphs about Emmanuel's Gift and then about The Breadwinner.
Here is a snapshot of one example from our board on how to craft the paragraph about Emmanuel's Gift:
Yesterday, we dove into our Synthesis essays, but we did so backwards. Instead of beginning at the, well, beginning,, we began with our second and third paragraphs. Even though it seems crazy, the easiest way to write a synthesis essay is to figure out each part first, and THEN combine them together to make the whole.
So, yesterday we write our theme paragraphs about Emmanuel's Gift and then about The Breadwinner.
Here is a snapshot of one example from our board on how to craft the paragraph about Emmanuel's Gift:
And today, we are building our Introductions--complete with our actual synthesis statements! Here is a link to the examples we'll discuss in class today on how to find your synthesis statement.
And finally (finally!) here is a video that explains how to get your synthesis statement in case you need a refresher, or you love synthesis SO much that you just can't wait until school tomorrow to hear all about it again!
Our word of the day yesterday was PERPETUAL, which means continuing on forever. And our word of the day today is ARDUOUS, which means incredibly hard!
Have an awesome day and evening!
Peace,
Mr. R
Friday, February 26, 2016
Emmanuel's Gift: HOPE
We are getting towards the denouement of our remarkable documentary Emmanuel's Gift. In watching, we are preparing for our SYNTHESIS ESSAY for the upcoming week, as we combine the theme of Emmanuel's Gift with the theme from The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis to create a BRAND NEW IDEAS about what matters most in life.
Here is the link to our synthesis essay assignment.
Our word of the day from Wednesday was NEFARIOUS which means having a desire to hurt; wicked; evil. And our word of the day for today is RUMINATE which means to think deeply.
Today in class, we also crafted some possible thematic statements fro Emmanuel's Gift, and you came up with great examples such as: The theme in Emmanuel's Gift is that one must always keep pushing forward even when it seems or feels impossible.
Another example from class is: The theme in Emmanuel's Gift is that because society calls one 'disabled' does not make a verdict that one is unable.
Thanks for your thoughtfulness and excitement today.
Have an awesome weekend!
Peace,
Mr. Reynolds
Here is the link to our synthesis essay assignment.
Our word of the day from Wednesday was NEFARIOUS which means having a desire to hurt; wicked; evil. And our word of the day for today is RUMINATE which means to think deeply.
Today in class, we also crafted some possible thematic statements fro Emmanuel's Gift, and you came up with great examples such as: The theme in Emmanuel's Gift is that one must always keep pushing forward even when it seems or feels impossible.
Another example from class is: The theme in Emmanuel's Gift is that because society calls one 'disabled' does not make a verdict that one is unable.
Thanks for your thoughtfulness and excitement today.
Have an awesome weekend!
Peace,
Mr. Reynolds
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Synthesis Essay!
We're digging deeper into SYNTHESIS today! Yesterday, we created fascinating, powerful, and sometimes silly tales about how two random objects could be synthesized to create a new narrative.
Today, we took the leap from our objects into the realm of ideas. Here is the SYNTHESIS ESSAY assignment which we explored in class today.
After reviewing the new project, we then began screening our documentary entitled Emmannuel's Gift.
Our word of the day for today is ASTUTE, which means wise; having the ability to make good choices.
Have an awesome day!
Peace,
Mr. R
Today, we took the leap from our objects into the realm of ideas. Here is the SYNTHESIS ESSAY assignment which we explored in class today.
After reviewing the new project, we then began screening our documentary entitled Emmannuel's Gift.
Our word of the day for today is ASTUTE, which means wise; having the ability to make good choices.
Have an awesome day!
Peace,
Mr. R
Monday, February 22, 2016
It's All About Synthesis!
Today in class we are jumping in to the realm of SYNTHESIS! This is an awesome skill that involves combining two or more ideas to make a brand new idea! Instead of comparing and contrasting, synthesis uses both ideas (or objects, or events, or...anything!) to create something new that did exist before.
One great way to think about synthesis is the following:
One great way to think about synthesis is the following:
A + B = C
Instead of comparing A and B, we are combining them together to make something brand new: C!
Today you each received two strange objects from the mystery bag and had to combine the objects together to create a story that is dependent on both of them--a new C! I loved hearing your stories!
For tonight, be sure to share in the comments below an example of SYNTHESIS in the natural world or in your daily life.
Peace!
Mr. R
Friday, February 12, 2016
Socratic Seminar: Fear or Love?
Today we had our second Socratic Seminar of the year, and you all did an amazing job of sharing powerful and insightful ideas to our four questions based around the themes from our novel The Breadwinner.
Here is a snapshot of the four questions we explored:
Here is a snapshot of the four questions we explored:
I loved listening to your opinions, evidence-based claims, and your personal experiences. And even though it was hard for me to bite my tongue and remain silent, you all taught me a lot and I am glad for this chance!
Our word of the day yesterday was EMBARK, which means to begin a project or journey.
Have an awesome break!
Peace,
Mr. R
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Fear as a Form of Power?
Today, we are exploring how people can wield fear to gain or maintain power, as The Taliban does in our novel The Breadwinner. First, we did a Quick Write to explore the question: Is fear always bad, or does it serve a good purpose as well?
We then had a discussion / debate regarding the uses of and interpretation of fear. You all shared powerful ideas and experiences of how fear can be a helpful, cautionary, or even inspiring thing--yet also how it can condemn and destroy.
We then connected to our text and the Taliban's use of fear as a form of control.
Our word of the day today is TACITURN, which means silent by habit. It is a synonym for another of our words, laconic.
For homework tonight, be sure to read Chapter 10 in The Breadwinner (only four pages!) and review for our vocab quiz tomorrow on the following five words: THEME, FALLACY, VOCIFEROUS, VOCATION, LUGUBRIOUS.
Have an awesome rest of your day, and peace!
Mr. R
We then had a discussion / debate regarding the uses of and interpretation of fear. You all shared powerful ideas and experiences of how fear can be a helpful, cautionary, or even inspiring thing--yet also how it can condemn and destroy.
We then connected to our text and the Taliban's use of fear as a form of control.
Our word of the day today is TACITURN, which means silent by habit. It is a synonym for another of our words, laconic.
For homework tonight, be sure to read Chapter 10 in The Breadwinner (only four pages!) and review for our vocab quiz tomorrow on the following five words: THEME, FALLACY, VOCIFEROUS, VOCATION, LUGUBRIOUS.
Have an awesome rest of your day, and peace!
Mr. R
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Rhythm & Retention
Today we are venturing out from school and into the field to make music. Using a diverse mix of percussion instruments, we are translating the work we did yesterday on thematic statements into actual musical movements that correlate to The Breadwinner.
I am loving hearing your musical creativity and seeing how you tie in Deborah Ellis's message in the novel to the musical themes you create to match it.
Here is the project overview of the Rhythm & Retention musical mission that we've worked on yesterday and are continuing today.
This past Monday, we did a prediction-oriented writing activity where you each tried to write Chapter 4 from The Breadwinner from the point of view of a character in the story--inferring what may happen next. Here is the link to that creative writing mission.
Our word of the day from yesterday was THEME, which refers to both the subject / big idea of a novel, song, or film AND the author's message in any of these (the thematic statement is often how the author's message is characterized).
And our word of the day from Tuesday was FALLACY, which means a mistake in thinking or logic as in this sentence: when I thought that people who drove mini-vans were criminals, that was a fallacy from my five-year old days.
Have an awesome day!
Peace,
Mr. R
I am loving hearing your musical creativity and seeing how you tie in Deborah Ellis's message in the novel to the musical themes you create to match it.
Here is the project overview of the Rhythm & Retention musical mission that we've worked on yesterday and are continuing today.
This past Monday, we did a prediction-oriented writing activity where you each tried to write Chapter 4 from The Breadwinner from the point of view of a character in the story--inferring what may happen next. Here is the link to that creative writing mission.
Our word of the day from yesterday was THEME, which refers to both the subject / big idea of a novel, song, or film AND the author's message in any of these (the thematic statement is often how the author's message is characterized).
And our word of the day from Tuesday was FALLACY, which means a mistake in thinking or logic as in this sentence: when I thought that people who drove mini-vans were criminals, that was a fallacy from my five-year old days.
Have an awesome day!
Peace,
Mr. R
Monday, February 1, 2016
Empathy and Imagination
Today in class, we explored the courage and boldness in Parvana's mother as she storms into the Taliban-ruled jail shouting vociferously, "Give me my husband!" This kind of courage is beautiful for us to behold--and it inspires us deeply.
We also read a section aloud from the book Kids of Kabul, detailing the pursuit of 14 year old Faranoz to learn to read.
Then, we jumped into a creative writing activity whereby you each began to create your own narrative for what will occur in Chapter 4. Here is the creative writing mission if you were absent or you need it again.
For tonight, be sure to read Chapter 4 in The Breadwinner (pp. 44-62). Our word of the day today is VOCIFEROUS, which means loud and shouting or crying out.
Peace!
Mr. R
We also read a section aloud from the book Kids of Kabul, detailing the pursuit of 14 year old Faranoz to learn to read.
Then, we jumped into a creative writing activity whereby you each began to create your own narrative for what will occur in Chapter 4. Here is the creative writing mission if you were absent or you need it again.
For tonight, be sure to read Chapter 4 in The Breadwinner (pp. 44-62). Our word of the day today is VOCIFEROUS, which means loud and shouting or crying out.
Peace!
Mr. R
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