Fifth Graders Take a Satisfying Sensory Walk--2-26-07

Today, the fifth-graders read poems using strong imagery and investigated the ways poets created vivid pictures by using sensory language. Then, they donned their jackets and hiked a bit around the school and grounds looking for objects that might inspire them to write with such fine imagery. Rocks, leaves, snow (melting), as well as markers, magnets, and other objects may turn up as the subjects of tomorrow's poems!

Fifth Graders Experiment with Voice--2-22-07

Fifth-grade Language Arts students tried their hands at writing some poems today, focusing on the voice they used in the poem. After reading poems with different speakers, some students chose to write poems as if talking to an object (apostrophe). One child wrote to her sock. Others chose to use a lyrical voice, including first-person perspective in their poems, for example, pretending to be in a basketball game. Some used dramatic voice, pretending to be an object or item, such as a leaf talking to its visitors under the tree or a pencil, ready to write. Still other students used narrative voice and told a story through their poems. All enjoyed hearing each other share writing samples, which will be edited and placed into each student's poetry booklet. Keep on writing!

Sixth graders act out the King Azaz's Royal Banquet

Today, the sixth graders acted out the Royal Banquet that Milo attends in King Azaz's banquet hall., as described in chapter seven of Phantom Tollbooth. They served pretend food on pretend platters and learned to be careful about what they say because they might have to eat their words!

Advisory goes to kindergarten--2-21-07

Today, we visited Mrs. Farrenkopf's kindergarten class and read about the ocean with the members of her class. The kindergartners had just started a new unit on the ocean and enjoyed reading with their sixth-grade buddies.