What can I say? I'm an English teacher and I can't resist the puns. It's been a really fun week of teaching the plot cycle with Pixar shorts as a type of text to practice with. We have done gradual release where we did plot charts as a class, as a table, with a partner and finally individually. I've been proud of how students have focused and are demonstrating that they know the concept.
Thank you for the book orders and business donations for our iRead program. We would love to have a few more sponsors, if interested, please see iRead Support Letter
As part of this unit, students need to practice vocabulary words on Quizlet--4 sessions, 15 minutes long. Parents or teachers can initial the completion. They can practice at school during FLEX, in classes (if time), before or after school in my room or at home. Here is the direct link: Plot Elements Quizlet
I'm excited about the week coming up! It will be a fun week of review, library day and our first common formative assessment to see how students are mastering the concept. I'm pleased with how many students have completed their first book. If they haven't finished yet--all is not lost! As soon as they finish, I'll adjust their grade. I know it will take some practice to get used to the process. Students need to finish their book, then fill out the Online Book Tracker here. Please remind your student to make sure they are remembering to read at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week so they can stay on track for iRead book due dates.
Your support is so appreciated. I'm happy to discuss your student anytime. Please email me at rachel.robins@washk12.org or call after school hours at 652-4742. Enjoy your weekend!
Week #3
August 29-September 2
Monday, August 29th
Free Reading/Book Business
Hands-on review, part I for CFA #1: Plot Elements
Tuesday, August 30th
Free Reading/Book Business
Quizlet time
Finish review
Honors: Newspaper Day
Planning our first edition of the school newspaper!
Honors: Newspaper Day
Planning our first edition of the school newspaper!
Wednesday, August 31st
Library Day/Reading
iRead Book #2 Due
iRead Book #2 Due
Thursday, September 1st
CFA (common formative assessment) #1: Plot Elements
We will correct in class, reading time if finished early
Friday, September 2nd
Reteaching OR Enrichment for CFA #1
If students score lower than 70%, reteaching and reassessment will be offered. Students scoring higher than 70% will be doing an enrichment of outside chalk art tied into the plot of the novel they are currently reading (trust me, this will be fun!).
Some people have asked me why we require so much reading in 7th grade. My reply is that our end goal is to create lifelong readers and the only way to be a better reader, is to, well...read. Check out this article in an interview by Donalyn Miller (teacher/researcher) who makes a solid argument for how good readers are created: Are Good Readers Born or Made?
