We’re in the thick of it now here at CHAT–writing, reading and learning the grammar. Some weeks it feels like a juggling act–for all of us. But it is fun to learn together.
First, we had a Quick Write about a tasty topic. Since tomorrow is National Cereal Day, they were given a choice of prompts related to breakfast cereal. In order to really get into the sensory details, I brought a gallon of milk and enough mini-boxes for students to munch while they wrote.
Writing
We started by exploring different possibilities for writing a good hook. After that, students analyzed an introduction and conclusion for an example essay on the subject of cotton balls. (Yes, I said “cotton balls”:)
They silently found and underlined the three topics in the introduction/conclusion that were presented in the body paragraphs. They found the hook and background information in the introduction, observed how the topics were restated in the conclusion, and noticed how the writer states the “most significant” of the topics in the conclusion and presents NO NEW INFORMATION in that conclusion.
Last, they got together in their writing circles to compare their answers and discuss the effectiveness of this method.
Bring a paper copy of your Compare/Contrast Essays to class next week. We will be performing Peer Review. If you are not prepared, you will not only be missing out on points (ouch!) but you will be missing out on valuable feedback from your peers and the opportunity to showcase your amazing writing skills ;)
Literature
Last, we watched a short video on the life of William Syney Porter, aka O. Henry. This iconic writer had a very interesting life that certainly shows up in his short stories. We learned that his stories are famous for their “snapper” endings (twist endings), the focus on everyday people as characters, and rooting for the underdog. They reflected on how those themes showed up in “The Gift of the Magi” & “After Twenty Years.” They had time to discuss in small groups and debrief their findings to the class.
They are enjoying these O. Henry stories and have two more for next week along with a Short Story Packet. I gave the warning to make sure to read carefully for next week as there is a STRONG possibility there might be a “pop” quiz. 😉
Grammar
Since we were running short on time, the class voted to have no grammar lesson this week, with the understanding that next week, we will have two grammar mini-lessons plus the worksheets. We used our last bit of time to watch a few minutes of the dramatized version of “The Gift of the Magi”
Blessings on your weekend!
Mrs. G
Homework for the Week
Compare/Contrast Essay–for Peer Review
No Grammar!
Read “Makes the Whole World Kin” & “The Furnished Room”
Short Story Packet #1
Links for this Week
“Gift of the Magi”--dramatized
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