Projects, Projects, Projects ... A Differentiated Approach to Help Students Achieve Success

This short week's blog post simply consists of some information regarding an upcoming project for your student.  As stated earlier in the school year, each quarter students will be asked to give an oral presentation.  During the first quarter, the students shared their "Play-Doh" sculpture and what about them it represented, and their "All About Me" Google Slides presentation.  During the second quarter, #ENGRoom121 will continue to highlight and emphasize courage, kindness, respect, and CommUNITY as they conduct mini-research on their ethnicity and family traditions through a project called, "We are Family - A Celebration of our Ethnicity, Family Traditions & Customs."  As a result of this project/presentation we, as #ENGRoom121 commUNITY members, will continue to get to know each other.  This project honors our families and makes us proud of where we come from and who we are.  Please take a moment to read over the expectations that went home with the students yesterday (Tuesday, November 22, 2016).

"We are Family - A Celebration of our Ethnicity and Family Traditions" Expectations/Requirements

Here's a look at the upcoming week (11/28 & 12/2):

1. Turn in Thanksgiving Day/Weekend Extra Credit assignment (Monday, 11/28)
2. Spot check research beginnings for "We are Family..." project (Monday, 11/28)
3. Go over Stave 3 A Christmas Carol Comprehension Questions (Monday, 11/28)
4. Ebenezer Scrooge Paragraph "DO OVER" Types of Sentences (Tuesday, 11/29)
5. Read Stave 4 of A Christmas Carol (Wednesday, 11/30 & Thursday, 12/1)
6. Complete and grade Stave 4 Comprehension Questions (Thursday, 12/1 & Friday, 12/2)

Vocabulary to know for the upcoming week (11/28 - 12/2):

NONE

I wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving!  May you all enjoy the holiday with loved ones.

"Believe you can and you're halfway there." - Theodore Roosevelt

My apologies for not updating the blog the past couple of weeks.  We officially reached the halfway point of the second quarter on Wednesday, November 16th.  The final update to Infinite Campus before progress reports happened today, Friday, November 18th and then progress report grades were posted for #ENGRoom121. The progress report grades will go live to families on Tuesday, November 22nd.

The last couple of weeks students have been busy reading the novel, A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens and working on Reading Literature Standards.  We have successfully read and viewed the first three staves of this piece of literature.  It has been great fun reading through Dickens' Christmas classic and helping the students understand the time period, Old English, why so many people in Victorian Era England were sad and struggling, and discussing the different traditions families shared during what seemed like simpler times.  #ENGRoom121 is on track to finish the novel before attending the play on Thursday, December 8th.  The live production will be the culminating activity of this unit of study.  

With the halfway point of the second quarter upon us, I wanted to highlight a several things that the students will still have to complete before our semester break.  Please see the following list:

1. Thanksgiving Day craft and extra credit assignment (Monday 11/21 & Tuesday 11/22) - extra credit to "Work Habits" category
2. A Christmas Carol Character Bio Poem and Illustration (2nd Quarter Red Bandana assignment) - grade to "Assessment" category
3. "We are Family" presentation (lessons & presentation in diversity and culture ... Wednesday 12/14 & Thursday 12/15 ... more on this next week in my blog update) - grade to "Assessment" category
4. The 3rd Annual "Gift of Words" gift exchange (DUE Thursday 12/15; gift exchange Friday 12/16, Monday 12/19, & Tuesday 12/20) - grade to "Assessment" category
5. First Semester Mid-Term exam (Friday 12/16, Monday 12/19, Tuesday 12/20 ... click here to see exam schedule) - grade to "Assessment" category
6. ALL Accelerated Reader goals due by Tuesday 12/20 - grade to "Accelerated Reader" category

Here's a look at the upcoming week (11/21 & 11/22):

1. Complete Stave 3 A Christmas Carol Comprehension Questions
2. Receive "Gift of Words" & "We are Family" project requirements/expectations
3. Complete Thanksgiving Day craft and receive extra credit requirements

Vocabulary to know for the upcoming week (11/21 - 11/22):

NONE

Have a wonderful Cleveland weather weekend  ;-)!