Dr. Williams

August 31 and September 1

Tomorrow, I will be out of the building at training for a new bullying prevention program.  I am adding information for both today and tomorrow below.

Book Orders Due Friday!

We have a student from Kennesaw State who will be working with our classes until Thanksgiving.  She will come twice a week to begin with and then later in the fall, she will be with us every day.  It will be great to have another person in the room to work with the students!

P1 and P3--Today students continued working on their Life Doesn't Frighten Me poems.  Many finished, but some struggled to get started.  These will be due on Tuesday.  HW--Study for narrative quiz which will be Friday.

Tomorrow, students will learn about first person point of view in literature.  They will read a story in the textbook called "Eleven."  They will then respond in paragraph form to a question which analyzes the plot.  HW--Study for narrative quiz.  Work on Life Doesn't Frighten Me poems.

P2, P4, and P5--DGP; We checked the kids homework on making nouns plural and possessive.  We then used white boards to practice more.  HW--Study for narrative quiz which will be Friday.

Tomorrow, students will read "The Good Deed" which is a story about being too quick to judge others.  In the story, a character creates a "word bouquet" which is a strong description which allows someone who isn't able to see it to visualize the item.  Students wrote their own version of an eye bouquet for an item of their choice.  HW--Finish the eye bouquet.  Study for Narrative Quiz.

August 30

Don't forget to return the performing arts envelope ASAP!!

A few parents have said they are willing to help cut tennis balls to put on the bottoms of the chairs.  If you are willing to help, I will send home a bag.

P1 and P3--DGP; We read and discussed "Life Doesn't Frighten Me" by Maya Angelou.  Download LIFE DOESN  Download Life Does student sheet  We then worked at determining the rhyme scheme for the poem.  Students worked today and will have tomorrow to write two different versions of the poem--one from the perspective of a 5 year old and one from the perspective of an 18 year old.  HW--Have the 5 similes and 5 metaphors ready for class tomorrow.  Growing up is____.  Quiz over narrative notes Friday.

P2, P4, and P5--DGP;  We checked the homework sheet on plural nouns before looking at making nouns possessive.  HW--Finish the worksheet started in class (page 4 and 5).  Here are notes that students need to study for the narrative quiz on Friday.  They may already have them, but I wanted to post them just in case they don't.  Download Narrative notes key for McDLittell

August 29

Can you believe August is almost over?  I had a great time at the football game Saturday night.  It is always fun to watch the kids being kids. :)

P1 and P3--DGP.  Students took notes over elements of a plot and the structure of a good story.  We then discussed the difference between metaphors and similes.  HW--Write 5 metaphors and 5 similes for Growing up is______________.  For example, Growing up is a mountain range with many ups and down.  Due WEDNESDAY.  Elements of a plot quiz on Wednesday.  Study notes!  Here are notes in case you forgot to take yours home.  Download Narrative notes key for McDLittell

P2, P4, and P5--DGP.  We looked at the rules for making singular nouns plural.  Students took notes out of the text and then applied the rules to practice sheets.  HW--Worksheet 19 and 21.  Elements of a plot quiz on Wednesday.  Study notes given last week.

August 26

Reminders--

6th Grade Football--Come to Walton this Saturday at 3:00 to see the sixth grade football team and cheerleaders!  Go Jr. Raiders!!!

Intramurasl start Monday.  Students should check in at the cafeteria prior to heading to the gym. 

Book orders are due Friday.

P1 and P3--Students were given back two assignments.  They had the chance to correct their noun quiz for additional points.  Those who were not happy on the grade earned on the t-chart from yesterday can take it home and work on it this weekend.  They also participated in a carousel brainstorming activity where they worked with peers to answer a variety of questions about growing up.  We discussed how Tony Hawk does and does not show traditional characteristics of being a grown up.

P2, P4, and P5--Students used a PowerPoint to complete a note taking guide for nouns.  We reviewed the basics as we went along.  Download Nouns  Download Noun study guide using powerpoint Next week, we will spend more time reviewing the areas that were weakest on the pretest taken last week.  Upcoming Important Date--September 2--Narrative Quiz; September 7--Noun Test.  Students have notes in their binders for each of these assessments; the narrative note sheet should be in the writing section, and the noun notes should be in the keeper section.  We will work on nouns next week.

August 25

P1 and P3--Students completed an assessment on nouns.  After they are graded, we will see if more work is needed or if the kids are ready for these to count as grades in the grade book.  They then completed a t-chart about the pros and cons of growing up.  They used the ideas from the chart to answer the following question.  What does it mean to grow up?  Include examples from your life, from TV/movies/books.  Make sure to address both the positive and negative aspects of growing up. 

P2, P4, and P5--Students took their notes from yesterday  and added the details from them to a plot diagram.  On the back they they answered the following question...1.   Describe at least two types of conflict tin the story.  Man vs Man/Self/Society/Nature  2.  Use the book and find 5 examples where the author uses strong words to describe something or someone.  Can be bullet points.  HW--Finish for homework.  Some students may need to use the online textbook.  Bright pink sheets were given out at open house with log in information.  Some students got copies of the pink sheets today in class.

August 24

P1 and P3--We reviewed concrete/abstract nouns, collective nouns, and how to make plurals possessive.  Students then completed a worksheet to practice making nouns plural and possessive.  As a part of the unit, I Won't Grow Up, we read the lyrics and listened to the song, "Never Grow Up", by Taylor Swift.  We used the lyrics to discuss the following questions.  Why doesn't the person singing the song want to grow up?  Who is the speaker?  What is her perspective on growing up?  How do you know?   Download SwiftLyrics

P2, P4, and P5--Students listened to the story, "The School Play" by Gary Soto.  After listening, students identified the elements of the plot found in the story and drew a plot diagram and labeled the parts with examples from the story.

August 23

P1 and P3--We started Noun Boot Camp today.  As we reviewed the different types of nouns, students admitted that possessive and plural nouns were difficult to form, so tomorrow, we will focus on possessive and plural nouns. 

P2, P4, and P5--What makes a good story?  We looked at the elements of a story as well as the components of a well formed plot.  Students used the text book and took notes on important academic vocabulary--character, setting, conflict (internal, external, man vs. man, man vs. self, man vs. society, and man vs. nature), exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.  Tomorrow, they will read a story and identify the elements of a plot.

August 22

P1 and P3--Students took two pretests--narrative and pronouns.  We will use the results of the pretests to help guide instruction.  They will not count as a grade.  We then organized our language arts binders. 

HW--Poems due tomorrow.  Many have already turned them in.

P2, P4, and p5--Students took a pretest on nouns.  We will use the results of the pretest to help guideinstruction.  It will not count as a grade!  We then organized our language arts binders. 

 HW--Poems due tomorrow.  Many have already turned them in.

 

Don't forget--Open House--Tuesday night at 6:00.  Open House is for parents only as there is not room for students, siblings, and parents.

August 22

P1 and P3--Students took two pretests--narrative and pronouns.  We will use the results of the pretests to help guide instruction.  They will not count as a grade.  We then organized our language arts binders. 

HW--Poems due tomorrow.  Many have already turned them in.

P2, P4, and p5--Students took a pretest on nouns.  We will use the results of the pretest to help guideinstruction.  It will not count as a grade!  We then organized our language arts binders. 

 HW--Poems due tomorrow.  Many have already turned them in.

 

Don't forget--Open House--Tuesday night at 6:00.

August 19

Reminders--

--Open House--Tuesday at 6:00 PM

--Broadcast--Those students interested in being part of the morning broadcast should attend an informational meeting on Tuesday at 8:30 in the E4 computer lab.  There will be adults by the cafeteria to help them find the way.

Game Club--Game Club meets on Fridays in my room starting at 8:00.  Students should report to the cafeteria and wait for Game Club to be announced.

P1 and P3--We practiced identifying parts of speech, parts of the sentence, and diagramming today.First period had time to begin discussing Greek and Latin roots.  Both periods will do some work with roots later next week.  HW--Poem due Tuesday.  Many have turned them in.

P2, P3, and P5--We practiced identifying parts of speech, parts of the sentence, and diagramming today.  HW--Poem due Tuesday.  Many have turned them in.