Monday, 17 September

We came to school in warm sun again and the weather reports say we can expect the same all week.  Our day began with a friendly reminder to get the "walking" forms back with a parent's or guardian's signature; I re-issued forms to students who needed them.  Next we did our first parts of speech quiz together on the board.  I noted that students have the best chance at getting all of the words correct if they use the identification system that we've been practicing in class:

1. Separate the subject (the part that names) from the predicate (the part that tells more).
2. Identify the simple subject in the part that names (it will be a noun or pronoun).
3. Identify the simple predicate in the part that tells more (it will be a verb).
4. Identify any other nouns, pronouns or verbs in the sentence.
5. Look at each noun, pronoun and verb and ask if they have any modifiers.
6. Identify the connectors (conjunctions).
7. Identify the coordinators (prepositions).
8. Finally, check for interjections at the beginning of the sentence.

Warning: many words are used as more than one part of speech, so memorizing examples can be hazardous.  ex.  I like to run home. (verb)  I went for a run. (noun) There is no grammar homework.

After band we visited the library to borrow books and then did a group math lesson.  Both the 6 and 7 curriculum include work around recognizing symbolic (number) and concrete (shape) patterns.  We looked at the difference between what the text calls an "input/output machine" and a "table of values."  We then constructed some concrete patterns using different tables of values.  Finally, we created new patterns for previously given tables to show how those concrete patterns can vary even if the symbols (numbers) stay the same.

After lunch we had our first lesson for the novel Crash (that we started reading last week).  We began to examine the basic components of a novel: setting, character, plot and conflict.  We took "plot" apart, and introduced its parts (things such as exposition, inciting incident and rising action).  Next we made connections to Crash.  Afterwords, we went outside and read in the sun. It would be good if students read to the end of Chapter 5 (page 20) for homework.  

We ended the day by revisiting the four river civilizations worksheet in order to learn how to write a "what/so-what" summarizing paragraph.  We did two main points together and students should do a third for homework.  HINT: the questions on the worksheet act as good focus cues.