April 23-27

Well this week has turned out to be a little crazy. I ended up having a stomach virus last week and was out Wed-Fri. Due to being out for so long, we've had to make a few adjustments.  This week we are looking at text features (bold print, graphics, pictures, captions, italics, sidebars, etc.) and how they are used to help readers follow the text.  In order for students to get familiar with all the different types of features, we started out with a scavenger hunt in our science books.  Students had to find a page with the different text features and identify them. 

For the rest of this week and the beginning of next week, students will be creating a magazine using text features. Here is the write up they received.

Make a Magazine:

Using computer paper you will be creating a magazine. The purpose of this magazine is to show that you understand text features. Using your text features chart you will choose to include the following:

·         3 well written articles. Each article needs to be at least a paragraph in length. These articles will be used to help your magazine flow and to help you come up with information for your graphic aids. Grammar and spelling errors will count against you. (20 points)

·         2 Print Features: You must have a table of contents and one other print feature.  (20 points)

·         2 Illustrations: You must include two illustrations in your magazine. They can be drawings, pictures, or magnifications. (20 points)

·         8 Organizational Aids:  You must choose 8 out of the 10 organizational aids to use in your magazine. They need to be used throughout and not all on one page.  (20 points)

·         3 Graphic Aids: You must complete 3 graphic aids to help you with your written articles. Use your aids to help your reader understand certain information. (20 points)

Next week we will finish up the magazines while also working on Compass Odyssey. Compass is a great way for students to review all skills we have taught over the year to get ready for PASS testing.

**PASS TESTING IS SOON!! May 8-10 students will be tested on ELA (Tues), Math (Wed), and either Social Studies or Science (Thurs).

In order to help students review for PASS testing, they should be bringing home notes to study for 15 min and get signed. This homework is going in a a minor grade when checked.

April 13-20

We are continuing our review for PASS by looking at Latin roots/affixes and cause and effect this week.  Please keep studying your essential facts 15 minutes each night and getting them signed!!!

HW- essential facts being studied and signed, finish comma worksheet and turn it in Friday

**SPRING FLING will be tomorrow, Tuesday, April 17, from 5-7. Please encourage your students to use their TWood cash to buy a ticket for the whole family.  It will be a night of baseball, popcorn, hot dogs, sodas, peanuts, and games. :)

Welcome back!!!

I hope you all had a wonderful spring break! It's hard to believe that the end of the year is almost here. We still have to get ready for PASS testing though which is why we are kicking it into review time in Mrs. Rigot's room.

This week students reviewed the powerpoints they made before break, went the book fair, and today they took a test on Grammar and Vocabulary Strategies.  They were allowed to use the powerpoint they created to help them on the test.  Next week we will go over the test together.

Something new we are starting is a nightly PASS review.  Every day or almost every day students will be writing down essential facts related to their English standards.  That night, students must study the day's essential facts for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes a parent or guardian needs to sign saying that "yes my student did study."

We will be doing this for the rest of April and beginning of May. The students will use all their Essential Facts as a study guide for PASS testing which will be May 7-11.

Keep studying those notes and getting them signed! This will take the place of their usual reading log.