January 4th - January 8th This week we are continuing to explore Imagination. We are reading the fantasy story, "The Cat Who Became a Poet," about a cat who swallow a rhyming mouse and becomes a poet as a result. We are also enjoying various poems and working in our skills packets. Comprehension Strategies: Predicting, Summarizing, Asking Questions Comprehension Skills: Fantasy and Reality Literary Elements: Rhyme and Rhythm December 14th - December 18th This week we are enjoying our first story from our unit on Imagination. This story is called "Through Grandpa's Eyes" and is a touching story about a young boy who loves Grandpa's house more than any other house in the world. Grandpa is blind and young John's world expands as he closes his eyes and experiences the events of the day as Grandpa does. Comprehension Strategies: Monitering and Clarifying, Making Connections, Summarizing Comprehension Skills: Author's Purpose Literary Elements: Point of View December 7th - December 11th This week we are concluding our unit on City Wildlife. Students are taking end-of-unit assessments. We will spend extended time in skills packets and enjoy some Core Knowledge Literature. At the end of the week, we will introduce our next Open Court Unit - Imagination. November 30th - December 4th This week we are reading the story "Secret Place." This is a story about a wonderful place in the heart of the city where wildlife has found a refuge. Comprehension Skill: Author's Purpose Comprehension Stategies: Monitoring and Clarifying Literary Element: Onomatopoeia November 23rd - 24th During this short week, we will be studying poetry: Repetition, Alliteration, Couplets, and Personification. November 16th - November 20th "Two Days in May" is the story of an urban community that comes together out of a common desire to protect wildlife. Although this story is based on a real event, the author depicts a fictional account in this story. Comprehension Skill: Cause and Effect Comprehension Stategies: Making Connections, Summarizing, Asking Questions Literary Element: Setting November 9th - November 13th This week we will enjoy an expository artilce entitled, "Urban Roosts: Where Birds Nest in the City." In this selection, the author tells about the different types of birds that make their homes in cities. Detailed descriptions help the students locate and identify both familiar and rare birds that flourish in the city. Students will be creating posters to demonstrate knowledge and practice finding main idea and details in the text. Comprehension Skill: Cause and Effect Comprehension Stategies: Montoring and Clarifying, Summarizing, Asking Questions Literary Element: Detail November 2nd - November 6th This week we finish an old favorite, "Make Way for Ducklings." Then we will enjoy some Core knowledge Literature and work in Skills Packets. October 26th - October 30 This week we re-visit an old favorite, "Make Way for Ducklings." In this fantasy story, students meet two talking ducks, Mr. and Mrs. Mallard, who are raising a family of eight ducklings in the city of Boston. Ask your child about their adventures. Comprehension Skill: Fantasy vs. Reality Comprehension Stategies: Asking Questions , Predicting October 5th - October 9th This week we are beginning a new unit on "City Wildlife." Students will explore wildlife living within the city, in often unexpected places. Our story this week is called "The Boy Who Didn't Believe in Spring." Kinh Shabazz keeps hearing that spring is "just around the corner." But King is doubtful. He surely hasn't seen any signs of its arrival. Ask your child how King and his faithful friend, Tony Pollito, discover signs of spring in their city environment. Comprehension Skill: Classify and Categorize Comprehension Stategies: Monitoring and Clarifying, Predicting, Asking Questions, Visualizing September 28th - October 2nd This week we will finish the play, "The Legend of Damon and Pythias." Then, we will conclude our unit in Friendship. Students will be given end-of-unit assessments and will have some extended indepedent reading time. Mrs. Knapp will be conferencing with students one- on-one where needed to re-teach various comprehension skills, and to review Accelerated Reader goals for this past quarter. At the end of the week we will begin a new unit on "City Wildlife." Students will spend the next few weeks exploring wildlife living within the city, in often unexpected places. Comprehension Skill: Sequencing Comprehension Stategies: Monitoring and Adjusting Reading Speed, Asking Questions, Summarizing September 21st - September 24th This week we will be enjoying a fresh rendering of "The Legend of Damon and Pythias." Adapted as a play, students will be able to use their own voices and gestures to capture the plot and characters found in this tale of true friendship. Comprehension Skill: Sequencing Comprehension Strategies: Monitoring and Adjusting Reading Speed, Asking Questions, Summarizing September 14th - September 18th This week we are reading the biography of Jackie Robinson entitled "Teammates." This story demonstrates courage in the face of adversity, and the difference that even one friend can make. Comprehension Skill: Main Idea and Details Comprehension Stategies: Making Connections, Predicting, Asking Questions September 8thst - September 11th This week we are reading the story "Rugbie and Rosie." This story takes a look at the bonds that develop between people and pets and between pets living in the same home. This realistic fiction story highlights the emotions that accompany new relationships and growing attachments. Sometimes, however, friends must let go, even if the ties between them are strong, so that each one can follow their own path in life. Comprehension Skill: Cause and Effect Comprehension Stategies: Making Connections, Predicting, Asking Questions August 31st - September 4th This week we are reading the story "The Tree House." In this realistic Fiction story, two neighbor girls each build their own tree house. At first, they do not see the good things the other's tree house has to offer, and through the story they learn that things do not have to be the same to be equally appreciated, and they find a way to share. Comprehension Skill: Compare and Contrast Comprehension Stategies: Making Connections, Visualizing, Asking Questions August 24th - August 28th This week we are enjoying the story "Angel Child, Dragon Child," about a little girl from Vietnam who moves to America. This is a touching story, dealing with the effects of war, separation from family members, bullying, forgiveness, and the growth of an unlikely friendship. Comprehension Skill: Cause and Effect Comprehension Stategies: Summarizing, Visualizing, Asking Questions August 17th - August 21st This week we are enjoying the story "Gloria Who Might Be My Best Friend." This story explores various facets of friendship such as: friendships between girls and boys, making new friends, and qualities that make a good friendship. Students are practicing Classifying and Categorizing within the text. This Friday, students will be taking their first assessment on an Open COurt anthology story. You will find a detailed explanation of how these assessments are graded on my "Reading Documents" page under "Open Court Reading Assessment Grading."