It's Getting Hot in 'Tequila Worm'

Some strange things are taking place in the Tequila Worm. Could the 'canicula' be to blame? 

 Today's Learning Objectives  * Describe how a particular story’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

Literacy Warm-Up   Happy Monday! Enjoy some literacy warm-up time to start the day! Read a book, take an A.R. quiz, read an article at Newsela, check for writing feedback at Kidblog, or write a quality Digital Reading Log entry. Let's continue to strive to become the very best readers and writers we can be!

Guided Reading: Tequila Worm  Today we read the chapter "The Canicula" (pgs. 112-124) of Tequila Worm. As we read, we will stop periodically to discuss the text and, if time permits, work on the guiding questions from our 'The Tequila Worm' Reading Guide (Week 3). We will also continue to add to our Story Plot Chart ('Tequila Worm').

Homework  (1.) Read your A.R. book at home for at least 30 minutes and, if you choose, make a reading log entry using the Digital Reading Log. (Remember you must have made at least one entry by the end of the day Friday.) (2.) Continue working on your 'The Tequila Worm' Reading Guide (Week 3), which will be due Friday, March 4.  

Publishing and the 'Packing Shed'

Sofia learns the value of hard work in the 'Packing Shed'.

100 Word Challenge: Publishing Happy Friday! It's just about time to publish this week's 100 Word Challenge. Please look over your 100 Word Challenge: Five Words story carefully. Does your story flow naturally from beginning to end? Did you skillfully integrate the words: gas, dancer, green, swimming, and likely? Did you use descriptive words and sensory details? Did you carefully review your spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar? Did you make sure your verb tenses are consistent and that you have employed correct and varied sentence structures? Please make sure your piece of writing is good as it can be.

Next, it's publishing time! Copy your story from your Google Doc and then login to Kidblog. Make a new post. Give your story an appropriate title. Paste your story. Color or bold the five words from this week's prompt. Consider adding a picture. Finally, click 'Publish' and copy the link to your published story.

Now it's time to share your story with the 100 Word Challenge. In order to login, I will provide you a working Username and Password. Next, fill out the form similar to the one below, making sure to include the link to your Kidblog story. Click 'Submit' when you're done. Congratulations! You are now an internationally published writer!


Guided Reading: Tequila Worm  Today we will begin reading the chapter "The Packing Shed" (pgs. 102 - 111) of Tequila Worm. As we read, we will stop periodically to discuss the text and, if time permits, work on the guiding questions from our 'The Tequila Worm' Reading Guide (Week 3). We will also continue to add to our Story Plot Chart ('Tequila Worm').

Finding Dresses in 'Tequila Worm'

Will Berta and Sofia be able to transform what they find at Johnson's 
Ropa Usada into dresses good enough to wear to Saint Luke's? Find out today.

 Today's Learning Objectives  * Describe how a particular story’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution. * Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text. * Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

Guided Reading: Tequila Worm  Today we will begin reading the chapter 'Five New Dresses' (pgs. 92 - 101) of Tequila Worm. As we read, we will stop periodically to discuss the text and, if time permits, work on the guiding questions from our 'The Tequila Worm' Reading Guide (Week 3). We will also continue to add to our Story Plot Chart ('Tequila Worm'). 

100 Word Challenge: Peer Editing and Revision  Writing is a process that includes many stages, which includes brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, and ultimately publishing. Most of us are currently in the middle of that process now with regards to our  100 Word Challenge: Five Words story. As we seek to improve our writing and make each piece as good as it possible be, it's important to remember how important editing is as part of the writing process. No published author writes a perfect piece of writing the first time through; they are constantly revising and editing until they get it just right. 

Today you will have an opportunity to share you current piece of writing (in whatever state it's in) with one of your peers in class. Your task when reviewing a partner's writing is to both help with basic editing and to provide constructive feedback that is helpful to the writer. 

After you know who you will be sharing your writing with, click on "Share at the top of your document. Next, enter their full name and click "Done." The document should now be available in the "Shared with Me" or "Incoming" section of your Google Drive.

 

What things should you be looking for as your read your classmate's work? If something is unclear to you, ask about it. If you can think of a more descriptive or precise word to use, suggest it. If your partner made a basic mistake with capitalization, spelling, sentence structure, or punctuation, point it out. 

When commenting on peer's writing remember some of these basic guidelines: 

There are a couple of ways to make suggestions and comments. You can use the "Suggesting" function within Google Docs, where you can make suggested edits that the writer can then later accept or reject. 

Secondly, you could also simply highlight text and make comments and suggestions that way. 

Finally, your peer editing should include a balance of corrections, suggestions, and compliments. Positive feedback is important too! 

Homework  (1.) Read your A.R. book at home for at least 30 minutes and, if you choose, make a reading log entry using the Digital Reading Log. (Remember you must have made at least one entry by the end of the day Friday.) (2.) Complete your 100 Word Challenge: Five Words story, which we will publish on tomorrow, Friday, February 26. (3.) Continue working on your 'The Tequila Worm' Reading Guide (Week 3), which will be due next Friday, March 4.  

Sacred Reading and a 100 Word Challenge

 Today's Learning Objective  Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

Sacred Reading Time  Happy Tuesday! Sorry I couldn't be with you today. I am at a teacher's conference and be monitoring your work from off-campus. I expect you to be on your very best behavior. To begin the class period, I offer you some uninterrupted class time to simply read and commune with your books at your desks. Enjoy this time! 

A New 100 Word Challenge:  Gas   Dancer   Green   Swimming   Likely  This week's challenge is another unique one. It doesn't involve a picture or a designated phrase, but it's rather made up of a random assortment of five words. Read more about the challenge below. 

You can find the assignment 100 Word Challenge: Five Words in your Language Arts Google Classroom. How will you strategically weave this 5 words throughout your story, while still constructing a logical narrative? What will these specially chosen words add to your story? Remember the words can be used in whatever order you see fit. Also, remember as you write to continue developing your imagery by using precise words, sensory details, and literary devices such as similes. We publish on Friday. Have fun!  

Homework  (1.) Read your A.R. book at home for at least 30 minutes and, if you choose, make a reading log entry using the Digital Reading Log. (Remember you must have made at least one entry by the end of the day Friday.)  (2.) Continue working on your 100 Word Challenge: Five Words story, which we will publish on Friday, February 26.  

'The Tequila Worm' and "Berta's Quinceañera"

Have you ever attended a quinceañera? What was your experience like? 

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 Today's Learning Objective  * Describe how a particular story’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution. * Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

Preparing the Learner Activities: Tequila Worm  Happy Monday and welcome to a new week of Tequila Worm! You can find your new 'The Tequila Worm' Reading Guide (Week 3) in your Language Arts folders. To help us get "into" the text this week, we will begin with a couple of 'Preparing the Learner Activities.' First, you will examine several general statements (that are relevant to this week's reading) and decide whether you personally agree or disagree. Next, write a response to the 'Journal Write' about a time you spend away from your home and family. 

Guided Reading: Tequila Worm  Today we read the chapter "Berta's Quinceañera" (pgs. 80-91) of Tequila Worm. As we read, we will stop periodically to discuss the text and, if time permits, work on the guiding questions from our 'The Tequila Worm' Reading Guide (Week 3). We will also continue to add to our Story Plot Chart ('Tequila Worm').

Homework  (1.) Read your A.R. book at home for at least 30 minutes and, if you choose, make a reading log entry using the Digital Reading Log. (Remember you must have made at least one entry by the end of the day Friday.) (2.) Continue working on the document 'The Tequila Worm' Reading Guide (Week 3), which will be due Friday, February 26.

100 Word Challenge Publishing and Library Visiting

100 Word Challenge: Publishing Happy Friday! It's just about time to publish this week's 100 Word Challenge. Please look over your 100 Word Challenge: '... the door opened and there it was ...' story carefully. Does your story flow naturally from beginning to end? Did you skillfully integrate the phrase '... the door opened and there it was ...'? Did you use descriptive words and sensory details? Did you carefully review your spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar? Did you make sure your verb tenses are consistent and that you have employed correct and varied sentence structures? Please make sure your piece of writing is good as it can be.

Next, it's publishing time! Copy your story from your Google Doc and then login to Kidblog. Make a new post. Give your story an appropriate title. Paste your story. Consider adding a picture. Finally, click 'Publish' and copy the link to your published story.

Now it's time to share your story with the 100 Word Challenge. In order to login, I will provide you a working Username and Password. Next, fill out the form similar to the one below, making sure to include the link to your Kidblog story. Click 'Submit' when you're done. Congratulations! You are now an internationally published writer! 

Library Visit  Today we head to the library. Make sure you bring your books to either return or renew and your student ID card if you want to check out books. You may look for new books, read quietly, or take AR tests. Please take advantage of this opportunity and use your library time well. 

Analyzing the Plot of 'Tequila Worm' and Peer Writing Review

Identifying Key Events in Tequila Worm's Rising Action  What are the key events that have taken place as part of Tequila Worm's rising action since the last time we analyzed its plot using the document Story Plot Chart ('Tequila Worm')? With your teammates review the chapters we've read this week and think about which events were most significant in moving the story forward. Next, go to your class's Padlet (Period 2 / Period 3 / Period 5) wall and share with your classmates some of these key events. Finally, we will consolidate our list add key plot points to our Story Plot Chart ('Tequila Worm').

International Peer Writing Review  One of the most beautiful things about the 100 Word Challenge is its ability to bring people from all over the world together to engage in a common task. No matter what country you live in, on any given week, kids dotted all around the globe are simultaneously brainstorming ideas for the same prompt, participating in a similar process, and attempting to improve on the same basic writing skills. The boundaries that typically divide us disappear, as we are all, essentially, in this together. 

In that spirit, I would like to spend some time today reading the work of some of your writing peers from around the world. Let's find out how they addressed this week's prompt and what each student is doing well and could potentially improve on. My hope is that this process of 'Peer Writing Review' will inform your own writing and provide you with clear models of what good writing looks like, as well as examples of some of the writing stumbling blocks we want to try to avoid. 

Let's use the same writing rubric we use to with our own writing to analyze the writing of our international peers. 

As you read the two writing samples below, keep an eye out for whether your international peers are meeting each of the criteria for Proficient writing. What are your international peers strengths as a writer? What are some areas they meed to potentially work on? Record your findings using the document Peer Writing Review, which can be found in your Language Arts Google Classroom.

Narrative Writing: 100 Word Challenge Stories  Now that you have had an opportunity to analyze the writing of your international peers, in which, using our writing rubric, you considered their strengths and areas of needed growth, let's turn our attention back to our own writing. You have the remainder of the class period to work on your 100 Word Challenge: '... the door opened and there it was ...' stories. Remember that this week's story will both be published and graded as part of your assessment grade. Show me your best writing this week!

Homework  (1.) Read your A.R. book at home for at least 30 minutes and, if you choose, make a reading log entry using the Digital Reading Log. (Remember you must have made at least one entry by the end of the day Friday.) (2.) Complete your 100 Word Challenge: '... the door opened and there it was ...', which we will publish on Friday, February 19 and which will count towards your assessment grade.  (3.) Complete the document 'The Tequila Worm' Reading Guide (Week2), which will be due Friday, February 19.