Ms. Billington

Monday, November 16, 2009

Today in class we read a special narrative entitled "The Neverfail", about a special cake recipe and the memory the writer recalled surrounding the baking of this cake by the writer's father.

We began our "memory" narrative in class today connecting a special memory to a family recipe.  Please finish this draft tonight.  Be sure to include as many of the following strategies as you can in this draft:

-A definite beginning, middle and ending

-a memory connected to the eating and/or preparation of a recipe

-Adjectives Out of Order, Active Verbs, Descriptive Adjectives

-your thoughts and feelings

_sensory details to engage the reader

-a Hook and a strong closing

Bring this draft to class tomorrow.  See you on the Trail...

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Today we continued setting up our PowerPoint presentations in the computer lab.  We will continue this work in the lab tomorrow.

Tonight and tomorrow night, in your LA book read "Why Leaves Turn Color in the Fall" on pages 196-200.  Please read this nonfiction article through one time to enjoy and then read a second time to "mark the text" by listing Active Verbs and Descriptive Adjectives on the lines to the right of the text on the page. 

Be sure to label the Verbs V. and the Adjectives Adj.  Underline or highlight any new word you find as you read.

Remember:  This work is due on Friday along with a totaled up AR Log to be checked in class that day.

See you on the Trail...

Tuesday , November 10, 2009

Today we visited the Book Fair.  If you still want to purchase books, plan to bring your money and go before school:  8:30-9a.m., during lunch(after you finish eating) or after school until 5pm. 

We also continued setting up our PowerPoint presentations in the computer lab.

Tonight, in your LA book, complete pages 98 and 99 to complete our review  of root words, prefixes and suffixes. We will begin our study of the  etymology of words later this week.  See you on a very wet Trail...

Monday, November 9, 2009

Today we polished up our Reading skills by taking a quick comprehension test and checking it.

Then, we were off to the computer lab to begin our PowerPoint presentations for our research investigations. 

Tonight,in your LA book, read page 14 and complete the work on page 15.  This is a review of using prefixes.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Read your AR book and make a plan to take an AR test ASAP if you have not taken an AR Test this 2nd 9 weeks !!

We will visit the Book Fair on Tuesday.  Bring your money to purchases good reads !!

We will work in the computer lab each day this coming week to prepare our PowerPoint presentations to share the neat info from our investigative research.

Have a safe and fun weekend...see you on the Trail...

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Today we reviewed recognizing root words and how root words with context clues can help us to understand unfamiliar vocabulary. Partners completed the chart on page 184 in our LA book.

We also worked on our Organizer to prepare for our PowerPoint Presentation.  We will be going to the lab to develop our presentations beginning on Monday.

Tonight, total up your AR Log and bring it to class tomorrow.  Make a plan to finish your AR book and to take an AR test ASAP if you have not taken an AR test this 2nd 9 weeks !!!

DON'T FORGET:  The Book Fair is all of next week.  Our class will go on Tuesday.  Plan to bring your money to purchase some great reads. 

Principal's Honor Roll Breakfast is tomorrow morning at 9:30am.

See you on the Trail...

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Read your AR book and plan to take an AR test as soon as possible.  Everyone should have taken at least 1 AR test by now!!  Please plan on shopping at our HTMS Holiday Shoppe.

Download Husky Foundation Holiday Shoppe

Monday, November 2, 2009

Today in class we learned how to set up our Bibliography page.  Remember to start the first line up against the left margin.  The second and third line should be INDENTED.  All lines should be double-spaced.  Remember to alphabetize each source using the first word (not a, an or the).

You should include 3-6 Sources on this Bibliography.

Also, write a Final Copy of your Research Questions.  There should be a minimum of 8 questions that you used to investigate your research topic.

Last, organize your Note cards into three groups and write a summary of each group of cards.  Each summary should be at least 5-7 sentences.  You will use these three summaries to set up your PowerPoint slides for your Presentation.

Please bring these Final Copies of your Research Questions, Bibliography and Summaries to class on Wednesday.THERE IS NO SCHOOL TOMORROW, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2009 because it is an Election Day.  See you on the Trail on Wednesday...

Friday, October 30, 2009

Read your AR book and record in your Log.

Bring your Research folder on Monday.  We will begin writing our summaries.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Today in class we discussed using Active Verbs, a new brushstroke we learned this week, in our Descriptive Writing about the transformation of the human, Arachne, into a spider.  We underlined the Active Verbs in a Draft of this Writing and analyzed how it affected the description.

We also began writing a summary of this same myth to practice summary writing so that on Monday we could confidently begin writing up our research in summaries.  The important part of summary writing is to be sure to include only the most important parts of the passage that is being summarized.  In this myth, the important parts are the introduction, the competition, the outcome of this competition and the consequence/closing.

Tonight, finish this myth summary and bring it to class tomorrow.  It can be written in pencil and you may write on the back of the paper.

Please get your syllabus (Reading) signed and put it in the Graded Work section of your binder.  See you on the Trail...