My Daughter's Book

Thank you for your interest in Corie's book. It is written with middle school students in mind. The story is fantasy with magic and magicians, but also with battles and interesting characters.  If that sounds interesting to you, it's available for Kindle here:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ANX69HW/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_ask_UWlmE.0TG7GDE

It's only 99 cents, and I promise to make an AR test so you can count it for your outside reading.

Merry Christmas to you all!

Direct objects

For your comment, write three Pattern 2 sentences. Remember that Pattern 2 sentences have a direct object. Also, be sure you use correct punctuation and capitalization. List your sentences and number them, like this:

1.

2.

3.

Thanksgiving

While Thanksgiving is over for another year, I hope you continue to be thankful for your many blessings.  It is fairly simple to say you are thankful, but if you are thankful, how do you show that? Complete the following sentence: "I always thank people when they do something for me or give me a gift, but I also..."  Tell us how you show your gratitude beyond a simple thank you.  Give an example from your own life.

Here is mine:  For my birthday this year, my aunt gave me a necklace. It is lovely, but not something I would usually wear.  When I went to lunch with her, I planned my outfit around that necklace and wore it so that she would be able to see that I truly appreciated her gift.

Among the Hidden

Now that we've finished the book, I'm interested in your reaction to it.  It is a page-turner for most of us. What makes the story so interesting?  What devices does the author use to keep the reader involved?  Give examples in your comment.

Also, do you think this could ever happen here?  Is the story realistic or fantasy?

Your answer should be at least two short paragraphs.  This assignment is due Monday, November 12th.

Wonderfully Made

Every once in a great while, I read a book that I know will stay with me for a long time. It's a book that I immediately imagine having conversations with my students about. Wonder by R. J. Palacio is one of those books.

I first read it last winter as we searched for an All-School Read for our middle school. We had spent Spring Semester focusing on stopping bullying in our school. This seemed like a great way to continue the discussion. After considering a number of books, our principal made the decision to use Wonder. It has been an exciting, even moving, experience to see our students, and quite a few parents, read the book and be so touched by it.

The book is becoming part of our culture as all of our faculty look for ways to incorporate the book and its lessons into our classes. We chose Psalm 139:14, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well," as our theme verse for the year. For our Character Counts lessons, we have Wonderful Man (who is too good looking to take off his helmet!) Our PE teacher, who is also a wonderful photographer, created a bulletin board next to the office featuring our precious students and Wonder.

Practically everyone has had a time when he or she felt excluded or ignored. August's story shows us just how hurtful that can be, but it also demonstrates how to handle it with dignity and humor. By showing events from multiple points of view, Ms. Palacio reminds us that each of us comes from the sum of our experiences, and that there is always a reason for the way people act.

This is a book I plan to read with my students for many years to come. I look forward to hearing their thoughts and sharing our precepts. Thank you, Ms. Palacio, for creating August and sharing his story with us.

You can see other teachers' blogs about Wonder at www.choosekind.tumblr.com

The Final Adventure

On Friday, we went to Nashville Children's Theatre and saw Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure.  Many of you commented that it was creepy or scary. What about the play made it that way? Even if you weren't scared, there were intense moments. How did they create that effect? Was it the story or the staging? Write at least three sentences explaining your ideas. This is due on Wednesday.

Buddy Biographies

Now that we have begun our Buddy Biographies Unit, I'd like you to share a little about your person. As you read, I hope you are learning some interesting facts about him or her. This week, please share one of those interesting facts in a comment. As always, use good mechanics. The comment is due on Friday.

Parts of Speech

For this week's blog post, I want each of you to complete the following in your comment. I would like you to make three lists, numbered 1-5.  The first list is of five nouns, the second is of five verbs, and the last list is of five prepositions. Please be honest and think of your own; don't use my examples or another student's list.

Here are my example lists:

Nouns
1.  penguin
2.  fabric
3.  yarn
4.  desert
5.  Lipscomb Academy

Verbs
1. evade
2. sing
3. whisper
4. describe
5. sew

Prepositions
1. behind
2. past
3. from
4. except
5. toward

As always, only use your first name and number when you post.  This assignment is due Thursday, September 13.

The Adventure of the Speckled Band

Now that we have read the story and watched the movie, I'd like to know how you felt about them. Did you like one of them better? What differences did you notice? Please use at least three complete sentences with enough details that we can understand which parts you are describing.  This assignment is due on Friday, August 31.

Wonder

All of us read Wonder by R.J. Palacio this summer. I hope you enjoyed the book as much as I did.  In the story, the English teacher, Mr. Browne, shared precepts with his students, and at the end of the school year, asked them to share theirs with him. Mr. Browne tells his students that a precept is a rule about a really important thing. His first precept of the year is "When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind."

Often, families have precepts or sayings that they use quite often. Some are serious; some are silly. In the comments below, share a precept that your family quotes. If you have trouble thinking of one, ask your mom or dad or grandparent for ideas. This assignment is due on Friday, August 17th.

Welcome to Middle School!

I'm very excited about our new school year at Lipscomb Academy! We have a great year ahead of us as you come to middle school and make new friends. I'm looking forward to meeting each one of you.

This blog will be used as a gateway to all the websites and tools that we use in fifth grade. Be sure to bookmark it on your computers. Frequently, we will have assignments posted here. It may be a question for you to post a comment on or it may be a link to an online game or activity.

See you soon!

A Walk Through Time

I was so proud of all of your performances in the play.  I'd like to have a little feedback from you.  In 2 or 3 paragraphs, describe something you enjoyed doing in the play, something you learned from the play, and which part from another class you think you will remember.

Let's make a list!

In a list, tell five of your favorite things about Spring. Please follow this format:
1. You should number each item.
2. Each one should be a complete sentence.
3. That means each one needs to start with a capital letter and end with a period.
4. Your items may be about Spring Break or the season of Spring.
5. Watching the trees and flowers bud is one of the exciting events in Spring.

Your list is due on Thursday.

Have you ever been reluctant?

Have you ever reluctantly participated in an activity? Write a few sentences describing how you felt when your heart wasn't completely in what you were doing.

This assignment is due Wednesday.

Going Up!

Which do you prefer: an elevator, an escalator, or the stairs? Tell which one you like and why.

This will only be one or two sentences, so be sure they are complete sentences with strong word choices and acceptable mechanics.

I wish animals could...

What ability/power do you wish animals, or a specific, animal had? Describe that power and how that would effect you and your life. Give details!

I Have a Dream

As you know, next Sunday is Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. If you want to read more about him, a short biography is available here. Dr. King's most famous speech includes these lines:


I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
 
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.

This speech was written about the need for a change in how this country treats its citizens. It describes Dr. King's dream for how our country might be. Your assignment is to write your own version of "I have a dream..." What is it that you wish to see in the future in your life or the life of our country or even the life of the world?


Please leave your comment by Thursday.

Welcome Back!

As we begin the new semester, I want to continue our focus here on improving our writing. By Friday, I want you to leave a comment describing an imaginary package that you have received. Describe what the package looks like and what it contains. Use lots of details including many descriptive adjectives. Be complete!