January 13, 2019Biography Project Update: On Friday, I modeled for the class how to write a speech in the first-person narrative, speaking as if they were their heroes. (Example: "Good morning, my name is Marie Curie, and I was born on . . .") The children practiced writing the beginnings of their speeches in their red journals.
Here is a template that students can use to write their speeches. I reviewed the biographical timelines and graphic organizers which your child turned in to me last week, giving a few suggestions for revision when necessary. I returned the timelines so that children could use the information to write their speeches. presentation schedule will be sent out towards the end of January. 
December 10, 2018Winter Break Homework, a biography project: Students choose one hero to read about and research. The biographies they use to read about their hero should be child-friendly. I will provide two information sheets for the students to record what they learn. Students must give me the name of their hero by Wednesday, December 12. The information sheets are due when we return to school on Monday, January 7. The information sheets are the first part of the project.
Part 2 of the biography project will involve an oral presentation in which students write a speech they will perform as their actual hero. Students are encouraged to dress as their heroes and bring props to support and enhance their presentation. A suggested template for writing the speech will be provided at a future date. A presentation schedule will be announced by the third week of January, and presentations will begin in late January. You can download the list of heroes, the biography information sheets, and the grading rubric here:
Here's a list of the heroes students have selected:
Ronan - Harriet Tubman Siena A - Rosa Parks George - George Washington Miri - Jane Goodall Natalie - Amelia Earhart Andrew - Charlie Chaplin Adam - Thomas Edison Siena B - Susan B. Anthony Arianna - Henry Bergh Ayato - Albert Einstein Swara - Walt Disney Avy - Frida Kahlo Lorenz - Jeff Kinney Aida - Coco Chanel Aryana - Helen Keller Avril - Beatrix Potter Ayla - Ruth Bader Ginsberg Cameron - Alexander Graham Bell Dylan - Paul McCartney Emma - Audrey Hepburn Jax - Winston Churchill Mason - George Washington Carver Taha - Henry Ford Nathan - Leonardo da Vinci Sam - Jackie Robinson Vivian - J.K. Rowling Michael - November 26, 2018If your child is in the Orange Academy, they already have an account to a fun and engaging reading website called Readworks. Students can complete reading comprehension activities on this free online site. This is a great resource for reading practice, and also as preparation for the Smarter Balanced tests that students will need to take beginning in the third grade.
After hearing from some parents during our conferences who wanted extra language arts homework for their children, I have opened a free account for all students in Room 17. I have already assigned reading activities for everyone, which students can access anytime. Some activities will be done in class, but there are others that will be available to do at home. I'll also be assigning passages specifically geared for each child's reading ability (based on DIBELS, grouping by academy, and scores on Benchmark tests). To try Readworks, go to: 1. www.readworks.org/student 2. Students enter class code RNZCHS 3. The default password is 1234 November 7, 2018Science Test--Seeds and Plants: I had originally sent a Class Dojo message about the test being on Friday, 11/16. However, I have decided to give the test a day earlier, on Thursday, 11/15, since there may be some families leaving town early for the Thanksgiving holiday. A copy of the study guide for the test (with answers!) can be downloaded and printed below.
October 15, 2018Happy Fall! I hope to see many of you at the Fall Festival this Saturday, the 20th, from 12-4pm.
*Bring your treasure tubes by Thursday, October 18. They will be collected and sold at the Fall Festival. Remember also that there's a book sale happening as well; to donate your gently used books bring them to the Multipurpose Room by the Rochester gate. Array Math Project: will be done in class this week. In last week's homework packet I had asked students to bring some objects for the project but few students brought anything. It could be that I didn't build it up enough--so I got a few materials myself from the dollar store for us to use on Monday. Check out the project in a past blog post. Animal Research Projects: These are small group research projects done under Ms. Long's guidance during class time. Animals will be selected this week. Please have your child bring at least one child-friendly informational book about their animal to class by next Monday, October22. We love storytelling with puppets! Check out the latest arts project I've posted on DonorsChoose (linked below). 
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August 14, 2018
Welcome back to school! Day 1 went without a hitch, thanks to everyone's--students, parents, staff--support and positive energy.
I decided to send home the purple emergency cards a day early, since the sooner they are returned, the better. Also, I included a letter from me with classroom guidelines.
I'll be assigning a few light homework assignments this week, with an "official" homework packet beginning next Monday.
Looking forward to the new year ahead!
I decided to send home the purple emergency cards a day early, since the sooner they are returned, the better. Also, I included a letter from me with classroom guidelines.
I'll be assigning a few light homework assignments this week, with an "official" homework packet beginning next Monday.
Looking forward to the new year ahead!
August 3, 2018
I've been prepping for the new school year for a few weeks now, planning some exciting, enriching, creative, and rigorous activities in project-based learning, literacy, art, dance, and music for the new second graders of Room 17. This fall, I'm especially happy to announce a new DonorsChoose project in storytelling and puppetry.
Room 17's Podcast now available |
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PhoenixCast made its debut in September 2015! This is Room 17's podcast that will update the Fairburn community on what's going on in our classroom, including art, reading, music, writing, and storytelling. The class and I enjoyed making it and can't wait to make the next episode. This is our first venture into podcasting, so feedback is most welcome.
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Star of the WeekRoom 17 will be recognizing an individual student each week as our Star Student.
The Star of the Week for 9/17 is Ronan! Each week, the Star Student will present and share an All About Me poster with the class. Students who become stars will also enjoy other fun benefits as well, including the use of Ms. Long's star wand, a few extra Class Dojo points, a time for show-and-tell (also known as the "Surprise Box"), positive recognition from classmates, and a cool Star Student bookmark. The Star of the Week is chosen by random selection through Class Dojo. |
Literacy ResourcesOne of my favorite new online resources for improving reading comprehension is Lyrics2Learn.com. I have found that students are motivated to read a text multiple times and are beginning to think through test questions more strategically after doing the Lyrics2Learn activities online. I've also observed that it's very brain-based, highly interactive, and well-aligned with Common Core. All students in Room 17 have their own accounts. Please email me if you would like your child's username and password so that they can have access to Lyrics2Learn at home.
I've also been recommending free websites for audiobooks. One of the best out there is called Storylineonline.net. |
Download Homework PDFs
Go to Documents --> Homework Assignments under the drop-down menu to view and print homework assignments.
I will be providing photocopied packets of reading-language arts homework to the students for the next two weeks (8/20 and 8/27). During that time, there is no need to print out homework unless students lose or forget their homework. After two weeks, reading homework will be available only online.
Math homework sheets will be sent home with students for the entire year, but they will be available for download on this site as well.
Math homework sheets will be sent home with students for the entire year, but they will be available for download on this site as well.