I LOVE this "mini" response to reading writing unit so much...my students are just having a great time working on our writing menu! I typically do this project with a historical fiction unit I teach, but it could totally be done with any fiction unit. To be honest, I am particularly proud of how well they are taking my minilessons and applying them to what we are doing. I always tell my ... Read the Post
Thinking Deeply About Text
I'm pretty excited about my new linky party and decided I had to link up a lesson myself! Our current reading unit involves looking deeply at texts with "social issues". We are reading aloud "Wonder" as a class and then are reading picture books to deepen our thinking and will be starting book clubs this week with some really amazing books. I am hopeful that my students will be ... Read the Post
Graffiti Walls: “Theme”
Happy Sunday, everyone! Just thought I'd share a lesson that I'm sure a lot of you know--but sometimes isn't it nice to hear about something and think, "Oh yeah! I haven't done that in a LONG time?" We finished reading "Eight Keys" as our read aloud (TOTALLY recommend it for grades 4-5) and in the final pages, the main character, Elise, reflects on the seven messages her deceased father ... Read the Post
Why Mentor Texts?
There are a billion resources out there that are stressing the importance of using "mentor texts" to help students develop as readers and writers. I couldn't agree more! Studying what other writers do can not only help our students become better writers--but better readers as well! In fact, I think it's so important to dig into these texts that we keep an ongoing list in my class ... Read the Post