Staying In-the-Know
with Mrs. Drayton
Dutch Fork Elementary The Academy of Environmental Sciences, Title I
10.19.17
VIP Folders & Reminders
- weekly work
10/20 - Camp Gravatt field trip
10/20 - DFES Fall Festival
10/27 - Affixes Quiz
10/24 - Westward Expansion Quiz (tentative)
10/26 - End of 1st Nine Weeks
10/27 - October Reading Goal Sheet Due
11/2 - Report Cards Issued
11/3 - Tag of Honor Ceremony, 10:05 - 10:55
11/6 - Student Holiday
Literacy Corner
Home of the Brave Read Aloud
- plot (what happens in the story): exposition, rising actions, climax, falling actions, resolution
- conflict
- characters & their motivations
- author's craft throughout the story (what the author did & why she did it)
- theme
- use of evidence (from the text) and analysis (our own thinking) to make sense of the story
- using thought prompts to support the evidence we find (for example..., it's interesting to notice how the author...)
- new insights (what we figured out on our own based on what we read) they had from reading
We would love to hear if you try your own book club at home! Meaningful conversations about books strengthen our understandings. It only takes two people to make your club: your kiddo and you!!
Narrative Writing Showcase
Cat Box by Keira K.
It was hot and miserable. The buses bumping made my head hurt worse. I felt like I was going to melt like icecream. After every single person got off. After every single time I say bye or later or GOODbye or even hello we finally got to my stop. The last stop. My stop was Heaven at the moment. My sister Kaitlyn jumped in front of me almost falling down the stairs but I was to tired to care. “How was your day” I shrugged.
“Good” I replied. We got inside and I popped some popcorn for Kaitlyn. My snack was pain killers. Plopped on the couch with mom. Mom got her phone and searched it. She spoke. “KIDS WE ARE NOT KEEPING ANY SO DON’T ASK” “JUST SHOW US” Kaitlyn yelled. she flashed her phone hesitating a little. What I saw was beautiful. Three fuzz balls so cute. One's face pudgy and sweet. The other two brown with darker brown stripes. But one had a white tipped tail like a mountain. All of them had their own look. I could not wait to see them in real life. This could make my day better maybe even my week or even month! I could no stop smiling. I meen they could be puppys but still. YYYAYYY!!!!! Mom looked worried. I sighed “What Is it now mom.” The way she looked at me worried me even more. She spoke at last
“Dad's going to be home late. He’s going to be here at 9:00.” we stood silent for a moment. Mom looked like she came up with a plan to solve world hunger. “We can look for kitty milk while we wait!”she expressly yelled. We quickly drove to the store and looked in aisle seven. Mom picked up a container with pink writing on it. Mom whispered “perfect” as she put it in the cart and we went to the register. We drove it trafic for thirty minutes. When we got home I sat and flipped through channels while mom suspiciously went out front after coming inside from feeding the dog. I got to a dumb cartoon called Arther. He is either a bear or a really ugly rat with glasses. I saw the I don't care about you or your feelings look. I tuck a risk and changed the channel. I pulled the cover over me and Everything went dark. All I felt was pain in my legs and stomach. And I heard screaming.
“AAAAAH! THIS IS WHAT YOU GET KEIRA!” While she was jumping on me I heard a knock on the door. I jumped up throwing her off of me and I ran to the door and Kaitlyn yelled
“NO WE HAVE TO SEE THE KITTENS TOGETHER” I just turned my head and stuck my tongue out. At last I got to the door swinging it open I saw them.
“They are so much smaller in real life” I whispered. I had already thought of names. I grabbed two and she grabbed the kitten with the white tipped tail. I hugged my Dad and went to the living room. I thought for a moment. “The one with the white faces name is Abigail and the one”-I was interrupted by the KIttens sneezing.
“Chew,chew,chew” the kitten sneezed. “SNIFFLES” I yelled. That night when we go to bed I think about the kittens. Adorable fuzzy faces. I drifted of thinking of them.
So after we got the kittens raised them and gave them away I learned that you have to realise the little moments to see the real prise behind it.
SS Unit of Study- Westward Expansion
Guiding questions for our unit...
- What motivated people to move west?
- What were geographic and economic factors that affected travel west and settlement?
- How did physical features of the land, the climate, natural resources effect, and land ownership impact opportunities in the west?
- What was the Homestead Act?
- How did technologies, government policies, and access to natural resources affect the development of the west?
- How did settling the west cause conflict among settlers, as well as, foster cooperation?
- How were Native Americans impacted by westward expansion economically, as well as, socially?
- How did different groups of people, occupational and ethnic (miners, farmers, ranchers, cowboys, Mexican and African Americans, and European and Asian immigrants), engage in conflict and cooperation during westward expansion?
- Do changes made in American society benefit everyone?
- How can I encourage and foster positive change in my life? My community? My country?
Investigating Multiple Perspectives of Westward Expansion...
- Prospectors (mining for gold)
- Exodusters (African Americans)
- Chinese immigrants
- Miners
- Homesteaders
- Native Americans
- Cowboys & Ranchers
Below you will see some of the books we are using to understand perspectives of groups traveling west.
Message from the Computer Lab
In computer lab, students (except kindergarten) have been learning to use Compass Learning (changing the name to Path Blazer) and Typing Quest. Compass Learning is based on MAP testing data and gives your student an opportunity to practice math, reading, social studies and science skills. Please note, some students only have the option of practicing math and reading. Typing Quest helps students learn the correct technique of keyboarding. This is a very important skill.
Websites and login information are provided below.
Compass Learning: https://www.thelearningodyssey.com/
Login: Student ID number
password: dfes
Typing Quest: https://online3.typingmaster.com/login?id=r2hffuvcf
Login: Student ID number
password: 12345
Other websites are often used in computer lab. My favorite is ABCYA: http://www.abcya.com/ This site has educational activities by grade level that challenge and entertain all students!
Please encourage your student to use these websites!
Please email your child's homeroom teacher if you need student ID numbers.