Language Arts

In reading students have just finished reading Number the Stars by Louis Lowry. As a final project they will be creating a board game based on the novel. Their project must demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the main events of the story. After completing their final projects students will begin reading Detectives in Togas by Henry Winterfeld. It is a mystery novel about 7 young ancient Romans. Following this students will begin literature circles in which they will be able to choose from a selection of books. They will meet weekly to discuss the novel they are reading and will be required to write a weekly letter reflecting on what they have read.     

In writing, we are currently publishing our creative stories. From there we will begin to write a five paragraph essay based on them interviewing someone they know about their chosen profession. As we learn the form of the five paragraph essay we will continue focusing on the six traits of writing: ideas, organization, word choice, voice, sentence fluency and conventions.

      In spelling students will be divided into five different groups based on there spelling needs. The spelling patterns that each of these groups will concentrate on will include vowels, complex consonants, unaccented final sounds, affixes, and Greek and Latin elements. As students work on mastering the pattern in their group they will be able to move into other spelling pattern groups.