Ms. Richer's Language Arts Blog: February 2016

Monday, February 29, 2016

Quarter 3 Independent Reading Update

Independent Reading Update!

I can barely believe it, but we are almost halfway through Quarter 3. To keep yourself on track, I am setting a Reading Log due date for Friday, March 4. Remember, in order to earn a 3 in Quarter 3, you need to be up to 2100 pages. Can't wait to hear about what you've been reading :)

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

African American Read In!

Here is the sample poem "Dreams" and responses we drafted quickly in class together!

We're participating in the African American Read In! It's a month-long event organized by the National Council of Teachers of English. The goal is for teachers and students to read texts by African Americans in order to celebrate the diverse voices that exist in our world.

For our celebration, we are going to be finding poems, creating a short response, and sharing our poems on Friday when we return from the field trip.

Below are some poems that might inspire you. However, don't let this list limit you. Feel free to find one on your own as well!
-I, Too
-Slave Sale: New Orleans
-Malcolm X, February 1965
-alternate names for black boys
-Frederick Douglass
-Harlem
-Lift Every Voice and Sing
-Caged Bird
-American History
-Ballad of Birmingham
-Mother to Son
-Flag
-The Negro Speaks of Rivers
-As I Grew Older

Once you find your poem, print it. If you know printing might be difficult, please see me as soon as possible. Read (and re-read) your poem. Answer the following questions on your brainstorming sheet. Then you will create a final product (in any format you want - typed and printed document, a booklet, a haiku deck, a slide show, etc) that will be due FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26.
-Explain why you chose the poem. Did you make a text-text, text-self, text-world connection?
-Name the author and provide an interesting fact about the author's life (many of these poems have a link to the author's bio, but you can also do an additional search).
-Find a word or short phrase that is new or sticks out to you as important. Complete one of the Vocabulary activities.
-Create or find a picture that goes along with your poem.

*This is your homework for the week! There will not be class time to work on this. Plan accordingly!*

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Comics

We began our Reading projects today, beginning our research about our personal curiosities related to the Civil Rights movement. We'll continue to gather information, compile it in our slide shows, evaluate the credibility of sources, and eventually share our work!

In Language Arts, get excited for...comics!

We will be looking at Senator John Lewis's experience during the Civil Rights movement through his graphic novel, March: Book One. But before we get too far, we need to learn some terms so that we can talk like pros (and eventually create like pros!). Click here to explore Scott Mcloud's book Understanding Comics. Check out this helpful vocabulary guide below. And here is the slideshow that we have been using in class to begin to understand what McCloud calls the "invisible art" of comics.

This weekend, keep your eyes peeled for comics - either in print or online. Choose a comic strip, paste it to a larger piece of paper, and label its parts. Be sure to also explain what happens in the gutters between each panel (as we did in class). Can't wait to see what you find!