ELAR WEEK: December 17 - 21

This Week in ELAR: December 17 - 21

This week we will have 3 normal classroom days, Mon. Tues. Wed. then we are on the countdown!

Monday - Wednesday: December 17 - 19
Monday: Library Day
These few days we will continue working on our NF Writing.
We will also continue with our Independent Reading, along with some extra fun little activities thrown in along the way with designing a Snowman, and Winter Breakouts that require us to read and think how we can break the code to solve a mystery. We will also take time to celebrate each other and what we have accomplished this first semester!

December 20:
Winter Wonder Read! This day we will do fun activities all day that require us to READ! It's also PJ Day so we will be nice and comfy with our books, and listening to other readers throughout the day!

Friday, December 21 
We will have some last minute fun in class before we pack up for early dismissal!

Expected Assignments: December 10 - 14

Expected Assignments: December 10 - 14

- Theme Practice with pictures
- Revising / Editing of Text
- Boxes and Bullets Graphic Organizer being completed

NO HOMEWORK: December 17 - 21

NO HOMEWORK: December 17 - 21

New Homework Booklets will be given out in January 2019 

HOMEWORK DUE: December 14

Homework Due: Friday, December 14

Page 9
Page 10

Students should continue to set nightly reading goals with the minimum of 20 minutes.

Expected Assignments: December 3-7

Expected Assignments:

-A Fire for Liberty ( Comprehension Questions)
-Whoo's Reading #6 (Responding to Literature)
- Complete Final Exam
- Paragraph 1, Main Ideas, Supporting Details, and  Topic Sentences Completed in Writer's Notebooks

This Week in ELAR: December 10 - 14

ELAR WEEK: December 10 - 14

Reading Workshop:
As we begin to wrap up our units, this week we will focus on the reteaching of any concepts needing to be addressed again; for example, Main Idea/Supporting Details, Text Evidence, Plot, etc. through assigned tasks as needed. Students will continue to respond to texts they are reading, as well as Independently read.

Writing Workshop:
We are in the "good stuff" of our Nonfiction Writing! Students have created leads, thesis statements, topic sentences, etc and are now diving into the research! Students will continue to work on their Nonfiction Writing over the next several days.

THIS WEEK in ELAR: Week December 3 - 7

ELAR WEEK: December 3 - 7

Reading Workshop:
This week we will continue to discuss and reteach Implicit and Explicit Relationships. These relationships are a continuation of some of our previous study of "Literal and Interpretive Relationships". In Explicit, we will look at texts that literally state facts and information, along with Implicit, where we as readers are required to "infer" what is really being said within a text.
Reminder: Whoo's Reading #6 Due: Wednesday, December 5.

We will also take our Final Exam (60%) on Friday, December 7. See below for what will be covered:

Students will read 3 passages containing Fiction and NF texts that will focus on the following:

• Correct usage of words in a text
• Literal / Interpretive Questioning 
• Inferencing 
• Organization of Text Structures 
• Summary of a text 
• Author's Purpose
• Theme
• Main Idea / Supporting Details
• Types of Genre 

Word Work: 

Possessive Pronouns and how to correct them within a text.

Analogies 

Writing Workshop: 

We have been working on building our Nonfiction Leads along with writing Thesis Statements. We have also been learning how to set up our Main Ideas and what Supporting Details we believe support those ideas. This week we will dive into the researching and writing of nonfiction as we read and learn new things from our NF texts. We will also learn how to construct Topic sentences as well as begin to learn the importance of citing our references from the information we find! 

Expected Assignments: November 26 - 30

Expected Assignments Week November 26 - 30

- Main Idea and Supporting Details Task Cards
- Homophones
- Prepositions
- Main Idea/ Supporting Details "Weird, Wonderful Octopus" passage
-Checkpoint #7 Implicit and Explicit Relationships

HOMEWORK: DUE - December 7 (Friday)

HOMEWORK DUE: December 7, Friday

Nonfiction Text
Page 7
Page 8

Students should be reading independently each night for 20 minutes or more. Students have been working toward setting their own goals and working toward increasing their minutes read.

Expected Assignments:Week November 5 - November 9

Expected Assignments this past week: November 5 - November 9

- Complete Performance Task
- Station Work: ( Cursive D, Greek/Latin Root "Ped" work, )

HOMEWORK: DUE Nov. 16 / Nov. 30

Homework DUE - Friday, November 30

Page 5: NF Text with Text Features

Page 6: Present, Past, and Future Tense

Students should be reading independently each night for 20 minutes or more. Students have been working toward setting their own goals and working toward increasing their minutes to read. 

Homework DUE - Friday, November 16. 

Page 3: Plot Homework
Page 4: Grammar Work

Students should be reading independently each night for 20 minutes or more. Students have been working toward setting their own goals and working toward increasing their minutes read.

ELAR WEEK: November 12 - November 16

Reading Workshop:

This week we will continue to look at how Nonfiction texts are organized with Cause and Effect as we prepare to choose how we want to organize our own writing pieces. We will also begin discussing Main Ideas and Supporting Details, while also locating them within a text, and summarizing the information.

Mentor Text: Weird and Wonderful Octopus
click on link to view Mentor text

Word Work / Grammar:

This week students will continue working with the Greek/Latin Root "ped". We will also learn about Prepositions.

Writing Workshop:

This week students will decide on the topic they will research. This will be their Unit 3 writing piece. Students will use the Nonfiction graphic organizer as they work through the next few weeks to organize their writing. We will also learn how to create strong Nonfiction Leads, while creating one for our own writing.

Homework: DUE Friday, November 9

New Homework Books were given out last week!

The first homework Pg 1 and Pg 2 are due Friday, November 9!

This Week in ELAR: November 5 - November 9

ELAR WEEK: November 5 - November 9

Reading Workshop:
This week in ELAR we will finish up our Performance Task over Rumplestiltskin (60%).
Wednesday, November 7 we expect to begin Unit 3 our Nonfiction Unit. We will be discussing the following:
- Text Features ( captions, real pictures, fun facts, glossary, index, etc. all the things that are included in an Expository Nonfiction Text.

- We will be looking at 2 ways Nonfiction Texts can be organized (Compare/Contrast; Cause/Effect)

Mentor Texts - Nonfiction 
* What if You Had Animal Teeth? ( Compare/Contrast Organized)
* National Geographic- Amelia Earhart (Cause/Effect Organized)

Word Work / Grammar Conventions:
We will be discussing Homophones ( Their, They're, There)
Greek and Latin Root (ped)

Writing Workshop:
In Writing Workshop this week we will look at the difference between Narrative Nonficton and Expository Nonfiction Texts.

- Narrative Nonfiction: Texts that are true, but told in storybook form with the elements of a "story".
- Expository Nonfiction: Texts that are told to inform or teach you something. They are organized usually with text features such as (glossary, index, real pictures, captions, etc.) that inform you of a topic.

We will also use the text, "The Weird and Wonderful Octopus" to discuss Main Ideas and Supporting Details as we learn how to dissect a text preparing for our own research of an Nonfiction Topic.

ELAR Week: October 29 - November 2

This week in ELAR - October 29 - November 2

Reading Workshop:
This week we will continue to wrap up the text, "Rumplestiltskin". Students have been working in reading teams to discuss the plot, characters, exploits, while also comparing/contrasting those aspects of the text. The 3 slides are due, Friday, November 2.

This week we will also move forward on our Performance Task (60%). This is where students apply what they have learned about plot and characters. Students will be rewriting the story, "Rumplestiltskin", looking at how changing, adding, or removing characters can change the plot. Students will decide if they want to partner within their team, or work in their teams to complete the task.

Please click on the link to access the Performance Task information. Performance Task

Upcoming Unit:  Unit 3: Nonfiction Texts 

Writing Workshop:
In Writing Workshop this week we will be finalizing our publishing of Imaginative Stories. Students had the opportunity to be creative in how they wanted to showcase their stories. Students can use card board to create hard covers, clear folders, etc. be creative! Our set date to turn in is set for Wednesday, October 31, with Friday, Nov. 2 being the very latest. I cannot wait to see the final product!

Homework - 2nd 9 Weeks

Homework News:

Homework will start back for the 2nd 9 week, on Thursday, November 1. It will consist of some review of Fiction, then move into NF, which will be our new upcoming unit in ELAR for Unit 3.

Expected Assignments:October 22 - 26

Week October 22 - 26 Expected Assignments:

Reading Workshop:

- Plot Summary with "Cowgirl" text

- Whoo's Reading #4

- Reading Teams working on Comparing/Contrasting Characters Slides 1 - 3 with the text, "Rumplestiltskin". (Still in Progress)

Writing Workshop:

- Publishing in progress - DUE Wednesday, October 31. 

This Week in ELAR (October 20 - October 26)

ELAR WEEK - October 20 - October 26

Reading Workshop:

This week we will continue to visit plot, although we will be moving forward to also talk about characters. While discussing characters we will be comparing and contrasting them as characters, their adventures, as well as their exploits (ex: tricksters). This will prepare us for the next week in which we will be working on a Performance Task (60%). In the upcoming performance task we will be rewriting a story with or without alternate characters while continuing to maintain a strong plot within a story.

New Vocab this week:
Exploits: To use something or someone unfairly for your own advantage.

Mentor Texts this week: 
Snow White
Rumplestiltskin 

Performance Task:  Week October 29 - November 2

You are an editor and you’ve been  asked by a publisher to rewrite a picture book.
 The publisher wants you to take out/add in a character and rewrite part of the story to demonstrate how the plot and character
relationships would change.

Be sure to include:

• Character traits for the character you add or remove and text evidence supporting those traits
• Plot map of the original story
• Plot map of the altered story
• Rewritten scene from the story, keeping the point of view the original author employed
• Setting

Rubric for upcoming Performance Task ( Week Oct. 29 - Nov. 2)

TEK	No or Little Understanding	Partial Understanding	Complete Understanding
(4.6) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to: A) sequence and summarize the plot's main events and explain their influence on future events	Sequence the plot's main events No evidence of understanding plot	Sequence and summarize the plot's main events	Sequence and summarize the plot's main events and explain their influence on future events;
B) describe the interaction of characters including their relationships and the changes they undergo	Describe the interaction of characters	Describe the interaction of characters  and the changes they undergo	Describe the interaction of characters including their relationships and the changes they undergo
(4.16) Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real or imagined people, events, and ideas. Students are expected to: A) write imaginative stories that build the plot to a climax and contain details about the characters and setting	Write imaginative stories that build the plot	Write imaginative stories that build the plot toward a climax	Write imaginative stories that build the plot toward a climax and contain details about the characters and setting

Writing Workshop:

This week we will be publishing! Yay! Students will have a chance to be creative as they prepare in how they wish to showcase their writing. Students may prepare a hard cover if they choose, while also designing it. Students may also choose images if they would like to add pictures, or they may find an illustrator for their writing pieces, just as real authors do. If students choose to creatively showcase their writing, I have shared with them they can type at school as always, but they will assemble at home, and bring back in for our publishing day. They may be as creative as they would like! I cannot wait to see their final work! The set publishing due date is set for Wednesday, October 31, 2018. 

Assignments from Week October 15 - 19

Reading Workshop:

- Plot Summary recorded in Notebook
- Transitional Phrases (Google Classroom)

Writing Workshop

- Purple Transitional Phrases marked
- Orange Sensory Details marked
- Editing marked ( red, capitalization - blue, punctuation - green, spelling )

ELAR WEEK: October 15-October 19

THIS WEEK IN ELAR: October 15 - October 19

Reading Workshop:
We've been discussing Plot using a Plot Model to break down the story elements. This week we will learn how to use effective transitions to help us learn to now summarize a plot into a well written paragraph.

Writing Workshop:
We are so close to publishing our Imaginative Stories! I cannot wait to see what our authors have written once again! This week we will continue to draft, while also learning how to elaborate more of our stories by focusing on our nouns and other places where we can tell "what else happened". We will also learn how and where to use quotation marks within our writing.

TEST SCHEDULED for Wednesday, October 17

- Author's Purpose
- Text Evidence
- Interpretive Questioning
- Theme 

HOMEWORK: DUE FRIDAY, October 19

HOMEWORK CHANGE: 

Homework is now due on Fridays, DUE THIS FRIDAY - October 19

Students should be setting a nightly goal for their reading, no less than 20 minutes.

Homework Consists of: 

* Students should respond to the Reading Component about the book they are currently reading.
* Students should answer the Skill Questions on the page 2 of their homework booklet. 

Assignments DUE: October 8 - October 12

ASSIGNMENTS DUE LAST WEEK: October 8 - October 12

- Whoo's Reading #3 Reader Response.

- Google Classroom Question: After Independent Reading, use one to two examples from your book that demonstrate Sensory Details.

- Plot Model with "Eleven" OR with your personal book you are reading. 

- Drafting of Imaginative Story should have begun!

HOMEWORK DUE: Friday, October 12

HOMEWORK: October 5 - 12 

Students should be reading every night at least 20 minutes. Students are to set a weekly goal for themselves no less than 20 minutes a night. 

Page 1: Independent Reading 

Page 2: Grammar/ Word Work page

Homework is moved to be turned in on Friday, October 12. 

ASSIGNMENTS DUE: Oct. 1-5

Assignments Due on October 5

- Cursive "C" Handwriting

- Quickest Kid in Clarksville (Theme )

- Checkpoint #4 Theme and Plot

- Plot Model for "Eleven" IN PROGRESS due Next Week October 12.

WEEK In ELAR: Oct. 8 - 12

Reading Workshop:

Students will continue to work with the concepts of Plot, learning how we summarize a story by making sure we have incorporated the true plot of the story.

Writing Workshop:

Students have been brainstorming and working through prewriting strategies as we prepare to write our Imaginative Stories. This week we will move forward in drafting!

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER - DECEMBER 2018

EVENT REMINDERS: December 2018

Dec. 17-21 Holiday Dress Up Days (see below)
Jan. 11: Talent Show Performances

                                           Dress Up Days: 
Monday 12/17: Reindeer Day
Tuesday 12/18: Holiday Sweaters (ugly or cute)
Wednesday 12/19: Snowman/Frosty Day
Thursday 12/20 Pajama Day 
Friday 12/21 Holiday Attire (early release day)

ASSIGNMENTS DUE Week: Sept. 24 - Sept. 28

ASSIGNMENTS DUE TODAY - September 28

- Cursive "B"
- Whooo's Reading Reader Response Entry # 2
- Strong Character Chart in Writer's Notebook (Brainstorming Entry)
- Checkpoint ( Theme and Author's Purpose )

HOMEWORK: DUE OCTOBER 4

HOMEWORK REMINDER:

Week: September 27 - October 4

Students should be setting a goal of weekly reading. Goal should not be less than 20 minutes.

Parent Signature is required.

Page 1: Reading Concept
Page 2: Grammar Concept

ELAR WEEK: October 1 - October 5

ELAR WEEK: October 1 - October 5

Reading Workshop: 

Mentor Text: "Quickest Kid in Clarksville"

This week we will continue to look at Theme, and how stories can teach us about life lessons.
We will also begin to dive into Plot! We will study the plot elements:
- Exposition (Setting, characters)
- Rising Action (The events that are leading up to a conflict in the story)
- Climax (The turning point when things begin to change for the good or the working out of conflict)
- Falling Action (The events that are occurring as the conflict begins to draw to an end)
- Resolution  (The conflict is resolved, and everything is as it should be)

Students will learn about the plot elements, as well as how to summarize a piece of text containing the elements, being careful not to label the element parts in their writing. Students must have a good concept of the plot elements in order to be able to summarize a text thoroughly.


Writing Workshop:

We are already working on our Imaginative Stories! We are wrapping up building our Strong Characters, and we will work this week on creating conflicts in our stories as we brainstorm. We will also determine what Theme do we want our stories to have, and work toward building our own plot in our writing!

Grammar Concepts for the week: What are Adjectives?

Week September 17 - 21

ELAR WEEK: September 17 - 21

Reading Workshop:

This week we will finalize Unit 1! We have learned alot!! This week's Interactive Read Aloud will be
"Weird, Wonderful, Mrs. Becker". It is a short story where we will continue to use our Schema to connect to the text, as well as underline places where we find Sensory Details. We will discuss how we can use the crafts we see Author's using in our own writing!

You will find the story here!
Weird, Wonderful Mrs. Becker


Writing Workshop:

IT IS TIME!! We have finished our Drafts and will be publishing this week!! We cannot wait to have our guest readers, YOU, come and read what we have been working so hard on!
Remember it is this Friday, September 21, and it will vary by your child's homeroom time for ELAR.
Please refer to your email invitation for the times as well as the Fast Pass for the quick check in!

Writer Celebration

 Writer' Celebration - September 21, 2018

Join us on Friday, September 21, 2018 as we celebrate our authors!

Check your email for details! 

AUSTIN TRIP and 4th Grade Curriculum Night Notes

Here you will find the information for the Austin Field Trip as well as other 4th grade notes from Curriculum Night!

                                                               Austin Trip Information

Video Message Week: September 10 - 14

This weeks Video Message:

September 10 - September 14

Click on the Link to view Message:

                                                      Video Message: Week September 10 - 14

Expected Assignments from previous week: Week September 10-14

ASSIGNMENTS DUE - Friday, September 14

Record of Reading Responses over the text "Goin Someplace Special"
-  Students should have written in their journal their Schema Connections from their own text
-  Students should have written in their journal the Sensory Details they found from their own reading.

Checkpoint 3 online: From the text "Swimmers". Questions over Literal, Interpretive, and Evaluative, using Text Evidence, and Author's Purpose.

Reteach will start this week over those concepts for those who need extra support.

Writing Drafts should be being completed by Tuesday, September 11 or Wednesday, September 12.
Revising and Editing were to be completed by Friday, September 14

Cursive Letter: "A"

HOMEWORK DUE: September 13

Homework for Log 2 and Editing Practice DUE, Thursday, September 13.

Week September 8 - 12

Reading Workshop:
This week in ELAR we will be learning about how author's use Sensory Images to bring forth stories, as well as connecting to other texts by using our background knowledge. Students will continue to discuss Author's Purpose as well as look at Literal, Interpretive, and Evaluative questions when we read, "Goin Someplace Special."

Writing Workshop:
In Writing Workshop this week we will learn how to create Strong Beginnings in our writing, as well as begin Revising and Editing our Writing. We are so excited to present our first pieces on Friday, September 21 to our audience! More information to come on that this week!

HOMEWORK Due Sept. 6

Homework was given out August 30.
Homework booklet is due Sept. 6 to review and discuss.

Please do not have pages removed from booklet. 

Homework link to all pages coming soon!

Assignments Due:

Assignments currently due by September 4 -

Word Work
Writing Small Moment Entries

ELAR Week: Sept. 4 - 7, 2018

Reading Workshop:

This week we will look at Literal, Interpretive, and Evaluative questions, while continuing to tie that into Author's Purpose.

Literal Questions: Questions whose answers can be directly stated and found in text.

Interpretive Questions: Are questions where the reader has to use details/text evidence to infer what is really being said, happening, or going to happen in determining answers.

Evaluative Questions: Questions whose answers/opinions are reasonable based on text evidence.

Mentor texts we will use this week as we apply our new vocabulary and learning:

"Eleven"
"Weird Wonderful Mrs. Becker"

Writing Workshop:

Last week we chose the one Small Moment we want to publish! This week we, as authors, will determine what we want our purpose to be in writing, and what we want the HEART of the story to be. We will begin drafting and working through the writing process with revising and editing over the next couple of weeks.

ELAR Week: Aug. 27 - Aug. 31

Reading Workshop:
This week in ELAR students will use their own texts they are reading as we learn about some different types of genres. As we look at these genres, we will continue to analyze the author's purpose for writing by reflecting back to places in the book that hold important ideas and/or images; being sure to also use text evidence to support our ideas.

Students worked in their new reading teams last week, and will have the opportunity this week as well to share their findings for the purposes and author wrote.

Writing Workshop:
We have been using the Boxes and Bullets Strategy to brainstorm our ideas as we work toward choosing that one story we want to publish. Students have been thinking of an important person, as well as an important place, and sharing about 3 moments. This week we will continue to write small moments about an important place, while also writing about moments when we experienced a particular emotion.

Assignments Due:

               

Assignments Due: Aug. 20 - 24

- Written Response
Students wrote using the mentor text - Malala's Magic Pencil  to answer the question - How Would I Change the World. 

- Exit Ticket Question
What was the author's purpose in the text What Do You Do With a Problem?
Give evidence to support your answer.

- Writing Workshop
In writer's notebook students are using the Boxes and Bullets Strategy to brainstorm important people in their lives, and jotting down 3 moments with that person. This is helping us prepare for our first writing piece of a Personal Narrative. 

Grading Scale:

Grading:

Daily grades - 40%
Assessment or Summative Grades - 60%
Performance Tasks associated with a particular standard - 60%


Daily Grades May Be Based From: 
- Rubrics that measure Standard 4.18C -Written responses to literary or expository texts, with student providing evidence from the text to demonstrate understanding. Rubric A

- Rubrics that measure Standard 4.29 -Listening and Speaking/Teamwork.
Students learn how to work productively with others in teams, applying standards, participating in teacher and student led discussions, building upon the ideas of others. Rubric B

- Comprehension Questions (written / multiple choice ) based on Independent Reading.

- Reading conferences that check for understanding of standards.

**Please note these are some examples, there may be other avenues to attain daily grades, as teacher determines needs of student(s). 

Assessment Grades:

- Testing grades / Summative Grades are counted as 60%. Tests will be given to measure students' understanding of Essential Standard(s) as determined by ELAR Department. 

Performance Tasks:

- Performance Tasks are determined by ELAR Curriculum Designer and/or collaboration with ELAR Department. These tasks are projects that are designed to measure students' understanding of a particular Essential Standard as predetermined by ELAR Department. Performance Tasks are counted as 60% of students' grades. 

Schedule:

Mrs. Reece’s

ELAR Schedule

7:35-7:45	Announcements Mrs. Webb’s Homeroom
7:45-9:15
9:15-10:45	Mrs. Haley’s Homeroom
10:45-11:45	Specials
11:45-12:15	Tier Time
12:15-12:45	Lunch
12:45-1:15	Recess
1:15-2:45	Homeroom
2:45-2:50	Pack up & line up for dismissal!

*please bring a healthy, nut free snack daily.

A Note From Mrs. Elder!

Hughes Families,

Prosper ISD is offering an exciting opportunity for all students to show their writing creativity. To go along with our Kwame Alexander, One District, One Read, students will have the opportunity to compete in a poetry writing contest. All students are invited to submit an original poem to the Prosper ISD Poetry Writing Contest! This contest encourages all students to explore writing their own poetry! Poems will be judged and the winning poet will be invited to present their poem at the Kwame Alexander event on October 1st. Poems are due by September 17th and no late submissions will be accepted. Poems may be submitted through the Google Form link: Prosper ISD Poetry Writing Contest , or may be legibly written on a piece of paper and returned to Ms. Elder in the Hughes Library. Please include the title of your poem, your name, grade, campus, and teacher. This is not a required contest, but we would love to have as many student participants as possible. If you have any questions, please contact our Librarian, Ms. Elder, at bmelder@prosper-isd.net.  

Homework:

August 17, 2018: There is currently no homework assigned.

Homework will begin: 
Thursday, August 30.

ELAR Week August 20 - 24:

  Week August 20 - 24, 2018

Reading Workshop:

This week in ELAR we will be using our previous week's interactive read alouds to discuss our new concept of "Establishing purposes for reading". Students will learn how reading connects to real world purposes, as well as how our purpose may simply be for pleasure, or to inform us. We will also work to look at the messages an author is trying to convey to us, as we learn to connect our reading to ourselves, and other texts. 

Read Alouds: 
- We're All Wonders
- Malala's Magic Pencil
- What Do You Do With a Problem?

Writing Workshop:

This week we will begin using writing strategies to draft our first piece of writing which will be a "Personal Narrative". Students will use strategies that will cause them to think about important people, places, and other ideas to construct their pieces. 

September Reminders

Don't Forget!

Patriotic Assembly this Tuesday, September 11




Celebrating Mrs. Betty Hughes 80th Birthday following!

Donations for Skinny Pop, Cheddar Crackers with Peanut Butter for Mrs. Hughes Birthday Celebration!