Persuasive and Text Structures

We have been reading, reviewing, and responding to persuasive text and various text structures including, cause/effect, problem/solution, and compare/contrast. I've been using some articles, and also stories from the basal reader on the Twilight Zone! Do you remember those episodes? I sure do.
We are reviewing and adding new figurative language terms. Each term had assignments and/or projects attached to them. Maybe you heard about our famous voice threads you will be able to view on the blog! So excited about that!!!!!
Please continue to have them read every night and add up those auction bucks. If they haven't mastered the list of roots/affixes and their definitions make sure they are devoting some study time to that as well I test them every other week right now until they master them:)

Units begin

We completed each text type - one for each week of school! Yahoo! Now the fun begins when we explore each text type or structure in depth. We will begin with narrative text and problem/solution text structure with the story RIkki-Tikki-Tavi from our basal reader. This story and other fairytale, folktale stories will correlate with the Social Studies International Fair in October.
In writing we will begin figurative language. There will be a host of exciting writing and technology projects with figurative language. Be on the look out in the hallways and classrooms, or some posted on the web:)
Looking forward to visiting with you next week and parent teacher conferences!

September beginnings!

Reading and studying the different types of text structures are in full bloom:) We've covered technical reading, the first District Common Assessments, and now narrative text. Looking ahead to persuasive and expository yet this month.
Also I wanted to remind you about the upcoming Prairie Book Festival, Saturday, Sept. 25th from 10-4 at the Hutchinson Public Library Campus. Many enlightening authors and contests will be available. Please check out the website
www.prairiebookfestival.com for more information on the contests and authors!

We are working on typing our first draft and then revising our Moment in Time writing piece. Everyone is on BuhlerDocs now. My students can work on their writing via the PHMS website now! Oh joy!!!!!!

Starbooks Cafe Opens

Tomorrow is the grand opening of the Starbooks Cafe. They can bring a quarter for a hot drink of their choice to enjoy during reading class.
Please encourage your child to make a selection of books they are interested in. They can come from home if approved by me, my library, school library, or public library. The student will read a book and record their information on the reading log. They will choose one book they finished each nine-weeks to post on the class reading blog.
Please encourage and inspire them to read books they are interested in. When they finish the book I will award auction bucks according to the completed reading material.
Remember only one per nine-weeks is for a grade, the rest of their reading is for pure enjoyment and recording if they want to earn auction money for the Reading Auction at the end of the year! It is their choice - and last year it was a HUGE hit with my readers!

Great Beginnings 8/23/2010

Welcome to a great beginning school year!
Parents - I will post tidbits about reading and writing throughout the year.
We are starting the year in reading with mini lessons on the text types. Most Fridays will be Read-in days where the students are allowed to purchase their hot drink of choice at the Starbooks Cafe-YUMMO!
We will conclude the year with the Reading Auction - so please encourage your child to read - read - read!
In writing class we will also do mini lessons over the writing process. Their first writing piece is called "A Moment in Time".
Thank you for coming to Open House. I still have flyers and business cards if you need them.

Reading Auction

I just can't believe our year together is coming to a close next week. We will be celebrating in a big way with the much anticipated Reading Auction! You are more than welcome to attend Friday morning 945-11:15!
Please encourage your children to read this summer - so many fantastic books - so many books with so much time spent at activities, riding in cars, relaxing by the pool, walking and listening to audio books etc...
Thank you for a wonderful year with your children. I love them all!

Looking for a Few Good Parents

The Reading Auction will take place in the cafetorium Tuesday, May 25th 7th and 8th hours of the day (1:54-3:20). I am needing parent help with this project. If you could volunteer to help with the auction or the auction store please email me at csillin@buhlerschools.org
I would greatly appreciate any donations for the auction or auction store as well!

Check it out!

Parents and students,
Check out the City of Hutchinson brochures that are displayed at the Hutchinson Clinic, our PHMS business partners. My writing students made these - and I'm very proud of them. In fact, I was so proud I decided that my writing students should make detailed PHMS brochures for our Step-up kids coming in June. I will be assisting with the Step-up program in June and the committee loved this idea. Ms. Phillips will have her writing students make them as well.
Just wanted to celebrate with you.
In reading we are busy making book posters and BOOK TRAILERS to put on the web! What a learning experience! This group project will complete the Literature Circles Unit!

Spring Break!

Wishing all my students and their families a very restful and enjoyable spring break! I will be watching lots of basketball cheering those Cats and Hawks on!

Literature Circles

We started Literature Circles this week, March 9th. After listening to book talks over 15 different books, my students selected their top three choices. I put them in groups to read, complete individual roles worksheets, and discuss their book. We will finish the first week of April and conclude with an individual poster project and an iMovie group project using technology and specific websites. I hope to post the iMovie book trailers to my blog and PHMS link for you to view.
Please encourage them to read consistently over spring break to stay on target to make their goal they entered on their reading contract.
I sent a letter to every parent with their reading contract if you did not attend parent teacher conferences in February. Please consider helping with our reading Auction in may!

State Reading Assessments

Today is the last day of reading assessments - YAHOO~ I'm so excited to see the results:) We will begin Literature Circles next week. Mrs. Bartlett will assist me in summary book talks for 12 different books they have to choose from. There is a variety of interests for them to choose from. They will be assigned a book they must take care of - they have full responsibility for!!!!! They will mini discussions with their group nearly every day and will be reading the designated amount of chapters set by their literature circle. Please be sure to visit with them about their book they chose:)

Review Review Review

We finished Steal Away Home in Reading and our Kansas Leader Research paper finally! Yahoo - we were excited to move on ...........
We will spend next week reviewing text structures, authors purpose, figurative language, prefixes, suffixes, roots, persuasive techniques in reading and writing classes.
I think we will be ready for our "Superbowl" State reading tests!
Please be sure that your child has a hearty breakfast and plenty of rest the week of March 1-5th.
Thank you so much for attending your child's conference. You are always welcome to reschedule if you had to miss:)
Please consider helping out with donating items/items for the Reading Auction in May!
Thank you so much!

Steal Away Home

Reading: We began the novel "Steal Away Home" about a young girl who is helping her parents turn a historical old house in Lawrence, KS in to a bed and breakfast, when she discovers a human skeleton in a secret room behind a wall. The novel provides insight to the plight of freeing slaves in the 1800's. We chose this novel to coincide with their Kansas History class in Social Studies. The novel will take approximately three weeks to finish.
Writing: The students are choosing a Kansas leader to write a research paper, complete with organizers and a presentation tool from Big Huge Labs website! You might need to help them with finding outside material on their person.
Helping Hearts for Haiti - My TA class began a donation collection for the Hatian victims of the recent earthquake. Please do what you can to support their aid in Haiti. We will present our collection just in time for Valentine's Day to the director of Star of Hope on Friday, Feb. 12th!

A New Year

Looking forward to a new year with my seventh graders. A few moved over Christmas break and I'm sad about that.
I am so excited to get started with reading and writing for the second semester. In reading we will focus on persuasion techniques, persuasive reading material, fact/opinion, understand bias and author purpose/audience. A few persuasive articles relate to seventh grade "real world" reading that I think they will enjoy.
In writing we will not only understand persuasion techniques but make a brochure depicting all 6 techniques and later work with a partner to create a product and make a 1 minute commercial. It will be a very busy two weeks especially since my students will take the third Common Assessment!