Week 13: Revision
This week we had a discussion about the concepts that we learnt this term. The revision worksheet that I sent home with the class last Friday covers all of the concepts, too. Two things:
- It is very important to know and understand the concepts learnt in this term's Guiding Notes. It's far more important to understand the concepts than to try to memorize different spellings and grammar.
- The next most important thing is to CAREFULLY read the questions and instructions, and make sure you understand what you need to answer during the assessment. I know many students try to rush through the test as fast as they can without really paying attention to the instructions. When you read the instructions carefully, and also answer the questions carefully, it is directly reflected in your assessment marks!
| g5_gte_revision_-_term_3.pdf |
Week 12: Writing a tribute
In today's lesson, we looked at the passage from Ma Dear, about the characers David Earl and Ma Dear. We used inferences to think about the two characters, and then brainstormed adjectives to decribe them.
I also passed out a worksheet with the main concepts that we learnt this term. There's nothing for you to do on the worksheet - only study it and make sure you understand the topics from this term.
Finally, we talked about this weekend's homework, the writing task to write a tribute about a person who is special to you. For your tribute, you should think about a person who you are close to, and write about a special memory you have with them. Remember to show, not tell! Homework is to complete pages 19-22 in your Guiding Notes and hand it in on Monday. Remember to look at the marking criteria on page 21 - it will help to give you a better idea of what you should be writing about.
I also passed out a worksheet with the main concepts that we learnt this term. There's nothing for you to do on the worksheet - only study it and make sure you understand the topics from this term.
Finally, we talked about this weekend's homework, the writing task to write a tribute about a person who is special to you. For your tribute, you should think about a person who you are close to, and write about a special memory you have with them. Remember to show, not tell! Homework is to complete pages 19-22 in your Guiding Notes and hand it in on Monday. Remember to look at the marking criteria on page 21 - it will help to give you a better idea of what you should be writing about.
Week 12: Show, don't tell
First, for the students who were in Korea and didn't complete last week's homework (Guiding Notes p.15-16), please see Week 11's recap below for an explanation of what to do. You can complete pages 15-16 and hand it in on Monday. Please see me this week if you have any questions.
In today's lesson, we talked a lot about the importance of Show, don't tell in our writing. In short, when we show, we paint a clear picture for the reader. Look at the examples below from class today:
In today's lesson, we talked a lot about the importance of Show, don't tell in our writing. In short, when we show, we paint a clear picture for the reader. Look at the examples below from class today:
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I didn't assign any homeowrk today, but I want to make sure everybody brins their Guiding Notes books on Friday.
| g5_gte_unit_5_ma_dear.pptx |
Week 11: Personification and anthropomorphism
Today we learned more about the differences between personification and anthropomorphism. These are big words, but they're pretty simple concepts. See below:
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A tea kettle is still a tea kettle. It doesn't have any human-like characteristics. But tea kettles don't "scream" - humans scream, so we're adding a personifying verb to the sentence - this makes our writing more clear and interesting.
Personifying verbs are verbs that show human-like qualities or charactersitics. Words like sprint, cough, spit, stab, shout, cry, and lick are all things that humans can do. When you use these in a sentence, make sure the non-human object you are personifying does not do these things. For example: The cactus stabbed me in the butt. Cactuses cannot do the action of stabbing, so this works.
On the other hand, if we make a sentence like The dog barked at me when I walked by., dogs actually bark, so this sentence doesn't use a personfiying verb. BUT...if we make a sentence like My parents barked at me when I came home late., this sentence DOES use a personifying verb, because parents don't bark.
The video below does a good job explaining:
Personifying verbs are verbs that show human-like qualities or charactersitics. Words like sprint, cough, spit, stab, shout, cry, and lick are all things that humans can do. When you use these in a sentence, make sure the non-human object you are personifying does not do these things. For example: The cactus stabbed me in the butt. Cactuses cannot do the action of stabbing, so this works.
On the other hand, if we make a sentence like The dog barked at me when I walked by., dogs actually bark, so this sentence doesn't use a personfiying verb. BUT...if we make a sentence like My parents barked at me when I came home late., this sentence DOES use a personifying verb, because parents don't bark.
The video below does a good job explaining:
Homework is to complete pages 15 and 16 in your guiding notes book and hand it in on Monday.
On page 15 you need to create your own personifing riddle. Look at the two examples first. The answer is a non-human thing. For your riddle, think of a non-human thing and write a riddle about it. Make sure your riddle includes some personifying verbs in it.
For the next part, you should turn yourself into a non-human character (it says animal, but you can make yourself into an object if you like). Use personification in your writing to make it more interesting.
On page 15 you need to create your own personifing riddle. Look at the two examples first. The answer is a non-human thing. For your riddle, think of a non-human thing and write a riddle about it. Make sure your riddle includes some personifying verbs in it.
For the next part, you should turn yourself into a non-human character (it says animal, but you can make yourself into an object if you like). Use personification in your writing to make it more interesting.
| g5_gte_unit_4_desert_voices.pptx |
Week 7: Personification
Today we learned about personification - or giving nonuman things human-like characteristics. The class came up with some really clever personified sentences, too! Have a look!
Another type of personification is called anthropomorphism. This is when animals or objects talk or behave like humans. For example, Mickey Mouse, Peppa Pig, etc.
Another type of personification is called anthropomorphism. This is when animals or objects talk or behave like humans. For example, Mickey Mouse, Peppa Pig, etc.
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Week 6: Similes
Last week we had a new teacher come in and do a trial lesson with 5E and she did some pre-teaching on similes. She did a fantastic job, and I had very little to revise today, but we still talked about similes and learned how to use them in our writing. Similes are an important literary devices that help authors paint pictures in their readers' minds. Remember: similes should be EXAGGERATIONS.
For your homework, I want you to complete pages 9-12 in your Guiding Notes book and hand it in on Friday. For the writing on p.12, think about something - a person, place, or thing, that you can write a lot about, and write about it. It's quite a simple writing task. But remember - you must use at least three similes in your writing to help paint a better picture about the thing you are writing about.
For your homework, I want you to complete pages 9-12 in your Guiding Notes book and hand it in on Friday. For the writing on p.12, think about something - a person, place, or thing, that you can write a lot about, and write about it. It's quite a simple writing task. But remember - you must use at least three similes in your writing to help paint a better picture about the thing you are writing about.
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| g5_gte_unit_3_angels_in_the_dust.pptx |
Week 5: Sensory Details 2
Today we learned more about sensory details, focusing mainly on descriptive nouns to talk about places in three different pictures. For today's homework, we need to think of an animal and describe it in a paragraph using sensory details and descriptive language. Please complete p.8 in your Guiding Notes and hand it in tomorrow. Remember to use lots of sensory details to describe the animal you have chosen. Look at p.7 to guide you (we underlined sensory details about sight, smell, and touch).
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Week 4: Sensory Details
Today we talked about the importance of using descriptive language to describe sensory details. We all what our five senses are, and we can all give simple words to talk about them - for example, his voice is loud. But can we use MORE descriptive language for our sensory details? For example, his voice was clear and booming. When writing with sensory details, remember, the more descriptive the language the better.
Homework is to complete p.5-6 in your Guiding Notes and hand it in tomorrow.
Homework is to complete p.5-6 in your Guiding Notes and hand it in tomorrow.
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| g5_gte_unit_2_great_crystal_bear.pptx |
Week 3: Writing a summary
Today we continued our discussion on summarizing texts, and we learned about Helen Keller. Remember - the best way to summarize something in your own words is to NOT LOOK AT THE TEXT THAT YOU ARE SUMMARIZING. So in order to write something about something that you have read, you need to make sure that you understand exactly what it is that you read. You need to "digest" the text.
Another thing that you should do in your homework is to use sequence words. Have a look at the examples that we wrote down on the board.
For your homework, you need to summarize four (4) parts of the Helen Keller text in your own words, and then write them as paragraphs on the following page. Homework is to complete p.3-4 in your Guiding Notes and hand it in after the Easter holiday.
Another thing that you should do in your homework is to use sequence words. Have a look at the examples that we wrote down on the board.
For your homework, you need to summarize four (4) parts of the Helen Keller text in your own words, and then write them as paragraphs on the following page. Homework is to complete p.3-4 in your Guiding Notes and hand it in after the Easter holiday.
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| g5_gte_unit_1_helen_keller.pptx |
Week 2: Introducting summarizing
This week we talked a little bit about summarizing texts that we read in our own words. The best way to do that is to first read something and digest what we have just read. After we understand what we have read, then we need to use our own words to talk about it. That is what "summarizing" is. We used the two texts in the Guiding Notes book as examples (pirates and pandas) - you all did a great job with that, too!
After that, we used iPads to look up the vocabulary on GN p.2.
Homework is to complete p.2 in your Guiding Notes and hand it in tomorrow.
After that, we used iPads to look up the vocabulary on GN p.2.
Homework is to complete p.2 in your Guiding Notes and hand it in tomorrow.
