Week 14: Revision
Gimkit is a game, but it also has some strong benefits in drilling ideas and questions into students mind in a way that isn't so boring. So here's the last one...it's the same set of questions in four different game modes:
Week 13: Revision
This week, we worked on a worksheet together and explored the significance of narration in conjunction with dialogue. When we immerse ourselves in a story, we create vivid mental images, which differs from experiencing events in real life. Since we can't see facial expressions or hear vocal tones while reading, we must rely on the narration to convey these essential elements.
I encourage you to review the worksheet we completed today, as this topic is one of the most important lessons we've covered this term and is crucial for your upcoming assessment.
I encourage you to review the worksheet we completed today, as this topic is one of the most important lessons we've covered this term and is crucial for your upcoming assessment.
| dialogue___narration.pdf |
Week 12: The Writing Process
Monday + Thursday: Thursday's HW: Write your final draft! (Due Monday
On Monday, we did a Gimkit revision since I didn't have time to read through all of the first drafts. You can play the Gimkit here: www.gimkit.com/join/684114ef1cc8591ad9fd9ff6
On Thursday, I met with each student to review their first drafts and discuss ways to enhance them for the final submission. Most students received feedback that will help them move forward with their final drafts, but a few still need to refine their initial work before proceeding. I asked those students to return their drafts to me by Monday for further discussion. For those who haven't yet spoken with me or need additional time, the final drafts can be submitted by next Thursday, which is the absolute deadline.
On Monday, we did a Gimkit revision since I didn't have time to read through all of the first drafts. You can play the Gimkit here: www.gimkit.com/join/684114ef1cc8591ad9fd9ff6
On Thursday, I met with each student to review their first drafts and discuss ways to enhance them for the final submission. Most students received feedback that will help them move forward with their final drafts, but a few still need to refine their initial work before proceeding. I asked those students to return their drafts to me by Monday for further discussion. For those who haven't yet spoken with me or need additional time, the final drafts can be submitted by next Thursday, which is the absolute deadline.
Week 11: Process Writing - Starting our Continuous Assessment
Monday + Thursday: Monday's HW: Guiding Notes p.40 (due Thursday) Thursday's HW: Guiding Notes p.41 (first draft - due Monday)
Today we talked about the continuous assessment and got started storyboarding. We discussed how and what we will write about for the continuous assessment:
Today we talked about the continuous assessment and got started storyboarding. We discussed how and what we will write about for the continuous assessment:
- Create a new candy room in Wonka's factory. It can be anything, but it should be related to candy and Wonka's factory.
- Use the different literary devices and desctiptive language that we've learned:
- Descriptive nouns, verbs, and adjectives
- Sensory details
- Hyperbole
- Onomatopoeia
- Similes and metaphors
- Personification and anthropomorphism
- Use DIALOGUE and NARRATION together to create TENSION. Remember - tension is what makes your story be exciting. Some tension is exciting, some can be scary, some can be stressful. All of these emotions are good in writing!
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Week 9: Descriptive Language (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
Thursday: HW Guiding Notes p.35-36 (hand in after the term break)
Today we read the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory text in our guiding notes and talked about the literary devices that Roald Dahl used in order to make his writing more descriptive and interesting. You can have a look below to review these different literary devices.
For the homework, you need to think back to last term when you wrote a poem about being lost on a mountain. For this writing assignment, you need to describe the mountain in great detail using the literary devices that we covered in this unit - descriptive adjectives, nouns, and verbs, as well as personification and hyperbole. You should write 100-150 words and make sure that you are describing the mountainside (the place where you were lost). Remember: This is not a dialogue writing task - it's a descriptive writing task!
Today we read the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory text in our guiding notes and talked about the literary devices that Roald Dahl used in order to make his writing more descriptive and interesting. You can have a look below to review these different literary devices.
For the homework, you need to think back to last term when you wrote a poem about being lost on a mountain. For this writing assignment, you need to describe the mountain in great detail using the literary devices that we covered in this unit - descriptive adjectives, nouns, and verbs, as well as personification and hyperbole. You should write 100-150 words and make sure that you are describing the mountainside (the place where you were lost). Remember: This is not a dialogue writing task - it's a descriptive writing task!
| g6_u4_-_charlie_and_the_chocolate_factory.pptx |
Monday: HW Guiding Notes p.29-31 Blooket practice: play.blooket.com/play?hwId=6821b0822a0c23a90f3a2385
A good lesson today, as we began by reviewing the differences between inference, result, and reason by playing a Blooket. You can play it again by clicking above.
Next, we discussed literary devices and how they help to enhance our writing. The literary devices we focused on today were descriptive nouns, descriptive verbs, personification, and hyperbole.
1. Descriptive nouns are words that help us understand more about a person, place, or thing by adding details. They make our writing more interesting and vivid.
For example, instead of just saying "dog," you could say "playful puppy" or "big, fluffy dog." The words "playful" and "big, fluffy" describe the noun "dog."
Here are some examples:
2. Descriptive verbs are action words that give us more detail about what someone is doing. They help make writing more exciting and specific.
For example, instead of just saying "run," you could say "sprint" or "jog." Each of these words shows a different way of running.
Here are some examples:
3. Personification is a writing technique where we give human qualities or traits to animals, objects, or ideas. This helps make descriptions more vivid and relatable.
For example:
4. Hyperbole is a figure of speech that uses extreme exaggeration to emphasize a point or to create a strong impression. It's not meant to be taken literally; instead, it adds flair and humor to writing.
Here are some examples:
A good lesson today, as we began by reviewing the differences between inference, result, and reason by playing a Blooket. You can play it again by clicking above.
Next, we discussed literary devices and how they help to enhance our writing. The literary devices we focused on today were descriptive nouns, descriptive verbs, personification, and hyperbole.
1. Descriptive nouns are words that help us understand more about a person, place, or thing by adding details. They make our writing more interesting and vivid.
For example, instead of just saying "dog," you could say "playful puppy" or "big, fluffy dog." The words "playful" and "big, fluffy" describe the noun "dog."
Here are some examples:
- Tree → Tall oak tree (describes what kind of tree and its height)
- Car → Shiny red sports car (describes the color and style of the car)
- Girl → Smart girl with glasses (describes her intelligence and appearance)
2. Descriptive verbs are action words that give us more detail about what someone is doing. They help make writing more exciting and specific.
For example, instead of just saying "run," you could say "sprint" or "jog." Each of these words shows a different way of running.
Here are some examples:
- Walk → Stroll (a slow, relaxed walk)
- Talk → Whisper (speaking softly)
- Eat → Devour (eating quickly and eagerly)
3. Personification is a writing technique where we give human qualities or traits to animals, objects, or ideas. This helps make descriptions more vivid and relatable.
For example:
- The wind whispered through the trees. (The wind can’t actually whisper, but it sounds soft and gentle.)
- The sun smiled down on us. (The sun doesn’t really smile, but it can feel warm and bright like a friendly face.)
- Time flies when you’re having fun. (Time can’t actually fly, but it can feel like it goes quickly.)
4. Hyperbole is a figure of speech that uses extreme exaggeration to emphasize a point or to create a strong impression. It's not meant to be taken literally; instead, it adds flair and humor to writing.
Here are some examples:
- I’m so hungry I could eat a horse! (Of course, no one can actually eat a whole horse!)
- I’ve told you a million times! (This means you’ve said it many times, not literally a million.)
- It was so cold, I saw penguins wearing jackets! (This exaggerates how cold it was.)
Week 8: Inference, result, and reason
Thursday: HW Guiding Notes p.27-28
In today's lesson, we reviewed the story, Sarah, Plain and Tall and we talked about inference and how readers need to make inferences in order to have a better understanding of the story. Please open the PowerPoint presentation from today's lesson to help you gain a better understanding of inference if you're still confused. You can find the presentation below 👇
We also talked about two more concepts similar to inference - RESULT and REASON.
Inference
Inference is like a guessing game. It’s when you use clues to figure something out that isn’t directly told to you. For example, if you see someone wearing a raincoat and carrying an umbrella, you might infer that it’s going to rain.
Result
A result is what happens after something. It’s the outcome or answer to a question. For instance, if you study hard for a test, the result might be a good grade.
Reason
A reason is why something happens. It explains the cause behind a result. For example, if you got a good grade on the test, your reason might be that you studied a lot.
Putting It All Together
In a nutshell, inference helps you make guesses, results show what happened, and reasons explain why things happened.
For your homework, you need to complete pages 27-28 in your Guiding Notes and hand it in TOMORROW. We completed p.27 in class, and on p.28, we did a few together, but to clarify, on p.28, you need to look at the table and either fill in your own inference for the part of the story, or you need to find the part of the story that matches the inference and write it down. We did one of each in class, so you should know what to do!
In today's lesson, we reviewed the story, Sarah, Plain and Tall and we talked about inference and how readers need to make inferences in order to have a better understanding of the story. Please open the PowerPoint presentation from today's lesson to help you gain a better understanding of inference if you're still confused. You can find the presentation below 👇
We also talked about two more concepts similar to inference - RESULT and REASON.
Inference
Inference is like a guessing game. It’s when you use clues to figure something out that isn’t directly told to you. For example, if you see someone wearing a raincoat and carrying an umbrella, you might infer that it’s going to rain.
Result
A result is what happens after something. It’s the outcome or answer to a question. For instance, if you study hard for a test, the result might be a good grade.
Reason
A reason is why something happens. It explains the cause behind a result. For example, if you got a good grade on the test, your reason might be that you studied a lot.
Putting It All Together
- Inference: Guessing it might rain because of the raincoat.
- Result: You get a good grade on the test.
- Reason: You studied hard.
In a nutshell, inference helps you make guesses, results show what happened, and reasons explain why things happened.
For your homework, you need to complete pages 27-28 in your Guiding Notes and hand it in TOMORROW. We completed p.27 in class, and on p.28, we did a few together, but to clarify, on p.28, you need to look at the table and either fill in your own inference for the part of the story, or you need to find the part of the story that matches the inference and write it down. We did one of each in class, so you should know what to do!
| g6_u3_-_sarah_plain_and_tall.pptx |
Week 7: Inference Sarah, Plain and Tall
Monday: HW Guiding Notes p.20-26 (hand in next Tuesday)
Again, we're missing a week's worth of lessons, so we need to get through a lot of pages. In today's lesson, we learned about INFERENCE.
Inference is like being a detective. When you read a story or see something, you might not get all the information right away. Instead, you use clues to figure out what’s happening or what someone might be feeling, even if it's not said directly. For example, if you see someone shivering and wearing a light jacket outside in winter, you can infer that they might be cold. You didn’t need them to say, “I am cold,” because you used the clues to make a good guess. Inference is all about using what you know and what you see to understand things better!
Remember that your inferences need to make sense. If we look at this sentence: The traffic was at a standstill, with honking horns and frustrated drivers. We can infer that there might have been an accident. This would be a strong inference because there is evidence that there might have beeen an accident - cars stop on the road when there's an accident. Inferring that there was a clown dancing on the side of the road wouldn't be a strong inference, because there normally aren't clowns dancing on the side of the road.
We also read the passeage from Sarah, Plain and Tall. We discussed the things that we can infer from the text, such as mama dying during childbirth. There are many other inferences that we can make from the text. Re-read pages 23-25 and answer the questions in red. Make notes in your text, and try your best to make strong inferences. Then, answer the questions on p.26 and hand in your homework next Tuesday.
Again, we're missing a week's worth of lessons, so we need to get through a lot of pages. In today's lesson, we learned about INFERENCE.
Inference is like being a detective. When you read a story or see something, you might not get all the information right away. Instead, you use clues to figure out what’s happening or what someone might be feeling, even if it's not said directly. For example, if you see someone shivering and wearing a light jacket outside in winter, you can infer that they might be cold. You didn’t need them to say, “I am cold,” because you used the clues to make a good guess. Inference is all about using what you know and what you see to understand things better!
Remember that your inferences need to make sense. If we look at this sentence: The traffic was at a standstill, with honking horns and frustrated drivers. We can infer that there might have been an accident. This would be a strong inference because there is evidence that there might have beeen an accident - cars stop on the road when there's an accident. Inferring that there was a clown dancing on the side of the road wouldn't be a strong inference, because there normally aren't clowns dancing on the side of the road.
We also read the passeage from Sarah, Plain and Tall. We discussed the things that we can infer from the text, such as mama dying during childbirth. There are many other inferences that we can make from the text. Re-read pages 23-25 and answer the questions in red. Make notes in your text, and try your best to make strong inferences. Then, answer the questions on p.26 and hand in your homework next Tuesday.
Week 6: Anthropomorphism vs Personification and Folk Tales, continued.
Thursday: HW Guiding Notes p.18-19 (due Monday)
Today, we learned the difference between personification and anthropomorphism. In the story What is Trouble? there are two talking animals - Bear and Rabbit. When animals walk, talk, and act like humans, we call that anthropomorphism. On the other hand, when we give human characteristics to a non-human object, we call that personification. For example, saying "The teapot screamed." or "The clouds danced in the sky." are both personification. Humans scream and dance, but clouds and teapots don't.
For the homework, you need to finish page 18, drawing one example of personification and one example of anthropomorphism, and then write an example explaining each.
Finally, for page 19, you need to continue the story What is Trouble after Bear catches Rabbit. Remember to properly format your dialogue, use anthropomorphism, and include narration that creates tension!
Today, we learned the difference between personification and anthropomorphism. In the story What is Trouble? there are two talking animals - Bear and Rabbit. When animals walk, talk, and act like humans, we call that anthropomorphism. On the other hand, when we give human characteristics to a non-human object, we call that personification. For example, saying "The teapot screamed." or "The clouds danced in the sky." are both personification. Humans scream and dance, but clouds and teapots don't.
For the homework, you need to finish page 18, drawing one example of personification and one example of anthropomorphism, and then write an example explaining each.
Finally, for page 19, you need to continue the story What is Trouble after Bear catches Rabbit. Remember to properly format your dialogue, use anthropomorphism, and include narration that creates tension!
Week 5: Folk Tales
Monday: HW Guiding Notes p.11-17 (hand in after the Easter holiday)
It may seem like a lot of homework, but we were able to get through most of it in class on Monday. Unfortunately, we don't have lessons on Thursday and next Monday, so we need to get through a bit more today.
In today's lesson, we learned about folk tales - or stories that have been passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. We also talked about the story that we will be learning in this unit - What is Trouble? We discussed what slavery is, and we learned that the story is an allegory for slavery, with the rabbit representing s black slave, and the bear representing a white slave owner. Have a look at the PowerPoint below for a further explanation.
You can also play the Blooket to practive the vocabulary: dashboard.blooket.com/set/661e074e38d5b9dc500908a5
It may seem like a lot of homework, but we were able to get through most of it in class on Monday. Unfortunately, we don't have lessons on Thursday and next Monday, so we need to get through a bit more today.
In today's lesson, we learned about folk tales - or stories that have been passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. We also talked about the story that we will be learning in this unit - What is Trouble? We discussed what slavery is, and we learned that the story is an allegory for slavery, with the rabbit representing s black slave, and the bear representing a white slave owner. Have a look at the PowerPoint below for a further explanation.
You can also play the Blooket to practive the vocabulary: dashboard.blooket.com/set/661e074e38d5b9dc500908a5
| g6_u2_-_what_is_trouble.pptx |
Week 4: Writing your classroom dialogue
Monday: HW Guiding Notes p.10 (hand in on Thursday)
Today, we focus on the importance of TENSION in your writing. Remember, tension is created when you include narration (which tells the story) with your dialogue (people talking in your story). Good narration makes your story much more interesting, and it helps paint a picture in your reader's mind.
For your homework, you need to write a dialogue of a classroom interaction. Make sure you stay on topic, and keep it a CLASSROOM interaction. Remember to properly format your dialogue using the rules from the worksheet that I handed out. You should also practice the questions about dialogue using the Gimkit QR code at the end of the worksheet.
Today, we focus on the importance of TENSION in your writing. Remember, tension is created when you include narration (which tells the story) with your dialogue (people talking in your story). Good narration makes your story much more interesting, and it helps paint a picture in your reader's mind.
For your homework, you need to write a dialogue of a classroom interaction. Make sure you stay on topic, and keep it a CLASSROOM interaction. Remember to properly format your dialogue using the rules from the worksheet that I handed out. You should also practice the questions about dialogue using the Gimkit QR code at the end of the worksheet.
| how_to_format_dialogue.pdf |
Week 3: More Dialogue
Monday: HW Guiding Notes p.9 (storyboard a classroom interaction)
In today's lesson, we reviewed some of the vocabulary that we learned the previous Monday by playing a Blooket. You can have another go at it here: play.blooket.com/play?hwId=67eb637166e5de03b7dd7c19
Next, we learned about dialogue and how it works together with narration to create a clear story for the reader. When writing dialogue, there are some important rules to remember. First, always use quotation marks around the words that characters say, like this: "I'm excited to go to the park!" Next, start a new paragraph each time a different character speaks, and remember to indent. For example, if Sam says, "What time is it?" you would start a new line when Mia replies, "It's almost noon." Make sure to put punctuation inside the quotation marks, like in "Is it raining?" she asked. Use simple tags like "said" or "asked" to show who is speaking, but don’t overuse fancy words. Keep the dialogue sounding natural; people often use contractions, like "I'm" instead of "I am." Show how characters feel by adding actions, like "I can't believe you did that!" she yelled, her face turning red. Avoid using dialogue just to explain everything—make sure it relates to the story. Sometimes, characters might hint at their feelings without saying them directly, which adds depth. Reading the dialogue aloud can help you see if it sounds natural, and if it feels awkward, revise it. Finally, each character should have a unique way of speaking that reflects who they are. Following these rules will help make your dialogue engaging and realistic!
We also learned about TENSION and why it is important in dialogue. Tension in dialogue is really important for a few reasons. First, it makes the story more interesting and keeps readers wanting to know what happens next, especially when characters are in conflict or facing problems. Tension also helps us learn about the characters, showing their true feelings and how they react under pressure. When characters talk in a tense way, it can move the story forward and lead to important events. Plus, tense conversations can make readers feel strong emotions, like excitement or fear, which helps them connect with the story. Tension often comes from conflict, which creates stakes and makes things more urgent. It can also allow characters to say one thing but mean another, adding depth to their conversations. Finally, tension helps control the story's pace; when dialogue is tense, it can make things move quickly, while resolved tension can slow it down for reflection. Overall, tension in dialogue makes a story exciting and keeps readers engaged!
In today's lesson, we reviewed some of the vocabulary that we learned the previous Monday by playing a Blooket. You can have another go at it here: play.blooket.com/play?hwId=67eb637166e5de03b7dd7c19
Next, we learned about dialogue and how it works together with narration to create a clear story for the reader. When writing dialogue, there are some important rules to remember. First, always use quotation marks around the words that characters say, like this: "I'm excited to go to the park!" Next, start a new paragraph each time a different character speaks, and remember to indent. For example, if Sam says, "What time is it?" you would start a new line when Mia replies, "It's almost noon." Make sure to put punctuation inside the quotation marks, like in "Is it raining?" she asked. Use simple tags like "said" or "asked" to show who is speaking, but don’t overuse fancy words. Keep the dialogue sounding natural; people often use contractions, like "I'm" instead of "I am." Show how characters feel by adding actions, like "I can't believe you did that!" she yelled, her face turning red. Avoid using dialogue just to explain everything—make sure it relates to the story. Sometimes, characters might hint at their feelings without saying them directly, which adds depth. Reading the dialogue aloud can help you see if it sounds natural, and if it feels awkward, revise it. Finally, each character should have a unique way of speaking that reflects who they are. Following these rules will help make your dialogue engaging and realistic!
We also learned about TENSION and why it is important in dialogue. Tension in dialogue is really important for a few reasons. First, it makes the story more interesting and keeps readers wanting to know what happens next, especially when characters are in conflict or facing problems. Tension also helps us learn about the characters, showing their true feelings and how they react under pressure. When characters talk in a tense way, it can move the story forward and lead to important events. Plus, tense conversations can make readers feel strong emotions, like excitement or fear, which helps them connect with the story. Tension often comes from conflict, which creates stakes and makes things more urgent. It can also allow characters to say one thing but mean another, adding depth to their conversations. Finally, tension helps control the story's pace; when dialogue is tense, it can make things move quickly, while resolved tension can slow it down for reflection. Overall, tension in dialogue makes a story exciting and keeps readers engaged!
Week 2: Introducing Dialogue (Frindle)
Thursday: No class
Monday: HW Guiding Notes p.1-2
Today we briefly discussed how dialogue and narration work together to paint a picture in the reader's mind. We will learn more about this in the following lessons, but you should read below to have a better idea and be prepared. We also talked about how words are created and learned some new words!
How Dialogue and Narration Work Together:1. It provides character development
Together, dialogue and narration make stories interesting and help us picture what’s happening. Dialogue brings characters to life, while narration builds the world they live in. When they work together, they create a vivid story in our minds!
Have a look at the PowerPoint file below for the videos that we watched in class.
Monday: HW Guiding Notes p.1-2
Today we briefly discussed how dialogue and narration work together to paint a picture in the reader's mind. We will learn more about this in the following lessons, but you should read below to have a better idea and be prepared. We also talked about how words are created and learned some new words!
How Dialogue and Narration Work Together:1. It provides character development
- Dialogue: What characters say helps us know who they are. For example, if someone talks loudly and confidently, we might think they are brave.
- Narration: The narrator (the person telling the story) describes what the characters look like and how they feel, giving us more details about them.
- Narration: Sets the stage by describing where and when the story takes place. This helps us picture the place in our minds.
- Dialogue: Characters might mention things about their surroundings, like "It’s really hot today!" This makes the setting feel real.
- Dialogue: Fast conversations can make the story exciting and create tension. For example, if characters are arguing, their words might come quickly.
- Narration: Slower parts help us think about what’s happening. It gives us time to feel the emotions in the story.
- Dialogue: Shows how characters feel through their words. If someone says, “I’m so sad,” we know they are upset.
- Narration: Describes how characters act or what the place looks like, which can make us feel strong emotions too.
- Dialogue: Sometimes what characters don’t say is just as important. They might hint at their feelings without saying them directly.
- Narration: Can explain what’s really going on inside a character’s mind, adding more depth to the conversation.
Together, dialogue and narration make stories interesting and help us picture what’s happening. Dialogue brings characters to life, while narration builds the world they live in. When they work together, they create a vivid story in our minds!
Have a look at the PowerPoint file below for the videos that we watched in class.
| frindle_presentation_25.pptx |