Sponge Bob's The Tell Tale Heart & Halloween

Tomorrow we will be celebrating Halloween with a party...so come in a costume if you like! And if you are bringing treats, please make sure they are nut free!

Also note...we will be doing some work in the first half of the morning (party is in the second half). This 'work' we are doing involves using your best Mr. Krabbs, Squidward, and Spongebob voices...as we will be reading the script to Sponge Bob Squarepant's version of The Tell Tale Heart.

This means that the writers of Sponge Bob, like you, have read Poe's story...and were so inspired by it, they adapted it to an episode!

Here is the script we will be reading...and comparing to the orignal.

If we have time, we will also watch the show. If not, that will take place on Tuesday.

See you tomorrow!

Tell Tale Heart Videos

These are the youtube Tell Tale Heart videos we will watch & compare to the original text.

Modern Adaptation

Animation

In Less than 2 Minutes

Highschool Student's Production

I love the creativity the creators of these videos have brought to their retelling of this classic tale!

Poe's Tell Tale Heart HOMEWORK!

Students, we will be spending a few days before and possible after Halloween looking at Edgar Allen Poe's brilliant, classic, suspenseful and creepy short story:

The Tell Tale Heart.

In anticipation of beginning this project on Wednesday (barring no unforeseen interruptions!), please read this short story. Here is it ONLINE. For those that require a paper copy, you must let me know tomorrow (Tuesday).

CLICK HERE FOR THE LINK TO THE STORY!

If by chance you find the language too difficult (which most of you should not), you can copy & paste text a few lines at a time using Ivona.com and have it read to you.

Also, if you prefer, you can read along to the RADIO PLAY (audio only) on youtube. Here is part 2 of the radio play.

Please DO NOT look up video interpretations on you tube! We will be looking at these separate from the text.

We will also be comparing the story to Sponge Bob episode 'Squeaky Boots' (again, do not look this up if you haven't seen it! Save it for when we look at it in class!)

Writing Feedback via Email

Gradually over the new two weeks leading up to progress reports all parents on email will receive digital photographs of before and after student writing as well as an explanation of the tasks and links to the Ministry of Education's Writing Exemplars (expected level being level 3).

Every term I hope to send home, via email, descriptive feedback regarding the literacy program.

Students are provided with email at school and a copy will also be sent to them.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Regards,
Julie Johnson

Coming Soon....Spelling

Spelling is one of those things students (and adults like me) find boring and tedious...but it MUST BE DONE! 

First: as a MATTER OF PRIDE. Your ideas are important and deserve the respect of being properly presented.

Secondly: because you don't want to IRRITATE YOUR READER. If you spell words wrong (especially common words) your reader will notice the errors and it will irritate them--especially if it is so poorly spelled, they get confused as to your meaning.

As we have been talking about, writers want to entice readers to keep reading their writing. They don't want to annoy or frustrate them so they toss the writing aside and yell in aggravation: "I'M NOT READING THIS! THE SPELLING IS SO TERRIBLE I CAN’T UNDERSTAND IT! I GIVE UP!"

In this class we will be looking at the 200 most commonly mis-spelled words in the English Language (starting with the top 31). I myself am guilty of mis-spelling these words on occasion (though I am a novelist in my spare time, and I love writing, spelling is not my strong suit. I must work hard at this like most other people do).

These are the words that we use again and again and that readers will notice when we get them wrong.

So let's get them right! Together, we are going to ace these words!

Novel Study & General Reading Update

This week, our class started their Independent Reading Novel Study. Students have chosen a novel and every morning they read for 10 mins. Then they are completing 3R Reflection & Picture journals. These questions (retell, relate, reflect) and the picture section address these curriculum points:

Gr. 7
1. 3 identify a variety of reading comprehension strategies (such as visualization)
1.4 demonstrate understanding of increasingly complex texts by summarizing important ideas 

1.5 develop and explain interpretations of  texts using stated and implied ideas from the texts to support their interpretations 

1.6 extend understanding of texts, by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them  

Gr.8
1.3 identify a variety of reading comprehension strategies 
1.4 demonstrate understanding of increasingly complex and difficult texts by summarizing important ideas

1.5 develop and explain interpretations of texts using stated and implied ideas from the texts to support their interpretations 

1.6 extend understanding of texts, by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other texts, and to the world around them 

The benefit of making this task independent is that students get to select their own reading material. Reading preferences are intensely personal and students should be allowed to read what honestly interests them rather than always 'assigned' texts.

The other areas of reading in class currently are: Nikolas & Company whole class read aloud with Visual Doodles (which models reading strategies, connections to text, the making of predictions, summaries, character/setting etc), music lyrics for connections to text (see my poplit lyrics website) and short video 'stories' on my poplit.net to explore summaries/retells, character/setting/plot.

Also, we have read one of Chris Simon's news report in the Innisfil Scope as a way to explore report writing.

Coming up soon! Poe's Tell Tale Heart, the use of lyrics/poems to determine 'main idea', and, once I have finished my individual reading assessments (I am meeting individually and reading with each student to confirm reading levels), guided reading practice!

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Report Writing

Our first main piece of writing is almost completed and will be sent home shortly (for most people, via email). I will also be sending home the initial baseline writing sample so you can compare the two and note the progress.

This first piece of writing is our reports on Chris Simon's visit to our class at the end of September.

We have been approaching this as both a modeled and shared writing task. In other words, we are building it sentence by sentence with direct guidance and input from me and with student suggestions.

One of main priorities in this task is to 'add more beef to the hamburger' by including as much specific details as possible about the who/when/where/what/why and how. We are also 'spicing' up the hamburger by including a variety of sentences (question, statement, exclamation). Our organization should also be greatly improved through the use of specific transition words to organize the paragraphs.

There is, of course, still autonomy to the task: students are choosing what type of question to use as their opening, how they want to write the when/where/who/why/how, which transition words, which questions/answers from the interview and interesting facts to put in the 'what' section, where they want to put their exclamation points.

I am merely breaking it down into specific, smaller tasks, and providing examples and resources (such as transition word lists and spelling lists).

I am expecting through this task that the writing they produce should be significantly improved than their initial baseline piece. My expectations will increase (and increase more for the Gr. 8's vs. the Gr. 7's).

The next report (on Luke Navarro's interview in November) will be more independent, a chance for me to see if they can apply these skills on their own.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

COMING UP NEXT! Writing game reviews, a report on our interview with Luke Navarro...and then main idea paragraphs which will turn into essays in the Winter time as we study Romeo & Juliette!

Also coming up very soon...spelling the top most mis-spelled words!

Independent Writing Journals

Having now seen samples of student writing, I can see that there are common areas of need. Previously, in a post about 'where's the beef?' I spoke of the need for more substance: in other words, adding specific detail and vividness to your writing.

The other area of need is Writer's Voice.

What is Writer's Voice? It is the spark of personality in a person's writing. It is the enthusiasm or mood. It is the emotional connection the writer brings to the writing so that the reader feels it too. To many students, I am advising: 'make the moment come alive for your reader'! Not just through providing basic details but through providing details related to feeling and atmosphere.

Here is another interpretation of 'where's the beef?'. The writing is not only missing detail as 'the beef' but also EMOTION. All I'm being served is a white fluffy bun...blah, how boring! Give me a big, juicy hamburger with all the fixings! A dash of hot sauce! Basil! Fancy gorgonzola cheese! Give me so many onions on top I can't help but cry!

Spice it up! Make the moment come alive for your reader.

I get the sense for many students that writing has become rote. Yes, there are formulas to certain writing forms.  Yes, you need a title, a main idea, supporting details, headings, etc. But you can still, within that framework, add some jazz and some spice and some of your personality to the mix.

To encourage a sense of expression, I have introduced Independent Writing Journals. These are free writing journals. Students are given a topic or prompt (see the new Writing Prompt page for examples), or they can choose their own topic. The objective is to explore it freely through writing, vering off topic as the energy of one's interest shifts. You write for 10 minutes straight, just getting it down, not worrying about anything but connecting to your ideas via the pencil and page. (I also allow picture/caption and comics/graphic stories as a part of this process).

We need to flex our expression muscles and feel our connections to topics so that we can bring it to bear on our more formal writing pieces.

Guest Speaker on Monday

Just to let everyone know, we will be having a guest speaker on Monday morning. A nurse will be coming in to talk about cancer on behalf of one of the students in our class.

Regards,
Julie Johnson

Kevin McGill puts us on his blog!

Kevin McGill also wrote about our collaborative initiative (which I wrote about in the previous post) on his blog: http://kevinmcgill.wordpress.com

You may also wish to scroll down to see his new BOOK COVER! His book will soon be coming in paper form! (The old fashion way!)

Currently, I read his book as an e-book with my e-reader (kindle).

We have been talking in class about CATS (Cover, Author, Title, Skim or Summary) as a way to discuss and approach books.

Check out Kevin's book cover to see what impressions you get about the book! Can you make any predictions about the book? What do you think about the cover art?

Nikolas & Co: Achievement "Unlocked"!

Kevin McGill, the writer of Nikolas & Co, wrote our class a letter after seeing your visual doodles about his book!

To Mrs. Johnson's grade 7/8 students,

• Your teacher, Mrs. Johnson, just showed me your pictures of Nikolas and Company and all I can say is, awesome! 
• 
  
• I am so impressed by your drawings and desire to read that I've decided to make it worth your while. 
• 
  
• There are so many things about Nikolas and Company that you don't know yet. 
• 
  
• Like the power of jynn'us - every person has a power hidden inside all of them, and when they breathe the air of Mon, it will be unlocked. 
• 
  
• Some have the power to call weapons out of thin air, others can destroy an entire airship with the blink of an eye. 
• 
  
• Then, there's all the various kinds of fantastic creatures: creachlings, elflings, fairlings, humlings, unlings, biglings, midglings, and plantlings. Each kind has their own set of creatures and monsters.
• 
  
• For example, under the plantling kind, there is a terrible monster that is part tree and part spider. (A hint: Don't be fooled by one of its juicy looking fruits.) 
• 
  
• Would you like to be the first to know more about the thousands of different creatures and inner-powers? Well, you will. 
• 
  
• For every week that you listen to and draw along with Nikolas and Company, I will unlock another Mon mystery on my website just for you. 
• 
  
• Simply visit http://nikolasandco.com/ and click on "Mon Mysteries."
• 
  
• Read on! 
• 
  
• Sincerely, 
• 
  

Kevin

Thanks Kevin! I will be sure to let you know by the end of each week if we've got doodles! And if we do I will post them on my new page on this blog dedicated to the Visual Doodles! 


What an exciting way to explore the creative universe of Nikolas & Company. We look forward to 'unlocking' this special content as we read and think our way through your book!

Reading is Thinking: Visual Doodles

Recently, we started reading Nikolas & Co, a YA fantasy adventure novel by Kevin McGill (who will be one of our guest speakers. He is a writing friend of mine via Twitter who lives in Dallas, Texas. He spoke last year at my J/I Boy's Literacy Event).

As I read the story aloud, students are creating Visual Doodles to represent the images they see in their mind's eye ('Reading is Thinking'). They will also be writing about the story as well (focusing on summaries, opinions, connections and story features like character/setting/plot, figurative language, etc). Here are a few of the first doodles. These doodles document the events in the first chapter. They are in pencil and a bit hard to see but check them out! You should be able to make out: mountains, digging for the artifact, crazy project leader, a hover truck, gold dust shimmering in the air, etc.

I will be sending this blog link to Kevin. Hey, Kevin, what do you think? Leave a comment below!

Making a Hamberger #2: Writers Voice

Having now seen samples of student writing, I can see that there are common areas of need. Previously, I spoke of the need for more substance, detail, specifics, vividness.

The other area of need is Writer's Voice.

What is Writer's Voice? It is the spark of personality in a person's writing. It is enthusiasm or mood. It is the emotional connection the writer brings to the writing so that the reader feels it too. To many students, I am advising: 'make the moment come alive for your reader'! Not just through providing details but through providing feeling.

Here is another interpretation of 'where's the beef?'. The writing is not only missing detail as 'the beef' but also EMOTION. All I'm being served is a white fluffy bun...blah, how boring! Give me a big, juicy hamburger with all the fixings! A dash of hot sauce! Basil! Fancy gorgonzola cheese! Give me so many onions on top I can't help but cry!

Make the moment come alive for your reader.

I get the sense for many students that writing has become rote. Yes, there are formulas to certain writing forms.  Yes, you need a title, a main idea, supporting details, etc. But you can still, within that framework, add some jazz and some spice and some of your personality to the mix.

To encourage a sense of expression, I have introduced Independent Writing Journals. These are free writing journals. Students are given a topic or prompt, or they can choose their own topic. The objective is to explore it freely through writing, vering off topic as the energy of one's interest shifts. You write for 10 minutes straight, just getting it down, not worrying about anything but connecting to your ideas via the pencil and page.

We need to flex our expression muscles so that we can bring it to bear on our more formal pieces.

Shakespeare in Bits: Coming in January!

Shakespeare in Bits is software created by Mindconnex Learning in Dublin, Ireland. Our class is very fortunate to be part of the Educator Partnership Program--which means that we get to test drive the software and give feedback! Fiona from Mindconnex will be talking to the class via Skype on Dec. 14th!

Plus, we are the only Canadian participants!

HOW COOL IS THAT?!

Recently, Shakespeare in Bits was showcased on a video called 'Dublin's 30 Second Start Ups' (created by Tech Europe of the Wall Street Journal).  They are the first '30 second' clip at about the 44 second mark in the video. I thought I would post it here so students & parents could see a 'face behind the software': Michael Cordner.

Michael Cordner is also right: every student encounters Shakespeare at some point!

Shakespeare's appeal is ageless--primary kids can study Shakespeare. Most students typically encounter the original plays in high-school (typically Romeo & Juliet in Grade 9!). As part of preparing for the transition to high school, this class is going to get a 'taste' of Shakespeare through whole class study of the play using this amazing software (via the Smartboard). We are also going to watch 2 movies based on the play (and based on that, we will write our short comparative essays).

Winter is going to be a very exciting time as we launch this project!

For more information on Shakespeare in Bits, check out their websete. The link is also on the sidebar.

Here is the video! Enjoy!

Program Plans

I thought everyone would like to know the fall agenda in terms of literacy & media for this class. Please note it is a work in progress and may need to be adjusted. Some aspects may carry into the Winter. Here it is:

I have also set up a wiki that allows for document downloads. This is available in document form HERE.  I will be adding more documents to the download files as the need arises.

Where's the Beef? Explained.

Parents, today, we reviewed the Where's The Beef? commercial and students rightly guessed that, in terms of their writing, I was looking for more substance. I'm looking for more hamburger in the bun!

In particular, I am looking for specific details. Writers need to paint pictures in their readers head. Give me, your reader, a clear, specific vision to hold onto! If you add more specific detail to your communication--no matter what writing form (letter, story, report, review, essay, etc), your writing will vastly improve.

This does not mean just giving more sentences. If those sentences are 'vague', it won't improve the writing. This is one of my writing mantras: longer writing does not equal better writing! You can have pages and pages of bad writing. You can have a tight 5 line paragraph of good writing. I want the good writing!

I have given students these small booklets I call Idea Books or Response Journals. They do not allow for a lot of writing per page. Some students are a bit confused by them. Don't teachers usually ask you to 'write more'? Aren't we supposed to be writing paragraphs? Aren't we supposed to be writing essays?

We will. But first I think we need to look at quality. We are going to go line by line, even word by word in some cases.  Instead of just saying 'a student', 'a boy', 'a school', get specific. Give me 'female dance student, age 6', 'Freddy from ICarly', 'Hogwart's School of Witchcraft & Wizardry' . I now have a much more specific idea in mind.

When you are writing summaries, or providing proof in main idea paragraphs, the same idea holds true. The more specific proof or example you give, the stronger your argument.

We discussed this quote as well (also on the daily quote page): "When asked 'How do you write?' I invariably answer, 'One word at a time.'" Stephen King, famous author, writer of 49 novels.

Writing is built word by word. As we start our first writing assignment (news report), we will be breaking it down. What is your first line? What is a good first line? How can you improve that first line? What do you put down next?

This need for the right amount of detail will be looked at all year long even though the writing forms will change over time (reports, reviews, main idea/persuasive paragraphs (fall), comparative essay on Romeo & Juliet, short story (winter), poems, procedures (spring)).

Let's go create high quality hamburgers!