Stephanie Vasquez

Language Arts - small group

February 25, 2008 - February 29, 2008

"Grammar Picturebook"

This week, we will finish up with our compare/contrast essay and begin to work on our Grammar Picturebook.  Using all eight parts of speech and Powerpoint presentation software, students will create a colorful and descriptive picturebook.  Students are required to illustrate their slides and compose a sentence that identifies the part of speech. 

We will finish with our lesson on types of sentences and the students will be required to demonstrate their knowledge by composing simple, compound and complex sentences.

Language Arts- Small Group

February 18, 2008 - February 22, 2008

"Teaching Sentence Structures as Family Units"

This week we will complete our compare/contrast rough drafts...begin revising/editing...then typing or handwriting our final copy.

Lesson topic this week will focus on independent and dependent clauses.

Lanuage Arts -small group

February 11, 2008 - February 15, 2008

How does completing a compare and contrast essay help us to make generalizations?

This is the question we will explore during this week as we continue with our rough draft for the compare/contrast expository essay. 

In addition, students will continue working on their "Grammar Picture Book."

Sentence "families" will be introduced this week

Language Arts - Small Group

Expository Essay Writing - February 4, 2008 - February 8, 2008

During this week, our focus will be on beginning our pre-write (graphic organizers) for our compare/contrast essay.

We will begin to organize our ideas prior to writing our first rough draft.

We have already discussed the "point by point" and "block" method of writing...we will review examples of each style of writing.

Our grammar lesson this week will be on the introduction of conjunctions.

Language Arts - Small Group

January 28, 2008 - February 1, 2008

"Writing to explain and inform" - Expository Essay Writing

This week we will begin a new writing unit - Expository writing.  Our focus for this unit will be a compare/contrast essay and also a problem/solution essay.  We will introduce our unit with a "launch" activity.

Continuing with our lesson on pronouns, we will practice with pronoun/verb agreement.

Brainstorming for topic ideas for our compare/contrast essay will be completed this week and a quiz on pronouns will be administered on Friday, Feb. 1, 2008.

Language Arts - small group

Tuesday, January 22, 2008-Friday, January 25, 2008

Middle School Conference Week

We will have an early release schedule this week which means that classes will be shortened but we will continue with our study of the parts of speech.  At the beginning of the week, we will review pronouns and understand the meaning of "antecedent."  We will introduce conjunctions and interjections and a class discussion on what it means to "compare" and "contrast" will be explored.

Language Arts - Small Group

January 14, 2008 - January 18, 2008

Preparing for the Middle Grade Writing Assessment

This week we will prepare for the school-wide Middle Grade Writing Assessment.  Through practice writing sessions and feedback from the teacher, we will prepare for the assessment which is scheduled for Wednesday, January 16, 2008.

Also, we will continue to reinforce our knowledge of the eight parts of speech.

Pronouns and interjections will be reviewed and a quiz is scheduled for Tuesday, January 15, 2008.

Language Arts - Small Group

January 8, 2008-January 11, 2008

WELCOME BACK AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Continuing with the reading of our novel, "Heaven," we will now focus on how the author creates "conflict" within a story.  We will analyze the "theme" of the story and also determine which of the characters were the "antagonist" and "protagonist" in our story.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT...as we return to the routine of school, our focus during this period will be to prepare for the upcoming CRCT test.  Review of the eight parts of speech will be strongly emphasized and we will also review direct objects, subject/verb agreement, and types of sentences.

Language Arts - Small Group

December 17, 2007-December 21, 2007

"Understanding literary elements"

Students will continue to read the novel, "Heaven" and explore literary terms, characterization, conflict, protagonist, antagonist, setting and theme.

Oral review of the parts of speech

Wednesday - mid-year assessment of what has been learned

Happy Holidays!

Language Arts - Small Group

December 10, 2007- December 14, 2007

"Understanding the elements of a story"

We will begin to read the award-winning fiction novel, "Heaven."  Students will explore elements of literature such as characterization, theme, plot, and setting.  We will use critical thinking skills to discuss the novel and discover how we make "connections" to the stories that we read.

Also, we will continue to review parts of speech, i.e., prepositions and adverbs.  Pronouns will be introduced this week and we will discover how the writer's "point of view" is reflected in the choice of pronoun.