blog 7 3344 MGP Draft

Importance of Recycling

TEKS

Grade K-3

(b) Knowledge and skills.

(1) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student for at least 80% of instructional time, conducts investigations in the classroom and outdoors following home and school safety procedures and uses environmentally appropriate and responsible practices. The student is expected to:

(A) identify and demonstrate safe practices as described in the Texas Safety Standards during classroom and outdoor investigations including wearing safety goggles, washing hands, and using materials appropriately;

(B) discuss the importance of safe practices to keep self and others safe and healthy; and

(C) demonstrate how to use, conserve, and dispose of natural resources and materials such as conserving water and reusing or recycling of paper, plastic, and metal.

My MGP

Narrative- Comic strip (how plastic bags never decompose)

Expository- brochure (how to sort recyclables, what can and can't be recycled)

Persuasive- Power Point (persuade the reader to recycle to lessen the dependency of landfills)

Descriptive- Poem (love the earth)

Blog 7 Modern Fantasy 3321

Modern Fantasy

Our group presented on Modern Fantasy this week and we defined it as, literature that is set in the real world but the author alters one or more characteristics of everyday reality. There are many different categories of Modern Fantasy and they are: Articulate Animals, Toys, Preposterous Characters and Situations, Strange and Curious Worlds, Little People, Spirits: Friendly and Frightening, Time Warps and Science Fiction. With all the different categories of Modern Fantasy you can only imagine the limitless possibilities of how to use it in your classroom. Below is my example.

Book: The Little Engine That Could

Directions for teacher: Before reading the story to your students create a (large) little blue train out of construction paper and have this displayed on a wall in your classroom. Introduce the book to the students and engage them in talk before you read the story to them. Ask them what they think the book will be about based on the cover and title page. Then read the story (make sure to point out how the clown and toys don't give up along the way).

Directions for students: After reading the story to the students (and pointing out the moral of the story, don't give up) have them think about a time in there life where they ran into many obstacles and kept going. Give them a personal experience of your own as an example, learning to ride your bike or tying your shoe. Then ask your students to draw a personal experience in there lives, when they could have given up but kept trying.

Directions for teacher: After the students finish their drawings ask them to share their experiences and artwork, then have them tape their pictures on the wall in the coach cars of the little blue train you displayed on the wall. You could even put a large tittle over the train saying "I think I can, I think I can..... " :)

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Talk

The text book defines "talk" in two ways aesthetic talk and efferent talk. Aesthetic talk, like aesthetic listening, deals with the lived-through experience of literature. Students use aesthetic talk to respond to literature and to deepen their understanding of the books they are reading. Efferent talk is used by students to inform and persuade. They use efferent talk in conversations during an activity called theme cycles. There are four other types of efferent talk and they are: show-and-tell, oral reports, interviews, and debates. These activities require the children to prepare and rehearse before presenting in front of an audience.

The chatter of little voices is an everyday occurrence in elementary school classrooms. As they talk they are using their conversations for different purposes. They may be trying to control a classmates behavior, maintain social relationships (friendships), convey information, or to express their own personal experiences and opinions. Talk encourages children to voice their ideas and opinions and by doing so, create opportunities for listening as well. Which is why talk is so important in the classroom.

Talk appears in the classroom through many ways and activities. Aesthetic talk happens in small groups, grand conversations, by asking questions, through reading stories and through readers theater. Small groups is where students learn to be responsible group members and recognize that what they have to say is important in the classroom. Grand conversations help to dig deeper into stories and help students deepen their comprehension. Students talk about literature they are reading in literature focus units and literature circles. Both students and teachers ask questions in the classroom this helps stimulate conversation and deepen understanding. Remember the most useful questions cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. A good question requires students to analyze, interpret, evaluate and to offer their personal opinions. Reading stories creates multiple opportunities for talk in the classroom. The stories can be read by both the student and the teacher. Readers theater is a great way to involve your students in the stories you are presenting to the class, by involving them in acting out the stories. I'm sure there are many other ways that talk appears in the classroom so don't let these examples hinder you, they are ways to help and inspire you to inspire your students.

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Traditional Literature

Traditional Literature is literature that was originally told orally from one generation to the next, is mostly narrated, has no identified authors, and usually explained the origin of natural events or revealed the social, political and spiritual beliefs of a society.

Who doesn't love a good story! I know I do and children especially do. That's why using Traditional Literature in the classroom is so important, and easy! There are many ways Traditional Literature can be introduced into the classroom. One way is by reading it to your students. Traditional tales are among the most memorable that children experience in literature. Because of their well defined plots, easily identifiable characters, rapid action, and happy endings, the tales lend themselves to enjoyable experiences. When introducing the story to your students, you should be prepared and creative. Build up the the story, set the mood. By stimulating their curiosity, you automatically get them hooked. Read the story convincingly, make eye contact, and have fun. By inspiring your students through traditional literature, you can motivate them to create their own stories. Creative writing is important to encourage children to love literature and writing. Traditional literature can also be used to introduce children to past cultures and values. An example of this may be reading a traditional literature book and then asking the children to identify the lessons and values in the story and then have them compare and contrast the values with those we have and use today. Creating your own version of a traditional story is also a great way to use traditional literature in the classroom, just as we did in class on Wednesday.

I will definitely use Traditional Literature in my classroom. Traditional literature helps children understand the world and identify with universal human struggles along with providing pleasure. Children's understanding of the world is increased as they learn about early cultural traditions, develop appreciation of culture and art from different countries and become familiarized with many languages and dialects of cultures around the world. Traditional literature also encourages children to realize that people from all over the world have inherent goodness, mercy, courage and determination to succeed. Who wouldn't want to make these important lessons available to their students?

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Picture Books

Picture Books are illustrated books where the story is told through the pictures with little or no text. In picture books the illustrations are as important or more important than the text. I use picture books all the time. My son loves to read books, but since he has not learned to read yet (he's 3) the pictures are the best part! To him, the brighter and sillier, the better. As a teacher picture books can be used in an endless amount of ways. The important part to remember, is to make sure the pictures and the text in the picture book relate. Generally you would want to read a picture book that related to the topic being taught, but reading a fun book to settle children back into studying mood after lunch might work for you also. Picture books can also be a great ice breaker for older students.

How to evaluate Picture Books

When selecting picture books for children there are nine questions you should use to evaluate these books. First are the illustrations accurate, and do they correspond to the content of the story? Second do the illustrations compliment the setting, plot, and mood of the story? Third do the illustrations enhance the characterizations? Fourth do both the text and illustrations avoid stereo types of race and sex? Fifth will the plot appeal to children? Sixth is the theme worthwhile? Seventh what is the purpose for sharing this book with children or recommending that they read it? Eighth are the author's style and language appropriate for the children's interests and age levels? And finally question number nine, are the text, the illustrations, the format, and the typography in harmony? With the abundance of picture books we have in the world today, there should be plenty of wonderful books to choose from.

I absolutely LOVE picture books. It is some what magical to read these books with such amazing illustrations. As I stated earlier, my son and I love to read picture books. I love some of the lessons picture books teach. They are very helpful when it comes to teaching numbers and letters. My eight month old daughter loves to eat her toy picture book! I think they help inspire imaginative thinking along with teaching some of the basics in reading and writing.

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Debate

For me the most challenging part of the debate was, trying not to interrupt the other team when they were giving their rebuttal. I wanted to immediately counter their exclamation without letting them finish. I wanted to be right. When the point of the debate was to view all sides and determine who's argument was stronger. It was not about who was right or wrong.

During the debate I used critical listening and efferent listening. I was critically listening to the other team as they stated there three reasons why their candy bar was better and I used efferent listening skills when I was taking notes on those points in order to think about our counter response. Our group used critical listening skills when we were trying to come up with our ideas for Hersey kisses. We all listened carefully to each other and to all of the different ideas and then organized them. It was interesting trying to get 10 or 12 people to agree on three main points.

Choice Words

"Did anyone notice?"

This question is the one I found most important. It helps children notice the world around them at home, in school and at play. It also helps to start conversation. Especially with younger kids, but it works well with high schoolers. Children learn by asking questions and it is our job as responsible adults to encourage questions (I know it's hard after you've answered the same one a million times, but try to grin and bear it). You want them to notice new and different things and to have questions about what they've seen. At home go for walks with your kids, if you are a parent, and talk about what you see. "Look at that tree, did you NOTICE the flowers have started to bloom? What do you think that means?" In school as a teacher, you want to bring that same curiosity into the classroom. You want them to engage in stories and to notice different words, similar ones, different styles of writings and much more. This can be done easily by asking the right questions. "Did anyone NOTICE any interesting words?" "....any words that are alike?" "....any new punctuation?" Asking children to notice the world doesn't stop in the classroom. Take every opportunity to teach this means recess too. The best way to get students to learn is to have fun with it. They don't realize they are learning to them, they are just having fun. When you are at the playground, ask them questions concerning the weather. "Did anyone notice the wind today?" "Did anyone NOTICE how blue the sky is?" The world is lacking in creativity and you never know asking children to NOTICE the world my one day inspire them to do great things!

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Dear Sentence,

We have been friends now for a long time and I would just like you to know how much you are loved by me. I know I'm not the only one you use. I've seen the others, exclamation point and period! They do not bother me. I am the only one who can help you find the answers that you seek. I keep our relationship exciting and new. There is only one thing I would be lost without and that is you. Without your beginning there would be no need for me at the end. This is why I'm thanking you again my friend. We are the best combination you and I. Together we will ask wonderful questions through all time.

Sincerely,
Question Mark

Capable Writers

Capable writers identify the topic and write a good introduction. They are interested in the topic but, sometimes the writing is unbalanced and needs a little work, but the reader can understand what is written. Power Paragraph Structure. Some quotations or citations are used to capture exact wording.

Diction: Word choice is adequate to get the point across, Fluency: Most sentences are organized but the writer used simple sentences and verbs. Voice: The reader can tell that the writer is interested in the topic. The reader would say, "This is good writing, but could be better!" The reader occasionally finds spelling, grammar and punctuation errors, but the errors don't interfere with understanding the writer’s paper.

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In our text International Literature is defined as "that body of books originally published in a country other than the United States, in a language of that country and later published in this country." (Hancock, 2000 p.201) International Literature helps to connect us to potential friends around the world. It teaches us about global neighbors and provides a cultural bridge to the internal and external worlds of people far away. International Literature is a wonderful provider of cultural knowledge that goes far beyond the narrow coverage provided by textbooks and television. It also reflects the culture and language diversity that is found in our classrooms, along with fostering global perspectives and global knowledge (we are not the only country in the world.)

The exact definition for Multicultural Literature is always changing. In 1993, Junko Yokota defines it as "literature that represents any distinct cultural group through accurate portrayal and rich detail." In 1997, Violet Harris defined literature exclusively about people's ethnicity as "multi ethnic literature." The most important part about identifying Multicultural Literature, is authenticity. To determine authenticity the author needs to either be from that culture, or write from the perspective of people from that culture. While authors do not need to be form the culture they are writing about, it becomes harder to achieve authenticity.

It is extremely important to have Multicultural Literature in your classroom because it opens children to broad world beliefs, values, and other cultural differences. It basically has two purposes, first it gives the children the chance to see their own culture in Literature, giving them a sense of belonging, and it gives them a chance to experience other cultures, which they may not experience on their own.

Two activities for Multicultural Literature:

1. Response to picture books- response begins with a memorable read-aloud followed by response prompts designed to impart a personal response to the book. (Talk about the pictures. How are the people dressed? What did you see that was unusual to you? What would the situation look like if it happened in our country in your house?)

2. Evaluation of characters- should reflect the cultures distinct experiences, names should be authentic and personalities should be believable, the character should be balanced with positive and negative traits, cultural stereotypes should be avoided, and gender roles should be authentic to the culture. (After the evaluation of the characters is complete, have the students create a character like the one in the story. Like a paper doll, have them make clothes and tools the character might have had.)

Activities for International Literature:

Prompts
writen journals
drama (plays)
extended reading by the same author
author studies