My Visitor Map

Click to zoom in on my visitor map!
Create your free world visitor maps

Monday, February 23, 2009

Grammar Bite for this Week

Hi Grade 5,

The Grammar Bite this week is how to use positive and negative forms of be.
You will use the words: is, are, isn't and aren't

Here are some links to online games:


Remember to use Firefox to play the game. Add a game in the comment box if you find a different on online.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Grade 5 SWA Inspires International American Competition!

You might remember that last December, Gr 5 wrote a comic book called "Grade 5's Idol Interviews". I posted this book on an American website called Tikatok.com
Just recently I became aware that they are having a competition: 

Classroom Writing Contest

Calling all writing teachers! Looking for a rewarding writing project for your class? Enter your classroom in Tikatok.com’s Classroom Writing Contest for a chance to win free copies of your students’ books and have them sent to President Barack Obama.

Writing Topics
Barack Obama just became the nation’s 44th president. Pretend you have the chance to have lunch with President Obama. What would you advise him to do as President? How do you think he can help the country in 2009? Be sure to include colorful illustrations to support your story.

OR

Imagine someone gives you the chance to meet your idol. Tell us what you would say? Where would you go? Use your imagination and tell us who you would meet and what you would talk about. Be sure to include colorful illustrations to support your story. 

You can see how we inspired this competition. Today I got an email from the Marketing of Tikatok:

Hi Jane,

Thanks for the submission...and yes, your idea did spark the basis for the contest. Your book has been viewed by the entire Tikatok team and we all think it's phenomenal! Thanks for submitting!

Thanks,
Katie
_____________________
Katie Cowan Porro
VP of Marketing and School Programs
Tikatok, Inc.
www.tikatok.com

Wow, well done Grade 5, you have inspired America!


Wednesday, February 18, 2009

That's so "Jetsons"!



Grade 5 today worked in the piazza shared area to record their inquiry reflection. I was able to easily keep them on task through using Remote Desktop. I felt very futuristic as I was able to interact with each student remotely as they were out of the classroom.

Rainforest Maths Site


Hey Grade 5,
Did you know that you can sign into this site with your Mathletics login? Click here to try it now.

A Comment from Atlanta, America

This morning as I was checking your homework, I clicked on a visitor from our Site Feed. I found this lovely comment about our class blog from Atlanta in America:
"The next classroom blog I visited was the Jakarta, Indonesia class that corresponds with the fifth graders from New Zealand. Mrs. Jane's fifth grade class blog has an unusually, modern campus. Sinarmas World Academy is extraordinary. Each student has an inquiry site and their own blog site. The curriculum is outlined with helpful information. The teacher has very detailed assignments posted. The students even added a video game to their blog."
It is nice to know that Grade 5 at SWA is leading the way in education!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

My Volcano

Homework Tonight


Hi Gr 5,
Tonight you need to go to Spelling City. You lists for this week have been uploaded and are Beginner Ninja 2, Skilled Ninja 2 and Master Ninja 2.
You need to practice your Grammar Bites - This, That, These and Those. Please play the game on the previous post. I also need you to finish your good copy of your last week's reflection about English. Publish this on your blog.

Monday, February 16, 2009

This, That, These and Those Online Games

I have had a little look around and found these online games for you to use:

Grammar Bites - this, that, these and those

This, that, these and those
These little words will be the Grammar Bite focus this week

Write a sentence using this, that, these and those. near us farther away
1. books/ heavy These books aren’t heavy. Those books are heavy.
2. bag/ green This bag isn’t green. That bag is green
That or those
1. Those are her pens. They are on the table.
2. They are our friends. They are playing outside.
Choose the correct word
1. (This/These) These cars are fast, but (that/those) that car isn’t.
2. (This/These) This ball is red, but (that/those) those are purple.
Complete the sentences with is, isn’t, are and aren’t
1. Candy is sweet. It isn’t sour.
2. Lemons aren’t sweet. They are sour.

The students have been given some worksheets to practice using these words correctly.
Check in your child's English folder

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Spore Story

This week in English we will create our Spore story. On your lined paper you need to create the story outline. 

To begin with you need to write your main ideas for the story. 

What is your story about? 
Why is it so interesting? 
Where is the location? 
What time of day does it begin?
What will be the most dramatic part?
Are any of your friends involved?

Phase 2
Introduce all your characters. Describe what they look like, how they move and include something unique - perhaps what they sound like. You will use these descriptions as your characters start to get involved in the story.

Phase 3 (Writing in more detail)
Writing the Story:
Beginning- introduce the problem. What does your character want...or not want? What is in his or her way? What troubles him? Or start out with something that brings the reader 'into' the book: something that makes the reader read further. (Examples: a coming event, a national spelling bee, an exciting street happening).

Middle- add bumps along the way that make the character rise to the challenge. (Examples: selling their house, finding a place to sit at lunch, an argument). Keep bringing on the action.

The darkest moment- this is the moment where it looks like your character is not going to achieve their goal or learn their lesson. It happens sometimes after failing to overcome the biggest hurdle (see below) or when first realizing what the hurdle is.

The biggest hurdle- this is the moment of the greatest conflict. it is the point in the story when your character has to deal with or overcome the big problem that you set up at the beginning or middle of the story.

End- the conflict is solved. Your character either gets what she/he wants or doesn't. Whatever the case is, your character has changed or learned. Remember: Your ending is always in your beginning. (Examples: two families are better than one, a true friend forever)

Remember that all stories have a beginning, middle and ending

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Metaphors

What are Metaphors?

Metaphors talk about one thing as if it were another. They are not introduced with the words “like” or “as”, but make direct comparisons. Here are a few examples:

His shirt was a flag, flying in the breeze.
Her eyes were jewels, sparkling in the sun.
The ocean is a playground for scuba divers.
A song is a poem set to music.

Metaphors can compare something unfamiliar with something familiar to give you a frame of reference.
The surface of the moon is a snowy yard with footprint craters.
The bottom of the ocean is a dark cave.
A kiwi is a fuzzy lime.

You can’t always take the meaning directly. Here are some examples:

His room was a pigpen. (This means his room is messy, not that pigs live in it.)
The harvest moon was a pumpkin. (This means the moon was round and orange, not made out of pumpkin.)
Her teeth were pearls. (This means her teeth were white like pearls, not that each tooth was actually a pearl.)
The baby’s cheeks were two rosy apples. (This means the baby’s cheeks are round and red, not really apples.)
Writers use metaphors to make their writing colorful and you can to. Give it a try.

Copy and paste this text below into a new blog post and complete the sentences. 

An Exercise in Writing Metaphors: Complete the sentences to make your own metaphors.
1. The moon is a _________.
2. Freckles are _________ when they spread across your face.
3. His arms were __________ as they lifted the heavy chair.
4. The stars are ____________ as they twinkle in the night sky.
5. The storm was a ______________ as it clawed against my window.
6. The freshly mowed lawn was a ___________.
7. The noisy children were ____________ as they raced through the museum.
8. I was a ____________ as I tiptoed across the wooden floor.
9. The river was a ____________ as it twisted and turned down the mountain.
10. His cheeks were _____________ as he chewed the giant wad of bubble gum.

Resources:
Renee Kirchner (2007) The National Writing for Children Center http://writingforchildrencenter.com/2007/11/29/metaphors-this-weeks-teaching-tip/

Spelling Homework

HI Grade 5,

To get you more used to working online, I will use the blog and Studywiz to post your homework. You can connect to Studywiz by following the link on the class blog.

Try it now. Leave a comment on this blog if you were able to login and see the Spelling homework for this week. Click here to see StudyWiz
If you can't log into Studywiz you can go straight to Spelling City 

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Introducing Emeraldite Spore


Here is my first attempt to create a Spore.

Get Ready for Creative Writing Festival!!


Hi Grade 5,
This week in English we will have a SPECIAL CREATIVE WRITING FESTIVAL! Yeah! You will learn to write descriptively about a creature that you will design in your Macbook. Take a look at this screen shot. I have downloaded Spore Creature Creator. 

You will learn to describe:
What it looks like.
How it moves.
What it eats.
AND
What it sounds like.

We will use alliterative sentences, your Mac thesaurus and a new draft writing system. A combination of paper drafts and digital drafts.
The software involved will be Spore Creature Creator, Comic Life, and Keynote. You will show off your creatures during Bookweek. Can't wait 'til Tuesday!
Mrs. T

Friday, February 6, 2009

New Blog

Yesterday I made a new blog. You can see it here http://1two1.edublogs.org
Take a look!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Sharing the Planet


Today in Grade 5 we started our exhibition process. We explored the theme of 'Sharing the Planet'.
Zaky said "Without each other we cannot live" this is about
Interconnectiveness
Leo said "Take good care of the earth" this is about
Responsibility
Carl said "We should all lend a helping hand and keep our earth green and clean".
Gaudi said "We share our planet with the many, many people that live on the planet".

So Grade 5, what do you say? You need to post your own definition on your own blog.