I keep pinning!

Here is the link to my new hobby:
http://pinterest.com/cjken42/
What a great site to store pictures of all of those wonderful ideas you come across on the internet. I also put a Pinterest button on my blog...look to the right. If you are interested in looking at over 100 pinterest boards made by teachers, go to www.theteacherslane.blogspot.com
So much fun! Christine

End of the year projects

For end of the year projects my fifth graders produced these booklets which were reviews of favorite books we had read together in fourth or fifth grade. The front is a copy of the book's cover. Inside I had them review the narrative elements in various ways.

First the children drew the cover, then I cut the paper down the center

This is what the inside of the booklet looks like

You can see here how they stand up

Here are some examples of what they wrote on the inside: author's purpose, symbols from the story, a list of the major and minor characters, details about setting (time and place), themes found in the book, character traits with text based evidence, a story map or plot profile, or the types of conflicts they experienced in the book. They could also rate the book or write a summary. I mounted the projects on cardboard so they actually stand up. It was lots of fun! Christine

Wow! I am pinterested!

So many bloggers are using this. I am really impressed with Pinterest
http://pinterest.com/craftylife/school-work/
Check it out. Christine

Mentor texts: persuade me!

I'm always on the lookout for great books to use with upper elementary age  kids to teach the art of persuasive writing. The Best Town in the World by Byrd Baylor is a special book. After reading it, we listed the techniques Baylor used to persuade us that his town was really a great place to grow up.

I also like Earrings! by Judith Viorst. Maybe I like this book because I could hear my own daughter's voice while I read it aloud, BEGGING her mother for pierced ears in fifth grade. All those great reasons why really make the reader laugh and smile.

Like Earrings!, The Larue series uses humor and human emotions to persuade us to see another point of view. I've written a previous post about these great books by Mark Teague as well as Should Their Be Zoos by Tony Stead. If anyone has other great mentor texts appropriate to use with 4th and 5th graders while learning about persuasive writing, please let me know. Christine