QUESTION WEBS??

Howdy Crafty Kids!!

      Since we have come back from winter break we have been thinking deeply about QUESTIONS.  We have found there are many kinds of questions.  Some questions ask for facts in the story.  Some questions require you to use your SCHEMA(background knowledge).  The questions that we are really trying hard to learn are the DISCUSSION DIRECTOR questions.  DIVERGENT QUESTIONS.

      DIVERGENT QUESTIONS ask for feelings and opinions.  Discussion Director Questions use words like...

What do you think about...?                                                                     
How would you feel if...?
What would you do if you...?
"mean to you..."
"Why do you think...?"

      There is a graphic organizer good readers sometimes use to show thinking about a question.  It's called a question web.  Here is a picture of one. 

Take a look at this!

What are some things you notice?

Where is the question?

What do you see all around that thing in the middle?


Let's try doing some of these today as we read.  I looked over some of the questions in your 3-2-1's from Wednesday.  You also have questions on your discussion director sheets, your blog posts, and on post-its.  Let's see if we can use some of those questions to make an INQUIRY CIRCLE QUESTION WEB.  Have fun collaborating with your group and reading. 

Sincerely,
C
P.S. I hear and I forget.
I see and I remember.
I do and I understand.
Do your best and forget the REST!!







    

"BOOK CLUB CHOICES"

Hey Kiddies,

      Here is where you post all your choices for the Book Clubs.  Remember, you need two other people to choose the same book you want.  There must be at least three kids in order to make a Book Club.  See ya tomorrow.

Here is the list so far...
Narnia
Harry Potter
The Fighting Ground
Goosebumps
Chocolate Touch
Fablehaven
The Ranger's Apprentice
Dear Dumb Diary
Maniac Magee
The Hobbit
Warriors (The original series)
Percy Jackson Series
Alex Rider
Scat
Artemis Fowl
Ga'Hoole Series
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Fudge
Animal Ark
Inkheart, Inkspell
The Lost Hero
The Red Pyramid
39 Clues
(ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS)

Yours Truly,
C
P.S. I hear and I forget.
I see and I remember.
I do and I understand. 
Do your best and forget the rest. 

Thursday! Thursday! Thursday!

Hello everyone!

      Today is Thursday, January 6, 2011.  We will be jumping on the blog today to share some of our DISCUSSION DIRECTOR QUESTIONS.  Your homework the past few nights was to read and think about questions.  The questions you have written will be your blog post for the day/week.  Let's check out this Brainpop on BLOGS.

 http://www.brainpop.com/technology/computersandinternet/blogs/

      Questions are sometimes hard for 5th graders.  Sometimes questions come right from the book.  Answers to those questions can be found right in the text.  Questions that ask you for feelings and opinions take a little more thinking.  These are DISCUSSION DIRECTOR QUESTIONS that get people talking. 

      We will be starting Book Clubs soon, and this is why we are spending so much time talking and thinking about questions.  Book Clubs are kind of like literature circles except everyone is reading the same book in Book Clubs.  We will be discussing some choices to wrap up our class today.  Let me know what you think of these choices:
Narnia
Harry Potter
The Fighting Ground
Goosebumps
Chocolate Touch
Fablehaven
The Ranger's Apprentice
Dear Dumb Diary
Maniac Magee
The Hobbit
Warriors (The original series)
Percy Jackson Series
Alex Rider
Scat
Artemis Fowl
Ga'Hoole Series
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Fudge
Animal Ark
Inkheart, Inkspell
The Lost Hero
The Red Pyramid
39 Clues
(ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS)

Sincerely,
C
P.S. You know what to say...

Flingers!!!

Hello loquacious learners!!

      Today is Wednesday, January 5, 2011.  How many of you remember what a KWL is?  K is for Know: what you already know, SCHEMA.  W is for Want: what you want to know or questions you have, CURIOUSITY.  L is for learned: what you learned after reading, watching, listening, or sharing information.  Well, today we are going to do something similar.  It is called a 3-2-1.

      A 3-2-1 focuses our attention on things WE as good readers want to hang on to and remember.  It increases our schema(background knowledge).  A 3-2-1 can also help you expand your vocabulary if you include words you come across that you don't recognize. 

      As we read today you will be showing your thinking.  Record things that stand out to you.  At the end of class we will wrap up with a 3-2-1, and send you on your way. Think back to our TEACHING POINT when our parents visited...
TEACHING POINT #3  Good readers don't need end-of-the-chapter questions or worksheets.  Good readers ask their own questions and take their own notes (graphic organizers).

Homework: I gave you quite a bit the last two days.  You have a break tonight.  No homework other than reading.   
Have fun reading and watching.  Check this out!!
http://www.brainpop.com/technology/simplemachines/levers/

http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=E61D6841-5202-4E92-91FB-397F3EA70B99
Sincerely,
C
P.S. I hear and I forget.
I see and I remember.
I do and I understand. 
Do your best and forget the rest!!