Synthesizing to Change and Deepen our Thinking as We Read!

Last week, we began to work on our synthesizing strategy during reading groups. Synthesizing involves gathering and collecting information from one or more texts and changing or deepening our thinking as we go along! Synthesizing requires students to ask themselves questions before, during, and after they have read a passage in order to help them identify what they now understand and any new thinking about the topic.To help us, students were given a variety of prompts to guide their thinking as they read.

 These lessons are a great way to get us back in the "swing of things" after break helping us to dig deep into texts. Synthesizing will also lead into next week's lessons; understanding an author's point of view and analyzing multiple accounts on the the same historical event.

Mapping Exploration Routes Using Google Tour Builder

This week in Individuals & Society, students researched the journeys traveled by their expert explorers. After researching, students used Google Tour Builder to map out the locations, dates, obstacles encountered, and lands claimed or explored. Tour Builder combines information slides with the map feature to allow students to explain the journey in more depth.

Culture Clash! Understanding the Perspectives of European Explorers and Natives

This week in Individuals & Society, we focused on identifying the perspectives of European explorers and natives during their interactions with one another. We began our work by reading two articles that discussed how the cultures clashed with one another. Students worked in pairs to identify perspectives particular to trade, slavery, disease, customs, and power.

After anchoring into the topic, students researched the interactions between their expert explorer and the natives they encountered. We identified quite a few negative aspects of exploration!! Students were then given the opportunity to change history through our "What Would YOU Do" activity. Students stepped into the perspective of their expert explorer and determined what they would do differently to improve interactions between the Europeans and natives. After completing their thoughts, we discussed each topic via a "Chalk Talk". The depth of conversation was incredible. I love how much the classes push their brains and take their thinking to the next level!

"Pump Up the Volume" on Transitions

After our last round of writing conferences, we noticed as a class that our transition words were repetitive. In order to address this area, we practiced "pumping up the volume" on transitions. Students were given a list of the overused transition words I gathered from my conference notes. They worked together to come up with several alternatives.

Next, students read their informational essays through the lens of "transitions" and worked together to edit their transition words.

Author's Purpose, Text Structure, and Practicing RACCE Responses in Reading Groups

We discussed this week how the author's purpose in writing an article reveals the text structure or organization of a piece. While analyzing informational texts, students have been asking "why" the author wrote the passage and finding a text structure that best supports that purpose. This week, we practiced responding to text structure questions in writing using the RACCE strategy (outlined below).

The RACCE strategy helps students organize their thoughts into a well-constructed paragraph and ensures that they answer all parts of a question. We discussed how the sentence starters given are simply a "jumping off" point and that students can add their own as they become more secure with the strategy. 

 Adam writes about how the author chose the cause and effect structure because they wanted to teach the reader about why tsunamis occur and the destruction that happens as a result.

 Nate describes how the author's purpose in writing the article is to show the similarities and differences between tsunamis and hurricanes. He explains that the author organized their ideas using compare and contrast structure to support this purpose.

Jake shares his RACCE response with the group. 

Holiday Party Reminder!

ATL Focus-Communication

The ATL focus for our current Lang & Lit and Individuals & Society planners is communication. We have been discussing what effective communication looks and sounds like and have practiced these skills through a variety of activities.

This week in Individuals and Society, students put their communication skills to the test using their research highlighting the motivations and goals of their expert explorers. Students worked with three different partners. Each rotation required them to share their research, record their partner's research, and discuss/record similarities and differences between the explorers. This involved listening, speaking clearly, waiting for their listeners to be ready, as well as asking questions to clarify. Both classes did such a great job!!