July 9, 2010

What We Are Doing...

I'm Sending Homework

I tried... I really did. I don't even believe in "summer homework". I mean, we've fought wars about this kind of thing, right. But, alas, in order to keep my students accountable for their reading assignments, I'm asking they they complete a vocabulary list of thier own design. I have made the copies and they are going home. I want them turned in on Tuesday, 13th.

We will be having a final quiz on Artemis Fowl, chapter's 1-9 on Wednesday.

This week we will start our polling project. We will be compiling questions that we will present in a public forum and then we will use Excel to compile and graph the data.

What can you do to help? Less GCI, more NPR (91.5). Most of our kids get very little news. Turn it on in the car or put it on television for an hour (if you call network news "news". I'm not judging.) This will give your child something to think and ask about.

What We Are Doing Next...

Romeo and Juliet! Here's the way I figure it: We've got romance for the girls and swordplay for the boys. Now if we can just lick that language problem--

Suffice it to say, this lesson is going to be a vocabulary builder.

I'm taking a unique approach to the literature. Traditionally, Shakespeare's plays are read first and then, if time and budget permit, they see the play. I think this is backwards. It's the equivalent to saying,

"Girl! Did you see Grey's Anatomy last night? You'll love it! Here's the script!"

Children all over the world have had the same experience with Shakespeare for the last 200 years. This is why most of us don't read any after college.

So next week we will be starting by watching Buz Larhman's Romeo & Juliet. You can prepare your child by having them read the King James Bible. The language comes from the same period as William Shakespeare's time. 

I
Student of the Week

Samir Ali

What can I say? Samir likes the dinosaurs. We went to the Field Museum this week and he tried to do my job. He had comments about every compilation of bones in the place. Did you know that the Brontosaurus would keep stones in it's belly so that it could digest the tough leaves that it ate? I have to admire and congradulate that degree of personal scholarship. And he's the only kid that can run to Sam's, pick up snack, and get back to camp in 2 minutes... on foot.

 

Snack Family

The Sutherlan's!