October 15

Thank you for helping me write the first three paragraphs of our Ivan the Gorilla story!  You also helped make our paragraphs even better by suggesting good descriptive words to add to it.

Here is our story.  I’ve titled it A Special Gorilla.  

A Special Gorilla

Your job is to write the last two paragraphs from the KWO you wrote last week.  Remember, you are writing one sentence for each line in the outline, and you cannot ever look back at the original story!

After you’re finished, add describing words.  Ask yourself questions:  Which one?  What kind?  How many?  How much?  These will help you find describing words to improve your paragraph.  (Ours are in red on the copy.  Yours should not be in red, but you can underline them if you wish.)

October 8

Today we read a short, true story about Ivan the Gorilla, and you made a Key Word Outline for the first three paragraphs.  If you didn’t finish in class, you can finish it now.

There are two more paragraphs to Ivan’s story, which tell about his life after he left Tacoma and moved to a zoo in Atlanta.  Please read those paragraphs and use the linked KWO form to outline those.  Bring all your Ivan papers to class next week.  (Don’t write your own paragraphs yet, please!)

If you were sick today, you’ll find the pages we used in class here, also.

Ivan the Gorilla

KWO Ivan Gorilla part 1

KWO Ivan Gorilla part 2

October 1

Were you confused today? I understand, and I promise you’ll be fine.

We learned a new concept – the Key Word Outline. This is what we did –

1. We looked at our “chicken poem” again.
2. Using the outline handout, we wrote TWO WORDS from each line of the poem onto the lines. (Parents, I’ll link that here).  Chicken Poem KWO
3. Then, you saw how I used my outline words to rewrite the first stanza of the poem as a paragraph. I pretended that I was the one who dreamed of chickens, and that I wrote it into a dream story instead of a poem!  (Here is my story paragraph).  chicken dream paragraph
4. Then, I told you to do the exact same thing with the second stanza of the poem. Most of you finished your Key Word Outline in class.  Good job.
5. NOW! Without looking back at the poem, write your very own paragraph for the second stanza.
6. Write your paragraph on a new piece of paper, formatting it correctly.
7. You are welcome to add details to your paragraph! For example, you could think of words to describe the chandelier (sparkly, big, swinging).  You could write a description of the eggs on your head (blue, green, brown, runny, soft, warm).
8. Have fun!

September 24

Today we learned how to format a paper for writing class.  I am attaching directions here.

Formatting Example

1. Write another Word Cache. Make sure you have at least 20 words!  Choose from these ideas:
   1. Your grandma or grandpa
   2. A favorite food
   3. Your best friend
   4. Your mom or dad
   5. A wild animal
   6. Desserts
2. Using your Word Cache, write a paragraph. Follow the formatting rules I taught you today..
3. Read the “chickens” poem out loud to someone!  (You could even read it to your pet chickens.)

September 17

1. Finish your Word Cache about your pet.
2. Using your Word Cache words, write sentences about your pet.
3. Do you remember the story I read aloud today?  It was called “A Fish Named Dog.”  Tell one person in your family what the story was about.

September 10

Hello Parents!

Welcome to your students’ “homework blog page” for Elementary Writing.  Each week, by Wednesday morning, I’ll post assignments here.

Homework should not take your child more than 20 minutes a day to complete.  If you find that your student is frustrated with his/her assignment, please contact me!  I have a range of ages and abilities in class this year, and it may take me a couple of weeks to know how to best meet everybody’s needs. Thanks!

Above all, please don’t fret if your child is “not where he/she should be”.  My overall goal is to take students from where they are right now and move them forward, expressing their ideas in words with confidence and ability.

So, without further ado this is your child’s assignment, due September 17:

1. Write a Word Cache titled “All About Me”! You can use the page linked here, or you may write on your own paper.
2. After you have a cache of words, use them to write sentences about yourself!