Dahlberg, Mrs. Patricia (6th)

"It wasn't there.  Then it was."

•  Prologue, FOUND by Margaret Peterson Haddix

 "My nightmare started like this."

• THE SEA OF MONSTERS by Rick Riordan

6th LITERATURE:

We've since moved onward to the second book in the Percy Jackson series-THE SEA OF MONSTERS. I can't wait to discover the next series of adventures that await Percy, Annabeth, Grover , and a new character, a Cyclops named Tyson especially since these adventures include some mythological monsters. Rick Riordan continues to enchant us with his unusual chapter titles.   We will be reading the entire five books.  Another series follows this one with some of the same characters but the gods are the Roman ones instead.  Rick Riordan also has a series based on Egyptian mythology.

5th LITERATURE:

The fifth graders started THE MISSING:  BOOK 1: FOUND by Margaret Peterson Haddix.  It started as a triology, but now a fourth book has been added to this series.  We'll only be taking the first one. It's a great way to begin the new year with a tale of mystery and eventually time travel.  Last year's students enjoyed the novel and many continued to read the rest.

We've completed some basic topics  in the workbooks as well.

• STORYWORKS, along with related worksheets, will be continuing while we are reading our novel.

• Audio versions of our novels can be found on youtube.com.  The student would be able to follow in the book while listening to a professional read it--just type in the title plus the chapter number.

Both classes receive a magazine--SCOPE for 6th and STORYWORKS for 5th.  Both magazines offer a readers theater play.  This is the time where the selected students will practice their story telling ability as we read/listen to these outloud.  Every student will receive an opportunity to read orally (and hopefully, with expression). This has become so much fun for me to listen to as the students are using more and more expression.  Some students have even incorporated accents into their speaking roles.    Some articles will be assigned to read along with some questions to answer.  Some worksheets just hone the skills the students already possess.

RELIGION

Happy New Year!  and with that, the students will be focusing on the concept of PEACE throughout the remaining months of school.  They've also taken some time to think about their own faith life, as well as a family member, by completing an interview.  Insightful, to say the least.  Unit Two continues the story of Jesus' ancestors.

• VENTURE magazine  will focus on the Gospel message of that week.  The articles are interesting and informative and makes the student connect with his/her faith life. 
  
  

VOCABULARY WORKSHOP  

Some changes came for Room 20.  The students received a schedule of days so that they will know exactly when the tests will take place and when the exercises are due.  This is also stated on the board as well as the big calendar in the front of the room.  We will begin incorporating more writing into the units as our vocabulary grows.  Unit 7 was started after our holiday break.

• Students have chosen their groups for Units 7-9.  Each student reviewed the schedule from the previously selection.  Unit 7 is well underway.  Most likely when it comes time for the review and cumulative review, writing will be the emphasis using some of the vocabulary words from the previous units.