News from Miss Guckert's written language class:

September Topics:

-What is a sentence?

-sentences vs. fragments

-what complete sentences need (ex. capital at the beg., ending mark)

-subjects & predicates

-forming super sentences by using where, when phrases

-4 types of sentences (statement, question, command, exclamatory)

October Topics/Writing Genres:

-Peer Interview (asking questions - fact and opinion, taking notes, forming complete sentences by rephrasing the question and using their notes, writing a paragraph with a topic sentence and supporting sentences)

-Listening and Note taking Skills (taking short notes, using notes to answer questions)

-October Writing Prompt (completing a planner and a multi-paragraph ficitional story based on a picture)

November Topics/Writing Genres:

-Directions (what is needed to make directions clear and easy to follow - events in order, using time order words)    

-Boat Directions - 3 paragraphs (writing sequential directions on how they built their boat that was tested in the buoyancy unit, using time order words, using notes on a planner to form complete sentences, using descriptive words to clearly describe each step)

December Topics/Writing Genres:

-ELA Test Preparation (listening and note taking - using notes to answer multiple choice and short response questions) using nonfiction and fiction stories that focus on fairy tales, poetry, cause/effect, detail/sequence,compare/contrast

-Completing Practice ELA Tests

January Topics/Writing Genres:

-Completing Practice ELA Tests

-Week of January 12-16 3rd graders take New York State ELA tests

-Listening Prompt (listen to story, take notes, answer questions)

-Solar System Research Report - multi-week project (computer & book research, note taking, using notes to form sentences/paragraphs, typed final copy in poster form)

February Topics/Writing Genres:

-continue work on Solar System Research Report