Classwork

=Classwork=

Week of June 13, 2011
Last week of school! We started class with our dystopian world presentations. Students pitched their creative ideas to a panel of judges from pretend publishing houses. Groups were asked to present a back story, a main character, a flaw in the world, advanced technology, form a surveillance, fear or disgust for the outside world, rules, and definite punishment system. Each group was more creative than the next. We had a world where teens took over everything, a world living off the energy from a generation on a small island of Atlantis, a world with reused body parts placed in cameras, and a world where getting everything you want is not satisfying. Needless to say, there can only be one winner! The winning group received a new dystopian novel to read over the summer. Enjoy!
 * Thursday, 6/16/11**

Students also received their summer reading lists (these will be emailed home as well).

We finalized our writing portfolios and they are gorgeous! The portfolios will be passed on to the 7th grade humanities teacher for next year.

Have a great summer!

We started class by working in our "secret agent" dystopian world groups. Students are planning how to present their worlds for tomorrow's presentation.
 * Wednesday, 6/15/11**

We also worked in the lab today to put finishing touches on our writing portfolios and to wrap up our character sketches.

All books are due back to Mrs. Blattner and Mrsl Slater!

We started class by forming "secret agent" groups. Each group of secret agents was asked to accept a "Mission Impossible!" Agents will design and create their own dystopian world. Agents must keep their ideas top secret! We will present our dystopian worlds to a panel of judges on Thursday. The winning group will win a prize! Stay tuned!
 * Tuesday, 6/14/11**

During the second half of class we worked on our writing portfolios and character sketches. Students really have a collection of work that is polished and lovely.

We started class by sharing our last journal for //The Giver//, focusing on chapters 15--end of novel. Mrs. Blattner collected journals. After, we had a whole-class discussion of the last part of the book. We discovered terms like "euthenasia" and "euphemisms" as part of our book discussion. Then, we listened to a short clip of an author interview with Lois Lowry. She discussed how she wrote the book and why it has been widely challenged. We discussed themes in the book that different communities might challenge.
 * Monday, 6/13/11**

For the 2nd half of class, we worked on our writing portfolios. Students are gathering a collection of key writings across the curriculum. We will have beautiful portfolios that follow the students to 7th grade!

Week of June 6, 2011
We started class by sharing the different rites of passage for each age, ranging from 0 to age 12, in the novel //The Giver//. We discussed the multiple purposes the rites of passage serve in Jonas's world, including sameness, order, control. We also discussed how cultures around the world have special rites of passage for the year 12 or 13, as this is often seen as a coming of age year, either in maturity or spirituality (Bar/Bat-Mitvot, for instance).
 * Tuesday, 6/7/11**

During the second half of class we read an excerpt from the short story "Metaphors" by Budge Wilson. Students highlighted phrases that capture the essence of the main character, Miss Hancock. This piece reminded students of their own character sketches of someone they know. Students printed out their drafts of their writing and set realistic goals to wrap up this piece our last week of school.

We started class by updating our planners. Mrs. Blattner returned chapters 7-14 reading pop quizzes, as well as the journals for this section of reading of //The Giver//. Next, we heard the presentation from the Gilgamesh group, examining the 1st ancient superhero, as well as some sample myths from the time. We learned that Gilgamesh was thought to be a real king, as well as a mythical character, possessing 1/3 human and 2/3 god-like qualities. We talked about how almost every civilization or culture around the world has a creation and flood story. It is fascinating that we are able to find a record of flood and creation stories dating back to 2500 BCE, as stories were mostly oral. 12 tablets of cuneiform recorded the stories of Gilgamesh, otherwise known as The Epic of Gilgamesh.
 * Monday, 6/6/11**

The second half of class was spent discussing chapters 7-14 of //The Giver//. Students discussed in small groups and then we had a short whole-class discussion. We focused on what about Jonas's world is not perfect, even though all the rules in his world were created to make a utopian world. Students shared how they value uniqueness, individuality, and the ability to make choices. We will continue our study of the novel tomorrow. Bring your books to class!

Week of May 30, 2011
We started class by updating our planners. Then we heard from the "architecture" group. We learned about the architecture of ancient Mesopotamia, including the ziggurat temples, housing (for both rich and poor), as well as the walled cities and Nebuchadnezzar's Hanging Gardens of Babylon. We had the opportunity to build our own ziggurat models out of sugar cubes. We will hear from the Gilgamesh group on Monday!
 * Friday, 6/3/11**

The last part of class was spent taking a brief pop quiz on chapters 7--14 on //The Giver//. We also started to discuss the main character, Jonas, and his new role as the receiver of memories, the rules he has to follow, and some of the memories he has received so far. We will continue with the novel study next week. Stay tuned!

We started class by listening to several presentations about the gods of Ancient Mesopotamia. Students learned about the role of the gods in Mesopotamian culture, the names and areas of rule for several key gods, and interesting burial rituals. Students also had an opportunity to sketch their own artistic interpretations of the gods.
 * Thursday, 6/2/11**

At the end of class, students shared their Giver journal entries from chapters 7--14. Bring your books to class tomorrow!

We started class today with a visit with Mrs. Slater in the library. We heard from guest speaker, Lisa Martin. She shared with us the wonderful summer reading program at the Multnomah County Library this summer, as well as some wonderful book talks. After, Mrs. Slater showed us a cool feature of the Multnomah County Library web site, called Freegal. You can download music for free from this web site. All library books are due back at the PJA library no later than June 14th!
 * Wednesday, 6/1/11**

Link to Freegal

The second half of class was quite busy as well! Remaining study project groups were putting finishing touches on their presentations. We will hear from the Gods groups tomorrow and from Architecture and Gilgamesh on Friday. Students who have already presented were busy putting together their beautiful writing portfolios.

We updated our planners and headed down to the middle school play, //A Midsummer's Night's Dream.//
 * Tuesday, 5/31/11**

Memorial Day--No School
 * Monday, 5/30/11**

Week of May 23, 2011
We started class by reading a notes page from the Ancient Mesopotamia Inventions group. Then, we proceeded to play a game of jeopardy, based on the factual information from the notes. The presenters ended with two hands-on activity stations, where students examined types of ancient boats, sails, and chariots.
 * Thursday, 5/26/11**

The second half of class was spent working on study project presentations, working on writing portfolios, and self-evaluating the invention group's work.

Mrs. Blattner returned chapters 1-6 journals and reading pop quiz. Students also received the journal topics for chapters 7-14 of The Giver.

We started class with our first Ancient Mesopotamia study project presentation. We heard from the Hammurabi group today. Students learned about who Hammurabi was, his accomplishments as a ruler, and about the Code of Hammurabi. Students participated in a mock trial, sitting on jury teams to discuss different scenarios and how Hammurabi would have dealt with the crimes.
 * Wednesday, 5/25/11**

The second half of class was spent working in study project groups, putting the finishing touches on presentations. We have one more class period to work. The inventions group will present tomorrow.

Some students still owe chapters 1-6 Giver journals or text markings. Please turn in this work.

Students started class with a pop quiz on chapters 1-6 of //The Giver//. We then took time to share journal entries from chapters 1-6 in small groups. After, students worked in small discussion groups, chatting about chapters 1-6. We concluded with a whole-class discussion, where students had an opportunity to clarify their understandings, make comments and observations, and ask any questions they might have. We started to discuss how the world is set up to be a utopia, and the students are already discovering why "perfect" isn't so perfect.
 * Tuesday, 5/24/11**

The second half of class was spent preparing materials for our Ancient Mesopotamia study project presentations. The Hammurabi group will present tomorrow!

We started class by updating our planners for the week. We reviewed feedback from Mrs. Blattner for each group's Works Cited and research notes for our Ancient Mesopotamia study projects. Then, study groups broke out into work groups, focusing on preparing materials for their class presentations.
 * Monday, 5/23/11**

Week of May 16, 2011
We used the first half of class to finalize our Study Project presentation plans. Mrs. Blattner collected plans, so that she can help gather the supplies over the weekend. We also recorded the names of the memoir books students will be reading on their own.
 * Friday, 5/20/11**

The second half of class was spent finalizing notes, Works Cited documents, and creating presentation materials. We will start presenting next week!

We started class by journaling about our own processes as a writer. We wrote about what works for us and what doesn't, how we get our ideas, how we polish our work, what is difficult and what is not, etc. We will use this as the basis for the start of our formal writing portfolios. Students then received clean copies of their writings throughout the school year, putting each good copy in slip covers. We will be creating our writing portfolios over time between now and the end of the school year. Portfolios will follow students to the 7th grade:)
 * Thursday, 5/19/11**

Then, we moved into the computer lab to continue working on our study projects. Most groups were able to turn in their notes and many have already turned in their Works Cited documents. Mrs. Blattner has started to meet with each group to talk about their presentations plans. Works Cited documents are due tomorrow at the latest.

We started class by reviewing //The Giver// assignments for chapters 1--6. Students received the journal entry topics. "Polished journals" are due next Tuesday:
 * Wednesday, 5/18/11**

Then, we broke into our Study Groups for Ancient Mesopotamia, beginning to plan our class presentations. Each students received their own planning guide to begin thinking about presentations. One "clean copy" will be turned in to Mrs. Blattner per group. Take a look:

The second half of class, we worked in the computer lab, finalized research notes and Works Cited documents. Each group member's notes were due to Mrs. Blattner today at the end of class. Did you turn yours in?

We started class by setting up a piece of paper for a vocabulary activity. Students folded their papers into 3 long columns (like a crepe, folding one edge into the other). The first column is labeled "word," the second column is labeled "picture," and the third column is labeled "defnition." We started the vocabulary for chapters 1--6 //The Giver//. We modeled how to make "knowledge connections" with words by first looking at how the word is used in the original text. Then, we take a life experience that we can tie to the word and draw a picture representing the word. These knowledge connections will help us learn new words and retain their meaning. Students are left with only 2 words on their chapters 1-6 list, words they choose on their own. //**Here is the vocabulary activity sheet:**//
 * Tuesday, 5/17/11**

The second half of class was spent finalizing our Study Project notes for Ancient Mesopotamia and creating Works Cited documents. One group is already in the planning phase (presentation) of their project!

We started class by updating our planners for the week. Then, we introduced our new novel unit //The Giver// by Lois Lowry. We learned that "utopia" literally means "no place" in Greek. The novel we are about to read takes up the idea of a "perfect world." Students journaled while listening to the song "Imagine" by John Lennon. Lennon shares his perfect view of the world. Students journaled their ideas for a "perfect world" and then shared. Next, we read aloud the first part of chapter 1 of //The Giver//. Students were asked to listen for clues about the world in which the characters live. We shared afterwards the elements of Jonas's world that is different or unique from our own. We also reviewed the reading schedule and expectations for the unit. Students received a reading schedule:
 * Monday, 5/16/11**

We spent the 2nd half of class in the computer lab, finalizing our Food Glorious Food poems. Mrs. Blattner collected final printed drafts at the end of class. These poems will be displayed at this evening's Middle School Showcase. If you did not finish the poem, it is now past due:

Week of May 9, 2011
Students started class by turning in their final drafts of their odes. Then, we had a brief book chat for our upcoming memoir reading. Students have 1 week to find a memoir that is right for them. Here is a good book list to get you started:
 * Thursday, 5/12/11**

After, we started our final poetry writing assignment, "Food Glorious Food." Mrs. Blattner modeled how to brainstorm about the students' food sculptures with her own food topic, coffee. Students received specific directions for the assignment: Students used their sculptures as a visual aide in brainstorming poetry ideas. Students will have more time in class tomorrow to brainstorm and start the draft of their poem.

At the end of class, Mrs. Blattner showed students a the works cited resources on this wiki, as well as how to use Son of a Citation Machine to create citation entries easily. Students will work on their study projects in the lab tomorrow.

The students participated in a "model" music lesson the first half of class.
 * Wednesday, 5/11/11**

The second half of class, students visited the library. Mrs. Slater gave a book talk on Memoir, our next reading assignment. Students have 1 week to select a memoir to read outside of class.

Mrs. Blattner collected final drafts of "extended metaphor" poems, along with the original drafts. Odes are due tomorrow!

Today we worked in teams to create rhyming couplets for our Poetry Slam class poem, Advice to 5th graders. We practiced performing the poem. Take a look at our first draft!
 * Tuesday, 5/10/11**

Then we moved into the computer lab to continue taking notes on our Mesopotamia Study Projects. Some groups are ready to created their Works Cited documents as well.

We started class by updating our planners. Then, we brainstormed all thoughts about "baseball." After, we started a study of narrative poetry by listening to a reading of "Casey at the Bat" by Ernest Thayer: media type="youtube" key="13_bVaphCPo" height="349" width="425" Next, we retold the story of Casey and his baseball team. We explained that this poem is a narrative poem. We added this term to our poetry glossaries (poem that tells a story). We also examined the "tall tale" qualities of this poem by highlighting exaggerated statements and descriptions throughout the poem. We identified the "rhyme scheme" of the poem (AABB) and added the term "rhyme scheme" to our poetry glossaries (a rhyming pattern determined by the last word in a phrase). We also discussed that two lines in a row that have end-rhyme words are called "rhyming couplets." Usually rhyming couplets have a specific meter or rhythm pattern with the line of stressed and unstressed syllables, like Shakespeare's sonnets. Then, we used "reader's theater" to perform the poem, splitting up roles in the poem and reciting the poem in a chorus, which was a lot of fun! Students used this poetry experience to inform the next activity, which is writing a class poem giving advice to the 5th graders about life in middle school and in 6th grade. We brainstormed possible topics to cover, and then we split up into partners, each pair being responsible for ONE rhyming couplet that offers advice about middle school to the 5th graders. We will be performing this poem at the Middle School Poetry Slam, Thursday afternoon:)
 * Monday, 5/9/11**

We ended class by returning the students' drafts of their ode poems. Students will revise these poems, using the teacher feedback and peer feedback.

Week of May 2, 2011
We started class by reading 3 different poems rich in personification. Students highlighted instances of this poetic device. One poem we read is called "Fog" by Carl Sandburg. Then, we modeled how to give feedback to a peer's poem by marking up one of our classmate's poems on the board. We looked for similes, personifications, metaphors, line breaks, punctuation, stanzas, and diction for our extended metaphor poems. Students then broke up into pairs, reading and giving feedback on the drafts of our ode poems. Mrs. Blattner collected ode poems to give teacher feedback. Mrs. Blattner also returned student extended metaphor poems with feedback. These final drafts are due next Tuesday:)
 * Friday, 5/6/11**

We moved to the computer lab for the second half of class. Mrs. Blattner offered additional print resources on the different research topics. Students finalized their sources and began taking notes.

We started class by journaling more about our "memory objects." Then students began crafting their memory object odes. If you want to see some sample student odes from years past, visit the archive gallery on this wiki. Drafts are due tomorrow!
 * Thursday, 5/5/11**

After, we returned to the computer lab to finalize our Study Project Mesopotamia sources. Mrs. Blattner conferenced with each team. Students are starting to take notes in their own words, composing in MS Word. We will continue with note taking tomorrow.

We started class by moving around the room to read a variety of odes. Each ode is a tribute to a different object. This will help students get ideas for their own ode writing. Then, students broke up into small groups to read closely one ode, either "Ode to My Socks," by Pablo Peruda or "The Dragonfly" by Louise Boan. Students identified the poet's use of figurative language, including similes, metaphors, and personifications. Students also identified the speaker of the poem and his/her attitude towards the subject matter. Students used dictionaries to look up words they were uncertain about. After, students met in large groups, one for the "Ode to My Socks" ode and one for "The Dragonfly." Next, Mrs. Blattner read aloud the poem "Ode to Sparkle Jeans," which is an ode Mrs. Blattner wrote. Mrs. Blattner displayed her jeans and explained the process for writing the poem, how ideas were gathered, etc. This is a model for the students' project, writing an ode about a memory object. Mrs. Blattner also reviewed the requirements for the ode in class. We will begin drafting the ode tomorrow.
 * Wednesday, 5/4/11**

Here is the ode assignment:

Here is the "Ode to Sparkle Jeans" poem:

The second half of class was spent working in our Mesopotamia Study Groups. Students were asked to locate and identify print and online sources for their research. Mrs. Blattner will review and approve all sources. Students also received feedback on their historical research questions from yesterday.

Students started class by meeting with 1 or 2 friends and sharing their extended metaphor poem drafts. Mrs. Blattner collected drafts and will return the poems with feedback.
 * Tuesday, 5/3/11**

Next, we read aloud the Ode called "Ode to Pablo's Tennis Shoes." Students identified similes, personifications, and metaphors within the poem. We talked about how poetry is dense and compact, making every word count. Next, students created their own definitions for the terms "ode," "personification," "simile," and "figurative language." We discussed that long ago in ancient Greek times, Odes were lyrical songs with complex rhyme and rhythm patterns. Literally, "ode" in Greek means "sing." We discussed that modern odes are celebrations, praises, or tributes to ordinary things. We will be using our "memory objects" to write our own modern odes.

After, Mrs. Blattner returned the students' Science Fiction projects. Mrs. Blattner kept the original copies for posting on a bulletin board. Students will take home a copied packet to share with parents.

Next, we assigned our Study Project groups for Ancient Mesopotamia. Students started to create their research guiding questions and to search for print and online sources. Mrs. Blattner collected a copy of each group's research questions to give feedback. Mrs. Blattner will also review all online and print sources for quality and appropriateness. We will continue to identify our sources tomorrow in the lab.

Students started class by updating their planners. Then we returned to last week's poetry ninja activity, where we gave lots of thought to metaphors around the topics of friendship, love, beauty, wisdom, happiness, fear, jealousy, gossip, freedom, etc. Students chose one topic, shopped around the room for "borrowed metaphors," created by their peers, and then started to brainstorm related thoughts. Students will use this brainstorming as the starting point for drafting their own extended metaphor poem. Next, we photographed our "memory objects" and started to journal about them. These objects will be the basis for an "ode" poem, which we will start composing this week.
 * Monday, 5/2/11**

Lastly, we went to the computer lab and collectively brainstormed historical questions related to our Mesopotamia study projects. Students will be paired up tomorrow to begin their research.

Week of April 25, 2011
We started class by looking at a timeline of ancient Mesopotamia. Students highlighted key events, like the use of cuneiform, King Sargon, Hammurabi, etc. We then looked up the uses of the terms BC, BCE, AD, and CE to get an understanding of these time markers that appear on historical timelines. (Visit this web site to get a better understanding.) We discussed that BC stands for "before Christ," BCE stands for "before the common era," CE stands for "common era," and AD stands for the Latin "//anno Domini//, meaning "in the year of the Lord." We discussed that the terms BC and BCE are equal in years on a timeline, and so are AD and CE. The only difference is the terminology, where BCE and CE are more "politically correct" and inclusive of all cultures and beliefs. After this discovery, we began to discuss how the Jewish calendar parallels the history of ancient Mesopotamia. We used the Jewish calendar year of "0" to indicate Creation and chose the year 3760 BCE as the year of "0" on the Jewish calendar. We did math calculations to determine the Jewish calendar year for the use of Cuneiform and for when Hammurabi took the throne in Babylonia. Rabbi Chaiton will visit our class in a few weeks to explain more about how the Jewish calendar is determined. Meanwhile, we know that the civil calendar that is internationally accepted around the world is the "Gregorian" calendar, named for Pope Gregory XIII, in 1582. Interesting stuff! Students will use timelines as a piece of their learning in the Mesopotamia Study Projects, which will start next week.
 * Friday, 4/29/11**


 * Here is the timeline students used in class today:**

The second half of class continued our studies of poetry. Today we tried our hand at writing our own metaphors through an activity called "metaphor ninjas." Abstract nouns were posted around the classroom, like love, friendship, jealousy, gossip, freedom, beauty, etc. Students used post-it notes to ninja slam clever metaphors around the classroom. After, students walked around the room, gathering a few metaphors for their own extended metaphor poems. We have some very clever poets among us! We will begin our poem writing on Monday:)

We started class by updating our planners and picking up our baked cuneiform tablets. Students then created a short journal about Cuneiform answering the following questions: 1. What is cuneiform and explain a few facts you learned about it. 2. What are your thoughts and reflections about cuneiform after having an opportunity to write on clay tablets yourself? Students shared their journals in class and kept them in their binders.
 * Thursday, 4/28/11**

Next, we reviewed the Ancient Mesopotamia Study Project. We reviewed the project requirements and the possible topics. Students wrote down their top 3 topic choices, 3 people they work well with, and 1 person they do not work well with. Mrs. Blattner collected these notecards in order to assign Study Project groups and topics. We will begin our research next week. Mrs. Blattner pointed out the study of Cuneiform really modeled the different project requirements.


 * Here is the Ancient Mesopotamia Study Project Information:**

After, we returned to our poetry study. Mrs Blattner reminded students about their knowledge of "extended metaphor" by reading aloud the poem of the day, "Eating Poetry" by Mark Strand. We discussed that the comparison in the poem is the speaker being transformed into a wild dog, ravenous for the poems, which is similar to someone who loves poetry and and devours books figuratively. Then, students broke up into groups of two, reading aloud and thinking aloud two extended metaphor poems, "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost and "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes. Students read aloud each poem, discussed who the speaker is, identified the metpahor, and what the poem means to them. Finally, students answered questions on an "exit slip" about ONE of the poems they read and discussed with their partner. Mrs. Blattner collected the work as a classwork grade. If you are absent today, be sure to turn in this assignment. **Here is the "Exit Slip" if you want to complete the work at home and turn it in tomorrow:**


 * Monday--Wednesday:** Spring Break

Week of April 11, 2011
We started class by collecting all signed writing folders. Students were asked to take home their Character Analysis essays, share them with parents, obtain a signature, and return the entire folder.
 * Friday, 4/15/11**

Next, we created a class notes page on Cuneiform. Students shared all that they learned about Cuneiform and we composed all students' notes into one document. Take a look:

Then, students received their own piece of sculpey clay, as well as a guide of the Cuneiform alphabet to compose a message or their name and initials into the clay. Students found that it is a lot more difficult to write in wedge-shaped symbols than the thought! What a job it must have been to be an ancient scribe! We really enjoyed trying our hand at the first known form of writing. Mrs. Blattner will bake the clay pieces over Pesach break and return them to the students after break.

With time remaining, students visited the computer lab to continue their work on Character Sketches of someone they know (human or pet!).

Have a lovely and meaningful Pesach.

We started class by adding the term "extended metaphor" to our poetry glossaries. If you were absent today, please add this definition created by your classmates: //**metaphor is a direct comparison between two unlike things carried through an entire poem**//. We used the example from yesterday, "Juliet is the sun." Then students added lines to create a poem of extended metaphor, continuing ideas about Juliet being like the sun. After, we listened to a Jamaican poem, "The Song of the Banana Man," and watched the video from the Favorite Poems Project web site. Each day we will be celebrating another poem. Click HERE to watch the recitation of the poem and learn about the person who selected the poem--scroll down to see "The Song of the Banana Man" in the left column. We discussed the meaning of the poem and shared reactions to it.
 * Thursday, 4/14/11**

After, students broke up into small groups of 3 and 4 to share our favorite poem homework. Then, students also read and discussed two additional poems from Mrs. Blattner, "Dreams," by Langston Hughes, as well as "Hope is the Thing With Feathers," by Emily Dickinson. "Dreams" is filled with vivid metaphors. Dickinson's poem is a good example of an extended metaphor. We listened to a professional reading of the Dickinson poem and discussed the extended metaphor's meaning. Mrs. Blattner collected student poetry homework.

Then, we reviewed the article from National Geographic on the ever disappearing "fertile crescent." We looked at a satellite image of the region using Google Earth. Students identified how brown the images look and that there is very little evidence of water at all. We discussed the facts from the article and how the region is no longer fertile like it once was, due to damming the waters. It is interesting to note that the article is 10 years old, and we as a class do not see any green or improvements in the region since this article was written.

We then moved down to the computer lab to continue with our research of facts on Cuneiform and ancient cylinders. Students printed out their (3) facts notes on each, as well as their name in Cuneiform. Tomorrow we will use Cuneiform to write our names or secret messages in sculpey.

We started class with a visit to the library. Mrs. Slater gave a very interesting presentation about the book //Hereville// by Barry Deutsch. //Hereville// won the Sydney Taylor Jewish book award for middle readers this year. The author will be our visiting author on May 4th. If you would like to see more about the book, visit some of his web sites: Hereville Official Book Site Hereville the Web Comic --This is different from the book, and it preceded the creation of the graphic novel.
 * Wednesday, 4/13/11**

After, we returned to the classroom and explored more about ancient Mesopotamia. We watched a short video clip about farming, irrigation, and Cuneiform.

media type="youtube" key="Rh_NbU7n3Rg" height="390" width="640"
 * Here is the video & French translation from expert in film: (10:00)**

Translation (from French): As the people lived their lives, they developed new and better ways to thrive in the harsh environment. They developed writing as a way of recording daily events/ keep a record of crops. They developed a﻿ religion/ belief system that reflected their view of the supernatural, highly influenced by their views of the land/ their relationship with nature. Their farming techniques were ultimately what allowed them to grow as a self sustaining civilization.
 * French Translation from Film:**

Translation from French #2 (at the﻿ end of video): The ancient peoples of Mesopotamia built structures from materials that were readily available to them. The fishermen built structures from reed while the people in the main cities utilized brick building techniques, made from local clay/ mortar. The environment greatly shaped their view of the natural world as well as the supernatural. The combination of farming/ crop distribution and fishing techniques is what allowed the civilization to grow.

Then, we went to the lab to explore resources online related to Cuneiform and cylinder seals. Students are required to find (3) interesting facts about Cuneiform, (3) interesting facts about cylinder seals, and then create and print their names using the "Write Like a Babylonian" link. After writing students wrote their name in Cuneiform, they visited the "ask a Sumerian Scribe" link at the bottom of their Cuneiform name. This page offers even more interesting details about the ancient writing language.

To access links on Cuneiform, visit the Ancient Mesopotamia link on this wiki.

We started class by creating a Poetry Glossary. We started with yesterday's poetry word, "stanza," which the students defined as a block of text within a poem, similar to a paragraph. We also added the term "metaphor," using the example "Juliet is the sun," by William Shakespeare. Students first discussed the meaning of the sentence "Juliet is the sun." We talked about what the sun represents in Romeo's world, center of universe, warmth, huge orb, light. Similarly, Juliet is all of these things to Romeo, including "hot," as one student pointed out! From here the students easily came up with their own definition of "metaphor" as a direct comparison of two unlike things.
 * Tuesday, 4/12/11**

Next, we read aloud the poem "Eternity" by Jason Shinder. Mrs. Blattner modeled the "think aloud" process, where the reader of the poem starts with the title and talks out loud about their thoughts, interpretations, reactions, questions, and personal connections. We used a "think aloud" guide to assist us with this process:

Next, we asked students to use the "think aloud" process at their seats with the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost. We talked about finding the meaning of words we are unsure of, as well as the metaphors working in this poem. Mrs. Blattner modeled how to mark up a poem with reflections, reactions, insights, etc. Students are encouraged to mark up their poems and interact with the text to enhance their own interpretations. Then, students worked with a partner with the poem called "Catch" by Stanley Kunitz. Students used the think aloud process to unlock the meaning of the poem and come to their own understandings. We discussed that there can be wrong interpretations if you cannot back up your ideas with the text, but most interpretations are perfectly acceptable. The beauty of poetry is connecting it to your own life and experiences.

The remainder of class turned our attention to ancient Mesopotamia. Mrs. Blattner reviewed the "Fertile Crescent" activity sheet homework. We identified the modern countries of the ancient fertile crescent. We discussed what made the land so fertile in this region. We then collected homework and visited the computer lab for an interactive ancient farming map and activity online.

We started class by updating our planners for the week. Our homework calendar is full this week, in preparation for our long Pesach break. Please keep up with your assignments!
 * Monday, 4/11/11**

Mrs. Blattner explained that it is National Poetry Month. We will be trying out different kinds of poetry the next 4 weeks of school. Mrs. Blattner showed students the Poetry page on this wiki, which is full of wonderful resources of videos, audiocasts, and poems. Students will be using this page to complete an assignment this week.

Mrs. Blattner read aloud the poem "Advice to Writers" by Billy Collins. We discussed the speaker's advice to writers and why he suggests we clean our spaces, homes, and even the forest before begin. We discussed if the speaker of the poem really thinks we should do all those things. We also discussed the compact nature of poetry, where poet's make every word count. Careful diction allows poets to pack in a lot of meaning in a short space. Students offered their favorite lines of the poem, one that truly painted a picture in their minds. We will be keeping all poems given out in class in our Language Arts sections of our binders for future reference.

Then, students spent 10 minutes doing a "quick-write" on their outdoor school experiences. Then, students selected the most sensory-rich line of their writing to edit and shape into a line for a class "found poem." As a class, we put together the lines on a wall, rearranging the poetic lines until the poem made sense.

We ended class by receiving back our Character Analysis essays. Students will take home the writing folders to share with their parents. Folders and all their contents are due back at the end of this week.

Week of March 28, 2011
We started class by preparing a gallery to display, share, and give feedback on our superhero projects. Each students wrote feedback for at least 3 others students in the class. The projects are so creative! Wow!
 * Friday, 4/1/11**

After, we returned to the lab to work on our character sketches. Most students are in the drafting stage at this point.

Have fun at Outdoor School! See you in a week!

The first half of class was spent with Mr. Minato, preparing students for Outdoor School and presenting our expectations of students during that week. Students had an opportunity to ask loads of questions, and students will also have time tomorrow during science class to ask more questions.
 * Thursday, 3/31/11**

Afterwards, Mrs. Blattner modeled on the board how to compose an introductory paragraph, starting with a grabber; followed by an explanation of the grabber; then the controlling idea; and finally the statement of organization. Mrs. B used the "simile" sample "grabber" from our green page of grabbers. Here is what we came up with as a class for a model introductory paragraph: (The parts are color-coded to help you see how it all fits together.)

Grandma is like a spark plug, igniting the way wherever she goes. In fact, she won the "spark plug" award at her real estate office at the of age of 75, and she was known from then on as Sparkie. Grandma's ambitious attitude towards life has always been an inspiration to me. Grandma is a worker and always has a positive attitude.

Mrs. Blattner conducted writing conferences throughout the period as students continued working on their character sketch drafts.

We started class by completing the labeling of our ancient Mesopotamia maps. We will discuss more about the fertile crescent and the importance of farming tomorrow.
 * Wednesday, 3/30/11**

Then we returned to the computer lab to continue with our character sketches. Mrs. Blattner had writing conferences with students throughout the class period. Most students have written (3) different "grabbers" for their character sketch opening.

We started class by using a modern atlas to locate which countries today are seated in ancient Mesopotamia's "fertile crescent." After, we focused more time on our creation of ancient Mesopotamia maps. Our map study will help frame our studies of the stories of the people tied to the land, their civilizations, and technological advancements. We will have just a little more time to complete this activity tomorrow. If you were absent, you will need to spend a recess working on this to catch up!
 * Tuesday, 3/29/11**

After mapping, we took a look at how to "grab" the reader's interest in our character sketches. Students examined four different approaches: anecdote, analogy, simile, and a quote. Students received a sample of each approach and we discussed which ones might be more effective, depending on your subject matter. We also discussed how the "grabber" should be tied to the central idea of the writing--it is an appetizer for the central idea, so to speak. Here are the samples:

We then returned to the computer lab, where students wrote a sample grabber for at least (3) of the (4) different approaches. Through experimentation, students will find the "grabber" that works best for their piece of writing.

Today we started class with a short current event about new editions to the Oxford English Dictionary. We discovered that OMG (I my G-d), as well as the "heart" symbol has been added. We discussed that the OED (Oxford English Dictionary) is the largest dictionary that gives complete word etymology (word history). We discussed what other words we think should be added.
 * Monday, 3/28/11**

We also started class by updating our planners and reviewing the Science Fiction superhero project requirements, which is due this Friday. Students will be creating a superhero model and a piece of writing to explain their hero. Please check the project guidelines to be certain you fulfill all requirements: Next, we started to examine a variety of maps showing ancient Mesopotamia. Students were given three printed maps, one which is blank. They will use maps in their textbooks, as well as maps provided, to create an ancient map of Mesopotamia that reflects our learning for this new unit. Students will have more class time to work on this map in class tomorrow. If you are absent today, try to knock off about 10 items and start to create your map key. This will put you on track with your classmates. Here are the 3 maps given out in class today. You may also use this image that is from a textbook, showing **Ancient Mesopotami about 6,000-7,000 BC**: Finally, we returned to the computer lab to work on the drafts of our character sketches. Mrs. Blattner will model how to write introductory paragraphs tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Week of March 21, 2011
We started class by brainstorming other words that can be made with the root of "civilization." Students identified the following: civil, civilian, civilize. Then we brainstormed the key ingredients that makes up a civilization. We learned the Latin root "civil" means **citizen**. Students took notes on their own papers, and then we came up with a collective class definition of "civilization." Students are expected to keep excellent notes for this new unit on Ancient Mesopotamia: Cradle of Civilization. A student composed all notes. You can access them here:
 * Friday, 3/25/11**

Then, we previewed our textbook chapter as it relates to our new unit of study. Students identified topics that appeal to them throughout the chapter. After, we watched a short video clip that introduces ancient Sumeria and Mesopotamia. We discussed that Mesopotamia in Greek means "between the rivers," as the location of Mesopotamia is modern Iraq, between the Tigris and Euphrates. As students watched this video, they were asked to think about why the first civilization was easily made at this geographic location: (Note: Skip over the brief French section of the film!) Link to video clip: http://www1.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=54240&title=Mesopotamia_Sumerians media type="custom" key="8841394"

We ended class by posting our science fiction writing on the class wiki. Mrs. Blattner modeled how to create new wiki pages, add a picture of their book cover, and then link the page. Please remember to link up your pages over the weekend!

We started class by finalizing our superhero's emblem, motto, colors, name, gear, costumes, and mode of transportation. Students then had time to sketch some of their ideas for the final superhero creation. We discussed a variety of ways in which we can make "models" of our superheroes for the final project. For students who are less artistically inclined, collage from magazines for the basic shape of a person may be quite helpful, as well as outlines of superheroes online (coloring book pages) that can be altered with paper cuttings, cuttings from magazines, felt, foil, glitter, etc. Students are encouraged to your multiple media forms to create their superhero models.
 * Thursday, 3/24/11**

Next, we took time to clean out our binders, as we will begin a new Social Studies unit tomorrow. Students filed their papers in the class file cabinet for future reference. Students were also reminded that their science fiction book writing is due tomorrow in an electronic form (thumb drive or email), so that we can create pages on our class wiki.

We then moved to the computer lab to return to our character sketches. Most students are finished with their surveys, and they have started to work on the skeleton outline and "controlling idea" about their subject.

We started class by sharing our concerns regarding the current events unfolding in Japan. Students identified many thoughtful concerns, including war, nuclear radiation in food chain and environment, Japan's economy, how people will rebuild their lives, and more. Next, we returned to our superhero project brainstorming. Students identified the backstory of their archnemesis, and began to consider ideas for emblems, mottos, names, colors, and gear/costumes. Students' creativity is really shining with this assignment. For the second half of class, we returned to the computer lab to work on our character sketch writing. Students are in a variety of stages in the writing process, including completing character surveys, character simile sensory wheels, as well as identifying the "controlling idea" and skeletal outline for their subject. Most students will be in the outline mode by tomorrow.
 * Wednesday, 3/23/11**

We started class by looking at a political cartoon from //The Oregonian.// Students were asked to create their own caption for the cartoon. The subject matter was about nuclear energy plants in the U.S. Many leaders and experts were lined up in front of the nuclear plant, all pointing their finger at the next person. Students came up with very clever captions. We used this political cartoon as a springboard for discussing the events unfolding in Japan currently,
 * Tuesday, 3/22/11**

Then, we returned to our superhero brainstorming. We focused on the "back story" of our superheroes, focusing on making an audience sympathetic and interested in the hero. We also brainstormed a possible arch-nemesis (villain that goes against the superhero), or at least a weakness that could cause the demise of the superhero. By the end of the week, we will have all our superhero ideas formed, so that students can create "part 2" of their science fiction projects.

Finally, we returned to the computer lab to continue gathering ideas for our character sketches. Most students are working on the "survey" and some started a sensory figurative language character wheel.

We started class by updating our planners for the week, adding the science fiction project deadlines. Please check the homework page of this wiki to see what is due! Next, we put our creativity to work as we brainstormed ideas for our science fiction superhero projects. Mrs. Blattner showed students the class wiki, so students could see a model of the "part 1" writing portion of the project. We brainstormed "superhero powers," as well as "occupation and age," and started to think about the "backstory" of our superheroes. We will continue our brainstorming tomorrow!
 * Monday, 3/21/11**

The second half of class kicked off our PJA Purim celebration with an assembly.

Week of March 14, 2011
We started class by collecting the student's homework, a journal entry on Population 7 Billion. Then, we explored our new library catalog system and set up user accounts with Mrs. Slater in the library.
 * Wednesday, 3/16/11**

We returned to class and participated in a rotating sharing activity, giving students a chance to talk about their science fiction books. We then experienced a progressive brainstorming session on topics related to science fiction, technology, current events, and superheroes. What do all of these have to do with the other, you ask? Well, did you ever think about the backstory of each superhero, how they acquired their super powers, and why audiences just love cheering them on? This activity led up to the introduction to our science fiction independent book project. Students are required to post some thoughtful writing about their most recent science fiction book selection on this class wiki, as well as create and design their own superhero. Students are encouraged to get started on this assignment during the 2-day conference break. Here are the details of the project:

We started class by studying for our NW Africa map quiz. Students selected word banks for the quiz and took some time to take the quiz. After, we read aloud a sample character sketch. We identified the sketch's central idea or controlling idea, the organizational structure of the sketch, figurative language used (metaphors, similes, hyperboles), and the overall impact of the piece. Then we created a sensory descriptive character wheel, based on the writing. The character wheel is a great way for students to gather sensory detail for their own character sketch. Students will apply their understanding of how the wheel works to their own prewriting materials for the character sketch assignment. If you are absent today, see Mrs. Blattner upon your return for the sample character sketch.
 * Tuesday, 3/15/11**

We started class by updating our planners for this week's assignments. Then, students spent a few minutes reviewing their maps of Africa. We played a map bingo game, covering the North, West, East, and Northwestern African countries. Hopefully this helped students prepare for tomorrow's map quiz.
 * Monday, 3/14/11**

We then worked in the lab today, composing prewrite journals about several people we know. We will select one of the people/pets to compose a creative character sketch. Students should be finished with their journals at the end of class today.

Week of March 7, 2011
Today we continued the process of "domesticating" our herb gardens, which now have lovely little sprouts. Students picked out the crowded sprouts to make room for healthy plants to grow in their pots. Hopefully these will be ready to go by Passover!
 * Friday, 3/11/11**

Students were given an additional homework assignment related to Population 7 Billion. Check the homework page for that information.

Then, we had writing time in the computer lab. Most students finished up their character essays and started journaling about people and pets they know for our next creative writing piece, a character sketch.

Today we had our United Nations Summit Meeting on Population 7 Billion. We started by hearing the national anthem from each country, China, India, and the USA. Next, delegates from each country presented their proposals under the flag of their country. We had time to ask each country questions and comments on their solutions to consumption, depletion of global resources, as well as the overpopulation concern. Tomorrow we will have time to reflect on the solutions presented.
 * Thursday, 3/10/11**

After, we returned to the computer lab for some writing time. Some students are still revising their character essays, while others have moved on to our new writing assignment, a character sketch of someone we know. Students are asked to "write before they write," journaling about 4-5 different people (or pets) they have known in their lives. This will help us determine which topic is the best for our creative character sketch pieces.

Students were reminded that their science fiction discussion board posts are due today.

We started class by meeting in our United Nations "think tank" groups. Each group was assigned a country, either USA, India, or China. Groups were give fact sheets about the country to help inform their proposal for improving our world's consumption and overpopulation challenges. Groups will present proposals tomorrow at our mock UN meeting.
 * Wednesday, 3/9/11**

We also returned to the lab day, continuing to hone our character essays. Mrs. Blattner continued to have writing conferences with students. For students who finished up their essay, they started a journal in preparation for our next creative writing piece, a character sketch of someone or a pet.

We started class by meeting in our "population 7 billion" groups. Students were asked to participate in a United Nations "think tank," brainstorming a web of related problems and challenges that the growing population causes. UN groups will use these ideas to help them draft a proposal to begin to prevent the harmful impact of our overpopulation.
 * Tuesday, 3/8/11**

After, we reviewed a writer's checklist for our character analysis essays. Students used lab time to revise, edit, and conference about their writing. Final drafts are due at the end of class on Thursday.

We started class by updating our planners. After, we learned the location and pronunciation of the Northwestern African countries and capitals. Students color-coded the countries and took time to write out each country's name and capital. If you are absent today, be sure to get the new map of Africa, which highlights this week's geography learning.
 * Monday, 3/7/11**

We then reviewed the 7 Billion and Growing video clip from National Geographic to remind ourselves about this world concern to frame today's learning. After, we read aloud an article called "7 Billion and Counting." Students used colored sticker dots to mark places in the article that surprised or shocked the students. See article here:

After, the class had a discussion, sharing the key facts from the article they found most startling. Also, students took time to suggest ways they could make a difference as an individual. Some suggested taking shorter showers, consuming less products, using less energy, etc. After, students met in small groups to begin discussing the article. We will continue this activity tomorrow.

At the end of class, Mrs. Blattner returned the Stone Age unit test feedback and scores. Students reviewed their tests and returned them to Mrs. Blattner for parent conferences. Some students are being asked to meet at recess to rewrite their short essay answers for better scores.