Writing a news report!

 Check out these links that show us how to write a news article for the OSSLT

Preparing for the OSSLT - writing a news article

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNJCSnntvDE

News article #1 is due on Monday! 

Investigating the parts of a news article!

Book Club #3 Consolidating our Thinking - examining Resiliency!

In the past couple of weeks we have looked at various stories/videos/articles dealing with RESILIENCY.    Now let's link this all together!   Here are some ideas to consider for this week's book club:

1. What is resilience?  Is there a character in your novel who displays resilience?  Give examples from the novel.
2. What is the theme in your novel?  Why did you pick this theme - support evidence from the novel. 
3. Text to text/Text to media:   What other books/movies have you seen or read where the main character displayed resilience?
4. What text to self connections can you make with your main character?  When have you displayed resilience?
5. Using the Q-Chart as your guide to higher level thinking questions, create 2 questions for your group. Prepare your answers, but share them only after each member has had a chance to answer the question.

Discussing the Challenges of being an English Language Learner and a teenager!

Resiliency - not giving up when completing a challenging task

Resiliency - We can't take our heads out of our books!

Building Resiliency - Orientation/Leadership Day in the Fall

Reading Strategy:  Questioning!   We have been learning about the importance of questioning.  Effective readers ask questions all the time when they are reading.  Asking questions helps you to understand what is happening in the text.
In class, we have been using a “Q Chart”.   This is a grid containing various question starters.   By using these question starters, we have identified which types of questions would be hand-type questions (a question that you can find the answer to right on a page in the text) or a higher level thinking question, or a brain-type of question.  These types of questions require a reader to use information that they find in the text AND their own ideas to develop an effective answer.

Below is a copy of the Q chart.    When you are reading, what are some questions that you can develop about your book?

Remembrance Day - Descriptive Writing

This week we are studying Veterans Week - November 5-11th.  It is 100 years since the famous poem - In Flanders Fields - was written by John McCrae.  We will be looking at the poem and doing some descriptive writing.     If anyone is interested in putting in an entry for the art/poetry and writing contest, put on by the Royal Canadian Legion - I have the registration forms due by Friday.    Many of you have already started brainstorming and coming up with amazing ideas.  I can't wait to see  your work!

This week we are studying descriptive writing.   Write a paragraph using imagery to describe a photo. Here are a couple of pictures you could use - or pick your own, or use your own artwork.   Remember that the theme is REMEMBRANCE.

Book Club Meeting #2

Excellent book club meeting yesterday!  I could tell who had worked hard on their discussion questions, and it was wonderful to hear the amazing conversations about your books.  You delved deeply into character, setting, making predictions and answering your critical thinking questions.  Keep up the amazing effort!  I am extremely proud of your hard work!

If you are looking for The Sound of Thunder link - scroll down to the Hallowe'en post - it is there!

Here are the questions for Meeting #2: Due next Friday!

Meeting #2:

1. What is most surprising in the novel so far? Why?
2. Words of the Wiser... When an older character shares his or her understanding, insight, or advice on an issue or topic, stop and think about it.  These insights/story or advice usually reveals something important about the theme.   Find an example of Words of the Wiser in your novel.    Ask yourself, "What's the life lesson, and how might it affect the character?"  The important lesson offered here is that....   Explain your answer. 
3. Choose a quote that stands out to you as important to the novel. Explain why you think it is important.
4. How does the author use language in the novel?  What is the overall effect?  How does the language shape the novel?  Come with specific examples from the novel.
5. Using the Q-Chart as your guide to higher level thinking questions, create 2 questions for your group. Prepare your answers, but share them only after each member has had a chance to answer the question.

Happy Hallowe'en! Short Story Unit

We had a great Hallowe'en week, and continue reading spooky and exciting short stories, and examining elements of a story.  Look in your google drive ESL file for Literary Definitions - this will help you for the upcoming short story unit test.  

Great Costumes and display of Hallowe'en Spirit!    For many of you this was your first Hallowe'en in Canada and you certainly seemed to enjoy it!  

Here is the link for the short story The Sound of Thunder that we read in class today.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XFtrc-PgR8XPbKtU5j-HnzYNydHbub-Q9EEnomNO8CI/edit