Curriculum Update

 Necessary adjustments in instruction have had to be made above and beyond typical adjustments for testing and parent conferences due to so many students being absent lately, but we are now finally into our next Writing unit. Our current genre is fictional narrative. We have combined art instruction in tandem with the unit. We began exploring and practicing with some of the elements of art, namely: line, shape, and texture, to create our main and supporting characters for our narrative.

To preface the unit in reading, speaking, and content lessons, we are currently engaged in a comparative literature unit analyzing folk tales from all around the world. Students are using 2 and 3 circle Venn diagrams to compare and contrast. We are also examining the structue of the fantasy/fiction narrative itself. We have reviewed the following key elements:

• Character: including main, supporting, antagonist, and protagonist
• Setting: the when and where of the story
• Plot: 
• The beginning (setting and character description)
• The middle (the body of plot leading to the climax) (First grade requires a minimum of 2 logically ordered events with appropriate transistions.)
• The end (resolution including closure)

Parents may recall our Writing Workshop procedures. Here's what we have completed so far following a lengthy immersive dive into the genre. We have designed/created our story's main and supporting characters. We have written "want, but, so, then" statements for our protagonist. An example of this might sound like: 'Cinderella wanted to go to the ball, but she had nothing to wear, so her faerie godmother intervened. Then, she was able to attend the ball.' Next, we touched and talked the setting of our story which will be drafted on the first page.

We recently took the district midyear math assessment. It was not an easy test and all of the students in room 11 persevered while trying their best. In the end, we collectively achieved a 75% success rate overall with 17 passing scores including 2 perfect scores of 22 students taking the test. This is compared to only 4 passing scores at the beginning of the year. The students were promised a treat if everyone tried their best and that is indeed what happened, so we will get treats this coming week.