Puppets, Rocks and Crew

STORIES WITH STRUCTURE

This past week the crew and I spent a quality amount of time focusing on plot elements and how there used to create stories.  The kids paired up, mapped out their stories, established characters and wrote a short script.  The students were expected to use dialog to establish introduction/ exposition and the plot.  The final piece was a puppet show recorded on the computers, iphone, ipads or iOther's, imported into iMovie (edited if time was avail) and shared with the crew.  We watched a few last week, and they are FUN!  This coming week we will form short story book clubs, begin writing short stories and delve deeper into plot and theme.  

Using iMovie to edit.

Practicing lines before capturing footage

After presentation students share constructive feedback with the story makers.

Post puppet show students review peer assessments and write a reflection, focusing on strengths, weakness and areas they will improve and how they will improve them.  The hardest part to write about is how it felt to be assessed by peers. 

Making some time to read short stories.

THE ROCK CYCLE

This week we also began Case Study #3: Rocks, Raku and You.   This will be are third and final case study in our Why Does it Matter expedition (see notes under Expedition tab).   During this case study students will be working with Ms. Pam (art) to explore certain parts of the rock cycle.  Ms. Pam is able to simulate some of the rock cycle using glaze's and the kiln.   In class we will explore how, and where, energy and matter can be found in the cycle, as well as how does this cycle connect to the other cycles of our world.  

 

 Pre-Thought Experiment

Jeremiah, Tiernan, a couple pre-thought questions and a giant erasure.

THE LOST TOOTH
 

This was the third tooth to pop out in a day (not all Camden's).  I'd completely forgot 5th graders are still loosing teeth.  Surprises me every time.