Welcome Starblazers!

Students have been learning about PIE. Everything an author writes has a purpose. An author persuades, informs and/or entertains his audience. We are currently reading Greek myths. We will be reading Arachne, The Boy Who Flew, Medusa, and Demeter and Persephone. Myths entertain, explain an event in nature and/or teach a lesson. Have your child summarize a myth for you.

We are  learning vocabulary terms. Students should be going over their terms nightly. The terms are in their yellow notebook. There will be a test on these terms at the end of the month. 

Book project information has been sent home with your child.They are to complete two items from the choices given. Projects are due, Friday, March 9th. 

The Book Fair is going on now. Students will have an opportunity to go to the Book Fair in my class. 

Students go to the media center once every two weeks. Please make sure they return library books on the day they are due.

Here are a few books students might want to read :

Hatchet

Brian's Song

Tuck Everlasting

Number the Stars

The Egypt Game

The Giver

Helen Keller The Story of My Life(Autobiography)

The Upstairs Room

Bridge To Terabithia

Marley A Dog Like No Other

The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas

The Lighting Thief

Who Put That Hair in My Toothbrush

Smiles to Go

There's a Girl In My Hammerlock

Maniac Magee

Liar Liar

Old and new Starblazers, read one of the following and email me your opinion of the book. Can you guess which book from the list is my favorite?

The 12 Power Words

(Students should be able to define, spell and use in a sentence.)

Trace: Outline

Analyze: Bread down into smaller steps or parts

Infer: Read between the lines; read what the author doesn't say

Evaluate: Judge or determine value

Formulate: Build, create

Describe: Tell all about it

Support: Back it up; defend

Explain: Tell; Tell sequence, parts, or details

Summarize: The short version; key points or main idea

Compare: Things that are similar

Contrast: Things that are different

Predict: Think about the future

UNRAAVEL

U - Underline the title

N- Now make a prediction about the text

R - Run through and number the paragraphs

A - Are you reading the questions?

A - Are the important words circled?

V - Venture through the passage(Read it.)

E - Eliminate wrong answer choices in the questions.

L - Let the questions be answered.

Students should use this strategy when they are reading a passage and have questions to answer. It helps them to focus in on important information.

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