The semester is flying by. As the Foundations memory work piles up and the holidays draw near, I know we are all feeling the end of the semester burden. Hang in there, as Cynthia announced, only 3 weeks until Christmas break:). What an amazing semester filled with learning!
*****I apologize for leaving this important point out yesterday. Please review this with your child at home. When writing reports, do not say "I" or "you." Please see page #37 in your lesson packet for examples.*****
Unit 4: Summarizing Single References
As we begin this new Unit, STRUCTURE is definitely the focus. We will not be introducing any new elements of Style (dress-ups,decorations) during this unit so that all of our energy can be devoted to the students mastering the extremely important concept of TOPIC SENTENCES AND FINAL CLINCHERS. As we look into the future of our children's education the most frequent writing assignments they will be asked to complete will be factual essays. Unit 4 is the first step in mastering the skill of communicating this information in an organized manner.
2 Week Assignment!!!
The Components of your Week 9 and Week 10 assignment: 2-3 Paragraph Essay/Short Report
(1) Subject: The Wonders of Ancient Egypt
(2) Source Texts (1 source per paragraph): Pyramids (page # 35), Sphinx (page # 40), and Mummies (page # 42)
(3) Length: 2-3 paragraph report on the Wonders of Ancient Egypt
(You have the choice to write a 2 or 3 paragraph report over the next 2 weeks - choose from the topics listed below)
Topic A - Pyramids (Paragraph 1)
Topic B - Sphinx (Paragraph 2)
Topic C - Mummies (Paragraph 3)
(4) Choose 5 Favorite Facts from each source text on each topic. Please note that on the Parent's Structure and Style Weekly Guide I instructed you to "highlight or underline 5 Favorite Facts" on your source text. Please disregard that instruction and use the CHECK MARKS in the left margin instead. After participating in the Unit 4 webinar on Monday evening, I learned a different method that was recommended by Andrew Pudewa. When students begin underlining and highlighting important facts in their source text, they can get carried away and mark too much information. Using a check mark in the left margin is easier to see and easier to control. If your child decides to eliminate or ignore a favorite fact later, they can easily turn the checkmark into an X. It is impossible to undo a highlighted or underlined fact. I thought this was an excellent strategy to utilize. We will continue using the "check marking" method from this point forward:) Thank you Mr. Pudewa. If you would like to listen to this seminar at home you can find it at the following address : http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/webinar-archive The title is: Unit 4 - The Lynchpin for Structure and Style (1 hour long and free of charge). I checked this morning and the Monday night webinar has not been posted yet. If you are interested check back at a later time. You can also register to listen and participate in future webinars.
- Another important note about finding their five favorite facts: They can mark more than 5 and either combine multiple facts onto one line of their outline and/or they can rearrange the facts into any order of their choice once they start writing their paper. FOCUS ON THE STRUCTURE and PROCESS OF PLANNING AND WRITING - NOT THE CONTENT OF THEIR PAPER (The structure for each paragraph is: TOPIC SENTENCE, FIVE FACTS, FINAL CLINCHER).
Week 10 we will discuss adding an Introductory Statement, Final Clincher and Title to your child's 2 or 3 paragraph report.
Topic Sentence - Clincher Rule: MEMORIZE, MEMORIZE, MEMORIZE
As we boldly bellowed in class yesterday: "The Topic Sentence and the Clincher sentence must REPEAT or REFLECT 2 or 3 key words!"
In your KWO,rough and final drafts please highlight these key words. This is demonstrated in the sample papers and KWO's I provided in your lesson packet. See page #36 in their lesson packet.
For example:
Topic Sentence: Everyone knows there are pyramids in Egypt.
Final Clincher: Today there are more than 30 of these fascinating monuments standing in Egypt to remind us of their great civilization.
Synonym Searches:
In this unit we are focusing on repeating and reflecting(using synonyms) key words. in their topic sentences and clinchers. I felt this was a perfect time to emphasize using synonyms. This week I would like for your child to find synonyms for each of their Lesson 9 vocabulary words : ruthless, irate, devastating and chide.
Tips for Success:
(1) If your child is struggling to KWO their topic sentence "they are not getting it" have them simply rewrite a topic sentence directly from the source text and change 1-2 words using a thesaurus.
(2) This week we are "some-a-rizing" a 3 paragraph source text into 1 paragraph. Think in terms of a funnel. We are starting with a large amount of information and narrowing it down into what your child decides are the most"interesting" or "important" facts.
I3 (Interesting/Important/Ignore the rest)
(3) Think process not product. Mastering the skill of writing an organized paragraph is the focus - topic sentence, details, clincher. REPEAT AND REFLECT
(4) Follow the Rough Draft checklist for clear directions on labeling your papers. Also, refer to the sample "Pyramid" paragraph and sample essay "An Amazing Civilization" for a glimpse of the end product due on Week 11.
(5) This is a 2 week assignment and there is the option of writing a 2 or 3 paragraph report. Pace your 2 weeks according to the demands of your home school.
Have a blessed week, it is an honor to partner with all of you in home schooling,
Write on!
Tina
No comments:
Post a Comment