Reading and writing and …………

_Elsa_

The school day is finally coming to an end. This is their last class of the day with their homeroom teacher.

“So how was your first day of class?” asks Ms Jones. 

Philippe raises his hand to speak.  

“Well the best part of my day today was eating lunch,” says Philippe.  

Oh boy, Ms Jones realizes that this student might be a handful. Jean-Luc just rolls his eyes but is not surprised that his brother said that. 

“Let’s go over what we are going to cover this year.” 

‘Reading

·        Make fuller use of written materials, using a wider range of evidence to support an analysis

·        Make more connections about how complex ideas interact and develop in a book, essay, or article

·        Evaluate arguments; assess whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is sufficient; detect inconsistencies and ambiguities

·        Analyze the meaning of foundational US documents (the Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights)

Writing

·        Make an argument that is logical, well-reasoned, and supported by evidence

·        Write a literary analysis, report, or summary that develops a central idea and a coherent focus, supported with examples, facts, and details

·        Conduct research projects that address different aspects of the same topic.

Speaking and listening

·        Respond to diverse perspectives, synthesizing comments, claims, and evidence on all sides of an issue and resolving contradictions when possible

·        Share research, findings, and evidence clearly and concisely

·        Use digital media (animations, video, Web sites, podcasts) to enhance understanding and add interest

Language

·        Find or clarify the meaning of words and phrases, using multiple strategies, such as context, Greek and Latin roots (bene as in benefactor or benevolent), and patterns (conceive, conception, conceivable).

·        Interpret figures of speech (hyperbole, paradox), and analyze their role in the literature or text’ (Info here) 

“We might not get to all of this but there are some areas that are the essence of this class,” says Ms Jones. “Reading and grammar will always be the two main areas but we will also try to branch off from those too. For example, when it comes to reading, I am going to teach you how to become the devil’s advocate and pull apart some reading material and assess if it’s valid or inconsistent.  You will be writing your arguments and if we have time we will try to do some research. With each writing assignment I will also be reviewing your grammar. So many of you forget when to use commas and semi-colons so we will go over that carefully too. For homework, I am going to give you a couple of pages of reading and grammar. I would like them back as soon as possible, say by Wednesday so that I know which areas we need to spend more time on. 

The final school bell rings and they all run out the door towards their school bus.

Let’s continue here - Jean-Luc talks to Tiffi 

Start at the beginning – School days, school days ……….

List of my stories here