Today, we enjoyed an author visit from Maria Dismondy. Visit her on youtube to hear her books! Try this one here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GiOewh5Cyo She told us about empathy and encouraged us to TRY-SAY-DO. She has some closed Pinterest and Facebook groups for parents if you search "Empowering Kids with Character." Her website is http://mariadismondy.com/
Some photos of the assembly:
Homework:
In
writing, we are working on opinion essays. The kids are doing a great job
learning this style of essay, and writing them across subject areas as you will see from today's post. We are reading opinion essays during reading class and looking for the author's claim, counterclaim, reasons, and evidence. We are teaching a very simple format for writing these
essays.
We
start with a thesis statement. The kids know that the thesis statement should
be a clear sentence that states their opinion. Kids are starting their opinion
essays with their thesis statements.
Then
the kids are backing up their thesis statements with reasons. We are
encouraging kids to include strong, specific reasons. Parents can back up this
skill by asking kids to come up with strong reasons to back up the opinions
they express at home.
Next,
the children will include a counterclaim. A counterclaim is the opposite
opinion. We are teaching kids to start their counterclaim with, "Some
people might say…but…." We use this formal to bring up the counterclaim
and then disprove it.
Finally,
kids will wrap up their essay with a conclusion. Concluding statements are
usually a challenge for this age group. That's why I recommend that kids end
their opinion essays with a "Requested Action".
Below
is an example outline and essay the class and Mr. Seley wrote together today.
Enjoy! Your child will be showing you some of his/her outlines and essays tonight.
Opinion
Essay Outline on School Uniforms.
Thesis:
BCS should have school uniforms.
Reason
#1: Kids can focus on learning.
Reason
#2: Families can save money.
Reason
#3: Save time getting ready.
Counter Claim: Some people might say school
uniforms are boring and kids should be able to express themselves with what
they wear, but kids have plenty of opportunities to wear the clothes they want
on the weekends.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, kids should not be so scared of school uniforms because they can
be a good thing. Please ask your principal to start requiring school uniforms
immediately.
___________________________________
Cool School Uniform!
Every day kids at BCS arrive wearing all
different types of clothes. They talk about clothes. They get jealous of who
has the latest fashions. Sometimes kids are even bullied for what they wear.
BCS should require every student to wear a uniform at school.
If kids wear school uniforms, they will be
able to focus more in school. When kids wear their own clothes, they might fuss
with buttons or snaps while they should be learning. Also, kids might be
distracted by the clothes their classmates are wearing. These problems are
easily solved. Let’s start having a required school uniform.
School uniforms will help families save
money. When you buy a uniform, you can buy them in bulk. This means they will
be cheaper. Also, if we keep the same uniform each year, kids can buy used
clothes for their uniforms. This will cut down on cost and save the
environment.
School uniforms save time. Some people miss
the bus because they want to look good for school. School uniforms will make
getting ready a piece of cake. Also, school uniforms can help kids keep their
closets more organized, so kids aren’t scrambling all over the place to get
ready for school. If we have school uniforms, kids could get ready in the dark.
That would be amazing.
Some people might say school uniforms are
boring and kids should be able to express themselves with what they wear, but
kids have plenty of opportunities to wear the clothes they want on the
weekends. School provides many other opportunities for kids to express
themselves in writing, art and even recess!
In conclusion, school uniforms will make BCS
students more focused. They will also be cheaper, so BCS families will have
money for more important things, like iPads. Kids will save time in the
morning, so they will not be late for school. So, the next time you see Mr.
Morawski in the hallway, make sure to ask him to start a brand new school
uniform policy!
_______________________________
Here's a claim/counterclaim outline that Mrs. Davis and the 4th grade math class did today:
Here are some students' outlines and essays:
