First Blog for Class 3

First Blog Assignment Class 3

When searching through all the great digital resources that are available on the Free Resources for Your Class Link, I had a difficult time deciding which resource I would apply to my current teaching. I decided I would focus on the specific needs of my students right now. Recently they took an assessment and did poorly on the Grammar section, specifically the possessive noun portion of the test. Despite all the examples, games, and practice, they still didn't understand when to add the apostrophe. 

http://aacton.gladbrook.iowapages.org/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/grammarladywatching.jpg 

My first skill I chose to blog about is a hyperlink from Classroom Literacy Resources. I clicked on the Literacy topic, Writing and found a fantastic site I could plan to incorporate into my class this week in our computer lab.  April Acton's site called, The Grammar Lady is a great site to get kids thinking about possessive nouns through a project called “Apostrophe Abuse”. There are pictures of real life erroneous application of possessive nouns and answers to most common mistakes with possessive nouns. I think it will be a fun way to create an ongoing search for real life misuse of apostrophes. They can look on signs, in newspapers, magazines, online, etc. They will be expected to record and report to the class what they find. Letters, or better yet, emails can be sent to businesses that have the errors printed. I plan to show this website to my class and have a discussion about each incorrect usage. I liked how she will respond to specific questions from students or teachers. My class will be on the hunt for “Apostrophe Abuse”. 

http://aacton.gladbrook.iowapages.org/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/apostropheshirt.jpg

The following quote from the National Council of Teachers of English on Mrs. Acton's Grammar Webpage articulately explains why I would want to help my class learn the correct use of the apostrophe. “Grammar can be part of literature discussions, when we and our students closely read the sentences in poetry and stories. And knowing about grammar means finding out that all languages and all dialects follow grammatical patterns.”  

https://www.google.com/

The second website I found to be a great match for my current lessons involves integrating Science, Technology, Literacy, Math and Art. Through a WebQuest at http://webquest.org/index.php integration of subjects proves seamless. This is a fabulous website, and I plan to introduce its contents this week. We are currently studying the Solar System in Science and Comparing and Contasting in Reading. This WebQuest combines both concepts into a fun,interactive, web-based lesson. I provided the link http://www.kidsastronomy.com/on my school webpage for easy access to use at school and home. See the Full Web Quest Lesson Plan rubric and extension ideas.

I like that my students will work in pairs and collaborate on the project. I would consider using a Digital Story or Animoto instead of a Powerpoint for the Presentation. I'm planning on researching the presentation piece to see which program to use. Students' literacy skills will be enhanced because they need to read all the Fun Facts about their specific planet. They'll need to answer some of the following questions: What is the planets Position to the sun? Is it an Inner or Outer planet?

Other questions about Rotation, Revolution, Diameter, Temperature in Celsius & Fahrenheit and Travel time from earth. They can be creative. I will use a program called KidPix for them to represent their planets through art. I know my class will love this assignment. I'm excited to use and share with my colleagues.

https://www.google.com/