First Paragraph Friday - "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick

This week I previewed the awesome Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick. This is another great realistic fiction book and it even has a sequel!

Thirteen-year-old Steven has a totally normal life: he plays drums in the All-Star Jazz band, has a crush on the hottest girl in the school, and is constantly annoyed by his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey. But when Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia, Steven's world is turned upside down. He is forced to deal with his brother's illness and his parents' attempts to keep the family in one piece. Salted with humor and peppered with devastating realities, DRUMS, GIRLS, AND DANGEROUS PIE is a heartwarming journey through a year in the life of a family in crisis.

I love the reason that Sonnenblick gives about why he chose to write Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie:

Week 10 Update

Families,

What a busy week we have had!

In Social Studies, we wrapped up our study of medieval Islam by discussing the Crusades and watched this great video by John Green that asks, "Were the crusades a pilgrimage or a holy war? Or both?"

In English, we participated in a Pop-Up Debate about whether or not self-driving cars will be good for America.  We practiced not only using a voice appropriate for the task and space but also on making purposeful and consistent eye contact while speaking. It's great to see students lose some of their anxiety about public speaking as we make this a consistent routine!

We also launched our first major analytical essay about The Giver. Students will be analyzing whether it's worth it to sacrifice diversity and choice for the benefits of "Sameness" as experienced in Jonas's community in The Giver. This week we wrote thesis statements, collected textual evidence, and practiced the difficult skills of crafting context and lead-ins. Next week we will tackle reasoning (analysis) and conclusion paragraphs.

This weekend, could you please check in with your student to make sure they have completed the following in the digital graphic organizer for the essay:

1. Thesis statement
2. Claim, context, lead-in, and evidence for paragraph A
3. Claim, context, lead-in, and evidence for paragraph B

Please also note that there are video mini-lessons linked in the graphic organizer just in case students need a refresher on the various parts of the paragraph.

Due Date Alert!
Formal Book Review #2 is due on Monday 10/24!

Have a great weekend, Explorers!
Mrs. Ellis
mellis@westlakecharter.com 

Week 9 Update

Welcome back, Explorer families!

We hit the ground running in Humanities upon returning from break, finishing up our reading of The Giver in English and studying medieval Muslim innovations and adaptations in Social Studies. I really appreciated how willing all students were to jump right back into work after a week off!

Looking ahead, we are about to start our first big writing assessment - an argument essay on The Giver. This will take up most of the next two weeks of class time in English, and it will be important that students use their class time appropriately to ensure that they do not fall behind. Here is a calendar of when we are planning to work on each part of the essay in class. If students do not complete class work on these days, it will be critical that they finish that work at home so they are ready to move ahead with the class the following day. Please check in with your student each afternoon to ensure that they are on track with the writing process:

In addition to working on this essay during class, students are also responsible for completing the Second Formal Book Review at home independently. The second formal book review is due no later than Monday, October 24, but students are encouraged to complete and submit their second review as soon as they are finished with it.

As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Let's explore!

Mrs. Ellis

mellis@westlakecharter.com

Week 8 Update

Families,

Have a wonderful Fall Break! I really believe in honoring breaks from school, so your student does not have any homework for English or Social Studies due when they return. If your student has missing work, this week would be a good time to tackle some of it and check in with me during WELL when we return. Break is also a great time to accomplish some Independent Reading! Please also remember that this is a break for teachers as well! While I will be putting in a few grades this week, I am looking forward to spending the week with my family as well!

This past week in English we continued reading and discussing The Giver. We will finish the novel when we return from break, then launch into our first major writing unit.

In Social Studies, we learned about the Five Pillars of Islam and had some great conversations about respecting cultures that are different or foreign to us. I was really impressed with the respect and maturity that all Explorers showed this week!

Again, have a wonderful break!

Mrs. Ellis
mellis@westlakecharter.com