Graded Assignments

QUARTER 1
Parent Letter (10 points)- Due 8-28 Students were required to take home the letter, get it signed by a parent/guardian, and return it. Full points were awarded for on time returns and points taken off according to the late policy for late returns. Nature Adventure Stories (10 points) Due 8-29 Students wrote their own nature adventure stories in line with the Tuk the Hunter story read to them in class. Plot and Setting Imagery for Nature Adventure Story (20 points) Due 9-11 Students created imagery representing the setting of their original stories and the major events in the plot of their stories. Scramble Stories (10 points) Due 10-14 Choosing from a brainstormed class list of genres (types of story i.e. romance, drama, action) and a list of settings (where the story happens), students developed their own short fictional story that also had to include two random nouns/verbs they were given on index cards (also developed by the class). They were also required to dress up their nouns and verbs with adjectives and adverbs and use complete sentences! Afterwards, many students shared their stories out loud with the class. PB & J Story (10 points) - Due 10-15 In this fun assignment, students practiced sequence by creating a piece of instructional writing, a howto story explaining in great detail how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They practiced using complete sentences that are grammatically correct and with vivid descriptions, using adjectives and adverbs to dress up their nouns and verbs. With student help, I narrated the sandwich making process live in class.

QUARTER 2
How-To Stories (100 points)- Due 10-28 Students researched and created their own how-to stories explaining how to do something like groom a horse or survive the bus after a volleyball game. The goal was to use great detail, vivid descriptions with dressed up nouns and verbs, and complete sentences. They are learning to give clear sequential instructions. They were also asked to use paragraph form. The stories were written in second person. Their grade was based partly on improvement from the rough draft to the final. The rough draft was improved by using a self-editing checklist and making corrections that were to be incorporated into the

final draft. The final draft was either typed or re-written. The final stories were also performed in front of the class. Woodsong Paragraph & Essay Practice (5 and 10 points)- Due 11-12 We are reading the non-fiction book Woodsong by Gary Paulsen in class. This story of wilderness adventures provides ample opportunity to build vocabulary and practice reading comprehension. We practiced summarizing through the writing process of creating a paragraph in true form with five sentences, topic, details (3), and concluding. We also used a web brainstorming technique to create an outline for an essay with five paragraphs: introductory, three main ideas with details, and concluding. Students are practicing writing a proper essay, linking personal experience to the literature we read. Nature Poem Field Trip (10 points) Due 11-19 After returning from our service learning field trip to Elk Creek where we planted trees and removed invasive species to help restore the riparian ecosystem, students used their five senses to describe their experiences using words, painting a picture with word images. Questioning Poetry I (11 points) Due 11-26 Students learned to analyze a poem of their choosing, answering questions about the authors techniques, tone, and audience. Final Draft ROW Poem (20 points) Due 11-26 Using the word paintings from the field trip as a basis, students added and applied two new poetry techniques (out of five total) to their writing to create nature poetry about the watershed we visited and live in. They had the option of submitting their final typed product to the River of Words Poetry Contest with the grand prize being a trip to San Francisco. Questioning Poetry II (11 points) Due 12-5 Students practiced analyzing a piece of writing with a new poem of their choice, answering the same questions as with the first Questioning Poetry handout. Wangari Maathai Character Questions (12 points) Due 12-10 Students read three short passages about the Nobel Peace prize winner Wangari Maathai whose leadership led to the planting of millions of trees in Kenya and other parts of Africa, not only transforming lives for rural women but empowering a nation to choose better leaders. Students answered questions about her character, her actions, and the result of her lifes work. The goal was of this assignment is reading comprehension. Purposeful Poem (Haiku) (10 points) Due 12-17 Students applied their new knowledge of author purpose and audience as learned in the previous reading comprehension activities by writing their own poetry with a specific and designated audience

and purpose. The students also learned a poetic technique called haiku with a set number of syllables in each line of the poem.