Category Archives: Nonfiction Reading and Writing

Wednesday, March 18 – A Problematic Day :)

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Mrs. Rombach has teacher training today, so I’ll see you tomorrow.

Credit :www.flickr.com/photos/deeplifequotes (creative commons)

Activity #1 Shark Video & Commenting

Today in class, we’ll watch a video about sharks. Afterwards, you’ll click on the title of this post, scroll to the bottom of the page, and you’ll leave a reflective comment summarizing your thoughts and feelings. For students in Block 2/5, this video may remind you of Xander’s compelling presentation about endangered sharks and whales. How does this video make you feel? What did you learn? How can you personally make a difference? As citizens of this world, how responsible are we for what happens to the creatures we share it with? How are land and sea creatures important to our own existence? Pay close attention to make sure your comment meets our class expectations:

1. Your comment is well-written and includes proper punctuation and capitalization. The pronoun I is always capitalized.

2. Your comment makes a connection or asks a question.

3. Your comment shows critical thinking. You’ve thought about the video and left a meaningful comment about its content.

4. Your comment includes your own blog’s URL, an active link back to your blog, as every comment should.

Racing Extinction – Why Sharks Matter from Oceanic Preservation Society on Vimeo.

Activity #2 – Vocabulary Story Time

Working with a partner, spend no more than 10 minutes collaboratively writing a short story using either a chronological or problem and solution text structure. Remember to use signal words to help your reader identify which type of organizational pattern you’re using. Include at least four vocabulary words from our list on the wall!

Activity #3 – Problem & Solution Paragraph 

Working in your writing groups, offer praise and polish comments on one another’s paragraphs. Pay attention to your writing mechanics (punctuation, spelling, grammar, capitalization). Next, revise and edit your paragraph and give it a creative title. We’ll print these out in the computer lab on Friday.

Extra Time?

Read quietly, work on a new blog post, or visit the Student Blogging Challenge and leave quality comments on a few class blogs from around the world.

 

Who Inspires You?

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photo credit: www.goodreads.com

photo credit: www.goodreads.com

As we finish reading A Long Walk to Water, Linda Sue Park’s riveting story about former Lost Boy Salva Dut, I know many of us have been profoundly affected by Salva’s treacherous journey to freedom. This young man, who at age 11 left his South Sudanese village amidst brutal civil war, came to lead 1200 boys and and young men to safety.

Salva Dut’s courage astounds his. His determination, not only to survive but to change his part of the world, leaves us awestruck. We marvel at his unrelenting determination. If you ever doubt your ability to singlehandedly make a difference in this vast universe, remember Salva Dut. One hope-filled person with a mission…that’s where change begins.

Speaking of Salva Dut, check out his response to my tweet. Pretty cool. 🙂 Now, tell me who inspires you and why. I can’t wait to read your replies.! Leave a comment with your blog URL. When you click on the title of this post, you’ll be able to see my example. 🙂

 

Salva Dut TWEET

 

Water, Water Everywhere…but Not a Drop to Drink

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 Stop and drink.

You can turn on the faucet and clear, clean water rushes out. You have plenty of water to drink, to bathe, to cook, and to wash clothes, dishes, and cars. We sprinkle our lawns with clean water. We fill Nerf guns and summer pools with clean water. For us, clean water is everywhere.

CREDIT--Plan-David-Ngige

CREDIT–Plan-David-Ngige

As we read A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, we now know that for south Sudan and for so many other countries around the globe, clean water is a luxury more precious than gold or cattle. As we continue to journey with Nya and Salva across the barren landscape of a war-torn Sudan, I thought it was a good time to remind ourselves how vitally important water truly is–to all of us.

Today in your small group, watch each of these two videos. Please use the headphones provided. After each, complete the questionnaires you’ll find stacked on the table.

 

How much water should you drink each day?

 

What happens if you go without water?

After watching these two videos, complete the questionnaire on your table. 

If time permits, leave me a comment. Did you learn anything new or surprising?

Do your best work!

Mrs. Rombach

Building an Education

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  credit: : banaa.org

credit: blog.brac.net

In the United States, every child is guaranteed a free public education, something we admittedly all take for granted.

Elsewhere in the world, particularly in poverty-stricken countries, an education often isn’t even an option. If you’re a girl, that possibility shrinks even further.

As we read about Salva and Naya in A Long Walk to Water, we see two children struggling to find balance between the challenges of poverty, war, and the desire for an education and a chance in this world.

This week, your writing assignment is to pick a topic from this list and write a blog post about it. If you already have a blog up and running, you may write directly on your blog. If you don’t, please write on Google Docs and share with me. Your blog will be up soon!

Before you begin writing, let’s watch a video about South Sudan’s initiative to bring education to their people. Leave a 1-2 sentence comment in response to this video.

The First Step…in A Long Walk to Water

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photo credit: www.goodreads.com

photo credit: www.goodreads.com

 

On Friday, our class will begin an in-depth exploration of Linda Sue Park’s novel, A Long Walk to Water. This book chronicles the struggle for clean water that a large portion of the world’s population faces. As our daily read-aloud, A Long Walk to Water, will escort us into our research unit, where you’ll be tasked with identifying, researching, and promoting a social injustice in the world that matters to you.

Homework:

Due Monday

(1) Over the weekend, your mission is to complete the WebQuest for A Long Walk to Water.  Like our reading survey, the WebQuest is a Google document that requires you to log in using your LCPS username and password. As you progress through this challenge, I have no doubt you’ll find this story both eye-opening and heartbreaking.

While we will begin this journey in class, its completion is your responsibility. Make the time as this is a graded assignment. To complete this WebQuest, use the two-sided questionnaire handed out in class. If you need a copy, click here: Webquest Task Sheet.

 

Click here: A Long Walk to Water WebQuest 

 

Due Wednesday

(2) Watch the TEDTalk featuring Ludwick Marishane. By Wednesday, leave a quality comment about how his story affected you.

 

Meet author Linda Sue Park and discover her inspiration for this novel.

 

If you had to walk a mile for a jug of water every day, as millions of people do, it’s unlikely you’d use that precious water to bathe. Young entrepreneur Ludwick Marishane tells the amazing, funny story of how he invented a cheap, clean, and convenient solution. I look forward to taking this long walk together.

Remember, leave a quality comment about how this video affected you.

 

I look forward to taking this long walk together.

Mrs. Rombach