http://teachersites.schoolworld.com/webpages/AHolton/rss/blog_8677.xmlAmy Holton Blogen-usThu, 06 Aug 2009 06:56:53 GMTThu, 06 Aug 2009 06:56:53 GMTSchool WorldWhat a great start to the year!  We took a look at the syllabus together.  Students are very excited about the learning activities, projects, and field trips we have planned for the year.  You can take a look at the syllabus under both parent and student resources. 

We also spent some time thinking about thinking.  We discussed our theme for the year: possibility.  We looked at our own potential in the context of the 40th anniversary of the moon landing.  Students learned about the theme and its relationship to the books we'll be reading and the work we'll be doing as readers and writers.  We also discussed the idea of metacognition and the idea that reading and writing are thinking processes that build neurons.

The big hit was a short video about an amazing professional freestyle biker, Danny Macaskill.  He found what he loves and pushed himself to his fullest potential to become the best that there is.  That's just what I want my students to do. 

You can check out a multimedia presentation that we used to kick off the year here. 

Our first major writing accomplishment is an imaginary story inspired by a book called Harris Burdick by Chris van Allsberg.  NYOS sixth graders wrote stories inspired by the illustrations and captions in the books.  Their writing will help us to make a plan for our individual growth as writers this year. 

My next entry will help explain all the hoopla about our accordian journals. 


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