Welcome back! Term Two English 2019

At the end of last term we took some circle time to reflect on what is working and what we would like to change and to have more help with.  Here are the key actions I noted that relate to English:

• Lots of people want to do a film study
• The pace of our learning is too fast when people have been absent
• Students would like to do some collaborative learning with 10WH and Mr Hanson
• Please don't threaten to call parents

So... our next steps.  We will finish The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian this week, and then move on to a film study.

I will put more information on the blog to help people know what they have to catch up on when they have been away.

Mr Hanson and I are meeting this week to plan a combined session of 10QI and 10WH which will run next Thursday 9 May.  We hope to make this a weekly session which will focus on English skills.

Our starter today is a paper activity helping us to remember the key characters and events in Diary of a Part Time Indian.  Then we will read more of the novel, and finally we will have a class discussion on the challenges Junior faces at home and school.

Good Dad Bad Dad

Do now #1: silent reading
Do now #2: go to Socrative.  Your room is MSQUICK
The task is on Socrative.  Use the novel, particularly pp150-1 to write really detailed, thoughtful answers.

Mary writes to Junior, and Thanksgiving

Learning objective: to show understanding of the challenges Junior's sister Mary is facing in her new life.
Success criteria:
1. We can read Mary's letter to Junior.
2. We can read on, between and beyond the lines to show our understanding of Mary's letter
3. We can use research skills to show our understanding of the references to Indians and Pilgrims in the chapter on Thanksgiving

Do now: listening/reading pages 99-103 of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian.

We are working on our reading comprehension questions today via Socrative.  Log in here.  The screen will look like this:

Your room name is MSQUICK. When you join the room, you will see a quiz ready for you to attempt at your own pace.  You must use your own name.  Only I can see the results, not other students.

The next part of the lesson is about the chapter on Thanksgiving.  I am interested in what you know about the key words in this chapter: thanksgiving, pilgrims, pumpkin pie.  Watch this clip below, and then write a paragraph explaining why Junior is not sure why his family celebrates thanksgiving.