Reading: The Unbreakable Code

Talking in Codes is our theme this week. What are some different codes that you know about? What situations would someone use codes? Here are some of your ideas (and let me say, brain power was high today)...hand signals, such as in baseball or football, Morse Code, pictures/ symbols, sign language, "truck driver talk", secret handshakes, texting, etc. People use codes for many different reasons. For example, hospitals, police, and schools use codes in emergency situations, or militaries use codes to keep important information secret.

    In our historical fiction story this week, The Unbreakable Code, a Navajo boy named John learns about when his grandfather, and other Navajo soldiers, used their Navajo language to send secret messages during the war. The enemy never broke their code, and these men were able to save many lives and help win the war.

Our skill this week is author's perspective. Author's perspective reveals his or her opinions or attitudes toward a subject that affect themes. The author's writing may be slanted to show how he or she feels about a topic. Why is this important? Evaluating the author's perspective toward a topic can help you decide what to believe, if you need to check another source, or whether or not you agree or disagree with the author.

Here's our vocabulary for the week, along with your vocabulary game! 

Vocabulary Game

 The Unbreakable Code Vocabulary

Reading: Unit 3

Our Unit 3 Theme is Using Your Wits...what does that mean to you? Using strategies in sports, puzzles, and games?  Many people and animals use their wits to get out of tricky situations, but there are also those who use their wits in a negative way. We'll explore all the ways people/animals "Use their Wits" in the next few stories.

Week 1 theme: Tricksters...which animals come to mind when you hear the word "Tricksters"? Some answers I heard today are foxes, wolves, cats, etc.  We will be reading an African trickster play this week called Catch of the Day, where a fisher "tricks" several people out of their goods and food. In the end, the tables are turned on the fisherman, and he takes a dip into the river! 

This week's lesson is theme, which is the main message or moral lesson the author wants to get across to the reader. The theme may be stated directly in the story, or not. By understanding the theme in a story, it helps a reader better understand the relationships among the characters, which also helps you understand the story better.

Here's our vocabulary power point and game for the week. If you make a comment about this blog entry, a treat will be coming your way!

Catch of the Day Vocabulary

Vocabulary Game

Beat the Teacher to earn Class Rewards!

Do you have what it takes to take on Mrs. Rapp and win?  Great behavior in class earns you a spin of the wheel.  Got Homework?  If the entire class brings completed homework, another spin of the wheel!  What can you earn? MOVIE DAY! GAME DAY! PAJAMA DAY! LUNCH WITH RAPP! and so much more!

Spin the Wheel!

Reading: Hurricanes

We're finishing up our last week in Unit 2. Our week 5 theme is: Extreme Weather. While we were brainstorming in class, many of you remembered having to duck and cover for the severe thunderstorms and possible tornado a few years back. That was a memorable experience! Thankfully we all got home safely! Several students mentioned the horrible tornado that hit our neighboring communities last December, and all the flooding that we have had the past few years in our area.   

    Many people around the country experience all types of extreme weather: hurricanes, blizzards, tornadoes, tsunamis, etc. Not only is extreme weather costly, it can also be deadly. Our expository story this week is called Hurricanes. It tells us information and facts about hurricanes, along with tips on what to do during and after a hurricane. 

   Our lesson for this week is text structure. Authors choose to organize their stories in many different ways, such as, sequence, cause and effect, compare and contrast, problem and solution, and description. We are going to focus on description, which defines or classifies information by describing its qualities or characteristics. When reading, you should look for signal words: most important, for example, to begin with, and bring. Or, if an author is describing a process, he/she may use sequence words, such as first, next, then, and last. 

  Today we focused on our vocabulary...here is our vocabulary power point and game-Enjoy!

Hurricanes Vocabulary
Vocabulary Game

3rd Grading Period Symbaloos!

Today marks the first day of the 3rd 6 weeks!  I can't believe time is moving so swiftly!  Here is your Symbaloo for the 3rd 6 Weeks. You will be having several days of vacation in the coming weeks, make sure you continue to practice your reading, math, and science skills.
3rd Grading Period Symbaloo

Homework: November Calendar

Today, I passed out the new homework calendar for the month of November.  You will notice specific passage titles with a page number listed on Tuesdays.  These assignments will be handed out every Tuesday and returned completed on the following Wednesday.  These assignments are required.  Parents: Please check over your student's homework.  The homework should be completed using ALL Reading Strategies.  I have added a copy of the reading strategies we use in class.

Super Reading Strategies!

Reading: Up in the Air!

Theme: Balloon Flight...why do people go in hot-air balloons when they can travel by airplane? Some brainstorming ideas we came up with were: for fun, adventure, pretty scenery, a hobby, a competition/race. This week we're reading an expository story, Up in the Air. We are learning about the scientists/ inventors who created hot-air balloons, and the discoveries that they made. We are also finding out about the first brave men and women (and animals) who were passengers in these amazing balloons. 

Our skill for the week: Fact/ Opinion. A fact is information that can be verified (proven true or false), where as an opinion is what someone thinks or feels about something. Here is your vocabulary for the week, along with your vocabulary game!
Fact/ Opinion Practice

Vocabulary Game

Up in the Air Vocabulary

Fact or Opinion: This is Mrs. Rapp's 16th year to teach.