News from Reading Enrichment
Outfield Parkway
Fantasyland, NH 03060
March 2010
Grade 6
The students are traveling through the years of the Civil War as they read Across Five Aprils, by Irene Hunt. This is quite a challenging book for them, however at its completion they should be very knowledgeable about the battles, generals, and cause/effects of this war. During this book they will complete several projects/activities: a research project on many aspects of the Civil War, fine tune their impromptu public speaking techniques when given a specific character situation during that era, write a letter to President Lincoln with a logical solution to the war, and create a mini autobiography as a slave.
Grade 5
The fifth graders have begun reading Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creech. This story takes a young girl on a journey across several states to find her mother. She journeys with her Gram and Gramps, who can find themselves in some very interesting situations. As they travel along, Sal, the main character, tells about several other aspects of her life, weaving three other stories together in this one book. The students will research at least two special/unusual attractions in each state they visit and present their findings displayed on a well organized poster board. In the past, the children have come up with some very interesting places to visit while sharpening their U.S. geography skills. Because one of the main themes in the story revolves around friendship, the students will create a life size image of their best friend and atttach attributes that come from certain areas of their bodies: sensitive, loving..heart, creative...hands, athletic..legs, perceptive...eyes, etc. Hopefully this activity will help them become more aware of true friendship and thankful for what their friend can offer.
Grade 4
Studying and reading about a famous person will be the theme for the fourth graders this month. They have begun an independent study of writings, oral presentations, and artistic projects that will help them and the rest of the class learn about the struggles, determination, and rise to fame that their characters experienced in their lives. They will have some choices as to which activities they would like to complete, along with a few required assignments. They will map out a month long calendar, inserting all the assignments and hopefully learn about time management, organization, and self-motivation. These are great strategies they can learn for many life experiences to come!
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Grade 3
The third grade students are beginning a book called, In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, by Bette Bao Lord. It is about a young Chinese girl who comes to America with her mother to begin a new life with the dad, who arrived earlier. The students will research the country of China and present their findings via posters in front of the class. They will also prepare and present a step-by-step demonstration to the class on how to make an easy American dish or treat, making believe their audience is made up of newly arrived Chinese families who are unable to cook American food. This is their biggest challenge in their public speaking experience so far, as they have to maintain eye contact while going through each step and keeping their audience interested. I do believe we will discover some future cooking show hosts! The students will also get a glimpse at the life of the famous baseball player, Jackie Robinson, whom the main character simply adores, once she understands this strange American game.
Grade 2
The second graders have begun reading Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective, by Donald Sobol. During this book each student will create their own detective agency, complete with evidence collecting kit, motto, logo, business cards, disguises, etc. and videotape themselves advertising their agency. The class will then view and critique the commercial, looking for creativity and effectiveness.
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