Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Descriptive

This is my descriptive writing. It will be a book with pictures of the missions.

Come along with Lane as he visits the missions.

Here is the stove where they used to cook. The stove is made of rock. It is big enough for Lane to fit in!

There is a church at the mission. It is still used today.

Lane is in one of the buildings that is still standing.

This building still has all four walls.

The doors and windows are missing.

I’m not sure how I will organize the pictures and text. I am thinking that I will have Lane at different parts of the park and describe what he is doing and what is in the picture with him.

Expository Text

To enjoy your trip to the San Antonio Missions is to bring the whole family. There is something for everyone to see!

Do not forget to bring your camera. There are many interesting things to see.


Remember, you will be walking a lot. So, do not forget to wear comfortable shoes.



This text will be in a tri-fold pamphlet. Pictures of the missions will accompany the text. This pamphlet is for second graders.

I read the article that we discussed in class today. The women in the article used the same excuses that alcoholics use. ‘I don’t need it’. The article also seems to take the stand that it is okay to use marijuana. This is another example of the mixed messages that our children are faced with every day. As future teachers we have to set an example for our students to follow. When we celebrate Red Ribbon Week, we should talk about the mixed messages the students face. Of course, this discussion has to be age appropriate. Our personal views on whether marijuana should be legalized should not enter the discussion. We are there to educate the students, not push our personal opinions on them.

What is Narrative?

Narrative is a type of writing that tells a story.
The story can be true or imaginary.
The story will describe a place, person, or event.

Some examples of narrative writing are:

Jimmy Goes to the City

by Arthur Read

Jimmy was a happy ape

Until some hunters caught him

He liked the jungle better than

The city where they brought him

The city was louder

The city was meaner

Even the dirt in the jungle was cleaner

So Jimmy made a daring escape!

The hunters were suddenly minus one ape!

He climbed the tallest building

Because from there he'd see

How far away the jungle was

From the middle of the city.

Jimmy jumped into a passing plane

But the pilot didn't wait for him to explain

Jimmy flew back to the jungle

And told his ape friends in their lair

"The city's okay for a visit

But you couldn't make me live there."

The Snowy Day

by: Erza Jack Keats

This book tells the story of a boy who walks

around his neighborhood in the snow.

Sara’s fourth grade class went on a field trip to the San Antonio Missions. She was excited to see the missions. Her textbook had a few pictures of the Alamo, but she had not seen any of the other missions. Her teacher, Mrs. Roberts had been telling stories about the people who lived in the missions. Sara was eager to see the builds that are still standing.

As the class toured the missions, Sara was able to picture the men and women working in the fields that would have surrounded the missions. She could see the animals, the goats, and pigs. Sara wondered what it would have been like to live in one of these missions.

The trip to the missions was one that Sara would never forget. She wanted to go back with her family as soon as she could. Reading about the missions in school was nothing like seeing them in person.

Memories

One of my memories that I didn’t share in class was my memory that makes me laugh. I brought a toy class to represent my memory. When I was six years old, my mom, my brother, my cousins, and I went fishing. We went to my grandmother’s ranch. A creek ran through the property. A small hill led down to the creek. I’m not sure how long we were there, but I was ready to go home. I told my mom I was ready to leave. She said it wasn’t time to go; they were still fishing. I was walking around complaining. It didn’t do any good. So, I decided to go home by myself. I walked back to the car, got in, and started it. I put the car in gear and started down the hill. I don’t know how I stopped the car. I remember everybody yelling for me to stop. I guess I finally pressed on the brake. I stopped less than ten feet from the creek. When I got out, I looked so scared that my mom couldn’t even get mad at me. They all started laughing at me instead. To this day, my mom will look at me and say ‘remember when you almost drove into the creek?’

Around the Campfire

             We gAther

      To roast Marshmallows

      And pop Popcorn.

              FamIly.

             ArouNd the campfire

               We Gather.

Writing is a Process

WRITING IS A PROCESS
The writing process has five steps.
Step 1
The first step in writing is Prewriting. Prewriting consists of gathering ideas on a topic. Graphic organizers can be used to help students get their ideas on paper.
Step 2
The second step is Drafting. Drafting is when students write their rough draft or sloppy copy. Neatness and correct spelling are not needed now.
Step 3
The third step is Revising. Revising includes adding, deleting and moving what is in the rough draft. Students can get feedback from teachers and other students.
Step 4
The fourth step is Editing. Editing includes proofreading and correcting errors. The rough draft is made ready for publishing.
Step 5
The fifth step is Publishing. Publishing includes sharing the writing with an audience. This can mean reading it aloud, posting it online, or posting the writing on the classroom for others to read.


If I Won a New Truck...
If I won a new truck, I would give it to my husband. He has always wanted a new truck. He has put it off to make sure that we have what we need. He is the one who encouraged me to go back to school. If it weren’t for him, I probably would have just kept working as a substitute teacher. I enjoyed that but he saw before I did that I could do more. He has always encouraged our kids to finish school and continue their education into college. He was never pushed to succeed in school and he wants to make sure that our kids are successful. He wants them to set goals and do what it takes to achieve them. A new truck is not all that he deserves, but I know he would enjoy it. I can see him washing it every week, not wanting it to get dirty.

A circular story begins and ends with the same item. Each item or event in the story connects with the one before and after it. They can be used to help students remember a sequence of events or a pattern in the story. Students can create their own stories. These stories can be in other core areas. They can create a math story or a story about a historical event.

I think the most important thing in making reading fun is modeling. If students see that others can have fun while reading, they may start to think of reading differently. Teachers, other students who enjoy reading and guest readers can read stories to the class. They can incorporate puppets, using different voices, felt boards, and assign parts to the rest of the class. Students need to feel included in any activity. I think too many students think of reading as work and not something that can be fun.

MI

My learning style is intrapersonal. I was a little surprised by this because I think I learn best visually. I do enjoy spending time alone. I think that has more to do with my personality than my learning style. When I need to learn new information, I like to see the information, either on the board or on the screen via PowerPoint presentation.
I think finding out the learning styles of our students will help us adjust our teaching styles or methods. I didn't take a multiple intelligence test until I was in college. The results would not only help us as teachers, the students would also benefit from knowing how they learn best.
Cynthia