Reading Assignment 1

I have had some questions about how to complete Reading Assignment 1 (Due Friday, September 16).  The students should be familiar with the format, as we have completed similar charts for other stories we have read together in class.

Still, here are some steps to follow, if you are helping your student to complete this assignment:

1) Cross out "complication" on the list of items to be explained, because we have not covered this adequately in class.
2) Explain how the setting is important (or not) to the plot.
3) Fill in the other blanks as they relate to the book the student has completed (a book of the student's choosing):
* conflict (the problems/challenges the main character faces)
* climax (the most exciting part of the story - - usually having to do with the conflict)
* resolution (when the conflict is resolved/problem is solved).
4) Plot those items on the plot chart (the piece that looks like a graph).
5) Answer two questions about the characters in the story – who are the main characters andwhat words could be used to describe them?

I'm looking forward to reading what the students have to share about the books they have read!

Helping Out our Class

Hello Parents and Families!

It was a great pleasure meeting so many of you last week at Back to School Night.  Our year is off to a roaring start, and I anticipate having a newsletter to go home within the next couple of weeks (after I let students know about their first big project).

I wanted to let you know about a couple of things you can do to help the students. 

One is to order books through Scholastic Book Orders. If you are interested in having your children own their own books, then this is a great way to access inexpensive, high quality books. In return, Scholastic gives books to our classroom for free.  Everyone benefits. The September and October orders are now available online. Here’s how to order:

SIGN UP at www.scholastic.com/bookclubs. On the parent page, click the "Register" button in the "First Time Here?" section. Register for your own user name and password. When prompted, enter the one-time Class Activation Code (GPL6V). This unique code ensures that your order is sent to me.

SELECT the books you'd like to order -- choose from thousands of titles -- many more than in our monthly flyers.

SEND your order to me online by the due date and your child's books will be delivered directly to my classroom.

The second way to help is to spread the word about a fundraising project I have going on through Donor’s Choose. I am trying to raise funds for an item called a document camera. This allows students to share their work on the projector screen – that means that as students complete tasks, we can all look at them together. Also, as I review project goals and requirements, students would not only have their personal copies but a large visual with which they can follow along.  Please spread the word to family and friends – just the smallest donation can help us meet our goal. Visit http://www.donorschoose.org/mrsknutson for more information.  Thank you for whatever way you can help!