Hatchet Dramatic Reading

Ok, so it's obviously been a WHILE since I've posted, but this seemed like something other teachers could use. We're doing a parent night based on the Gary Paulsen book Hatchet and our 7th grade class decided to do a few dramatic readings as a class. I've always been interested in choral readings (see previous posts), and so this seemed to be a perfect idea that flows into that. Below is the first dramatic reading which comes directly from the end of Chapter 1.

Dramatic Reading #1

Student 1: The pilot had been talking, just a moment ago, complaining of the pain. He had been talking.
ALL: Then the jolts had come

Student 2: The jolts that took the pilot back had come, and now Brian sat and there was a strange feeling of silence in the thrumming roar of the engine

Girls: A strange feeling of silence and being alone

Boys: Brian was stopped

All: He was stopped. Inside he was stopped

Student 3: He could not think past what he saw

Student 4, 5, 6: What he felt.

All: All was stopped.

Student 7: The very core of him, the very center of Brian Robeson was stopped

Add in Girls: and stricken with a white-flash of horror,

Boys only: A terror so intense that his breathing, His thinking

All: And nearly his heart had stopped,

Girls: Stopped.

Student 8: He was sitting in a bushplane roaring

Boys: Seven THOUSAND feet

Student 9: Above the northern wilderness with a pilot who had suffered a

Girls: MASSIVE heart attack

Student 10: He was alone

Boys: In the roaring plane with no pilot, he was alone

ALL: ALONE!

Even to use this sort of thing within a normal reading day would be really cool!! Let me know if you try this in your classroom!

Kuna Molas Lesson Plan

All of the students love their progress!!!

This week in the 8th Grade art class, the students have been working with Kuna Molas... I gave them a powerpoint presentation on Monday which explained what exactly a Mola is and how the Kuna people make them. Then I showed them an Example of the artwork on Tuesday, and they got to work!

My example...

Day 1 of work, they were to bring in a sketch of their prefered animal, and a reason of why it was symbolic to them. They then drew it on a piece of color paper and cut it out, once the correct size, and once a small amount bigger than the original.

paper materials...

Cutting materials...

Day 2 required them to complete their border around the edge of the paper. Day 3 was for them to catch up with the rest of the class and to start filling in the rest of the space with design and other elements that somehow connected to their animal.

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On a side note... today is Valentines day party at the middle school!!!

Mrs. Guthrie's "Sweet" bulleton board! All of our Valentine Bags... very cute!! A+!

Choral Reading and Art

Here the "2010 Legacy" Book Club is working on their writing log after reading the selected pages in their book

"4Chicks and A Guy" Book Club are reading together

Well... we started Choral reading yesterday and it is going well so far. Book Club is under way and the children seem to enjoy their freedom of reading without me, taking charge of their own new learning experience. Its obvious that the strong readers are a bit overpowering within the group, but I think that the weaker readers will become more fluent in their efforts to read with their group. This morning, we came outside to read and write because the weather was a little more mild than usual, and sometimes its just better to get out of doors! (Also, the noise from the choral reading groups were a bit distracting to other groups...)

"Journey" Are continuing to read in Choral groups
before having their book club meeting

In art, the 8th graders have begun progress on their insects. I really am in awe of how well they did, with very little in the way of starting over. I was very impressed with their skill with exacto knives, and am very excited at how well this project has gone so far.

This is the Positive/Negative space lesson that led into our lesson with the Black paper cutting.

This is a very good example of this project because the student made it look like the image was cut from the trees.

I showed the 8th graders the images from the Snippety Gibbet website, then had them draw their own bugs onto black paper using pencil or white colored pencil. I stressed that the bug should appear to be connected to the border, just like the ones in the images I showed.

They then sketched it on paper, then on their black paper and cut it out very carefully! I really love this project and can't wait to see how it all turns out!

~Mrs. C!

Cut Paper Bugs: Part 1

Well, I found this website and was dying to try this with my 8th graders. I feel that sometimes the kids lose the idea of the project because they are so caught up in "I don't know what to draw" mode. So... I went with the "Insect" part of the blog, which I thought had enough variety but which had some restraints to keep them from going crazy from all of the options that a subject like "all animals" or "flowers" would bring. They took to this project much better than the last time I tried this "cut paper" project, because this time, we had just come out of a project which emphasized "positive and negative space".

So besides the "Positive and Negative Space" lesson that is gained in this project, they are also gaining skills with the Exacto knife. I am always VERY cautious when using these, and give a big speech at the beginning about how they shouldn't pretend to cut their friends, or themselves, or their clothes... etc... (basically the same speech as the one about permanent markers with the little guys). They have all caught on really well, and I haven't seen blood yet so far!

(Choral Reading went well today... more on that tomorrow, along with photos from today's lessons!)

~Mrs. C!

Choral Reading

We are starting a new unit in our Reading class where the students will be broken into 3 "book clubs" to read the book and discuss. The three groups will have a different book, and will be mainly teaching themselves in a "learner-centered" type of environment.

I am really concerned about the level of attention given to each student from their group, especially in regards to the entertainment value of each students' reading. I want to be entertained when I am read to: with enthusiasm, with facial expression, with voice changes and mood changes.

So we will be starting off the Unit with "Choral Reading". Supposedly there are many different ways to do this. We will be trying 3... #1, Cumulative Choral reading is when the number of students reading gradually builds as they read, ending with everyone reading... #2, Impromptu: As a selection is read, students join in or fade out as they wish. #3, Basic: when the entire class reads together.

I will be reading the paragraph as a model, then the students will read it as closely to my model as possible. I'll let you know how it works out. This could prob. work well at home with a well read book. It should help improve reading fluency and build confidence as well as enthusiastic readers! ~Mrs. C!

Art Art Art

I've decided to throw this blog in two different directions. I am going to do posts about my kids in art and what they are doing, as well as some resources for my reading class. There are so many blogs that have helped me to plan for my art lessons, and so I'll be sharing those, as well as our projects! If YOU have any sites that you've found that would help others create lesson plans or reading resources-- holla! ~Mrs. C!

1st Day of School!

Hey Guys and Girls! I know that I gave you a LOT of information today! Here are some examples of a Diorama:

Ok, so this one is "technically" inside a "wooden" box, but you understand, right?

If all else fails, just "Google" it! I will continue to get more examples! Hope you have a GREAT evening!