This Week in Language Arts....

This week in language arts, we'll introduce ourselves, start getting to know each other, and jump into learning.  On the first day of school, students will compose an "Opening Day Letter," introducing themselves to me.  This isn't an assessment; it's a way to start getting to know each other.  I look forward to reading the letters and meeting every student.

Also, this week, we'll reflect on the meaning of "success," thinking about broader definitions as well as goals for the upcoming school year.  In addition, we'll start familiarizing ourselves with the Juneau School District's new curriculum: Springboard.  Though this is my first year working with Springboard, I'm really excited about the program.  It involves lots of critical thinking and employs many rich, complex texts.  Of course, we'll be supplementing that base with many activities, projects, and other texts as the year progresses.  I'll be setting up links to the materials on this website.

The focus of the first Springboard unit is "The Challenge of Heroism."  We'll be examining a variety of texts, from poems to newspaper articles to films to a novel: The Giver by Lois Lowry.  In the first week, we'll work to identify the characteristics of a hero, discuss the term hero (focusing on diction, connotation, and denotation), and analyze poems with a focus on theme and tone.  And of course, we'll be doing some writing as well.

I'm looking forward to a great first week!