Out of the Dust
9/28/2017
Apple PandowdyThis week we finally finished Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. It was a book that we really enjoyed as a class and that led to a lot of great discussions. One of the most engaging part of novel reading together is that we never fully predict know the conversation is headed, because of how differently we can all connect to the same text. This week our conversation turned to apple pandowdy. Towards the end of the book, the sheriff donates sugar to the school so that they kids in the area could have sweet things to eat. Since this in during The Dust Bowl, our main character was very excited about this and we talked about how her enthusiasm was shown through the author's use of imagery. However, we didn't know what apple pandowdy was or why it was such a luxury, so we had to look it up. That is when I got the privilege of learning that I have a class full of people that love to cook. I heard wonderful stories about things they have made and we even discussed different ways of making different desserts. It was great. So, we decided to spend some time Thursday making this dessert as a class, so we could see if it is worth all the fuss. It definitely took some team work and I'm extremely proud of how they pulled it together. Our students brought in the ingredients, peeled the apples, did the conversions to double the recipe, and put it all together. It looked great and I'm anxious to try it. After complete our baking assignment, students also spent some time reflecting on their reading with a One Pager. The assignments use a variety of different ways for students to connect individually with what they have read and to reflect on things that were important to them. This particular One Pager included an important visual, two quotes that were important from the reading, a personal response to the text, and two critical thinking questions with answers that they thought accurately fit the text. Hopefully, it included something that appealed to every student which is something these aim to do. We will do more of these throughout the year and with each one the requirements will change slightly. I was instantly impressed with the first ones, and from experience, know that these only get better as the year goes on. Student CouncilCongratulations to Clarie for becoming the sixth grade student council member! Our candidates gave excellent speeches today and their classmates voted to decide the winner. Neil will be alternate in case Clarie isn't able to attend any of the meetings.
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AuthorCharlotte Woodside recently moved to Alaska from Central Texas. This is her 8th year teaching middle school. Archives
April 2018
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