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Sunday, November 29, 2015

Extra! Extra! Rooms 20 & 21 Press Release


As part of our study of fairy tales in conjunction with our class read aloud, The Sisters Grimm, students worked in cooperative groups, or "news teams," to create fairytale-inspired newspapers!  At our "press release" last week, students got a chance to read other teams' newspapers and give them specific comments and compliments in their "Letters to the Editors" notebooks!  It was a time to celebrate the hard work, cooperation, and creativity students exhibited in this short two-week project.



Students really flexed their writing muscles a lot in this project!  They wrote to entertain, inform, and persuade their readers through creating cover stories, ads, weather reports, and special features.  Students learned the difference in "voice" between a narrative of an event and a newspaper article of the same event.  Students also had the chance to grow their technology skills by using some of the more sophisticated features on Google Docs such as margins, font sizes, inserting photos and captions, and creating tables!  WOW!  When asked what they've learned from the experience of creating a newspaper, students' responses were varied and impressive!  Check them out below:

“The newspaper helped me and my team work together and it taught us about different forms of writing” -Ashley M. & Katie D.

“From creating a newspaper, we’ve learned how to inform, persuade and entertain” -John & William

“We’ve gotten better at working together as a team!!!” - Cailyn & Elizabeth

“We learned that working with a team is so much more fun and helpful than working alone.” - Ashley C. & Gabi B.

“From creating a newspaper we’ve learned to write a newspaper and you have to make it interesting. We have gotten better at typing from creating a fairytale newspaper.” -Abby & Gabby M.

“We have got better at creating newspaper articles, decision making and deciding on the weather advertisements.” -Dylan & Brandon

“From creating a newspaper, we learned how to create ads and do awesome cover stories as a team.” -Casey & Brandi

“I think we got better at typing doing the newspaper assignment. I think we got better at making tables on the Chromebooks.”- Ryann & Kayla

“From creating a newspaper, we are better when we work together. We’ve gotten better at fairy tales from creating the newspaper.” - Eden & Sam

“We’ve gotten better at using Chromebooks and creating a newspaper articles.” -Sydney & Julia

“From creating a newspaper, we learned how to type faster, work better in groups, to be creative with our writing and think about fairy tales. We also learned how to work tables and use snapshots.” -Sammy & Shane



“From creating a newspaper, we’ve learned more about fairy tales.” -Aria & Arianna

“We’ve gotten better at using teamwork from creating a fairy tale newspaper.” -Brad & Sam

“”By creating this newspaper, we have learned how to use our knowledge of fairytales in different ways. We have also learned better teamwork and gotten better at typing.” -Nate and Samir

“We learned how to be more creative by coming up with ads.” - Jasmyn & Brooke

“We have gotten better at using the chromebooks and working as a team from creating fairy tale newspaper.” -Michael, Ben & Nick



Check out the photos and be on the lookout for a tote bag of all NINE published newspapers coming home soon!  All families will have the chance to check out the newspapers and leave their own "letter to the editor" for our budding staff reporters!  










Wrapping Up Picture Book Month!



Two Skype visits with picture book authors completed our celebration
of Picture Book Month!

Fourth graders wrapped up Picture Book Month in a BIG way on Monday!  We enjoyed not one, but TWO Skype visits with authors of picture books - Michael Shoulders and Tara Lazar!

Michael Shoulders, author of many alphabet nonfiction books, answered lots of our questions about his writing process, how picture books are printed, and about the history behind some of his latest projects.  He told us about how writing is a lengthy process.  In fact, it takes him about a school year to write one book!  When we write nonfiction books ourselves, we'll have to remember how Mr. Shoulders told us that research and rewriting are two very important pieces in the process!  He told us that it wasn't easy publishing books, but it was so worth it!  What a great life lesson!



Tara Lazar, author of Little Red Gliding Hood, among other picture books, entertained us with a lively read aloud of her fairytale inspired book!  It went along perfectly with our fairy tale unit and it was so funny.  She even wore her PJ's and told us about the writing process from her point of view.  Interestingly, Ms. Lazar echoed what Mr. Shoulders said about writing being a long process with lots of revising and changing and going back and forth before the final copy is produced.  We are so excited to write our own fiction pieces after speaking with her!



As Picture Book Month comes to a close, I can only say that I have a renewed excitement for picture books as a teacher, reader, and mom!  Be sure to stop by the Barnes & Noble Book Fair this week at B&N in Bellingham for more picture book fun!  I'll be there with my whole crazy family reading one of my latest faves, so be sure to come by and purchase some books to help out fundraising for literacy at JFK!

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Brandi, John, and Dylan Celebrate Picture Book Month!

We've been enjoying lots of fun picture books this month at school and at home!  Check out some Room 20 families enjoying picture books together.

Brandi and her mom enjoy reading picture books at night!




John and his sister enjoy The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home.  (Mrs. Adams does too!)



Dylan enjoys reading pirate picture books from the JFK library!


Thursday, November 12, 2015

Room 20 Celebrates National Picture Book Month!

Nate and his brother enjoy reading picture books together!  What is your favorite picture book?

Room 20 joins our fellow fourth grade readers to celebrate National Picture Book Month!  Check out the green letter that went home describing this special month.

We'll be reading special picture books in school and invite Room 20 kids and families to send in a photo of readers enjoying picture books at home!  Check out Nate and his brother reading If You Give a Moose a Muffin!  (This one is a favorite at the Adams house, too!)  Keep the photos coming and read on!