Language Arts


"Extra Credit, by Andrew Clements, is a very interesting book about how Abby Carson is assigned an extra credit project. As a result, she becomes pen pals with Sadeed Bayat in Afghanistan. The problem is that Afghanistan boys are not to communicate with American girls. Read to find out more about what happens with the friendship across the ocean."

"Patrick Jennings's Guinea Dog is a fun tale of a fifth grader named Rufus, who desperately wants a dog. His dad, who works at home, is not liking the idea. He says dogs: whine, scratch, gnaw, and bark. Rufus's mom thinks of something out of the box and brings home a guinea pig! Read to find out what happens next!"

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Students are now shifting gears as they begin to immerse themselves into expository works.  They began by comparing and contrasting fiction and nonfiction, by brainstorming multiple uses for expository writings, and by listing subjects that they had an interest in and knew something about.  After narrowing the many possibilities, each student is now composing his/her own feature article.  We are anxious to share these with you, once they have been revised and edited. 

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Our class has been reading Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell.  We noticed that Karana had to make tough decisions when she was left to survive alone on the island.  She had no one to help her make these decisions, and her life often depended on them.   Would you have decided differently?

Would you have burned the village to help erase its emptiness and memories?

Would you have continued the voyage in a leaking canoe, or would you have turned back for the island?

Would you have killed the leader of the wild dogs, or would you have befriended him?

Would you go against the tribal law to make weapons, or would this cause bad luck?

Would you leave the island with strangers or stay there alone?