Mrs. Stoll's Class Blog

Writer’s Workshop- Narrative vs Expository

lisastoll — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 19:44:49 +0000

In our 4th grade class we have spent the first semester learning how to write a well developed personal narrative and a strong expository essay. For our personal narratives, the students have written about a special person (coach, grandparent, teacher) or an exciting place (treehouse, Enchanted Rock State Park, their room) or an amazing object/thing (ring, football, pet, go-cart).

In a personal narrative the student is writing a story, telling about a small moment. It is organized by sequencing the events and showing the reading what happened first, second and last. The story is written in first person (I) You are telling your story as you travel through the events. The Reading enjoys becoming part of the story or visualizing the story. The writer uses sensory images to show the reader what is happening.

In an expository essay the writer is giving an opinion, an observation or explaining what he/she has noticed. The essay is organized my ideas – In my opinion I think….idea #1, #2, #3, #4. There is a central argument, or idea, that becomes the theme statement. The central idea is developed across the whole essay. The expository essay is written so the reader can think about the idea or the topic. The theme statement is supported with details and examples.

Choosing a topic and then beginning to write is often the hardest part. I topic, such as baseball, can be used to write a personal narrative or an expository essay. I might want to tell about a very special day I spent with my daughter, Katharina, going to a UT baseball game. I will show the reader what a wonderful and exciting time I had with my daughter by writing a personal narrative. Then the next day I could write an expository essay explaining that it is my opinion that going to a college baseball game is a wonderful family outing. I would use details and examples to support my theme statement and add personal experiences to really show the reader my thoughts.

As you can see, a single topic can be used for either a personal narrative or an expository essay. Often students find they enjoy writing one style of paper better than the other. By choosing a topic and writing both papers, students will learn how to incorporate details, sensory images, personal experiences, similes, and a lot of description into both!

** Tell us about your favorite style of writing and why that style is your favorite.

** List a topic or two and explain how you might use that topic for both a personal narrative and an expository. (like my example of baseball)

** Share with the class some of your writing strategies – for your opening or closing sentences, adding detail, description, show don’t tell, etc. There are so many great strategies to make your paper a paper the reader will always remember. What do you add to your paper so that it will always be remembered?

Making Pesto From Class Garden

lisastoll — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 21:48:16 +0000

Our class has a wonderful outdoor garden. This fall we planted lettuce and spinach plants. We still have a huge basil plant from last spring. So today while we were observing our lettuce and spinach we decided to harvest some basil and make pesto. We are so lucky that the basil is still growing but not for long. As soon as we get our first frost or freeze (below 32 degrees) the basil plant will die. It is an annual plant and will need to be planted again at the beginning of spring. Here in Texas we could get a freeze around the end of October or beginning of November. We also have a very large cherry tomato plant still producing tomatoes from the spring. We hope to make a class salad as soon as our lettuce is big enough.

Do you have a school garden? What do you have in your garden? What have you learned about having a school or classroom garden? What should we plant this spring? Having a garden is hard work and needs a lot of attention. What do you like best about having a class garden?

Guest Speaker – Mr. Joe Minton – 90 Years Old

lisastoll — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 03:39:32 +0000

During our Gift of Age activity we had a wonderful visit from Mr. Minton, 90 years old.

Our 4th grade ACE class has been working on an enrichment project called – “Gift of Age”. During this project the students have been learning about the relationships between students and elderly people. We have read books, listened to music and written papers and poems. Our papers focused on one old object that sparked a memory about an elderly person in their life or reminded them about aging. One of our students asked his grandfather to come and talk to us about living for 90 years and to share his stories about his childhood and how he has stayed happy, healthy and positive! Thank you Mr. Joe Minton for coming to visit our ACE class.

Students please share something you learned from Mr. Minton. What do you want to be doing when you are 90 years old? What will you need to do to stay healthy so you too can be alive in 2103? What invention do you use today do you think will still be used when you are 90?

What Kind Of “Smart” Are You?

lisastoll — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:53:40 +0000

This was our first week of the new school year and we have been very busy building our classroom community. The students wrote their own Classroom Agreement about how they wanted to be treated, how they will treat each other, and how they will work collaboratively. Today the students learned about the eight ways they are smart. To begin the activity the students took a survey to determine their kind of “smart” and found out their strengths and weaknesses. Our brain has the capacity to help us learn in many ways.

The eight kinds of smart are: Nature Smart, People Smart, Number Smart, Picture Smart, Self Smart, Body Smart, Music Smart, and Word Smart.

What kind of Smart are you?

Everyone gathers information and learns in the ways that works for them. When we understand these different ways of learning and identify the ways we learn, we can promote successful learning experiences. The students discovered that some of their classmates learn best with pictures vs words, or by using their hands or by listening to songs or music. They also realized that some of their classmates like to work in groups and discuss their ideas and some like to work individually and problem solve on their own. We all learn differently and have strengths and weaknesses within the eight learning styles. Now that they know their weak areas, they can make changes and try to improve those areas. They can also build on their strengths.

What kind of “Smart” are you? What did you learn about yourself that you already knew or what did you learn about yourself that was a surprise after completing this activity? Think of your parents, siblings, or best friend — do you share the same “smart” learning styles or are you different? How will knowing what your learning style is help you this year in school? Share what you thought about this activity.

Famous Texan Living History Museum

lisastoll — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:20:24 +0000

The 4th graders in Texas spend the year studying Texas History. As a culminating project, the students choose a famous Texan to research and represent during our Living History Museum. During the the project, students learn important note taking skills and TEKS such as skimming and scanning for important information, identifying sources and how to create a bibliography, and presentation skills of public speaking. Along with sharing their knowledge of the Famous Texan, the students also created a Museum Box that included special items you might find on displayed at a musuem for this person.

4th Grade Living History Museum

This student researched Mary Kay Ash – founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics.

Who was your famous Texan and why did you choose that person? What skill do you think was the most helpful while completing your research? What was the most challenging aspect of the project? What might you do differently next time you need to research a topic? What did you like or dislike about the Living History Museum?

Monarch Butterflies

lisastoll — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:02:26 +0000

YEA! The monarch caterpillars are back in Central Texas. We have 10 monarch caterpillars in the classroom. They have been very busy eating the milkweed we have brought in. The milkweed grows wild along the highways in Dripping Springs. Today our first butterfly emerged from its chrysalis and then about an hour later we found a butterfly on a potted plant by our window. We had lost a caterpillar about 10 days ago and could not find it. Well it crawled along the counter, up a pot and found a special place to spin its chrysalis. Today it emerged to the very excited screams of 22 students. AMAZING! Science life cycles at work in our classroom.

Monarch butterfly

: Life Cycle at Work in Our Classroom

We also have 22 painted lady butterflies for the EmilyAnne Butterfly Festival. They also started as caterpillars. We measured them, fed them, and watched them changed and transform into butterflies. From our classroom garden, we collected black swallowtail caterpillars off our dill plants. They are still eating the dill. Can’t wait to see what they do next.

What have you enjoyed most about having the caterpillars in our classroom? What have you learned about science, life cycles, details about butterlies, or more? How have you taken what you have leared in science and used it in your life this school year?

Texas History 4th grade Assembly

lisastoll — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:58:10 +0000

Our 4th grade students did a musical with songs like San Antonio Rose, Fa do do, De Colores, Don’t Fence Me In, and other Texas songs taught by Mrs.McDonald. We also did dances like the Cotten Eyed Joe, and De Colores. For Fa do do at least 10 or more students were playing the guitar. 10 or more people were dancing to De colores. 7 or8 people played the fiddle to San Antonio Rose, Fais do do, and Cotten Eyed Joe.

Students play violin for 4ht grade musical

What was your favorite part of the class assembly? Playing the recorder was fun. Do you like playing the recorder? Do you play another instrument?

Bird Beak Investigation

lisastoll — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:41:27 +0000

In this investigation we learned about the differint properties of bird beaks. Some of the activitys were straining greens from a tub of water, ripping marshmallows from strings, and catching popcorn. To do this we had to use a differint variety of beak representations. Unfortunately , we only got to do 7 out of the 8 stations available.

: Science Adaptations

What was your favorite station? What was your favorite bird? What did you learn about animal adaptations from this investigation? You can answer these questions in your response.

Awesome Writing Camp!

lisastoll — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 02:48:49 +0000

Yesterday our 4th grade students at DSES rotated around to each of the 7 – 4th grade teachers for a mini writing lesson. The lessons included – Bold Beginnings, Choose Your Graphic Organizer, Using Dialogue, Adding Sensory Images, and Write from the Heart and the Brain. The 4th grade students in Texas are getting ready for the first Writing STAAR test. They will need to write an expository and a narrative composition. Writing Camp was a fun way to review these important writing skills. My students are excellent writers and have learned so much about writing this year. Im so proud of their writing. Let us know what you did at Writing Camp. What did you learn and how will you use these skills to improve your writing? What advice do you have for a fellow 4th grader getting ready to take Writing STAAR? What do you like most about writing? Which genre do you like best – narrative or expository and why??

Wonder Struck

lisastoll — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 02:10:37 +0000

Last week we began reading Wonder Struck – written by Brian Selznik.

Wonder Struck written by Brian Selznck

He also wrote and illustrated one of my favorite books – The Inventions of Hugo Cabret. These books are full of adventure by using both words and incrediable illustrations. We are looking forward to a wonderful adventure while reading Wonder Struck! Let’s keep connected by sharing our thoughts, questions, connections, and visualizations about this amazing book.