Wagner+FE+Complete

Dear colleagues, I have met with my teacher, Ms. Smith at PA Middle School a few times now, and I feel that this is already a very beneficial experience. She was very welcoming and introduced me to her class of sixth graders on the first day. She has a very positive attitude, and her classroom is decorated with many different bright educational posters. She has the desks of her class put into pairs, because she is an advocate of group work and collaboration. She also seems fair and nice at accommodating students who like to take notes and write things down; she provided all students with paper copies of her textbook to encourage close reading, note-taking, and highlighting. I personally like to read and study with this method, and it was a nice change of pace from most middle and high school classes of mine where highlighting and annotating texts was discouraged.
 * Field Experience Journal 1**

The curriculum is set up with a textbook that teaches a reading strategy (the first week was monitoring) in conjunction with a text (the first week, they read a story called “The School Play”). This short story dealt with a student who had to face their fear, and Ms. Smith gave the students a fear inventory. This lead to a very animated class discussion. The second half of their class was devoted to reading, in pairs, the story. I am present, due to my schedule, only for the first 55 minutes of class. The students then go to a different class for their second period before returning to English class for their third period. I personally never saw or heard about this sort of schedule; I never even have been to a middle school before!

Overall, Ms.Smith was very welcoming and polite. I’ve yet to learn a lot about my students, but I hopefully will be mingling with them more often within the coming weeks.

See you around, Jamie



Dear fellow teachers,

I had a pretty interesting experience in Ms. Smith's class a couple of Tuesdays ago. There was some sort of issue relating to online bullying; one student said something about another student on the internet, and it was brought to Ms. Smith's attention before her first period. Ms. Smith left the room to go to the office where there was a conference about this problem being held. She told Mr. B, her fellow ELA teacher in the neighboring classroom, to tell her students to do their peer work. The students, as they came in, promptly started doing their partnered reading (they knew exactly what they were supposed to be doing for the class and needed no explanation) while I was left in the class awkwardly standing around.

I was not only impressed with how serious and prompt Ms. Smith was to responding to that issue, but I was also extremely impressed with how respectful the students were of me, Ms. Smith, their classwork, and Mr. B. Perhaps they would've been more off-task if there wasn't some big weird looking guy like me in the room with them, but I was still really pleased with how much the students respected all the aspects of their education.

Situations like this may not seem common, but they definitely will happen to us from time to time. Ms. Smith was a perfect model of a caring professional, which is something, in my opinion, that all teachers should be. It was also a very interesting and thrilling experience to be left alone with a group of students for the first time ever. It was.. fun!

Ta-ta!

Mr. Wagner

FEJ 3 Hello, friends!

Something that has come up in our collaborative unit is having routines (such as, in a general sense, signs or gestures). The teacher at my field placement has one of her own routines; when her sixth grade class needs calmed down, she asks them to give her “five”. I didn’t understand what this meant at first, but it seemed effective for the students. A little bit of detective work (also known as, well, simply looking around the room) led me to a poster that explained what “five” was:



The “Give Me Five” routine may seem basic, and it is being done in a sixth grade class. I doubt I would use it at a high school level. Let’s be honest; the kids would probably laugh at me. For a 7th or 8th grade level? Maybe they would take it a bit more seriously. Classroom management is one of the topics that I am honestly quite worried about. I don’t want to develop a reputation of being a cold-hearted authoritarian or a pushover. Maybe it’s a case of “everything in moderation”? I think it may depend on the class and the group of students, and it’s something that we will hopefully pick up with time. So, it’s something I suppose we all should keep in mind.

See you all around! Jamie Wagner

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 * Jamie A. Wagner **
 * Bloomsburg University **
 * November 21, 2013 **


 * LEQ: ** “What are themes? How can we find out what themes are in a story?”

Students will identify lessons of fables with partners in order to understand how to determine themes.

Students will identify themes of //Where the Red Fern Grows// on their own in order to use their own knowledge and inferences to make conclusions relating to theme.

Theme- “A central idea or underlying message of the text” [|CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.1]  Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. [|CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.2]  Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. [|CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.1c]  Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion. [|CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.6]  Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Essential Vocab: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Common Core Standards: **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Materials: **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Computer, projector for PowerPoint program, 20 copies of “fables” worksheets, 20 copies of “3-2-1” chart

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://curriculum.austinisd.org/la/resources/documents/LA_Literary_Theme_Analysis.pdf <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">@http://www.pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/monkeynotes/pmhatchet04.asp <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://wvde.state.wv.us/strategybank/3-2-1.html
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Resources: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"><range type="comment" id="474798670_1">-Read students the “Round Bird” story (http://www.magickeys.com/books/roundbrd/15.html)</range id="474798670_1"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">-Ask students “What <range type="comment" id="474810426_2">lesson or moral</range id="474810426_2"> does this book teach?”
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 22pt;"><range type="comment" id="474810426_1">Activities</range id="474810426_1"> **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Activating Strategy: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">-Explanation of theme (slides 4-7) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"><range type="comment" id="474810426_3">- Go through Examples in literature (slides 8-12) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Show how to make an inference with //Charlie and the Chocolate Factory// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Show how to make inferences with //Hatchet//, asking for volunteers</range id="474810426_3">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Direct instruction: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">-Ask students for answers to <range type="comment" id="474810426_4">“Which of these is a theme”</range id="474810426_4"> questions //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Green Eggs and Ham // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Tortoise and the Hare” <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Icarus

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">-Distribute copies of fable worksheets (located on pages 4-9 of this document) for students to fill out: each row of partners will receive a different pair of fables to work with.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Partner work: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">-After groups are finished, present each fable, <range type="comment" id="474810426_5">asking for volunteers to read </range id="474810426_5">each fable (slides 10-14)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">-Ask a representative from each row to answer what the theme/message is and how it relates to the story.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Individual work: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">-“I<range type="comment" id="474812880_2">dentify two themes of //Where the Red Fern Grows//.</range id="474812880_2"> Explain how those themes apply to the book in a few sentences. Use <range type="comment" id="474812880_3">examples and page numbers</range id="474812880_3"> from the book to support your choices.”

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">-After students are finished, choose volunteers to share and discuss their answers. Compile a list of themes on the whiteboard.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">-Hand out <range type="comment" id="474812146_1">3-2-1 charts</range id="474812146_1"> and instruct students to fill out three things they have found out, two things they thought were interesting, and one question they still have <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">-<range type="comment" id="474812146_2">Collect 3-2-1 charts</range id="474812146_2"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">-Assign homework?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Summary: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">-Circulate the room during individual work to observe students, in addition to facilitating and provide help to those who need it. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">-Collect 3-2-1 charts to assess student’s understanding and concerns of themes.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Assessment: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"><range type="comment" id="474812880_1">Provide a print-and-auditory rich environment with a combination of individual handouts, projections, and vocal explanations in order to address different learning styles and needs.</range id="474812880_1">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Accommodations: **

Name: In Aesop’s fables, the moral of the story (theme) is written in the last line. In the following fables, the last line or theme has been removed. The creators have also made slight changes to the originals. 1. The Ant and the Grasshopper In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest. "Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?" "I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same." "Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; we have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew.
 * Understanding Theme with Fables **
 * Directions: ** Determine the moral or theme of these fables and explain your interpretations.

What did the Grasshopper learn?

Explain how your answer relates to the story:

The Monkey and the Cookies A monkey put his hand into a jar of cookies. He grasped as many as he could possibly hold, but when he tried to pull out his hand, he was prevented from doing so by the neck of the cookie jar. Unwilling to lose the cookies, and yet unable to withdraw his hand, he burst into tears and bitterly lamented his disappointment. What is the moral of the story?_

Explain how your answer relates to the story:

Name: In Aesop’s fables, the moral of the story (theme) is written in the last line. In the following fables, the last line or theme has been removed. The creators have also made slight changes to the originals. The Bundle of Sticks An old monkey on the point of death summoned his sons around him to give them some parting advice. He ordered them to bring in a bundle of sticks, and said to his eldest son: "Break it." The son strained and strained, but with all his efforts was unable to break the sticks. The other sons also tried, but none of them was successful. "Untie the bundle," said the father, "and each of you take a stick." When they had done so, he called out to them: "Now, break," and each stick was easily broken. "You see my meaning," said their father.
 * Understanding Theme with Fables **
 * Directions: ** Determine the moral or theme of these fables and explain your interpretations.

What was the father’s meaning?

Explain how your answer relates to the story:

__ The Flies and the Honey-Pot __ __ A number of flies were attracted to a jar of honey which had been overturned in a housekeeper's room, and placing their feet in it, ate greedily. Their feet, however, became so smeared with the honey that they could not use their wings, nor release themselves, and were suffocated. __

__ What is the moral of the story? __

_

Explain how your answer relates to the story:

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: right;">Name: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">In Aesop’s fables, the moral of the story (theme) is written in the last line. In the following fables, the last line or theme has been removed. The creators have also made slight changes to the originals. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Fox and the Cat <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> A Fox was boasting to a Cat of its clever devices for escaping its enemies. "I have a whole bag of tricks," he said, "which contains a hundred ways of escaping my enemies." "I have only one," said the Cat; "but I can generally manage with that." Just at that moment they heard the cry of a pack of hounds coming towards them, and the Cat immediately scampered up a tree and hid herself in the boughs. "This is my plan," said the Cat. "What are you going to do?" The Fox thought first of one way, then of another, and while he was debating the hounds came nearer and nearer, and at last the Fox in his confusion was caught up by the hounds and soon killed by the huntsmen.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Understanding Theme with Fables **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Directions: **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Determine the moral or theme of these fables and explain your interpretations.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">What is the moral of the story?_

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Explain how your answer relates to the story:

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Hares and the Frogs __ __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> The Hares were so persecuted by the other beasts that they did not know where to go. As soon as they saw a single animal approach them, off they used to run. One day they saw a troop of wild Horses stampeding about, and in quite a panic all the Hares scuttled off to a nearby lake, determined to drown themselves rather than live in such a continual state of fear. But just as they got near the bank of the lake, a troop of Frogs, frightened in their turn by the approach of the Hares scuttled off, and jumped into the water. "Truly," said one of the Hares, "things are not so bad as they seem.” __

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">What is the moral of the story? __

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Explain how your answer relates to the story: __

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">\

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Name___ <span style="display: block; font-family: Impact,sans-serif; font-size: 15pt; text-align: center;">THEME VS. TOPIC || ** THEME **
 * ** TOPIC ** ||
 * Definition- || Definition- ||
 * Deals with… || Deals with… ||
 * Requires… || Is stated…. ||
 * Often written as… || Often written as… ||

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Notes:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Name___ <span style="display: block; font-family: Impact,sans-serif; font-size: 15pt; text-align: center;">3-2-1
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">3 things you learned || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">1.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">2.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">3. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">2 things you found interesting || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">1.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">2. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">1 thing you still want to know || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">1. ||