Monkey Business

Dear students,

Imagine that for one day only you could have a pet monkey! What would you do with your pet? What would you name him/her? What adventures would you two have? Please describe your day with your new friend.

Remember, students, to watch out for run-ons, and to write in complete sentences. I look forward to reading your comments!

Your paragraph must…

• be at least 5 sentences long
• written in complete sentences
• use M.I.N.T.S.
• have a topic sentence and supporting details
• have a closing sentence

Here is an example of an advanced/proficient comment:
If I had a pet monkey, I would name it Bailey. If I could do anything with Bailey, I would go to the park to let her play. Of course, I would have to play too. We would mostly play at the monkey bars. Our hearts would start to pump in excitement. After that, we would go to California Pizza Kitchen. Bailey would get a big pepperoni pizza, and I would get mac and cheese. We would mainly just stay there and talk with each other. After that, we would go to the candy store and get lots of candy. Bailey would get all banana flavored candy. Finally, we would go home and snuggle up on the couch. I would read Curious George to her, and she would fall asleep in my arms.  That would be my day with Bailey.

Happy blogging,
Mrs. Braddy

We Are Family!

Dear students,

Our blog is a place to write about different topics and share our ideas. Today you will have the opportunity to write about a special family member.

If you could spend an afternoon with one member of your extended family, who would it be? Please explain why you chose this person and tell what you would do together.

Your paragraph must…

• be at least 5 sentences long
• written in complete sentences
• use M.I.N.T.S.
• have a topic sentence and supporting details

Here is an example of an advanced/proficient  comment:
If I could spend a whole day with one family member, it would be my grandfather. Even though he is not alive, he is close to my heart. In the morning, we would eat ice cream and cake for breakfast. We would laugh and talk until Disneyland opened for the day. We would rush over and ride all of the rides non stop. I would wear a shirt that said, " Laugh more, Cry less!", and everyone would stop to compliment me. My grandfather, also known as Grandpapa, would be wearing a clown hat with shiny black wingtip shoes and a bright orange shirt. He would go around making people laugh, and he would be laughing himself. Then, we would go to the zoo and pet every single animal we could. When the guards weren't looking, we would feed the animals our cotton candy and chips. Finally, for dinner we would have bacon and bananas with Nutella. We would sit on a hill and watch the sun set. Then, we would rent a hotel room for the night, and spend as much money as possible! That would be my day with Grandpapa if I could spend one last day with him.

Happy blogging,
Mrs. Braddy

Book Recommendations

Dear students,

As a voracious reader, I love discussing books with other lovers of literature. I have joined book clubs, emailed with friends, and sat down over many meals where the conversation turned to what everyone was reading. Books are a part of my life.

I have noticed I have certain friends who never fail to disappoint me with their EXCELLENT recommendations. When recommending a book to me, they tell me what the book is about without giving too much away.

I would like for you to write a book recommendation about a fiction book you love! Be sure to include the book title,  characters, setting, and the plot (problem/action). Assume I have not read the book and be sure to edit your work.

Here is my recommendation:

Ida B is about a young girl who lives with her mom and dad on a farm. She is home schooled after an unpleasant experience in kindergarten. She lives a happy life, using her imagination to play on the farm and with her pets. Sadly, her mother gets cancer and Ida B's life is turned upside down. She is heart-broken! She must return to school, where she makes a decision to change into a person with a cold, hard heart. You will love this book is you like character-driven stories and realistic fiction.

I cannot wait to see your recommendations!

Your teacher,
Mrs. Braddy

Our Reading Community!

Dear Readers,

As an avid reader, I often find myself finishing a great book or an interesting article, and desperately wanting to share my thoughts with someone. When I lived in Charleston, I was lucky enough to have a group of friends who shared a passion for reading, so we formed a book club. While I am not in the same city as my book club anymore, I still reach out to my friends and family in Nashville, to discuss my questions and opinions about literature.

As a classroom of learners, we have created a community geared toward having a teachable spirit, so we may grow to become people of knowledge, wisdom, and ultimately character. One way we do this is by reading and forming ideas and connections that begin to shape us. In order to support this work, this blog will serve as a way to discuss various things when we are not in the class. Essentially, the blog will become a virtual classroom.

For example, I might post about a response about Thank You, Mr. Falker by explaining my connection to the character, Trish. I might say how much I relate to her overcoming an obstacle with the help of a teacher and how motivated I was to find out the author was the one who overcame her learning hurdle and became a published author. You will have the same chance to post your reactions, but also, to respond to what someone else might say. In this way, our posts become a conversation when we are away from the classroom.

As we begin this online blogging adventure, I challenge you to bring your working minds to the keyboard and let me know your thoughts and feelings about literature. We have so much to discover ...

So, join the community! Come on in, pull up to a computer, let me know your thoughts about literature and our blogging opportunity. I believe the blog will be a wonderful opportunity for our class to communicate in a unique way. 

Write about the following in your comment below: 

Literature is an important part of my life because I enjoy getting lost in a story and having friends recommend books to me. Also, I love talking about the books I have read. I am interested in learning more about the blog and how we will use it in class.How is literature a part of your life?

As I mentioned, I made a connection with Trish from Thank You, Mr. Falker. Who is a character that you have made a strong connection with and why?

Your teacher,
Mrs. Braddy

What Exactly is a Blog?

Dear students,

What exactly is a blog, and why are we using it in 4th grade? We will use the blog to communicate about different things we discuss in class. Our online posts will extend our conversations from class and allow us to see what other classmates are thinking.

We will use the blog for many different things. I will write a post, and you will be asked to respond to it. For example, we might post about different reading strategies or use it to respond to poetry in the spring. I would also love to have students (you!) write a blog post and have your classmates respond.

Today, I am interested in your thoughts about the blog. Please answer the following questions:


1. What excites you about the blog?

2. What questions do you have about the blog?

3. What ideas do you have for future blog posts or using the blog?


I look forward to reading your first blog response!

Your teacher,
Mrs. Braddy

Would You Rather Part 1

Would You Rather Part 1

Dear students,

For your final blog posts, you will write a persuasive paragraph in a series called "Would You Rather." In each post, I will give you a scenario, and you will have to defend your answer using the following criteria:

• A topic sentence stating your opinion

• At least 3 supporting sentences defending your opinion

• One counter argument

• A concluding sentence summarizing your writing

Here is your "Would You Rather" for today:

Would you rather have a three-day weekend every week or have an extra month of summer vacation?

I cannot wait to see what you will write!

Your teacher,
Ms. B

P.S.-Here is my example:
        If I had the choice to have a three-day weekend every week or have an extra month of summer vacation, I would rather have a three-day weekend every week. If I had a three-day weekend instead of two days, I would get a lot more done! In addition, I would not have to work as much, and I could spend more time working out, shopping, reading, relaxing, and hanging out with my friends. Plus, I would not feel so rushed on my weekends. I could even go out of town for long weekends and visit family and friends! However, some may prefer an extra month of summer vacation because they could take longer trips. I think the benefits of longer weekends outweigh the benefits of an extra month of summer. I prefer having a three-day weekend rather than having another month of summer vacation.

Biography Research Links

Click the following links to research your biography subjects:

Ducksters

Mr. Nussbaum

Fact Monster

Garden of Praise

Harcourt School

DMOZ

4 to 40

Biography Base

Mr. Donn

Kid Info

KidRex (You may use this like Google to search for information.)

Happy researching,
Mrs. Braddy