Homework for the Week of 10/4

 PLEASE REMEMBER THAT STUDENTS 

SHOULD NOT WORK LONGER THAN 45 MINUTES 

ON THEIR HOMEWORK.  

GRADES ARE NOT BASED ON COMPLETING THE HOMEWORK, ONLY TRYING!

For homework this week, students will be asked to complete any unfinished work from the day (with the exception of today!).  If students have unfinished work, it will mostly be writing pieces from the beginning of the day.  The following steps will assist your child in completing their homework in a logical and systematic way.  Students that have been here longer than one week have demonstrated the ability to complete these steps throughout the process of learning them:

1. 10 minutes.  Students should identify the important information from the question (even if they are unable to fully understand the question or the words).  Going through the motion of identifying what is important can assist students in learning how to infer what words mean.  Each student may have different information underlined depending on their English ability.

2. 5-7 minutes.  Students should identify the general theme of the question, then list 3-5 adjectives that describe the general idea.  This becomes the opening sentence to the paragraph later.

3. 10-12 minutes.  Students should place a question in the middle of a story web that matches the question being asked.  Around the center, students should answer the question expanding who, how why, where, when, and what.  Students can also add extra adjectives to make their writing exciting.

4. 10 minutes.  The students an then write their paragraph, essentially copying their thoughts from their organizers into a paragraph.  Some selected students are being graded only on their Steps 1-3, but all students should try their best (Please remember only 45 minutes per night should be set aside for homework!)

5. :::Coming Soon::: THE CLOSING SENTENCE!

Sample So Far (Many students were able to write more than this today!):::::

Question: Yesterday we spoke about traditions.  What do you think a tradition is?  What are some traditions your family has?

1.  Yesterday we spoke about traditions.  What do you think a tradition is?  What are some traditions your family has?

2. Traditions
    1. old
    2. interesting
    3. celebrated (can be seen as a verb, but matches the topic so it is ok)

3.  

    Something done                  sometimes every day    
      with family                 and sometimes every year
       and friends                                 /
because these people           Traditions are
     are part of our                    repeated
       community.                 again and again.
                      \                  and I learned it
                        \               at my old school.
                          \                  /
                      What is a tradition?

 Something my                     Every summer      

     family does                     my whole family comes

    every year is                       together for 

celebrate Christmas           one week because

    because we are                  we all live in

           Catholic.                different countries

                      \                         /

                        \                     /

                    What are some traditions

                        my family has?

                         /

                       /
      Another tradition
     is for me to call my
   Mother only on Sunday
     mornings when she
   wakes up.  It makes
   her smile.



4.  Traditions are celebrations that are sometimes old but always exciting.  I learned this word at my old school.  I also learned that they are usually done with family and friends because these people are part of a community.  Communities celebrate traditions many different times.  They must always be repeated, though.  Something my family does every year is celebrate Christmas.  It is our yearly tradition.  Every Summer, my entire family comes together to eat dinner and relax in the sun.  It is the only time we can see each other all year.  My mother's favorite tradition is when I call her once a week on Sunday morning.  It makes her smile!