Miss Pullen

Using the read aloud, Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen, I have designed a show not tell, Writer's Workshop activity. I break down, step by step, the modeled, guided and independent practice to encourage students to be successful.

With the use of various nonfiction thinking strategies and a nonfiction text adapted from discoverykids.com, this activity is designed to encourage deeper level thinking skills. It includes a blank chart with major muscles in the body, a place for students to make predictions, and a page devoted to students recording their thinking. There is also a chart for students to sort/compare voluntary and involuntary muscles.

In, The Wolf's Story, Little Red Ridinghood's wolf is singing a different tune. He feels like his story has been told all wrong. I use this tale to encourage students to use persuasive writing to get this wolf out of trouble. There is an opportunity for students to write a persuasive letter from Grandma, to the Police Chief, as well as a chance for the Wolf to make business cards to show what a reliable guy he is. There is a peer editing rubric and checklist for students to assess others,

Students are expected to use figurative language to explain how a color, looks, smells, sounds, tastes and feels rather than using a color to describe an object. The model is called, "No More Grapes." The students will use figurative language to create poems about the color orange.

A fresh look at the NECAP test format. Test taking strategy mini lesson at the top. (Answer key included in preview.)