Amira learned about narrator vs. author, and types of narrators today, as we began working with Life of Pi. This is clearly illustrated in this particular book, especially in the author's note preceding chapter one. We worked through five comprehension questions based on chapter one, and watched the first two minutes of the film. Amira learned some strategies for close reading and evaluating texts. We began working on in-text (parenthetical) citations. Skype.
I skyped with Amira today. We worked through several examples of writing expressions to represent real-world situations. For example, if a store wanted to buy x number of sports drinks, and the sports drinks are sold in cases of 24, then an expression for the number of cases the store needs to buy is x/24. We worked through examples 3 & 4 on p.15, and 15,16,27 on p.16.
Absent - Amira and I were scheduled for a Skype class from 9 - 10am this morning. However, there was no answer when I Skype called or instant messaged her multiple times. I will be here in her classroom for the next hour, waiting to hear back from Amira.
Objectives: 1) how to write different things on one topic depending on the purpose; produce writing; 2) Chapter one, Life of Pi, comprehension. Amira helped fill in a chart designed for formulating questions for prompts from which to write. She chose a very broad topic: ocean. The purposes for writing, listed down column one include things like: reflect, explain, evaluate, explore, analyze, and propose a solution. We discussed and questioned until Amira could help formulate a question for each. Today she wrote a paragraph on the first prompt for the purpose of reflection: Why do I love the ocean. This is printed and we will edit and revise on Monday together on the print outs. Amira is to read chapter one of Life of Pi, and write answers to the comprehension questions. These are written on Skype and she has a picture of them on her phone. She may write brief answers on her phone app.
Amira will be writing a creative journal at the end of reading Life of Pi. She will write about three pages from the viewpoint of another survivor of the ship going down in the ocean with the zoo creatures. Today, for research to use behind this writing, she chose a kumbucha monkey as the zoo creature that will survive with her on the lifeboat. We found an article from National Geographic on these monkeys as well watched three or four videos. We took notes for future reference on my Skype. Tomorrow we will learn to write the sources in MLA on Works Cited, and how to insert info parenthetically. Session on Skype...
