In today's class, Liam read the short story "Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto. This reading exercise allowed Liam to demonstrate his comprehension of the text through thoughtful questions and engagement with the material.
Liam asked questions about Sadako as we began our session and he answered questions correctly as we reviewed the main details in chapter 1. Liam demonstrated his recall and understanding of the material covered in response to questions concerning Sedako's family and the importance the Japanese people place on family, and the ways Sedako's family honored family members. We read chapter 2 in the book and Liam remained attentive and asked relevant questions. I pointed out the literary devices of similes and metaphors used in the book and we watched 2 short clips about Sedako and 2 short clips that explained the use of similes and metaphors as a way by which to paint a picture for the reader. Liam and I participated in a quiz following the videos and I pointed out the similes and metaphors in chapter 2 to consolidate gains. He seemed interested in making a crane out of origami paper when we finish the book.
Session Minutes
45
Minutes Student Attended
45
Lesson Comments
Liam looked at his schedule and wondered if he was now coming to school on Wednesdays as the schedule indicated he had Graphic Arts and Intensive Reading with Marcus and Dr. Val, respectively, that day. I assured him we would let him know after talking with the scheduler. I subsequently learned that Liam only comes twice a week, so his schedule will need to be revised/amended to note this change.
Force Motion Friction Gravity Vocabulary Words Reading Comprehension
Lesson Outline
Liam read and reviewed his vocabulary words. He completed several activities on force, motion, and friction, demonstrating his understanding of push and pull. He used his race car to apply the forces of push and pull.
Liam and I discussed nouns and adjectives using objects in the room. We watched a few Pixar shorts to discuss the importance of setting in a story. We will then be applying this knowledge as we study short stories.
We spent the session exploring his Science Box filled with all kinds of excellent information on Physical Science. He wrote down 20 new vocabulary words and their definitions. We discussed the steps involved in the Scientific Method.
This morning, I introduced Liam to the historic novel, Sadako and the Thousand Cranes, by Coerr. It was a first attempt to introduce this true story to Liam about a brave little girl fighting a disease following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. It was also a way to introduce subject-specific topics and terms, such as the country of Japan, its food, importance of family, customs, traditions, and historical events. Liam remained attentive and engaged as I read him the prologue and Chapter one in the book. He was encouraged to greet his peers and socialize with them respectfully after learning how to greet a person in Japanese ("konnichiwa"), and adding the customary deferential bow while saying the word. Liam asked relevant questions as we read the story and responded correctly when queried about the main characters, place, and time. He was also shown the illustrations in the book and questioned on what they depicted and suggested. We looked up origami and the Japanese art of paper folding as we will be making a crane using origami paper following the instructions given at the end of the book. It proved to be a most productive session, and I will gauge his interest and engagement as we read further.
