Johnston's Journal

In Homeless Bird, by Gloria Whelen, we follow the main character, Koly, as she enters an arranged marriage at the age of 13.  This is a very unfamiliar practice to most American children because it is not part of our everyday culture.  After reading the first two chapters of Homeless Bird, what cultural differences have you noticed between our culture in America and Koly’s culture in India?  What similarities do you see between our cultures?  What do these differences and similarities tell you about what Koly’s life must be like? Write in complete sentences and use examples from the book to support your thoughts.

Throughout the novel, Hollis longs for a home and a family.  She does things she doesn’t want to do, like go to school, to help protect Josie, and she constantly thinks back on her time with the Regans as the closest she’s ever gotten to being part of a family.  How do you think Hollis would define “home”?  What is it exactly that she’s looking for in a home?  Hollis always acts so tough and prides herself on her toughness, but we see her more vulnerable side when she thinks about family.  What do you think she needs or wants so badly from a family?

Over the course of the novel, Jess and Leslie bond over their secret world, Terabithia.  Why do you think they created Terabithia in the first place?  What does it represent for them?  Why is it such an appealing place for Jess and Leslie to go?  Do you have a place, secret or not, where you like to go?  What is so appealing to you about a place like Terabithia?

In the first three chapters of Bridge to Terabithia, Katherine Paterson introduces us to Jess and his family.  As the only boy sandwiched between 4 sisters, Jess  seems to feel his family treats him differently than they treat the girls. On the contrary, Jess seems to find peace when running or spending time with Miss Edmunds.   Do you think Jess’s family treats him differently? Why or why not?  Why do you think running and Miss Edmunds’s appreciation for his art are important to Jess?  Use specific examples from the book to support your thoughts.

In Pictures of Hollis Woods, Patricia Reilly Giff alternates between the present time in Hollis’s life and memories from her past.  In her flashbacks, or “pictures”, we start to learn more about where Hollis came from and how she has become the person she is presently.  What have you been able to learn about Hollis from her flashbacks?  How have her past experiences influenced who she is today?  Give specific examples from the book to support your thoughts.

TIPS FOR FINDING CURRENT EVENTS:

Kid friendly news sites:

• The New York Times blog for kids: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/
• Time for Kids: http://timeforkids.com/
• PBS for kids: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/
• Weekly Reader: http://www.weeklyreader.com/subcategory/74
• Smithsonian Mag: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/?source=kidscastle.si.edu
• DOGO News: http://www.dogonews.com/
• Nick News: http://news.nick.com/

Additional tips:

• Before you start reading the first article you come across, check the length.  Is it something you can handle or will the amount of information be overwhelming?
• Make sure the article is on your reading level. Read the first paragraph – do you understand the article so far?  Are there several vocabulary words you don’t know? If you’re already confused, it might be a good idea to move on and pick something else.
• Use my blog as a model for what your current events post should look like.  You need to have enough detail in your “What” and “Why Do We Care” sections for your reader to understand the basics of the event.
• ALWAYS CITE YOUR SOURCE! If you publish your current events without a source, I won’t grade it until you add the source. If it’s an online article, copy and paste the link.  If it’s from another source, list as much information as you can (the name of the source, the title of the article, the author, the section of the newspaper, and the day you found it).

Miss Walker shared the video below with the 5th grade teachers, and I wanted to pass it along to you.  It’s a funny video made by a teenager not too much older than you.  Take a look at the video and share your reaction.

What do you think he means by “first world problems”?  A third world country is one that is underdeveloped and usually has widespread poverty.  Does this help you understand what he means by a “first world problem”?

Why do you think this boy decided to write this rap?  What message do you think he’s trying to get across to his audience?  Do you think his point is valid?  Why or why not?  What lessons can we learn from this video?

We’re currently studying poetry and writing our Slice of Life piece.  Think about what we’ve learned about writing so far this year.  What techniques did he use to try to get his point across?  How did he capture his audience?  Do you think rap is a type of poetry?  Why or why not?

Title: Underwater “Indiana Jones” trying to save the oceans

Source: BBC News, October 16, 2011, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15330457

Who: Enric Sala, a Spanish marine biologist

What: Sala is trying to study the behavior of ocean animals and save many of them from extinction.  He says only 1% of the world’s oceans are protected, and he thinks at least 20% should be protected. Right now, there are several species of large fish that are in danger because of overfishing and lack of protection.

When: Currently – Sala is the newest explorer in the National Geographic Society

Where: The world’s oceans

Why do we care: It is important for us to protect our oceans and ocean species because they play an important role in our ecosystem.  We need to learn to enjoy nature simply for the beauty of it.

Last Friday was Grand Day at Trinity, and we were fortunate to have so many grands and special friends who could join us during the morning.  As the students showed their grandparents around the classroom, it was fascinating to watch them try to explain blogs, Prezis and iMovies to the older generation.  Very quickly, the conversations around the room began to revolve around the students teaching their grandparents about all of the tools our world has to offer today.  I love seeing my students teach and share their knowledge, but I also think it’s important for teaching to be a two-way street.  Does the older generation have anything of value they can teach us?  Towards the end of Grand Day, the students worked with their grandparents to create a family tree as far back as they could go.  As the students saw their trees expand to 4, 5, and 6 generations back, they heard stories from their grandparents about family they never had the chance the meet, great-great grandparents who took part in important and world-changing historical events, and great aunts and uncles who wrote books.   

Listening to these conversations reminded me of the legacy that my own grandparents have left me.  My mom’s parents were the first in their families to get any education past 8th grade.  Both of them graduated from college, and my grandfather went on to complete a Ph.D..  My grandparents always said that they might not leave a lot of possessions behind, but they would leave their children with the best education available.  Both of my grandparents worked hard to send my mom and her brother to one of the best schools in the city.  The legacy they left my mom was an education, and that legacy has been and will be passed on through generations in my family. 

Do you think it’s important for us to hear our grandparents’ stories?  Why or why not?  What can they teach us in the year 2011?  In 5th grade, we study ancient civilizations and stories from thousands of years ago.  Like the stories from our grandparents, why do you think we still listen to the stories of people from ancient times?

Steve Jobs, the inventor and co-founder of Apple Inc., once said the following when speaking to students graduating from Stanford University in California:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life…Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.”

This quote caught my attention because it reminds me of myself.  Some of you may be surprised to hear that I graduated from college with a degree in Business and worked in a big office building in Washington, DC for a year and a half after college.  As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I left that world behind to become a teacher.  However, my switch to teaching was not out of the blue.  When I was in 5th grade, if you’d asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have said I wanted to be a teacher.  I always wanted to be a teacher.  I made my sister play school all the time when we were growing up, and I actually created homework and tests for her to complete.  I volunteered all through college in an elementary school because I wanted to, not because I had to.  As Steve Jobs said in the quote above, it seems my heart always knew what I truly wanted to become, but it took me a few years to follow my heart and listen to my inner voice.   

What does this quote mean to you?  What lines catch your attention the most? Do you agree that your heart and intuition already know what you truly want to become?  Why or why not?  What do you think keeps a lot of us, like me, from following our hearts? If you already know what you want to become, what is it and why do you believe it’s what you’re meant to do?