Multi-Genre Research Project

Tags

8TH GRADE, genre, high school, language arts, lesson, middle school, multi-genre, PBL, project, project based learning, reading, research, stabdards, teaching, topic, writing

The catalyst for my projects.

So, genre may not be the correct word.  Let me explain.

This year I teach 2 reading classes and 3 language arts classes.  This means that the ELA standards have been divvied up among the two areas.  The standards for research have been given to reading rather than language arts, which allowed me a unique opportunity.  I have to assess their ability to research, not necessarily their writing, and can have them present the information any way I want.  So, I decided that I had graded more than enough long essays leading up to the state’s writing assessment and I could have a bit more fun with this.

It all boils down to this: factual information about a topic can be presented in more ways than just an essay.

Genre in this case does not refer to folktales, fairy tales, etc.  Genre refers to the styles of writing used to communicate ideas: poetry, letter writing, diary entries, obituaries, and the like.  While I agree the term may not be accurate in the strictest sense of the word, it is the one used by the author Tom Romano in his book Blending Genre Altering Style.  His approach lends itself better to upper grades in high school, but I decided, with some tweaking, it could be used in 8th grade as well.

Before our unexpected week off for an ice storm, I launched the project with my reading classes.  I created a model of some of the ways they could share information and how it could be presented.  (I will go into more detail on that in another post since the scrapbook with all of it is stuck at school and I am stuck at home.)  I went over my expectations as well as what I will be grading on (content, validity of information, correct citing of sources, grammar, neatness, creativity, etc.).  We talked about what makes a good research topic and I gave them some time to brainstorm and go through lists of sample topics before having them submit their top 3 choices.  Then, I went through their lists and assigned topics.  This way, I could avoid duplication and hone some of the ideas into the best topic.  Some were too broad, others too narrow, and I needed t help them refine them a bit.

By allowing the kids to pick a topic that interested them, they will be more into the research process.  It’s going to be a month or so before this whole thing is done, so they needed to be into what they were going to spend so much time on.

Once we got off and running, I started getting positive feedback from not only my reading students, but also my language arts students who were wanting to know if they were going to get to do it, too.  Unfortunately for the LA kiddos, the answer was no.  I don’t have any of them for reading, so their project will be up to that teacher.  I’m positive she will do something fun with theirs, but I don’t know exactly what.

This week, we will talk about how we will take and organize notes, as well as validity of sources, especially on the web.  There will also be a progress check on their research.  Most of the research itself will be outside of school to allow the class time to be used for teaching the standards and skills they will need to complete the project.  Along the way will be “Multi-genre Days” where we will talk about and look at examples of various presentation genres.  There will also be a few work days in class for research and then work on their various genres.  (They are required to use a minimum of 6 different ones.)  Part of the skill is organizing information, so they will need to think about what information should be presented together in each genre.

This is a work in progress for me as I figure out how to get this all done on an 8th grade scale and level.  As we go along, I will post updates.  At the moment, we are all pretty excited about this.  Let’s hope we stay that way!

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Keeping Busy With Cabin Fever

Tags

cabin fever, crafting, Etsy, handmade. bracelet, middle school, snow days, teaching. jewelry

Snow days are great and all, but there comes a point when cabin fever gets to you. Papers are graded, lots of laundry done, house is as clean as it’s going to get. So, what else is there to do? Why, go on a jewelry making bender, of course.

I don’t do a whole lot with my Etsy shop, Music City Hippie, but I do have a good time making jewelry when I have time. Which is rarely. Snow days and summer seem to be the only time I get to make anything.

Here’s a sampling of what I have been up to these last two snow days:

No, these aren’t for sale in the store and may or may not ever be, but they were a good way to pass some time being iced in.

How do you spend your snow days?

Snow Day Mardi Gras King Cake

Tags

almond, Betty Crocker, bread, brioche, butter, cinnamon, cream cheese, desert, dough, icing, king cake, Mardi Gras, middle school, orange, piping bag, recipe, snow day, sugar, teaching, vanilla, winter storm

King Cake

Happy Mardi Gras, y’all!  I never thought living up here in Tennessee would ever result in having Mardi Gras day off like I did back home, but thanks to a winter storm, we managed to get just that!  I could have spent it grading papers, and I probably will before today is out, but it just wouldn’t have been a proper Mardi Gras without King Cake!

By now, you may have gathered that I do things a little more out of the box than some, and my king cake is no different.  I start off with a traditional recipe from good ol’ Betty Crocker.  Then, I  start making it my own.  For starters, I use a whole stick of butter in my dough instead of what that recipe calls for.  Here’s a picture walk of how I do it.

Follow the bread making recipe as usual (except for the extra butter) through the step where you roll it out.  While it’s doing it’s first rise, I make my fillings.  I do the standard cinnamon sugar, but then I make a cream cheese filling, too.  Here’s the recipe for that:

2 packages cream cheese softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix together until creamy.  I use my stand mixer and the flat paddle on slow speed.

Using a zip top bag and a mug to help hold it open, make a piping bag.

A coffee mug helps hold the bag open so you can spoon the thick heavy mixture inside.

Spoon the cream cheese mixture in carefully.

Remove the bag from the mug and work out as many air pockets as you can then zip closed. Ta-da!

And there you have it. Just cut the corner off and you’re ready to go.

Once your fillings are ready to go and your dough has doubled in size, it’s time to roll it out.  I have a large cutting board that I use, but use whatever large surface you have.   Somewhere I have a rolling pin, but I have no idea where, so I improvised.  I love mason jars and use them for all kinds of things.

Dough once it has doubled in size.

A mason jar doubling as a rolling pin.

Roll the dough out as instructed in the recipe.  Spread your cinnamon sugar filling out over a portion of the rolled dough, then pipe on the cream cheese filling.  It’s pretty thick, so you’ll want a good sized hole.  Don’t squeeze too hard all at once or you will pop the top of the bag open.  (I know.  I did it.)

Gently squeeze your home made piping bag, then just toss it out once you’re all done. Love easy clean up.

Then, start rolling it up, jelly roll style.

I decided to do part of the dough as a traditional ring cake, and the other half as individual cakes in large muffin tins.  So, I cut the rolled log in half.  I started with the ring cake, so I placed the other part back in the greased bowl it was rising in.

Roll the dough out like you would a play dough snake, making it longer and thinner.  Work slowly and gently so you don’t tear the dough.  Pinch the ends of the dough to seal in the filling, shape into a ring and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Cover in plastic wrap and allow to rise again for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Rolled, shaped, and ready for the second rise.

Now you’re ready to work with the other half.  Make a long snake with it again, only this time, you will cut it into 12 pieces (like a sushi roll.)  Pinch the ends of each one closed as much as possible.  You can pull on the dough a bit to help get it around the filling.  Place the dough balls into greased muffin tins.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise.

After working the dough out to a longer roll, slice it sushi style, then pinch the ends closed as much as you can. I rolled them around on the floured board to keep them from sticking to my hands as much. This is a moist dough and may get a little tacky as you work with it in your warm hands.

Before the second rise.

After the second rise.

Time to bake them up!  Both the ring and the mini cakes can go in the oven at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, depending on your oven.

They would be fabulous like this. Little brioche pockets. But, this is carnival time, so they need a little dressing up!

When they are golden brown, take them out and put them on a cooling rack.  Let cool completely before icing.

**If using the icing recipe from Betty, you will need to double it in order to have enough.  I added a tad more milk to mine to make it thin enough to drizzle on top of the cakes.

Then sprinkle on some colored sugar in traditional Mardi Gras purple, green, and gold!

Looking festive in their Mardi Gras colors. Personally, I could have these all the time and just not put the colors on. You could add extracts to the icing to change them up a bit. Why not lemon, almond, or orange? Yum! Sprinkle on some sliced almonds to dress them up, or add walnuts or pecans in with the filling. So many ways to make these your own! My son is away at school and is sad because he can’t have any. So, when he gets home for spring break, I told him I would make him Spring Cakes. 😉

Happy Mardi Gras, teachers!  Enjoy the day and laissez les bon temps rouller!

Cherry Tree Door

Tags

cherry tree, classroom decoration, door decoration, middle school, snow, spring, teaching

As promised, here is the cherry tree door decoration. My students decided that my snowman and the perky words “Let it snow!” jinxed our snow days, so I replaced it with a springy cherry tree. And then we got hit with an ice storm. Jinx over.

Say What?

Tags

8TH GRADE, English, language arts, middle school, teaching

Adding to the list of things you never expect to say as an English teacher:

“Don’t put chicken in my file cabinet.”

Happy Teaching 8th Grade In My Happy Classroom!

Tags

8TH GRADE, classroom, classroom decor, classroom door decoration, classroom organization, English, happy, language arts, middle school, school, secondary, teaching, writing

Goodness gracious!  It’s been so long since I have posted anything.  So much has happened!!

Last year, I started teaching third grade and quickly realized I was in the wrong place and the wrong grade.  So, I decided to do something about that.  I spent last spring teaching full time and going back to school to get my secondary teaching endorsement in English/ Language Arts.  Best decision I ever made.

Now, I am teaching close to home, instead of a 45 minute one-way commute, at a deliriously wonderful middle school, and even have my daughter at the school.  LOVE having her with me every day!  I couldn’t be happier with my school and the staff.  I have even been able to use my almost 2 decades of community theater experience in the drama department co-directing the 8th grade play and now the spring musical.  My amazing daughter is involved in sports and stage managing the shows.

My classroom is my happy place.  Even the other teachers come in and “zen out” for a while sometimes.  I get so many comments on how good it smells (which is something to remark on with middle schoolers) and how peaceful and orderly it is.  I have lamps and strings of lights (the blue lantern ones around the tree board weren’t up yet for the picture), cool peaceful colors with a few splashes of bright colors, and things are organized and simple.  It makes me smile when, even into the second semester, my students come in, settle in to their desk and sigh, “I love this room.”

My peaceful classroom

To make my space feel extra homey, I created my own personal space at the back of the room.  My “office” as I call it.  Anchored with a cute rug, I have all of my personal supplies within my reach, but harder for the kiddos to get into without my permission.   Organization is key.  Behind the lime green curtain (on a tension rod) is all of my personally purchased supplies organized in tubs and containers, which would look neat enough, but even cleaner out of sight.

My “office” space

Another feature of my classroom is art.  Several paintings around the room are my own work (the large pink one was done by my daughter), and three were done by a friend to bring my Louisiana roots into my room.  I believe that art can inspire the imagination, so what better decoration for a writing classroom?  The READ letters are re-purposed frames from a thrift shop and some letters and craft supplies.  I put a roll of contact paper on the front of the desk to dress it up some and tie it into the rest of the room.  It’s the simple things that pull this room together and make me happy.

These pictures are from the start of the year and some things have been added, such as student work and the bulletin board tree “leaves” have changed with the season.  (At the moment, it is glittery white with snow covered hills and penguins sledding among the student work hanging up.)  My door changes with the season, or my mood.  🙂  I just took down my 3D snowman and am in the process of replacing it with a 3D blooming cherry tree and dandy lions on a hill.  Here’s the snowman (We named him Bernard and the kids did journal entries on his adventures with the penguins, Bartholomew and Nigel.)  Pictures of the tree when it’s done!

Meet Bernard, Bartholomew, and Nigel.

Sometimes you have to take a few steps back from what you thought you were supposed to be doing, listen closely to your heart and gut feelings, and step out on a limb for something new.  Last year, I questioned whether or not teaching was what I was supposed to do at all.  This year, I KNOW it is and I KNOW I am teaching what I was meant to teach and have created a space that makes me happy, productive, and at peace.

Is it hard work?  Definitely.  Is it worth it.  You better believe it!