The Vine Basket by Josanne La Valley

In The Vine Basket by Josanne La Valley, fourteen-year-old Mehrigul has dreams.  She wants to continue to go to school, but her family needs her to sell in the market.  There she meets a woman who admires a vine basket Mehrigul made.  She offers to buy more if Mehrigul will make them.

Mehrigul's mother is depressed and her father discourages her from creating these baskets.  Mehrigul perseveres, because she knows she will be sent away to work in a Chinese factory.





For an explanation of my rating scale, click here.
Find me at Goodreads.

Quote of the Week--June 25, 2017

"When people talk, listen completely."

~Ernest Hemingway

Have a good week,

Earth, Sun, and Moon Freebie

I just finished updating my astronomy unit in my classroom and store.  If you previously purchased my top selling Sun and Shadows activity from Artistry of Education @ Teachers Pay Teachers to get the update with three new activities.
 

I used the page above for a formative assessment and activity several times during our unit.  I wanted to know what my students knew about the relationship between the earth, the sun, and the moon and how those relationships cause days, nights, seasons, and eclipses.

Students cut out the three circles and demonstrate in partners or small groups the answers to the five questions.  I walked around the groups to note who understood and who didn't.  I had certain groups demonstrate the correct answers for the whole class.

You can download Earth, Sun, and Moon Freebie from my Google Drive here.

Quote of the Week--June 18, 2017

"I have not failed.  I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

~Thomas A. Edison

Have a good week,

Gaby, Lost and Found by Angela Cervantes

Gaby's mother has been deported and her dad moves back into the house to "care" for her.  Gaby writes adoption notices for an animal shelter as a service project, but really wants a cat for herself.

Gaby is a strong character who must handle difficult circumstances.  She finds the will to fight for what she needs and what she wants.



For an explanation of my rating scale, click here.
Find me at Goodreads.

Quote of the Week--June 11, 2017

"For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Have a good week,

Rights, Repsonsibilities, and Privileges Revisited

Words change their meaning.  When I first taught fifth grade, I created this activity for students to look up the meanings of rights, responsibilities, and privileges.  They would brainstorm examples and we would discuss what this would look like in our classroom.

I taught other grade levels for several years and returned to fifth grade this year.  As I was preparing my beginning of the year activities, I realized that how I thought about privilege in the past had changed.

I have updated this lesson to reflect the idea that privilege isn't always something that is earned.  I still call my incentive system "Privileges", but it is with the understanding that privilege has different meanings in different contexts.

To download the new version of Rights, Responsibilities, and Privileges, please visit Artistry of Education @Teachers Pay Teachers.

Quote of the Week--June 4, 2017

"To add value to others, one must first value others."

~John Maxwell

Have a good week,