English

Reading 

This term, our students have chosen their own group text from our literature circle collection. In groups, they have agreed on how to divide the book into 5 parts and each part is one week's reading.  The weekly reading is homework and is due weekly. While reading at home, the students will record, on a printed sheet, the aspects they notice while reading (under specific headings, see below). These sheets will be used to help guide the discussion in the following week's reading book discussion groups. 

There will be a strong focus on writing extended responses to the group texts (called long writes), drawing on specific evidence (pages and chapters) to demonstrate a high level of understanding of what has been read. 

Each week there will be a reading skill explicitly taught as revision and this will be applied to the group texts, information texts and personal reading.

Reading Responses: Ask a Question, Character Description, Spot the Setting, Find Foreshadowing, Make a Connection (to self, text or world), See the Significance (of important events), Language Recognition (effects of the language), Cite the Claim (explain the theme/main idea).

Writing

The main focus will be developing a range of writing tasks that will be published for the memory books. The writing includes memoir, persuasive and narrative text types. There is a lot of brainstorming and discussion of memories and our students typically find it difficult to remember things with clarity. It would help if your child can locate class photos with teacher and student names. Students who didn't attend all years at HPS might need some help from you with remembering details.

Speaking & Listening

Students have weekly opportunities to effectively use speaking and listening strategies in class, group and partner discussions. Strategies for public speaking will be incorporated in presentations made during the inquiry unit.