Pennsylvania’s Agriculture

For those of you who don’t know, Pennsylvania is a major producer of agricultural products due to its nutrient-rich soil! My students spent time researching the most important agricultural products Pennsylvania produces. Please take a moment to visit some of my student’s blogs listed on the right and read what they discovered about farming in PA! Please leave them a comment so they know you read their post!

100 Days of Summer #20 - Midnight on the Farm Elvis Kennedy via Compfight

Google Expedition to Machu Picchu

After reading Lost City: The Discovery of Machu Picchu, we used VR goggles to take a virtual field trip to Machu Picchu!  We were able to experience the beauty and magnificence of the ancient city without ever leaving our classroom!  The students’ shared their virtual experience and compared it to the story they read using a “See, Think, Wonder” line of questioning.  The students’ posted their “See, Think, Wonder” on their individual blogs!  The students would LOVE it if you could check out their blogs and comment on their post!

Machu PicchuCreative Commons License Mizrak via Compfight

The students then used an online resource called Culture Grams to research the culture of Peru, where Machu Picchu is located, and created infographics using a site called piktochart.com to present the information they learned!  Please check them out as well and leave a comment!    

 

Fantasy Stories: Fighting Fire

Fire SchoolCreative Commons License USFS Region 5 via Compfight

This week we will be writing a fantasy story about fighting fires. We are currently reading a story called Smoke Jumpers.  A smokejumper is a wildland firefighter who parachutes into a remote area to combat wildfires.  Fighting fires is a dangerous job so we would like to showcase this amazing profession by writing fictional fantasy stories about fighting fires while incorporating facts and details about the actual profession and what goes into fighting fires.   We love when you come and visit our blog pages, read our stories and leave us comments.  The writing process comes alive and is tangible for the students when you leave them with your thoughts.  Feel free to leave a comment and maybe even a suggestion or two.  Thank you again for visiting and Happy Blogging ?

Below are the key features of a fantasy story.

Key features of a fantasy story include:

    • May have characters doing things they cannot do in the real world
    • Describes events that couldn’t happen in the real world.
    • May have a setting that does not exist in the real world.
    • May be written to seem almost real.  
    • May have a tone of happiness, nostalgia, or danger.  

 

What is a Hotshot? Watch the video below:

My students are very excited to write fantasy stories about fighting fires.  We will be working on our stories all week and would love if you could come visit and leave comments on our blogs.

Global Visitors:

 

Our ELA Class Goals

What are your goals for reading class this year?  (Provide at least 3 goals)

Example: One of my goals for ELA class this year is to become a better writer.  I hope that I will be able to improve my use of sensory words.  I will use more words that help the reader see, hear, and feel the emotion in my writing.