Class: Team 15
Teacher: Ms. Garrison
Student Teacher: Ms. Erin
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Learning to Start Over
April’s literature unit explores how people (both real and fictional) deal with starting over. During this unit, two questions will guide our learning:
What does it mean to learn to start over?
What does it take to learn to start over?
Why “learning to start over?”
Did you ever have to learn to start over? I did - many times. Whether it’s going back to school, starting a new job, traveling in a foreign place, or making new friends - we all learn to start over, again and again. In today’s fast-paced world, change happens often and quickly, and I think it is important to help our children learn how to cope with change. Next year, as your sixth grader transitions into Middle School, they will be dealing with quite a bit of change. Therefore, I have specifically designed this unit to help your pre-teen prepare for the year ahead. Towards the end of this unit, your child will even write a letter to their future self, reminding them of what it takes to learn to start over. Perhaps you have experienced learning to start over! If you would like to share your stories, my contact information is on the left. I invite you to call, write or drop in.
What will you be reading?
I am sure your sixth graders have stories of how they learned to start over, and we will spend some time collecting wisdom from those experiences. We will, however, deepen our understanding about learning to start over through books. Most of our time will be spent reading Pam Munoz Ryan’s, Esperanza Rising (Note: if you click on the book titles, they link to amazon.com where you can find summaries, or even purchasing information). Esperanza Rising is a beautiful and powerful book about a thirteen year old girl who must leave the comforts of her family’s farm in Mexico and immigrate to the U.S. in order to find work and freedom. Esperanza’s story will teach us a lot about learning to start over.
Are you reading anything else?
Esperanza is not the only inspiring character we will meet. We will also read several picture books, which have been carefully selected because they relate to our theme. Here is a list of the books we will be reading: What You Know First, Train to Somewhere, Uncle Jed’s Barbershop, Dandelions, Smoky Night, The Gardener.
What else will you be learning?
Team 15 will not only be reading, they will also learn ways to become better writers. Your child will learn how to write dialogue, as well as how to use evidence from a text to support a claim. While we practice writing dialogue, our students will be asking you about your experiences of learning to start over. They will use the stories you tell them to write a story. Not only will this give them good practice at using dialogue in their writing, it is also a unique opportunity for you to share your experiences.
How will I know what my child has learned?
At the end of our literature unit, Team 15 would like to invite you to a celebratory session where students will perform five short skits. These skits will address our theme, ‘learning to start over’, and will require students to use all of the skills we covered during the unit. I encourage you to make time to come and watch. After the performances, there will be refreshments. Again, my contact information is on the left, or just come by the classroom. We look forward to sharing what we have learned.
What can I do to help my sixth grader?
Join us for our day of celebration! I also recommend clicking on the “Discussion Questions” link. I have created several questions that you can ask your child to get the conversation started. You can also share your own stories of how you learned to start over.
Best wishes to you, my friends.
See you soon,
Ms. Erin Mahollitz
