Recent ActivityMy name is Ms. Centerbar. Almost all of my students call me Center. Get ready for a great two years of language arts where we will be reading lots, writing lots, and discussing even more! We will also be using technology to explore, create, and teach others!
Dear Fusion! Parents,
I am writing this to quickly introduce myself to all of you. My name is Kristin Reagan, and I will be Ms. Centerbar’s student teacher this semester. I am so excited to begin this adventure with the Fusion family!
I am a senior at the University of Vermont, and I am majoring in secondary education (English concentration) with a minor in history. I am originally from Williamsburg, VA, and I come from a family full of teachers! Last spring I met Ms. Centerbar when I was observing her class for a course I took at UVM, and I was immediately impressed with her instruction and the overall environment of her classroom. I could not have been more excited when I was given the opportunity to student teach with her this semester.
Please contact me if you have any questions for me, but please know that I am so thankful to have this opportunity to learn from your children as I begin my career.
Sincerely,
Kristin Reagan
Podcasts
Class Announcements Theme IVTheme IV - Wild Alaska! Survival of the Fittest! Focusing Questions: What lessons can Nature teach us? How does survival impact our behavior? What is perseverance and why is perseverance so important? Standards Assessed: 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.13, 2.9, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.10, 3.11, 3.14, 5.11, 5.12, 5.13 “It’s unlike any other event in the world. A race over 1,150 miles of the most extreme and beautiful terrain known to man: across mountain ranges, frozen rivers, dense forests, desolate tundra and windswept coastline.” Survival is the name of the game in this unit and the two non-fiction novels that we read by talented writer Gary Paulsen, clearly speak to this theme. Winterdance and Woodsong both tells of Paulsen’s own experiences running the annual Alaskan sled dog race known as the Iditarod, a grueling, yet spectacular race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. Students will conduct research projects that pertain to the race. They will then read one of Paulsen's stories, focusing on the skills of summarization and vocabulary in context. They also will be challenged to think more deeply about specific reading strategies and reading comprehension through reflections about what they have read. Connecting Gary’s experiences to their personal lives make the rich themes of perseverance and determination much more meaningful. Student discussions allow for immediate and lively interaction with the text as students develop skills for discussing literature. Theme TwoTheme II - The Power of Words! - Writing a Dynamic Essay Standards Assessed - 1.5, 1.6, 3.10, 3.11, 3.14, 5.18 Students examine the structure of a standard five -paragraph essay and its use as a tool to effectively describe, inform, or narrate. Cooperative groups are used to analyze each of the three major components: Introduction (including the thesis), Body (including transitions), and Conclusion. Understanding this basic non-fiction structure will assist students in the many non-fiction pieces they encounter this year as well as in high school. Class Files
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Class Homework January 25 & 26, 2012Due January 25, 2012 January 23 & 24, 2012Due January 25, 2012 January 27, 2012Due January 30, 2012 Fusion! Links  Short Story Element PowerpointThis Powerpoint details the five elements of a short story. There are a few things I will add that do not appear here. | ||||||||||||||||||
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