|
|
Weekly activities and lessons to keep your child thinking and progressing, so they are prepared for the upcoming school year. |
|
“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”
|
|
 |
The McManus Files
Issue IV
Hello,
I hope you enjoy this week's issue. I've been having fun planning and writing these flyers, researching the different topics, and reading the different book recommendations. It is also helping me visualize and plan for the upcoming school year. I hope you are finding them useful.
Please share this flyer with your friends and encourage them to join our mailing list by following the links on this page.
Mr. McManus :-)
|
Research an object in our solar system. This can be a planet, a moon, a region of the solar system, an asteroid, comet, or a star.
When you have completed your inquiry quest create a project to share your findings. You can make a slide stack with each slide containing a title, text and a graphic about your topic. You could also make a travel poster or a trading card about your object. Draw a picture postcard with a title on one side of the poster board and then carefully list all the important details on the back of the poster.
My favorite thing in our solar system is Saturn's moon Phoebe. Look for information about her size, location, composition, rotation, revolution, discovery, exploration, name significance, reasons we study her, history, and interesting facts.
See what you can find out about your favorite object(s) in our solar system.
Watch this video for inspiration. |
A strategy I teach to help students generate story ideas is "Give a Picture a Thought." With this strategy, writers can explode a moment by developing one image into a creative and thoughtful story. For example, look at the Dorothea Lange photo below: |
Imagine you are in the mind of this woman at the moment the photo was taken. Write a monologue of her thoughts at this exact moment. Explode this one scene into a story that explains this photo. You may want to do some research so that your monologue is accurate. When you are done, make a mini-documentary video in which you read your monologue as the picture slowly comes into focus. You can use this strategy for any family, historical, or funny photo. You can even use it to create a monologue for a strong memory you have when writing personal narratives. |
|
|
|
5 Daily Writing Prompts...
|
These prompts and questions will help jumpstart your daily writing. Just as it's important to read for at least 30 minutes each day, you should also write for 30 minutes a day. Don't worry about your organization or spelling, just write!
|
"My grandma came to visit and she brought me an unexpected surprise which..."
Would you rather play with younger children or older ones? Why? What would you do?
"It worked. I am inside my favorite video game. Now I can..."
Should school be year round? Do we really need this long summer vacation? Why? Why not?
"I dug as quickly as I could until my shovel hit..."
|
When reading fiction, remember to look for clues that will help you (the reader) better understand the book's theme and the author's message.
One reading strategy to identify:
Aha Moments
When a character suddenly realizes, understands or finally figures something out. That character has has an Aha Moment and the character may now know the solution to a problem, how to resolve a conflict, or simply see life differently by the sudden understanding of a life lesson. If a reader notices an Aha Moment
The reader should stop and ask:
How might this change things?
If the character just figures out a problem, the reader probably just learned about the conflict.
If the character just understood a life lesson, the reader probably learned the theme of the book.
|
Learn about cubism and play with color in this whimsical project. The tree trunk is made of a piece of black construction paper, but if you don’t have any on hand, simply color it black with a marker.
|
|
|
|
McManus Tutoring has openings for new clients. |
|
If you feel your child might benefit from a group or individual tutoring program to close the gap created during summer vacation and to prepare them for the next phase of their education, please contact McManus Tutoring.
This fall, we are all returning to in-person classes for the first time in a year and a half. Besides the emotional impact of the pandemic, a full-time academic schedule will be an adjustment. Extra preparation over the summer will build self-confidence while reinforcing basic skills to start the new year.
Programs are structured so that students develop independence, accountability, and self-possession and they develop a repeatable structure that can be used to build success in the future.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Doll Bones
by Holly Black
|
Don't judge a book by its cover or title. This is a story for anyone who likes adventures, pirates, thieves, and stories about friendship. Oh, and it can get a bit creepy at times, so keep the lights on! Zach, Poppy, and Alice, three life-long friends, go on an epic quest to rescue the queen of their imaginary game. On their journey, they are confronted with the realities of growing up, friendships, peer pressure, and family. Can they rescue the queen? Can they make it home, safely? Can they keep from getting grounded for the rest of their lives? This is a great book with so many lessons. |
|
|
|
|
Problem of the Week
Solve the problem and complete Parts A & B
If I do this with 4 and 5, I get 29. If I do the same thing with 4 and 6, I get 40. Doing the same thing again to 8 and 9 gives me 89. What do I get if I do the same thing to 5 and 8?
Part A: What is your answer to the problem?
Part B: Explain your thinking in complete sentences. How did you come up with your final answer?
|
|
Great Summer Read #2
When You Reach Me
by Rebecca Stead
|
"Smart and mesmerizing" are two ways to describe this outstanding book that will appeal to readers of all types, especially those who are looking for a thought-provoking mystery with a mind-blowing twist, lovers of science fiction, and A Wrinkle in Time fans.
Sixth grader Miranda starts receiving mysterious notes, and she doesn’t know what to do. Whoever is leaving them has an uncanny ability to predict the future. If that is the case, then Miranda has a big problem—because the notes tell her that someone is going to die, and she might be too late to stop it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
News Round Up
Awesome stories this week: Cuba erupts with protests, so much soccer this weekend and a super spelling champion. There are many stories about current issues in the world, U.S., sports, science, and the arts. There is definitely something for everyone and accessible text levels.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
