Mrs. Zana’s Class

Summer’s here! Let’s keep in touch. What are your plans? Doing anything interesting? Will you be at summer school (I will - I’ll be in room 3.) The rules for commenting: no bad language, no insults, don’t give out any personal info.

What do you need to know and do to succeed at MMS? Mrs. Zana asked her sixth grade students at the end of the year. Read their comments to see what advice they had for the incoming fifth graders. If you are a fifth grader coming to MMS this fall, feel free to add your reaction. Our rules are: no bad language, please stay on the topic, and no insults

If you don’t have email but do have Internet at home, you can work on your report this weekend by copying it here as a comment. Highlight your whole report. Press edit - copy. Go to comments. Press edit - paste.

When you get home, your report will be waiting for you (it traveled faster than you did!) Highlight the comment, press edit - copy. Then, start a new document in Microsoft Word, and paste in your report. When you are done, print it out and bring it to school.

FYI, you really should have email!!! Go to gmail and sign up for a free account.

Last Thursday my period 6/7 class was visited by a reporter from the L.A. Times. He was VERY impressed with the lesson (see the Shake it Up video post and comments to see what we were doing). Today, there was a very positive article in the newspaper about our school and our class. Thanks also goes to my period 2/3 class, who did such a great job that Mr. Dale thought the reporter should see the lesson. As for my period 4/5 class: sorry guys. You would have been terrific too. Instead, we got to enjoy sitting in hurricane winds together for 1/2 an hour. Here is the link to the article. It’s now on the reporter’s blog, which means people can comment about it. If you would like to add a comment, you need to have an adult do it for you, as they do not allow kids under 13 to write.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/schoolme/2007/04/if_wired_right_.html#comments

Let’s keep in touch over spring break. Get started now! Let us know all the fun plans you’ve made.

1. Math: 5-4 in Pre Algebra Workbook, numbers 1-10
2. Reading log and journal due tomorrow. 18 entries
3. Book order due Friday, March 2
4. History, chapter 27, preview, reading notes, and processing, due Monday March 5.

I’m entering grades for your 5 week progress report this weekend. Make sure you’re not missing anything!

By popular demand (Morriah asked for it), here’s the February chat spot.

18 more school days in the 1st semester. Be sure you keep your grades up, or bring them up. I don’t want ANYONE to have fails on their final report card. It’s not too late now, but will be soon. The most important thing: KEEP READING, or if you haven’t been START.

If you find a book an interesting book, you’ll want to keep reading too!

For extra credit, answer as many of these questions as you can
Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan

1. Subject: Leaving Mexico
Explain Mama’s reasons for leaving Mexico. Would you have been willing to make the same decision if you were in her situation? Why or why not?

2. Subject: Esperanza and Miguel
What does Esperanza mean when she says to Miguel that there is a “deep river” that runs between them? Does this change in California? If so, describe how their relationship changes and give reasons for why this might happen.

3. Subject: Riches to Rags
Describe the cabin where Esperanza must live in America. How does this home compare to her home in Mexico? When Esperanza points out these differences, why does Mama become angry with her? Is Mama right to be angry with her? Why or why not?

4. Subject: First Impressions
Why does Esperanza dislike Marta when they first meet? Have you ever changed your mind about someone once you got to know that person better?

5. Subject: How to Cope
When Esperanza is told she cannot visit her mother for several weeks, she describes her life as “going through the motions of living.” Have you ever felt this way? If so, describe what you felt.

6. Subject: Voluntary Deportation
What do you think of “voluntary deportation”? Is this a peaceful or a violent way to handle the situation with the strikers? Did Esperanza do the right thing by helping Marta and risking the chance of being deported herself?

7. Subject: Fruits and Vegetables
Why do you think all of the chapters are named after fruits and vegetables? What do they have to do with the story? What does Papa mean when he says to Esperanza, “Wait a little while and the fruit will fall into your hands”?

8. Subject: Miguel’s Plan
When Esperanza finds out Miguel has taken her money orders, she is devastated. Later she finds out Miguel had a good reason for doing it. Do you think it was fair of Miguel not to tell Esperanza what he was doing?

9. Subject: Difficult Challenges
When Esperanza moves to California her whole life changes. In your own life have you faced difficult challenges or big new experiences? What was it like?

10. Subject: The Phoenix
The story of the phoenix comes up several times in the book. It’s a legend about a bird that is consumed by fire and then rises reborn from the ashes. Compare the story of the phoenix to Esperanza’s.

11. Subject: In Esperanza’s Shoes
How do you think you would feel if you were in Esperanza’s situation? What would be difficult? What would you be thankful for?

12. Subject: The End
Read the last sentence of the novel, and explain how it relates to the book’s themes.

13. Subject: After the Story Ends
What do you think happens to the characters after the end of the story? What becomes of Esperanza, Miguel, Abuelita, Mama, Isabel, Marta, and other characters from the book?