Quality Comments!

How to Compose a Quality Comment!

Blogging has many parts: the post, the comments, and the sidebar.

If you do a good job with all of the parts, your blog will be more interesting.

Today we will focus on quality comments!

Content is key!

In our class, we evaluate our blog comments.
A one-point comment is a general comment that doesn't add very much to the post. Example: I like your blog. Please visit mine! A two-point comment adds something to the comment conversation. A commenter might compliment the writer in a specific way or add new information. Another idea is to make a connection. Maybe the post reminds you of an experience that you've had. Share that connection!  Try to end your comment with a relevant question. That way, an interesting conversation can develop.


Here is a video Mrs. Yollis' class made with tips to help you take your comments to the next level!

We like to open our comments with a greeting and end with a closing. We choose to do this as it makes it easier for us to follow the conversation within a comment section.

Mrs. Smith, from Ontario, Canada, adds another excellent idea:
Give some information about where you are from and what grade you are in.
Thanks for a great tip, Mrs. Smith!  



-For Advanced Bloggers-

Some bloggers like to use HTML code to make their comments better.  Learning to write HTML code, or HTML tags, is a somewhat simple way to take your comment to the next level.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is a language.

*     *     *     *     *

To write HTML code, use the following symbols:

Important: Do not add a space between the HTML tag and the word or sentence.

                                                                                                     

1.  To put text in italics, place this HTML code around the text:

 

 

The sentence will look like this when published:

  

Bloggers should always proofread a comment before publishing. 

                                                                                                     


2.  To make text bold, place this HTML code around the text:

                            

The sentence will look like this when published:  

Bloggers should always proofread a comment before publishing.

                                                                                                     


 
3.  To make a hyperlink, it gets a little tricky.

Use the following HTML code around the URL and add your own link word/words:

  [The URL is the address of the web page. It starts with http://www…]

The HTML code below:

   

Will become this hyperlink when published:

                                                                 Mrs. Yollis’ Website

Sometimes it is hard to remember the HTML codes. I keep an HTML word document on my desktop with all the common codes, especially the one to create a hyperlink. Here is a video demonstrating how easy it is to a create a hyperlink if you have the code set up in a Word doc.

If you like to add fun shapes...here are those codes!

Leave us a comment about your success!

Here is a video about how to leave a comment on our blog.

Ask us for help if you need any!

Autumn Equinox:: Au Revoir Summer!

Autumn Equinox:: Au Revoir Summer!

FACT: Seasons change as we orbit the sun.


Spring • Summer • Autumn • Winter

Twice a year, around March 20 or 21 and Sept. 22 or 23, our sun shines directly over the equator. That event marks the beginning of spring or fall. What is the equator?

Public Domain photo

e·qua·tor
[əˈkwā•dər]
noun
an imaginary line drawn around the earth equally distant from both poles,dividing the earth into northern and southern hemispheres and constituting the parallel of latitude 0°.




In March when the sun shines directly over the equator, the event is called the spring or vernal equinox. In September when the sun shines directly over the equator, the event is called the fall or autumnal equinox.


The Autumnal Equinox will occur in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. on Thursday, September 22, 2016. at 7:21 A.M.

Things to look for in fall:


1. Deciduous (di•si•jo͞o•əs) trees will change color and drop all their leaves. Evergreen trees will not. Evergreen trees will stay forever green. :-) Why do the leaves of deciduous trees change color? Use World Book Online to research. Remember, do NOT copy sentences. That is plagiarism, and it is against the law! Take notes, and then turn your notes into your own sentences.

Photo by Grandma Barb




Photo by Grandma Barb

2. On the equinox, there are exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. The day and night hours are equal. However, as we continue into fall, the days will get shorter and the night hours will get longer. This pattern will continue until we reach the winter solstice. That is the longest night of the year and marks a new season, winter.




3. Because the northern hemisphere is now tilted away from the sun, the days will start to become cooler. People will change their behavior.What sorts of behavioral changes will your family make as the days get shorter and cooler? (In southern California, we have mild climate. We don't get too cold in our community.)


There are many fall festivals or holidays. Watch the BrainPop video about fall to learn about the many harvest festivals celebrated. Do you celebrate any of these autumn holidays? If so, please share so we can learn from you!

Check out the FREE BrainPop video about Fall.

4. Some animals in the northern hemisphere will change their behavior. As fall leads to winter, some animals migrate, or move, to a warmer area. Others try to fatten up for the winter they know is coming.

Again, BrainPop Jr. has a video about fall.
Check it out by clicking here.



https://jr.brainpop.com/science/weather/fall/

Share some fun facts about fall!
Did you use BrainPop or World Book Online as a reference?

If you are in the southern hemisphere, tell us what season you are enjoying! How are you changing your behavior?

Numerous Nouns!

We have been learning about nouns in class. 

A noun names a person, a place, a thing, or an idea. 

Example: A friend needs you. 

Nouns also fall into a few different categories. 

A common noun names any person, place, or thing. 

Example: Our teacher is reading. 

A proper noun names a particular person, place, or thing

Example: Ms. Tulbure is reading. 

A concrete noun names something that you can hear, taste, smell, or touch. 

Example: The crocodile is dangerous.  The sunrise is beautiful. 

An abstract noun names something you think about, but cannot see, taste, smell, or touch.

Example: His childhood was joyous.          Her courage made her strong. 

 Watch the Brainpop Jr. video below for more information about nouns

Now it's your turn. 

Write at least two sentences that include either a common, proper, abstract, or concrete noun. 

Identify your noun in your sentences.
Ex: I went to the park today. Common Noun: I

Breakout EDU!

Today we ended our day with a fabulous game. 

It was called BreakOut EDU! 

Photo by Mrs. Yollis



TEAMWORK was important!
In fact it was the whole challenge!

Students received top secret envelopes with a letter and clues inside 
The letters spelled out TEAMWORK  
 
It you finished your task and unlocked one lock, you were free to go
 and help other teams.

 Everyone was intrigued with the locks.  

How do we get them open?

Students were given 45 minutes to solve the puzzle and unlock the box.

Take a look at our teamwork and problem solving below. 

 (all photos by Ms. Tulbure)

With 46 seconds to spare.....

We rescued Mr. Unicorn!

It took working together and listening to each other in order to be successful. 


How was the Breakout EDU experience for you?


Share a time you had to work with a team to in order to achieve a goal.

Subjects and Predicates

Ms. Tulbure's class has been working on learning about 

what it takes to create a 

SENTENCE!

Photo by Mrs. Yollis 

We have learned that it takes two parts: 

a SUBJECT 

and 

a PREDICATE.

The subject tells the person or thing the sentence is about.

The predicate tells what the subject is or does.
The predicate always includes a verb!

Why don't you try creating a special sentence or two of your own?

Here are some possible subjects:

Your family member

On that fateful day , Mr. Dursley...

On number four Privet drive, Professor Dumbledore....

Last Tuesday, our buddies...

Here are some possible predicates:

...took a tour of our classroom. 

...chased a duck across the pond.

...are positive people who persevere!

...worked together to learn how to create compatible numbers

.

After creating your sentence and typing it into your comment, tell us what the subject is and what the predicate is, or if you want to give us a challenge...Ask us to tell you what the subject and predicate are!

This grammar task is due by Friday! 

subject: This grammar task

predicate: is due by Friday!

Terrific Teamwork!

These last few weeks the class has been working on Teamwork challenges

According to dictionary.com, teamwork is:

            noun

1.cooperative or coordinated effort on the part of a group of persons acting together as a team or in the interests of a common cause.

2. work done with a team.

How do you show teamwork?

Students began with the Marshmallow Challenge

Students were given 12 spaghetti sticks, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow!

The object of the challenge: create the tallest free standing structure with the marshmallow on top. 

See their hard work below:

All photos by Ms. Tulbure

And the winner is:

Team 1- their tower stood 19 inches tall!

What was their strategy?

Photo by Ms. Tulbure

Team 5 was the runner up team. 

Their tower stood 11 inches tall

Can you see their strategy?

Photo by Ms. Tulbure

This week we also met our fifth grade buddies. Together, students worked as a team to make a plastic cup tower using only a rubber band and string. The instructions were to build a tower without using any hands, only the tools provided. Wow!

 It took communication and determination to succeed at this challenge. 

All photos by Ms. Tulbure

Some teams worked together to build and even bigger tower! 

All teams succeeded in building their tower. Great work!

Tell us about how you worked together as a team to complete a task?

What was the best part?