Tag Archives: literacy

Play on

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I hope you enjoyed our sunny weekend. Many people had to be satisfied with honouring their mothers from a distance. Whether via online video, the telephone, a card in the mail or a hug at home, I hope you found an opportunity to pay tribute to the mothers and grandmothers in your life. (Maybe you even read them a poem or wrote one of your own!) I would love to read your comments on anything notable about your Mother’s Day weekend (perhaps you’d even share some poetry‽)

Our Mondays always started with Purposeful Play, so I’d like us to spend Monday trying out some games. Choose from the games found through the links below, and whatever you choose, tell how it went or how you did; what you liked (or didn’t) & what was challenging (or wasn’t). Even perhaps include a screenshot.

Choose from 23 online games here

Or

More that 30 other games (including classics like Yahtzee, Dominoes, Snakes & Ladders and more).

Play Snakes and Ladders Dice OnlinePlay Parchisi Dice Game OnlinePlay Draw Dominoes Game Online

These links and other notes about latest and ongoing projects can be found here. I will be looking forward to sharing something new at our regular Tuesday online class circle. In the mean time, play on!

On a bit of a roll

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There may be times when it is hard not to notice what we can’t do or what isn’t getting done ore going well, but right now I cannot help but notice what is happening that is both interesting and good:

  • We had a lovely virtual assembly Friday (featuring some of your hearts for healthcare workers, thank you!)
  • Strong responses to questions about ‘The Difficult Path’ show you may be developing Lingsi’s superpower
  • I’m seeing a few of your video clips tying in with the endings you wrote to the unfinished story we heard last week
  • Several of you are having success at Farkle, the dice game I gave you this week
  • I got to read some of your lines of verse (though one was about pets that bite!)
  • I got to meet someone’s new cat virtually (but again a pet with a propensity to bite‽)

As I alluded in the title to this post, it is starting to feel like we are on a roll. So (after reminding you all to continue working on the tasks laid out for this week) I’ll recommend you plan ahead for Sunday by checking out this wonderful poem by Bruce Lansky. You should recognise the rhythm. You might try writing your own version to include (perhaps along with a copy of ‘On Mother’s Day’, crediting Mr Lansky, of course) in a card this weekend.

I’ll also recommend this online version of Farkle (There are a few ads, but it’s not too bad). The game goes quickly, but watching the text description for each turn helps. And like most things in life, the practice (including the turns that don’t go your way) help you think about and develop your strategy. (Did you know you could have this much fun learning about chance & probability?)

Let me know how your farkle games (or other endeavours) are going in the comments, and I’ll see you at our next meeting this afternoon in Teams at 1PM.

Scholatic Super Power

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We recently started listening to a short story called ‘The Difficult Path’ by Grace Lin. The story is about a young girl who had been sold into servitude, by her own mother! In the last part of the story, we’ll find out about the superpower the pirates want from her. [Grace Lin is also the author of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, which some of you may have read from our classroom library shelf. While the short story we’ve been reading is a work of fiction, you might be surprised to find out about one of the pirate captains of the actual Red Flag Fleet from the 19th Century]
Chinese pirates attack merchantman

During our class circle yesterday, we discussed our ongoing asssigned activities for this week, including a video we will try to put together and preparing for a (virtual) poetry slam.  Here again is the link to what we’re working on this week, which includes links to part 2 of the story (along with a few questions to answer). There is also a link to part 1 if you need a review and an exercise to help those poetry-writing skills.

Remember to come with questions during the morning feedback/discussion sessions (see the Teams calendar), and remember our next meeting time Thursday afternoon at 1PM (again join from the Teams calendar event).