Sensory language includes words or phrases that connect to the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. It creates vivid mental images and engages the reader’s mind on multiple levels.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #5: Sensory Language
2. Watch this video. Record an example for each of the senses on your recording page.
3. Look over the story prompts on this list. Choose 3 that you like. Record them on your recording page.
4. Make a section on your recording page for each of these words: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.
5. Spend 5 minutes brainstorming details for your character, setting, and events. Choose descriptive words that connect the reader to your story by using the senses.
6. Write your story on your recording page.
There is not a required length for your story
Your story needs to have a clear beginning, middle and end
Make sure you have a problem/conflict that is presented and resolved
Make it great by including at least 10 sensory details.
7. OPTIONAL: If you would like to write more stories using this guide, please do! Share all of your stories with your teacher/EY coordinator.
8. Share your language arts mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Lesson adapted from https://www.thepaintedturtle.org/hospital-program
The grade 4, 5, and 6 students have spent the last several weeks creating Wonderopolis pages to share. Each student picked a topic, came up with question to answer, researched this topic in great detail, and set out to work on creating an informational product.
Do you have a garden? What is the most unique thing you’ve grown in a garden? Maybe you’re thinking you’d like to have a garden, but you don’t have the yard space or know how to get started. Well this is the Wonder for you!
Springtime is a great time to start planting a garden and this Wonderopolis Wonder talks about many things related to gardening!
Watch the short video at the beginning
Read the Wonder (or have it read to you)
Complete the Did You Get It? at the end
Leave a comment and let us know something new you learned. You could also tell us about your own garden if you have one, or tell us what you’d like to plant if you could start a garden. When leaving a comment, use your first name only. Include your grade and school (i.e. Trevor, 3, Sunset)
At the beginning of the school year, Westside Middle School students were given the opportunity to be beta readers for a young adult novel. Author Angela Prusia has always had beta readers for her novels, but this was the first time she asked students to give her feedback. After the book was released in February, Angela noted:
“I’m so grateful for all the amazing feedback from your students on my book, Cafeteria Food, which I renamed Nameless after several students’ suggestions! Hands down, their feedback was better than what I normally receive from adults.”
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Fourteen students’ names made it on the acknowledgment page in Angela’s book. She is excited to offer the students another opportunity to be beta readers for the next two books in this trilogy (another decision she made based on the beta readers’ feedback).
Have you ever wondered how a basketball, bouncy ball, and golf ball are like a supernova? Well, probably not, but this video will explain how they are alike using physics. After watching, try this experiment for yourself and leave a comment on how it went. For an added twist, try it with different types of balls too! Physics is awesome!
Are you interested in teaching STEM concepts through engineering connections? If so, the 2015 Kiewit Teacher Day is for YOU! Absolutely no engineering background or knowledge is needed to participate and all teachers from K-12 in any discipline are invited to attend. BONUS: There will be lots of free giveaways and door prizes!
Are you the next Pablo Picasso or Georgia O’Keeffe? Do you see art in the world around you? If so, this seminar is for you! We have announced our ticket for the art seminar and the details are below. Read through them carefully as well as the scoring rubric at the bottom.
“An artist cannot fail; it is a success to be one.” Charles Horton Cooley
ART SEMINAR TICKET
Step 1
*Please create an original piece of 2D or 3D art.
*You may use the medium (material) of your choice.
*Add your name to your project.
*Your art project is due April 27th. Please turn it in to the EY teacher in your building.
*Please create a piece of art specifically for this event, not something created in art class at your school.
Step 2
*Thoughtfully respond to one of the prompts below and attach it to your art project. Please make sure your name is on your reflection.
What is the title of your project? What made you decide on this title?
How do you make your work (Think about: process, medium, materials, how much time it takes, where you make it)?
List your inspirations (art historical, personal, current events, motivating factors…anything!).
SCORING RUBRIC
Creativity/Originality
WOW! – Student used his imagination to create an original work of art.
GOOD! – Student showed a good amount of creativity.
Keep trying! – Student showed very little creativity.
Choice of Medium
WOW! – Student demonstrates a great understanding of the selected medium.
GOOD! – Student demonstrates a good understanding of the selected medium.
Keep trying! – Student demonstrates an average understanding of the selected medium.
Craftsmanship
WOW! – Student’s artwork is neat and clean looking. It is clear that the artist paid great attention to detail.
GOOD! – Student’s artwork is neat and clean looking.
Keep trying! – Student showed poor craftsmanship or very little effort given to presentation.
Spring has certainly sprung and you can definitely feel the “electricity” in the air! Well, maybe not feel it, but students at Westbrook, Oakdale, and Hillside have been seeing and experiencing it with squishy circuits. These circuits are created using conductive and resistant dough, battery packs, LED’s, buzzers, and motors. The students learned how electricity travels in a flow (away from the negative pole of the battery back to the positive pole) much like water. They got their creative juices flowing as well while creating some very unique circuits! Check them out!
A Sprinkling of our Favorite Neighborhood Bookstore
Yields: 120 students receiving a message of inspiration, perseverance, and hope!
Battle of the Books took a different spin this year at Westside Community Schools. The morning started off with kids arriving and putting their book projects on display. For each book read, students chose one project to complete. There were 3-5 project choices for each book ranging from dioramas, to writing a letter to the author, to doing further research on a topic in the book.
Drew, 4th grader at Swanson said: I loved doing the Battle Of The Books activities, and reading the books! Most of the books were amazing!
Check out some of the student projects submitted!
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Next, Omaha Playwright (and Westside graduate, parent and community member) Ellen Struve talked about her profession and love of reading & writing. Not only did she talk about her personal journey to becoming a playwright, but Ms. Struve also involved the students in creating their very own play! Throughout her presentation, Ellen embedded information about characters, dialogue, conflict, scene, and setting. Based on the engagement level and questions asked by kids, there will most likely be additional play writers emerging from Westside in the future!
Omaha Playwright, Ellen Struve
Everyone wants to be chosen for the star role!
Creating a play on the fly using our imagination!
What’s all involved in writing a play?
We found 3 BOTB authors on Twitter and they graciously agreed to Skype with our students! Katherine Fitzmaurice, author of A Diamond in the Desert was up first. She emphasized all the research that went into writing the book and even showed us pictures of the real characters. She also showed students a pile of rejection letters and the numerous changes suggested by her editor. Her advice for students wanting to write a book: “You have to really like what you’re writing about. Believe in yourself and like your story!”
Our next Skype call was with Valerie Hobbs, author of Sheep. Many students chose to write Ms. Hobbs a letter for their book project and she graciously wrote letters back to all of them! Talk about making a personal connection! Several students read Sheep and fell in love with Jack, the border collie who tells the story.
Many students were excited when Ms. Hobbs shared information about the newly released sequel to Sheep. At the end of Sheep, Jack finds Luke at the Good Shepherd Home for Boys. Together, they are adopted by a couple and the sequel Wolf continues Luke and Jack’s story at their new home, a sheep ranch in Northern California. Ms. Hobbs’ writing advice for the students: “Do a whole lot of reading of the type of book you’d like to write.”
Our final Skype call was with W.H. Beck, author of Malcolm at Midnight. In addition to being an author, Ms. Beck is a school librarian. Her advice for students was, “Make sure to set aside time each day to write. You can make a list, write a short story, or just write down your random thoughts.”
We didn’t forget the competition portion of Battle of the Books. Students worked in teams to answer questions about all 20 books. They used their iPads and participated in a Kahoot! created by Mrs. Lusero. Students also took an individual test on a Google form.
At the end of the day, Marla Fries shared her love of reading by telling the students about her Little Free Library. Marla is a WCS community member, retired administrator, and volunteer at Westgate Elementary.
After the event, one student was so inspired that she wanted to build her own Little Free Library! Check out Ava’s work!
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Ellen Scott from our neighborhood bookstore, The Bookworm, also shared her personal story and love of reading with the students. She presented the kids with an opportunity to be on The Bookworm’s Kid Advisory Board. We are so fortunate to have a family-owned bookstore in our Westside community!
Friday, March 13th was truly a wonderful day to celebrate many accomplishments! To all the students who participated, Thank You for all your hard word and willingness to try something new. The EY Team learned a lot throughout the process and we look forward to hearing your feedback!
If you attended Battle of the Books this year, please consider leaving a comment and letting us know your favorite part! Also, click here for a quick survey about the day.
I absolutely love road trips which is why I got so excited when “12 Nebraska towns you’ve probably never heard of” was recently published in The Lincoln Journal Star. I immediately thought to myself…
What a perfect opportunity for students to learn about our great state and possibly plan a road trip for the family!
Your Challenge (if you choose to accept it): Research the Nebraska towns listed in the article. Here are some sample questions to guide your research…
Where in Nebraska is the town located?
How did the town get its name?
What is the town known for?
When was the town settled?
What unique attractions are in the town and/or in nearby towns?
What are some interesting facts about the town?
Is a day-trip to the town doable? If so, what is the mileage from Omaha?
Present your information in a format of your choice. Be creative! When you’re finished, submit your product to the EY Coordinator at your building.
Below are the 12 Nebraska towns listed in the article. If you think there’s another Nebraska town that should be on the list, leave a comment and tell us why.
Sensory language includes words or phrases that connect to the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. It creates vivid mental images and engages the reader’s mind on multiple levels.
