Building a Classroom Community Using Author's Purpose

I have always used author's purpose (PIE) when teaching reading and writing. We talk about the "slices of pie" (persuade, inform, entertain) that authors use, depending on what they want their readers to take away from the text.  We practice these same techniques in our own writing, carefully choosing our words to fit our purpose.  I have posters displayed around the room and in reference guides at group tables.

There are a ton of great visuals and practice activities out there, but here are just a few of my favorites:

 

This is a great board game for practicing identifying author's purpose, not to mention it's FREE!



Then there's my favorite visual of Author's Purpose from Mrs. Gilchrist:

 

 

 

I do these things every year but THIS year, I'm turning the lesson around for the students to take charge.  After teaching the basic pieces of the P.I.E., I am going to open up the journaling to my student authors.

 

 

 

 

 In order to build the classroom community aspect of the journal, I will be including story starters and examples that support social problem solving in school and the classroom.

 

 

 

 

If you teach author's purpose AND you want to work on student journaling AND building your classroom community, then check out this packet on my TpT store. 

This editable PowerPoint includes:

~Teacher's directions on how to use the product
~Student directions on how to use the product
~Persuasive story starters and examples
~Informative story starters and examples
~Entertaining story starters and examples
~The examples for each section are geared toward building your classroom community and fostering deeper thinking


Do you have any other ways to use P.I.E.?  I'd love to hear about them!
 

Scientific Method Foldable

I usually start off the year in Science with a mini lesson on the Scientific Method.  I have always used a foldable to show the steps of the Scientific Method in the past, however, I edited it this year to include the steps in the order in which we practice them in class.  I also added descriptions that better describe each step.

This editable PowerPoint includes:
~Directions on how to cut, fold, and glue the foldable.
~The 6 steps to the Scientific Method (Problem, Hypothesis, Experiment, Observation, Results, Conclusion).
~Brief explanations of each step to guide students in their thinking.
~Space for students to write their thinking for each of the steps.


You can pick up a copy by clicking here.

Do you have any graphic organizers or foldables that make teaching the Scientific Method easier?  I'd love to see your ideas!

Math Vocabulary Station

Since I am revisiting how my Guided Math stations work this year, I noticed how my Math Vocabulary Station needed tweaking.  One thing all my students need practice with is identifying the operation words in word problems.  So I created a little game to help them practice identifying addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division words.

Students take turns drawing cards with key words on them and identifying which operation they apply to.  If they get the right answer, they can advance their game piece on the board.

This editable PowerPoint includes a vocabulary game and word cards to help students recognize words related to:
~Subtraction
~Addition
~Multiplication
~Division
It includes:
~A game board
~8-10 words for each concept
~An answer key for self-checking

You can pick up a copy by clicking here.

How do you teach vocabulary in your math class?  I'd love to hear your ideas!