Washington GT Magnet Elementary School

3-5 Electives

Language Arts

AWESOME ARTISTIC AUTHOR
Students will have the opportunity to make, illustrate, and write their own books. The books will highlight art skills and concepts, famous artists from around the world, and cultural diversity as well as commonalities. While integrating the two disciplines of visual art and language arts, instruction will enable students to create a variety of exciting publications of their own.

BLUE RIBBON BOOKS
There is no better way to motivate students to read than to supply them with great literature that is enjoyed by kids everywhere. This course will allow student to explore many types of prize-winning literature. This elective will provide opportunity for students to choose their own reading materials and communicate their experiences with the other member of the class.

BOOKMAKERS WORKSHOP
Calling ALL student authors! Get your creative juices flowing! Learn from authors before you about the history of bookmaking as well as the art of bookmaking from start to finish. Then you, as an author yourself, will have the opportunity to make a variety of books, experience different ways that books are published and create a showcase of published pieces.

CHARACTERS ON TRIAL
Have you ever thought that the Big Bad Wolf was framed? Or that the Three Bears should have charged Goldilocks with breaking and entering? Were the stepsisters rallying evil or was Cinderella passive-aggressive? Fairy Tales from around the world not only remind us that there are two sides to every story, but offer clues about the character traits and virtues societies value. Character on Trial offers students the opportunity to make global connections between characters and the law by considering a myriad of multicultural fairy tales from multiple perspectives and, ultimately, bringing a familiar villain to trial. As students learn about the evolution of our own legal system and it’s unique place in world history, they will develop note-taking and letter-writing skills, use inductive and deductive reasoning to evaluate the merits of an argument, hypothesize the causes and effects of various actions, question the reliability of witnesses, and prioritize a host of issues. Character on Trial invites the children to consider the law at their won level as they take on the personas of lawyers, character witnesses, expert witnesses and judges.

CINDERELLA AROUND THE WORLD
Pack your bags. Grab your passport. We are on a literature world tour to find Cinderella. Is she Appalachian, Creole, Chinese, Egyptian, or Jewish? Who helps her with magic? Is it a fairy godmother, fish, turkey, or dove? You will meet many different multicultural “Cinderellas” in this elective. Did you know there are over 1,500 versions of the Cinderella story dating back to the first century? Today there are 350 variants of the Cinderella tale. In this elective you will visit the seven continents and read a “Cinderella” story from many different countries while completing many activities and projects during the world tour.

CREATIVE COMPOSITION - AG
Students will express their thoughts and experiences in creative writing activities. Descriptive and narrative composition writing will be taught with an emphasis on word usage, sentence structure, and paragraph organization. Story writing will include character, setting, and plot development.

FANTASTIC LITERATURE – AG
Students will explore the fascinating genre of fantasy. Their study may include THE HOBBIT, THE PHANTOM TOLL BOOTH, A WRINKLE IN TIME, and CHRONICLES OF PRYDAIN. Outside reading will be required.

I LOVE A MYSTERY - AG
Using the format of the mystery story, students will read and view classic mystery stories. These will include Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew, Agatha Christie, and Edgar Allen Poe. The story elements of character, setting, and plot will be examined and used in writing original stories. Deductive reasoning skills will be stressed.

IT'S COMICAL! - AG
Students will explore the different types of humor used in comic strips. They will learn to analyze techniques used by a cartoonist and examine the development of characters, dialogue, plot, and theme. After an in-depth study of Charles Schultz's PEANUTS, young cartoonists will create comic strips of their own.

JOURNALISM
Come and explore the parts of a newspaper from headlines to comics. Learn to write various types of news articles from stories to editorials. Enjoy an opportunity to create and publish a school newspaper.
Compositions typically whimsical or fanciful in character will cause the writer to discover and express his/her writings in a comical and amusing style. Satire, comedy, farce, jokes, riddles, and exaggerations will be explored.

LITERARY CRITICS
Many good books have been published in the last few decades. Is it award-winning literature? Young readers are the best judges of good children's literature and therefore, become the reading experts in this course. Students read, analyze story elements and author's style, and evaluate selected award-winning literature to discover what qualities make books great literature. How do the experts judge the literature? What makes it great literature? In discussion groups, readers answer these questions to determine criteria by which to judge literature, create rubrics to evaluate literature, and use rubrics to rate the books of award-winning authors that have not won any major awards. This literature study course culminates with the students creating book projects that best demonstrate the great qualities of literature identified in the newly rated books. Projects will be displayed and rubric evaluations forwarded to authors.

LITERARY STYLES: POETRY/DRAMA AG
Appreciation grows with exposure to poetry. This course is designed for gifted students or high-ability learners with high verbal skills, and for students who display a keen interest in poetry and an inclination towards creative writing. Students will write a variety of poetry forms, rhythmical patterning, incorporating similes, and metaphors. Culminating activities include conducting poetry readings for younger children, publishing a class anthology of students, poems with illustrations, and/or making a multi-media presentation to be shared with parents.

PATTERNS, DETECTORS, & DECODERS
Spelling and reading big words is a great accomplishment for young learners. This active, hands-on elective will involve students in analyzing words and manipulating words. Through these hands-on activities, students learn to recognize and spell many big words. In this course, students will discover patterns that allow them to decode and spell challenging words. A beginning exploration of Latin and Greek roots and affixes will help students understand the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary as well. As a result, students will become better writers and readers.

PLAYWRITING
Imagination! That is what this course will require from young writers! Students will learn to organize their thought into writing. Are you the next Neil Simon? Samuel Beckett?? Sign up and find out! As they create their own plays, they will develop characters from fantasy, present day, historical, or futuristic settings.

PUBLIC SPEAKING AND DEBATE - AG
In the first part of this course students will explore the production and reception of oral communication in three major types of public speaking: informative, persuasive, and entertaining. Emphasis will be on writing, delivering, and critiquing informal and formal speeches. The second portion of the course will be devoted to teaching students the elements of formal debate. Students will then use acquired skills to debate issues in class.

PUPPET THEATER
Through the wonderful world of puppets theatre, students will expand their oral and written communication skills, explore theatrical elements, develop artistic strategies while creating puppetry productions. Students will enhance their social skills by working in a cooperative and supportive environment.

POETRY CAFÉ
This course will address the reading and writing of poetry. Students in the intermediate grades will review basic reading skills such as syllabication, rhyming, and parts of speech while learning new vocabulary associated with the essential elements of poetry. Different styles and types of poetry will be presented and studied along with poems from a variety of authors. A study of these authors along with journal reflections will be essential in developing each student’s own personal style. Students will be encouraged to create their own original poems in each of the styles presented and publish their poems in a presentation of their planning and design.

RaM3
This elective is targeted for 3rd grade students whose reading and math skills need extra reinforcement. The primary goal is to raise reading and math ability to grade level or above. Students will learn to apply reading strategies (predicting, clarifying, questioning, and summarizing) across the curriculum. Math skills will be reviewed and practiced. Strategies for problem solving are used in a wide range of activities. Students will be encouraged to develop their own thinking practices through explorations with manipulative and hands-on activities.

RaM4
This elective is targeted for 4th grade students whose reading and math skills need extra reinforcement. The primary goal is to raise reading and math ability to grade level or above. Students will learn to apply reading strategies (predicting, clarifying, questioning, and summarizing) across the curriculum. Math skills will be reviewed and practiced. Strategies for problem solving are used in a wide range of activities. Students will be encouraged to develop their own thinking practices through explorations with manipulative and hands-on activities.

RaM5
This elective is targeted for 5th grade students whose reading and math skills need extra reinforcement. The primary goal is to raise reading and math ability to grade level or above. Students will learn to apply reading strategies (predicting, clarifying, questioning, and summarizing) across the curriculum. Math skills will be reviewed and practiced. Strategies for problem solving are used in a wide range of activities. Students will be encouraged to develop their own thinking practices through explorations with manipulative and hands-on activities.

SPORTS FEVER
The reading content of this course will focus on professional sports. The course objective is to increase reading comprehension and skill development through the study of sports.

STORYTELLING 3-5
The primary purpose of this course is to develop lifelong enrichment and personal enjoyment in storytelling. Students will participate in an art form as old as language itself. They will be taught the skills to become storytellers through practicing the techniques and strategies used by professional storytellers. Fold tales, hero stories, epics, legends, and original stories will be shared through storytelling sessions. Students will focus on the elements of a story while reading, viewing, and listening to various types of tales. They will be encouraged to retell these stories in their own words using various prompts such as flannel boards, puppets, pictures, and the like using appropriate voice control and expression. Students will remain actively involved as they apply skills in reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking to create and present their own stories.

TALK ABOUT IT! BOOK CLUB
Join the club! During this elective, students will have the opportunity to select from and read a variety of novels. This book club allows opportunities to read novels and participate in small group seminars/discussions. Follow-up extension projects will be generated through the use of computers, songs, advertisements, literature circles, Paideia seminars, and other book enrichment choices. Students will present their book projects creatively and participate in the development of a collection of book reviews for the school library.

Washington GT Magnet Elementary School
Phone: (919) 856-7960 / Fax: (919) 856-7985