Week 5: Shutting Out the Sky

Dear Parents,
Welcome to week 5 of school. This week, we are reading Shutting Out the Sky. It is the story of a sixteen year-old boy named Marcus Ravage. In 1900, he traveled to America from Romania. Marcus faced many challenges in this unfamiliar place. He worked as a street peddler to earn money, and he began to adapt to his new life. Eventually he graduated from college and found success as a writer.



Activity: How Do You Say?
Imagine that a young person from a foreign country has just arrived in your town or city. With a member of your family, write a list of things about your life in your community that might seem strange or confusing to this person.Comprehension Skill: Cause and Effect
The cause is what made something happened. The effect is what happned as a result of the cause. An effect may have more than one cause, and a cause may have more than one effect. Sometimes author suse clue words such as because and so to show a cause-and-effect relationship.

Comprehension Activity: One Thing Leads to Another
Pick a favorite story about something funny or dramatic that happened to you or one of your relatives in the past. Talk with a family member about the cause (or causes) that made this event occur.Shutting Out the Sky VocabularyInteractive Vocabulary Cards

Meet the Author and Illustrator: Deborah HopkinsWatch a Video Interview with Deborah Hopkinson
Explore other books by Deborah Hopkinson







Grammar: Common and Proper Nouns
A common noun names any person, place, or thing. For example: girl, city, building. A proper noun names a particular person, place, or thing. Proper nouns include titles of books and movies, as well as many abbreviations. Capital letters are used for the first letter and each important word of a proper noun. For example: Nadine, Mexico City, White House, The Wizard of Oz, U.S.A.

Grammar Activity: The Proper WayWith a family member, make two separate lists of ten common nouns. Exchange your lists and try to change each common noun into at least one proper noun. For example, ocean might be changed to Indian Ocean. If you wish, you can repeat the activity by making new lists of ten proper nouns, exchanging these lists, and changing the proper nouns into common nouns.
Practice This Week's SkillsComprehension: Cause and EffectCause and Effect Skill Transparency
Cause and Effect 1
Cause and Effect 2
Cause and Effect 3
Cause and Effect Graphic Organizer 1
Cause and Effect Graphic Organizer Prompt Card
Vocabulary Vocabulary 1
Vocabulary 2
Review SkillSeqence
Research and Study SkillsElectronic Encyclopedia
Online Student Encyclopedia
Grammar: Common and Proper NounsCommon and Proper Nouns 1 - 4
Spelling: ContractionsContraction 1
Contractions 2
Contractions 3
Contractions 4

Announcements:1. Our students of the week are Morgan and Stormy.
2. School Uniform Reminders:

• solid brown or black belts only
• solid red, black, or white jackets/coats only
• white socks only
• white undershirts only
• no jewelry (other that stud earrings for girls)

3. Tests: Grammar (Thursday), DOL (Thursday), Reading (Friday)
Let's have a great week!
Thanks,
Mrs. Telford