SOL #14 Mini-lecture on the French and Indian War

Tomorrow I am planning a mini-lecture, another technique I learned at the TC Content Literacy Institute. I am hoping to gather some Google images to go along with my mini-lecture. I will also be encouraging the students to use one of our note-taking technique we have been learning.

French and Indian War Mini-Lecture

In 1753, the British had settled along the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to South Carolina. The colonies were growing richer, however it was not so in the far west. News came to the east that the French were moving into the Ohio Valley from Canada. London, England wanted to French to withdraw.

The Governor of Virginia wrote a letter to the French warning them not to settle on the land that was property of the Crown of Great Britain. George Washington was called upon to delivery the letter. In early November, Washington with a small party of horsemen left Virginia for the Ohio Valley.

Washington reached the French fort and delivered the letter to Captain Pierre. Pierre wrote a letter in response stating that the French had no intention of obeying the request. Washington tucked the letter into his pocket and ordered his men to return home.

The next year, the British needed a base along the Ohio River. However, before the British could finish the fort, 500 French soldiers and Indians forced them to leave. The French actually finished building the fort and claimed it for France.

Washington helped the defeated fort builders find a new location and build a fort call Fort Necessity. 500 French and 400 Indians attacked the fort and Washington was forced to surrender. However, the little battle at Fort Necessity began a world war. Britain sent soldiers to North America to fight that war. France made a different decision and focused their attention elsewhere.

The British fought shoulder-to-shoulder while the French and Indians fought as individuals. They spread out to take cover. The red coats of the British made for easy targets. The colonists and British soldiers did not fight the same way, which contributed to a disorganized army.

The British had the advantage of more soldiers than France and also had control of the waterways along the Canadian coast.

The French also had two advantages: the soldiers were better trained and formed alliances, or partnerships with the Native Indians.

Because it was so hard to move an army through the American wilderness, armies had to use rivers and lakes to carry supplies. More supplies could be carried by water than a wagon pulled by horses.

The decisive battle of the French and Indian War came in 1759. It took place on the Plains of Abraham in Canada. France and England made a Peace Treaty giving Canada to the British. The victory also ended the French threat to the colonies in North American. Americans and Britons shared the in the victory. The France has a common enemy had held the America and England together. It was like glue holding the colonist to their motherland England. Now that glue was gone.

SOL #13 Seven Minute Essay (Quick Write)

Tonight I am using a technique I learned at the content literacy institute last month. It's called the seven minute essay, boxes and bullet format. I will complete my essay in seven minutes and complete a quick edit when the seven minutes are finished. It is very much like a quick-write. Timer set; ready, set ... go.

Learning to play the guitar in difficult. Learning to play the guitar is difficult because there are six strings and 13 frets along with using all four fingers. Learning to play the guitar is difficult because it takes strength and flexibility in your hand, fingers and wrist. Learning to play the guitar is difficult because you have to practice.

Learning to play the guitar is difficult because there are six strings and 13 frets. That equals over 78 different combinations of fingers on strings in different frets. It's so hard to learn all the different cords and notes. Each cord has a minor and major. Some are sharps. Some notes are called suspended. Learning the guitar requires that you memorize tons of cords.

Learning to play the guitar is difficult because it takes strength and flexibility in your hand, fingers and wrist. The hardest part is gaining strength in your fingers. The ring finger is the weakest finger and is used in almost every cord on the guitar. Also, stretching the fingers to reach the strings is painful. To learn to play the guitar you have to do hand exercises.

Learning to play the guitar is difficult because you have to practice. Practice is boring. You have to give up other things you like to find time to practice. It takes hours and hours of practice and who knows if you'll ever be able to play like David Gilmore.

Learning to play the guitar is difficult... It's been 9 minutes and I wasn't able to finish the conclusion. This is a great exercise! It forces you to be concise.

#12 SOL Essential Questions

I am currently teaching a content based informational reading unit centered on the Revolutionary War. Tonight I blended our unit timeline (used to focus on key events) and the essential questions. I am trying to find a balance between the enormous amount of content and the main ideas I want students to learn.

Here's the unit timeline with some of the essential questions linked to events. The classroom teacher and I worked to select the essential questions from several I found on the internet.

Revolutionary War Timeline and Essential Questions

1756 French & Indian War

How did competition for land in North American lead to the French and Indian War?

What is an alliance?

1759 French Surrendered

Battle of Quebec

Pontiac’s Rebellion

1763 Treaty of Paris

How did Britain’s victory in the French and Indian War mark the end of the French empire in North America?

1763 Proclamation of 1763 (Oct.)

How did the Proclamation of 1763 outrage the colonists?

1765 Stamp Act

William Pitt’s Speech Against Stamp Act

May 29^th, 1765 Patrick Henry

Repealed (1766)

How did taxation without representation further contribute to the struggle for independence?

1767 Townsend Acts

Repealed 1770 (except tea)

1770 Boston Massacre (March)

1773 Tea Act

How did Bostonians react to the Tea Act?

1773 Boston Tea Party (Dec.)

1774 First Continental Congress

How did the First Continental Congress prepare the colonists for the American Revolution?

1774 Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts)

1775 Patrick Henry’s Speech (March)

1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord

May 2^nd Continental Congress

June-Battle of Bunker Hill

July-Olive Branch Petition

1776 Common Sense (Jan.)

Declaration (June)

Signing Declaration (July 4^th)

Key People

Who were some of the important leaders in the war and what were their roles?

What impact did each of the leaders have on the war?

• George Washington
• Patrick Henry
• Samuel Adams
• Thomas Jefferson
• Benjamin Franklin
• John Adams
• Thomas Paine

SOL #11 Short Reflection

It is Sunday evening reflection time. I have been tossing around my Lent message for several weeks. I find myself reflecting about the impact of my words all the time. I'm feeling the pressure to make it memorable. I have realized the role revision plays in the writing process and that feeling that there will always be ways a piece of writing could be improved.

What's been easy? Nothing! For me, nothing is easy about writing. I reread and retype constantly and still don't feel my words express the true meaning in my heart. It's good to be reminded of the difficulties writing brings when we saddle up next to a student who just can't seem to get the words to flow.

The challenge is to put words down on paper EVERYday. Now, those are words in a public community. It might be easier if the voice in my head was not whispering, 'someone may read your post and see how awful you write.' And, again, this reminds me to think about my students and how fragile they are about their skill and ability level.

There has been a few nights where I just don't think I write. Then I remember I'm not much a quitter and focus myself to write something. I try to do the kind of writing I ask my students to do; it helps to put one's self in their shoes.

The largest impact to-date is how powerful feedback is to a writer's motivation. I need to comment myself.

Thanks Two Writing Teachers for pushing me!

#10 SOL Caring for Vanna

I spent the day convalescing with my sweet Vanna. She continues to recover from her tumor removal surgery on Friday morning.

I noticed three similarities about her and I over the last 24 hours. First, both of us like to be home when we don't feel like ourselves. Who doesn't want to be in their own place, with their own bedding and their own comforts? Upon our home Friday afternoon, she went immediately to her favorite place next to my work space and settled in for a much needed quick nap. I always sleep best in my own bed.

We are both sensitive to pain drugs. It takes just a tad for both of us to stager, sway and stumble. They make both of us loopy.

Lastly, both of us have to be coxed to eat. Even our favorite foods lose their appeal. Nothing sounds good, looks good or smells good. It takes a persistent person in our lives to remind us that we have to eat to feel better.

So thankful for the occasional wag of her tail. It's her way of communicating that she doesn't hate me for putting her through hell.

(Vanna with her pal Tracer several years ago in the flower garden.)

SOL #9 Man's (or woman's) Best Friend

"Hi, Kelly. You're here to for Vanna," said Tina glancing up from her front desk position at Sterner's Vet Clinic.

"Yep, ready to take my sweet girl home," I responded.

"Robin will bring her right out. She did great today," reassured Tina.

I heard her before I saw her; I recognized her raspy breathing as Robin led her into the lobby. I was grateful for the relief that swept over me when I saw her. However that relief vanished as quickly as it appear when I saw the incision. An evil, jagged marked stretched vertical up her side. It was as if that incision nailed me in the chest. I was not prepared for what I saw.

Immediately, Vanna staggered towards me. Immediately, I dropped to my knees and took her into my embrace.

"It's okay, sweet," I whispered into her mane. Incentively, I began to gently stroke ears. It's her favorite form of contact. A soft crease of her royal velvet, black ears immediately easies her anxious. Those classic Labrador ears.

I could no longer restrain the tears. My heart filled with regret. Did I make the right choice to have the tumor removed? Cancer, I HATE you!

Tina offered me a Klneex. Then I realized they both, Tina and Robin, were offering me comforting words. "She is a great dog. So cooperative and eager," said Robin.

Tina agreed, "She is a tough cookie. I real trooper. Dr. Milsap will be out to speak with you in just a minute. She is completing the discharge paperwork."

I turned my attention back to Vanna. "Ready to go home, Vanna Girl. Come on, sweetie, let's go home." I took the leash and led her out of the clinic. Tina began to check in the next patience. "So, you brought in Ellie today for a broken toenail."

A broken toenail? I shouted in my head. Really, a broken toenail? Life is truly all about perspective.

SOL #8 Informational Reading Mini Lesson March 8

Tonight I felt the need to write "long-hand." I find myself struggling to write because I prefer to write long-hand verse typing. It appears I still have some technology skills to learn when it comes to scanning images and posting them to my blog. Although, I feel a sense of accomplishment considering the fact that I was able to post the images.

I launched a content literacy unit in fifth grade today! It is centered on the Revolutionary War and my teaching is based on the information I learned at the TCRWP last month at the content literacy mini-institute.

Tomorrow I'm teaching a mini-lesson from the UOS for reading Navigating Nonfiction. It helps me to take notes while I read a lesson from the UOS. I need to pick out the key points and write them out to organize my thinking. I believe it also helps me visualize how the lesson will go. I picture myself sitting in the gathering area chair and the faces of the students. I hear my voice. I plan my moves. It is my style of planning.