October, 2011 - Teacher Resources - Tucson Unified School District

Ms. Kasper’s ELD II Listening & Speaking classes are finishing up a unit of study related to food and nutrition.
After studying dozens of vocabulary words, listening to numerous dialogs about food, and participating in class
discussions about nutrition, students were asked to create PowerPoint presentations for a Catalina Cafeteria
Make-Over. They had to use their newly acquired vocabulary and nutritional knowledge to design breakfast
and lunch menus that would be delicious and nutritious. They are also being asked to create a how-to presentation
which will focus on cooking. Students will share recipes and cooking styles at the start of the second
quarter. They are becoming confident, articulate speakers of English!
ELD, Levels III & IV:
Mr. Fout’s classes have been working on an extended essay in response to “By the Waters of Babylon,” a short
story by Stephen Vincent Benet exploring the issues of violence and hate in the name of God. The students
have utilized the writing process, composing an extended essay discussing the elements of plot, the use of
inferences to understand meaning, theme, and a personal reaction to the story and how we read it.
Ms. Richardson’s students have been reading novels and writing an assortment of essays in response to their
reading. ELD 3 students recently finished the novel Seedfolks, by Paul Fleischmann and ELD 4 students are
reading The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. In addition, students are working on becoming better
editors of their own and others’ writing. It’s been a busy quarter!
Ms. Riley’s ELD III-IV Academic Reading/American History class is developing reading strategies while studying
exploration of the Americas. They are currently researching a plant, animal, or disease that had a significant
impact on Europeans and Americans-past and present. In her other reading class, Ms. Riley’s students are
building skills through readings on current topics in social studies including the tenth anniversary of 9/11, the
rebellion in Libya, and the issue of unemployment.
Ms. Samorano’s 5 th period writing class is talking and writing about persuasion. Students are working hard on
essays making sure they have a strong thesis statement and supporting details. Students are using an argument
related to either ethos (what is right ethically), pathos (what your emotions/heart tell you) or logos (a
logical argument that makes sense).
Finding Voice (classes & club):
The Find My Voice through Writing students, who are in ELD Levels 2-4 and beyond, have just started a unit
about “voice.” With Ms. Kasper (and project partners Josh Schachter and Bria Dolnick), students are exploring
what it means to have a voice in their community. They are also exploring the various ways they can share
their voice with others. In particular, they are writing essays about youth voice, recording audio conversations
about times they felt silenced or shy to share their voice, and taking photographs that illustrate their perception
of themselves and their voices.
The Finding Our Voice Multicultural, Multilingual Club meets every Thursday from 2:30-4:00 in Room M219.
All are welcome. We are currently working on designing t-shirts for our club members, planning for our annual
publication, organizing fundraisers, field trips, and community service projects, and – most exciting of all
– creating a short film that will be a fictionalized account of one English Language Learner’s experiences upon
arrival at Catalina.
TROJAN UPDATE October, 2011 Page 10