L.I: WAL about using descriptive language to give impact. When it snowed last week, Room 4 created some poems using descriptive language..

Awesome Snow

Romantic, floating, silent flakes.

Blue, grey, white.

Glistening, sparkly diamond

Once

Frozen water clung to clouds

Now

Romantic, floating, silent flakes

www.northwood.org.uk/complex%20sentences.htm -

L.I: WAL about narrative writing and the use of animation to tell the story.

Explain the purpose of a narratve, identify the structure of a narrative, and discuss the language features that a narrative would expect to have.

Using the 'Red' (feeling) De Bono Thinking Hat what do you think about the Boy and the reactions of the village people? Finally finish with the 'Black' (the minus) De Bono Thinking Hat - the Boy's character and the 'Village People. What would you have done if you had the responsibilty of looking after the village sheep?

L.I: WAL how People can experience the signs of God's Presence Through Reflection

Today in Religious Education we were learning how ‘People can experience the signs of God’s presence through reflection’. We read from the Scripture Reading –

1 Kings 19: 1 – 14, where we heard how God was present to Elijah in quiet gentle ways. ‘Elijah waited, quiet and still. Then there came a soft whisper like a gently breeze. God was speaking to Elijah in the quiet and silence of the mountain night’

As a gentle reflection experience and a follow up on the Scripture reading, we participated in a Guided Meditation and also shared our personal experience of times ‘when God has spoken to us in the quiet silent times’.

Using three of de Bono’s Thinking Hats – Yellow (pluses), Black (negative/minus/not so good), and Green (wonderings/interesting, creative changes, or next steps), Room 4 completed a PMI – Plus, Minus and Interesting reflective deeper attention thinking tool about the experience. As a class, here are some of our reflective comments.

Plus – Yellow Hat

• Brings us closer to Jesus and to God
• Peaceful, People can relax and speak to God
• A time to reflect
• Peaceful and quiet
• Spending more time with God and giving him our prayers
• Being prayerful, Showing respect
• A time to talk to God
• We can talk to God more easily without distractions
• Connecting to Jesus
• A chance to show self control
• A time to show our virtues of respect, forgiveness and self control
• Opening our hearts and putting Christ into our lives
• A time to connect with God and to Jesus
• A time to listen to Gods messages

Minus – Black Hat

• Talking to neighbours
• Noisily playing with the gem stones which were in the students hands
• Some students disengaged by wandering eyes
• Distractions in the class
• Distractions going on outside
• Students need a lot more practice at keeping silent and still
• Meditation was too long

Interesting – Green Hat
• Students to bring in to the mediation their own treasure/taonga – variety of treasures so the silent reflective mediation can be more personal
• Students to be given the choice to either: bow their heads, close their eyes, look at the prayer focus or look at their own symbol of God’s presence in their hands
• To practice on a regular basis the closing of our eyes for stillness – so mediation becomes a natural experience not something unusual
• Mrs Grant to meditate by perhaps a student taking the Meditation Reflection.
Dear God, help me to be still and quiet, so that I can know and feel that you are very close to me.

L.I: Wal about recognising how God is Present in our Lives

mathsweek.org.nz - 8 - 12 August 2011

Don't forget to go onto the Mathsweek web site this week. Loads of fun and challenges.