English Language Arts

Like our math program, English Language Arts (ELA) instruction at BCS goes well beyond reading a story, answering multiple-choice questions, or writing a few summary sentences. Instead, the ELA program is carefully designed to encourage students to develop as critical thinkers and strong readers and writers, while meeting the needs of all of the school’s diverse learners with a variety of proven teaching practices.

In kindergarten, a lesson may begin with a quick review of short and long vowel sounds followed by small group “reading centers,” where students work with teachers on their reading skills and reading comprehension. The teacher stops every few pages to ask, “What have we learned so far in the story?” or “Which describing words were just used?” Recently, a kindergarten ELA lesson included a comparison of writing styles and a discussion of how a writer can use words to convey feelings, tell a story, or even teach a new subject. Science was then integrated into the lesson when students were asked to “teach” by writing true facts about a science topic they just studied.

In second grade, the teacher may incorporate the Common Core State Standard, “compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story by authors or from different cultures,” by reading to the students the classic version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears and the Chinese rendition, Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas. While listening to the two stories, students take notes on the similarities and differences. Using their notes, the students create a Venn diagram (an illustration of the relationships between and among sets or groups of objects that share something in common) and work with a partner to develop a storyline for their own version of the Goldilocks story.

In fourth grade, students study a new historical fiction novel every three weeks in small group book clubs. Time is reserved for students to independently read their assigned books, but they must take notes on the characters, settings, and themes in preparation for their book club discussions. The book clubs are designed to help students think more deeply about the text and to make real-life connections about what they are reading.

Part of the fourth grade Common Core State Standards is to learn about multiple perspectives, and BCS combines fourth grade California history curriculum with language arts to meet this standard in an integrated and comprehensive way. As students study the Transcontinental Railroad or the Mission Period in California, they are tasked with role-playing various characters to help them understand the multitude of perspectives of people who lived in these time periods. They are also taught the correct procedures for conducting online research, including differentiating between authoritative and non-authoritative sources as well as identifying primary sources. Through this research, they begin to understand how historical events impacted people differently, and they learn that the winners are most often those who write history. This is why, as readers, they have to be mindful and think about the different sides of every story. These lessons are not about memorizing and regurgitating historical information but rather about how to understand history and literature in context from multiple perspectives and how to write an essay that thoughtfully and accurately conveys these multiple perspectives.

In fifth grade, students continue to analyze literature by creating empathy maps where they interpret how a character’s speech or action provides insight into how the character is thinking or feeling. Through these maps, they demonstrate how the characters evolve throughout a story, and they learn to employ language using phrases like “it was a metaphor for…” Students also develop their ability to concisely summarize a story by using sentences that begin with “In the beginning….,” “In the middle….,” and “In the end….” They also learn to end their literary summaries with a concluding sentence that reflects on the story and its theme.

Fifth grade students also learn how to create arguments.  An example of one of their prompts is “Should chocolate milk be served in school?” To help students develop their arguments, the teacher distributes several nutrition articles about chocolate milk. Students then create flash drafts of their argument and work with the teacher to develop plans to find more evidence for their opinion or to find an additional reason to support their claim. The teacher discusses the importance of textual evidence and tasks the students with using articles to find textual evidence to support their claims. Students discover the importance of quoting sources from their research and paraphrasing if a quote is too long.

The English Language Arts program at BCS is designed to support the school’s mission of educating the whole child. Through ELA instruction, we hope to develop students who are critical and analytic thinkers, who can examine the meaning of a text beyond the surface of its words, who can see and empathize with different points of view, who can support their opinions and arguments with evidence, and most importantly, who will develop a lifelong love of learning.

Leatherback Sea Turtles: An Essay by BCS 2nd Grader Nathan Becker

As part of a project-based learning unit focused on the threats faced by Leatherback Sea Turtles, second graders used the design-thinking process to develop innovative solutions for keeping the turtles safe. Students presented their creative prototypes to peers and parents, and Ms. Tomasetti's student, Nathan Becker, shared this well-written and thoroughly researched essay about what he had learned. 

The Leatherback turtle has survived for more than one hundred million years, but it is now facing extinction. The leatherback’s scientific name is dermochelys coriacea. That means wide-ranging marine turtle with flexible leathery carapace.

The global population for this species was estimated to be 115,000 adult females in 1982. By 1996, this had been revised down to about 30-40,000 Leatherback populations in the Pacific and Indian Oceans have dropped a lot in the past forty years. For example, the nesting colony in Terengganu, Malaysia went from more than 3,000 females in 1968, to 20 in 1993, to 2 later in 1993. There are no signs of recovery. 

Leatherbacks have been recorded as far north as Alaska, and as far south as Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. The Pacific Ocean may now have as few as 2,300 adult females.

However, not all Leatherback populations have declined. In southern Africa, three decades of strong protection have increased the small annual nesting populations more than four times.

Leatherbacks have survived for a long time but they are dying out and soon they may become extinct. In the Pacific and Indian Ocean, the Leatherbacks populations are getting smaller and smaller. But, not all Leatherback populations are shrinking. In some places people are protecting them.

Author Brian Selznick Visits BCS

Celebrated author Brian Selznick visited Bullis Charter School last Tuesday to talk about his new book The Marvels, the final book in the trilogy that includes bestsellers The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck. This amazing event was co-produced by Linden Tree Books in Los Altos.

The Marvels begins with almost 400 pages of illustrations that tell the story of a family of stage actors in 18th and 19th century London. Switching from pictures to words, the book jumps to the year 1990 and follows a runaway who is trying to solve a family mystery. The two stories come together at the end of the book.

BCS students watched with fascination as illustrations from the beginning of The Marvels played across the screen. Then, the author asked the students how many had read the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret. More than two thirds raised their hands. “Well, I am the author of that book.” Gasps of excitement spread through the room. The children were now hooked on every word he had to say.

The author discussed his inspirations for his books and the sources of his different story influences and illustrations. His books are filled with real references and real places and the children sat captivated while viewing photographs of these places and their transformation into one of their beloved books.

One of the most interesting aspects of the event was when the author shared his process for creating a book. He explained that he always starts a book by developing a rough draft of both the story line and the drawings. First, he writes his ideas in a notebook. Then he types up these ideas and sends them to his editor, who sends them back to him with notes, just like teachers do on their students’ papers. He asked the children if they like writing rough drafts. A resounding “Nooooo” filled the room. “And how many rough drafts do your teachers make you write? One? Two? Well, I make 200-300 rewrites per book!” And he proceeded to show the students examples of his rough drafts covered from top to bottom, front and back with his editor’s notes scribbled in blue pen. In the end it takes Mr. Selznick, on average, three years to create a book, partly because of all of these notes and rewrites. Although he sometimes gets frustrated by all of this work, he has learned that the notes and the rewrites help to make the story better. Thanks to this hard work, he eventually produces a final draft he is proud to share with the world.

The lecture was followed by a question and answer segment and the author was asked how he felt when The Invention of Hugo Cabret was made into a movie. Mr. Selznick was, of course, thrilled by the movie and then he graciously shared pictures and videos from the movie set including the construction of the set and how special effects were created. It was amazing to learn about how one can implement creativity and innovation in unusual ways. The entire lecture reinforced the lessons and experiences explored every day by BCS students.

Thank you, Brian Selznick, for this incredible insight into your creative process!

Spooky Writing Contest Entries and Winners at BCS!

Congratulations to our many students who entered into the Los Altos Town Crier’s Halloween Story Contest - including all 21 first graders from Mrs. Lucero’s class!

And congratulations to fourth graders Kelly and Noah who had their stories published in the paper!

Click here to see the spooky tales and a special “shout out” to our 1st graders!