fully alive 1 and 2

1. Using the programs in a classroom

2. - there is no other program that I have used for this length of time and loved the way teachers love �Fully Alive� � and I can�t think of any other program that has been used for that length of time - the curriculum drives so much of what we do in the classroom � there is the always-being-revised provincial curriculum, exemplar tasks to complete, mandatory assessments like running records, preparing students for EQAO testing, figuring out how to differentiate instruction to meet all the different learning styles and needs in our classrooms - in the light of all that we have to �teach� and the pressures of that enormous, task, we still need to celebrate being part of a family with that little person sitting in front of us who just had a new baby brother come into his or her family, or talk about the sadness at the loss of a pet or loved one Fully Alive is so important to teachers because it is about who our students are as human beings; it is a time where we can share with each other the important things in our lives that make us who we are as people of God - there is no other program that I have used for this length of time and loved the way teachers love �Fully Alive� � and I can�t think of any other program that has been used for that length of time - the curriculum drives so much of what we do in the classroom � there is the always-being-revised provincial curriculum, exemplar tasks to complete, mandatory assessments like running records, preparing students for EQAO testing, figuring out how to differentiate instruction to meet all the different learning styles and needs in our classrooms - in the light of all that we have to �teach� and the pressures of that enormous, task, we still need to celebrate being part of a family with that little person sitting in front of us who just had a new baby brother come into his or her family, or talk about the sadness at the loss of a pet or loved one Fully Alive is so important to teachers because it is about who our students are as human beings; it is a time where we can share with each other the important things in our lives that make us who we are as people of God

3. Differentiation Is not an issue during �Fully Alive� All children have something to add to discussions � everyone can be an expert because we all have families, friends, and experiences to share Follow up activities are varied to meet the many different needs in the classroom - Fully Alive is one of the easiest of all subjects to teach because I don�t have to sell it to the children � it�s the time when we talk about them � how unique they are, their relationships, their decisions, and their goodness � anyone who has ever spent any time with 6, 7, or 8 year olds knows that they love to talk about themselves. Fully Alive is a time when I can get to draw a little bit more out of those quiet ones who don�t like to be the centre of attention - Fully Alive is a time when �differentiation� is not an issue � all children have something to offer in discussions and activities and can participate fully � all of them are experts because all of them have families and siblings, or cousins and friends; they have likes, dislikes, fears, and favourite things to talk about, sing about, write about and draw about; it doesn�t matter what their economic or cultural background is; Fully Alive talks about the common experiences that we all have- Fully Alive is one of the easiest of all subjects to teach because I don�t have to sell it to the children � it�s the time when we talk about them � how unique they are, their relationships, their decisions, and their goodness � anyone who has ever spent any time with 6, 7, or 8 year olds knows that they love to talk about themselves. Fully Alive is a time when I can get to draw a little bit more out of those quiet ones who don�t like to be the centre of attention - Fully Alive is a time when �differentiation� is not an issue � all children have something to offer in discussions and activities and can participate fully � all of them are experts because all of them have families and siblings, or cousins and friends; they have likes, dislikes, fears, and favourite things to talk about, sing about, write about and draw about; it doesn�t matter what their economic or cultural background is; Fully Alive talks about the common experiences that we all have

4. It is really what we are all about! Fully Alive helps me create a bond with the students in my class that makes us truly a community - my job can make a difference in the life of child - and not just because I may be the one who starts them on the road to reading or teaches them how to count and add and subtract � each year, with each new class, I have the privilege and honour of becoming part of their lives � and Fully Alive plays a key part in helping me develop that bond with my class - my job can make a difference in the life of child - and not just because I may be the one who starts them on the road to reading or teaches them how to count and add and subtract � each year, with each new class, I have the privilege and honour of becoming part of their lives � and Fully Alive plays a key part in helping me develop that bond with my class

5. Issue of �no time to do everything� There is so much talk today about �not enough time� to do everything that is asked of us as teachers. �How can we fit it all in?� It often does seem a daunting task � especially if you look at the pages of expectations in the curriculum documents for each grade so opportunities to combine subjects and topics across the curriculum can greatly assist a teacher to meet those expectations There is so much talk today about �not enough time� to do everything that is asked of us as teachers. �How can we fit it all in?� It often does seem a daunting task � especially if you look at the pages of expectations in the curriculum documents for each grade so opportunities to combine subjects and topics across the curriculum can greatly assist a teacher to meet those expectations

6. THINK LITERACY!Talking, Thinking, Reading, Writing Fully Alive uses oral language activities, discussions, stories, poems, drawing, and writing activities. While Fully Alive is a family life/religion program, the very nature of how it is taught makes it a strong complement to a teacher�s literacy program. On the next few slides I�ll illustrate some of the ways that this is done. While Fully Alive is a family life/religion program, the very nature of how it is taught makes it a strong complement to a teacher�s literacy program. On the next few slides I�ll illustrate some of the ways that this is done.

7. ORAL LANGUAGE Oral language is the foundation on which reading is built. Talk enhances the development of literacy. It is not a subject, but a condition of learning for all subjects. Oral language is the foundation, not just of reading, but of all learning. In the teaching of Fully Alive, students have many opportunities to listen and talk. An example of an oral language activity that can be used during a Fully Alive lesson is �turn and talk� or �talk to your elbow partner.� Here every student has the opportunity to share their ideas with another person � which is less threatening for those shy or ESL students who might get very nervous speaking in front of the whole group. �Talk to your elbow partner� can also give them a chance to practice what they have to say before they share with the whole group. This strategy works beautifully during Fully Alive discussions. Other skill building activities found in literacy resources include creating anchor charts (a teacher using the big ideas of a Fully Alive lesson to create a summary is an example of this), and brainstorming. These activities help children develop their skills to be motivated and independent readers, talkers, listeners, and thinkers across the curriculum. They are all aimed at preparing the students to become successful communicators.Oral language is the foundation, not just of reading, but of all learning. In the teaching of Fully Alive, students have many opportunities to listen and talk. An example of an oral language activity that can be used during a Fully Alive lesson is �turn and talk� or �talk to your elbow partner.� Here every student has the opportunity to share their ideas with another person � which is less threatening for those shy or ESL students who might get very nervous speaking in front of the whole group. �Talk to your elbow partner� can also give them a chance to practice what they have to say before they share with the whole group. This strategy works beautifully during Fully Alive discussions. Other skill building activities found in literacy resources include creating anchor charts (a teacher using the big ideas of a Fully Alive lesson to create a summary is an example of this), and brainstorming. These activities help children develop their skills to be motivated and independent readers, talkers, listeners, and thinkers across the curriculum. They are all aimed at preparing the students to become successful communicators.

8. Effective speakers and listeners Send a clear message Know how to begin and end a conversation Know how to take a turn and stay on topic Know what to listen for Show respect for the speaker Know when and how to take their turn From �Language Arts�, Miriam Trehearne, 2004 Students need many opportunities each day to talk with their peers in large group, small group, and paired activities. The buzz generated by purposeful talk is an essential aspect of every classroom. Students benefit from opportunities to talk and listen, and to share their experiences. Fully Alive is just that kind of time. Every time that we are having a Fully Alive lesson, my children are practicing all the skills that are listed on this slide.Students need many opportunities each day to talk with their peers in large group, small group, and paired activities. The buzz generated by purposeful talk is an essential aspect of every classroom. Students benefit from opportunities to talk and listen, and to share their experiences. Fully Alive is just that kind of time. Every time that we are having a Fully Alive lesson, my children are practicing all the skills that are listed on this slide.

9. Research about Proficient Readers Research shows that active, thoughtful, proficient readers construct meaning by using the following strategies: Activate prior knowledge � before, during, and after reading texts Create visual and other sensory images from texts Draw inferences from texts to form conclusions and make critical judgments Ask questions of themselves Determine the most important ideas and themes Synthesize what they read From �Reading with Meaning�, Debbie Miller, 2002 The strategies listed on this slide are widely accepted by literacy experts as being of great consequence. Teachers need to teach these strategies explicitly and for surprisingly long periods of time. When I am teaching a Fully Alive lesson, my focus is on family life. But I am also providing my students with opportunities to practice the strategies we have been working on in language classes � the strategies listed on this slide.The strategies listed on this slide are widely accepted by literacy experts as being of great consequence. Teachers need to teach these strategies explicitly and for surprisingly long periods of time. When I am teaching a Fully Alive lesson, my focus is on family life. But I am also providing my students with opportunities to practice the strategies we have been working on in language classes � the strategies listed on this slide.

10. Read Alouds A teacher reads aloud to his or her students. Students think about, talk about, and respond to the text. Is recommended to do several a day in early primary classrooms Builds listening comprehension Vocabulary can be challenging Teacher models fluent, expressive reading Children engage in inferential thinking � about the characters, their lives, questioning, and developing empathy Daily read alouds create shared meanings among a group and contribute to a sense of community One of the essential components of a balanced literacy program is the read aloud. In a read aloud, the teacher is reading aloud to the students as they think about, talk about, and respond to a text. In a primary classroom, it is recommended that a teacher do several read alouds each day. Listening comprehension is built through the daily experiences of hearing texts read aloud. Because children are not responsible for decoding the words, the vocabulary of the story can be more challenging than what a student could read on their own; the teacher is a model of fluent, expressive reading. Children can engage in inferential thinking after a read aloud � thinking about the characters lives in the text, questioning their motivations, developing empathy for their struggles. Daily read alouds create shared meanings among a group and contribute to a sense of community. On a personal note � I love read alouds. As a beginning teacher, they weren�t called read alouds, but I found them to be the most relaxed time in my day. As my teaching career comes near to an end, I still find them to be one of most enjoyable times of my day and I get excited when I have a one of my favourite books to share with my class. It is easy for a teacher to support the Fully Alive program with literature � using picture books, poems, and even nonfiction texts for read alouds. I often begin a Fully Alive class with a picture book read aloud. �The Kissing Hand� is a book that I use at the beginning of the year � it speaks about the fears and hopes we have about coming to school and leaving the safety of home and our moms. Later on in the grade one program, during Theme 2 � Joey is upset that his mother is spending so much time with his new baby sister. I would use the sequel �A Pocketful of Kisses� as a read aloud at the beginning of this lesson. The children will remember the first book and be excited to learn about Chester Raccoon and his new baby brother. In this book, Chester is upset when he sees his mother give his new brother a kissing hand, like the one that she gave him. Here is what Mother Raccoon tells Chester. � During this month of June, I will be using �Ordinary Mary�s Extraordinary Day� as we focus on �living in the world� from Fully Alive,Theme 5. In this book, an ordinary girl starts a chain reaction of kindness with a good deed that multiplies around the world, until at the end of the story the good deed comes back to Mary. � Miss Rumphius is an excellent book related to stewardship that I have used for many years.One of the essential components of a balanced literacy program is the read aloud. In a read aloud, the teacher is reading aloud to the students as they think about, talk about, and respond to a text. In a primary classroom, it is recommended that a teacher do several read alouds each day. Listening comprehension is built through the daily experiences of hearing texts read aloud. Because children are not responsible for decoding the words, the vocabulary of the story can be more challenging than what a student could read on their own; the teacher is a model of fluent, expressive reading. Children can engage in inferential thinking after a read aloud � thinking about the characters lives in the text, questioning their motivations, developing empathy for their struggles. Daily read alouds create shared meanings among a group and contribute to a sense of community. On a personal note � I love read alouds. As a beginning teacher, they weren�t called read alouds, but I found them to be the most relaxed time in my day. As my teaching career comes near to an end, I still find them to be one of most enjoyable times of my day and I get excited when I have a one of my favourite books to share with my class. It is easy for a teacher to support the Fully Alive program with literature � using picture books, poems, and even nonfiction texts for read alouds. I often begin a Fully Alive class with a picture book read aloud. �The Kissing Hand� is a book that I use at the beginning of the year � it speaks about the fears and hopes we have about coming to school and leaving the safety of home and our moms. Later on in the grade one program, during Theme 2 � Joey is upset that his mother is spending so much time with his new baby sister. I would use the sequel �A Pocketful of Kisses� as a read aloud at the beginning of this lesson. The children will remember the first book and be excited to learn about Chester Raccoon and his new baby brother. In this book, Chester is upset when he sees his mother give his new brother a kissing hand, like the one that she gave him. Here is what Mother Raccoon tells Chester. � During this month of June, I will be using �Ordinary Mary�s Extraordinary Day� as we focus on �living in the world� from Fully Alive,Theme 5. In this book, an ordinary girl starts a chain reaction of kindness with a good deed that multiplies around the world, until at the end of the story the good deed comes back to Mary. � Miss Rumphius is an excellent book related to stewardship that I have used for many years.

11. Fully Alive Read Alouds Why was Joey mad at Donny? Loretta? Katy? What did Joey wish for when he was mad? What are these brothers and sisters doing? Do you think they are having fun with each other? Do you think they ever have fights? Why? Fully Alive 1, Guide p. 94 Because so much of their learning is and has been done through listening and responding to stories, students find the Fully Alive program very appealing and respond very positively to it. They become very attached to the characters in Fully Alive. Over the course of the year, the children begin to think of Joey, Patti and Paul and the other recurring children and families in Fully Alive as people that they know. One teacher told Patrick about a parent who wanted to know who were this couple Sara and Dominic and why was his child was so excited about them getting married. The story about Joey being angry with his siblings is in the teachers guide from Fully Alive 1. After reading the story from the guide to the class there are questions which ask children to demonstrate simple comprehension, to retell and summarize. They are encouraged to connect the story to their own lives and talk about times when a similar thing happened to them � this making text-to-self connections is one those essential skills that a primary teacher works on in literacy with her class. When a child says to me �I just made a text-to-self connection� � inside I am saying �YES!� . If a read aloud had been used at the beginning of this lesson about Joey, I would ask students to make text-to-text connections - as events in the story read aloud are compared to those of the Fully Alive characters. A �Pocketful of Kisses� would be a great book to use here. Children could compare the feelings that Chester had to those of Joey. I often revisit the read aloud book from Fully Alive again during language lessons to look at features that relate more closely to the teaching of literacy � rich vocabulary, mental images, etc. I would certainly go back to �A Pocketful of Kisses� to talk about the rich use of language that creates such beautiful visual images, as well as discuss why the author wrote this story and what message was she trying to give to the reader.Because so much of their learning is and has been done through listening and responding to stories, students find the Fully Alive program very appealing and respond very positively to it. They become very attached to the characters in Fully Alive. Over the course of the year, the children begin to think of Joey, Patti and Paul and the other recurring children and families in Fully Alive as people that they know. One teacher told Patrick about a parent who wanted to know who were this couple Sara and Dominic and why was his child was so excited about them getting married. The story about Joey being angry with his siblings is in the teachers guide from Fully Alive 1. After reading the story from the guide to the class there are questions which ask children to demonstrate simple comprehension, to retell and summarize. They are encouraged to connect the story to their own lives and talk about times when a similar thing happened to them � this making text-to-self connections is one those essential skills that a primary teacher works on in literacy with her class. When a child says to me �I just made a text-to-self connection� � inside I am saying �YES!� . If a read aloud had been used at the beginning of this lesson about Joey, I would ask students to make text-to-text connections - as events in the story read aloud are compared to those of the Fully Alive characters. A �Pocketful of Kisses� would be a great book to use here. Children could compare the feelings that Chester had to those of Joey. I often revisit the read aloud book from Fully Alive again during language lessons to look at features that relate more closely to the teaching of literacy � rich vocabulary, mental images, etc. I would certainly go back to �A Pocketful of Kisses� to talk about the rich use of language that creates such beautiful visual images, as well as discuss why the author wrote this story and what message was she trying to give to the reader.

12. Shared Reading Children read from a common text, often an enlarged big book. Is a supportive setting as teacher leads the group, pointing to the words and phrases. Promotes fluent reading, development of sight vocabulary Supports a heterogeneous group of readers Shared reading is another essential component of a balanced literacy program. Here the child has more responsibility to decode text, but is still in the supportive setting of the whole group. After children have read the friendship poem shown on the above slide from the grade 2 student book for shared reading, I would have a variety of other poems about friendship available for them to read (together, in pairs, or independently) and talk about similarities and differences. This activity would happen during my language lesson. Then during our writing class, I might ask children to write their own poem/story about one of their friends. My final writing unit this year is a poetry unit. One of the topics I am asking my students to write about is the animal that they researched for our science unit on �living things.� But this also relates very nicely with talking about the gifts of creation and our wonderful world in Religion and Family Life, Theme 5. Shared reading is another essential component of a balanced literacy program. Here the child has more responsibility to decode text, but is still in the supportive setting of the whole group. After children have read the friendship poem shown on the above slide from the grade 2 student book for shared reading, I would have a variety of other poems about friendship available for them to read (together, in pairs, or independently) and talk about similarities and differences. This activity would happen during my language lesson. Then during our writing class, I might ask children to write their own poem/story about one of their friends. My final writing unit this year is a poetry unit. One of the topics I am asking my students to write about is the animal that they researched for our science unit on �living things.� But this also relates very nicely with talking about the gifts of creation and our wonderful world in Religion and Family Life, Theme 5.

13. Shared Reading in Fully Alive How did Dominic and Sara meet? Why did Dominic and Sara enjoy spending time together? Invite children to talk about their experiences with weddings. Fully Alive 1, p. 109 Every topic in Fully Alive provides a teacher and his or her students with opportunities to do shared reading activities when they are reading from the big book or from the student books. The discussion following a shared reading helps children remember and summarize important information, infer characters� motivations, and invites children to form opinions about the text. When children look at the page shown on this slide, they notice and derive information from the pictures and make inferences � how do they know that it took a long time for Sara and Dominic to get to know each other? � the passage of the seasons. As children make connections to weddings they have attended, they are making text-to-self connections and learning to support their thinking beyond the text using their personal experiences. Why is the decision Sara and Dominic have to make so important? Why did Sara and Dominic have their celebration in the church? These are skills that proficient readers must develop and are a focus of language lessons in primary grades.Every topic in Fully Alive provides a teacher and his or her students with opportunities to do shared reading activities when they are reading from the big book or from the student books. The discussion following a shared reading helps children remember and summarize important information, infer characters� motivations, and invites children to form opinions about the text. When children look at the page shown on this slide, they notice and derive information from the pictures and make inferences � how do they know that it took a long time for Sara and Dominic to get to know each other? � the passage of the seasons. As children make connections to weddings they have attended, they are making text-to-self connections and learning to support their thinking beyond the text using their personal experiences. Why is the decision Sara and Dominic have to make so important? Why did Sara and Dominic have their celebration in the church? These are skills that proficient readers must develop and are a focus of language lessons in primary grades.

14. Independent Reading The prayers, songs, and poems of Fully Alive provide many opportunities for teachers to do shared activities The goal of any literacy program is to make the children become independent readers. After reading the stories, poems, songs, and prayers from the Fully Alive big book or student book, many children will be able to read these texts independently. When children take home some of the BLM work or the Family Connections pages, many of them will be able to read these pages to their families independently. The goal of any literacy program is to make the children become independent readers. After reading the stories, poems, songs, and prayers from the Fully Alive big book or student book, many children will be able to read these texts independently. When children take home some of the BLM work or the Family Connections pages, many of them will be able to read these pages to their families independently.

15. Modeled Writing/Shared Writing The teacher writes aloud while composing. Is generally done with the whole class Makes the writing process visible to the students During the �We Discover� part of the Fully Alive lesson, the key concepts or �big ideas� are drawn out and recorded on a chart to be read by the class. This is a shared or modeled writing activity. Another example of modeled or shared writing is found early in the Grade 2 program where a �Thank You� prayer for families is written by the class.. This prayer can be revisited by using it as one of the room�s daily prayers or putting a copy of it in a special �Our Book of Prayers� that is compiled over the course of the year. The prayers in this book can be used in celebrations, as well as for daily prayers and independent reading. It can be signed out to take home to read with parents.  During the �We Discover� part of the Fully Alive lesson, the key concepts or �big ideas� are drawn out and recorded on a chart to be read by the class. This is a shared or modeled writing activity. Another example of modeled or shared writing is found early in the Grade 2 program where a �Thank You� prayer for families is written by the class.. This prayer can be revisited by using it as one of the room�s daily prayers or putting a copy of it in a special �Our Book of Prayers� that is compiled over the course of the year. The prayers in this book can be used in celebrations, as well as for daily prayers and independent reading. It can be signed out to take home to read with parents.

16. Independent Writing Writing activities vary greatly, depending on grade level and students in your classroom In Fully Alive 1 and 2, there are many activities that ask children to write � simple sentences at first: For example: �What I like doing best is�.� (p. 59) in response to the topic �Likes and Dislikes� in Theme 1 � these simple writing responses can be collected into class booklets for the classroom library, again to be read independently by the children. There are opportunities to use different genres of writing � poetry, persuasive, narrative throughout both programs. All of these activities complement the work that a teacher is doing in writing. They give children opportunities to practice the skills learned in the language class for another purpose. The activities in Fully Alive are well-matched to the writing expectations for each grade level, with simple, patterned writing at the beginning of the Grade 1 program and more challenging writing tasks expected for Grade 2 students. Samples of some of my students response to the prompt �When I grow up� from Grade 1, Theme 5are displayed on the poster board at the side. Here are a couple of my favourites: Samples: When I grow up I want to be a teacher and teach grade four because I want all the kids in the world to go to school or a hairdresser because I want every single boy and girl in this world to be beautiful. When I grow up I would like to be a marine biologist because I love dolphins and whales. The hard thing about this job is understanding the dolphins and whales. But the easy thing about this job is to feed the dolphins and whales. If I had one dolphin and two killer whales, they would have to be in different tanks because killer whales eat dolphins. I would want to be an expert marine biologist. I would just love this job! In Fully Alive 1 and 2, there are many activities that ask children to write � simple sentences at first: For example: �What I like doing best is�.� (p. 59) in response to the topic �Likes and Dislikes� in Theme 1 � these simple writing responses can be collected into class booklets for the classroom library, again to be read independently by the children. There are opportunities to use different genres of writing � poetry, persuasive, narrative throughout both programs. All of these activities complement the work that a teacher is doing in writing. They give children opportunities to practice the skills learned in the language class for another purpose. The activities in Fully Alive are well-matched to the writing expectations for each grade level, with simple, patterned writing at the beginning of the Grade 1 program and more challenging writing tasks expected for Grade 2 students. Samples of some of my students response to the prompt �When I grow up� from Grade 1, Theme 5are displayed on the poster board at the side. Here are a couple of my favourites: Samples: When I grow up I want to be a teacher and teach grade four because I want all the kids in the world to go to school or a hairdresser because I want every single boy and girl in this world to be beautiful. When I grow up I would like to be a marine biologist because I love dolphins and whales. The hard thing about this job is understanding the dolphins and whales. But the easy thing about this job is to feed the dolphins and whales. If I had one dolphin and two killer whales, they would have to be in different tanks because killer whales eat dolphins. I would want to be an expert marine biologist. I would just love this job!

17. Theme Three � Created Sexual: Male and Female Can be a concern for some teachers Be prepared for the giggles and looking around Students are very interested in this theme When teaching for the first time talk to colleagues Practice � say the words out loud � so that you hear yourself Guide advises: This is such an important part of the story�I would like you to ask your mom or day to tell you about it.� If anyone ever has reservations of teaching Fully Alive, they are likely related to Theme Three! When you teach this theme for the first time, there might be some nervousness about how the children will react. Not to worry - This the theme that they have been waiting to get to all year! Plus it is the theme where teachers get many of their good stories and laughs to share. (All of us �old-timers� are delighted to see that the original photos of Alex and Emma (renamed Emilie in �Fully Alive 2) have remained in the new books.) When teaching Theme Three it is important to be well-prepared. To know exactly what you are going to say, will help. Speak to colleagues (new teachers often have mentors to give them advice) � in some cases, perhaps a beginning teacher could arrange to sit in on a similar class being taught by a colleague. The children will initially giggle and look around at each other to see the reactions of their peers. After experiencing this for so many years, I have come to see it is a natural, nervous, excited reaction. I know that it is going to happen and let them get it out. Once they get over this initial nervousness or silliness, we can get on to the lesson. The teacher sets the tone through his or her calmness, respect and wonder. The children will respond to his or her manner. I think it is especially important that the teacher who knows the children best (homeroom teacher) should be teaching this theme. As it says in the guide, �Your own sense of wonder and awe and your sensitivity to your children are the most important ingredients you can bring to Theme Three.� The Notes and cautions in the guide are especially helpful during this theme. A teacher should keep them handy and refer to them when necessary. They give explicit suggestions on answering some of the difficult questions.If anyone ever has reservations of teaching Fully Alive, they are likely related to Theme Three! When you teach this theme for the first time, there might be some nervousness about how the children will react. Not to worry - This the theme that they have been waiting to get to all year! Plus it is the theme where teachers get many of their good stories and laughs to share. (All of us �old-timers� are delighted to see that the original photos of Alex and Emma (renamed Emilie in �Fully Alive 2) have remained in the new books.) When teaching Theme Three it is important to be well-prepared. To know exactly what you are going to say, will help. Speak to colleagues (new teachers often have mentors to give them advice) � in some cases, perhaps a beginning teacher could arrange to sit in on a similar class being taught by a colleague. The children will initially giggle and look around at each other to see the reactions of their peers. After experiencing this for so many years, I have come to see it is a natural, nervous, excited reaction. I know that it is going to happen and let them get it out. Once they get over this initial nervousness or silliness, we can get on to the lesson. The teacher sets the tone through his or her calmness, respect and wonder. The children will respond to his or her manner. I think it is especially important that the teacher who knows the children best (homeroom teacher) should be teaching this theme. As it says in the guide, �Your own sense of wonder and awe and your sensitivity to your children are the most important ingredients you can bring to Theme Three.� The Notes and cautions in the guide are especially helpful during this theme. A teacher should keep them handy and refer to them when necessary. They give explicit suggestions on answering some of the difficult questions.

18. Planning a Theme Begin theme by reading overview Look at Family Letter � decide what I will use from the letter for my monthly newsletter Move on to Topic -read the quote, expectations, and note to teacher Resources and curriculum connections Dear Parents, We are ready to begin Theme Three�. �the message of this story is that we begin life as a result of the love our mothers and fathers shared. No matter what happens later, nothing can change that� �we will meet the Brunelle family, who are expecting their third child�. �the information is quite limited: new terms include amniotic sac, umbilical cord, and navel� Teacher Guide, Fully Alive 1, p. 104 I begin each theme by reading and highlighting the theme overview. This gives me the big picture for the next few weeks. I can begin to think of how Fully Alive will fit into other things that I am doing or have done with the class. In the guide it states that �The goal of Fully Alive is to complement the efforts of parents in setting their children on the path to becoming fully human.� The home-school connection is a very important one! I send home a monthly newsletter to the parents of my students. It speaks about all the areas of the curriculum. I always begin the newsletter with Religion/Family Life. I use the parent letters from the Fully Alive guides to decide what I will include. There are 5 themes in Fully Alive and I write 10 newsletters. This allows me to include most of the content of the letters from the guide over the course of the year. I begin each theme by reading and highlighting the theme overview. This gives me the big picture for the next few weeks. I can begin to think of how Fully Alive will fit into other things that I am doing or have done with the class. In the guide it states that �The goal of Fully Alive is to complement the efforts of parents in setting their children on the path to becoming fully human.� The home-school connection is a very important one! I send home a monthly newsletter to the parents of my students. It speaks about all the areas of the curriculum. I always begin the newsletter with Religion/Family Life. I use the parent letters from the Fully Alive guides to decide what I will include. There are 5 themes in Fully Alive and I write 10 newsletters. This allows me to include most of the content of the letters from the guide over the course of the year.

19. Teaching a Topic We Experience We Discover We Respond We Explore Family Connections Assessment As I move to the first topic in a theme, I go over the expectations and notes and cautions (if there are any). Here I find out about the specific purpose for the topic and know if or how I need to prepare for any sensitive issues that might arise. I�ll look at the program resources and the curriculum connections and get ready everything ready to teach the first topic � the readaloud books that I want to use, the posters that I can put up, artwork that might relate well to the topic. The lesson begins with the �We Experience.� This is like the �activate prior knowledge� portion of a reading lesson. The experiences that the children have had related to this topic are discussed through songs, stories, poems, and even art. In the second part of the lesson, �we discover,� the guide, big book, or student books are used to develop a deeper understanding of the key concepts. Using the shared writing model, I record the key points on a chart (the guide includes these points, but as we work on them together, our wording may differ, but the meaning will not. We read our work over together. Later this chart will be typed and inserted in our �Fully Alive� scrapbook for children to decorate, read, and share over the course of the year. During the �We Respond� portion of the lesson, children demonstrate their understanding of the topic through a variety of activities � including group work, art, drama, and prayer. These activities will likely be done the next day. If an activity in the �We Explore,� complements something else that we are doing in another subject, I might choose to have the children work on it during that other subject time. I don�t send home every Family Connections page, but children are allowed to take home the Fully Alive scrapbook to read and share with their parents. However, �Family Connections� topics that will generate lots of talk between parents and their children are sent home. Much assessment is done on an informal basis each day � as I watch and listen to the children participate in lessons. This �assessment for learning� guides me in deciding what follow up activities might be useful or necessary to develop stronger understanding. The Appendix of the guide includes excellent sample demonstrations of learning to watch for on a day to day basis. They also use language of assessment currently used by ministry documents and are helpful when reporting to parents. (Example questions include:Does the child contribute to the class, listen to others, make connections, apply knowledge.) The key expectations for each theme and corresponding student demonstration or activity make it easy for teachers to look at and think about the achievement of each student. As I move to the first topic in a theme, I go over the expectations and notes and cautions (if there are any). Here I find out about the specific purpose for the topic and know if or how I need to prepare for any sensitive issues that might arise. I�ll look at the program resources and the curriculum connections and get ready everything ready to teach the first topic � the readaloud books that I want to use, the posters that I can put up, artwork that might relate well to the topic. The lesson begins with the �We Experience.� This is like the �activate prior knowledge� portion of a reading lesson. The experiences that the children have had related to this topic are discussed through songs, stories, poems, and even art. In the second part of the lesson, �we discover,� the guide, big book, or student books are used to develop a deeper understanding of the key concepts. Using the shared writing model, I record the key points on a chart (the guide includes these points, but as we work on them together, our wording may differ, but the meaning will not. We read our work over together. Later this chart will be typed and inserted in our �Fully Alive� scrapbook for children to decorate, read, and share over the course of the year. During the �We Respond� portion of the lesson, children demonstrate their understanding of the topic through a variety of activities � including group work, art, drama, and prayer. These activities will likely be done the next day. If an activity in the �We Explore,� complements something else that we are doing in another subject, I might choose to have the children work on it during that other subject time. I don�t send home every Family Connections page, but children are allowed to take home the Fully Alive scrapbook to read and share with their parents. However, �Family Connections� topics that will generate lots of talk between parents and their children are sent home. Much assessment is done on an informal basis each day � as I watch and listen to the children participate in lessons. This �assessment for learning� guides me in deciding what follow up activities might be useful or necessary to develop stronger understanding. The Appendix of the guide includes excellent sample demonstrations of learning to watch for on a day to day basis. They also use language of assessment currently used by ministry documents and are helpful when reporting to parents. (Example questions include:Does the child contribute to the class, listen to others, make connections, apply knowledge.) The key expectations for each theme and corresponding student demonstration or activity make it easy for teachers to look at and think about the achievement of each student.

20. Assessment Task For a formal evaluation a teacher can use the culminating projects for each theme with the rubrics that accompany them. The assessment component for all five themes of the renewed Fully Alive program is a helpful addition. On this slide you see a bulletin board created by a colleague for Theme 5. It demonstrates the understanding that students have of themselves and their relationships with family, friends, community, and the world. In a one-on-one conference, the students were asked to explain the ideas they wrote about and illustrated in their work. From this task, using the assessment rubric for Theme 5, a Level 3 comment might read as follows: (Name) has demonstrated consistent understanding of the importance of God�s gifts of creation and communicates his understanding of stewardship effectively both orally and through illustrations. For a formal evaluation a teacher can use the culminating projects for each theme with the rubrics that accompany them. The assessment component for all five themes of the renewed Fully Alive program is a helpful addition. On this slide you see a bulletin board created by a colleague for Theme 5. It demonstrates the understanding that students have of themselves and their relationships with family, friends, community, and the world. In a one-on-one conference, the students were asked to explain the ideas they wrote about and illustrated in their work. From this task, using the assessment rubric for Theme 5, a Level 3 comment might read as follows: (Name) has demonstrated consistent understanding of the importance of God�s gifts of creation and communicates his understanding of stewardship effectively both orally and through illustrations.

21. Cross Curricular Teaching Music - songs in the program; songs from popular artists; songs from Catholic Book of Worship; classical music; familiar tunes with new words (2p.60) Phys. Ed. � movement activities (1p.69) Art - many follow up activities are art-related Math � best connections to data management and graphing strands QDPA � games for in class activities (2p.99) Science � activities related to caring for the earth � three R�s Social Studies � many connections � related to our work, traditions, heritage Drama � role playing (2p.88) Media Literacy There are so many opportunities to combine other areas of the curriculum when working on Fully Alive. The teachers guide does an excellent job of letting teachers know when there is a connection to another subject. Music � lullaby �All Through the Night� is used in the Grade 1 program when Sara is ready to give birth to her new baby; the classic �What a Wonderful World� by Louis Armstrong is mentioned in the final theme �Living in the World� of the grade 2 program, - This song fits in equally as well in the same theme for grade one. There are �kid-versions� of the song on CD for children. I have the Jack Grunksky version in my classroom. One of the overall expectations in the revised Language document under Media Literacy reads: Students will create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques. More specific expectations for Grade 1 include examples such as creating �a sign or poster� and for Grade 2 examples include an advertisement for a healthy snack food. There are numerous opportunities for teachers to use Fully Alive activities to address this strand of the language program. One task in Fully Alive 2 asks children to create a class poster of family activities and later on in the program there is a task that invites children to create posters advertising the qualities of a good friend. These are excellent summary tasks. QDPA � is a new daily requirement in all classrooms � and I�ll be honest, sometimes hard to get it in. Social Studies � of all subjects, this one most often blends naturally and easily with themes found in Fully Alive � topics such as work, care of the earth, traditions, and heritage are just a few. Other examples on the slide include drama, art, science, and math.There are so many opportunities to combine other areas of the curriculum when working on Fully Alive. The teachers guide does an excellent job of letting teachers know when there is a connection to another subject. Music � lullaby �All Through the Night� is used in the Grade 1 program when Sara is ready to give birth to her new baby; the classic �What a Wonderful World� by Louis Armstrong is mentioned in the final theme �Living in the World� of the grade 2 program, - This song fits in equally as well in the same theme for grade one. There are �kid-versions� of the song on CD for children. I have the Jack Grunksky version in my classroom. One of the overall expectations in the revised Language document under Media Literacy reads: Students will create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques. More specific expectations for Grade 1 include examples such as creating �a sign or poster� and for Grade 2 examples include an advertisement for a healthy snack food. There are numerous opportunities for teachers to use Fully Alive activities to address this strand of the language program. One task in Fully Alive 2 asks children to create a class poster of family activities and later on in the program there is a task that invites children to create posters advertising the qualities of a good friend. These are excellent summary tasks. QDPA � is a new daily requirement in all classrooms � and I�ll be honest, sometimes hard to get it in. Social Studies � of all subjects, this one most often blends naturally and easily with themes found in Fully Alive � topics such as work, care of the earth, traditions, and heritage are just a few. Other examples on the slide include drama, art, science, and math.

22. Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations We need to celebrate and promote our reason for Catholic schools to exist. These are our long term goals for our students. These are the expectations of Fully Alive. �discerning believer �an effective communicator �a reflective, creative, and holistic thinker �a self-directed, responsible, lifelong learner �a caring family member �a responsible citizen More than ever before, it seems different groups are questioning the need for Catholic schools to exist � especially in this day of �character development� programs for public school systems. But I teach at Holy Cross Catholic School � and I need to be able to verbalize our reason to be. So I was glad to see the expectations of our graduates included in the new Fully Alive document. Last year my principal asked that each teacher in our school include a graduate expectation in his or her monthly newsletter and explain how the expectation was being addressed in our classrooms � whether it was a JK classroom or Grade 8. Fully Alive helps me think about and address these expectations, even in the beginning years.More than ever before, it seems different groups are questioning the need for Catholic schools to exist � especially in this day of �character development� programs for public school systems. But I teach at Holy Cross Catholic School � and I need to be able to verbalize our reason to be. So I was glad to see the expectations of our graduates included in the new Fully Alive document. Last year my principal asked that each teacher in our school include a graduate expectation in his or her monthly newsletter and explain how the expectation was being addressed in our classrooms � whether it was a JK classroom or Grade 8. Fully Alive helps me think about and address these expectations, even in the beginning years.

23. Excitementabout the program Children will relate to the stories and updated illustrations Teachers will find the format easy to use for planning The assessment component is very helpful and uses up-to-date terminology Newsletters, special notes and cautions be helpful for teachers who need will more information or have a special concern I�m going to end by reading from the first chapter of a book called �Reading with Meaning� by Debbie Miller. This book is an excellent resource for primary teachers who are looking to create a culture of thinking and learning in their classrooms. - Miller p. 16-17 To me this is what Fully Alive is all about and it really doesn�t get any better than that!I�m going to end by reading from the first chapter of a book called �Reading with Meaning� by Debbie Miller. This book is an excellent resource for primary teachers who are looking to create a culture of thinking and learning in their classrooms. - Miller p. 16-17 To me this is what Fully Alive is all about and it really doesn�t get any better than that!