Archive of ‘2nd Period’ category
If you’re looking for love, a good book is the perfect place to find it.
Here’s the deal. You can order great books through Scholastic. Sometimes they even give you a great deal. (Always check out the $1 book.) An even better deal, the more books you order, the more free books I can get for our classroom library. There are two ways to order:
1) Fill out the paper form and bring it with your money (checks made out to Scholastic) by Wednesday, September 4.
2) Order online at Scholastic (for parents only). On the parent page, click the “REGISTER” button under “First time here,” then register for your own user name and password. When prompted, enter the one-time activation code code (GPBPV). This code ensures that your orders are sent to me. Select the books you want from over 500 titles. Take advantage of on-line only discounts and specials. You will also get a coupon to apply to your next book order. SEND your order to me on-line. I will deliver the books in class.
Here are some of my favorites from October Middle School and November Teens flyers.
- Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (It’s a treat for only $1)
- The Darkest Path (new title!) and The Eleventh Plague (I loved it!) by Jeff Hirsch
- The Nazi Hunters by Neal Bascomb (exciting nonfiction)
- House of Hades by Rick Riordan (will Percy and Annabeth survive Tarturus?)
- The Lord of Opium by Nancy Farmer (long awaited sequel to The House of the Scorpion)
- Uglies pack by Scott Westerfeld (classic dystopian)
- Mind-Rain edited by Scott Westerfeld (for those who can’t get enough of the Uglies world)
- Middle School: How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli, and Snake Hill and Middle School: My Brother is a Big, Fat Liar by James Patterson (What is Rafe up to now?)
- Risked and The Missing Pack by Margaret Peterson Haddix (time travel and historical fiction and missing children)
- Bomb by Steve Sheinkin (nonfiction spy thriller)
- It’s Chuckin’ Time by FS Kim (You know you want to launch some pumpkins)
- Tangerine by Edward Bloor (the blind soccer goalie is the only one who can see through the secrets)
- Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (a love story)
- Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein (spy thrillers from WWII)
- This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E Smith (another love story)
- The President’s Been Shot by James L Swanson (exciting nonfiction)
- Ender’s Game, Ender’s World, Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card (classic sci-fi)
- Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith (a zombie mashup)
- Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter (more zombie mashup)
- Amulet pack by Kazu Kibuishi (most popular graphic novel series in my room)
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (a tough and funny look at life)
- Cut by Patricia McCormick (one of the most moving books I’ve ever read)
- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (funniest book about kids with cancer. You will laugh until it breaks your heart.)
- The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die by April Henry (danger on every page)
- The Raft by SA Bodeen (for fans of Compound)
- Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper (required reading for life book)
- The Outsiders by SE Hinton (required reading for life book)
- The Always War by Margaret Peterson Haddix (What secrets will you uncover?)
- Legend by Marie Lu (Day rules!)
Monday
Objectives:
- Create Animoto book trailer.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 8 (Monday – parts of speech). Go to Animoto.com and use the log-in I gave you in class to create your book trailer. First choose your theme. Choose one that matches your book in some way. Next search for pictures from the Animoto image library or online. If you search online, you need to filter for usage rights that give you permission to use the image. First search for your image. Once the results show on the page, click the SETTINGS button (a circle) in the top right corner. Click “Advanced Search” and scroll down until you see “Usage rights.” Click on the gray bar and click “free to use share or modify.” When you find an image you want to use, right click on it and save the image to your computer. Then you can upload it into your video. You will need to select music from the Animoto library. Please title your video with your period number, first name, last initial. When everything is like you want it, you will need to publish your video. Click on the blue button to preview. If you like what you see, click the blue PUBLISH button. If you are finished with your video, go to Quizlet.com and practice your roots vocabulary. The username is jcms and the password is panthers.
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Study for vocabulary quiz over Groups 1 – 4.
Tuesday
Objectives:
- Explain how your music choice for your book trailer matches the tone of your book.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 8 (Tuesday – sentence parts). Write a fourth paragraph that explains how the music you chose matches the tone (feeling) of your book. Go to drive.google.com and log in with your username and password (firstnamelastname19@jcsc.org and lunch number19). Type your fourth paragraph. Check the comments I left you, too, and make any revisions you need to your previous paragraphs. Proofread for spelling, capital letters, and grammar.
Homework: Read a book of your choice for 15-30 minutes. Study for vocabulary quiz over Groups 1 – 4.
Wednesday
Objectives:
- Complete 2nd Benchmark Assessment.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 8 (Wednesday – clauses, sentence type and purpose). Use Internet Explorer and go to my.hrw.com. Log in with the username and password I gave you at the last assessment. (Don’t worry if you lost it. I have another copy.) Select Assessment Practice 2 and complete the test. When you are done you may practice on Quizlet for Friday’s test or read your book.
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Complete Group 4 Roots (due Friday).
Thursday
Objectives:
- Identify nonfiction elements in “Dying to Be Strong.”
Daily Grammar Practice Week 8 (Thursday – Correct capitalization and punctuation). Use the “Read, Think, and Explain” guide to read and comprehend “Dying to Be Strong” in the Scope magazine.
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Complete Group 4 Roots (due Friday).
Friday
Objectives:
- Define vocabulary roots.
- Set reading goal.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 8 (Sentence Diagramming). Complete the roots vocabulary quiz over Groups 1 – 4. Set a reading goal for next week. (See how many pages you can read comfortably in 10 minutes. Then use your math skills to figure out how many pages you could read in 2 hours. This is your reading goal for the week.)
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Roots vocabulary quiz over Groups 1 – 4 today.
Monday
Objectives:
- Define Group 4 prefixes, roots, and suffixes.
- Choose a book to read in the library.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 7 (Monday – parts of speech). In your group brainstorm words for your root and try to figure out the meaning. We will share words and meanings with the class. Once we are in the library, choose a new book if you need one. Then read!
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Complete Group 4 Roots (due Friday).
Tuesday
Objectives:
- Complete plot diagram.
- Create plan for book trailer.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 7 (Tuesday – sentence parts). Before you get your log in to create the book trailer for your book, you must finish the plot diagram and create a plan for your book trailer. Write out the text that needs to be included and brainstorm possible images to represent the characters, setting, conflict and theme. Check the rubric to see what needs to be included.
Homework: Read a book of your choice for 15-30 minutes. Complete Group 4 Roots (due Friday).
Wednesday
Objectives:
- Create Animoto book trailer.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 7 (Wednesday – clauses, sentence type and purpose). Go to Animoto.com and use the log-in I gave you in class to create your book trailer. First choose your theme. Choose one that matches your book in some way. Next search for pictures from the Animoto image library or online. If you search online, you need to filter for usage rights that give you permission to use the image. First search for your image. Once the results show on the page, click the SETTINGS button (a circle) in the top right corner. Click “Advanced Search” and scroll down until you see “Usage rights.” Click on the gray bar and click “free to use share or modify.” When you find an image you want to use, right click on it and save the image to your computer. Then you can upload it into your video. You will need to select music from the Animoto library. Please title your video with your period number, first name, last initial.
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Complete Group 4 Roots (due Friday).
Thursday
Objectives:
- Create Animoto book trailer.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 7 (Thursday – Correct capitalization and punctuation). Go to Animoto.com and use the log-in I gave you in class to create your book trailer. First choose your theme. Choose one that matches your book in some way. Next search for pictures from the Animoto image library or online. If you search online, you need to filter for usage rights that give you permission to use the image. First search for your image. Once the results show on the page, click the SETTINGS button (a circle) in the top right corner. Click “Advanced Search” and scroll down until you see “Usage rights.” Click on the gray bar and click “free to use share or modify.” When you find an image you want to use, right click on it and save the image to your computer. Then you can upload it into your video. You will need to select music from the Animoto library. When you finish, click “PRODUCE.” Once you have finished and produced your video, you will need to type your last paragraph that explains how your music connects to your theme.
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Complete Group 4 Roots (due Friday).
Friday
Objectives:
- Finish book trailer and print out paper to turn in.
- Set reading goal.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 7 (Sentence Diagramming). Use the time today to finish up anything you need to do with your book project. I can’t wait to watch and share them!
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Group 4 Roots due today.
Monday
Objectives:
- Write character analysis for book project.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 6 (Monday – parts of speech). We will be typing in Google Docs. This allows you to work on your assignment from any computer or device with an internet connection. To log in, go to http://drive.google.com. Your username is your first and last name (as on your school records) plus the last two digits of your year of graduation @jcsc.org (Example: kaymcgriff19@jcsc.org). Your password is you lunch account number plus the last two digits of your year of graduation. (Example: 12345619). Once you are signed in, click on the red CREATE button on top left. Choose DOCUMENT from the drop down menu. Rename your document with the title of your book. Create a header. (Click on the INSERT menu and choose HEADER from the drop down menu.) Press ENTER on your keyboard once before typing. Then type your full name, date, and period in the top right corner. Get out of the header by clicking below the gray line. Now you are ready to start typing your paragraph. Begin with your topic sentence: “___________ (name of protagonist) is _______________ (trait you chose to write about). Then support your claim with at least two examples from your book. What does your character say or do or look like that shows this trait? Give a citation (author’s last name and page number) for each example. Use the notes you took from in your Writer’s Notebook. No need to save your work because Google Docs saves as you type!
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Study for roots quiz on Friday. First period will turn in Writer’s Notebooks today. Click here to see list of what should be in them. Scroll to the bottom of the page. Each item is linked to the week’s assignments that gives the directions.
Tuesday
Objectives:
- Write character analysis for book project.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 6 (Tuesday – sentence parts). Finish typing your paragraph. To open the file you started yesterday, log into Google Docs. Then click on the name of the file (which should be the title of your book). Begin with your topic sentence: “___________ (name of protagonist) is _______________ (trait you chose to write about). Then support your claim with at least two examples from your book. What does your character say or do or look like that shows this trait? Give a citation (author’s last name and page number) for each example. Use the notes you took from in your Writer’s Notebook. No need to save your work because Google Docs saves as you type!
Homework: Read a book of your choice for 15-30 minutes. Study for roots quiz on Friday. Second period will turn in Writer’s Notebooks today. Click here to see list of what should be in them. Scroll to the bottom of the page. Each item is linked to the week’s assignments that gives the directions.
Wednesday
Objectives:
- Write setting analysis for book project.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 6 (Wednesday – clauses, sentence type and purpose). To open the file you started yesterday, log into Google Docs. Then click on the name of the file (which should be the title of your book). Begin your setting paragraph with a topic sentence: “The setting of this story is ________________ (describe the time and place). Then give two examples of how the setting affects the character and plot. Describe the setting and explain why it matters. Give a citation (author’s last name and page number) for each example. Use the notes you took in your Writer’s Notebook. I hope to see you at Parent Conferences tonight or Thursday.
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Study for roots quiz on Friday. Third period will turn in Writer’s Notebooks today. Click here to see list of what should be in them. Scroll to the bottom of the page. Each item is linked to the week’s assignments that gives the directions.
Thursday
Objectives:
- Write setting analysis for book project.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 6 (Thursday – Correct capitalization and punctuation). To open the file you started yesterday, log into Google Docs. Then click on the name of the file (which should be the title of your book). Begin your setting paragraph with a topic sentence: “The setting of this story is ________________ (describe the time and place). Then give two examples of how the setting affects the character and plot. Describe the setting and explain why it matters. Give a citation (author’s last name and page number) for each example. Use the notes you took in your Writer’s Notebook. I hope to see you at Parent Conferences tonight!
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Study for roots quiz on Friday. Fourth period will turn in Writer’s Notebooks today. Click here to see list of what should be in them. Scroll to the bottom of the page. Each item is linked to the week’s assignments that gives the directions.
Friday
Objectives:
- Complete roots quiz and set reading goal.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 6(Sentence Diagramming). Set reading goal for the week (See how many pages you can read comfortably in 10 minutes. Then use your math skills to figure out how many pages you could read in 2 hours. This is your reading goal for the week.) Complete Roots Quiz over Group 1 – 3. This quiz will be in the same format as the previous quizzes.
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Roots quiz today! Sixth and seventh periods will turn in Writer’s Notebooks today. Click here to see list of what should be in them. Scroll to the bottom of the page. Each item is linked to the week’s assignments that gives the directions.
Monday
Objectives:
- Explore banned books in the library.
No Daily Grammar Practice (Monday – parts of speech). Before we head to the library, we will learn the definitions of Group 3 Roots and brainstorm words that use them. Choose two example words for each root. Then find the definitions and draw a picture to help you remember the root. If you need help with example words and definitions, click here. This week kicks off Banned Books Week. Miss Bowman will share some of the most frequently challenged books. Do you think middle school students should be prevented from reading these books? Write your thoughts in your Writer’s Notebook.
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Complete Group 3 Roots (due Friday).
Tuesday
Objectives:
- Analyze themes in a story.
No Daily Grammar Practice (Tuesday – sentence parts). We have read Each Kindness together. What is one word that describes what the story is about? Write down that word in your Writer’s Notebook. Find a partner with a similar word. Talk about what you think the author is trying to say about that word. Write one sentence that explains what you think the author says about that word. What examples from the story support your thinking?
Homework: Read a book of your choice for 15-30 minutes. Complete Group 3 Roots (due Friday).
Wednesday
Objectives:
- Analyze theme in a popular song.
No Daily Grammar Practice (Wednesday – clauses, sentence type and purpose). We will read and listen to the lyrics of “Firework” by Katy Perry. In your Writer’s Notebook, write down one word that you think describes what the song is about. (HINT: It’s not fireworks.) Talk with a partner who has a similar word. What is the author trying to say about this word? Write your answer in your Writer’s Notebook in one sentence. The subject + the commentary = THEME. Underline lines in the song that support your idea for the theme. Write a paragraph that states what you think the theme is and gives at least two examples from the song to support it.
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Complete Group 3 Roots (due Friday) .
Thursday
Objectives:
- Field Trip to Indiana University.
No Daily Grammar Practice (Thursday – Correct capitalization and punctuation). We will be visiting two museums on the campus of Indiana University. Just like songs and literature, artwork has themes, too. Choose one work to describe. What is one word that describes the subject of the work? What do you think the artist is saying about that subject? What details from the work support your thinking?
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Complete Group 3 Roots (due Friday).
Friday
Objectives:
- Analyze theme in a story and use details to support your opinion.
No Daily Grammar Practice (Sentence Diagramming). Set reading goal for the week (See how many pages you can read comfortably in 10 minutes. Then use your math skills to figure out how many pages you could read in 2 hours. This is your reading goal for the week.) Think about the book you are reading for the book project. What is one word that captures an idea the book is about? Write one sentence that explains what you think the author is trying to say about that subject. What examples from the story support your thinking? Are there lines from the book that express this idea? Take notes of those in your Writer’s Notebook.
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Group 3 roots due today!
After reading Donalyn Miller’s The Book Whisperer, I have challenged my students to read 40 books during the school year. At first they are shocked. They swear it is impossible. Then they start looking for their first book, and I look forward to hearing their excitement in the mornings and throughout passing periods as they come up to me and exclaim, “Can you believe what happened in the chapter I read last night?” I just smile and tell them that my plan for world domination is for them fall in love with books and reading.
One way I celebrate all we read is by simply counting up all the books we have all read and share the totals. When we put it all together, we are some impressive readers. Some of my students are finishing their first book. Others have sped through my collection of graphic novels. We have read picture books, novels, and informational texts. I celebrate all the books we read, and here are our first results.
- 1st Period: 24 students have read 52 books. That’s an average of 2.2 books per student.
- 2nd Period: 20 students have read 45 books. That’s an average of 2.3 books per student.
- 3rd Period: 20 students have read 56books. That’s an average of 2.8 books per student.
- 4th Period: 19 students have read 54 books. That’s an average of 2.8 books per student.
- 6th Period: 20 students have read 50 books. That’s an average of 2.5 books per student.
- 7th Period: 15 students have read 20 books. That’s an average of 1.3 books per student.
Drumroll, please! That means a grand total of 118 students have read 277 books. Wow! That’s an average of 2.3 books per student. I can’t wait to see what we read all year long.
What have been your favorite books so far this year?
I’m taking part in the weekly Slice of Life Challenge sponsored by Ruth and Stacey over at Two Writing Teachers, where teachers write and share each Tuesday. Join in yourself or head over to check out what’s happening with other slicers. If you’re taking part in the SOL, leave a link to your post. I’d love to read it.
Monday
Objectives:
- Identify elements of setting in your book and explain how they influence the character and plot.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 4 (Monday – parts of speech). In your Writer’s Notebook, begin taking notes on the setting in the book you chose for your book project. At the top of the page, write the date, the title of your book, the author, and “Setting.” Then draw a line down the middle of your paper. Label the left column, “Setting Elements.” In this column you will write down details from the story that describe the place, time, or environment. Choose details that impact the story. Include the author’s last name and page number in parentheses after each detail. Label the right column, “Why it matters.” Beside each detail, describe in your own thoughts how this part of the setting impacts the story. Consider how changing this part of the setting might change the story.
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Study prefixes, roots, and suffixes from Groups 1 and 2.
Tuesday
Objectives:
- Answer close reading questions about “The Space Rock.”
Daily Grammar Practice Week 5 (Tuesday – sentence parts). Read “The Space Rock” by Roland Smith in Scope magazine. After reading the story, answer the three close reading questions. Follow the steps in RATS: 1) Restate the question in a complete sentence. 2) Answer the question. 3) Tie it to the text. 4) Support your answer with details from the text. Turn in your answers at the end of class. If you have extra time, read!
Homework: Read a book of your choice for 15-30 minutes. Study prefixes, roots, and suffixes from Groups 1 and 2.
Wednesday
Objectives:
- Identify types of conflict in stories and the elements of plot.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 5 (Wednesday – clauses, sentence type and purpose). What is conflict? Students will brainstorm different conflicts from stories. Then we will group them into the four common types of conflict in literature (character vs. character, character vs. self, character vs. nature, character vs. society). Using Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson, we will identify the types of conflict and list the important events of the story on a plot diagram.
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Study prefixes, roots, and suffixes from Groups 1 and 2.
Thursday
Objectives:
- Identify the elements of plot.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 5 (Thursday – Correct capitalization and punctuation). Using the picture books you read to complete character maps, you will identify the type of conflict and put the important events from the story on a plot diagram.
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Study prefixes, roots, and suffixes from Groups 1 and 2.
Friday
Objectives:
- Identify the elements of plot.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 5 (Sentence Diagramming). Set reading goal for the week (See how many pages you can read comfortably in 10 minutes. Then use your math skills to figure out how many pages you could read in 2 hours. This is your reading goal for the week.) Take quiz over Greek prefixes, roots, and suffixes. The quiz will include prefixes, roots, and suffixes over both Groups 1 and 2! Finish your plot diagrams from yesterday. For your book project, you will need to complete a plot diagram for your novel.
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice.
Monday
Objectives:
- Choose book for book project.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 4 (Monday – parts of speech). We will finish the character maps we started on Friday. You will also get six new Greek and Latin prefixes, roots, and suffixes to learn. We will brainstorm words for each. You will need to complete the Group 2 vocabulary by drawing a picture, providing two example words and definitions. You can find lots of example words and definitions by clicking here. During the library today, sign up your book choice for the book project with me. For this project, you must choose any genre of fiction.
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Work on Group 2 Roots (due Friday). First period will turn in Writer’s Notebooks today.
Tuesday
Objectives:
- Complete midterm assessment.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 4 (Tuesday – sentence parts). You will complete our midterm assessment on the computers today. To log in to the school computers, your username is your first and last name and your year of graduation (Example: kaymcgriff19). Your password is your lunch number and year of graduation (Example: 12345619).
Homework: Read a book of your choice for 15-30 minutes. Work on Group 2 Greek roots (due Friday). Second period will turn in Writer’s Notebooks today.
Wednesday
Objectives:
- Identify the three elements of setting and explain how setting impacts character and plot.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 4 (Wednesday – clauses, sentence type and purpose). We will discuss the setting of Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson. We will complete the setting chart together. Then in your Writer’s Notebook, write a response that explains how the setting impacts the characters, plot, and mood of the book. How would changing the setting change the story?
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Work on Group 2 Greek Roots (due Friday). Finish Writer’s Notebook entry about setting. Third period will turn in Writer’s Notebooks today.
Thursday
Objectives:
- Identify the elements of plot.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 4 (Thursday – Correct capitalization and punctuation). After reviewing the elements of plot structures, we will complete a plot diagram for a familiar story (Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson).
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Fourth period will turn in Writer’s Notebooks today.
Friday
Objectives:
- Identify the elements of plot.
Daily Grammar Practice Week 4 (Sentence Diagramming). Set reading goal for the week (See how many pages you can read comfortably in 10 minutes. Then use your math skills to figure out how many pages you could read in 2 hours. This is your reading goal for the week.) Using the same picture book you read to create a character map, complete a plot diagram for the book.
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Sixth and seventh periods will turn in Writer’s Notebooks today. Group 2 Roots due today.
Monday
Objectives:
Enjoy your Labor Day holiday today!
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice.
Tuesday
Objectives:
- Discuss expectation and create rubric for grading writers notebooks.
I will collect, read, respond, and grade your Writer’s Notebooks every couple of weeks. We will discuss expectations for your writers notebooks. How often should you be writing in them? What kinds of things should you be writing? What kind of thinking should you show? We will create a rubric together that focuses on aspects such as frequency, meaning, structure/organization, detail, voice, and conventions.
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Continue writing in your Writer’s Notebooks. Study for roots quiz over Group 1 roots on Friday.
Wednesday
Objectives:
- Learn how to choose a book that is a good fit for you.
- Understand requirements of book project.
How do you choose a book that is a good fit for you? We will brainstorm and discuss different things to consider when choosing a book. Use BOOKMATCH to choose a book for our first book project. You’ll get the requirements for the project today. DON”T PANIC. We will take it one step at a time. Your first step is to choose a fiction novel and begin reading if you haven’t already. Choose a book you can finish by Monday, September 16.
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Continue writing in your Writer’s Notebooks. Study for roots quiz over Group 1 roots on Friday.
Thursday
Objectives:
- Identify elements of characterization.
Today’s book talk is on Wonder by RJ Palacio. What do you learn about August from reading his description of himself? I will read Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson to the class. After discussing the three elements of characterization (that you should put in your Reading Journal), we will create a character map for Chloe together. We will support our ideas by quoting lines from the text and including page numbers where we found the information.
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. Continue writing in your Writer’s Notebook. Study for roots quiz over Group 1 roots on Friday.
Friday
Objectives:
- Identify elements of characterization.
Today’s book talk is on The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. What do we learn about Ivan? In groups of two or three, read the picture book given to your group. Complete a character map of the protagonist for your book. Make sure you quote at least one line of text for each category and include page numbers where you find the details that reveal character.
Homework: Read 15-30 minutes in a book of your choice. In your Writer’s Notebook, write the title and author of the book for your book project. Write the name of the protagonist (main character). What is one trait that describes an important quality of your main character? Write down that trait (loyal, brave, smart, reckless, etc.) Begin listing examples from the story of what the character says or does, what the character looks like, or how others react to the character that show the trait you chose. Remember to list the author’s last name and page number.
If you’re looking for love, a good book is the perfect place to find it.
Here’s the deal. You can order great books through Scholastic. Sometimes they even give you a great deal. (Always check out the $1 book.) An even better deal, the more books you order, the more free books I can get for our classroom library. There are two ways to order:
1) Fill out the paper form and bring it with your money (checks made out to Scholastic) by Wednesday, September 4.
2) Order online at Scholastic (for parents only). On the parent page, click the “REGISTER” button under “First time here,” then register for your own user name and password. When prompted, enter the one-time activation code code (GPBPV). This code ensures that your orders are sent to me. Select the books you want from over 500 titles. Take advantage of on-line only discounts and specials. You will also get a coupon to apply to your next book order. SEND your order to me on-line. I will deliver the books in class.
Here are some of my favorites from the September Teen and Middle Schoolers flyers:
- The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
- Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
- The President Has Been Shot and Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James Swanson
- The Eleventh Plague and The Darkest Path by Jeff Hirsch
- Rotten by Michael Nortrup
- Girl, Stolen and The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die by April Henry
- Abandon and Underworld by Meg Cabot
- Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
- Ender’s Game, Ender’s Shadow, and Ender’s World by Orson Scott Card
- Bar Code Tattoo, Bar Code Rebellion, and Bar Code Prophecy by Suzane Weyn
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
- The Elements by Theodore Gray
- Smile and Drama by Raina Telgemeier
- Cinder by Marissa Meyer
- The Outsiders by SE Hinton
- The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
- Al Capone Does My Homework by Gennifer Choldenko
- Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine
- The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis
Yes, I have a serious book habit, but I love nothing better than to share my love of books with my students. Which books did you see in the flyers that you would like to see in my classroom library?