Beth Revis, a brand new YA author, has her first book coming out the first of next year. In order to celebrate, she is holding the epic contest of epic. Click on the link to go straight to her blog and enter. She’s giving away 100 prizes. All you have to do is fill out the form and wait for the mailman to deliver goodies to your mailbox. I’ve entered. Will you? If you haven’t read the first chapter of her book, Across the Universe, go now and read. Then buy your favorite English teacher a copy.
And if that is not enough, here is the trailer for it…
Beth is also a part of the awesome website, The League of Extraordinary Writers. They are having their own contest this week. Click on over to check it out.
Are you still searching for a topic to write about for your editorial? Never fear, we have brainstormed boatloads of ideas in class. Here are some of the things we came up with, along with questions that might help you focus in on a particular issue.
School dress code: If you want to read more about school dress codes, read this editorial.
Should JCS require uniforms?
Should JCS have a dress code?
Should JCS allow facial piercings? tattoos? pajama pants? different hair color? hats? (any other item you would like to see changed)?
Should students be allowed to wear face paint on spirit days?
Cell phones:
Should JCMS allow students to use cell phones at lunch or during passing periods?
Should adults be banned from texting and driving?
Should students be allowed to have cell phones on during class?
Other school issues
Should JCMS provide larger lockers?
Should students be allowed to wear their own swim suits during the PE swim unit?
Should the school year be longer?
Should the school use computers in place of textbooks?
Should schools adopt a no homework policy?
Should teacher evaluations/salary be based on student test scores?
Should the state offer vouchers for private schools?
Should students be allowed to give hugs or high fives in the hallway?
Should there be a longer passing period?
Should schools have an open campus for lunch? (That means you can leave school during lunch.)
Should JCS move to a year-round schedule?
Should schools have more field trips?
Should schools have a zero-tolerance policy against bullying?
It’s time to take the issues you are passionate about and frame them in a way that will spark a good editorial. We will use questions to frame your issues. Good questions to spark an editorial help break down a large issue into smaller parts, often start with “should,” and have more than one reasonable answer. You should write at least six questions that help frame your issue. HOMEWORK: Read 30 minutes–memoir first. Choose five words for Weekly Word Study.
Tuesday
Today we are going to organize your thoughts for your editorial. Draw five boxes on you paper: one box in the center surrounded by four other boxes. In the center box write your position statement (sometimes called a thesis statement. This is your opinion on the issue. In each of the surrounding boxes, write an argument or reason to support your opinion. One of them might be a counter-argument, where you state an opposing argument and explain why it is wrong. For each argument, list evidence that supports that idea. What are facts, stories, examples, comparisons/analogies that prove your point? HOMEWORK: Read 30 minutes
Wednesday
Begin drafting your editorial. Decide which box you want to start with, and put your ideas into sentence form. We will revise next week, so work on getting your thoughts on paper today. Homework: Read 30 minutes. Word Study due tomorrow.
Thursday
LIBRARY! It’s about time, isn’t it? We will meet directly in the library. Bring whatever book you are reading as well as any library books you need to turn in. We will meet directly in the library. You will complete your partner quizzes there, so bring your completed word study. HOMEWORK: Word Study due today. Three-five pages of writing due today! Read 30 minutes. Get your reading log signed.
Friday
Each group will read both sides of the assigned editorial. Identify each writer’s position and arguments. Code your thinking as we did last week. After reading and preparing for discussion, you will discuss and debate the editorial in your groups. Add to your discussion, how the writers organized their editorials. Where did they include position statements? How many arguments or counterarguments did they use? How did they begin and end? HOMEWORK: Reading Log due TODAY. Read over the weekend.
If you thought all you could do with a book is read, then watch this! Of course, after watching, you will want to go find all these books to read, too. How many of them have you read?
This just shows one more reason to read…it’s all kinds of fun.
Are you looking for a spooky ghost story? I wish I had read The Crossroads by Crhis Grabenstein in time for Halloween! I couldn’t put it down once I picked it up, and kept looking over my shoulder.
Zach Jennings is headed home–to his father’s childhood home that is with is hard-working dad, new step mom Judy, and new dog Zipper. Things should be looking up, but the crossroads near his new house is haunted. Strange things happen by the old oak tree on the corner. Tree branches drop through windshields or take the the blinking light. Every Monday, grouchy Ms. Greta Spratling drives up in her big old Cadillac to place fresh white roses in a pail nailed to the trunk of the tree. Just what is she up to?
Zach meets his first friend, Davy, who talks a little on the strange side, but has swell ideas for building a tree house and dealing with the local bully. For some reason, he has chosen Zach to complete a task. Can Zach figure out what to do before it’s too late? Will his stepmom Judy believe his tall tales?
Actually, Judy is one of my favorite characters. There is no evil stepmother here. Judy is funny if somewhat clueless in the art of cooking and mothering. She is the one who helps Zach put to rest the ghost of his dead mother–not one of the ghosts of the crosroads, but she haunts Zach’s thoughts, none-the-less. Besides, she is a writer…and is helped in solving the mystery by none other than the local librarian!
And what about the ghosts? There are quite a few haunting this deserted crossroads. Most of them are the friendly, helpful sort. But there’s one who’s out to kill…and he has Zach squarely in his sights.
I am the first to admit that nonfiction has long been last on my list to read. When I was a child, the librarian in charge of the summer reading program had to force/bribe me to read nonfiction. I would only go as far as to sample biographies and mythology. Fortunately, I have discovered that there are good nonfiction books out there. I just finished two more nonfiction books from this year’s Young Hoosier list.
Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Recovery of the Past by James M. Deem was better than I expected. I remembered the story in the opening chapter about the Iceman found by hikers in the Alps. I find it amazing that a body from that long ago was preserved in such good condition. Scientists could even discover what season it was and what food he had recently eaten from studying his remains. Most of the rest of the book was competely new to me. I learned that French villagers thought the glaciers were the stomping grounds of dragons and evil spirits. Did you know that Sir Edmund Hillary may not have been the first European to scale Mt. Everest? Englishmen George Mallory and Andrew Irvine may have reached the summit a few years earlier. They just didn’t live to tell about it. Mallory’s body has recently been discovered on the slopes of Everest with just enough clues to tantalize. I was horrified at the bodies of children found beneath glacier ice in the Andes mountains. They had been sacrificed on the mountains. As the glaciers continue to melt and retreat, what other secrets will they reveal?
I did not enjoy Battling in the Pacific by Susan Provost Beller nearly as much. I had hoped the direct quotes from soldiers in the Pacific theater of World War II would help bring this part of the war to life, but it did not. It read more like a research report. If you are looking for facts about the war in the Pacific, you will find those.
86) The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns – a strong follow-up to Max Lucado’s Outlive Your Life
87) Who Was First? Discovering the Americas by Russell Freedman – a fascinating look at different theories about early explorers of America and even earlier settlers during prehistoric times
88) Hope Rising by Kim Meeder – inspiring stories of hope and healing for both horses and children
89) Fever Crumb by Phillip Reeve – I have discovered steam punk, and I like it.
90) Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Recovery of the Past by James M. Deem – not bad for nonfiction.
Correct your memoir. Once you have finished corrections, post it on your blog. Before you post, you will need to change the spacing to single space. Use the “paste from Word” button and “Control-V” to paste your memoir into a new post. Once you have published yours, enjoy reading your teammates memoirs. Be sure to leave encouraging comments. HOMEWORK: Read 30 minutes–memoir first. Choose five words for Weekly Word Study.
Tuesday
We are starting our study of editorials. This is your chance to change the world. We will spend time this week exploring controversial topics. We’ll start local and write our way out. You will have a written conversation with your writer’s group today. Think about problems our school faces or things you would like to see changed. Choose one issue and write for two minutes. Give your opinion and explain why. When I call time, pass your papers to the person on your right. Read what they have written, and then add your opinion to the conversation. We will repeat this process for issues facing our community and state. HOMEWORK: Read 30 minutes
Wednesday
People have opinions on all kinds of issues. You will look at headlines, political cartoons and more to generate a list of issues that people feel strongly about. Pay attention–ideas are everywhere! What issues were raised on Channel 1 this week? What issues have you encountered in the books you are reading? What are there issues you feel strongly about? What action do you want people to take. Choose one topic to complete a free write about. Homework: Read 30 minutes. Word Study due tomorrow.
Thursday
Now it’s time to read what other people think. Go to my blog and click on the link for the New York Times Upfront. If you click on the “Debate” tab on the left, you will get a list of past topics. Quickly scroll through and choose one that sounds interesting to you. Read both sides of the issue. Which do you agree with? Write your response to the issue in a new blog post on your blog. HOMEWORK: Word Study due today. Three-five pages of writing due today! Read 30 minutes. Get your reading log signed.
Friday
READ! You should have chosen a new book to read. If not, choose one from my shelves. Spend the rest of class happily lost in your book. HOMEWORK: Reading Log due TODAY. Read over the weekend.
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 in the top right corner.) 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 Frida.
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. SEND your order to me on-line. I will deliver the books in class.
Here are my picks from these:
November
Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson – I’ve been waiting for this one since finishing Chains. Curzon, a runaway slave joins Washington’s army at Vally Forge. Will he and Isabelle find their freedom at last?
Firehorse by Diane Lee Wilson – Rachel breaks all the rules to care for her horse and others in the Boston Fire Department.
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James Swanson – Read a historical thriller about the massive manhunt for the man who shot Lincoln.
Scumble and Savvy by Ingrid Law – What will the latest savvy be for this talented family?
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson and Cut by Patricia McCormick – both are stories about young women who search within themselves for the courage to say what is in their hearts and minds.
December
Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson – learn what Greg has done to bring schools and peace to Pakistan and Afghanistan
How to Write Your Life Story by Ralph Fletcher – write the story of your life from blogging to journals
The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti – based on the true story of a boy who dared to tell the truth about Hitler
Closed for the Season and Deep, Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn – eerie ghost stories
Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements – What would you do if you woke up invisible one morning?
