Nov. 26

AR

We looked at conflict in stories today, discussing the difference between internal and external conflict.

Lit Circles

What we are doing leading up to exams:

• Nov. 28 - conclusions in lit circles, planning for making connections, working on lit circle projects
• Dec. 2 - more prep for making connections, work on lit circle projects
• Dec. 4 - Making Connections cross-grade
• Dec. 8 - projects due
• Dec. 10 - Review
• Dec. 12 - Exams

Nov. 24

• AR
• Journal Response - genre

Day 5 Journal Response

• Genre
  What genre is your book?
  Perhaps it is historical fiction, realistic fiction, horror, mystery, fantasy, detective, …
  Using what you know about your book so far, what are some of the characteristics of this particular genre?
  What genre of book do you typically choose? Why do you like it?

• Self-Assessment

Nov. 20

Day 4 Journal Response

Literary Devices

• allusion
• foreshadowing
• flashback
• imagery
• irony
• metaphor

 Be sure to have the definitions for these literary devices in your glossaries.

Try to find one literary device the author has used. How is it effective/ineffective?

Take one image from the novel and use descriptive words to try to make it come alive in our minds.

Example:

Walking through the fair, I was entraced by the almost sickeningly sweet scent of cotton candy. It mingled with the salty, buttery taste of the popcorn I was munching on, and my feet followed the rhythm of my chewing. Crunch, crunch, crunch.

Nov. 18

• Journal Response

Day 3 Journal Response

Think about the various characters in your book (not just the protagonist). Is there one that you really dislike? Are there any you really like? Whom would you like to meet in real life? Is there anyone you’d like to have as a friend? Imagine a conversation you would have with one of these characters and write it out as a dialogue. If you prefer, write it out as text messages/iMessages/FB messages.

Example:

In my book, I Will Fear No Evil, I really dislike Joan’s granddaughters. They are very greedy and selfish. I quite like Joe, Eunice’s husband. He is an artist who only thinks about artwork. He isn’t interested in money or material things, just art and beauty. He accepts people for who they are. I would love to meet him in real life. I don’t think we’d be friends, but maybe I’d be friends with his wife, Gigi. She’s a caring individual who likes to have fun. I can imagine us out at a restaurant together.

Me: Gigi, what do you like about your marriage to Joe?

Gigi: I’m fond of his dedication to his art.

Me: What about all the regular stuff like washing dishes and buying groceries?

Gigi: Joe doesn’t really think about that stuff, which is annoying at times. I love him for who he is, though.

…. (Add about 4 more lines.)

• Lit Circles
• AR

Nov. 14

Lit Circles

• discussions
• journal response (setting)
• peer evaluation

Next class: focus is on other characters in the novel. Do you have a favourite character other than the protagonist?

Nov. 12

• silent reading time
• lit circle time: discussion questions, vocabulary, journal response and discussion, self-assessment of lit circle participation

Journal response:

The protagonist is _____________________. I can/cannot identify with this character because .... (Write a few sentences.)

Next class:

• silent reading time
• lit circle time with peer assessment of participation

Journal response for next class:

Discuss the setting of the novel. Is there anything familiar about the setting? Does it remind you of something you've experienced/read/watched? Do you think the novel would be okay in a different setting, or is the setting important to the development of the plot? Imagine a completely opposite setting. Describe it. What would change about the plot in this alternate setting?

Nov. 6

Lit Circles!

We got into groups for lit circles and independent novel study:

• Bunheads (3)
• Forest of Hands and Teeth (3)
• Number the Stars (2)
• War Between the Classes (2)
• Nancy Drew (1)
• Natchez Burning (1)

In our groups, we made plans for next day's activities and planned out our reading schedules.

Roles people are taking on:

Director/Questioner

Summarizer

Vocabulary Builder

For next class, be sure to have read what you have planned to read and to do the extra task you need to complete.

For independent novel study students, be sure to log what you're reading, summarize, write personal connections, and keep a vocabulary builder sheet.

Nov. 4

Focus of Class: Making Connections

• expectations for making connections/synthesis paper
• sample paper
• rubric
• group work: update Venn diagram then start working on an outline for a making connections paper (one outline per group)

See attached documents on side.