The characters we read about in our novels often face conflict. Whether that is with another character (external conflict) or within themselves (internal conflict), the situations they are in or questions they are dealing with impact the characters in big and small ways. The Tough Questions Signpost causes readers to take a deeper look at the internal conflict that a character is struggling with. Tough Questions are those questions that a character asks themselves but there is no easy answer to. When you see a character asking a question that only they could answer or asking something that relates to what they are dealing with, you know you have found a Tough Question. When you spot this, you must immediately stop and ask yourself, "What does this make me wonder about?" Remember that it is ESSENTIAL that you stop your reading as soon as you find a Tough Question because this will help you recognize the internal conflict, but it may also help you understand what the character is truly going through in the story. | |
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Have you ever had that moment where the light bulb went off in your head and you had a sudden realization? Check out what these people have to say about what we call the Aha! Moment... So how will we find these in our reading? Take a look at this video and take notes on the sheet that was given to you. Write down your thoughts, ideas, and maybe even your own Aha! Moment as you are listening. We will be going into more detail about this next week! What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson Remember that good readers: •Good readers are alert to the signposts that authors provide. •When they see those signposts in their reading, they STOP, take NOTICE, and make a NOTE. •Because of this, they understand what they read better, AND… •…they understand and appreciate the author’s craft as a writer. Signpost #1: Contrasts and Contradictions As we discussed, there are three things that we can look for when it comes to this signpost. 1. When a character says or does something that’s the opposite of what he has been saying or doing all along. 2. When there is a sharp contrast between what we expect and what we observe. 3. When the character experiences something in contrast with what he or she expects. When we notice one of these, we have to ask ourselves Why is the character doing that? or Why do they feel this way? When authors show you a character acting in a way that contrasts with how you would expect someone to act or that contradicts how that character has been acting, you know the author is showing you something important about the character. ********************************************* Here's a video that will help you understand a little better!
Figurative Language can be tons of fun, and is probably a bigger factor in your life than you realized! Let's explore these crazy devices and see how much they influence us!! Literary Devices in Pop Culture Take notes on the sheet provided on each of the devices mentioned. You will need these for later.
Figurative Language in Songs Identify which type of figurative language is used in each of the following songs. Love Songs with Figurative Language
As we have been annotating our article on the Titanic, I am sure that you have grown more curious about events leading up to the Titanic, what life was like on the Titanic, who the survivors were and what they went through along with much more. There are always questions that arise when we read and by finding answers to those questions through research we are able to become better readers and more knowledgeable people. Below you will find a video and then some links that will help you further your knowledge about the Titanic. Take notes as you watch the videos (another form of annotation) and write down anything you find interesting or even the answers to your questions so that when we discuss, you will have a lot to bring to the table! More to Explore History Channel- lots of videos, pictures, speeches, documents and much more about the Titanic
Titanic Interactive- Explore the Titanic like you never have before, with interactive features about its construction, its ill-fated maiden voyage and the survivors who lived to tell the tale. Titanic by Numbers- Facts and figures about The Titanic, the workers, and passengers Titanic Encyclopedia- Recommended for survivors information but there's much more Annotating the text is something that is fun to do because by annotating we are able to show what we are understanding in our reading. Take a quick look at this video to get to know a little bit more about annotation. Annotating is like having a conversation with our text as we are reading. When we interact we: write down our thoughts ask questions respond to words we know and even ones we don't know state our opinions react to what we have read note things that we agree with or disagree with jot down things that are new to us You can do this in a variety of ways including using different colors, making a key, highlighting, circling, boxing in, writing on sticky notes and much more. The beauty of annotation is that there is no right or wrong way to do it... we just have to show how we interact with the text.
Next time you read an article or story, make sure to have your pens, sticky notes, and minds ready. Comprehension starts now, so let's get ready to annotate! As you know, we have discussed how close reading is taking a deeper look into a text to fully comprehend what the text is saying, how the author is writing and what we are supposed to gain from the piece. Since it is the holiday is upon us, I thought we would have a little bit of fun with close reading. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss is one of my all-time favorite Christmas books. When I was little, I was called "Cindy Lou-Who" by many because I reminded them of the cute, sweet little girl in the story. (They thought I was cute and sweet!!!). Today you are going to see how well you are reading closely, by LISTENING to the story and then completing a few comprehension questions for the story. You are reading with your ears as one of my friends Teri says. You are probably thinking, "That is easy. I know this story because I have seen the movie." REMEMBER that books and movies are different sometimes!!! You can watch the video as many times as you would like, but your questions must be completed before you leave today. You will complete the questions through the link below and there are a few things to remember when you are completing them: 1. You must write in complete sentences. 2. You must complete all questions. 3. Make sure you print! Some of the questions deal with the the plot of the story. If you don't remember what each part of the plot diagram is, here is a little help! Remember, you are reading with your ears today. If you would like to take notes while you are listening feel free to do so. Again, watch the video again and go back to re-listen to parts to make sure that you understand! When you are ready to answer your questions, you will click on the link below, answer each question in a complete sentence, click "submit" and then print it out. Make sure to follow the guidelines above! Time to put your reading ears on! Complete questions HERE (and don't forget to print!)
Hint: Remember that your answers must have support from the text... that means there has to be EVIDENCE!!!! There are many ways to study for your upcoming Daily Dose Quiz. The way that we have been studying is through our study guides this year and we have added new things like Quizlet and Kahoot recently. Since we are changing the way we study, it only seems fitting that how I grade your studying should change too.
From now on, you have options when it comes time to complete your study guide you are going to have four options. Look at the following chart to see your options: Option Requirements Paper Study Guide Same way we have always done it. Remember, this is also on the class blog too. Quizlet www.quizlet.com You can create an account (for free) and create your flashcards to study with. You can share these with me by clicking “share” and entering my email ([email protected]). Your cards must have: The WOD and THINK OF on the FRONT of the card. The DEFINITION on the BACK of the card. Kahoot www.create.kahoot.it You can create a free account here too! You can create a fun quiz that we may use in class to study for your test as well. You can share these with me as well by clicking the blue “share” button once you have created your Kahoot. There are a few options for creating your kahoot: 1. Give the definition and have the word be one of the 4 choices 2. Give the word and have the definition be one of your 4 choices 3. “Which sentence uses the word correctly?” with 4 sentence choice Old fashion flashcards Create flashcards the old fashion way. You can use the same ideas from both the Quizlet and Kahoot to create these as well. They can be on notebook paper or other types of paper. Whichever option you choose to do will be accepted THE DAY THAT STUDY GUIDES ARE DUE. No exceptions will be made for this. You are not required to do any of the ones that are computer based, but they are OPTIONS for you. As always, I am grading for accuracy and not completion… in other words, DO IT RIGHT!! Make sure that if you are writing sentences they are correctly written and that everything is spelled correctly. Have a blast and be creative! I can’t wait to see what you come up with! READING WITH EXPRESSION is a strategy that all good readers need because it not only helps us when we read aloud, but also when we are silently reading. It allows to to add voice to the characters and comprehend what is going on in the story through fluency.
Practice Makes Perfect We will be working on READING WITH EXPRESSION over the next few days using William Shakespeare's Macbeth. Shakespeare is often hard to understand, but is one of the most famous writers ever because of his use of expression in his characters. Take a look at this video about Macbeth so that you can get an idea of what this story is all about. Steps for Group WorkStep 1: With your group, read this piece aloud a few times and figure out what the witches are talking about. Stop every few lines to discuss. On the third read (or even the fourth), circle any words that you have not been able to figure out their meanings.
Step 2: Now that we have looked at unfamiliar words, read the chant ALOUD again and mark the words your group thinks are the most powerful. You know... those words that really conjure up great sensory images! Step 3: Practice reading the chant aloud. Read it expressively. If you need to review what that means, go back and watch the videos above. Your group will be reading this aloud to the class. Make sure to think about HOW you are going to read the lines so that you seriously sound like witches. - Where are the good places to pause for the audience to really let the lines sink in? - How are you going to say those words we marked so that their power reaches the audience? - What does each line mean? What is your groups interpretation (what are the witches saying)? ** Make sure to mark your notes on your chant Step 4: Since you have not determined your interpretation of the chant, you need to decide on your solo parts. The lines that are marked "ALL" will be read together, but the rest need to be sorted out between your groups members. You should all have an equal number of lines. There are many different ways to do this, so be creative! ** You can view the rubric to see how you will be graded. HOMEWORK: COMPLETE your Character Resume for your witch and PRACTICE reading the chant so that you are ready to perform! I will not be sending home folders for this weekend because then I would turn around and send it back again on Monday. When they go home on Monday, you will have the following in them:
Weekly Newsletter Daily Dose Study Guide (due the following Monday) Progress Report Daily Dose Quiz (graded) Reading Plus Awards Make sure that while you are eating all that good food, doing all of that shopping, and especially catching up on your sleep that you complete your study guide. I will have uh |
AuthorJennie Smith Important Dates
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