KBAR Book Project due by the end of the marking period.

Students have been asking what they need to do with their books now that they have finished.  Here is the answer.  

1. They can get another book.  We are doing reading push-ups.

or

2. Write their book review and make a poster, which are due before the end of the marking period.

Students will make one book review and a poster by the end of the marking period.
The review will be typed on our wiki or sent to me electronically. See sample below.
The poster must be hand made and awesome.

My goal is for students to recommend books which other students will be inspired to read. This does NOT mean that students must write a review after every book. KBAR is used for writing push-ups and is a formative grade.  The book review is the summative grade of their efforts.

The poster should be amazing because I want to hang them around the room for inspiration.  The posters will resemble magazine ads in the sense that they will be trying to get students to try the book.

The written reviews will be compiled into a page online so students can refer to the list and read the reviews before choosing a book. (I have to make this.)

I hope I have covered the basics.  I really did not expect students to need this so soon.  This is a good problem to have, though.  :)

The example below is not a 100%. I would place it around a 90%, even though I wrote it.  I wanted to create a quick example.

Sample Review	Rubric
I read The Afterlife by Gary Soto. What happens when we die?  This question has intrigued us forever, and there are lots of explanations.  Gary Soto gives us his creative thoughts on the subject in his book The Afterlife. The narrator is dead.  He was killed in a nightclub for something as trivial as complementing the wrong guy on his shoes.  He becomes a ghost and begins his new “life” with its new challenges and lessons.  We think we know a lot about the people and the world around us, but we really don’t.  In The Afterlife, Chuy floats in and out of people’s lives learning what it truly means to be alive.	1-2-3-4-5 Hook 1-2-3-4-5  Setting 1-2-3-4-5  Plot summary 1-2-3-4-5  Characters 1-2-3-4-5  Theme 1-2-3-4-5  Did not give away the end (If the text was informational text, include information about the topic, main idea, and key details).
I noticed about the way this book was structured, or about the author’s craft and style. The book starts off quickly with Chuy’s death because the lessons of the book come from his afterlife.  There are two specific things I like about Gary Soto’s writing style. First, the main character is believable.  He is a seventeen-year-old boy who acts and thinks the way I picture a boy acting.  He has girls on the brain.  This boy falls in love with all the girls and continually hopes they will find him attractive. He is also believable because, at seventeen, most people don’t think too much about the value of life.  Now that he is dead, we can see how much he never noticed what he had when he was alive. The second thing I liked about Gary Soto’s style is his use of imagery.  It is poetic at times, which makes sense because Gary Soto does write poetry as well.  Here are two good examples: “ … and walked toward a group of young trees where darkness was knitting the oncoming night.” Page 116  “Mr. Laird did look troubles, looked like someone who had swallowed a dark could.” 64 The story is told from the first person point of view, so we as the reader get to experience the story as Chuy experiences it.  The events that happen are a surprise to us as well as we experience Chuy’s confusion at his new afterlife.	How the text is organized? Author’s word choice Use of language Writing style 100 Very well supported 95 Well supported 85 Supported adequately 75 Lacks supports 70 Not supported
Reading this book made me think about/wonder/connect to . The book gave me yet another way to think about what happens after we die because nobody really knows.  Do we go to a Heaven? Is there a Hell? Do we become reincarnated as a snail? Do we have a soul that exists after we die? Do we just click off out of existence?  Since we don’t really know, we have to focus our attention on what we do know: we are alive, and as long as we are alive, we live in this world.  The afterlife will take care of itself.  For me, the most interesting part of the book was when he first dies.  This earthly world has its own rules, but as Gary Soto explores in this book, the afterlife has its own rules.  It was fun to imagine what life after death would be like.  For the most part, I would be fine knowing that when I die, I would end up like Chuy.	Choose one or two entries from ·       The most interesting/funniest/scariest scene was...because... ·       A connection between this part of the book and what we are studying at school is...which helps me understand that... ·       This part of the book reminds me of (other text ,movie)because...which helps me understand that... ·       A character I identify with/don’t understand is...because... ·       Something I learned about the world by reading this book is ... which seems important because 100 Very well supported 95 Well supported 85 Supported adequately 75 Lacks supports 70 Not supported
I would give this book 1/2/3/4 stars because ... I would give this book a 3 out of 4 because I am comparing this book to the classics that I have read.  The book is an easy read.  The vocabulary is easy enough.  As I said before the imagery is delightful.  The narrator sounds immature to me, but that is the narrator.  This is a book for young readers, not adults.  I am 45 years old and have lived a lot of the life that Chuy hasn’t.  I recommend you read this book because it will make you think about the value of life.	Choose score Provide clear reasons for score Cite specific evidence from the text to support your opinion 100 Very well supported 95 Well supported 85 Supported adequately 75 Lacks supports 70 Not supported
Grammar	1-2-3-4-5   Perfect grammar 1-2-3-4-5   Proper use of quotes 1-2-3-4-5   Page numbers for location of quotes

Work is what you are obliged to do

Homework:
Sections 1 and 2 should use their online books to complete a storyboard for Tom Sawyer. (The user name and pass are their student ID #.) There are 12 boxes.  About every 10 lines or so, students should copy a line from the story and illustrate it.  They can use simple stick figures.  Like a comic book, the boxes will tell a story.  The story conveys the theme. 

We are exploring this Common Core Standard: CC.8.R.L.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot;

 

Section 3 will have to finish their Tom Sawyer charts in class tomorrow.

All Classes have KBAR due Friday.  

Sections 2 and 3 will get a pass on today's in-class reading because the Tom Sawyer assignment took too long for the students to complete.  

Schedule for this week

Due:
KBAR sheet filled out by Friday (Tuesday and Thursday in class)
No Achieve
Rough storyboard and narrator choice for short story due Friday

Today:
We read about Tom Sawyer tricking his friends into doing his work.  I am using the story in conjunction with writing our short stories.  What is the setting and how does it matter, or not? Describe the two main characters based on their actions, dialogue, and inferred qualities.  What is the event? Who is the narrator? Finally, what is the theme?

These are the exact things the students need to be developing for their own stories.  Later this week we will be getting into how to develop their stories by looking at how this story was constructed by Mark Twain.

I sure hope students are giving their stories some thought!

Wednesday:
We are taking State testing for about 45 minutes.

I entered a few grades in HAC

Assignments in HAC

1. Signed Syllabus: That was due the second day of school.  Most are in.  If you are seeing this, your child turned it in because I have your e-mail address.
2. Wrote Diagnostic: That first week, students were required to read an article and write a response as part of a state level assessment. This has to be in.
3. KBAR: The grade is the combination of reading in class 2x for 25 minutes and home 2x for 25 minutes.  Each session is followed by summary and sharing.  They were also to interact with the text and respond.  Finally, the sheet was to be signed.  If you need details, e-mail me.  I will tell you what might have been missing.  Some students did not turn in the sheet today.  I will accept it late.
4. Achieve: Sections 2 and 3 are doing Achieve.  The Achieve grade is a combination of the scores from the activity questions, my score from their poll question, and completion of the thought question.  This week we had the chance to do two articles.  Achieve just started, so no student earned below a 70% this week.  We will not have achieve next week because the computers will be used for testing.
5. Short Story Quick Plan: Students gave me a sheet today with their basic story idea.  I will score them over the weekend.

Upcoming Assignments for next week:

• KBAR next week
• Rough storyboard for their short story planned with three narrators: 1st person, 3rd person limited, 3rd person omniscient. (Students can use www.storyboardthat.com The free version only allows you to make three boxes.  I screenshot the first three, clear them, and make three more. Then I paste the pictures in a document.)
• We will detail two characters (characterization-see below)
• Students should also be getting to know these academic vocabulary words:

Narrator

Point of View

Third-Person Point of View

Omniscient Point of View

Third Person Limited

Characterization

Looks

Actions

Speech (choice of words, way of talking)

Interaction with other characters

Character’s thoughts

Other characters’ reactions to character

Motive

Theme and how word choice, sentence structure, imagery, and tone convey theme

Dialogue

Style

Tone

Irony

Dramatic Irony

Setting

Characters

Conflict

What is due tomorrow?

ALL:
KBAR sheet with three days of reading, questions answered, and parent signature.

Sections 1 and 2:
The Quick Short Story Planner sheet below is due.
I have made a video to explain what belongs on the sheet.  Please watch if you are not sure.

Sections 2 and 3:
I sent home the Lexile levels from the Achieve Level Set Test.  The letter explains what the number means and offers suggestions about how to improve the score over the course of the year.  I want the letter signed to show that you are aware of your child's results.

There is no vocab quiz tomorrow.  I am still establishing routines.

Quick Short Story Planner

1.  Setting
   (it matters)

2. Character 1 (main, dynamic, round)
   Physical Characteristics

  Has a problem/choice to make

3. Character 2 (static, flat)
  Will interact with C1 to produce change
  Physical Characteristics

  Has his/her own issues

4. Event/Plot – situation (conflict)  to affect change
   Determine how C1 will change and problem acted on

5. Theme- What lesson does C1 learn?

Quick Short Story Planner

We are practicing how to start writing a short story.  Once the following five categories are defined, students can go on to plan the details.

 I have created an online idea builder.  The first tab is a page that selects random details from all the tabs.  If that page is refreshed, new ideas come up.  However, not all the details make sense together.  That is why I am trying to get them to select the ones that do and explore others to make the characters deeper.

Students can use details from the many tabs to detail their own setting and characters.  However, students struggle with coming up with an event which will change the main character.  That is why we are practicing.  They are not there yet.

Hopefully, students will be ready to show me their story ideas on Friday.  I want to see these five categories explained briefly.  

Quick Short Story Planner

1.  Setting
   (it matters)

2. Character 1 (main, dynamic, round)
   Physical Characteristics

  Has a problem/choice to make

3. Character 2 (static, flat)
  Will interact with C1 to produce change
  Physical Characteristics

  Has his/her own issues

4. Event/Plot – situation (conflict)  to affect change
   Determine how C1 will change and problem acted on

5. Theme- What lesson does C1 learn?

After students have completed the five above, they will fill this sheet below in with lots of details to give the characters depth.

KBAR due Friday

Achieve: 
Sections 2 and 3 did Achieve today.  They will also do it tomorrow.  Achieve is graded for completion and effort, not performance, as a formative grade.


KBAR Due Friday:
I need this sheet handed in on Friday.  I lead the students through the sheet on Tuesday.  For each session, they write down a short summary of the story they just read.  Then they answer two of the responding to literature questions.  They do that a total of four time.  They should list the times they read and get a parent to sign.

Right now, I am teaching them the routine.  They must get in the habit of doing this every week.

(Section 1 has an online version which I am figuring out how to use best.  Please give me a week to figure out what I want there.  I do not want to make them write on paper and type online if they are the same things.)

Date: 9/8 – 9/12

In 50 words, summarize the pages you have read this week.

Session 1	Session 2
Session 2	Session 4

Session	Date and location	Time Started-Time Stopped	Pages Read (ex. 25-50)
1
2
3
4
Parent’s Signature

Respond to Literature:  Choose TWO for now

React:

Question:

Evaluate:

Predict:

Quote or point out

KBAR RUBRIC: Can tell you've read, Specific/uses examples, Shows thinking, Little Summarization, Effort

Respond to your literature

React 

Why do you love/hate this book? Why should someone else read it? What would make it better? What would you have done in the same situations?

Question

What confuses you? Ask the author or main character 10 questions.

Evaluate

How does this book compare with other books you’ve read? What is the author’s point?

Predict

What will happen next? What makes you think so? What "should" happen next? Write a new ending.

Quote or point out 

Quote an interesting or important part of the book. Why is this important? Why is it cool? What’s the point?

Schedule for the week and beginning our short stories

I will be taking three grades this week:

1. KBAR- 
Read two times at home for 25 minutes and two time in class for 20. Get slip signed.
Respond after each session.  Hand in the KBAR response sheet (or online).

2. Short Story Idea-
I will be leading students through the process of planning a short story.  The resources are on my site.
Students will know what a complete idea consists of.
Students will hand in their idea or have it online (preferred).

3. Achieve-
Sections 2 and 3 will have Achieve time this week. They must do one article thoroughly.


Literary Vocabulary
I am creating sets on Quizlet.  Students are welcome to start learning these words.
No due dates yet.
http://quizlet.com/class/1075160/


Short Story discussion we had today
We started with an event: a man cuts into a line at Starbucks and is shot.  How do we work this into a short story?  Here is one version of many we came up with.

•The main character is the son of the man who cuts in line. He has been pressured to join a gang.  He does not know his dad was/is a gang member.

•His dad comes back from the bathroom, and to show off, cuts in line… in front of a rival gang member who recognizes gang colors.

•The rival starts to argue and quickly shoots the dad and runs off.

•The son’s decision has been made. He will join a gang to get revenge.  The cycle continues.

•The story will be a commentary on the tough decisions people have to make.

Three essential aspects of a short story

•Characters in a short story must always have a good reason for doing whatever they do.

•You must set up whatever happens in a story.  Nothing ever just happens.

•The main character of a short story must go through some major change in behavior or personality as a result of the events in the story.