Why you’ll like this unit…
• It’s our LAST NOVEL for the year!!
• You get to decide what you want to read!!
• You get to work in groups on discussion
days!!
• You get to decide when you want to
complete each role assignment!!
• You have the chance of earning bonus
points depending on which book you
choose!!
Out of the Dust
by: Karen Hesse
• Written in poetry form and organized
like a diary through the winter of
1934-winter 1935
• Told by a 14-year-old girl in
Oklahoma during the Dust
Bowl
• Main character faces family
problems during the
Depression
Historical Fiction
Johnny Tremain
by: Esther Forbes
A story filled with danger and excitement, Johnny
Tremain tells of the passionate times in Boston
just after the Revolutionary War. Johnny, a young
apprentice silversmith, is caught up in a dramatic
involvement with James Otis, John Hancock, and
John and Samuel Adams in the Boston Tea Party
and the Battle of Lexington; and finally, a
touching resolution of Johnny's personal life.
Extra Credit given if you
choose this book due to the
amount of pages!
Modern Fiction
No More Dead Dogs
by: Gordon Korman
Ever since Wallace Wallace was
little, he has faithfully told the
whole truth and nothing but the
truth. So when this football hero
is forced to report on the book
Old Shep, My Pal for his English
class, he cannot tell a lie. He feels
compelled to inform his teacher
that it was one of the worst books
he's ever read. Why does the dog
in every classic book always have
to croak at the end? Not pleased
with this report is Wallace's
English teacher,
who thinks it's the best book ever
written and also happens to be
directing the play version at
school.
He orders Wallace to attend the
play rehearsals until he can come
to his senses. Wallace doesn't
change his mind - but he does
start to change the play. It begins
with his suggestion to add a line,
and then a pair of old
Rollerblades, until the play has
evolved into a rock-and-roll
edition of the older classic.
Nothing But the Truth
Modern Fiction
by: Avi
Grade 6-9-- Ninth grader
Philip Malloy finds himself
unable to participate on the
track team because of his
failing grade in English.
Convinced the teacher,
Margaret Narwin, dislikes him,
he concocts a scheme to get
transferred from her
homeroom: instead of
standing during the national
anthem, Philip hums. His
parents take his side, ignore
the fact that he is breaking a
school rule, and concentrate
on issues of patriotism.
The conflict between Philip and
his school escalates, and he
quickly finds the situation out
of his control.
Avi wrote the novel
through conversations between
students, Philip's parents,
school personnel, etc., while
Philip's point of view is
revealed through his diary
entries, and Margaret Narwin's
through letters to her sister.
Modern Fiction
Extra Credit given if you choose
this book due to the amount of
pages!
Tangerine
by: Edward Bloor
Paul is a teenager who lives
at home with his dad, his mean
brother and his mom. He has
just moved to Tangerine and
started the school year. Paul is
legally blind. He can see with his
glasses on, but without them he
cannot.
His brother told him that he
stared into a solar eclipse when
he was a kid and that is what
messed up his eyesight. He
tries out for soccer, and makes
the team, only to be told he
cannot play because he is legally
blind.
To make matters worse, his dad
doesn't seem to care-- all he cares
about is Paul's brother Eric.
Because of a natural disaster, Paul
has to go to a new school, that is
filled with tough people.
He doesn't think he will fit in, but
when he tries out for the soccer
team, he is pleasantly
surprised. All goes well until a
turn of events involving his brother
happens, leaving everything
turned upside down.
Your Name
Date
Period #
Top Three Book Choices
1.
2.
3.
Least Favorite Book Choice
1.
Quick Summary
• Out of the Dust: poems about a girl during
depression
• No More Dead Dogs: After being punished in
class, a kid must attend play rehearsals and
changes it into a rock-and-roll play.
• Nothing but the Truth: written in notes, letters,
etc. about a kid who gets in trouble during
homeroom.
• Tangerine: A soccer player who learns to be
friends with a different crowd of kids.
• Johnny Tremain: Johnny Tremain tells a story
about his involvement in the Revolutionary War.
Beware…
• This is the LAST unit in 3rd quarter!
• The ONLY remaining grades will be:
– participation grades for reading daily
– sharing in the discussions
– completing your assigned role sheet.
• If you do not complete the above, you are very
well likely to receive a D for this unit, and
depending on what your grade is going into unit
6, it could fail you for 3rd quarter.
• This is an easy way to end with a good grade if
you just do the work.
• Remember….you are choosing the book you read,
so there is no reason why you all can not
succeed!
Group Roles
• Discussion Leader:responsible for leading the
discussion by keeping the group on task, bringing
insightful questions for the group to discuss, and
to summarize the pages read that week.
• Word Smith: responsible for choosing and
sharing 6 new words from the pages read that
week, completing the written assignment, and
adding 1 of the 6 words to the word wall.
• Line Lighter: responsible for selecting 5 key
passages and sharing those passages with the
group as well as explaining how they are
examples of good writing or important to story.
• Journaler:responsible for sketching 3 important
scenes from the pages read that week and
explaining why those scenes were significant.
Thursday’s Assignments
• Choose weekly roles for entire unit
(4 roles/4 weeks).
• Decide how many pages a week the entire
group should read. Divide book into 4
weekly sessions. Remember -- ALL
reading has to be done in class.
• Create a movie poster of your book to
display. Must have an original picture, the
title and author, and an intriguing caption.
(caption-two or three lines that make
others want to “see the movie”)