Moments That Matter
a study of short stories & poems
“An Abandoned Farmhouse”
“The Three Questions”
“The Miss of a Great ‘Miss”
“Geraldo, No Last Name”
“Edna’s Ruthie”
Mrs. Nancy Jaster
Language Arts 8
August 25, 2010
Seating Chart
period 1/7
2nd 6 weeks
Row 1
Kate
Charles
Taylor
Jess
Ismael
Row 2
Victoria
Javi
Lane
Gabby
Trinity
Row 3
Matt
Kyndall
Amanda
Jesse
Ricky
Row 4
Ali
Charlie
Elizabeth
Kaleb
Jonna
Row 5
Clark
Troy
Row 6
Tristen
Andrea
Seating Chart
period 2/8
1st 6 weeks
Row 1
Josh
Gerry
Elisa
Luis
Row 2
Randy
Kiley
Roberto
Dominique
Row 3
Danniella
Angelica
Izaiah
Zach
Marisol
Row 4
Noel
Makayla
Marisa
Lea
Group 5
Marina
Sammi
Group 6
Stefany
Amanda
Seating Chart
period 4/6
1st 6 weeks
Row 1
Abe
Edgar
Lorena (Renee)
Genesis
Dominique
Row 2
Christian
Adrian
Karla
Luis
Atanacio
Row 3
Zuleyma
Yesenia
Brandon
Casey
Frankie
Shelby
Row 4
Jonathan
Miranda
Skyler
Desirae
Victoria
Row 5
Jesus
Tommie
Row 6
Jasmine
Charles
Table
Danielle
Seating Chart
RAP A/B
Group 1
Renee
Adrian
Elisa
Group 4
Randy
Frankie
Makayla
Group 2
Tommie
Nikki
Group 5
Group 2
Edgar
Casey
Dominique Zach
Group 5
Zuleyma
Ismael
Group 3
Sammi
Shelby
Victoria
Group 3
Noel
Jesus
Justin
Group 6
Amanda
Genesis
Row 6
Luis
Oscar
Group 1
Jasmine
Christian
Group 4
Jenisis
Atanacio
Abe
WIC - R
“empower students to reach higher expectations”
• WRITING
• INQUIRY
• COLLABORATION
• READING
Organization
Composition Book
1. Complete heading on
front
2. Title page ~
Making Memories
2010-2011
3. Each entry ~
Date
Title
Number responses
Spiral
1. Decorate cover
2. Title page ~
Moments That Matter
Complete heading
3. Table of Contents (2-3
pgs.)
4. Each page ~
Numbered
Book Talk Information
I.
Regular Method
A. Index cards
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Title/Author
Characters
Setting (Time, Place)
Problem
Theme – lesson about life
Solution
Summary
Climax – turning point of plot
Recommendation
About author
B. Present orally to class on assigned date
Book Talk Information (cont.)
C. Have an audio or visual to add interest to report
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Poster
Mobile
Story Box
Collage
Illustrated Time Line
Rewrite Ending
Poem about story or characters
Oral reading w/enactment
Dress like character w/oral reading
Movie clip or CD of soundtrack of movie
List of Audio-Visuals for Book Talks
1. Oral reading of interesting part of book (in costume depicting the
main character)
2. Have students in the class help you enact a interesting scene from the
book
3. Play a compilation of songs that relate to the book’s plot (burn a CD
for your song tracks)
4. Rewrite ending
5. Write a poem about the main character
6. Write a book review (use Summer Reading format)
7. Show a movie clip. Explain how book and movie differ.
8. Create a movie poster for the book
9. Create a collage of the book’s themes, characters, plot
10. Create a mobile of the book’s characters and objects symbolize them
11. Create a diorama depicting a scene from the plot
12. Create a story box showing scenes from the plot
13. Create a game based on the plot of the book
14. Create a brochure advertising the setting of your book
15. Draw a picture of the characters in various scenes from the plot
16. Make a puzzle of a scene from the plot of your book
17. Make an illustrated timeline of the events in the plot
Book Talk Information (cont.)
D. PowerPoint Method
• Informative Text on 10 + slides providing:
1.
Title/Author
2.
Characters
3.
Setting (Time, Place)
4.
Problem
5.
Theme – lesson about life
6.
Solution
7.
Summary
8.
Climax – turning point of plot
9.
Recommendation
10. About author
• Design – Colors, Fonts, Effects, Background
• Animation, Sound (optional)
• Hyperlink (optional)
Book Talks 2/8
Tues. 9/28
Luis/Noel – Diary of Wimpy
Gerry – Whispers from Dead
Dominique – The Fallen
Wed. 9/29
Angelica – Pet Monster
Kiley – Center Court
Sammi – The Princess Present
Thurs. 9/30
Randy – Roar
Lea – True Colors
Makayla – True Colors
Amanda /Marina -
Fri. 10/1
Nick – To Kill a Mockingbird
Marisa – Brothers in Arms
Stefany – Dear Dumb Diary
Jennifer – Dear Dumb Diary
Roberto – Wimpy Kid
Book Talks 4/6
Tues., 9/28
Marisa – If You Love…
Danielle – Regeneration
Karla – Just for You…
Dominique – One Last Wish
Frankie – Thirteen Reasons
Wed., 9/29
Jesus – La Linea
Zuleyma – La Linea
Casey – Cirque du Freak
Yesenia – Holes
Thurs.., 9/30
Thurs., 9/30
Victoria – Passager
Skyler - Passager
Charles – Uncle Daney’s…
Fri., 10/1
Adrian - Peak
Atanacio – Capt. Underpants
Jasmine – Tunnels of Blood
Christian – Anna’s Baby
Luis – Crossing the Wire
Mon., 10/4
Miranda – For Better…
Desirae – Six Months to Live
Abe – Nightmare Hour
Genesis – Deadly Game of Magic
Tommie – If You Come Softly
Shelby – If You Come Softly
Renee – The Secret of Little …
Becoming an Active Reader
Cornell Notes
Questions
Notes
1. What are some
strategies readers use
to understand better?
2. How do these strategies
improve understanding?
Predict, Visualize, Connect
Question, Clarify, Evaluate
The strategies help by bringIng books to life and helping
us connect to what we read.
3. Which strategies will you
use? Why?
Summary There are 6 strategies that help you when you
read. They improve understanding by helping you
connect. Discover 3 that you will use the next time you
read!
Model Response
#1
1. Catching Fire
Suzanne Collin
2. 8-26-10
3. pp. 45-52
4. Katniss needs to be so careful! What she did to
honor Rue’s memory in the meeting hall was beautiful and
heartfelt. But the reaction it caused is not going to sit well
with the Council. They are horrible people and not to be
messed with! Look what happened to the old man – they
shot him dead in front of the crowd. I hate to think what’s
going to happen
next!
5. EVALUATION
Model Response
#2
1. Catching Fire
Suzanne Collins
2. pp. 90-91
3. 8/31/10
4. I always wondered what a mockingjay
was and now I know. In the old days, the capital
had used jabberjays as spies on the people. The
people had tricked the capital and used the
jabberjays against them. The capital then killed all
the jabberjays. Those birds that survived had
mated with mockingbirds. That’s how they got
mockingjays!
5. Clarifying
Agenda
Week of Sept. 27- Oct. 1
1. Composition #3 A
Write about a personal experience in which you helped someone.
(“The Three Questions”)
Composition #3 B
Which version of “The Three Questions” did you like the most?
Explain.
or
Which animal in Jon Muth’s version are you the most like?
Explain.
2. Quick Write #4
What do you think happened at the end of the poem, “An
Abandoned Farmhouse?”
3. “Abandoned Farmhouse”
A. Write imitation/bio poem
B. Illustrate & color origami house
Agenda
Week of Oct. 4 - Oct. 8
1.
Warm- Up
•
G.U.M. – Lessons 4- 10
2.
Read library book/ class novel
•
•
Write responses to chapters
Find examples of literary terms – foreshadowing, irony, personification
3.
Imitate Ted Kooser poem “Abandoned Farmhouse”
•
•
Illustrate Origami House
Write poem using objects to say/says things about
–
–
–
yourself
your family
something that happened
4.
Read “The Miss of a Great ‘Miss’”
5.
Composition # 5
•
Respond to quote by Barbara De Angelis
“You never lose by loving. You always lose by holding back.”
(Connection = T/S, T/T, T/W)
6.
Universal Reading Screener
Agenda
Week of Sept. 13-17
I.
Composition # 6 (#5-academic classes)
Read about the author, Sandra Cisneros and her button boxes
Complete pre-write activity with group – Details/Inferences
Choose a question about “Geraldo” to write a page in composition book.
•
Describe Geraldo using details from the story.
•
Explain Marin’s feelings using details from the story.
II. Literary Terms:
•
Inference/Assertion
•
Allusions
•
Similes/Metaphors
•
Details/Evidence
III. Work on Book Talk (pre-A.P.)
•
•
Index Cards
Audio-Visual project
What the Moon Saw (academic)
•
•
•
About the author
Vocabulary – Prologue
Who, What, When, Where Square – Chapter 1
IV. Finish
•
Cornell notes on library books (1-4 pre-A.P.)
•
Academic vocabulary (p. 9 & 15)
•
Origami house & poem (p. 11)
•
Comprehension Questions “Checkouts” (p. 12)
•
Book Talk ( pre-A.P.)
Journaling #1
(WIC-R)
W - In composition book write a page on this
topic:
My first day in 8th grade was . . .
I - Discuss what each group member wrote and come
up with a list of 3 activities you think students
would enjoy, if you were a teacher.
C - Exchange composition papers with a partner in
group.
R – Read and write a comment on partner’s paper.
Journaling # 2
(WIC-R)
W - In composition book write a page on this topic:
An elementary school experience that you
remember vividly, as if it were yesterday
I - Discuss what each group member wrote and
connect to story “Charles.” Come up with a list of
3 reasons for Laurie’s bad behavior.
C - Exchange composition papers with a partner in
group.
R – Read and write a comment on partner’s paper.
Journaling #3
Paired Readings
“The Three Questions”
Illustrated/Written by Jon Muth
A.
•
•
•
(based on story by Leo Tolstoy)
Give a personal example to answer the three questions:
When is the best time to do things?
Who is the most important one?
What is the right thing to do?
Write about a time when you helped the person you were with.
“The Three Questions”
by Leo Tolstoy
B. Write a response to one of these questions:
•
Which version of the story did you like the best? Why?
•
Which animal in Jon Muth’s version are you like the most? Why?
Journaling #4
(WIC-R)
“An Abandoned Farmhouse”
by Ted Kooser
W - In your composition book, write what you
think happened to the family in the poem.
I - Discuss what you think went wrong in the
last stanza of the poem.
C - Read your quick writes to the group. Have a
spokesperson relate what your group
thought to the class.
R – Read poem, biographical sketch
www.livinghistoryfarm.org/.../KooserAbandone
d.html
Imitating the Poet
•
•
Use ordinary objects to describe yourself, your family, where you live, and what happened
to you.
These objects “say” things. (1 object/singular– says, several objects/plural - say)
Ted Kooser’s poem
Your poem
1st stanza
size of shoes
length of bed
Bible
Fields
2nd stanza
bedroom walls
kitchen shelves
sandbox
jars
cans
rags
Road
3rd stanza
empty house
stones
jars
toys
Personification – giving human characteristic to an inanimate
object or animal
Imitating Ted Kooser
She was a small girl says the size of her hands
With the tiny ring on her wedding finger;
A short girl too, says the length of her jeans in the drawers
in her room; and a music-loving girl
Says the playlist on her iPod;
But not a girl for cleaning, say all the dirty dishes her
Mama wants her to wash.
He was a big boy say the size of his hands chopping the
records; a tall boy too, says the length of the small couch
with his feet hanging over; and a basketballLoving boy says the torn up net in the backyard;
But not a boy for fighting say the kind words and the loving
he gives instead.
Bio Poem
1st line – First Name
2nd line – 3 describing words
3rd line – Relationship (daughter of, son of)
4th line – Who wishes for . . .
5th line – Who fears . . .
6th line – Who gives . . .
7th line – Who loves . .
8th line – Resident of _____
9th line – Last name
Topics for Letter
Paragraph1: About Your Family
• Where you were born
• How many brothers and sisters
• Family stories you want to share
Paragraph 2: About Yourself
• What are your interests
• What do you do after school
• Special talent
Paragraph 3: About Language Arts
• Do you like to read?
• What are your favorite books?
• Do you like to write?
• What do you like to write?
• What are your strong/weak points?
Paragraph 4: Parent Input
• What are some cool things about your
child?
• What is your child particularly good at?
• What are some things you’d like me to
be aware of?
• What can I do to help your child be
successful?
Letter to Mrs. Jaster
(with foldable pocket book)
(spiral p. 2)
Format – Friendly Letter
•
•
•
•
•
Date:
Greeting: Dear Mrs. Jaster,
4 Paragraphs: About Family, About Self, About School, Parent
Paragraph
Closing: Sincerely,
Your student,
Signature
Typed
•
•
•
Double Spaced
Size 12 font
Arial or Times New Roman
Hand Written
•
•
Cursive or Print
One side of paper
2. Complete Origami House and Poem
A. Make house
Illustrate
Color
( front, favorite room, and back )
B.
Write Bio Poem
1st line – First Name
2nd line – 3 describing words
3rd line – Relationship (daughter of, son of)
4th line – Who wishes for . . .
5th line – Who fears . .
6th line – Who gives . . .
7th line – Who loves . .
8th line – Resident of _____
9th line – Last name
Cornell Notes
Topic: Review for Reading Interim #1
Questions
1. What is a main idea?
How do details help you
with main idea?
2. What is a summary?
3. What is a cause? an effect?
4. What are context clues? List
the different types of clues
5. What is a prefix? Which prefix
means “again?”
6. What is a suffix? Which suffix
makes a word an adverb?
7. Which literary term refers to
the reason a character acts?
8. Which literary term refers to
a problem in the story?
9. What are some reasons
authors write?
10. What are graphic organizers?
Cornell Notes
Topic: Review for Reading Interim #1
Notes
• Main idea is what the passage is mostly about.
• Details help you understand main idea better.
• Summary is brief retelling of passage giving important details from BME.
• Cause is why something happens. Effect is what happens.
• Context Clues are words around an unfamiliar word that help you with the
meaning of word. Some types of clues are: definition, synonym, antonym,
example, description
• Prefix is a word part added to beginning of word. (re- again)
• Suffix is a word part added to end of word. (ly – adverb)
• Motivation – why a character does something
• Conflict – problem in story
• Author’s purpose: to entertain, to explain, to persuade, to describe
• Graphic Organizers – tools to help reading comprehension i.e. outlines,
diagrams
Cornell Notes
Topic: Review for Reading Interim #1
Summary
Reading Interim #1
• will cover narrative reading skills such as main idea, summary, and
cause/effect
• questions about character’s motivations and conflicts will be
emphasized
• author’s purpose in narrative passages is to write fictional stories
that are meant to entertain the reader and share experiences
• words meaning will be discovered by using context clues and word
structure like prefixes
Reading Test Taking Strategies
1. Skim to find out what passage will be about
• Use title and any graphics
2. Read carefully (first reading). Highlight
important words and phrases. (Highlight
sparingly.)
3. Reread (second reading). Annotate, write
notes, in the margins.
• Circle underlined words – write your
definition next to word in margin
4. Use Process of Elimination. Show support for
your answer.
• Write paragraph # next to question
• Write question # next to paragraph