34 Your Favorite Books

Below, please share your top three to five favorite books of fifth grade.

Think of the books you read independently and the books we read together. I only want your best-of-the-best.

Let's write!

33 Mrs. Lord's Visit

Cynthia Lord was here!

I don't know about you, but her visit is always a highlight of my school year. I find her advice about writing to be priceless. And I love hearing the 'behind-the-scences' stories of her writing process.


Discussion Points:
a. What are your thoughts about Mrs. Lord's visit?
b. What part did you find most interesting?
c. Least interesting?
d. If one thing could have been different about our day with her, what you it be? How would you change her visit?

Let's write!


Here is a link to Mrs. Lord's on-line journal. I think her entry about visiting York is great!

32 The End

We've finished Rules. Let's share our impressions, likes, dislikes, questions and criticisms.

Please be sure both comment and respond to others' comments!


Discussion Points:
a. What were your favorite parts of Rules?
b. What are your criticisms of Rules (the things you thought could be better)?
c. Talk about your favorite and least favorite characters, and why you feel that way.
d. What questions are you left with?
e. What do you wish had been different?

Let's write!


Bonus: I'll give a pack of Smarteez to the first person who can correctly identify the TWO conjunctions in the first (and only) three sentences in this blog post.

31 Talking With Word (Cards)

Please reflect on your experience with your word cards. 

Discussion Points:

a. What was it like to be unable to speak?

b. Was any part of the simulation particularly frustrating? If so, which?

c. Was the simulation easier than you thought it would be? If so, how?

d. Do you have a better understanding of what it might be like to have a disability like Jason's? If so, talk about your new understanding?

e. What else would you like to say about using word cards?

Let's Write!

30 RULES: Jason and David

Welcome back! I'm excited to begin blogging with you again. I can't wait to read your thoughts and ideas. Let's get started.

In Rules, Catherine has two people in her life who live with unique challenges. Her brother, David, is autistic. And her friend, Jason, has a condition which has not yet been named. But we know that no matter what it is called, Jason can't talk, walk or use his hands well.

What I'd like you to do is contrast and compare David and Jason. Let's also talk about how Catherine deals with each character.

Before you begin writing, read all the comments that others have written and read the discussion points. Use both to guide your answers. You don't have to answer every discussion point. Pick one or two. However, I want each of you to write something unique. Please do you very best NOT to write a comment like any you have read.

And don't forget to comment on others' comments. That is the most fun part!

Discussion Points:
a. What are their similarities?
b. What are their differences?
c. Do David's and Jason's disabilities make them similar? How?
d. Do they make them different? In what ways?
e. How does Catherine deal with each character?
f. How does Catherine feel towards each character?
g. How does each character feel towards Catherine?
h. Do they share similar feelings?
i. Or are their feelings towards her very different? How?

Let's write!

29 Let's Talk: What A Character! II

Last week we found new words to describe Harris, the larger than life second cousin to 'Jeremy'. Here is the list y'all made:

confident
different
dissimilar
original
creative
mischievous
rascal
bold
unbalanced
unpredictable
forward
unafraid
optimistic
persistent
jaunty
fearless
venturesome
fidgety
undaunted
carefree
juvenile
hyperactive
unnerved
rambunctious
boisterous
rowdy
brave
courageous
forthright
undisciplined
imaginative
curious
impetuous
inventive
interesting

This is a very comprehensive list! The words on this list describe Harris's many traits. Someone who hasn't read Harris and Me and who does not know Harris would get a very, very clear picture of Harris.

Or would they?

This long list includes 36 excellent examples of what are known as Inner Character Traits. Inner Traits are those characteristics of characters (and real people) that are part of their personality. They are part of who the person is on the inside.

The opposite of Inner Character Traits are...you guessed it! Outer Character Traits. Outer Traits are those features that are part of a character's (or person's) physical appearance. Examples of Outer Traits include: hair color, eye color, height, weight, cleanliness, odor, facial features like freckles, zits or wrinkles, nose shape and posture.


Discussion Points:
a. Choose one other character from a book we've read together this year: Bridge, Charlotte's Web, Schooled or Harris and Me.
b. Describe that character using three (3) Inner Traits and three (3) Outer Traits.
c. As before, when describing this character's Inner Traits, use only new words that others would never think to use.
d. And when describing this character's Outer Traits, make an effort to choose features other might not remember or have thought out. Be unique! Be creative!

Let's Write!

28. Let's Talk: Harris - What A Character!

Harris is an original. Even though "Jeremy" is narrating the story, Harris feels like the main character, doesn't he?

Harris is "larger than life" (that's an idiom that means his traits and qualities and characteristics seem more interesting and more exciting than an ordinary person's).


Discussion Points:
a. Full credit (three points!) for commenting with two unique and accurate words to describe Harris. You might have to look some up in a thesaurus. Take you time!
b. Your two words must be spelled correctly. 
c. They must also be original. That means they can not have been used by anyone else. So be different! But keep true to Harris.
d. As always, come back to this post later. Read others' descriptive words. Then reply with whether you disagree or agree with that person's choice of words. And don't forget to explain WHY!

Let's write!

(Oh yeah, if you don't know what a word means, don't skip over it! Look it up! This is a vocabulary lesson as well as a reading lesson!)

27: Let's Talk - Compare and Contrast: Bridge and Schooled

So far this year we've read two stories that fall under the genre realistic fiction: Bridge to Terabithia and Schooled (although I would argue that one is WAY more realistic than the other - can you guess which?).

As the reader in you grows and becomes more able, one important skill to develop is the ability to compare and contrast characters, plots, settings, problems, etc. Being able to discern (that means 'figure out') similarities and differences helps you understand both stories better and helps you to more deeply appreciate them.

For example, let's compare and contrast Jess's farm to Garland Farm. First, the comparisons (similarities).

Jess's farm is small. Some might not even call it a farm. It is really nothing more than an old, run down farm house, a shed that housed Miss Bessie, a small vegetable garden, some fields and woods. It was home to a poor family who wished they had more money.

Garland Farm was also run down. And technically speaking it too was a poor family's home. But I think that is where the similarities end (if you can think of additional similarities, please add them in your comment!).

Now let's contrast (find differences).

Where as Jess's farm had always been a home to his family, Garland Farm had once been home to a commune. So many families had once lived at Garland Farm that, at its largest, it might have been considered a very small town. It was certainly an entire community.

Where as Jess's farm was run down because his family had trouble earning enough money to keep it up, Garland Farm was run down because Rain and Cap chose to have and spend as little money as possible. They believed money was the root of all evil. They wanted to keep their lives free from money to the greatest extent possible. Garland's run down condition was Rain and Cap's choice. That's a big difference! What do you think Jess's mom and dad would have said to Rain when they learned of that choice? Could they be more different?

Where as Jess's farm was one of the places he wanted to escape FROM, and therefore became one of the factors that led to the creation of Terabithia, Garland Farm is the place Cap wants to escape TO (for most of the story). C Average Middle School was so unlike Garland Cap felt disoriented. He saw Garland as the place that would save him, the place that would bring sanity back to his life.

Do you see how thinking and writing about the similarities and differences of just the farms in these two books can really help you gain a deeper understanding of the characters and stories. If you answered 'no', go back and reread this post. Seriously. Do it. You have plenty of time.

You can compare and contrast almost anything. Let's think of Bridge to Terabithia and Schooled again. With these to stories you could compare and contrast another setting like Lark Creek Elementary and C Average Middle School. You might compare and contrast characters, like Jess and Cap, Leslie and Rain, Zach and Janice Avery. Or, you could even compare and contrast parts of the plot, like the endings.



Discussion Points:
a. Think about both books.
b. Find one part of each to compare and contrast.
c. In your comment, list at least one comparison (similarity) and one contrast (difference).
d. Then, later, go to others' comments, read them, and reply with one additional comparison or contrast.
e. That means you're writing at least twice on this one Let's Talk post.

Let's write!

26. Let's Talk: Point of View - Part Two

We learned about point of view when we learned about first-person narration versus third-person narration. When the protagonist tells the story, we call that first-person point of view. When the author  tells the story we call that third-person point of view.

In this post we are going to focus on first-person point of view. Schooled uses first-person narration. And it does so in an interesting way. In Schooled, the protagonist, Capricorn Anderson, isn't the only narrator.

Many other characters tell the story as well. The other narrators include:


Mrs. Donnelly
Sophie Donnelly
Hugh Winkleman
Zach Powers
Naomi Erlanger
Darryl Pennyfield
Mr. Kasigi

Each character has a unique point of view. As readers, it is important for us to realize that any part of the story can be seen from any one of these characters' perspectives. And how a character interprets the story directly affects how that character narrates the story to you, the reader.

For example, let's take Cap's decision to save Mr. Rodrigo, the bus driver, by driving the bus to the hospital. Below are eight different ways, one from each character, to see this single event.

1. From Cap's point of view, he is doing the responsible thing because he is trying to save a life.

2. From Hugh's point of view, Cap might be a bit crazy. But Hugh also sees Cap as incredibly brave and daring. Hugh is also a bit blown away by extraordinary nature of the entire episode. In a way he just can't believe Cap drove a real school bus.

3. From Mr. Kasigi's point of view, Cap was acting irresponsibly because he chose to drive the bus instead of waiting for paramedics to handle the situation.

4. From Naomi's point of view, Cap was becoming a dreamy hero who was beginning to look cuter and cuter.

5. From Zach's point of view, well, Zach didn't know what to think of Cap at that point. Like Zach says later in the story, "Cap Anderson doesn't come with a book of instructions.".

6. From Mrs. Donnelly's point of view Cap was doing what would have been considered correct in a world like Garland Farm. But having been a part of both worlds, she knew his decision to drive the bus was completely out of the ordinary in the 'real world'.

And, of course, there are other characters in the story that are not narrators, but have their own point of view as well.

7. From the polices' point of view, Cap was breaking the law. He was behaving beyond irresponsibly. He was reckless. He was a criminal.

8. From Rain's point of view, Cap was proving himself to be compassionate, intelligent and an independent thinker. Rain saw Cap in this instance as someone who was not going to listen to "the man" just because the law said he should be driving. Rain saw Cap as someone who was going to stick to his beliefs about what's right and wrong no matter what. Rain saw Cap as a free thinker.

So, as you can see from these eight examples, every character, like every individual in real life, has their own unique interpretation of each event in a story. Each of these eight characters, had they been given the chance, would have narrated this part of the story differently. How they would have narrated this part of the story would have been completely affected by how their point of view; their interpretation of the event.

It is your job, as an experienced reader, to be able to know each character well enough to understand what their point of view probably is AND how it affects how each event in a story is narrated. I say 'probably' because the only way you could ever be 100% certain is to ask each character, which, of course, in impossible...usually.

So, point of view. When it comes to first-person narration, who the narrator is affects how the events of a story are interpreted and narrated. Each of the eight characters discussed above had their own interpretation of Cap's decision to drive the bus and therefore, would have narrated it differently.


Discussion Point:
a. Think deeply about Schooled.
b. Pick one event or moment, besides the bus incident.
c. In your comment, explain how three of the characters in Schooled probably interpreted that event, based on your understanding of their point of view.
d. Also, read others' comments and reply to them. In your reply add one more character's interpretation of that same event (the one talked about in the comment to which you have replied).

Let's write!

25 Quotes & Your Opinions

"All you need is love." - The Beatles

"(Middle school) is a cheesy, pre-package rehearsal for being alive." - Hugh Winkleman

"Sometimes we use money to get along, but that doesn't mean we have to become it's slave." - Rain

"Rain always said that nothing was more responsible than doing what was in your power to make another human being happy." - Capricorn Anderson

"Rain says there should be no limit on giving, on taking." - Capricorn Anderson

These are some of the more recent, interesting lines come from our read aloud, Schooled.


Discussion Points:
a. Read each.
b. Choose one.
c. Write about it. Do you agree? Why? Disagree? Why?
d. Include an example in your comment that helps to illustrate your opinion.

Let's write!

24 Let's Talk: Figurative Language

We've spent our shared reading time this week learning about different types of figurative language. The previous post talked about idioms.

We've also learned about hyperbole, metaphor and simile.

Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration to make a point. An example is: "That was the toughest Math test in the world!"

Metaphor and simile are two techniques that accomplish the same goal. Each compares one thing to another to show a resemblance.

Metaphor uses an implicit comparison (remember, implicit is another form of the word 'imply', which means 'to suggest something without actually saying it'). An example of a metaphor is, 'The yard was the size of a postage stamp."

Simile uses an explicit comparison (remember, explicit means stated clearly and directly). It might be easier to remember that simile uses words such as 'like' or 'as' to make the comparison. "His heart was a big as a whale.".

Idiom.

Hyperbole.

Metaphor.

Simile.

Those are the four types of figurative language we studied this week. 

But there are many, many more types. Other types of figurative language include: alliteration, personification and onomatopoeia. We'll learn about these and others later.

Discussion Points:

a. As you read each night this week, be on the lookout for metaphors, similes and hyperbole. When you find an example, write it down.
b. If you don't know, or forget, what any of these are, ask someone, like your mom or dad or me.
c. In your comment, quote the metaphor, simile or hyperbole you found. Include the title and and page number of the book from which it came.
d. Then explain what that quote means.

Let's collect figurative language!

23 Let's Talk: Idioms

The Merriam-Webster School Dictionary defines idiom as "An expression that can not be understood from the meanings of its separate words but must be learned as a whole."

The American Heritage Dicionary defines idiom as "...an expression...that...cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements (words), as in keep tabs on."

We talked about an idiom as an expression that has an entirely different meaning than that of its individual words.

For example, an idiom we discussed today was "a screw loose". Taken literally, it means a screw has come loose it, when it should be tight. But we know that as an idiom, "a screw loose" really means someone is a bit odd, weird or different.

We also saw "nine bricks shy of a full load" in action. Taken literally, that expression would mean there is a load of bricks that is short nine. If you had paid for those bricks you would either want those nine bricks found or refunded. But we know that as an idiom, "nine bricks shy of a full load" really means some is a bit odd, weird or different, very similar to "a screw loose".


Discussion Points:
a. As you read each night this week, be on the lookout for idioms. When you find one, write it down.
b. If you don't know what the idiom means, ask someone, like your mom or dad or me.
c. In your comment, quote the idiom you found. Include the title and and page number of the book from which it came.
d. Then explain what that idiom means.

Let's collect idioms!