GREAT NEWS!!!!!!

If your child should need more time with the book to complete a role sheet or review some reading, there are several options:

1. We have 10 copies available for OVERNIGHT check out from class
2. Your public library will surely have this book
3. It retails for $5.99 at local bookstores
4. At 7:45 AM Mrs. Gould is in room 204. Come in to read!
5. You can download the audio book Maniac Magee for free from the Jacksonville Public Library. All it takes is a library card. You can download and listen on your pc or iPod.
   
   Just follow this link to the downloadable audio book. LINK

Literature Circle Role Sheets

AS YOUR CHILDREN KNOW...

we are learning a new literature circle role in class each day for the next week or so. Each day we will learn the new role, read a portion of the book, then have time to work on the role sheet in preparation for discussion in the following class. If a student does not complete the role sheet in class, it is HOMEWORK. Failure to complete a role sheet means no participation in the circle discussion (a zero) and a reduced grade for the late role sheet.

YOUR CHILDREN KNOW THIS.

Unfortunately, I think we may have arrived at the Springtime misinformation campaign.

Extra Credit Opportunity!

We've been working on identifying main idea of writing, whether stated or implied, and we anticipate that we will be assessing students' understanding later in May. Want some extra credit practice? We have placed a Main Idea Practice activity in each student's Compass Odyssey backpack. Complete this activity before the assessment and we will add a bonus 5 points to the test score. For directions on accessing Compass Odyssey, click here to review the January posting.

Maniac Mania!

We've begun reading Maniac Magee, through Chapter 7. Class discussions will begin on Wednesday and Thursday on the chapters read thus far.

Need a quick recap? Interested in more Maniac Information? Check out this wonderful website, designed by a Junior High student in Nebraska.

Literature Circles Role Sheets

The reading and completion of the role sheets are to be done in class. If a student doesn't use time well and the role sheet isn't completed then it may be completed at home turned in late.

Failure to complete the role sheet has serious consequences. A zero in group participation (the discussion) plus the late work penalty of 1/2 a letter grade per day.

We really mean for the students to work efficiently when we are through reading in class so that we can have ample time for the conversation and comprehension of the book, the FUN part of the literature circles!

For printable copies of all role sheets you may visit this site.

Literature Circles

We've begun our in-class novel, Maniac Magee, by Jerry Spinelli. We have a class set of these books and we will be reading and discussing this in groups in class. We urge students to NOT read ahead, no matter how tempting!
To facilitate in-depth conversations we are practicing the various roles of the literature circle. Each role has a "role sheet" to complete before joining the discussion.
We have read "Before the Story" and Chapter 1, and we are practicing the Connector Role. Completion of the role sheet will encourage students to read actively and have meaningful conversations.

Literature Circles

We will begin a novel unit shortly, but first we are learning our roles for literature circles. What are literature circles?

}Groups that meet regularly to discuss assigned readings.
}Open, natural conversations happen.
}Roles are assigned to each student.
}Each student must bring required materials to the discussion (or they do not participate…).

Some students may have participated in circles like these before, but we are requiring students to be prepared very specifically for the in-depth, meaningful conversations we want them to have. There are 5 roles that will be assigned, plus two roles that everybody will take on:

We have begun learning the roles of summarizer and word wizard. To summarize we are using the summarization strategies "Somebody Wanted But So," and "Fortunately, Unfortunately." We practiced these strategies using Pixar short films and some of the short stories we have read this year.

Knick Knack (Pixar Short)

Somebody (Character)
◦The snowman in the globe.
Wanted (Main Goal)
◦To party with the bikini knick-knack girl
But (Conflict)
◦All of his attempts to exit the snow globe failed
So (Result/Solution)
◦He remained stuck in the snow globe which had fallen into a fish tank during his rush to escape.

Fortunately
◦The snowman in the snow globe had a lot of tools to try to break out and join the bikini girl at the party.
Unfortunately
◦All his attempts failed, and he was trapped in his snow globe, which had fallen into a fish tank, and was still unable to get to the ladies.

This skill will be practiced on the role sheets as we begin the novel in the coming days.

Vocabulary Set #4

1. BOORISH [BOOR-ish]
   of or like a boor; unmannered; crude; insensitive.


2. CORPULENT [KAWR-pyuh-luhnt]
   large or bulky of body; portly; stout.
   Adjective


3. CURT [KURT]
   rudely brief in speech or abrupt in manner; terse; laconic; shortened.
   Adjective


4. FLIPPANT [FLIP-uhnt]
   frivolously disrespectful, shallow, or lacking in seriousness; characterized by levity
   Adjective


5. GARRULOUS [GAR-yuh-luhs]
   excessively talkative in a rambling, roundabout manner, esp. about trivial matters; wordy
   Adjective


6. INDIFFERENT [In-DIF-ruhnt]
   without interest or concern; not caring; apathetic; disinterested
   Adjective


7. INSOLENT [IN-suh-luhnt]boldly rude or disrespectful; contemptuously impertinent; insulting
   Adjective


8. PRETENTIOUS [pri-TEN-shuhs]
   characterized by assumption of dignity or importance; making an exaggerated outward show; ostentatious.
   Adjective


9. SERENE [SUH-reen]
   calm, peaceful, or tranquil; unruffled
   Adjective


10. TACITURN [TAS-i-turn]
    inclined to silence; reserved in speech; reluctant to join in conversation.
    Adjective
    

Online Flashcards for this set are available at this link:FLASHCARD MACHINE

Main Idea: State or Implied?

In class we are working some more on main idea of paragraphs, this time by writing some of our own. It is so much harder to write an implied main idea, we're finding. This critical skill will help students to determine the important information when reading for any subject!