Monday, November 7, 2016

Announcements and Reminders: - PTSA Spirit Shirt Day- All students are invited to wear their PTSA Spirit Shirts, on Friday, November 11th.  Show your Cavemen pride!!!!  Or at least wear red!

Today’s  Agenda:  1.  Pick up your composition books.  2.  Individual Reading Time 3.  Write a response in your composition book (labeling it with today's date and the title "Compare and/or Contrast") comparing and/or contrasting  the book you are reading with Gregor.   Write at least 1/3 page. November 7, 2016 -- Compare and/or Contrast        Gregor the Overlander and How They Croaked are two very different books.  In the first place, Gregor is fictional and How They Croaked is nonfiction.   Gregor focuses on one set of characters.  On the other hand, How They Crooked is all about how famous people died, but each chapter is about a different person.   Gregor comes out of the imagination of Suzanne Collins (who also wrote The Hunger Games series), while Georgia Bragg spent a lot of time researching  the lives and deaths of the famous people she includes in her book, then she added her own sassy attitude to the way she shares what she learned.          Of the two, How They Croaked contains more text features such as text boxes and appendices to each chapter, as well as lists of sources and recommendations for further reading, and an index.  Gregor is divided into Parts 1, 2, and 3, and then into chapters.  At the end of the edition I'm reading are acknowledgements (thanks) by the author,  Illustrations for Gregor the Overlander 4. Group Reading of Gregor the Overlander/Discussing/Responding  Point of View: first person -- limited omniscient -- unlimited onmiscient -- (second person is rare) Protagonist:  the "good guy,"  the main character, usually the one the reader most empathizes with.  Antagonist: a person or a group of people who oppose a protagonist. What should the working of a  good discussion group look like, sound like, feel like?   everyone involved on task -- following along looking at the person speaking talking about the book calm voices  Silence is okay.  You can think before you speak. If you don't understand what another person said, ask for clarification.  Ask questions of other group members, then really listen to their answers.  all feel included all feel listened to safe to say what they want to say Getting Started Collegial discussions are mutually respectful conversations  among student colleagues in a group or classroom environment. Suggested words to look up: regal (as in Regalia) -- So, why is the city called Regalia? Another city is called "Troy."  Where does that name come from? What phrase do the Underlanders use as a farewell? Items you could discuss:  These are things you all should understand about the book. Characters  Who are the characters?  How do you feel about each one?   Identify the protagonist(s). Identify the antagonist(s).   Setting  What are the macro and micro settings so far?  Point of View What is the point of view of the narrator?          first person?   -- limited omniscient? -- unlimited omniscient?Dialogue How does the author show the differences among the characters by the way they speak?  Themes (and values supported by the text):  What are the morals of the story?   What qualities/character traits does the author seem to admire?   ____________________________________________ Hand in your group role worksheets.  http://cfmedia.btsb.com/TitleLessonPlans/2492.pdf

Targets for Today:   Reading: Literature Standard 10  By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Speaking and Listening Standard 1  Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion. b.  Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed. c.  Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed. d.  Acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted, modify their own views.

If You Were Absent: See above.

Vocabulary: Protagonist:  the "good guy,"  the main character, usually the one the reader most empathizes with.  Antagonist: a person or a group of people who oppose a protagonist. collegial. Characterized by or having authority or responsibility shared equally by each of a group of colleagues. Collegial discussions are mutually respectful conversations between student colleagues in a group or classroom environment.