Friday, January 6, 2017

Announcements and Reminders:                           January 10, 2017 -- Class Party  Hugo The Jungle Book -- new Nancy Drew The Little Prince The Last Unicorn Harry Potter 1 or 2  Spirited Away Howl's Moving Castle If you didn't complete the response to "Stubby Pringle" and hand it in to the wire basket, do that RIGHT AWAY, please!  You could finish your author website assignment at home BY FRIDAY and hand it in to the wire basket. All late work needs to come in today! Friday, January 6, 2017.

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.

Today’s  Agenda: 1. Individual Reading 2. Reading Short Stories:  "Hansel's Eyes" is a short story by Garth Nix.  It is based on a familiar fairy tale, but Mr. Nix does something very different with the tale.  "The Christmas Hatchet" is a story by Patrick McManus.  The author is known for his humor. "All Summer in a Day" is by the famous science fiction writer, Ray Bradbury, and is set on a planet where the sun shines for only two hours once every seven years.  "UnSchooled" is the beginning of a book by Neal Shusterman titled Unbound.  His Unwind series is placed in a future where the disagreements between pro-life and pro-abortion supporters led to a terrible civil war.  To settle the war, both sides have agreed to outlaw abortion, but replace it with "unwinding." Select a short story to read in a group of three or four. After you have read it. . .     Evaluate the story:     In your composition book,      Write the title and author.     Rate the story from one to five stars.       Write one thing you liked about the story and,   if you wish, one thing you did not like about the story. Rating system:     ★    Don’t bother reading; it’s a sleeper.    ★★  Read with caution; the story has one good part.    ★★★  Read it; it’s worth it.   ★★★★  Read without reservation; it’s great!!   ★★★★★  Throw caution to the wind; find a comfy chair and some snacks because you won’t be able to put it down. If you are missing the short story assignments, complete them on January 10! Show them to Ms. D.

If You Were Absent: See above.  The links for the survey and websites are in your email message from me.

Vocabulary: Short story:  A short story is a brief work of fiction, usually written in prose and running 1,600 to 20,000 words in length.  -- study.com/academy/lesson/short-stories-definition-characteristics-examples.html      A short story is fictional work of prose that is shorter in length than a novel. Edgar Allan Poe, in his essay "The Philosophy of Composition," said that a short story should be read in one sitting, anywhere from a half hour to two hours. In contemporary fiction, a short story can range from 1,000 to 20,000 words.       Because of the shorter length, a short story usually focuses on one plot, one main character (with a few additional minor characters), and one central theme, whereas a novel can tackle multiple plots and themes, with a variety of prominent characters. Short stories also lend themselves more to experimentation — that is, using uncommon prose styles or literary devices to tell the story.  -- https://www.cliffsnotes.com/cliffsnotes/subjects/literature/what-is-a-definition-of-short-story