As students read deeper into their nonfiction books, they are recording their thoughts to bits of information that jump out at them. Good readers are always actively engaging the text: asking questions, making connections, predicting, summarizing, and enjoying ah-ha! moments. The goal in keeping logs and using sticky notes while reading is to raise awareness of the active thought process that occurs. This enables greater focus and attention, as well as internalization of the reading. Readers may find that at times their thoughts are quick, short and fragmented, while other times they may run on in a web of connections and associations.
In class we've been looking at types of sentences with a focus on identifying fragments and run-ons. Students have been practicing rewriting sentences to correct for these errors by combining fragments and adding correct punctuation as needed.
Additionally, we looked at an exemplar of a well-written response to a prompt related to an article read in class last week. Students highlighted the parts of the paragraph (topic sentence, transition words, supporting details, quotes, and clincher) in different colors to visually see the pattern of logical order and cohesion.
Finally, mid-week we will watch a TED talk titled "The Danger of a Single Story" by Chimamanda Adichie and think about the impact of an author's perspective on his/her writing and audience.
Homework:
Monday: Finish fragment practice #2; BRING IN nonfiction book tomorrow! Log #2 due Thursday.
Tuesday: Reading Log due Thursday.
Wednesday: Finish response to "The Danger of a Single Story" TED talk; Reading log due tomorrow; BRING BOOK tomorrow! (need to renew at library)
Thursday: Finish "Nonfiction Moments" handout
Friday: Reading log due next Thursday
Reading Log
Nonfiction Moments Activity
Danger of a Single Story pre & post writing
TED talk: The Danger of a Single Story
