Prepositions and Projects

We have been reviewing uses of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs within the context of our vocabulary work.  This week we will take a close look at prepositions, those little words that pack a lot of responsibility in giving meaning to both oral and written language.  Students will hopefully come to understand the ways in which parts of speech function and work together to produce effective communication.

In lieu of a final test on The Giver, I would like students to engage in one final activity that is hopefully meaningful and interesting to them by which they can demonstrate their understanding, analysis, and interpretation of the novel.  I have suggested several options for a final assessment project, and they may work individually or with a partner.  The instruction handouts are linked below. 

This week will be a combination of work with prepositions and projects.  The final project is due next Tuesday, March 5.

Homework:

Monday:  brainstorm/makes notes for your project

Tuesday-Friday:  work on projects--due next Tuesday 3/5!

The Giver: Final Assessment

The Giver: Storyboard Instructions

The Giver final assessment rubrics

Writing to Learn and Learning to Write

This week we are exploring the difference between writing to learn and learning to write.  Students are coming to understand that writing can be a tool of thought and expression; that they can use writing to dive deeper into text.  Students are choosing a sticky note thought that they recorded during their reading of The Giver, and they are extending it into other areas of thought as a way of responding to the novel.  Thus, they are using writing as a tool to deepen their thinking and comprehension of the story, characters, elements of literature, and literary devices.  Before beginning their work on this, I led them through a model of my own sticky note and response to one of the short stories we had read.  We worked backward from the finished response to fill in the brainstorming web so that students could trace the way in which my thoughts shifted to new ideas.  The web and the finished response serve as a model for their own work.  After drafting their responses, students will practice learning to write by editing and revising their work.

In addition to our writing activity this week, we will engage, I'm sure, in lively discussions about the ending of The Giver.  We will examine parts of Lois Lowry's Newbery Award acceptance speech in which she explains some aspects of the story and characters.  Students will also be offered choices of follow up activities in which they can further express their understanding of the novel.

Homework:

Monday:  finish reading (or review) ending of book; finish web started in class

Tuesday:  finish web or review and add to it

Wednesday:  get a solid head start writing your response (use your brainstorming web to guide your writing!)

Thursday:  finish response draft

Friday:  HAPPY WINTER BREAK!  HAVE FUN!  (if you didn't finish your response, do so and submit to Google Classroom)


Giver Grammar: Editing for Punctuation

Response Writing Model

Response prompts in case you are stuck

Response editing checklist
Response Writing Rubric

We Join Jonas in the Race to the End

As Jonas races against time to execute his plan with The Giver, we can feel the urgency and sense the danger that lies ahead for him.  Students delved deeper into his experience of receiving memories by interpreting chapter 16 through a variety of lenses.  Today, super summarizers and language lovers, word wizards, amazing actors, illustrious illustrators, and super text sleuths presented their work to the class.  This multilayered activity fostered not only deeper comprehension of the text but speaking and listening skills as well.

We are on course to finish our reading of the novel this week (by next Monday).  Students are analyzing plot events, characters, and themes through collaboration and presentation of their answers to thought-provoking questions.  Next week students will embark on some wrap-up activities to further demonstrate their comprehension of this novel, including elements of fiction therein as well as genre and themes.

Homework:

Monday:  catch up on reading (through ch. 18); use sticky notes while reading...

Tuesday:  read ch. 19 

Wednesday:  read ch. 20

Thursday:  read ch. 21

Friday:  read ch. 22-end!