103 Things to Do Before, During and After Reading

You have tons to choose from for our last response to literature assignment. Every student received a short story today and worked on locating unfamiliar vocabulary words, and predicting/finding defintions. You will complete a characterization chart and identify big ideas supported by text evidence.

Then...you get to choose the response method. Find something that fits your talents and interests.

Here is the link to the Reading Rockets list of 103 response strategies. Print it if you have lost/misplaced your copy.

http://readingrockets.org/article/82?theme=print

Literary Letters

Literary letters are letters written by readers to fictional characters. They should be written as if you are speaking to the character, so be sure to use conversational tone. Also, remember your audience. If you are writing to a teenage narrator, use language that person would
understand/relate to well. If you are writing to an adult, be professional and courteous.
Letters must include:
1/ greeting
2/ theme statement
3/ text evidence that supports theme statement
4/ closing

Be sure to show your understanding of "The White Umbrella" (701) and "Fortune Cookie" (702/703)!

Theme Statements

We are moving on from identifying big ideas in literature to turning them into theme statements, complete sentences that:
1/ communicate the author's message
2/ comment about life
3/ impart a lesson

These statements are not specific to the story, but rather general statements that apply to literature and to life.

New Unit: Response to Literature

Tomorrow we will begin a new unit, Response to Literature, in which we will examine big ideas (themes) in stories. We will use some skills we already have mastered (such as text-to-self connections) and some that are new (such as tracking an "author's craft" and connecting big ideas in literature to the world at large).

We will begin the unit by examining what "big ideas" are, and finding them in a read-aloud, "Rules of the Game" by Amy Tan.

Preparing to Publish

As we prepare to publish, please keep in mind that there are VERY HIGH expectations for your published work. You must show progress...revision and editing.
Please turn in your work in this manner:

• Cover page (optional)
• Final piece (error-free writing, with a title, typed or handwritten)
• Most recent edited and revised draft (you MUST show progress with handwritten changes - highlighted verbs, insertions, deletions, etc.)
• Timeline
• Rubric

We will celebrate our writing with a publishing party. 702: Tuesday morning; 703: Tuesday afternoon; 731: to be announced.

After Thanksgiving break, we will reflect on the small moment narrative process and your writing piece, as well as use the laptops to enter our work into ePortfolio.

Editing

We are in the process of editing draft #2 - finding and fixing errors in:

• spelling
• punctuation
• grammar/tense
• capitalization

Please check your work carefully. Besides being 10% of your score on the rubric, mechanics are key for the reader. It's really difficult (and not very enjoyable) to read work with tons of errors.

Publishing dates:

702/703: 11/20 (this Friday at the end of the double period)

701: 11/25 (next Wed. - be prepared to turn in your work at the start of the first workshop - we may not even meet that day with all the Thanksgiving festitivities).

Conference Notes

Students are now required to take notes during and/or after a conference w/Mrs. Marks, Mrs. Moreno, or a classmate. Conference notes will help you improve your writing.
1/ Take note of the positive aspects of your work (what the reviewer has said was good, or is a "plus"
2/ Jot down areas for improvement (what the reviewer has said needs work, or is a "negative"
3/ Plan/devise next steps.

Notes should be taken in your Sourcebook, which will be collected and graded at least once per term.

PLEASE NOTE: Check Teacherease everyday for assessment and feedback about your work.