Final Literature Project

You all have accomplished a great deal of reading this year. So here's what I want you to do:


1. Make a list of the books you read (INCLUDING AUTHOR) from easiest to hardest.


In a paragraph of 5 or more sentences each:
2. Explain what made your most difficult book so difficult.
3. Compare your easiest book to your hardest book. How were they similar? How were they different?
4. Of all the books you've read this year, which one was your favorite and why?
5. Which book was your least favorite and why?
6. What were your reading goals this year and did you accomplish them?

Final Quote Reflection

Go through your quote notebook and choose your favorite quote. 

On looseleaf:
1) Write the quote and author 
2) explain what you think it means and why it's your favorite quote.

This response should be at least 1/2 page if not longer!

Lit circles final test

What you need to know for the test:

• Protagonist/antagonist
• Three-dimensional/one-dimensional characters
• Internal/external conflict
• Major/minor characters
• Most important scene in the book and why you feel that way
• How your prediction compared to what actually happened
• Questions you still have about the story and/or characters
• How the title is significant to the story

READING IS NOT AN OPTION!

In your journal, write a full page with how you interpret the above statement.

In-class essay: Favorite Picture Book

In an essay of 5 paragraphs or more, please explain your favorite picture book we read as a class this year and why it was your favorite. Possible structure for your essay:

1) Intro paragraph
2) The writing
3) The illustrations
4) The read-aloud experience (i.e., what it was like to experience the story with your classmates)
5) Concluding paragraph

Your options are:
Zorro Gets an Outfit by Carter Goodrich
Guess Again! by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Adam Rex
Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino
Brothers at Bat by Audrey Vernick, illustrated by Steven Salerno
She Loved Baseball by Audrey Vernick, illustrated by Don Tate
Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? by Audrey Vernick, illustrated by Daniel Jennewein
Teach Your Buffalo to Play Drums by Audrey Vernick, illustrated by Daniel Jennewein
So You Want to Be a Rock Star by Audrey Vernick, illustrated by Kristie Edmunds
The Dirty Cowboy by Amy Timberlake, illustrated by Adam Rex
My Friend is Sad by Mo Willems
Can I Play Too? by Mo Willems
We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems
It's a Book by Lane Smith
The Day Glo Brothers by Chris Barton, illustrated by Tony Persiani
Z is for Moose by Kelly Bingham, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky
Chopsticks by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Scott Magoon
Langston's Train Ride by Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Leonard Jenkins
Chloe and the Lion by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Adam Rex
Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine and a Miracle by Brian Dennis
Earth to Clunk by Pam Smallcomb, illustrated by Joe Berger
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On by Jenny Slate, illustrated by Dean Fleischer-Camp
The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Renata Liwska
The Loud Book by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Renata Liwska
The Incredible Life of Balto by Meghan McCarthy
This Plus That: Life's Equations by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Jen Corace
Subway Story by Julia Sarcone-Roach
Prudence Wants a Pet by Cathleen Daly
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
Charlie the Ranch Dog by Ree Drummond, illustrated by Diane DeGroat
Someday by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
One by Kathryn Otoshi

Book Trailer Grading Guidelines

We went over the rubric today in class for your book trailer project. Here is a basic outline of what you will be graded on:

• Storyboard
• Storyboard approval
• Hook
• Transitions
• True to book
• Persuasive
• Graphics
• Audio
• Pacing
• Conventions

Lit Circles Round 2

This set of lit circles is going to be shorter. We're only going to meet twice, which means you need to have half the book read by your first meeting.

Lit circle scheduled meetings:
Group 1: May 14, 21 (Mondays)
Group 2: May 15, 22 (Tuesdays)
Group 3: May 16, 23 (Wednesdays)
Group 4: May 17, 24 (Thursdays)
Group 5: May 18, 25 (Fridays)

Before your meeting, you must do the following:

1)     Write a short summary in your journal of what you read (at least ½ page)

2)     Under your summary, write a ½ page reaction to what you just read

3)     Write 3 discussion questions for the group to talk about which can be done one of two ways:

·        Write the questions on post-its and put them on the page where you had the question

·        Write the questions in your journal and note the page number where you had the question

4)     Flag one passage to share with the group you found one or more of the following:

·        Interesting

·        Curious

·        Confusing

·        Beautiful

·        Frustrating

·        Enraging

·        Exciting

·        Surprising

5)     Make a prediction about what you think will happen next (Only for the first meeting. I will spare you from making one for the last meeting.) 

After your meeting, you must do the following in your journal:

1)     In a paragraph, describe how the group meeting helped you better understand and/or appreciate the text.

2)     In a paragraph, describe your contribution to the group and how you think you should be graded for your participation.

REMEMBER: a paragraph does not just stop at 3 sentences just because I said that was the minimum number of sentences it could be. A paragraph STOPS when you have shared your COMPLETE thoughts.


A friendly reminder:

PLEASE resist the temptation to read too far ahead of your assigned reading. As we discussed in class, most often reading ahead results in stifled discussion and lack of participation due to the inability to share your thoughts with the group since you already KNOW the answer. The fun of literature circles is making these discoveries together, not showing off what a great reader you are because you finished before everyone else.

You are still expected to maintain an independent reading book WHILE you are participating in literature circles, so if you finish your assigned reading early, then move on to your independent reading book. If you can keep multiple TV shows straight for weeks at a time, you can read more than one book at time without much confusion.