Language Arts for December 6-December 17,2010/LaBarbera

Language Arts for December 6-17,2010/LaBarbera/6-1

Homework:
Select five questions from the Reading Response Question sheet. You are expected to read nightly, so your responses will reflect at least five nights of reading at a minimum of 20 minutes per night.
Sample questions on the sheet:
Are there any connections between this book and your own life?
What makes you wonder in this book?
What are your favorite lines or quotes in this book? Write them and explain them.
What questions about this book would you like answered?
What do you predict will happen next in your book? Explain.
What character do you like best? What character do you like least? Explain
How does the author create suspense?
If you could change the ending of the book, what would you do? Why?
What is the mood or tone of the book?
Did any of the characters change during the course of the book? How did they change and what caused the change?
What were your feelings after reading the first few pages of the book?
What confuses you in this book? Explain.
What is the most important part of the book? Explain.
What advice would you give a particular character? Why?
If you could introduce a character from your book to your family, who would you introduce and why?
Which character would you be ashamed to introduce to your family? Explain.
Do you think the author is asking you to judge one of the characters? Explain.
Do you think the author is asking you to cheer on one of the characters? Explain.l

There should be a one paragraph response PER QUESTION..... for a total of five paragraphs due Monday, December 13.

New project announcement:
We are preparing to read Where the Red Fern Grows. There will be vocabulary, critical thinking projects, and discussion.
Project #1 is due Friday, December 17.
Directions: Select an item you would want to buy for less than $500. Set up a chart of tasks with $ amounts attached. Determine how long it would take you to earn $200, $300 , etc. if you completed these tasks over a period of time. In the novel, Billy Coleman worked for two years to save for something he wanted. In your chart, indicate the tasks, their $ amount, and calculate how long it would take to earn the money for the object you want to buy. Share with the class on Friday, December 17.

Expand your vocabulary:
Learn these words . Read. As we proceed with the novel, find these words and indicate which page you found them in the book.
residential, scolding, whimpering, mantel, ringtail coon, whooping, cooped up, snorted and chugged, sycamore, kennel, dep0t, pangs, gunny sack, commotion, vicious.
If you do not know the meaning of a word, look it up in the dictionary and write its definition. Write a sentence for each word that is new to you.

These words are in chapters 1-5 of Where the Red Fern Grows.

Other:
There is a spelling test tomorrow, Tuesday, December 7.
Words and definitions for suffix "ian" and "or." Words and definitions for prefix "post."

The first written draft of the Travel Brochure is due Wednesday, December 8.
The final typed draft of the Travel Brochure is due December 13.

The first written draft of the short story is due this Friday, December 10.
The first typed draft of the short story is due Thursday, December 16.

We will read Where the Red Fern Grows in school, however some students will benefit checking out the book from the library in order to read 5 chapters a week.

Up and Coming: persuasive writing, biography/historical fiction, and expanding vocabulary with homonyms.