Updates

Spring 2019:

We work on reading strategies and vocabulary every day. Mrs. Angelo's Reading students at all grade levels have just finished practicing finding and describing character traits, comparing characters to each other, and learning how characters interact with each other, as well as with the events of their respective in-class reading novels. They have also practiced comparing and contrasting sensory images, including movies, with the books they read in order to discover what is unique to each medium.

Students are learning to make connections to themselves, to other texts, and to the world around them while reading; they also practice using background knowledge to better understand and remember new information. Students have been using Newsela to expand their non-fiction text-to-world knowledge. So far, all students' average non-fiction reading scores have gone up at least 2 levels! Another useful strategy that Mrs. Angelo's students have been learning to implement is asking and answering questions while reading. They will be practicing this next using the popular QAR (Question-Answer Relationship) strategy.

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Update #1:

Grade 8A and 8E students are currently reading Skink, a novel of adventure by Carl Hiaasen, the same author who wrote Hoot. In all of his books, his concern for the environment shines through.

Grade 7B is reading The Revealers, a novel about how people can come together to rid a school of bullies.

Students in Mrs. Angelo's Grade 6C and 6G periods are reading The Ghost's Grave by Peg Kehret, a somewhat spooky story about Willie, a ghost who needs the living protagonist, Josh's help to move on. Peg Kehret is the same author who wrote Small Steps which students read last year; it is about Kehret's experience with childhood polio.

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Update #2:

Currently, Grade 8A and 8E are both reading Crossing the Wire. It is about crossing the border illegally from Mexico to the United States. This realistic novel adds to students' understanding of current issues and events. They have also watched several videos for additional context, and will be reading and discussing unbiased information and rhetoric about President Trump's proposed wall between the United States and Mexico.

In Grade 6B and 6C, students are reading The City of Ember. This exciting futuristic novel is set in a city that is far underground, created by "builders" to ensure that humans will survive an unknown situation occurring above. Unfortunately, the city has been underground for far too long, and its generator and everything else has begun to fail.

Grade 6G students have just started reading Crenshaw. It is a fantasy/realistic novel. A boy created an imaginary friend when he was little, and now it is back - as a giant cat! The reason the cat is back is because of the very real problems currently facing the boy's family. The book leads into discussions and even some research about homelessness and families, and discusses support services that are available to real students in need.