Downloadable Resources
HW Reading Response Prompts 9-6-18
→ In addition, you may always use the CW prompts to use as S+J prompts, as long as you write 3 long and strong sentences, following the S+J rules.
Fiction:
- I was surprised at learning… because…
- It was interesting to read how… because…
- What I liked and disliked about the book was … because…
- An interesting/important character was…. because…
- The part(s) of the story that puzzled me and made me ask questions were when… because…
- I think the author’s message is… because…
- What I noticed about the characters was…
- I think the author chose this title for the book because…
- I noticed the setting affected the characters because…
- My prediction is… because…
- What I can infer about the character is that… because…
- The information in the book fits (or doesn’t fit) with what I already know because…
- The text-to-text connection I made was… because…
- The text-to-world connection I made was… because…
- The text-to-self connection I made was… because…
- What I felt about the beginning/ending of the book was … because…
- What I thought about the author’s craft and language was that… because…
- I think the author’s message is… and I disagree/agree with it because…
- I would (or wouldn’t) recommend this book to another reader because…
- If I were the author, I would change the book by… because…
Nonfiction:
- The main idea (M.I.) of this section is…..because…..The 2 supporting details that prove this M.I. are….
- The relationship between ____ and ____ in the book is….because…...
- The fact that_____________ is true makes me think… because…
- I don’t agree with… because…
- This chapter/book makes me realize that…
- The weird or odd thing about this idea is that…
- This connects to/fits with… because…
- This makes me wonder about why…
- This makes me feel…because…
- The Text Structure* of this information is ________ b/c…...
- The information in different subheadings is different because…
- The topic of this book is _____. The pros of this topic are… but the cons of this are…
- I noticed this text includes a lot of… because…
- I noticed this text has some bias* because…
- The theory I’m growing is that…
- One important vocabulary word in this book is…. because…. It means…..
6 Text Structures= i.e. chronology; compare + contrast; cause/effect; problem/solution; description; Question+Answer.
Bias= when you have an attitude/opinion/personal fact that always favors one way of feeling or acting over any other; it influences your judgment and actions; synonym= prejudice.
"Thank You Mr. Falker" HW Responses SAMPLE
→ 2 S+J’s+ 1 ER (S+J= Stop and Jot; E.R.= Extended Response)
Rules:
S+J’s=
E.R.=
-Must each be 3 sentences
-Format it like the answer to a SRQ:
(1) Answer 1 of the Prompts in a complete sentence,
(2) Two pieces of text evidence (1 quote + 1 paraphrasing) to prove your answer
-Must be 8 sentences
-Format it like the answer to an ERQ:
(1) Answer 1 of the Prompts in a complete sentence
(2) FOUR pieces of text evidence (2 quotes + 2 paraphrasings) to prove your answer
(3) 2 sentences that explain each quote (“this means that___”)
(4) Use 1 strong vocabulary word & underline it
(5) Closing sentence (sum up what this paragraph was about using transition word)
→ Choose 3 different prompts from the “HW Response Prompts” sheet each night!
→ You must use ALL of the prompts each month so don’t use the same one over and over!
SAMPLE:
P.S.176 Name
5-313 Date
Title: “Thank You, Mr. Falker” Pages Read: 30
S+J 1=
I was surprised at learning that Tricia was so severely bullied just because she couldn’t read because nowadays, we don’t see kids being that mean to each other since we have so many Anti-Bullying lessons and activities to teach them better. For example, I was shocked to read how the boy, Eric, called Trisha “dumbbell” and when “he got all the other kids to wait for her on the playground, or in the cafeteria, or even in the bathroom, and to jump out and call her “Stupid!” or “Ugly!” In addition, I was shocked to read how the other kids all laughed at her when she couldn’t pronounce the words.
S+J 2= Try this out in your NB now using a different prompt. Remember to use different prompts each night without repeating any prompt throughout the week!
E.R.=
I think the author chose this title for the book because it represents how Trisha’s life changed after Mr. Falker became her teacher & helped her overcome her dyslexia, which she didn’t even know she had. For example, when she was a young girl, she thought that she would eventually learn to read once she got older but she was content (=happy or satisfied with what you have) to be a strong artist instead. As Trisha got older, she became more and more frustrated and embarrassed at how well all of the other classmates could read so easily & I think that she began to feel hopeless and lose confidence in herself, which caused the other students to pick on her. However, all of this changed for her when Mr. Falker started teaching her b/c the text states, “They did a lot of things she didn’t even understand. At first she made circles in sand, and then big sponge circles on the blackboard, going from left to right, left to right.” This means that the 2 teachers were trying to teach her the alphabet before they could teach her to read. In addition, the text states, “And finally she’d read a paragraph. Then another, and another. And finally she’d read a paragraph. And she understood the whole thing.” This means that Trisha was able to read thanks to the wonderful help from Mr. Falker and Miss Plessy who never gave up on her. Thus, the author chose this title for the book to represent the relationship between Trisha and her teacher.
Independent Book Reviews SAMPLE
→ Must complete a minimum of 10 book reviews/recommendations this year= about 1 per month.
→ Write them in the back of your Writing NB.
→ Each recommendation is worth 1 ticket! The more you accomplish, the more you earn! :)
9-6-18
Name: Marianna Davydova
Title: Thank You, Mr. Falker
Author: Patricia Polacco
Summary: [include details that show the characters, their traits/feelings, setting (where+when), plot (main events in order), conflicts, themes].
This book is about a young girl, Trisha, who enjoys listening to stories and she tries to read as she grows up but she never succeeds fully. As the years go by, she ends up very cleverly (=skillfully) hiding the fact that she can't read and can't understand numbers by listening carefully to her teachers and classmates, memorizing what they say, and repeating what they say verbatim (=word for word). In fifth grade, however, Trisha and her family move to California because her mom received a better teaching job there, and Trisha's school experience changed drastically (=extremely).
In this new school, it was harder and harder for Trisha to hide the fact that she had trouble reading and understanding numbers, and for that reason, she was mercilessly (=cruelly; without mercy) bullied by many of the students, especially Eric. On a brighter note, Trisha received a lot of support and guidance from her teacher, Mr. Falker. Not only did he protect her from the bullies' taunting (=mocking; insulting; jeering) but he was also able to help her work with the reading teacher, Ms. Plessy, to help her improve on her reading and math skills. Thanks to his efforts, Trisha was able to successfully read and work on math after months of intense work. Surprisingly, Trisha is actually the author of this book, Patricia Polacco!
Reaction: I really enjoyed reading this book because it made me realize the theme of how no matter how hard life may seem, there will always be someone who can help you and make you feel better. In the case of this story, Trisha's life seemed unbearable (=not able to endure/bear/handle) because right after she lost her grandparents and moved to a new state, her school troubles escalated (=increased) with the bullies' taunting, but luckily for her, Mr. Falker and Ms. Plessy were able to be her unsung (=not celebrated/named formally) heroes.