Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Due Thursday, October 18th (NOT Oct 12th!)

I miss you...and I miss our quirky old Bambert!  So, this week's Reader's Notebook blog is all about our Read Aloud: Bambert's Book of Missing Stories

A great author is really an artist, creating characters and a plot that have DEPTH and are BELIEVABLE.  This does not mean the book has to be realistic.  What I mean by this is that through reading the book, you feel that the characters are real, you grow to know and understand them, and you see them as complex people (just like real people are).  The plot, or sequence of events, is meaningful, complex, interesting, and gets you making predictions.  You believe what is happening, and you want to find out what will happen next!

Your Homework:
Explain to me and your classmates whether or not you think Reinhardt Jung has crafted a book with depth and believability in terms of his characters and/or plot.  The more specific you can be, the better (use examples and evidence from the story itself). 

This assignment is meaty!  I really want you to elaborate, so I'm giving you a lot of time to think and write.  This way, you can also enjoy reading classmates' responses and commenting about them.  Rather than being due this Friday (Oct. 12), you have all the way until next Thursday (Oct. 18) to respond. 

Friday, September 28, 2012

Homework Due October 5th

Welcome to the blog version of your Reader's Notebook!  I'll occasionally have you answer questions on this blog so that you can read classmates' responses, as well as respond to each other.  

 Here is a quick tutorial for you:

1. Read my blog post.  It will always be called "Homework...and then whatever the due date is"

2. Write your response in the "Comment" section. Make sure to include your name and section!

3. The blog makes you name yourself before you can publish your comment.  There is a menu to choose from.  Choose "Anonymous."

4. Click on "Publish."

5. You can also respond to a classmate's comment by clicking on "Reply."  

YOUR HOMEWORK: 
Now that you're in 4th grade, you encounter about 10,000 new words in your reading every year.  Most of them are BIG words, meaning they are made up of 7 or more letters.* 


What is one strategy you've used lately to figure out an unfamiliar BIG word? 
  

*Nagy & Anderson, 1984.