December 2/3, 2008

December 2/3, 2008
Announcements:
Don't forget that your Book-of-the-Month Club project is due next week.
Don't forget to hand in a reading log for this week (including at least two days for last week).
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be this Thursday, December 4.
The PTSA Book Fair is this week. Here is information from the PTSA:
I am excited to let you know about the Buy-One-Get-One-Free Book Fair which is being held next week in the Media Center.

Because we have done so well at past book fairs, we have qualified to have an extra two cases of books sent with our fair. This means that the book fair will be bigger and better, with an even wider selection of books.

The book fair will be December 2-4, and will be open from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. (Ms. Dorsey is assuming that it will also be open during the Parent-Teacher Conferences.


In Class Today:
1. Theme in a poem: "Nothing in Heaven Functions As It Ought" by X.J. Kennedy
and the suffix "ible/able" which turns words into adjectives, and means "capable of."
Also the suffix "-ion," "-tion" which means "act or state – action or process" and is added to the root which means "performance or execution (to do something)." Usually –ion changes a word to a noun, but in this poem it is functioning as a verb.

2. About forms of government. Which is more important -- freedom or safety?
PowerPoint and chart to fill out
We looked at major types of government: anarchy (not really a government, but an option), democracy, republic, communism, socialism, fascism, and monarchy.

3. The Giver -- Themes
Is one of Lois Lowry's themes in The Giver "Freedom is more important than security"?
Or is it "Security is more important than freedom"?

Other Themes in The Giver: Read chapters 5-6.
Communities can run more smoothly when the individual members are willing to give up their own desires.

4. Preview the book fair.

December 4, 2007

December 4, 2007
Today we went down to the Book Fair for a brief preview. The Book Fair will continue through tomorrow, and Thursday through the parent-teacher conference time. Everything at the Fair is buy one, get one of equal or less value free.

Parents, books make great gifts. As a heads up for next term, our portfolio assignment will focus on nonfiction, historical fiction, and biography/autobiography. Of course, your student could be reading from almost any genre for the Reading Bingo pages! Lots of books that are currently popular with the kids are available at the Book Fair.

Today's Self-Starter: Students filled in the blanks in sentences using forms of lie and lay. Then students corrected them together, we sang "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean," which uses the verb correctly, and we talked more about these confusing verbs.
Here are the sentences:

Confusing Words : Lie/Lay
Use these forms of the confusing verbs lie and lay correctly in the following sentences:
Lie, lay, lain, lying, lay, laid, laid, laying
You may use your yellow half-sheet with the rules.

1. “My Bonnie ____________(s) over the ocean.
My Bonnie _____________(s) over the sea, . . .”

2. “Now I ________ me down to sleep”

3. Jonas was __________ (use an “ing” word) on the grass,
as he felt the warm sunshine.

4. Father was _________ (use an “ing” word) the newchild into the basket.

5. Yesterday, the Giver _________ his hands on Jonas’ back.

6. I have ________ on the deck by the pool until I was badly sunburned.

7. The bricklayers have __________ five rows of bricks for our new gate.

8. I love to ___________looking up at the stars on a clear summer night.

9. It’s time to ___________ down our weapons and sign a peace agreement.

10. If you’re just going to ________ down on the job, you won’t get paid.

Today's Reading:
We listened to/followed along with chapter 16 of The Giver, and answered these questions on the lines pages reserved in each student's binder:

The Giver, chapter 16
16. A. Why is the memory of the birthday party so special to Jonas? (Q.A.R.:This is a “right there” question.)

16. B. What clues helped you infer what the unnamed celebration was? When were you certain? (Q.A.R.:This is an “author and you” question.)

16. C. Do you agree with Jonas that living the way they did in the memory was dangerous? Why or why not?


Then students received a "Reading Road Map." They read from The Giver and answered questions as directed on the "Road Map."

Where we are: Chapter 17
Jonas is realizing that what the community calls "feelings" are shallow and limited. They don't really "feel" much at all.
One morning the community gets an unexpected holiday. Jonas rides off on his bike looking for Asher. He finds his friends playing a game of "good guys and bad guys" that hasn't had a name up until now.

Go! Read from page 130 to the page break on page 135.
Stop for ?'s After reading to the page break on page 135, answer these questions:
1 What is the game the children are playing that upsets Jonas?
(Jonas recognizes what they are playing because of the memories. What does he recognize that this game is?)
2. As this section ends, what does Jonas know "with certainty"?

Go! Finish reading chapter 17 through page 138.
Stop for ?'s
3. What had Lily done that day that was actually against the rules?
4. In Jonas's community, what happens when twins are born?


Go! Chapter 18 Read through the end of chapter 18 (pages 139-145), looking for the answers to these questions:
Do not just skim or scan for answers. Focus and read carefully.
?'s 5. How many years before Jonas was selected, had the Giver tried to train a receiver and "failed"? _________ 6. What was her name? _______________

7. What happened to that New Receiver of Memory and why?

Chapter 18, cont.
Stop and Reflect
8. Tell whether you think the receiver ten years ago was brave or not. Would you have made the choice she did if you were in her place? Why or why not?

Some students also followed the Road Map through chapter 19, and requested the map for more chapters.