So, here goes.
I will admit to having read the Hunger Games. I'll also admit that I enjoyed them. However, I will not stoop to the level of others by throwing out false claims that they are the "greatest series EVER! omg, like, yeah, etc."
They're a pretty solid series. Love, familial ties, loyalty, fire, fights, crazy scientific and technological advancements, a dystopian society with a dysfunctional tyrant of a President. This of course, is the perfect recipe for a teenage abyss of obsession. Minus, of course, vampires and werewolves. It's just so realistic! Like, my mom is TOTES President Snow.
Seriously though. The Hunger Games is a great series. It evokes plenty of emotion, is an incredibly quick, thorough, intricate read, and offers plenty of "afterthought". That's my personal favorite. You know what I mean; when you're finished with a book and you still think about all the nooks and crannies of it even weeks after you've slid out your favorite bookmark and moved into another literary world.
Now, this is for the kids. Make sure, when you've finished the books you don't just stop there. Find other fantasy series, such as the Giver and it's accomplices (by the incredible Lois Lowry) or even other series by Suzanne Collins. There are plenty of other fantasy novels set in a futuristic world. There's the Uglies, Percy Jackson (for strong female characters), Peak, Birthmarked, Maximum Ride, and of course The City of Ember. Learn from the book; stand up for what's right, protect the innocent, love unconditionally, give of your talents and gifts for a better world. Also, do me a favor and talk to your friends and parents and other adults. Show them that reading is fun, and you might even re-ignite some other person's passion for it.
Parents, please either research, read before, or read the series with your kids. Don't let the idea that it's a movie and popular book allow you to believe that it's actually a good fit for your kid. Some kids are actually emotionally ready for it, but I think a lot of people have forgotten that it's actually written at a Lexile Level of 810, or a Grade Level Equivalent of 5.3. This means that the actually words in the book are of an appropriate readability for the typical mid-year 5th grader. The actual book itself, however is not. There are pretty graphic depictions of people being murdered; children specifically. There are no "steam scenes", just a lot of kissing and ponderings of said kissing as to whether it was emotionally or intentionally driven. Please understand that I am not trying to push you away. I feel that a lot of parents have very little idea what their kids are reading. I was spoiled with a mom who was not only an avid reader, but slightly overprotective. If I was reading it, so was she. It ended up turning me into an obsessive reader because I knew that I could talk to her about what was going on, working out thoughts and ideas as well as having bonding moments when we were probably supposed to be in the violent throes of teenage angst and anger. We ended up never really hitting that phase....
On a final note, let the Hunger Games be a launching pad. Ask your local librarian, teacher, bookstore owner, Barnes and Noble employee, friend, neighbor, SOMEONE, about other great suggestions for books. If you check it out and don't like it that's cool. Find another one. Give it a shot. Put down the remote, the Wiimote and the iPod. Pick up a book and check out of our current world for a while.
"I cannot live without books!"
- Thomas Jefferson
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Lesson Plan with Student
Department of Elementary Education
Lesson Plan Format
Intern/Student Teacher: Amanda Jones Date: March 23rd, 2009
SCOS Standard(s): 5th Grade English Language Arts
Objective 2.03
Read a variety of texts, such as:
• fiction (tall tales, myths).
Objective 3.01
Respond to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using interpretive, critical, and evaluative processes by:
• analyzing word choice and content.
• examining reasons for a character's actions, taking into account the situation and basic motivation of the character.
• creating and presenting a product that effectively demonstrates a personal response to a selection or experience.
• making and evaluating inferences and conclusions about characters, events and themes.
Objective 4.06
Compose a draft that elaborates on major ideas and adheres to the topic by using an appropriate organizational pattern that accomplishes the purpose of the writing task and effectively communicates its content.
Objective 4.09
Produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres (e.g., clarification, essay, feature story, business letter).
Objective 4.10
Use technology as a tool to enhance and/or publish a product.
Essential Question/Measurable Learning Outcome:
The student will be able to create a written summary and commentary of the novel The Sign of the Beaver. This will then be placed into Wordle to create a visual.
Assessment (formative and summative):
The assessment will be the block of text the student creates which will be put into Wordle, creating a visual of the writing the student created.
Modifications:
There are several ways you could modify this lesson. You could have students create wordles on specific aspects or occurances in the book. If they are ELL students, you could allow them to write and create in their home language, so long as they verbally explained in English so you could check for understanding. This could easily be a whole class activity, wherein they explain to their neighbor what happened and what they remember about the book.
Materials:
Computer with internet access, paper, pencil, The Sign of the Beaver
Procedures:
The student has already read the book because the class as a whole read it together. Ask the child to tell you a little about the book, orally explaining some key points summarizing major events. Ask the student to elaborate, telling you more details about the book to check for attention, such as the Trapper’s name who took Matt’s food. Then ask the student to write down what they said, writing with pen and paper the summary they just gave you. Once this is complete, ask the student to type their response in www.wordle.net . Once the wordle is created, print it out and place them in an area of the classroom designated for artwork and/or vocabulary.
Anticipatory Set
This is having the student vocally tell you what occurred in the story. Students rarely have a chance to summarize an entire novel through speech, so allowing them to talk out the story helps them work through parts they might have forgotten and helps them become better writers.
Independent Practice
Having them orally tell you, physically write it down and then type it not only places the information in their mind three times, it also helps them work on all aspects of literacy and writing. They have the oral literacy component in being able to talk it out, and the writing practice when they write down what they told you.
Closure
Printing the wordle and placing it where other students can see it. You could also have the students create wordles of character traits about some of the main characters. This would allow them to make a list or map and then input it into wordle.
Lesson Plan Format
Intern/Student Teacher: Amanda Jones Date: March 23rd, 2009
SCOS Standard(s): 5th Grade English Language Arts
Objective 2.03
Read a variety of texts, such as:
• fiction (tall tales, myths).
Objective 3.01
Respond to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using interpretive, critical, and evaluative processes by:
• analyzing word choice and content.
• examining reasons for a character's actions, taking into account the situation and basic motivation of the character.
• creating and presenting a product that effectively demonstrates a personal response to a selection or experience.
• making and evaluating inferences and conclusions about characters, events and themes.
Objective 4.06
Compose a draft that elaborates on major ideas and adheres to the topic by using an appropriate organizational pattern that accomplishes the purpose of the writing task and effectively communicates its content.
Objective 4.09
Produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres (e.g., clarification, essay, feature story, business letter).
Objective 4.10
Use technology as a tool to enhance and/or publish a product.
Essential Question/Measurable Learning Outcome:
The student will be able to create a written summary and commentary of the novel The Sign of the Beaver. This will then be placed into Wordle to create a visual.
Assessment (formative and summative):
The assessment will be the block of text the student creates which will be put into Wordle, creating a visual of the writing the student created.
Modifications:
There are several ways you could modify this lesson. You could have students create wordles on specific aspects or occurances in the book. If they are ELL students, you could allow them to write and create in their home language, so long as they verbally explained in English so you could check for understanding. This could easily be a whole class activity, wherein they explain to their neighbor what happened and what they remember about the book.
Materials:
Computer with internet access, paper, pencil, The Sign of the Beaver
Procedures:
The student has already read the book because the class as a whole read it together. Ask the child to tell you a little about the book, orally explaining some key points summarizing major events. Ask the student to elaborate, telling you more details about the book to check for attention, such as the Trapper’s name who took Matt’s food. Then ask the student to write down what they said, writing with pen and paper the summary they just gave you. Once this is complete, ask the student to type their response in www.wordle.net . Once the wordle is created, print it out and place them in an area of the classroom designated for artwork and/or vocabulary.
Anticipatory Set
This is having the student vocally tell you what occurred in the story. Students rarely have a chance to summarize an entire novel through speech, so allowing them to talk out the story helps them work through parts they might have forgotten and helps them become better writers.
Independent Practice
Having them orally tell you, physically write it down and then type it not only places the information in their mind three times, it also helps them work on all aspects of literacy and writing. They have the oral literacy component in being able to talk it out, and the writing practice when they write down what they told you.
Closure
Printing the wordle and placing it where other students can see it. You could also have the students create wordles of character traits about some of the main characters. This would allow them to make a list or map and then input it into wordle.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
My Wordle: Farewell, Dawn: Ann M. Martin
Student Created Wordle
Lesson Plans
Wordle
I think a design brief where students solve a problem, such as one in The Sign of the Beaver, can easily be implemented. The students reflect on their success with solving the problem, and this can easily be uploaded into Wordle for them to see the language they are using and the effect it has on the teacher. I think that reflections done on stories or things they have read or heard can be incorporated into the classroom via Wordle, and the teacher can print them out and post them around the classroom.
Blogging
I think that blogging could easily be implemented within the classroom. To assign each student a blog site, and allow them to write essays and reflections on the blog would be great. I would implement a lesson where students either respond to a book the teacher read aloud to the class or a book that we all, individually read and discussed as a class would be amazing. To allow them to post on one another’s blogs and comment with discussion topics would be beneficial because the teacher could keep tabs on discussions and see who was participating and who wasn’t doing their job.
Voicethread:
I think a great lesson plan with Voicethread is one that incorporates both the students speaking and pictures they took. I think that using a flipcam, the students could take pictures of things that reminded them of a book, like a sunset or a certain type of food, and post those pictures on voicethread. Once they had posted them, the students could then go back and comment on how those particular pictures meant something to them when discussing the book. I also think that commenting on peer’s work is a great way to build student community and help them see that encouragement is encouraged.
I think a design brief where students solve a problem, such as one in The Sign of the Beaver, can easily be implemented. The students reflect on their success with solving the problem, and this can easily be uploaded into Wordle for them to see the language they are using and the effect it has on the teacher. I think that reflections done on stories or things they have read or heard can be incorporated into the classroom via Wordle, and the teacher can print them out and post them around the classroom.
Blogging
I think that blogging could easily be implemented within the classroom. To assign each student a blog site, and allow them to write essays and reflections on the blog would be great. I would implement a lesson where students either respond to a book the teacher read aloud to the class or a book that we all, individually read and discussed as a class would be amazing. To allow them to post on one another’s blogs and comment with discussion topics would be beneficial because the teacher could keep tabs on discussions and see who was participating and who wasn’t doing their job.
Voicethread:
I think a great lesson plan with Voicethread is one that incorporates both the students speaking and pictures they took. I think that using a flipcam, the students could take pictures of things that reminded them of a book, like a sunset or a certain type of food, and post those pictures on voicethread. Once they had posted them, the students could then go back and comment on how those particular pictures meant something to them when discussing the book. I also think that commenting on peer’s work is a great way to build student community and help them see that encouragement is encouraged.
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