Thursday, February 4, 2010

The End....

You are both putting some thought into the story! I knew that this would be a book you love! Please don't forget to post responses to each other's blogs too! I want more interaction between the two of you!

I am assigning the remainder of the book for next Tuesday! By Thursday,
February 11th, I would like you each make a collage on construction paper that includes the following:

A book you can compare/contrast Shakespeare's Secret with....the book can be either a guided reading book, or an independent reading book.

Included in the collage you need to have:
--the name of both books
--the similarities of both books
--the differences of both books
--character
--setting
--conflict



Please also include between today and next Thursday a one page (hand written) reflective response about Shakespeare's Secret. Take the stance that you are writing a review of the book for a publishing company. Would the book come as a recommendation from you, or not. Please use strong adjectives and evidence to support your reasoning!

Good luck and enjoy the ending!!!
Mrs. Ebersold

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Read through page 177 answer questions: Due Friday

Hi 5th Graders!

This post will have lots of questions as we haven't had a lot of discussion about the book thus far! Please take time during guided reading to read and respond to each other's posts. I know that you are able to answer my questions, but the real discussion about the book comes in how you respond to each other's answers! Go back to old posts and re-read and post additional comments as you see fit! Good luck!

1. Do you think even the weirdest people seem normal if you put them in the right place? Explain!

2. What are your thoughts about Beatrice being identified as the stronger character and Hero being pretty fluff?

3. Do you think that Mrs. Roth knew Hero needed an "in" as an ice breaker before the start of school? Explain.

4. What advice would you give to Hero about fitting in at her new school and making new friends?

5. Begin a timeline of the important historical figures that are mentioned in the book. Where would they fit according to the dates? Include the following people - Elizabeth, Henry VIII, Ann Boleyn, and Edward deVere. Bonus points if you can add any additional names to the timeline!

6. Post two of your own open ended questions.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Next Assignment due Monday

Hi! By Monday I would like you to have read through Chapter 9. I will post some additional questions, as well as some thoughts about your blog responses. Enjoy your reading and blogging!

Checking In

Hi Danielle and Jay!

I wanted to check in on your progress. I had a post from Danielle and then haven't heard from you again this week. I know that you had DARE graduation. Have you had your guided reading time?

Just checking!
Mrs. E

Friday, January 8, 2010

Shakespeare's Secret

Hi Jay and Danielle!

I hope that the first two chapters of the new book have been enjoyable! For Monday, I will have you read through Chapter 5 (pg. 51). Monday during class time you will be responsible for posting 3 open-ended questions about the first 5 chapters.

You will also need to respond to my questions!

1. I want you to visualize Hero. Describe character traits of Hero and provide evidence to support those traits.

2. How do you think Hero's character traits impact the storyline? Explain.

Good luck with blogging and happy reading!

Mrs. E

Monday, January 4, 2010

Conclusion....

Hi 5th Graders!

Since Mrs. Heilmann is on maternity leave now, I will have you write to me. YAH!!! The first thing we need to do is wrap up our discussion on Tangerine. I would like you to post your response to the book by Thursday morning. This will allow us to start our next book Thursday to keep us moving along with guided reading and the blog.

Your questions for the next post will be:

1. What did you like about the book and why?
2. If you had to re-write an ending to the book, how would you have changed the ending to this story?

NEXT....

We are going to rate several books and choose what our next guided reading book will be. I will give you the title, author and information off the back cover. Please select your first, second, and third choices for reading. You need to briefly (a sentence or two) explain why you chose the books in the order you did. From there...I will have a book to begin with Thursday when I am at Jefferson at the end of the day!

Here goes:

MISSING MAY by Cynthia Rylant. This is a Newberry winner. Since summer was six years old she lived with her dear Aunt May and Uncle Ob. Now, six years later, Aunt May has died. Summer, who misses May with all her might, is afraid something will happen to Ob. Most days Ob seems like he doesn't want to go on.

But then Ob feels May's spirit around him and he wants to contact her. Cletus Underwood, a strange boy from school, reads about someone who could help him do that. Summer wants to hear from May too.

Ob and Summer don't know what to expect when they set off on their search for some sign from May. They only know they need something to ease the sorrow and give them strength to go on living - always knowing they will never stop missing May.

THE LAST OF THE REALLY GREAT WHANGDOODLES by Julie Andrews Edwards. Ben, Tom, and Lindy Potter have never even heard of a Whangdoodle - until they meed the brilliant Professor Savant at the zoo. He tells them all about the wise and magical creatures who disappeared to another land because people stopped believing in them. And when the professor invites them on a quest to find the last of the really great Whangdoodles, they can't resist.

The way to Whangdoodleland isn't easy: The children must learn to see things in a completely different way. When at last they succeed, they encounter wondrous creatures like the Whiffle Bird, the Swamp Gaboons, and the High-Behind Splintercat. But it seems they will never find the elusive Whangdoodle. Especially since the "oily" Prock, the sinister Prime Minister of Whangdoodleland, is determined to stop them - in any way he can...

SHAKESPEARE'S SECRET by Elise Broach. When Hero starts sixth grade at a new school, she's less concerned about the literary oringins of her Shakespearean name than about the teasing she is sure to suffer because of it. So she has the same name as a girl in a play by a dusty old author. Her is simply not interested in the connections.

But that's just the thing; suddenly connections are cropping up all over. There is a million dollar diamond hidden in her new house (or so she's told), a curious woman next door who seems to know an awful lot about it, and then, well, then there's Shakespeare. Not to mention Danny Cordova, only the most popular kid in school, who seems intent on uncovering the mystery with Hero. Is it all in keeping with her namesake's origin - just much ado about nothing? Hero, being Hero, is determined to figure it out.

EVERYTHING ON A WAFFLE by Polly Horvath. This is a Newberry Honor book. Primrose Squarp simply knows her parents did not perish at sea during a terrible storm, but try convincing the other residents of Coal Harbour on that score. For all practical purposes, at least for the time being, Primrose is an orphan, and there is no great clamoring of prospective adopters. After realizing the impracticality of continuing to pay Miss Perfidy an hourly wage to babysit her, the town council is able to locate a relative, Uncle Jack, who reluctantly takes Primrose into his care. But true sanctuary can always be found at a restaurant called The Girl in the Swing, where everything - including lasagna - is served on a waffle.