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Are you looking for some great books to read? Try suggestions
from these websites.
October/November:
Tall Tales
Look for upcoming exploration of Tall Tales.
Including the works of:
Steven Kellogg
Jerry Pinckney
January:
Chris Van Allsburg
His website:
http://www.chrisvanallsburg.com/flash.html
This author has written some wonderful picture books with
amazing illustrations, unexpected story twists, and fabulous word choice.
You will be exploring his books in class and creating some activities based on
what you've learned.
What are some of the books that he has written?
What are we going to do with them?
Chris Van Allsburg
Contract
Your job is to complete the following activities.
Reading: choose at least 2 for a combination of 20 points
1) Story #1 sheet 5points
2) Create a game based on the book using the game format – your game should
include vocabulary and comprehension questions. 15 points
3) What’s in a Name sheet 5 points
4) Create a character cube 15 points
5) Figurative language hunt 10 points
6) Story map 10 points
7) Story pyramid 5 points
I chose:
Writing – This time
I would like you to plan a writing project that you would be interested in
doing.
Let’s take a survey to see what you like.
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Question |
yes |
no |
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1. I
like to create my own stories. |
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2. I
like to design movie poster and create advertisements. |
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3. I
like to give advise on solving problems. |
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4. I
think creating comic strips are fun. |
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5. I
like to keep a diary or journal about my life. |
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6. I
like to read and write poems. |
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7. I
like to imagine other endings to a story. |
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8. I
like to design and create maps. |
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9. I
like to research information on the internet. |
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10. I
like to find out about geography. |
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11. I
like to write letters and get information back. |
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You've completed the survey and the decision making page.
Are you stuck on ideas? Here are some to help you out.
Chris Van Allsburg
Writing Projects
Two Bad Ants
Movie Poster – Design
a movie poster for “Two Bad Ants 2” . Write a short advertisement for the movie
telling what new adventure the two ants are going to have. Your poster will
reflect the new adventure.
Write a letter to the
National Disease Control Center to find information about local insects and
their disease-carrying characteristics.
The Stranger
Pamphlet
– Design a pamphlet that explains to children what to do if lost or if
approached by a stranger.
Find information on Jack Frost or find information on amnesia.
Write a letter to the
Department of Agriculture requesting information on farming in Ohio.
Or
Write a letter to the Weather Channel requesting any information they could send
you on changing seasons and weather.
Just a Dream
Comic Strip – Create a
4 panel comic strip that would show what you imagine could happen in the future,
if we don not take care of the environment.
Choose one of the
following topics and write a good paragraph about it. Also, find an internet
picture to include with your paper.
A – Acid Rain
B – Greenpeace
C – Pollution
D - Recycling
Write a letter to the
Sierra Club or the Environmental Protection Agency requesting information about
pollution and what you can do to help protect the environment.
The Z was Zapped
Choose 3 letters of
the alphabet and create pages similar to those found in the book.
Find information using the newspaper and internet to see which plays are
currently showing (or upcoming) in Cincinnati and the surrounding areas.
Write a business letter
to a theater company asking for information about their company and the
possibility of receiving a poster or playbill from a production
The Sweetest Fig
Write a diary entry as
Marcel and describe your life now that you are human.
Find out information about the dentist and teeth. Use this information to
create a short brochure telling the importance of going to the dentist, how
often you should go, and basic dental care.
Write a business letter
to a local dentist of the National Dental Association requesting dental hygiene
information.
The Wreck of the Zephyr
Write a poem
describing the sights that you see from the sky as you fly.
Illustrate your poem.
Research one of the
following:
Bermuda Triangle
Schooners
Hurricanes
Write a letter to a
marina or sailing group requesting information about sailing.
Ben’s Dream
Add a page – Choose
two more famous landmarks that you would have visited in Ben’s Dream.
Illustrate and write 2-3 sentences under the illustration of the landmark and
why you would visit it.
Report
on one of the following landmarks from the book and include an illustration.
Eiffel Tower
Empire State Building
Big Ben
Mt. Rushmore
Statue of Liberty
Taj Mahal
Sphinx
Write a letter to a
travel agency asking for information about touring one the above landmarks.
Bad Day
at Riverbend
Coloring Book Page –
Create your won coloring book page that continues the story. Include text at
the bottom of the page.
Find out information about one of the following. Write a paragraph include what
you found interesting about the topic.
Cowboys
Or
Cartoonists
Write a letter to the
western state of your choice requesting information about traveling to Old West
towns.
The Polar Express
Travel Brochure – Make
a travel brochure advertising a trip to the North Pole for children only.
Research on of the
following include at least 5 facts and a picture or illustration.
Orient Express
Megalev/Bullet Trains
Transcontinental Railroad
Subways
Elevated Trains
Write a letter to
Amtrak requesting information on their train systems and history.
The
Wretched Stone
Diary
Entry – Write two entries. You are part of the crew describe your
transformation. What did you become and how does it feel? (use illustrations
and you may be something other than a monkey.)
Write a letter to the
Weather Channel or National Weather Service requesting information about
hurricanes.
The Widow’s Broom
Create an advertisement
– Adopt a Broom. Try to convince consumers the benefits of adopting a broom
rather than leave it abandoned.
Find out information
about The Salem Witch Hunts. How does this pertain to this book?
Write a letter to
Salem, Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. Ask for any information on visiting
the town and its past history.
The Garden of Abdul Gasazi
Map Design – Design a
map of your own mysterious garden. Write a short description of the precautions
a visitor should take before visiting this garden.
Research and write 1-2
paragraphs about Houdini. Find a pictute.
Or
Research information on “The Hanging Gardens of Babylon.”
Draw an illustration.
Write a letter to a
magician
Or
Write a letter to the flower conservatory in Cincinnati asking for information
on garden design.
Probuditi
You know how
siblings are. They never let you join in the fun. Trudy has plan. Now, it’s
your turn to create a handy guide for other kids to trick their siblings and
have fun. Create a bitty book to offer advice.
Jumanji
You roll the
dice and this time you are sent into the land of Jumanji. Create a map of what
you encounter there. Include notes and how to avoid the dangers.
Zathura
The game is
being passed on once again. What will happen in this story? Create a
storyboard poster that shows who has it, what kind of game it is, at least 3
adventures that they have with the game, and how does it end.
April and May:
Castle in the Attic
Elizabeth Winthrop's website:
http://www.elizabethwinthrop.com/
Castle in the Attic is a wonderful fantasy book that will allow us to
explore topics involving castles, medieval times, King Arthur, dragons, and
fairy tales.
Great websites to explore:
| http://www.castlesontheweb.com/ |
http://www.yourchildlearns.com/heraldrygame/index.html |
| http://www.kidsonthenet.org.uk/castle/ |
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December:
Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Would you like to learn about Barbara Robinson?
Go to:
http://usawrites4kids.drury.edu/authors/robinson/
September
Frindle
Don't forget to scroll down for all of the
activities.
Frindle Activities - Your activities are due Friday. If
you have trouble, please see me.
Choose 1 writing activity. Please make sure to type your
writing activity.
Writing
1) The word frindle is one of the many
ideas that Nick has to improve his school. Create a thinking web of the way that
you could improve The Summit Country Day School. Choose one idea as your
focus. Write a paragraph that lists how your idea could improve the
school. What would you need to implement your plan? List reasons why
it is a good idea.
Materials needed:
1) webbing page
2) paragraph planning page
2) Be an inventor! What can you
invent that would be fun or useful? Would it be something for home or
school? Would it make your life easier? Create a thinking web of
inventions you would make. Choose one idea as your focus.
Create a poster that will be an advertisement for your invention. Write a
paragraph about your invention that convinces people to buy it.
Materials needed:
1) webbing page
2) poster page
3) Do you love words? I do!! It
is so much fun to play with language. Can you invent a new version of a
word that we already use? Write a paragraph describing something only
using your new word. Create a drawing of the t-shirt that would go with
your word.
Materials needed:
1) T-shirt paper
2) paragraph planning page
Word fun
1) Synonyms can really spice up boring
language. Let's have a little fun first by playing the game "Walk the
Plank"
http://www.firstschoolyears.com/literacy/word/other/synonyms/interactive/synonyms.htm
Whoa! Did you really make that teacher walk
the plank?
Get out your Synonym page.
Now use these websites and research
synonyms
for the very tired and overused word - said.
You may Click on the internet page or use the thesaurus.
a)
http://jymkruse.com/lv4kpwr.html
b)
http://www.thecaveonline.com/APEH/said.html
c)
http://www.cyberspaces.net/6traits/wsaid.html -
This is my favorite one!!!!
Get out your Word History page.
1) Words can have such interesting histories. Explore
some of these websites to find about a word of your choice. Explain your
word's history.
This is your 1st website.
a)
http://www.westegg.com/etymology/#kopf
This is your 2nd website.
b) http://www.behindthename.com/
- This site is all about name origins. You may have to explore this website to
find out information.
Inventions
Get out your Inventors page.
Explore
one of these
websites to learn about inventions from history.
a) Go to
http://inventors.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=inventors&cdn=money&tm=259&gps=113_755_1020_571&f=00&tt=14&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.pafinc.com/gallery/inductees.htm
Click on a year and then a comic strip.
or
b)
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/
or
c)
http://www.cbc.ca/kids/general/the-lab/history-of-invention/default.html
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