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Independent Reading Letter Mrs. Palmieri- English [email protected]
Dear Sixth Grade Parents or Guardians: The Bay Shore Middle School values reading. We encourage our students to independently read texts they choose. I will monitor their progress, make book recommendations, and give students an opportunity to interact and develop active reading skills through independent reading. Accountable Independent Reading has five purposes:
• To engage and motivate students in learning things they care about • To promote students' love of reading • To build students' vocabulary (reading often exposes students to new words and
ideas) • To build students' knowledge about the world (through both fiction and
informational text) • To build students' reading stamina (their ability to read difficult texts for longer
periods of time) I am excited to share my extensive classroom library with your child. In addition, your child will have the opportunity to visit our awesome Bay Shore Middle School Library.
• Students will be responsible for a Book Log. • They are required to write the title and author. Please initial the completion
date. • In addition, students will be given an independent reading assignment
approximately every 3-4 weeks. Your child will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of creative reading assignments.
I am excited to see how many books your child will read this school year! Sincerely, Mrs. Palmieri Select an independent book to read by _______________________ x_____________ Parent signature
_____________________________________________________’sBookLog
How many books will you read this year?
1. Select an interesting book to read. 2. Fill in the chart. 3. Enjoy! * Have your parent initial it when you have completed your book.
# Title Author Date Started
Parent Initials
Date Completed
1
Independent Reading Assignments Mrs. Palmieri- English
Directions: You may choose any assignment listed below for your independent reading.
• The online websites can be found in our Google Classroom in the Independent Reading Assignments Folder
1) Book Talk (Book must be completed to select this assignment) Use the Book Talk Worksheet
• Think of a book talk as a trailer to a movie. You want to tell people just enough about the book to interest them, so they will want to read it too!
2) (This is completed on a worksheet, not on social media!) • Draw/print an accurate picture that occurred in a specific chapter. • Use evidence from the text to make sure the picture is accurate. • Write a caption that tells the GIST of the plot event or summary of book.
3) Twitter (This is completed on a worksheet, not on social media!) Create a TWEET that explains the GIST of a certain part/chapter of a book or novel. Maximum length of a “tweet” on Twitter is 280 characters (spaces and punctuation are included in the characters). 4) Interview a Character (Book must be completed to select this assignment) See worksheet. Write eight questions to ask a main character in your book. Write the character's response to each question. The questions and answers should provide important plot information that shows that you read the book carefully. Go on >>>
5) In the News
Create the front page of a newspaper that tells the summary of the main plot events and characters in your book. The title of the newspaper should be something appropriate to the book.
You can use these great websites: (Links can be found in our Google Classroom in the Independent Reading Assignments Folder)
https://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp
Search: ReadWriteThink Printing Press for a fun digital newspaper layout
6) Create a Comic Strip Turn your book, or important plot event into a comic strip, complete with comic-style illustrations and dialogue bubbles. Summarize four to six significant plot events in chronological order. Create pictures and dialogue bubbles to show what each character is saying. When you are finished, your comic strip should tell the gist of the story you have read. Be sure to include the title, author, and genre. There are many great free websites to make digital strips. Search: comic strip maker Try:http://www.storyboardthat.com 7) Readers Response Menu Respond to your book. Select one item from the Appetizer section and one from the Entree. Read the directions on worksheet. 8) Wonderful Word Art, Wordle or Word-It Out What’s Wordle or Word-It Out ? It is a free website that creates a text cloud with different sizes, colors and fonts. Use the attached Planning Page and go to www.wordart.com, http://www.wordle.net/ or worditout.com and “CREATE” a text cloud about your book. 9) Create an acrostic poem for the main character or title of your book. Include descriptive plot phrases, character descriptions and grade appropriate adjectives for each letter. One-word lines are not acceptable.
Name_____________________________________________ 6_________________ English ______________________
Book Talk
Think of a book talk as a trailer to a movie. You want to tell people just enough about the book to interest them, so they will want to read it too! Title: _______________________________Author: _________________ Opening (You want to hook your reader!) 2-3 sentences
• Write a strong/interesting quote from the book • Begin with a captivating question • Introduce the main character, title, author, genre • Set the scene
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Summary (Summarize the plot of the book in 3-4 sentences)
• Be sure your summary tells about the exposition and middle of story. • Identify the problem • Lead to the solution/resolution (but don’t give away the ending!)
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Impression (Share your opinion) • How do you feel about the book? • What do you think of the author? • Who would you recommend this book to? (If you like (genre/other book title),
then you will like ________. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Closing (Entice your audience)
• Read one more quote from the book, or use a cliffhanger, or ask a rhetorical question
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Name _____________________________________ 6 _______________ #___________ Independent Book Project: GIST Book Title_____________________________________ Author __________________________ Genre _____________________________ Learning Targets:
• I can draw/print an accurate picture that occurred in a specific chapter. • I can use evidence from the text to make sure the picture is accurate. • I can write a detailed caption that tells the GIST of the plot event or summary
of book.
DetailedGist_______________________________________________________________________________________
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Name HB #___
Twitter Tweet Independent Reading Assignment Title of Book_____________________________________________ Author _________________________________________________ Genre __________________________________________________ Chapter/Summary___________________________________________ Goal: I can create a TWEET that explains the GIST of a certain chapter or summary of my independent reading book.
If you had to give the GIST of a chapter or summary of your book in a tweet, what would you write? Maximum length of a “tweet” on Twitter is 280 characters (not words) Spaces and punctuation are included in the characters. Helpful Hint- You do not need to include the title of the book in your tweet because you have stated that information at the top of this page.
Name_____________________________ 6_________ #________
English Date_____________
Interview a Character
Think of 8 questions relevant to the story's plot that you would like to ask the main character. You will have to answer the questions based on how the character would most likely answer them. Think about how the author describes the character’s personality because it may give you insight into how the character would respond.
Directions:
• Describe the Character
Example: Jenny is a brave young girl who enjoys adventures.
• You must write your questions and answers in this format:
1) Interviewer's Question_________________________________
Character's Answer _____________________________________
• Example: Interviewer's Question: How did you feel when you went past the old black Dodge near the edge of the woods?
• Character's Answer I was nervous and excited at the same time. I really wanted to be the first person to meet the dreaded boar.
Name______________________________________________
Interview a Character
Title of Book____________________________________________________
Author_________________________________________________________
Genre (type of story)______________________________________________
Describe the Character ____________________________________________
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1) Interviewer's Question_____________________________________________
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Character's Answer _________________________________________________
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2) Interviewer's Question_____________________________________________
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Character's Answer _________________________________________________
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3) Interviewer's Question_____________________________________________
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Character's Answer _________________________________________________
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4) Interviewer's Question_____________________________________________
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Character's Answer _____________________________________________________
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5) Interviewer's Question________________________________________________
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Character's Answer _____________________________________________________
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6) Interviewer's Question_________________________________________________
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Character's Answer _____________________________________________________
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7) Interviewer's Question_________________________________________________
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Character's Answer ____________________________________________________
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8) Interviewer's Question________________________________________________
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Character's Answer _____________________________________________________
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Name 6 # English
Independent Reading Assignment-Comic Strip Title of Book:_________________________________________ Author:_______________________ Genre: _____________________ Turn your book, or important plot event into a comic strip, complete with comic-style illustrations and dialogue bubbles. Summarize four to six significant plot events in chronological order. Create/Draw pictures and dialogue bubbles to show what each character is saying. When you are finished, your comic strip should tell the gist of the story you have read. Learning Target: I can create a comic strip that explains the GIST of an important plot event or summary of my book.. Try:http://www.storyboardthat.com
Plot description:
Name 6 # English
Independent Reading Assignment-In the News Title of Book:_____________________________ Author:_______________________ Genre: _____________________ Create the front page of a newspaper that tells the summary of the main plot events and characters in your book. The title of the newspaper should be something appropriate to the book.
You can use these great websites: https://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp
Search: ReadWriteThink Printing Press for a fun digital newspaper layout
Print out your newspaper cover and glue/tape it to this page.
Name____________________________________________6 # English
Independent Reading Assignment-Reading Response Title of Book:___________________________________________________ Author:_______________________________________Genre: __________________________
Select one item from the Appetizer section and one from the Entree.
*Circle the items you select on the menu.
What could be another title for this book? Tell me why? 4-5 sentences
Pretend you are a character in the story. Write a letter to another character in the story. Include important plot details. 5-6 sentences
Compare the main character to another character in the story. Describe the similarities and/or differences. 4-5 sentences
What is the central idea(main idea) of the text? How do you know? Provide textual evidence. 5-6 sentences
Share an interesting or significant plot event. 4-5 sentences
Is there a character in the book that you would like to be like? What characteristics would you develop within yourself? 5-6 sentences
Share 6 difficult words you encountered in this book. Write the definition and part of speech.
Pretend you are the author. Create an alternate ending for the story. 5-6 sentences
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Name____________________________________________6 # English
Independent Reading Assignment-Wonderful Wordle or Word-It Out
Word Art Planning Page **I will collect planning page too.
What’s Word Art, Wordle or Word-It Out? It is a free website that creates a �text cloud with different sizes, colors and fonts. Go to www.wordart.com, www.worditout.com or www.wordle.netand “CREATE” a text cloud using these words. You will have to save your document in order to print it. Change the background to white to save ink!
Create a text cloud to describe your book. 1) Directions: Write a list of words you will use for your text cloud.
Title __________________________________________ Example: The Lorax
Author________________________________________
Genre________________________________________
Main Character_________________________________
Character trait(word that describes personality) __________________________________
Another Main Character __________________________________
Character Trait (word that describes personality) __________________________________
Overall setting and time period _____________________________________________
Theme(Main Message)________________________________________________
Problem_______________________________________________________________
Solution________________________________________________________________
Print your text cloud and tape, staple or glue it to the back of this worksheet.
Name____________________________________________6 # English
Acrostic Character Poem Examine this example. Title of Book:___________________________________________________ Author:_______________________________________Genre: __________________________ Go to our Google Classroom. Click the link called, Character Acrostic Poem or hand write on loose-leaf. Another option is to type the poem in a word document.
Requirements:
• Create an acrostic poem for the main character of your book.
• Include descriptive phrases and grade appropriate adjectives for each letter of his/her name.
• Phrases should connect to plot events in the book
• One-word lines are not acceptable. • Staple your poem to this page.
