Reading Enrichment through a Reader Response Journal and an Online Book TalkMini-Lesson #1 Introducing the TaskGuiding Question: How can we select contemporary literature that we will enjoy?Standards:ELACC9-10W9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.ELACC9-10W10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.ELACC9-10SL1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions(one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 910 topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Day 1Day 1 (Wednesday): Introduction to the Reader Response Journals AssignmentThe Big IdeaThis semester we have been reading and studying literature chosen by the teacher as characteristic of contemporary literature. This unit will give students an opportunity to exercise some personal choice. Students will choose a long work of contemporary literature from a list compiled by the teacher from a variety of lists of contemporary literature for teens, young adults, and adults. Students will take into account their personal Lexile scores and personal areas of interests and genre. As students read, they will, periodically record their reactions to the literature in reader response journals. A reader response journal is designed to allow students to interact with the literature. Students will be encouraged to ask questions about the literature they read, to respond to characters and their predicaments and challenges, and to make connections to their own lives. The interaction will enhance the overall reading experience for the chosen piece of literature and enhance students reading skills for future reading.Up NextEach student has been provided with a list of books, with Lexile scores and short descriptions for each. Each student has also been provided with a reminder card featuring his or her individual pbworks.com username and password and his or her own Lexile score. Students should peruse the list of books and further research those titles that interest them most, using such web sites as amazon.com, GoodReads.com, and http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsawards/booklists. The book list and a refresher presentation on using Lexile scores have been posted to the class Edmodo page. Assignment 1: You must narrow their choices to 3 and post those 3, with Lexile scores on the PBworks page by the beginning of class Friday.Be sure to rank them, with #1 as your first choice, #2 as your second choice, etc

Step 1: Getting familiar with the Reader Response Assignment.In order to better understand the assignment, I have curated a collection of resources that explore the general ideas behind the reader response journal and the assignment, itself, using the web 2.0 tool, Blendspace.com and posted it to my Tumblr. Com blog: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mrkerrshslibraryand to the class edmodo.com page.You will need to sign up for an account at https://www.tumblr.com/loginin order to see my posts. Sign up is fast, easy, and free and we will be using this account throughout the year.Newer posts appear first, so you will scroll from bottom to top, right column to left column, to see the posts in order.

Assignment 2: Read the Reader Response assignment and annotate as you desire. Be prepared to ask any needed clarifying questions as we discuss the details of the Reader Response Journal assignment tomorrow. If you do not finish reading in class, finish outside of class.Assignment 3: Discuss, with your parents and/or guardians, and with your friends the list of books with which you have been provided, and their opinions about any of the choices with which they might be familiar. Share the list and the resources with anyone interested. Then, interview a parent or guardian about their suggestions and experiences with any of the books on the list. In addition to the interview questions I have provided, add two interview questions of your own. Hard copies of the interview sheet are also available at the front of the room. These interviews are due tomorrow. They may be handwritten, or you can copy and paste the document and supply the answers using Microsoft Word and then post on Edmodo, or turn in a hard copy.

Parent /Guardian Interview #1

1. Before talking about this list with your child, had you heard about or read any of the books that are on the list? 2. Would you suggest any particular titles for your child? If so, which ones, and why?3. Would you like to read a copy, as your child is reading?4. Would you be interested in discussing your childs book with your child? Explain your answer.5.6.I have assigned your book, based upon the choices you listed, and your parents responses from the interviews.

Mini-Lesson #2 Specifics of the TaskGuiding Question: What do we need to know to and create reader response journals that will help us to interact with contemporary literature on a personal level?Standards:ELACC9-10RL2: Determine a theme or central idea of text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.ELACC9-10RL3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

Mini-Lesson #2 Day 2 (Thursday)

Students will be provided with hard copies of the Reader Response Journal assignment. That same assignment will be displayed on the SmartBoard to guide the whole-class discussion that will be facilitated by the teacher. I will review the document, allowing for questions and comments from the students.Students will be divided into groups of 3 and provided with 3 reader response exemplars, of varying degrees of competency. Each group should discuss:1. The degree to which the exemplars authors addressed directions of the assignment,2. Students discussions and interviews with your parents, and with others, about the book choices,3. The resources from the Blendspace curation and from Edmodo.Assignment/Assessment: After viewing the curated resources and discussing the assignment it is likely that you encountered some issues that you had not thought about when we introduced the topic yesterday and discussed it today.Compose a reflective post, which you will post on the PBworks page titled under RR assignment- Day 2. You should discuss any changes in opinion about the assignment since yesterday and what influenced those changes. You should also discuss ways in which the assignment is different than you might have first assumed. I would also be interested in your opinion about what you think about the assignment, as a whole. I expect about two to four good paragraphs, for a total of about 200 words. The assessment is due by the beginning of class tomorrow.

Mini-Lesson #3 Sharing the LiteratureGuiding Question: How can we share the enjoyment that we received through reading our books with others and encourage them to read those books?Standards:ELACC9-10RL2: Determine a theme or central idea of text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.ELACC9-10RL3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.ELACC9-10W9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.ELACC9-10W10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Mini Lesson #3 Day 21 (Wednesday): Sharing the Literature

ConsiderBefore turning in the final installment of your Reader Response Journal, you will need to consider how you can share your enjoyment of the book with others.BackgroundEach student has written and submitted 3 reader response journalsone from each of the first three quarters of the book. As you prepare to write your last installment, consider the work of literature, as a whole as you prepare to entice others to read the same book that you have just finished,Assignment 1: You will write a book talk that you will then publish on our PBworks wiki. Unlike the book talks that you may have attended, or conducted in elementary and middle school, this book talk will not be live or video-based. Instead, you will rely upon your writing skills, familiarity with the literature, persuasion skills, and judgment to create a written, online book talk.Step 1: Getting familiar with the Online Book Talk.In order for you to better understand the assignment, I have curated a collection of resources that explore the general idea of, tips about, and specific examples of, online book talks. I included several video book talks to help you capture the desired tone, too. Again, I have constructed a curation of resources on Blendspace.com and posted it to my Tumblr. Com blog: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mrkerrshslibrary and to the class edmodo.com page.Step 2: Read the Online Book Talk assignment and annotate, as you desire. Be prepared to ask any needed clarifying questions. Step 3: View all 9 resources on the Blendspace curation.Step 4: Complete the Book Talk Prep Chart (attached).Step 5: Using the completed Book Talk Prep Chart and the tips from the Blendspace resources, write your Online Book Talk and submit it to the Book Talk page at PBworks. The book talk is due by the beginning of class on Friday.