Animal Fantasy Book Report with Rubric

Last Friday I shared an example of a non-fiction book report I use in my classroom.  This week I want to share an example of a fiction assignment.  The lessons I designed incorporate reading, writing, speaking and listening across genre.  

To download Animal Fantasy Book Report with Rubric, please click here.

This assignment comes from my paid product 25 Book Reports.
Included in this packet are:
13 Fiction Book Reports
12 Non-fiction Book Reports
2 Rubrics
2 Progress Monitoring Sheets
2 Reading Logs for Weekly and Monthly Progress  

25 Book Reports is available in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store and my Teacher's Notebook Store.

Happy Friday!

The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm

I saw one of my students reading this book last year.  I love everything I have read by Jennifer L. Holm so I knew I would have to check it out.

Ellie's grandfather finds a way to turn into a teenager again.  The events that follow cause the characters to wonder if scientific advancement can go too far.



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Teachers Pay Teachers and Teachers Notebook Freebies

I don't know if you have noticed, but I have created a page on this blog just for the freebies in my Teachers Pay Teachers and Teacher's Notebook stores.

This week is usually a tough one for teaching and learning, so I thought I would share with you some of my favorite lessons free of charge.  

Hang in there: Friday's coming!

Quote of the Week -- October 25, 2015

Leading is not the same as being a leader.  Leading means others are willing to follow; not because they have to, but because they want to.

~Simon Sinek

Have a good week,

Biography Book Report with Rubric

I know book reports have fallen out of favor in some circles, but I still like them.  The lessons I designed incorporate reading, writing, speaking and listening across genre.  Today I want to share with you a sample non-fiction book report for biographies.

To download the Biography Book Report with Rubric, please click here.

This assignment comes from my paid product 25 Book Reports.
Included in this packet are:
13 Fiction Book Reports
12 Non-fiction Book Reports
2 Rubrics
2 Progress Monitoring Sheets
2 Reading Logs for Weekly and Monthly Progress  

25 Book Reports is available in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store and my Teacher's Notebook Store.

Happy Friday!

Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

I love spy novels...especially the ones for the 8-12 set.  Readers who enjoyed NERDS by Michael Buckley will enjoy Spy School by Stuart Gibbs.
Ben Ripley is recruited to a middle school which is a front for CIA training. He is excited about his training until the school is under attack.  Will Ben survive and become the spy he has always dreamed about?
(Caution: there is some mild language.)



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Using The World Factbook for Country Reports

Several years ago, I discovered The World Factbook, a resource from the CIA that gives information about the countries and entities of the world.  I created a one page graphic organizer for students to record information about different countries.  To download the Country Report Graphic Organizer, please click here.

This form could be used in Social Studies or to get background information for a novel study. (The Seven Wonders Series by Peter Lerangis comes to mind.)
 
I usually share freebies on Friday.  Just a little something extra to get you through the week.

Happy Monday!

Quote of the Week -- October 18, 2015

"I do not read a book;
I hold a conversation with the author."

~Elbert Hubbard

Have a good week,

Partner Writing: Capitalization Rules Part Two

When I have tried to teach my students the rules for capitalizing titles, it has been confusing.  Book covers don't usually follow the conventions in any style manual.  I have seen everything from all lower case letters to all capital letters.

I am hoping this lesson simplifies the process.  Generally articles and prepositions in the middle of titles begin with lowercase letters and all other words begin with capital letters.  I made a short list of words that are not capitalized UNLESS they are at the beginning of a title.  I created this practice sheet that students can complete with an assigned partner.  (Click here to find out how I assign partners.)


To download the worksheet for capitalizing titles, please click here.

Happy Friday!

Pie by Sarah Weeks

Alice's Aunt Polly is an award-winning pie maker and when she dies, she leaves the recipe for the crust to her cat Lardo.  The whole town goes crazy trying to guess at the ingredients and make a new award-winning pie.  Alice is busy taking care of the cat and trying to solve a mystery surrounding her Aunt's pie crust recipe.



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Four Ways Teachers Are Salespeople

Frequent readers know I quit teaching last spring to try out other options.  I am currently working retail.  

I've never thought of myself as a salesperson.  I read To Sell Is Human a couple of years ago and started thinking about sales differently.  Daniel Pink believes we are all in sales.

Here are some similarities between teaching and sales:

1.  I have to know my customer.  If I don't build rapport and find out my customer needs, I am wasting both of our time.  In teaching, I need to know my student as an individual in order to help.

2.  I have to know my product.  People want to buy from knowledgeable sales staff.  Students need to learn from knowledgeable teachers.  The homework I am doing these days to prepare is learning about a new industry so I can answer questions honestly.

3. I need to be resilient.  A successful salesperson overcomes objections.  So does a successful teacher.  If one approach doesn't work, I need to find other ways to convince my client I have something they need/want.

4.  It takes time to be an expert.  When I feel uncertain about my new position, I remember how long it took to become comfortable in front of a class of students.  

I'm sure that there are other comparisons I can make as I continue working in sales.  As I am learning something new, it helps to make connections with the familiar.

Quote of the Week -- October 11, 2015

There are no traffic jams on the extra mile.

Zig Ziglar

Have a good week,

Partner Writing: Capitalization Rules Part One

Today I am starting a series of writing lessons designed for students to complete with a partner.  The focus of this lesson is capitalizing the first letter of names, days of the week, and month words.  Next week I will introduce what words in titles need to be capitalized.

Students fill out the questionnaire and trade with their assigned partner.  (To find out how I assign partners, click here.) 

They make sure that first and last names, days of the week, and month words are spelled and capitalized correctly.  Then, on another sheet of paper, they write three sentences with correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.

To download the capital letters questionnaire, please click here.


Happy Friday!

 

The Creature Department by Robert Paul Weston

If your students liked The Imaginary Veterinary by Suzanne Selfors, they will probably like The Creature Department by Robert Paul Weston.  Elliot Von Doppler is invited to visit DENKi-3000, the town's electronic factory.  His classmate, Leslie, is invited also, because they tied in the school science fair.  What they discover there isn't quite what they imagined.



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Partner Work: Step One Choosing Partners

I plan to share several partner writing activities this month for my Friday Freebies.  Before I do that I thought I had better explain how I set up partners in my room.

Although my students beg me to let them choose their own partners, I only do that occasionally.  I expect my students to work with any other student in the room.  I find that if they choose their friends, they don't stay on task.  (I'm pretty sure if you have been in the classroom for more than five minutes you already know this.)

I have a jar with craft sticks I use to call on students in class discussion.  I use the same jar with craft sticks to create random partners and small groups.  I have even used it to create seating charts by randomly drawing and then adjusting for students with hearing or vision problems.

"The sticks choose."  This takes me out of the mix.  I am not passing judgment on who will work well together.  They have an equal chance to work with their best friend or their worst enemy.  They know I will not switch, because they are partnered with someone they "can't" work with.

Quote of the Week -- October 4, 2015

A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.

Chinese Proverb

Have a good week,

Big Footprints Writing Prompt

You take a shortcut on the way home from school and find some footprints bigger than you have ever seen before.  You decide to follow them.  What kind of creature did you find?

To download the free printable lesson, click here.

Happy Friday!