Monday, May 2, 2011

Happy Birthday Dr King!



1. KNOWLEDGE - Why is Jamal's grandfather so unhappy that Jamal fought to sit at the back of the bus? Give details.

2. ANALYZING - What does Jamal learn from talking with his grandfather? How is he different after the talk?

3. GENERATING - How does Jamal use what he learns from his grandfather in his skit? Explain.

4. INTEGRATING - Jamal says he did something "really stupid that turned out to be stupendous instead." What does he mean?

5. EVALUATING - What would you like to do for a school celebration of Dr. King's birthday? Be specific.

6. CONNECTIONS - Who do you think are the heroes in this story? What makes them heroic?

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The Last Dragon

1. KNOWLEDGE - Give examples from the story of how Great Aunt helps Peter with his dragon.

2. ANALYZING - Why do Great Aunt's neighbors help Peter?


3. GENERATING - What does Peter mean when he sdays, "There's something about this dragon?"


4. GENERATING - Would this story be different if one person had repaired Peter's entire dragon? Explain.


5. EVALUATING - How does Peter change because of his experience fixing the dragon? Be specific.


6. CONNECTIONS - Compare Peter's experiences away from home with the experiences of another character in this theme.


Monday, March 21, 2011

Marven of the Great North Woods




1. KNOWLEDGE - Why is Marven so good at adjusting to life in the loggin camp? What problems does he solve there?

2. ANALYZING - What does Marven think of Jean Louis at first? How and why does his opinion change?

3. GENERATING - What do you think Marven will miss about the logging camp when he returns home? Be specific.

4. INTEGRATING - How do you think Marven's experience in the great north woods might have changed him?

5. EVALUATING - If you had to spend the winter at the logging camp, what would you worry about? What would you look forward to?

6. CONNECTIONS - Both Maria Isabel and Marven have problems getting used to a new place. Compare their experiences.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

My Name is Maria Isabel

1. KNOWLEDGE - How does writing the essay help Maria Isabel?

2. GENERATING - Why do you think Maria Isabel feels that she is "caught in a sticky, troublesome spider's web of her own"?

3. GENERATING - Maria Isabel doesn't tell her parents that she is upset. Why do you think she keeps her feelings to herself?

4. INTEGRATING - Why is Charlotte's Web so important to Maria Isabel?

5. EVALUATING - If you had a difficult problem, would you solve it the way Maria Isabel did or a different way? Explain.

6. CONNECTIONS - What does this selection teach you abou t solving problems?

Monday, March 7, 2011

The Borrowers & Lord of the Fleas

1. ORGANIZING - What makes "The Borrowers" and "Lord of the Fleas" so amazing? Compare the two stories.


2. ANALYZING - Which stories in this theme are fantasies? For each story, list qualities that support your answer.

3. INTEGRATING - Name four tiny items the Clocks might borrow from you. What might they do with them?

4. EVALUATING - "Lord of the Fleas" shows that real like can be amazing. List two things you think are amazing in real life. Explain.

5. EVALUATING - What selection in this theme is the most amazing? Explain.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Heat Wave!


1. KNOWLEDGE - Many scenes in the story exaggerate an ordinary event until it becomes amazing. Give examples.

2. ANALYZING - What qualities make the girl so good at fighting the heat wave? Use details from the story.

3. GENERATING - If the farm had been out of lettuce seeds, how else could the girl have defeated the heat wave?

4. INTEGRATING - How is the heat wave like a character in the story? If the heat wave could talk, what would it say?

5. EVALUATING - Should the girl have told her neighbors why they had such an early snowfall? Why or why not?

6. CONNECTIONS - What do you think would happen if the stranger from Chris VAl Allsburg's story were at the farm during the heat wave attack?

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Watch a Movie Version

View one of the many film versions of Cinderella. How does the movie compare to the story Cendrillon. Which version do you like better? Why?

Cendrillon

1. ORGANIZING - At what point in time is Cendrillon's godmother tellling the story? How do you know this?


2. ANALYZING - Which story events could happen in real life? Which amazing events could never happen in real life?


3. GENERATING - Why does Cendrillon want to wear her own clothes when Paul puts the slipper on her foot?


4. GENERATING - How would this story have been different if Cendrillon had left the ball on time?


5. INTEGRATING - Why do you think the Cinderella story, in all its different versions, is so popular all over the world?


6. CONNECTIONS - Which story do you think is more amazing, Cendrillon or The Stranger? Give reasons for you answer.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Post a Review (The Stranger)

Would you like to share your opinion of The Stranger? Write a review of the book.

The Stranger

1. KNOWLEDGE - What are the first few clues that tell you that something is unusual about the stranger?


2. ANALYZING - What is the Bailey family like? Use details from the story to support your description.


3. GENERATING - The stranger feel something is "terribly wrong" when he sees green leaves on the trees. What do you think is wrong?


4. GENERATING - Who do you think the stranger is? List three clues that help you guess his identity.


5. INTEGRATING - If the stranger stayed for a while where you live, what effect might he have on the climate?


6. CONNECTIONS - What does Chris Van Allsburg do to make this story mysterious and amazing?

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Focus on Plays/Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

1. ORGANIZING How is the play different from a fictional story, such as the ones you have already read in Journeys or American Stories? What features do they share?

2. ANALYZING In what ways does a play remind you of movies you of movies or television shows?

3. GENERATING How would the play have been different if a character other than Peter had narrated it. Explain.

4. INTEGRATING Why are stage directions so important in a play? Give examples of how stage directions helped you better understand "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing."

5. EVALUATING If you could play a character in "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" who would you choose? Why?

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride/Duke Ellington

1. ORGANIZING - Compare the different ways the authors of "Amelia and Elenor Go for a Ride" and "Duke Ellington" tell their stories.

2. ANALYZING - What qualities do Duke Ellington and Amelia Earhart have in common? How do they each show these qualities in what they love to do?

3. ANALYZING - How are Duke Ellington and John Stetson alike? What qualities helped each man reach his goals?

4. GENERATING - Why do you think "Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride" and "Duke Ellington" are included in this theme?

5. EVALUATING - Which selection in this theme best describes your idea of what it means to be an American? Explain your answer.