Unit 4: Loneliness

Battle of the Books

City Lights Bookstore 

BOOKS

Questions from these books will be included in the final battle. You can use these books for your 3 projects.

Wonder by PJ Palacio
Counting by 7s – Holly Goldberg Sloan
Firegirl – Tony Abbott
Rules – Cynthia Lord
Mockingbird – Kathryn Erskine
Stargirl – Jerry Spinelli
Romeo and Juliet – William Shakespeare
Gathering Blue – Lewis Lowry
The Categorical Universe of Candice Phee – Barry Jonsberg
Touching Spirit Bear – Ben Mikaelsen

Options for the books: You can use these books for the projects only. No questions will be asked during the battle of the books on these novels.

Feathers – Jacqueline Woodson

The Giver – Lewis Lowry

Schedule

Week 1 (March 23rd) – INTRO to Battle of the Books, review rules, overview of books and genres, selection of teams, initial meetings with teams, division of books on the lists

Week 2 (March 30th) – Reading at home and at school. Teacher will check in with groups and individual students to assess progress
Week 3 (April 6th) Each student should have read at least ONE book and be working on their first “Booktalk” Time will be given in class to work on the “Booktalk”. This week should focus on “Character.” Start creating your Paper Bag project.
Week 4 (April 13th) –  Presentation of the Paper Bad project

Week 5!(April 20th)  Continue READING! Teacher will check in with groups and individual students to assess progress
Week 6! (April 27th) More READING! Fill in your chapter summary sheet as you read your 2nd book.
Week 7 (May 11th) Finish book and start storyboarding your 2nd presentation for your Booktalk – a summary of the book and an audio situation of a moment of loneliness. This audio will be included in our Final Biennale Video.
Week 8 (May 18th) Presentation of the audio documents and edition of our Final video for the Biennale Project.

Week 9 (May 25th) Keep reading!! Start working on your compare and contrast essay on the following topic: How does understanding loneliness break down the barriers between us.

Week 10 (June 1st) Finish book and prepare compare and contrast writing piece in class.
Week 11! (June 8th) Hand in the third book talk

WEEK 12 ! (June 15th) Meet with your team to discuss books and prepare for the battle. Make flashcards with book titles and practice questions.

Projects

Booktalk #1

Due on April 13th, 2015:

Good readers visualize or make pictures in their heads while they read. Think of all the characters and settings in the book you are reading. Choose one character that you can picture in your mind.
For this assignment, you will need to choose a character from your text. Be sure to choose a rich, memorable character – it will make it much easier to complete your assignment. You will need a paper bag to complete this assignment.

This assignment has several components:
􏰀1-  On the front panel of your paper bag, draw a picture of your character. You may wish to draw the picture on another piece of paper and then glue it onto the bag.
􏰀2- On one of the side panels, write about your character’s moments of happiness and moments of loneliness. Include one paragraph for each and use supporting evidence from the text.
􏰀3- On the other side panel, write about how other characters in the text react and interact with your character. Again, don’t forget to use supporting evidence from the text.
􏰀 4- On the back panel, explain how your character changed throughout the text. What was your character like at the beginning of the text? At the end? Why did your character change? Include supporting evidence from the text.
􏰀5-  Inside your bag, include 5 items that you would associate with your character. Be prepared to explain and defend your choices in the oral presentation.
􏰀

Oral presentation – You will be asked to orally present your assignment. In your assignment, explain who your character is, and what text he or she is from. Briefly explain your information on the two side panels and back panel (DO NOT READ your information – just give us a quick summary). Make sure you explain the loneliness of this character and why you feel he/she is lonely. Show us the 5 items you chose to put in your bag. Explain why you chose these items and why they are important to your character.

Evaluation Project #1:

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4

Ideas

Limited use of ideas and details related to text.

Ideas and details are not consistant with the character.

Some use of ideas and details related to text.

Ideas and details are somewhat consistant with the character.

Considerable use of ideas and details related to texts.

Ideas and details are consistent with the character.

Excellent use of ideas and details related to text.

Ides and details are rich, thought-provoking and consistent with the character.

Organization

Little organization of ideas and details. Thoughts appear to be very random, Linking words are not used.

Paragraphs are not used.

Some organization of ideas and details. Some thoughts appear to be quite random.

Some linking words are used. Some use of correct paragraphing.

Good organization of ideas and details.

Linking words  are used between most sentences and paragraphs.

Correct paragraphing is used most of the time.

Excellent organization of ideas and details.

Varied linking words are used between sentences and paragraphs.

Correct paragraphing is used all the time.

Conventions

Many errors in spelling, sentence structure, grammar and capitalization.

Little evidence of editing and revising.

Some errors in spelling, sentence structure, grammar and capitalization. Some evidence of editing and revising.

Few errors in spelling, sentence structure, grammar, and capitalization.

Good evidence of editing and revising.

Little to no errors in spelling, sentence structure, grammar and capitalization.

Excellent evidence of editing and revising.

Appearance & Ethics

Little time, care and effort spent on assignment.

Limited use of colour and creativity.

Handed in late

Some time, care and effort spent on assignment.

Some use of colour and creativity. Work handed in on time.

Considerable time, care and effort spent on assignment. Good use of color and creativity. Work handed in on time.

Extensive time, care and effort spent on assignment. Excellent use of color and creativity.

Oral Presentation

Limited use of contact with audience.

Volume of voice is too quiet most of the time. Limited audience engagement.

The bag contains less than 5 objects. Objects are presented but not explained.

Some use of eye contact with the audience. Volume of voice is too quiet some of the time. Some audience engagement.

Explains some of the 5 objects or explains the objects using limited details.

Good use of eye contact with audience. Volume of voice is appropriate most of the time. Considerable audience engagement.

Explains all 5 objects using details taken from the text.

Excellent use of eye contact  with audience. Volume of voice is appropriate all of the time. A high degree of audience engagement.

Explains all 5 objects using specific details taken from the text. Objects are unpredictable

Booktalk #2

Due on May 20th
As they read, good readers summarize important ideas. For your second “Booktalk,” you need to summarize the events of the book. For each chapter you read, note if there is an event that you feel is significant.
Using narrative language, re-tell or re-enact the entire book in less than a minute in an audio document created on GarageBand. You may also choose to invent a story or to tell a story that is reminiscent of what you have read in the book.

Booktalk #3

Due on June 8th.

Good readers develop opinions about what they are reading. For the final “Booktalk”, you will use compare and contrast essay to answer the following question: “How does understanding loneliness break down the barriers between us”.
Use the structure of a formal informative text.

Make sure to make reference to all the activities we have done in class for the Biennale Project and the situations from the novels we have read this term.

Please refer to the “Compare and Contrast Essays” document given in class when writing your paper.

 

 

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